Saturday, August 31, 2019

Globalization in Australia Essay

Globalization literally means the process by which the local phenomenon is transformed into global ones where every person in the world is united into a single society and work together as dependent partners. For a country to be globalized, it has to coordinate its economic, social, cultural, political and political aspects. Basically, the term Globalization has been used to refer to only the financial aspect of Economic Globalization which is the transformation of National Economy into International Economy through Technology, Capital Flow, Foreign Investment, Migration and Trade (Hirst and Thompson, 247). According to the UN-ESCWA , the term means, elimination or minimizing of national boarders so that the flow of goods, services, capital and labor can be facilitated. As globalization continues to sweep every nation, it has had its ups and downs. While on one side it helps in opening up of new markets and wealth creation, on the other end, it is a major contributor to the world disorder and unrest. Economic globalization can be measured using mainly four economic flows:- goods and Services, Technology, Capital and Labor (Bracer and Costello, pp. 19). This essay will look at the features of Globalization in Australia, How the process is driven, the effect that it has had on political scene of the country and finally it will look at how it has affected Australian relationship with other countries. Political Perspective of Globalization Australian Globalization has taken effect on its political system, research resented in (Gupta, pp. 37) show that, apart from concerning itself with the issues of the national governments like security and economic welfare of its people, the Australian government has taken into pursuing political matters in the global arena. They have joined the member groups of known World institutions like the European Union, International Monetary Fund, World Trade Organization and the World Bank among others to help them in this effect. The influence of the Australian Government through these institutions has managed to transcend even beyond its boarders. By using the Central national government, many NGOs with their origin in Australia have been established to help in numerous global issues like the human right concerns, environmental concerns and civil society matters. Domestic Aspect of Politics of Globalization Globalization effect in Australia has seen the gap between the rich and the poor fall by nearly Ten Percent in less than three decades. And not only did that happen, but there was also a notable reduction in the number of undernourished children. The average life expectancy in the same period of time shot to 66 from 58 years while the infant survival per every 1000 rose to 67 from 44. As the country’s economy grows, say by for instance 10%, so do the poorest people in the country by the same margin, thanks to the liberalization of Trade and high technology(Oxley,2003). Since it started expanding, Australia has done so without any sign of recession. It has been so good in doubling the countries wealth and cutting down on unemployment. This big boom has seen the prime minister, John Howard bolster his political fortune with great confidence. The Australian market which was once an isolated market, has undergone great transformations to the point where it can comfortably take advantage of the global market. Australia’s Domestic and International Economy Australia’s economic system is one of the most open in the globe that is; in terms of foreign investment and tariffs. The positive effects of globalization to this country are numerous, some of which are; the Reduction in the transport cost, Easy communication and Cheap offshore production. While it is apparent that globalization can either bring blessings or curses, to Australia it has brought blessings in abundance, The Australian government, through the labor unions have secured great productivity gains. The labor unions which were held in a high state demanded for high pay to their members†¦ they were granted this wish and the results of it was astounding. It saw a dramatic gain in productivity (Arnoldy. pp. 13). Relationship Between Australia and other Developed and Developing Countries The relationship that Australia has had with different nations is shaped by its position as the leading nation in trade and more so its role as being a major donor of humanitarian aid. It has a strong bilateral tie with all its allies and there keen concern regarding the debated on terrorism, free trade and other economic cooperation strategies ( Croucher, pp. 10). Their active participation in the affairs of Commonwealth Nations and United Nations put them in a position of being a darling of every sovereign state. Australia has also joined several of such world organizations like the Economic and Social Funding in 1994, Security Council in 1986 and Cairns Group of Countries (to press for Agricultural trade reforms). It focuses most of its attention to developing countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Brunei. On the other hand developed nations like the United States, United Kingdom, Japan and China are not left behind. Australia’s major import partners include China Japan, Germany, and Singapore while its export partners are Japan, China, New Zealand and South Korea (www. worldgrowth. org). The future of Australia seems to be quiet bright as far as globalization is concerned. If the current trend continues, then we will witness a lot more fragmentation, personal freedom, Emergence of bigger organizations and wider connectivity. Works Cited Alan Oxley. (2003) â€Å"Globalization and Australia†. Australian APEC Center, Monash from www. worldgrowth. org Retrieved on 09-02-2009. Ben Arnoldy. (2006). â€Å"Australia at the crossroads of globalization †. The Christian Science Monitor. Sydney, Australia. pp. 12-19. Bhagwati, Jagdish. (2004). â€Å"In Defense of Globalization†. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 51-87. Hirst and Thompson. (2002) â€Å"The Future of Globalization†. Published: Cooperation and Conflict, Vol. 37, No. 3, pp. 247-265. Jeremy Brecher and Tim Costello. (1994): â€Å"Global Village or Global Pillage: Economic Reconstruction From the Bottom Up†. Boston, South End. pp. 19-23. Satya Dev Gupta. (1997): â€Å"The Political Economy of Globalization†. Boston, Zed Books. pp 29-64. Sheila L. Croucher. (2004). â€Å"Globalization and Belonging: The Politics of Identity in a Changing World†. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 10.

Friday, August 30, 2019

Global and U.S. Economy Essay

After a low-key performance for about three consecutive years, prospects for growth of the world economy significantly improved in 2004. This improvement in the economic outlook was widespread across the nations of the world. However, differences in economic robustness among regions and countries persisted. In the preceding two years, macroeconomic policies had been crucial for stimulating the global recovery, but the emerging challenge was for policies to simultaneously sustain robust growth and maintain stable inflation (United Nations, Economic and Social Development Affairs, â€Å"2004† 3) Following a temporary slowdown in mid-2004, global GDP growth picked up through the first quarter of 2005, with robust services sector output more than offsetting slowing global growth in manufacturing and trade. In the second quarter, however, in part reflecting the impact of higher oil prices, signs of slowness emerged, with leading indicators turning downward and business confidence weakening in most major countries. Subsequently, while global manufacturing and trade were strengthened, and leading indicators picked up, the continuing rise in crude oil and refined product prices, which was exacerbated by the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Katrina, acted as a major downward force (World Economic Outlook, â€Å"2005† 1). Nonetheless, the resilience of the global economy in 2005 continued to exceed expectations. Despite higher oil prices and natural disasters, activity in the third quarter of 2005 was in fact stronger than earlier projected, particularly among emerging market countries; global GDP growth was estimated at 4.8 percent, 0. 5 percentage point higher than projected previously (World Economic Outlook, â€Å"2006†1). Global industrial production has gone up from mid-2005; the services sector today remains strong; global trade growth is at a high level; consumer confidence and labor market conditions are on an optimistic note; and forward-looking indicators such as business confidence have risen. Asia is forging ahead, with China enjoying double-digit expansion and India growing very rapidly as well. Growth in most emerging and developing countries remains solid, with a marked buoyancy of activity in China, India, and Russia. After years of deflationary weakness, Japan has embarked on a new path, with personal consumption and labor income joining exports and business investment as the main drivers of growth. Japanese expansion is well established. In continental Europe, activity weakened again late last year, partly reacting to rising oil prices, but accelerated in early 2006 (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development). There are signs of a more sustained recovery in the Euro area, although domestic demand growth remains subdued in that region. The impressive performance of the global economy in recent years is, truly, a cause for celebration. Accelerated growth is vital prerequisite for poverty reduction in developing countries. Without sustained and rapid growth, lasting poverty reduction will prove elusive (Krueger). Though hurricanes had a damaging impact in the United States, it was but a transient one, and the activity was already bouncing back early in 2006. Among industrial countries, the United States remains the main engine of growth. In 2005, the U. S. economy expanded by 3.5%, a rate slightly above potential growth for the U. S. economy, leading to a decline in the unemployment rate from 5. 4% in the fourth quarter of 2004 to 4. 9% in the final quarter of 2005. The economy added nearly two million jobs in 2005, averaging 165,000 jobs per month. Yet the economy experienced a substantial swing in economic activity beginning in the third quarter of last year. Real gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 4. 1% in the third quarter, slowed drastically to 1. 7% in the fourth quarter, and then bounced back up to 5. 6% in the first quarter of 2006. (Strauss and Engel).

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Personal Bankruptcy and Financial Literacy Essay

Personal Bankruptcy and Financial Literacy - Essay Example The management of the companies should know the implications of the finance to be a successful player in the market. On of the most important measures in the development of the companies is the profit of the company. Therefore, it is imperative for the business to be financially literate. It has become an important subject at individual level after the recession. One of the most important components in the economy is the financial market. Financial Education is needed for the individuals and the organizations in the world to understand the concepts and rationales behind the financial products in the market. They also require recognizing the risks involved with the products so that they can leverage the risk when required. Financial education engulfs education about the financial products and the economy with the help of the charts and the data analysis, which help the companies and the individuals to analyze the market more carefully. (OECD, 26-27). This leads to the development of t he economy in general. The individuals and the companies can take the advantage of a situation in the economy if they are well acquainted with the financial education. After the recession, a major trend in the market was the bankruptcy. The bankruptcy for a company or an individual is a condition when the person or the company is unable to pay the debts. The regulatory authority of the country gives the company or the individual the support to pay off the debts by taking over the assets. (Blum, 337). The importance of bankruptcy has increased in the aftermath of the recession as many companies and individuals took the shelter of the law, as they were unable to pay off the debts. The bankruptcy has a negative effect on the economy of the country in the case of the companies. The companies provide many individuals with jobs and with the closure the unemployment problem rise. However, in the case of the individuals, the bankruptcy

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Plant Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Plant Biology - Essay Example According to Jimmy Botella, a professor of Plant Biotechnology in University of Queensland, untraditional or genetically modified foods do not automatically mean they are threats to humans. This type of modification already existed decades ago. However, according to Botella, there are more threats to humans caused by nature or natural products such as tsunami, malaria and paralysis than GMOs. Cassava, a natural crop, causes limb paralysis if not properly processed. Genetically modified foods are seen to be threat by people who refuse to accept changes, afraid to grasp the progress in technology or simply because they are â€Å"new.† Most of these people claim that these are unacceptable because they are not naturally produced and some claims these foods are not made by God. They cannot scientifically prove that GMOs are not safe or that these pose threats to consumers. Therefore, in answer to the question whether the United States Government should have a certification program for foods containing genetically modified ingredients, I totally believe that certification program will help the citizens be informed that GMOs are safe to eat and can supply the energy needed by our bodies. This certification program can eliminate the negative thinking or belief of the people regarding this kind of food if scientifically proved that GMOs are safe to eat and will pass the certification programs and

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Causal Argument, Nouri Al-Maliki Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Causal Argument, Nouri Al-Maliki - Essay Example minister has a lot of support for him but there is an equal number of people who are against him and now raising their voices against the decisions taken by him. Mr. Maliki was elected as the prime minister of Iraq after the end of Saddam Husain’s regime by US. The reason of electing him as the Pm of the country and selecting a person as the speaker of parliament from another sect was to create a government that is represented by all. But, the decisions of the PM just when the American armies were leaving the country for a better good have once again raised questions on the future of the country and its people. The main question raised by the people of Iraq and many international authorities is: â€Å"Are the actions of Prime Minister leading Iraq to a civil war?† It was on the eve of celebrating a free Iraq when the three main leaders of the opposing party were house arrested on the orders of the prime ministers. The charges on them were of aggravating terrorism in the country. The charges on them looked absurd and although confessed by them on national tv they were proved to be manipulated and the confession was also proved to be due to torture. When all these charges were proved wrong, a large question arose on this action of Mr. Maliki that what was the need of such an abrupt action the main leaders of his opposing party when the country is still trying to get out of a major crisis. The leaders were of iraqqiya Coalition and also the current Vice President, Finance Minister and Deputy prime Minister. The iraqqiya coalition is an important of the country and the vice president Tariq al Hashmi also took more votes than the prime minister in the elections of 2010. This action of the prime minister against three important politicians of the c ountry could lead to the instability of the government and surely the country to a civil war. As we all have been observing that after the American army left Iraq, a series of bombings has started in many important cities

Monday, August 26, 2019

Business Engineering With ERP Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Engineering With ERP Systems - Essay Example Integration of processes means that any change in a particular field will reflect on all the related fields of the organization. In this sense each centre or branch will be connected with the other, as the same information will be available throughout. For example: a change in the inventory levels will be detected by the purchase department without delay, enabling them increase the inflow of raw materials accordingly, further leading the manufacturing department to increase production, so on and so forth. As and when an event or functions occur its consequent actions will be automatically triggered, resulting in efficient and effective handling of each task. Moreover, R/3 provides a system that provides for the storage of Static ('Master') and dynamic ('transaction') data about the organization structures, products, customers and the process to be followed. The Master Data is centrally stored and therefore shared across application modules) so as to eliminate data redundancy and to enforce data consistency and integrity. Thus, when creating transactions like a sales order, the R/3 system copies information from master data.

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Citrus industry in Florida Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Citrus industry in Florida - Research Paper Example In 1834, citrus groves were being cultivated by farmers, which were interrupted by the occurrence of a freeze in February of 1835 (Florida’s Citrus Production 2013). The freeze, which happened on February of 1835, killed all the fruit trees in St. Augustine as temperature dropped to seven degrees above zero, thus, robbing people of their income (Dobson 2009). The farmers’ recovered production for the succeeding fifty-one years as the state only experienced warm winters; during this time, northeast Florida, as well as St. John’s County, became the hub of citrus supply (Dobson 2009). In the 1890’s, citrus production increased to five million boxes per year due to the demand for the said fruit in the northeast and the existence of rail lines, which promoted long distance shipping of the citrus fruits (About Citrus 2012). In fact, in the year 1894, the shipment of crates of citrus to the north amounted up to 5,000,000 (Dobson 2009). On December of 1894, anothe r freeze happened, killing all of Florida’s orange crops in its wake. On the eighth of February the following year, another freeze came about, bringing about the same disastrous effects; such was its impact that on 1896, Florida was only able to ship a little above 100,000 crates of oranges (Dobson 2009). The freeze caused the abandonment of citrus groves in the North of Florida and the production of melons and potatoes in its place (Dobson 2009). This was the most severe in the history of freezes that Florida had undergone (Timeline of Major Florida Freezes 2013). In 1901, there were little above 1,000,000 crates produced (Dobson 2009). In 1917 and 1934, still the state was plagued with the same natural calamity; the freeze of 1934 resulted in the formation of the Federal Frost Warning Service -- a replacement of the train whistles, which warned people of imminent frosts in the previous years (Dobson 2009). The occurrence of continuous freezes in December of 1934, as well as on February of 1935, yielded a negative impact as it reduce production from a million boxes to just below 150,000 boxes of citrus (About Citrus 2013). Again, the farmers planted their citrus crops, yet another freeze took its toll in

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Virtual Private Network Architecture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Virtual Private Network Architecture - Essay Example Basically, the cloud computing platforms (virtual clouds), both private and public, offer an excellent framework for both all the organizations (small, medium and large) to host their applications (e.g. enterprise resource planning systems) by hiring resources on rent, on-demand and paying charging depending on actual usage. In this scenario, an organization’s IT services can be distributed all through the corporation’s data centers and systematically assigned resources in cloud data centers (Wood, Shenoy, Ramakrishnan, & Merwe, 2011; Tchifilionova, 2011). Cloud computing allows enterprises to obtain as much computation and storage resources as they require, while only paying for the precise amount that they use. In this scenario, a VPN (virtual private network) is established by creating a secure communications link between two nodes by following the characteristics of a point-to-point private link. Additionally, a VPN can be employed by the organizations to smooth the process of secure remote access in the cloud, establish and maintain a secure data channel within a network or securely connect two networks together (Researcher's Blog, 2011; Wood, Shenoy, Gerber, Ramakrishnan, & Merwe, 2009; Rittinghouse & Ransome, 2009). ... advantageous that cloud resources be flawlessly incorporated or combined with an organization’s existing architecture without the need to deal with management, handle substantial configuration, or security concerns. On the other hand, present cloud service providers provide virtual cloud servers as remote units with their own IP address space that is beyond the reach and control of the customer. In addition, this isolation of enterprise resources and clouds augments software and configuration challenges and complexity while putting into practice the services that must communicate with an enterprise’s private network. There emerge various problems when moving an organization’s information system such as enterprise resource planning systems to a virtual cloud. In this scenario, poor communication and lack of coordination between virtual cloud and network resources make the customer once more accountable for autonomously managing for bandwidth guarantees and traffic separation with a separate network service provider. Thus, in order to deal with these challenges, there is a need to improve the cloud computing architecture to flawlessly put together virtual private networks (VPNs) (Wood, Shenoy, Gerber, Ramakrishnan, & Merwe, 2009; Rittinghouse & Ransome, 2009). In addition, the majority of business organizations are adopting incremental approach for the migration of their enterprise resource planning systems to virtual cloud. However, organizations that are planning to move their resources to virtual clouds must keep in mind that any migration, no matter it is associated with the cloud or not, engages one-time expenditures and a lot of opposition to migration for instance some of the staff members can be against the migration. In addition, there can be some cultural

Personal marketing plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal marketing plan - Essay Example I have a proven track record on time consciousness selflessness and innovation from voluntary service as an intern. I have served as an intern, and I have fresh skills gained from this assignment and university in the field of Information System. I have a competitive edge by my capability to work in any kind of environment, however challenging. Apart from my major skill in Information System, I have a strong blend of other skills and competencies in the field of computer science that are Microsoft office, Power Point, excel and ExtendSim. My knowledge spectrum is widened to the field of business information system. This is a life-long learner that would enjoy using his skills in information technology to turn around the threats facing your organization into business opportunities. I have strong skills in strategic planning and forecasting which gives me a competitive advantage. I study at the University of Indianapolis in the school of business where I major in Information System. I am due to graduate in the year 2017. I have at the moment attended three classes in Information Technology. I have studied basic computer skills to blend with Information System. I have skills in Microsoft office, excel, Power Point and ExtendSim. I have management skills especially strategic planning and organizing. In the current world, there is a trend towards advancement of technology to make production more efficient. I target to serve in an organization that will build me in terms of my career development. This organization should be operating in the field of information, communications and technology or technology services, Management Information System, computer Hardware and software organization, data management and processing consultancy firms. I also target to work in the business sector as the database manager on consumer or customer

Friday, August 23, 2019

Leadership and management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Leadership and management - Assignment Example ......................... 6 3.0 Application of Theory and Analysis ................................................................ 7 4.0 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 8 5.0 Recommendations .............................................................................................. 8 References ................................................................................................................ 10 Abstract There is no denying the fact that conflicts tend to be the integral aspects of organizations that are given to performing in team scenarios (Pammer & Killian 2009). People do enter into conflicts with each other over a range of issues and differences. However, it is possible to manage conflicts in a way that does not lead to jeopardizing of the personal and organizational relationships and that optimizes the organizational performance (Pammer & Killian 2009). Yet, it is also a fa ct that organizational conflicts if mishandled could lead to the vitiation of the organizational environment and could seriously harm the organizational productivity and efficiency. The given report tends to analyze a conflict scenario at the Reindeer Solutions. The particular conflict situation pertains to the issue being faced by the management, HR and the senior accountant Julia in an organization named Reindeer Solutions. ... The particular situation is associated with a senior accountant, Julia, who has been working at the Reindeer Solutions since the past five years. Of late the senior manager Anthony has noticed many mistakes and flaws in the work submitted by Julia. Anthony tried to discuss things with Julia, but the situation still remained the same. On deeper enquiry, Anthony learnt that Julia is right now facing some domestic issues that demand her time and attention and thereby she is not able to focus on her work. Anthony does not want to lose Julia as she is an immensely experienced and skilled employee, yet he also wants to improve the things at the office. Anthony discussed the issue with HR Administrator Victoria. They agreed that the situation was serious as any serious flaws on the part of Julia could harm the business. So they decided to bring the HR Assistant Murphy and HR Officer Noel on board. These four administrators discussed the issue and came to the conclusion that losing Julia wou ld be a serious mistake. Hence, they decided to offer Julia a junior post on a temporary basis, so as to allow her to focus more on the home front. The whole objective of this step was to place Julia in a relatively soft position till she tides over the rough patch on the domestic front, and then restore her to her original position. These four administrators organized a meeting with Julia and offered to her the contrived plan. However, Julia got extremely disturbed and annoyed at this proposal. She got really angry and said that this solution practically amounts to be a demotion and that her pride forbade her from agreeing to a junior post. This gave way to a conflict scenario between the management, HR and Julia. The manager and the HR personnel tried to

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Economic Term and Healthcare History Essay Example for Free

Economic Term and Healthcare History Essay During history, health care economics has changed considerably. The main reason that stimulus change in health care economic are technology and medical care, however a lot has to do with evolutionary changes that the U.S. endured from the beginning. It is very essential to comprehend health care cash flow system and economic history. Administrators use this data to help organize the future of the corporation. In this paper, I plan to use the terms to elaborate on the history and evolution of health care economics and the timeline of finance. Before the year of 1990, there was not a significant health care in America. American medical association was just starting, individual were using home remedy to treat illnesses, physician was making house call and trade service for good, clinic were just getting started, and there were no such thing as health insurance. However, among the age of 1901 and 1940 health care and treatment made some significant change. Clinic became more necessary Antibiotics were found, improvements were made in cleanliness, and individuals came up with ideas for employment benefit. Also, individuals came up with ideas for health insurance. In the year of 1960 social security has been carried out, Medicare Medicaid contracted into law, and Health Insurance Company were coming up all over (PBS, 1960). In the year of 1970, HMO came in effect, and the cost of health care started going out of control and increasing. Since we place great value on health, health care end up costing a lot. Health is so impor tant to us that it go beyond the staff we have. The number of years specialist applies in training the more money government uses on public health. Also, health insurance plans provide by establishment are result as the significance society put on health care. Most important, the fact that what physician provide is important to us, we are willing to spend a lot on their training. Health care cost continues to increase over the past 50 years. This causes a problem for the elderly and low income individual. For example, elderly and low income people relatives are not able to get health treatment. During  the last 10 years, government have pushed for a national health care system. On March 23, 2010 the Affordable Care Act become enact (HHS, 2010). This is to modernize the health care business, making sure individuals are able to get health insurance and service, reduce insurance scam, and reduce the cost of health care. In the year of 2014, this is thought to be complete. Economics, microeconomics (particular aspect economic related to firm), macroeconomics (general aspect economic related to firm), Supply, demand, Inelasticity, elasticity, and gross domestic product (total market value). When concerning with Economics, it is good to explore and test ways to organize and finance the system in order to improve patient care. At its most basic level, health care is a handful of financial transactions, in which patients are obtaining insurance, physicians and hospitals provide services, pharmacies provide medications, and insurance companies pay for those goods and services. So to understand health economics, you must follow the money. When tracing the flow of funds through the health care system, its important to be aware that the money trail is constantly shifting, changing direction and size. Most important, the goal is to improve the delivery of health services, fund innovative and cost-effective medical procedures, cut the costs of health insurance, improve the nations health through prevention and better nutrition, and eliminate graft and corruption in the health care industry while raising it to a level thats steady with the rest of the world. When concerning with supply and demand, competitive markets use prices to allocate goods and services to customers who want them the most (in monetary terms) and to pay suppliers for producing those goods and services (Thomas E. Getzen, 2007). Most real markets and virtually all medical markets depart to some degree from the model of perfect competition. Nevertheless, its a useful starting point for evaluating the economic forces that shape human transactions, even when time, pain, risk, and tradition cause substantial deviations from the simple model. The demand curve has been discussed at length. But what about supply? Again, its vital to note that the economic concept of supply is always a supply curve. A supply curve is a graph (or schedule) that shows the total amount of a good that sellers wish to sell at each price. This curve emphasizes change, allowing us to focus on a range of replies indicating how firms will vary the amount supplied as the price increases or decreases. Just the demand  curve the marginal benefit curve showing how people the market willing pay for more unit good perfect competition the supply curve marginal cost curve showing how much paid induce the market provide more unit. Firms facing inelastic demand see that the total revenue goes down when they sell more units. Firms facing elastic demand find that profits increase when prices are reduced to sell more units. Firms facing unit elasticity see that total revenues remain unmoved. Most medical care is relatively inelastic. Pain, critical needs, fear of risk, and insurance tend to decrease the role of price in patient decision making. Note what happens to a firm that sells more of an inelastic good: Because increasing the quantity sold by 2 percent requires a substantial decline in value, perhaps 10 percent, the firm loses money. Most hospitals face very inelastic demand, especially for emergency services, yet they charge less than profit-maximizing prices. Why dont they charge more if doing so would increase profits? The reasons are many, ranging from the desire to help the poor to administrative controls over allowable changes. Also, the sensitivity to price change today is significantly less than the ultimate response to a price change in the long run. Some medical goods—especially those for which consumers have several choices and enough information in advance of purchase, such as allergy medications—are price elastic. For these goods, total revenues would decline if prices were increased. Thus, its more likely that a medical provider facing elastic demand is behaving more like a standard profit-maximizing firm. However, price controls, informal norms about overcharging, and other deviations from perfect competition may still be significant, even in the more price-sensitive medical markets. In conclusion, history health care economics has changed considerably. The primary reason that stimulus change in health care economic are technology and medical care, however a lot has to do with evolutionary changes that the U.S. endured from the beginning. It is very essential to comprehend health care cash flow system and economic history. Administrators use this data to help organize the future of the corporation. Because change healthcare improve the delivery health services fund and medical procedures cut the costs health insurance improve the nation health prevention and better nutrition and eliminate gr aft and corruption the health care industry while raising it is steady the rest the world Most significant, in this paper I elaborated on the history and  evolution of health care economics and the timeline of finance using the term. References HHS. (2010, March). Key Features of the Affordable Care Act. Retrieved from U.S Department of Health Human Services: http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/timeline/index.html PBS. (1960). Healthcare crisis History. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/healthcarecrisis/history.htm Thomas E. Getzen, J. M. (2007). The Flow of Funds Through the Health Care System. Retrieved from Wiley Pathways Health Care Economics: https://newclassroom3.phoenix.edu/Classroom/#/contextid/OSIRIS:42330586/context/co/view/activityDetails/activity/699329c0-2f30-4b04-b7f8-5fbcc80d8738/expanded/False

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Corporate Crimes And Corporate Governance To Combat Them

Corporate Crimes And Corporate Governance To Combat Them Corporate crimes refer to criminal practices by individuals that have the legal authority to have a word for a corporation or company. These can include presidents, managers ,directors and chairman , sales people and agent or anyone within a company that has the authority to act on behalf of the firm Corporate crimes often seen to involve a very different set of dealings between offenders and victims, as there are less obvious direct harm or blood on the streets (Clarke, 1990). It appears less personal as immediate victims are often employers, the government, the public health or the environment and in many cases, such as where Safety laws are broken, causing the death or injury of employees, there is no direct intent to harm. There are also different images of the structural dimensions of victimization. To some, all citizens are victims of this kind of crime, irrespective of age, class or gender, whereas to others the crimes of the wealthy and powerful prey on the poor and powerless. Yet at the same time, victims of some financial frauds may fail to attract sympathy as they are assumed to be wealthy and to have willingly parted with their money (Shichor et al., 2000). Corporate crimes: scopes and definitions As far as scope of the crime is concern this has to be noticed that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Many victims are unaware of any harm and cannot detect it themselves as happens, for example, with some major frauds, pollution, food adulteration and descriptions of consumer goods. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Victimization is often indirect and impersonal, affecting entities such as the government although there are indirect effects on individuals tax payers, for example, have to pay more and receive fewer benefits due to tax evasion. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Individual victims may lose very little yet the illegal profits may be large as in cases in which a bank employee takes one penny out of thousands of accounts or a firm sells goods which weigh less than indicated.  [1]   This term white collar crime was coined by Edward Sutherland in his pioneering 1949 study, White Collar Crime. It describes non-violent crimes committed by corporations or individuals in the course of their business activity. Examples of criminal behaviour in most jurisdiction includes: antitrust violations ,fraud ,damage to the environment in violation of environmental legislation, exploitation of labour in violation of labour laws ,and failure to maintain a fiduciary responsibility toward shareholders. In criminology, corporate crime refers to crimes committed either by a corporation (i.e., a business entity having a separate legal personality from the natural persons that manage its activities), or by individuals that may be identified with a corporation or other business entity. Corporate Crime is criminal activity on behalf of a business organization. During much of American history the primary legal stance relating to activity of business was decidedly laissez-faire (leave it alone to do as it will). Under the influence of capitalist philosophy American Courts adopted the view that governments should not interfere with businesses by attempting to regulate it. For a long period of history victims of defective and dangerous products could not sue corporations for damages because the guiding principle was caveat emperor (let the buyer beware), and unhealthy and dangerous working conditions in mines, mills and factories were excused under the freedom of contract clause of the constitution  [2]  . Although attitudes in the 20th century changed considerably, crimes of frauds, concealment, and misrepresentation continued to victimize all sorts of groups and individuals in society. Crimes such as these are actions committed during the course of fulfilling the name of corporate profits and growth. Today as corporations have been found to be involved in environmental and health and safety law violations. In the United Kingdom, following several fatal disasters on the rail network and at sea, the term is now also commonly used in reference to corporate manslaughter. In this category would also be included the culpability of Union Carbide in the 1985 accident in Bhopal, India and the current behaviour of the pharmaceutical industry which puts profits ahead of the needs of HIV and other patients worldwide. Yet a third category of corporate crime is State-corporate crime. In a globalized world where States negotiate and conclude agreements with corporations and other international part ies or bodies, opportunities will arise for unjust enrichment and national laws will be broken. The Enron Scandal: The first major scandal of the first decade of 21st century is that Enron Corporation, which has been called one of the most intricate pieces of financial chicanery in history and for investors in its stock and its employees. The Enron sandal did tremendous damage to the company created a crisis of investors confidence the links of which has been seen since the great depression. Enron was a $100 billion corporate empire that had more then 200,000 employees in 40 countries and controlled about one quarter of all trading in natural gas and electricity in the United Status. The company poured millions of dollars into political campaign and lobbyists arguing of further deregulation of energy markets. The Enron hierarchy expected the never-ending innovation and growth from its executive to feed this monster enterprise. In response executives created imaginary markets, paper partnerships and phantom growth that enabled them to report profits that did not exist and to hide debts hat did. Executives were accomplished at cooking the financial books in many ingenious ways, which kept Enrons stock prices rising and thus their own compensation. Because much of the competition received by Enrons executives was stock based, they had major incentives to make the company look as good as possible to investors by reporting high profits. Indian Scenario There are a number of corporate crimes that have come into light now days. One of the major havoc that is created in present times is because of mysterious disappearance of corporations. Of the 5,651 companies listed on Bombay Stock exchange, 2750 have vanished. It means that one out of two companies that come to the stock exchange to raise crores of rupees from investors loot and run away. Even big names like Home Trade came up with huge publicity stunts but after raising money, vanished into the thin air. About 11 million investors have invested Rs. 10,000 crore in these 2750 companies. We have Securities Exchange Board of India, Reserve Bank of India and Department of Companies Affairs to monitor the stock exchange transactions but none has documented the whereabouts of these 2750 odd companies suspended from the stock exchange. Many of the promoters and merchant bankers who are responsible for these are roaming scotfree Court in Assistant Commissioner, Assessment-ll, Banglore Ors. v. Velliappa Textiles Ltd Anr  [3]  . took the view that since an artificial person like a company could not be physically punished to a term of imprisonment, such a section, which makes it mandatory to impose minimum term of imprisonment, cannot apply to the case of artificial person. However, Supreme Court in 2005 in Standard Charted Bank v. Directorate Of Enforcement  [4]  in majority decision of 3:2 expressly overruled the Velliapa Textiles case  [5]  on this issue. K.J Balkrishanan J. in majority opinion held We hold that there is no immunity to the companies from prosecution merely because the prosecution is in respect of offences for which punishment prescribed is mandatory imprisonment. We overrule the views expressed by the majority in Velliappa Textiles on this point There is a severe need to fight this evil of corporate crime As has been belatedly recognized in many jurisdictions, corporate crime causes far greater damage than violent street crimes. It therefore deserves more attention from the law enforcement community. According to the FBIs 2001 report, the United States reportedly lost USD17.2 billion from robbery, burglary, theft and motor-vehicle theft while the Enron fiasco alone cost investors, pensioners and employees more than three times that amount. The United Kingdom estimates that in 2004,  £78 million (USD139 million) was lost to healthcare fraud, a reduction from  £171 million (USD305 million) in 1999. In 2004, Transparency International estimated that at least USD400 billion was lost per year worldwide due to bribery in government procurement alone. However due to the scarcity of consolidated and structured statistics on corporate crime, it is impossible to determine the overall cost of corporate crime to national economies worldwide. WHERE DOES CORPORATE CRIME LIES In the Administration Improvement Act (AIA) of 1979 the U.S. Congress defined whitecollar crime as an illegal act or series of illegal acts committed by non-physical means and by concealment or guile, to obtain money or property or to obtain business or personal advantage.  [6]   But still the sworn hang by this fact that the term corporate crime is used where the offence is committed by a corporation, usually to benefit the corporation while the term white collar crime is used where the offence is committed against a corporation, usually by its own executives or employees and the corporation is the victim. As it is stated above that corporate crimes are some or how different from white-collar crimes but still in an arena Corporate crime overlaps with organized crimes and state corporate crimes along with white-collar crime à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ White-collar crime: Because the majority of individuals who may act as or represent the interests of the corporation are employees or professionals of a higher social class; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Organized crime: Because criminals can set up corporations either for the purposes of crime or as vehicles for laundering the proceeds of crime. Organized crime has become a branch of big business and is simply the illegal sector of capital. It has been estimated that, by the middle of the 1990s, the gross criminal product of organized crime made it the twentieth richest organization in the world richer than 150 sovereign states (Castells 1998: 169). The worlds gross criminal product has been estimated at 20 percent of world trade. (de Brie 2000); and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ State-corporate crime :Because, in many contexts, the opportunity to commit crime emerges from the relationship between the corporation and the state. Corporate crime encompasses embezzlement (also known as criminal breach of trust in some countries), fraud, corruption, insider trading, unfair competition, healthcare fraud, computer crime, forgery and tax evasion. The central element of these crimes being cheating and dishonesty However, it also goes beyond these traditional boundaries.  [7]   Corporate environmental crimes The term corporate environmental crime, which may be defined as any environmental crime that has been committed by any corporate body .the importance of the inquiry was to hear from a range of corporate bodies and their representatives on the present environmental criminal justice system, while at the same time recognising that an environmental sentence for a corporate body is at present limited to fine .the reason for commiting corporate environmental crimes are also varied. The crime may occur because the business concerned is ignorant of its environmental obligations. It may also occur all too often as a result of negligent behaviour ,for example ,where business are poorly managed ,staff are inadequately trained or equipment and infrastructure has not been maintained to the required standard ,allowing a pollution incident to occur. But perhaps the most depressing cause is when corporate environmental crime is the result of a deliberate and intentional illegal act ,a decision taken in the full knowledge that the act is illegal and will result in environmental crime. In our paper our main concern would be corporate environmental crimes in which we will mainly concern about the worlds worst industrial disaster and a heinous corporate crime; the leakage methyl isocyanides (MIC) and other poisonous gases from Union Carbides Bhopal, India, pesticide factory on December 3rd, 1984.which killed 8000 people in first three days and poisoned more than 500000 people and at least 120000 people remain chronically ill and also 30 people die each month from long term effect of gases even today  [8]   The question would be arisen in your mind that why we choose Bhopal disaster as specific topic for our research and view. There are several reasons behind this ; it is only matter of time before the world is shocked and sickened by another Bhopal type industrial diasater .this is because the global economic forces that led union carbide to build and operate its ill fated factory in Bhopal have not gone away they have only become stronger. The fact tha after 20 years of the Bhopal disaster ,survivors are forced to drink poisoned water ,contaminated by stockpiles of abandoned chemicals ,clearly reflects the apathy towards communities and the environment. The lessons of Bhopal are still waiting to be learened. In fact, a 1000 Bhopals are happening in slow motion across india destroying the environmental and poisoning people with impunity. Environmental disasters , both chronic and immediate , induced by irresponsible corporate practices are becoming more frequent. Transnational corporations have learned to downplay damage ,and focus attention and liability on the local company to elude full criminal and civil liability. Bhopal corporate environmental crime Being the most worst industrial disaster itself fulfil the need to concern about it.the brutality of the incident can be fairly stated by a comment given by a Bhopal resident that Mothers didnt know their children had died ,children didnt know their mothers had died and men didnt know their whole families has died   [9]  simply after the unpleasant incident people said that We were choking and our eyes were burning. We could barely see the road through the fog, and sirens were blaring.We didnt know which way to run. Everybody was very confused  [10]  .before the occurrence Opposition legislators raised the issue in the State Assembly and the clamour surrounding these incidents culminated in a 1983 motion that urged the state government to force the company to relocate the plant to a less-populated area. Starting in 1982, a local journalist named Rajkumar Keswani had frantically tried to warn people of the dangers posed by the facility. In September of 1982, he wrote an articl e entitled Please Save this City. Other articles, written later, bore grimly prophetic titles such as Bhopal Sitting on Top of a Volcano and If You Do Not Understand This You Will Be Wiped Out. Just five months before the tragedy, he wrote his final article: Bhopal on the Brink of a Disaster. Yet when the Independent speaks of rape, the Guardian of disgrace and Jon Snow of a crime against humanity, they are not talking about THAT NIGHT but of what has happened since to those who survived it. Today, 25 years after the disaster, Bhopal remains a humanitarian disaster. Their breathless bodies no longer able to push handcarts and lift heavy loads, thousands have fallen into destitution and their families have learned the lessons of the abyss, binding cloths round their middles to give an illusion of fullness, giving children unable to sleep from hunger water to fill their empty bellies.  [11]   In the midst of this clamour, in May 1982, Union Carbide sent a team of U.S. experts to inspect the Bhopal plant as part of its periodic safety audits. This report, which was forwarded to Union Carbides management in the United States, speaks unequivocally of a potential for the release of toxic materials and a consequent runaway reaction due to equipment failure, operating problems, or maintenance problems. In fact, the report goes on to state rather specifically: Deficiencies in safety valve and instrument maintenance programs. Filter cleaning operations are performed without slip blinding process. Leaking valves could create serious exposure during this process. In its report, the safety audit team noted a total of 61 hazards, 30 of them major and 11 in the dangerous phosgene/MIC units. It had warned of a higher potential for a serious incident or more serious consequences if an accident should occur. Though the report was available to senior U.S. officials of the company, nothing was done  [12]  . In fact, according to Carbides internal documents, a major cost-cutting effort (including a reduction of 335 men) was undertaken in 1983, saving the company $1.25 million that year DOWs liability under corporate crimes Liabilty which is related to the 1984 Bhopal disaster was originally filed in 1987, and reinstated in 1991. Both Warren Anderson, the former CEO of Union Carbide, and the Union Carbide Corporation itself face criminal charges in India of culpable homicide (or manslaughter). Both Anderson and Carbide have repeatedly ignored summons to appear in India for trial, and are officially considered absconders (fugitives from justice) by the Indian Government. While Anderson, if extradited and convicted, would face ten years in prison, Carbide faces a fine which has no upper limit. Along with above mentioned liability DOW also owes environmental liability because keen to distance itself from disaster Union Carbide fled India leaving behind tons of toxic wastes strewn in and around the factory site. According to former workers of the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, while the factory was in operation, massive amounts of chemicals including pesticides, solvents, catalysts and wastes were routinely dumped in and around the factory grounds. These include deadly substances such as aldicarb, carbaryl, mercury, and several chlorinated chemicals and organic poisons. In 1977, Carbide constructed Solar Evaporation Ponds (SEPs) over 14 hectares 400 meters north of its factory. Toxic effluents and toxic wastes were routinely dumped there. Two tube wells dug in the vicinity of the SEPs were abandoned because of the noxious smell and taste of the water. Environmental criminal liability of DOW and Union Carbide A preliminary study of soil and groundwater pollution inside the plant, conducted in 1989 by Carbide, found plenty to be worried about. Some water samples produced a 100% death rate among fish placed in them. Nevertheless Carbide issued no warning. An internal memo refers to the need for secrecy, suggesting that the information should be kept for our own understanding. Not only did it fail to warn people living nearby, it vociferously denied that there was a problem and, incredibly, wrote to the Gas Relief Minister criticizing those who were trying to make people aware of the danger, suggesting that they were mischievous agitators. Carbide in the US meanwhile tried to portray Bhopal activists and their supporters ascommunists who aimed to restructure US society into something unrecognizable and probably unworkable. Carbide and Dow later relied on a report from a government organization called NEERI  [13]  which in 1997 published a report which found that water outside the factory was not contaminated. Consultant Arthur D Little had beenappointed in 1989 by Union Carbide US to work privately with NEERI. ADL believed itself to be working with UCC in Danbury, but all reference to UCC was to be deleted. ADL was to pretend to be working with UCIL alone. But a memo of 1993 shows the US Carbide executives in the driving seat. ADL eventually reported back to Carbide suggesting that NEERI had failed to find contamination because its sampling methods were flawed. In particular ADL suggested it was imprudent to claim that local water was safe for drinking and warned that groundwater contamination could happen far more swiftly and seriously than envisaged. ADL was unclear at one point as to whether NEERI was claiming that labourers were or were not exposed to contaminated groundwater. ADLs suggested ch anges ran to 17 pages, but none of them were incorporated in NEERIs published report, which is what Dow and Carbide still quote, knowing it to be worthless. Carbides own documents reveal that they knew for decades that their disposal practices in Bhopal were leading to massive contamination of the soil and groundwater, and that their sole concern was how to evade responsibility and cover it up. At last we would like to conclude about their liabilities by sayingthat the disaster was caused because Union Carbide had under-invested in an inherently hazardous facility located in a crowded neighborhood, used admittedly unproven designs, stored lethal MIC in reckless quantities, dismantled safety systems and cut down on safety staff and training in an effort to cut costs  [14]   The severity is not hidden now so further we would like to suggest 10 Bhopal principles on corporate liability  [15]  We have chosen to call them the Bhopal Principles because this disaster, more than any other, highlights the current failure of governments to protect public welfare and the failure of corporations to observe basic standards e.g. the avoidance of liability by parent corporations, and the avoidance of responsibility for compensation and environmental cleanup. And further question would is there any need for this kind of principles than we say yes why not because At the Johannesburg Earth Summit, Government looked at what has and has not been done to implement the Rio commitments. The Bhopal case shows that it is important to hold corporations liable and to provide compensation for victims of pollution and other environmental damage, that responsibility for liability and cleanup should be enforceable not only against the local corporate entity, but also against the multinational parent. The Ten Bhopal Principles on Corporate Accountability Implement Rio Principle 13. States shall as a matter of priority enter into negotiations for a legal international instrument, and adopt national laws to operationalise and implement Principle 13 of the Rio Declaration, to address liability and Compensation for the victims of pollution and other environmental damage. Extend Corporate Liability. Corporations must be held strictly liable without requirement of fault for any and all damage arising from any of their activities that cause Environmental or property damage or personal injury, including site remediation. Parent companies as well as subsidiaries and affiliated local corporations must be held liable for compensation and restitution. Corporations must bear cradle to grave responsibility for manufactured products. States must implement individual liability for directors and officers for actions or omissions of the corporation, including for those of subsidiaries. Ensure Corporate Liability for Damage beyond National Jurisdictions. States shall ensure that corporations are liable for injury to persons and damage to property, biological diversity and the environment beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, and to the global commons such as atmosphere and oceans. Liability must include responsibility for environmental cleanup and restoration. Protect Human rights. Economic activity shall not infringe upon basic human and social rights. States have the responsibility to safeguard the basic human and social rights of citizens, in particular the right to life; the right to safe and healthy working conditions; the right to a safe and healthy environment; the right to medical treatment and to compensation for injury and damage; the right to information and the right of access to justice by individuals and by groups promoting these rights. Corporations must respect and uphold these rights. States must ensure effective compliance by all corporations of these rights and provide for legal implementation and enforcement. Provide for Public Participation and the Right to Know. States shall require companies routinely to disclose to the public all information concerning releases to the environment from their respective facilities as well as product composition. Commercial confidentiality must not outweigh the interest of the public to know the dangers and liabilities associated with corporate outputs, whether in the form of pollution by-products or the product itself. Once a product enters the public domain there should be no restrictions on public access to information relevant to environment and health on the basis of commercial secrecy. Corporate responsibility and accountability shall be promoted through environmental management accounting and environmental reporting which gives a clear, comprehensive and public report of environmental and social impacts of corporate activities. Adhere to the Highest Standards. States shall ensure that corporations adhere to the highest standards for protecting basic human and social rights including health and the environment. Consistent with Rio Declaration Principle 14, States shall not permit multinational corporations to deliberately apply lower standards of operation and safety in places where health and environmental protection regimes, or their implementation, are weaker. Avoid Excessive Corporate Influence over Governance. States shall co-operate to combat bribery in all its forms, promote transparent political financing mechanisms and eliminate corporate influence on public policy through election campaign contributions, and/or non-transparent corporate-led lobby practices. Protect Food Sovereignty over Corporations. States shall ensure that individual States and their people maintain sovereignty over their own food supply, including through laws and measures to prevent genetic pollution of agricultural biological diversity by genetically engineered organisms and to prevent the patenting of genetic resources by corporations. Implement the Precautionary Principle and Require Environmental Impact Assessments. States shall fully implement the Precautionary Principle in national and international law. Accordingly, States shall require corporations to take preventative action before environmental damage or heath effects are incurred, when there is a threat of serious or irreversible harm to the environment or health from an activity, a practice or a product. Governments shall require companies to undertake environmental impact assessments with public participation for activities that may cause significant adverse environmental impacts. Promote Clean and Sustainable Development. States shall promote clean and sustainable development, and shall establish national legislation to phase out the use, discharge and emission of hazardous substances and greenhouse gases, and other sources of pollution, to use their resources in a sustainable manner, and to conserve their biological diversity. HOW TO HANDLE AND CONTROL CORPORATE CRIMES There are many ways for law enforcement authorities to combat corporate crime. Firstly, prevention. This can be achieved by encouraging awareness of the moral compass within corporations and among their employees and the promotion of self-regulation. This should be complemented by an effective corporate oversight regime through internal compliance programmes as well as regulation by the Companies Commission and Securities Commissions or its equivalent. For the latter purpose, it will be necessary to put in place effective laws and regulations in a timely manner. In turn, these laws will also have to be actively enforced by well-trained law enforcement agencies and prosecutors if they are to be a realistic deterrent. In this regard it is noted that although sustained enforcement against corporate crime is required as a strong deterrent and to maintain public confidence in the financial markets, enforcement should be seen as a measure to augment internal vigilance and not as a substitu te for it. Thus corporations must also play their role as responsible corporate citizens in the national and global communities. With regard to the investigation and prosecution of corporate crimes with a transnational flavour, be it through the multinational nature of the corporation or the elements of the crime, the importance of international cooperation to gather evidence and recover the ill-gotten gains cannot be overstated. States should therefore put in place a comprehensive domestic legal framework that includes laws to criminalize the relevant criminal acts and impose corporate and individual liability for them. Another crucial element will be effective whistleblower and witness protection laws. A network of bilateral and regional treaties on mutual assistance in criminal matters and extradition together with bilateral treaties on asset sharing is also indispensable. These instruments would complement the stand-alone framework provided under the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the UN Convention against Corruption. In this regard, countries in the ASEAN region are also able to utilize the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters which was concluded in November 2004 among the ten like-minded ASEAN Member States and is currently in force among Brunei, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. Suggestions from our side Amendment to section 62 of the Indian penal code by adding the following lines: In every case in which the offence is only punishable with imprisonment or imprisonment and fine and the offender is the company or other body corporate or an association of individuals, it shall be competent to the court to sentence such offender to fine only. In many of the acts relating to economic offences, imprisonment is mandatory. Where the convicted person is corporation, this provision becomes unworkable and it is desirable to provide that in such cases, it shall be competent to

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Domestic violence: A brief critical analysis of impact and interventions

Domestic violence: A brief critical analysis of impact and interventions DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: A BRIEF CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF IMPACT AND INTERVENTIONS BUILT ON A DEFINITIONAL, HISTORICAL, AND THEORETICAL FOUNDATION â€Å"And yet I fear you, for youre fatal then When your eyes roll so. Why I should fear I know not, Since guiltiness I know not, but yet I feel I fear.† Introduction The introductory quotation by Desdemona expresses her fear of Othello’s rage (Shakespeare, 1604, cited in Meyersfeld, 2003) at the same time eloquently conveying the terror implicit in domestic violence and demonstrating that domestic violence is not a new phenomenon. Neither is domestic violence a rare occurrence. According to the British government, domestic violence affects millions of lives. The following statistics are quoted from the official government website (CrimeReduction.gov.uk, Domestic violence mini-site, 2005): one in four women and one in six men will be victims of domestic violence in their lifetime with women at greater risk of repeat victimisation and serious injury; 89 percent of those suffering four or more incidents are women; one incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute; on average, two women a week are killed by a current or former male partner; and domestic violence accounts for 16 percent of all violent crime. This essay will demonstrate that the issue of domestic violence is a complex one, much more complex than the term itself might convey. Indeed, domestic violence is complex in terms of its very definition, complex in terms of its theoretical explanations, complex in terms of gender relevance, complex in terms of its effects, and complex in terms of interventions to prevent and deal with its occurrence. The essay begins with a presentation and critique of various definitions for domestic violence, an exploration of the historical evolution of domestic violence as a societal concern, and a discussion and critique of theoretical explanations for domestic violence including consideration of the relevance of gender. This foundation will be used as a basis for exploring the impact of domestic violence upon its direct and indirect victims and the value and efficacy of the current resources, initiatives, and support networks used in combating domestic violence and assisting its victims. Final ly, concluding remarks will be presented. A Critique on Definitions of Domestic Violence Finding a generally-accepted definition for domestic violence proved to be an elusive endeavor. This may be because there is no consensus definition of the term (Laurence and Spalter-Roth, 1996; Contemporary Womens Issues Database, May 1996; Contemporary Womens Issues Database, July 1996). Each writer seems to define the term to fit his or her topic or agenda. For instance, Chez (1994, cited in Gibson-Howell, 1996), in focusing on female victims of domestic violence, defines the term as â€Å"the repeated subjection of a woman to forceful physical, social, and psychological behavior to coerce her without regard to her rights.† Some definitions are basic and general: â€Å"a pattern of regularly occurring abuse and violence, or the threat of violence, in an intimate (though not necessarily cohabitating) relationship† (Gibson-Howell, 1996, citing Loring and Smith, 1994). Other definitions are comprehensive and specific (Manor, 1996; Neufield, 1996; Asian Pages, 1998; Josi ah, 1998; Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 1999; Danis, 2003; Verkaik, 2003). The more comprehensive definitions, although phrased differently, typically possess the following common elements: a pattern of abusive behavior (as contrasted to a single event); the abusive behavior involves control, coercion, and/or power; the abusive behavior may be physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and/or financial; and the victim of the abusive behavior is a cohabitating or non-cohabitating intimate partner or spouse. The British government has adopted one of the more expansive descriptions of domestic violence, one that includes all of the foregoing elements: â€Å"Any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. Beyond the basic definition, the government furnishes further description of domestic violence as â€Å"a pattern of abusive and controlling behaviour† by which the abuser attempts to gain power over the victim. The government contends that domestic violence crosses age, gender, racial, sexuality, wealth, and geographical lines. (CrimeReduction.gov.uk, Domestic violence mini-site, 2005) Interestingly, the definition offered by the government expands the description to include other â€Å"family members† in addition to â€Å"intimate partners.† Historical Evolution of the Recognition of Domestic Violence as a Societal Concern The issue of domestic violence, particularly violence against female spouses, was a topic of societal concern dating from the first marriage law instituted by Romulus in 75 B.C. But the concern was not in preventing domestic violence; to the contrary; the concern was in support of â€Å"wife beating†Ã¢â‚¬â€legally and institutionally—a condition that existed through the early twentieth century. (Danis, 2003, citing Dobash and Dobash, 1979). English common law, until the late nineteenth century, â€Å"structured marriage to give a husband superiority over his wife in most aspects of the relationship.† This â€Å"sanctioned superiority† gave the husband the right to â€Å"command his wife’s obedience, and subject her to corporal punishment or ‘chastisement’ if she defied his authority.† (Tuerkheimer, 2004, citing Siegel, 1996) The beginning of the twentieth century witnessed the dismantling of laws specifically condoning control a nd violence; however, the laws were not replaced by codes that protected victims from abuse. Instead, â€Å"marital privacy† became the standard. Essentially, abuse was considered to be a family problem, not one in which society had an interest. (Turekheimer, 2004) Not until the feminist movement of the late 1960s and 1970s was public interest in domestic violence piqued (Danis, 2003, citing Schechter, 1982). With little public or private funding, feminist activists set up shelters for female victims of domestic violence. They also pressed for laws to punish offenders and promoted training of social workers and other professions to recognize domestic violence and treat its victims. (Contemporary Women’s Issues Database, May 1996). From these humble beginnings, over the last thirty-plus years, public awareness has been enhanced dramatically, increasing amounts of public and private funding have been allocated for shelters, domestic violence laws have been strengthened, and social workers and other professionals (e.g. school personnel, healthcare professionals, police officers) have been trained to recognize signs of, and provide treatment to those affected by, domestic violence. Today, in the early years of the new millennium, the way in which society views domestic violence is continuing to evolve. Physical abuse of wives was the initial focus of intervention initiatives. Drawing on research presented earlier, sexual, emotional, psychological, and financial abuse have been added to physical abuse as types of domestic violence. And, many definitions of victims of domestic violence now include, in addition to wives, husbands and domestic partners of the same or different sex. Increasingly, too, children in the domestic arrangement are being included as victims of domestic violence. Theoretical Explanations for Domestic Violence and the Relevance of Gender Just as there is a lack of consensus on a single definition for domestic violence, â€Å"there is no single recognized causal theory for domestic violence.† In the absence of a single theory, at least four theories are used to explain why domestic violence occurs: social exchange/deterrence, social learning, feminist, and the ecological framework. (Danis, 2003) These theories, with their relevance to domestic violence, will be presented and critiqued in this section. A discussion of the relevance of gender in domestic violence will close out the section. Under the social exchange theory, human interaction is driven by pursuing rewards and avoiding punishments and costs. (Danis, 2003, citing Blau, 1964). Gelles and Cornell (1985, 1990, cited in Danis, 2003) contend that domestic violence occurs when costs do not outweigh rewards. Costs in this context include the potential for defensive physical action by the victim, potential of being arrested and imprisoned, loss of personal status, and dissolution of the domestic arrangement. The social learning theory suggests that people learn to be violent by being immediately rewarded or punished after they commit violent behavior, through what is called reinforcement, and by watching the experiences of others, called modeling (Danis, 2003, citing Bandura, 1973). According to some experts, there is a correlation between people who witness abusive behavior in their earlier lives and those who commit domestic violence later. (Danis, 2003, citing O’Leary, 1987). According to feminist theory, domestic violence emanates from a â€Å"patriarchal† school system which assigns men the responsibility for controlling and managing female partners (Danis, 2003, citing Dobash and Dobash, 1979; Yllo, 1993). Under this theory, domestic violence is attributed to a flaw in societal structure rather than to any specific individual male pathology. Finally, the ecological framework theory, in contending that no single theory can be used in explaining or predicting domestic violence, proposes risk factors for domestic violence and interventions to address it at three levels—the micro level (e.g. batterer programs), the meso level (e.g. police and the courts), and the macro level (e.g. a coordinated community approach). (Danis, 2003, citing Crowell and Burgess, 1996; Chalk and King, 1998). Each of these four theories offers valuable insight into domestic violence. For instance, the social exchange theory offers a basis for law enforcement and prosecution of offenders; the social learning theory helps to explain why children who witness abuse sometimes grow up to be abusers themselves thereby providing rationale for corrective interventions to â€Å"unlearn† abusive behavior; and the feminist theory supports interventions targeted at helping batterers to reform and helping to empower victims. But none of these theories seems to provide a comprehensive foundation on which a comprehensive approach for dealing with the many causal and outcome dimensions of domestic violence can be built. The more integrated ecological framework theory, however, seems to furnish the needed basis for such a comprehensive approach. Now attention will turn to the topic of the relevance of gender in domestic violence. Historically, as mentioned earlier, wives were considered to be the only victims of domestic violence. Today, husbands as well as same- or different-sex non-married partners are considered to be victims as well (Cruz, 2003). Although the statistics vary significantly (Leo, 1994), some indicating that the same number of men as women are victims of domestic violence (Leo, 1994; Simerman, 2002), most experts agree than women are most often the victims and, when they are victimized, the damage is usually more serious. The indication that women are most often victims has now gained official recognition. The British government contends that, although domestic violence is not restricted to a specific gender, â€Å"it consists mainly of violence by men against women.† (CrimeReduction.gov.uk, Domestic violence mini-site, 2005) The Potential Impact of Domestic Violence on Females, Mothers, and Children According to the Contemporary Women’s Issues Database (January 1996), â€Å"the most common victims (of domestic violence) are women and children.† With the acknowledgement that domestic violence affects men as well as women, the focus of the discussion in this section will be on the potential impact of domestic violence on females, generally, and on females in their role as mothers as well as on their children. Domestic violence against women can result in serious physical injuries, psychological trauma, and mental strain (Wha-soon, 1994). According to Wha-soon, physical injuries include â€Å"severe headaches, bruises, bone fractures, loss of eyesight, nervous paralysis, insomnia and indigestion,† and psychological trauma can include â€Å"anxiety, a sense of powerlessness, and a loss of self-respect and self-confidence.† Psychological effects can lead to suicide in some cases. Winkvist (2001) echoes these psychological effects and adds that battered women are also more likely to experience sexual and reproductive health disorders. Effects are not restricted to those that are physical and psychological in nature, however. Women can be financially impacted as well. Brown and Kenneym (1996) contend that women, in an effort to flee their attackers, may â€Å"give up financial security and their homes† in favor of safety. Mothers may experience additional negative effects from domestic violence. Starr (2001) contends that domestic violence against mothers â€Å"is associated with harmful implications for mental health and parenting, as well as for the offspring.† According to Starr, mothers who are in an environment of domestic violence suffer worse outcomes for themselves and for their children. Isaac (1997) suggests that abuse of mothers and children are linked, stating that from thirty to almost sixty percent of mothers reported for child abuse were themselves abused. Hewitt (2002) claims that ninety percent of occurrences of domestic violence are witnessed either directly or indirectly by children. Children can be affected in at least two ways by domestic violence. According to the British government, they can be traumatized by violence they witness against others in the relationship even when they are not the specific targets of the violence (CrimeReduction.gov.uk, Domestic violence mini-site, 2005). According to Hewitt (2002), children suffer low self-esteem, isolation, trauma, and homelessness that they may not manifest until later in life. They may also suffer from maladies such as worry, sadness, focus and concentration difficulties, forgetfulness, headaches and stomachaches, lying, and â€Å"poor impulse control,† according to Salisbury and Wichmann (2004). Importantly, there is also a strong correlation between domestic violence and child abuse, a point which reinforces Isaac’s position mentioned earlier (CrimeReduction.gov.uk, Domestic violence mini-site, 2005). Edleson (1999, cited in Spath, 2003) takes the same position in stating that â€Å"numerous research studies over the last several decades have reported a connection between domestic violence and child maltreatment within families.† And, finally, as mentioned earlier, the social learning theory would suggest that children who witness violence learn that violence is an acceptable way to settle disputes. Supporting this, Wha-soon (1994) writes that the â€Å"learning of violence causes a cycle of violence.† An Assessment of the Value and Efficacy of Domestic Violence Interventions Methods for dealing with domestic violence generally fall into three categories: prevention, protection, and justice (M2 Presswire, 1998). As the terms imply, prevention attempts to avert incidences of domestic violence through methods such as education and counseling; protection involves attempts to prevent further injury through methods such as removing victims from the situation and ordering offenders to stay away from their victims; and justice involves retribution against domestic violence offenders. The value and efficacy of prevention, protection, and justice methods used in dealing with domestic violence are difficult to measure. A reason for this was mentioned earlier: the lack of a consensus definition for domestic violence itself. (Contemporary Women’s Issues Database, May 1996). Nevertheless, there has been some attempt at measuring performance anecdotally. According to the Contemporary Women’s Issues Database (April 1993): â€Å"Currently, the two most common forms of social intervention are mechanisms that help her to leave (such as emergency shelters) and having him arrested†¦(but) neither of these interventions is ideal.† And, police and judicial interventions do not seem to fair much better as illustrated by the case of Samuel Gutierrez who killed his domestic partner, Kelly Gonzalez, in Chicago, Illinois in the United States after multiple beatings, arrests, and various court interventions (Hanna, 1998). That domestic violence still exists as such a serious social problem is probably the best evidence that current methods for preventing it, protecting its victims, and exacting justice on offenders are not working especially well. Perhaps the future will be brighter. Newer perspectives, such as that offered by the ecological framework theory, offer some hope. It seems that taking a comprehensive, integrated approach could potentially be substantially more effective as the various public and private components work together in a cooperative, synergistic arrangement with one goal—the welfare of the potential or actual victim. One expert even suggests that this combined public-private approach could be enhanced further by adding a third component—the family (nuclear family, extended family, intimate family, close relationships)—to the formal, integrated support arrangement (Kelly, 2004). Conclusion Public and private organizations continue to increase their attention to domestic violence. In the United Kindgom, The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 furnishes greater authority to police and the courts in dealing with cases of domestic violence and in providing protection to victims. Aditionally, the British government’s recently issued national domestic violence action plan sets forth ambitious goals (CrimeReduction.gov.uk, Domestic Violence, 2005) quoted as follows: reduce the prevalence of domestic violence; increase the rate that domestic violence is reported; increase the rate of domestic violence offences that are brought to justice; ensure victims of domestic violence are adequately protected and supported nationwide; and reduce the number of domestic violence related homicides. Returning to the introductory quotation, had Shakespeare’s Desdemona been alive today, perhaps she would have some hope that she would not forever be in such great fear of Othello’s rage. References Asian Pages (1998) What is domestic violence? November 14, 1998. Bandura, A. (1973). Aggression: A social learning analysis. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Cited in Danis, Fran S. (2003) The criminalization of domestic violence: What social workers need to know. Social Work, April 1, 2003. Blau, P. M. (1964). Exchange and power in social life. New York: John Wiley Sons. Danis, Fran S. (2003) The criminalization of domestic violence: What social workers need to know. Social Work, April 1, 2003. Brown, Karen R. and Kenneym, Catherine T. (1996) Report from the front lines: The impact of violence on poor women [Part 1 of 5]. Contemporary Womens Issues Database, January 1, 1996. Chalk, R., King, A. (1998). (Eds.). Violence in families: Assessing prevention and treatment programs. Washington, DC: National Research Council/National Academy of Sciences. Cited in Danis, Fran S. (2003) The criminalization of domestic violence: What social workers need to know. Social Work, April 1, 2003. Chez, N (1994) Helping the victim of domestic violence. American Nursing 1994;94(7):32-37. Cited in Cited in Gibson-Howell, Joan C. (1996) Domestic violence identification and referral. Journal of Dental Hygiene, March 1, 1996. Contemporary Women’s Issues Database (1996) Domestic and sexual violence data collection [Part 3 of 9], July 1, 1996. Contemporary Women’s Issues Database (1996) Measuring the costs of domestic violence against women and the cost-effectiveness of interventions [Part 1 of 6], May 1, 1996. Contemporary Women’s Issues Database (1993) Men beating women: Ending domestic violence—a qualitative and quantitative study of public attitudes on violence against women [Part 3 of 7], April 1, 1993. Contemporary Womens Issues Database (1996) You or someone you know may live in a home where domestic violence is a problem, January 1, 1996. CrimeReduction.gov.uk (2005), Domestic violence http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/domesticviolence51.htm, April 4, 2005 [April 11, 2005]. CrimeReduction.gov.uk (2005), Domestic violence mini-site http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/dv01.htm, April 4, 2005 [April 9, 2005]. Crowell, N. A., and Burgess, A. W. (1996). (Eds.). Understanding violence against women. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Cited in Danis, Fran S. (2003) The criminalization of domestic violence: What social workers need to know. Social Work, April 1, 2003. Cruz, J. Michael (2003) Why doesnt he just leave? Gay male domestic violence and the reasons victims stay. The Journal of Mens Studies, March 22, 2003. Danis, Fran S. (2003) The criminalization of domestic violence: What social workers need to know. Social Work, April 1, 2003. Dobash, R. E., and Dobash, R. (1979). Violence against wives: A case against the patriarchy. New York: Free Press. Cited in Danis, Fran S. (2003) The criminalization of domestic violence: What social workers need to know. Social Work, April 1, 2003. Edleson, J. L. (1999). The overlap between child maltreatment and woman battering. Violence Against Women, 5(2), 134-154. Cited in Spath, Robin (2003) Child protection professionals identifying domestic violence indicators: implications for social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, September 22, 2003. Gelles, R. J., Cornell, C. P. (1985). Intimate violence in families. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Cited in Danis, Fran S. (2003) The criminalization of domestic violence: What social workers need to know. Social Work, April 1, 2003. Gelles, R. J., Cornell, C. P. (1990). Intimate violence in families (2nd ed.). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Cited in Danis, Fran S. (2003) The criminalization of domestic violence: What social workers need to know. Social Work, April 1, 2003. Gibson-Howell, Joan C. (1996) Domestic violence identification and referral. Journal of Dental Hygiene, March 1, 1996. Hanna, Cheryl (1998) The paradox of hope: the crime and punishment of domestic violence. William and Mary Law Review, May 1, 1998. Hewitt, Kim (2002), Silent victims of violence in home. The News Letter (Belfast, Northern Ireland), September 14, 2002. Isaac, Nancy E. (1997) Response to battered mothers in the pediatric emergency department: a call for an interdisciplinary approach to family violence. Pediatrics, February 1, 1997. Josiah, Ivy (1998) Education through radio. Contemporary Womens Issues Database, January 2, 1998. Kelly, Kristin A. (2004) Working together to stop domestic violence: state-community partnerships and the changing meaning of public and private. Journal of Sociology Social Welfare, March 1, 2004. Laurence, Louise and Spalter-Roth, Roberta (1996) Research-in-brief: Measuring the costs of domestic violence against women [Part 1 of 2] Contemporary Womens Issues Database, January 1, 1996. Leo, John (1994) Is it a war against women? U.S. News World Report, July 11, 1994. Loring, M. T. and Smith, R. W. (1994) Health care barriers and interventions for battered women. Public Health Reports 1994;109(3):322-329. Cited in Gibson-Howell, Joan C. (1996) Domestic violence identification and referral. Journal of Dental Hygiene, March 1, 1996. M2 Presswire (1998) Home Office: Prevention, protection and justice: A comprehensive approach to tackle domestic violence, June 16, 1998. Manor, John H. (1996) Helping abusers out of the domestic violence equation. Michigan Chronicle, January 30, 1996. Meyersfeld, Bonita C. (2003) Reconceptualizing domestic violence in international law. Albany Law Review, December 22, 2003. Neufield, Brenda (1996) SAFE questions: overcoming barriers to the detection of domestic violence. American Family Physician, June 1, 1996. OLeary, K. D. (1987). Physical aggression between spouses: A social learning theory perspective. In V. B. Van Hasselt, R. L. Morrison, A. S. Bellack, M. Hersen (Eds.), Handbook of family violence (pp. 31-55). New York: Plenum Press. Cited in Danis, Fran S. (2003) The criminalization of domestic violence: What social workers need to know. Social Work, April 1, 2003. Salisbury, Sarah and Wichmann, Lee Anne (2004), Seen or unseen, domestic violence traumatizes children. The Register-Guard, August 29, 2004. Schechter, S. (1982) Women and male violence: The visions and struggles of the battered womens movement. Boston: South End Press. Cited in Danis, Fran S. (2003) The criminalization of domestic violence: What social workers need to know. Social Work, April 1, 2003. Seattle Post-Intelligencer (1999) Domestic violence: Give us statistics we can work with. July 16, 1999. Shakespeare, William (1604), Othello act 5. sc. 2. Edited by Sanders, Norman. Cambridge University Press, 1984. Cited in Meyersfeld, Bonita C. (2003) Reconceptualizing domestic violence in international law. Albany Law Review, December 22, 2003. Siegel, Reva B. (1996), The rule of love: Wife beating as prerogative and privacy, 105 YALE L.J. 2117. Tuerkheimer, Deborah (2004), Recognizing and remedying the harm of battering: A call to criminalize domestic violence. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, June 22, 2004. Simerman, John (2002) Men, too, fall victim to abuse in big numbers. Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, November 25, 2002. Spath, Robin (2003) Child protection professionals identifying domestic violence indicators: implications for social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, September 22, 2003. Starr, Raymond H., Jr. (2001) Type and timing of mothers victimization: effects on mother and children. Pediatrics, April 1, 2001. Tuerkheimer, Deborah (2004), Recognizing and remedying the harm of battering: A call to criminalize domestic violence. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, June 22, 2004. Verkaik, Robert (2003) One man in six `a victim of domestic violence. The Independent, September 24, 2003. Wha-soon, Byun (1994) A study on the prevention of and countermeasures against domestic violence [Part 1 of 2]. Contemporary Womens Issues Database, January 1, 1994. Winkvist, Anna (2001) Researching domestic violence against women: Methodological and ethical considerations. Studies in Family Planning, March 1, 2001. Yllo, K. A. (1993). Through a feminist lens: Gender, power, and violence. In R. J. Gelles D. R. Loseke (Eds.), Current controversies on family violence (pp. 47-62). Newbury Park, GA: Sage Publications. Cited in Danis, Fran S. (2003) The criminalization of domestic violence: What social workers need to know. Social Work, April 1, 2003.

Monday, August 19, 2019

Essay --

Haley Hicks Howerter ENGWR 300 16 December 2013 Emerson: Transcend Conformity Transcendentalism; most people are unfamiliar with this term but not the ideas behind it. A religious deviation that started in the 1820’s caused one of the most influential movements in history. The after effects would be seen in the beliefs of those who fought for civil rights, women’s rights, and abolition; anytime a rebellion rears its head, there tends to be some distinctly transcendentalist ideas and mindsets found fueling the individualist fires of change. Transcendentalism and its various principles changed the face of the world and the way people thought by challenging the majority and scorning conformity. They challenged people to be individuals; to look inward for the truth and make their own happiness. Those that were a part of this movement also spoke out against figures of authority when it was believed they acted against the common good. There was a vague optimism and stubborn refusal to accept any truth but the ones found to be true to the individual tha t was characteristic of its supporters. In a world that seems to be constantly telling its inhabitants what we should think, it is important to remember that we are each still our own person and how we live our lives is up to us. The movement was not without its critics and opposition, but the lasting effects of the philosophical ideals stood the test of time and continue to change people for the better. While there were many great thinkers, writers and leaders of this movement, the one that many consider to be the father of the movement is Ralph Waldo Emerson. His humble nature made him reluctant to take such a title, and he was not the creator of transcendentalism, but his influence on ... ...eveloping an acid tongue.† Men who isolate themselves not only deprive themselves of friendship and love, but also make themselves unfit for marriage. Society isn't always achieved easily, but by "chemical affinity" and even then "in very small doses." Striking a balance between solitude and society is difficult because "solitude is impracticable, and society fatal." (Society and Solitude) But this Thinking is not solely his own; Socrates once said, â€Å"To find yourself, think for yourself.† In one of his most influential works, Self-Reliance Emerson once said that â€Å"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. (Self-Reliance)† "Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth." - H.D. Thoreau

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Marbury vs. Madison :: essays research papers

In the Supreme Court case of George Reynolds vs. United States, 1879, concerned an older Mormon living in the Utah Territory under federal laws, was charged with a violation of a federal law forbidding marriage in all federal territories. The practice of multiple marriage couples is a practice common among Mormons of that time period. The United States put into effect a law the restricted multiple marriage couples upon receiving word that Mormons were moving into the Utah Territory. Since the United States Government was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs, they frowned heavily on the Mormon practice and used their power to restrict their ability to act on their beliefs. The principle of democracy that is directly applicable to this situation is Equality under the Law. George Reynolds took his case to the Supreme Court in objection that he could not fully pursue his religion. He argued that the first amendment guarantees that persons will be free from any law prohibiting the free exercise of religion. That no federal law could interfere with a person’s religious belief or with actions based on those beliefs. That the federal law was unconstitutional and his conviction should be overturned. In his eyes he was not being treated fairly by the government because of what his religion believed was acceptable. He felt that multiple partner relationships should be allowed and that the United States was out of line in restricting that. The Supreme Court ruled that the case presented an obvious and compelling need to regulate a question of behavior offensive to public will. The first amendment cannot be used as a shield to protect any person against criminal behavior. This ruling states that the first amendment cannot be used as an excuse to do whatever you want simply because your religion says that’s ok to do. Mr. Reynolds is allowed to believe that multiple partners are acceptable, but he is not allowed to practice that belief, according to the law of the United States. The Supreme Court ruling was quite inaccurate in that they think Mormon beliefs are wrong because they differ from their own beliefs. Because Mormon religion is a minority in this country, the rest of the United States feels that they have the right to regulate how the Mormon religion can and cannot be practiced. Mormons should be allowed to pursue their religion to the fullest extent without causing harm to himself or herself or any other individual.

Hope Essay -- essays research papers fc

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  White 2 Hope   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Stephen King published his novella â€Å"Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption in 1982. In 1994 this novella was turned into a movie called The Shawshank Redemption. Frank Darabont wrote the screenplay. A good adaptation will capture the same overall essence of the written book or novella. Darabont did a wonderful job of adapting this novella into a movie. He captured the overall essence in a way that makes a heart rejoice in happiness and relief. The adaptation of The Shawshank Redemption is very well done. One of the major motifs of the story is â€Å"get busy living, or get busy dying.† This phrase sticks out the most in the movie. In the novella it is said once by Red just before he leaves to go to McNary, Texas, where Andy Dufresne crossed the border into Mexico after he escaped. Red was contemplating not going. He figured that so much of his life was already gone and wondered if it was even worth the trouble. But he told himself, â€Å"get busy living, or get busy dying† (King 105).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the movie this phrase is first said by Andy in the prison yard just before he escaped. At this point in the movie Andy seems to be completely depressed. Throughout the movie, Andy always seemed to have a little smile on his face, but at this point it seemed as all hope was gone from him. He was talking to Red about Zihautanejo, Mexico. This is the place Andy wanted to go to after he got out of Shawshank. He talked about how beautiful it was and how he wanted to go down there and start a hotel   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  White 3 on the ocean. Red told him to stop dreaming those â€Å"shitty pipe dreams.† This is when Andy said, â€Å"Get busy living, or get busy dying.† After that Andy tells Red about a place in Buxton where under a rock there w... ...ed. He stated, â€Å"It was great-too great, I thought, to be produced by any company in California† (King).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  White 6 Works Cited Cannon, Damian. â€Å"The Shawshank Redemption.† Movie Reviews UK 1998. 6 pars. 23 Apr. 2000 . Darabont, Frank, and Stephen King. The Shawshank Redemption: The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Shooting Script. New York: New Market Press, 1996. Washington Post. â€Å"The Shawshank Redemption.† Washington Post. 23   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sep. 1994. 23 Apr. 2000 . King, Stephen. â€Å"Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.† Different   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Seasons. Penguin Group, NY: Signet 1983. 15-106. The Shawshank Redemption. Niki Marvin, exec. prod. Frank Darabont, dir.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Videocassette. Castle Rock Entertainment. Warner Home Video, CA: 1997.