Baby Blues in Europe

The population growth in most of the European nations is at critical point. The term baby blues have been used to describe the situation where families are opting to have fewer children due to various economic and social reasons. They are shying off from having an extra child due to the things they are experiencing day by day. The societies have become more affluent and when such a thing happens one the effects is the low fertility rates. On the other hand women have gained more freedom in the society.They are engaging in the work force, this has resulted in consumption boom contributing to the delay of marriage and the rate at which people are marrying, this further impact on the fertility rates. The impacts of the social changes that have taken place in the recent years have been compounded by the changing of the working patterns. Career patterns have replaced the unskilled labor which has increased the importance attached to the longer training periods and the unbroken periods of employment as one gains skills has further strengthened the idea of delaying childbearing.This is what has resulted to the baby blues in a continent that had the highest population growth some years back. (Golin, A; Bruno, L and Lori, A 1991) Some of these factors are: lack of a nanny to take care of the child, busy schedules, work related and many others. The birth rates are generally falling fast with many women either opting to have no children or families making a choice of remaining with only one child. This trend is worrying many governments as they foresee a big problem ahead.The population growth rate is negative in most countries in this part of the world. If the trend continues it shows that the population in Western Europe countries will shrink. This is a dangerous trend for the bloc that is aiming to counter the United States as the world power. In the United States the population has been growing at a higher rate in comparison to the Europe due to factors such as migrat ion, incentives from the government among others. What are the impacts of baby blues in the society?This is a question each and every government in Europe is trying to analyze and at the same time provides a workable solution to a situation that is threatening to impact negatively on the gains that this continent has made in the number of years. Having negative growth rate is not something any government in the developed world should be proud of. It is a risky affair that will have serious effects in the years to come. It means that at one given time Europeans countries will have a population imbalance where the number of the graying population will exceed the young people.This graying population will be a burden since there will be very few young working population to support them impacting negatively on the countries economic situation. (Golin, A; Bruno, L and Lori, A 1991) The trend will have an effect in the society especially in situation where the elderly have to be taken care of by the young. They require more money to cater for their medical bills and other expenses that come with the old age. This will be a burden to the younger population as they also have other obligation to meet.This population might also opt to have lesser families due to the added burden of caring of the elderly. If the trend continues beyond this point the problem will escalate for many years to come impacting heavily on the economic situation of these countries. The governments are concerned with this trend and they are up and planning on the measures to be taken to counter this negative development. The government can not afford to sit on the fence as it watches the population decline. This can have serious impact than imagined. It can threat the very existence of a nation.A nation whose population can not meet the needs of its economy is a t great danger especially if the other parts of the world more so those perceived to be the competitors are at an advantaged position rega rding the population growth. China and United States population are projected to rise tremendously in the next fifty years whereas on the other hand the European population has been predicted to decline by a great margin. This means that Europe will depend much on the countries with a positive population growth on labor, market and other activities.To many governments in this region, this is a dangerous development as it will affect their power situation where these nations may take its position in the world map of power. (Hantarais, L 2004) The governments need to be concerned and act on the situation as it can have serious effects on all aspects of the society. Declining population goes hand in hand with the economic slow down. When the older population is higher than the young working population the situation becomes grave as the government will be faced with the burden of taking care of this graying population which can be as sensitive as the baby population.In the next ten or m ore years to come it is expected that the European population level will be more than seventy million or roughly ten percent below its current level. The governments are busy trying to counter this negative trend as it may pose serious problems if it is not tackled early and in an effective manner. Births rate have fallen to levels where they can not be replaced and on the other hand the continent median age has climbed steadly. This poses a complex problem which need to be approached in a sober manner as it can result to every disastrous situation.A decline in the working population mean that the government can only promote immigration to counter a situation where the labor supplies dwindle ,this poses a serious problem as this population will only be attracted from the developing nations where there are population crises and the level of skills is often. To stop the decline the government has to come up with a workable solution which will solve this problem once and for all and he lp avert a situation where economic slow down is experienced further complicating the matters.(Hantarais, L 2004) Of particular concern is the need to replenish the declining workforce as this will have long term effects if left unchecked. With the population having reached close to seven hundred million people a decline can be the most unfortunate things for the nations in Europe. The governments having been faced with the challenge on how they will approach this problem may mean that the problem will be bigger than imagined, but with the proper planning and coordination of policies this is an issue which can be tackled.Population ageing will increase the number of dependent people creating a potential burden on pension and public health care. The tax burden will have to be passed to the few working population further complicating the issue as this group will be overburden by the financial obligation they are supposed to meet. This will only escalate the existing pro blem with a hi gher probability of increased baby blues. The fear of having many children or in some cases- no children at all- among the childbearing population in the western nations and Europe in general poses a great danger for this continent.If the current fertility levels persisted and immigration ceased altogether the European population would fall way below six hundred million by the turn of the century. What would this mean in a continent that is expected to steer the global economy to the next level in the century. It shatter the dreams of a powerful Europe in the world map while at the same time putting the continent at a disadvantaged position since the population in some the world regions is increasing at a higher rate.Therefore since this is a problem that will have far reaching effects for some years to come the government s in the respective countries need to move fast and come up with comprehensive policies which will help in solving this problem. (McIntosh, A 1983) The government s are not spoilt of choices they have to act swiftly to avert a catastrophic situation where economic meltdown might be experienced in future. One of the response would be to boost the birth rates, this can be achieved through giving incentives to the couples who are willing to have children.These incentives need to be as attractive as possible so that they can include many people. In such a move the birth rates might turn a round and the feared decline may not be experienced at all. Immigration has been mentioned as another option as far as solving this problem is concerned but some people have pointed out that it will only be short-lived since the immigrants will eventually adapt the trends that already exist in the receiving countries. Government has to approach this issue in a broader way to ensure that the end results are positive.Though some people have described the situation as the best for the continent since there would be minimal competition for resources, baby blues pres ent a dangerous situation for Western Europe as far as it future economic position is concerned. Bibliography Golin, A; Bruno, L and Lori, A. Population Changes in Europe, Labor, vol 5, Rome Italy (1991) Hantarais, L. Family Policy Matters: Responding to Family Change in Europe, The Policy Press (2004) McIntosh, A. Population Policy in Western Europe, ME Shape (1983)

“Digging” Analysis Essay

In many families, fathers take pride in receiving remarks regarding their sons such as â€Å"He’s a chip off the ol’ block† or â€Å"like father like son,† often exalting the sons who have followed in their fathers’ vocational footsteps. In â€Å"Digging,† by Seamus Heaney, the speaker describes the quintessential potato farming tradition that his father and grandfather partake in, while the speaker himself observes through a window barrier. Seamus Heaney, through his use of imagery, repetition, and extended metaphors, reveals his feelings in straying away from Irish tradition to follow his own path in writing. In his poem, Heaney utilizes imagery to further emphasize the speaker’s action in choosing a different job than potato farming. The speaker begins at a windowsill, with a â€Å"squat pen† resting â€Å"as snug as a gun† in his hand. Heaney’s description connotes a sense of defense, almost as if the narrator sees himself as an old wilderness-survival junkie, sitting on the porch with a gun to defend his property from government officials, but in â€Å"Digging,† the speaker defends his choice in jobs. Later on in the poem, the speaker describes the actions of a potato harvester, who must endure the â€Å"cold smell of potato mold [and] the squelch and slap of soggy peat.† Heaney’s images of mold and soggy mud convey the speaker’s true feeling and apprehension toward the sickening, gross environment in which his father and grandfather work. In the same way, Heaney’s repetition further alludes to the speaker’s need and desire to write. In the first and last stanzas of the poem, the speaker repeats the same sentence: â€Å"Between my finger and my thumb / The squat pen rests.† As a starting point in the poem, the speaker directly jumps to his comfort zone—describing his love for putting pen to paper, yet as an ending note, the narrator reemphasizes his possession of not only the pen, but of his life choices. Also, Heaney often uses the word â€Å"digging† as a separate prepositional phrase during a sentence, reiterating the word to simply give the reader a sense of the mundane life his father is living. There are no adverbs surrounding the word; simply put, the speaker evokes a sense of nothingness that is associated with â€Å"digging† a hole in the ground, only to fill said hole with a potato and cover it back up—a menial task for which he has no inclination. Again, Heaney repeats some phrases in order to accentuate his aversion to the job of potato harvesting. Lastly, Heaney implements extended metaphors throughout his poem to subtly convey his feelings towards his father’s tradition. As stated earlier, the repetition of â€Å"digging† also connotes a deeper meaning—the speaker, while also observing his father literally dig through the mud and peat, figuratively digs through his memories of his family, recalling the days when he would help his grandfather out in â€Å"Toner’s bog.† In the second to last verse, the speaker alludes to revisiting the past by stating the â€Å"living roots awaken in my head.† The roots, although they can refer to the physical roots in the ground, symbolize the narrator’s family roots in potato farming, a culture that is associated with digging into the ground to find food and money in the form of potatoes. In the end, the speaker ends the metaphor of digging, noting he will â€Å"dig,† but not with the spade, but with his pen. Seamus Heaney’s poem â€Å"Digging† tells a tale of a man musing about his decision to leave behind family convention. Heaney employs a series of images that convey the speaker’s feelings, repetition to show the narrator’s dislike of potato harvesting, and metaphors to provide an underlying message about tradition. In the end, the speaker is left commenting on the spade, his father and grandfather’s tool of choice, while he himself chooses the pen.

A Natural Solution

Natural solution For many people cancer is a fearful word. Because cancer causes pain and harmful consequences, humans do not want cancer to be part of their lives. Like cancer, marijuana is another word that humans are worried about. In most cases, cannabis is abused and causes problems for people abusing cannabis. The attitudes towards these two words are similar, but they are not. Adult stem cells are natural solutions. They exist naturally in our body and they provide a natural repair mechanism to many organizations in our body. They belong to the adult microenvironment and embryonic stem cells belong to the early embryonic microenvironment, not adult, and they often cause tumor and immune system reactions. Most importantly, adult stem cells have been successfully used for the treatment of humans for many years. So far, embryonic stem cells have not been successfully used for human therapy. On the other hand, new therapies using adult stem cells have been developed. Embryos for c ardiac repair and adult stem cells are an active area of ​​research. Many cells including adult bone marrow derived cells including embryonic stem (ES) cells, cardiac stem cells naturally present in the heart, myoblast cells (muscle stem cells), tissue mesenchymal cells (bone marrow derived cells, these cells) Stem cell muscle, bone, tendon, ligament and adipose tissue, endothelial progenitor cells (producing endothelial cells, endovascular layer) and umbilical cord blood cells serve as a potential source for regenerating damaged cardiac tissue Have been studied. All of these have been investigated in mouse and rat models, and some are being tested with larger animal models such as pigs. Fortunately, bed wetting problems have natural solutions and medical solutions. With years of research and experience, today's medical professionals can provide a complete solution to overcome bedwetting. Natural treatments are more relevant to efforts to create and repair bad toilet h abits, but drugs reduce the amount of urine produced from the body at the time of taking. Bedwetting is directly related to moisture consumption. The more people consuming moisture, the more likely he will wet the bed. This is a problem that directly affects health. In order to suppress the wetting of the bed people prefer to consume a small amount of water as their body reached dehydratable condition. Problems such as dry throat, yellow urine, urine smell started to occur, patient health began to decline further. The doctor always advises people to drink water before going to bed. A Natural Solution Natural solution For many people cancer is a fearful word. Because cancer causes pain and harmful consequences, humans do not want cancer to be part of their lives. Like cancer, marijuana is another word that humans are worried about. In most cases, cannabis is abused and causes problems for people abusing cannabis. The attitudes towards these two words are similar, but they are not. Adult stem cells are natural solutions. They exist naturally in our body and they provide a natural repair mechanism to many organizations in our body. They belong to the adult microenvironment and embryonic stem cells belong to the early embryonic microenvironment, not adult, and they often cause tumor and immune system reactions. Most importantly, adult stem cells have been successfully used for the treatment of humans for many years. So far, embryonic stem cells have not been successfully used for human therapy. On the other hand, new therapies using adult stem cells have been developed. Embryos for c ardiac repair and adult stem cells are an active area of ​​research. Many cells including adult bone marrow derived cells including embryonic stem (ES) cells, cardiac stem cells naturally present in the heart, myoblast cells (muscle stem cells), tissue mesenchymal cells (bone marrow derived cells, these cells) Stem cell muscle, bone, tendon, ligament and adipose tissue, endothelial progenitor cells (producing endothelial cells, endovascular layer) and umbilical cord blood cells serve as a potential source for regenerating damaged cardiac tissue Have been studied. All of these have been investigated in mouse and rat models, and some are being tested with larger animal models such as pigs. Fortunately, bed wetting problems have natural solutions and medical solutions. With years of research and experience, today's medical professionals can provide a complete solution to overcome bedwetting. Natural treatments are more relevant to efforts to create and repair bad toilet h abits, but drugs reduce the amount of urine produced from the body at the time of taking. Bedwetting is directly related to moisture consumption. The more people consuming moisture, the more likely he will wet the bed. This is a problem that directly affects health. In order to suppress the wetting of the bed people prefer to consume a small amount of water as their body reached dehydratable condition. Problems such as dry throat, yellow urine, urine smell started to occur, patient health began to decline further. The doctor always advises people to drink water before going to bed.

Business Environment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Business Environment - Assignment Example Coca Cola daily servings have increased from an average of nine servings at the inception to more than 1.8 billion daily servings per day. Coca Cola employs more than 150,000 people globally and is the leading provider of sparkling beverages, fruit juices and ready to drink coffees and teas (Coca Cola 2013). Indeed, Coca Cola is the largest global beverage company with operations and production facilities spanning six operating regions that include North America, Latin America, Europe, Eurasia and Africa, Pacific and Bottling investments. Coca Cola is geared at refreshing the world through inspiring moments of optimism through its actions and brands (Coca Cola 2013). The company aims at creating value and making a difference through its brands and activities. On the other hand, Calypso Soft Drinks Ltd is committed to the produce and supply of fruit juices and soft drinks in the United Kingdom and offers a variety of beverages such as ice lollies, mineral water ice cubesm, aqua juices , juicy aids, juicy waters, and freezepops (Coca Cola 2013). Calypso Soft drinks aims at satisfying its wide range of clients that include wholesalers, supermarkets, caterers and schools in the UK. The goals, mission and objectives of Calypso Soft Drinks Ltd is to create delicious soft drinks and freeze products that refresh and are tasty to the consumers (Calypso Soft Drinks 2013). ... Coca Cola vision 2020 acts as the framework for creating the long-term destination of the business operations through understanding market trends and forces that will shape the nature of business operations in the future (Coca Cola 2013). The vision of Coca Cola is to attain sustainable and quality growth through meeting the needs of the stakeholders (Coca Cola 2013). For instance, the company is committed to creating a great workplace and empowering the employees through constant employee engagement, excellent training and development opportunities and open and inclusive employment policies (Sadler and Craig 2003). Coca Cola is committed to nurturing mutual relationships and creating value for its network of partners while at the same time remaining a lean and profitable organization. The company is committed to environmental conservation through helping ensure sustainable communities and minimizing environmental degradation through pollution (Sadler and Craig 2003). Impact of UK ec onomic system on Coca Cola Company The UK economic system is favorable for Coca Cola business operations. The UK is currently experiencing economic recovery from the adverse economic and financial crisis that were experienced after the collapse of the housing boom in 2008 (Langdana 2009). The UK is a mixed economy with both state and private sector contributing to the overall growth and prosperity of the economy (Sadler and Craig 2003). The UK is the seventh largest economy in the globe in terms of purchasing power parity and nominal gross domestic product. Some prominent economic sectors include livestock industry, agriculture, pharmaceutical, and oil and gas industries (Bamford and Grant 2000). The UK

Publi Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Publi Law - Essay Example The Prime Minister of the UK is the leader of the Majority Party in the House of Commons. In the UK the legal system is founded on the concept of rule of law and endeavours to provide justice, equality and procedural fairness to all. (MSI Legal and Accounting Network Worldwide, n.d.). In the British Constitution, Supremacy of the Rule of Law is the main guiding principle. In order to achieve and ensure this Supremacy, it is essential to have independent judiciary who are not a part of the legislature. To surmount the trap laid by tyranny and despotism, the UK constitution has evolved in such a manner that there is separation of powers and this in turn provides protection against oppression. The rule of law was introduced to exclude the arbitrary authority of the government and to provide legal safeguards for the protection of the individuals and their rights. This concept was developed by Professor A.V. Dicey, a well known authority on the English Law, and published in the year 1885 in his magnum opus Law of the Constitution. The rule of law comprises of three principles, namely supremacy of the law, equality before the law and the predominance of the legal spirit. Dicey emphasized the role of the courts of law as guarantors of liberty and suggested that these ri ghts would be secured more effectively if they were enforceable in the courts of law rather than being merely declared in a document. In the case of Entick V. Carrington (1765), government officials raided the plaintiff's printing press and damaged his property. This was done without any reasonable grounds whatsoever, except for the reason that this had been ordered by the secretary of state. The House of Lords in their decision condemned the government's actions and awarded 300 to the petitioner as compensation. This illustrates the absolute supremacy of the law. In the case Padfield V. The Ministry of Agriculture (1968), milk producers in South - East England petitioned the Minister to appoint a committee of investigators to look into their complaints regarding the levels of subsidy to be granted to milk producers according to the England Agriculture Marketing Act, 1958. The Minister rejected this request. The House of Lords found fault with this rejection and ordered the Minister to appoint a committee of investigators. This case demonstrates the concept of equality before the law alongwith the concept of absolute supremacy of the law as described by Dicey in his Rule of Law. The enforcement of the law is, by a process of devolution, placed within the ambit of the people and this process is known as Trial by Jury. In this exemplary procedure enforcement and legislation are separated. Such separation constitutes the strongest safeguard as it subjects the enforcement of the statute of the law to a test of acceptance by the common law in the hands of the people. The Sovereign power of the nation is vested with the constitutionally limited monarch in the United Kingdom. The House of Lords and the House of Commons determine the context and contents of the bill that are enacted by the granting of royal assent. Royal assent is the prerogatory power of the monarch who is sworn contractually to abide by the coronation oath, the bill of rights, etc,. The monarch is bound by oath to govern the people according to the laws and customs of the nation (Bingley, 2005). The essential features of democratic constitutions which exist in one form or another, in virtually all

Emerging Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Emerging Technology - Essay Example Emerging technology is a segment of information technology. It is responsible for the development of new products or devices that are expected to be used widely in the upcoming 5 to 10 years. Businesses regularly look to emerging technologies for the devices or new services they provide will help them to build their competitive advantage of the business. Emerging technologies also include the advancement in technologies that business is already using. The advancement in technologies often helps business to accelerate their production process and allow the business to enhance the operations of the business at a cheaper cost. Talking more about emerging technologies in businesses, there are two important fields in emerging technology for businesses, Artificial Intelligence, and Robotics. Robotics can be described as a technological field and part of an engineering science that uses technology of mechanics or electronic to give substitute of human labor. Many production and manufacturing industries have adopted the technology of robotics in their systems. The industry of robotics technology seeks to expand to further businesses industries. While Artificial intelligence is used to make machines intelligent to use in businesses. Businesses use the technology of Artificial Intelligence by entering business information into the business machines that help in developing the information and forecast accurate predictions and identify trends for the company (Wood-Harper, Jayaratna, & Wood, 2013). Emerging technologies have vast effects on business in both the ways; it is benefiting many businesses as well as it is affecting businesses adversely. To talk about the positive effects of emerging technologies on businesses include the effects on research and development of any company. It helps companies in developing more effective and less expensive research and development processes.

Liquidity Function Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Liquidity Function - Essay Example Liquidity preference is the desire to hold cash. The money in cash and the rate of interest which is demanded in exchange for it is a "measure of the degree of our disquietude (ICFAI Center for Management Research (ICMR), 2005)." The rate of interest, in Keynes' words, is the "premium which has to be offered to induce people to hold the wealth in some form other than hoarded money." The higher the liquidity preference, the higher will be the rate of interest that will have to be paid to the holders of cash to induce them to part with their liquid assets. The lower the liquidity preference the lower will be the rate of interest that will be paid to the cash-holders. Transaction Motive: This motive is related to the "need of cash for the current transactions of personal and business exchanges." It is further divided into the income and business motives. The income motive is meant "to bridge the interval between the receipt of income and its disbursement", and similarly, the business motive is "the interval between the time of incurring business costs and that of the receipt of the sale proceeds." Precautionary Motive: The precautionary motive relates to the "the desire to provide for contingencies regarding sudden expenditures and for unforeseen opportunities of advantageous purchases." Banks keep cash in reserve to meet unexpected needs. Individuals hold some cash to provide for illness, accident, unemployment and other unforeseen contingencies. Money under the speculative motive is for "securing profit from knowing better than the market what the future will bring forth." Liquidity Vs Profitability Short run trade-off exists between liquidity and profitability. Other things remaining constant, the more liquid a bank the lower its return on equity and return on assets (The Banker, 2004). Both asset and liability liquidity contribute to this relationship. Facts about liquidity of a bank: The more liquid a bank, the less profitable the bank Liquid assets earn less than illiquid assets. The shorter the maturity, the lower the yield. The highest yielding loans are loans with the highest default or interest rate risk and are therefore the least liquid. Asset liquidity is influenced by the composition and maturity of funds i.e. the ease with which a bank can convert assets to cash with a minimum loss (Comptroller of the Currency Administrator of National Banks, 2001). Large holdings of cash assets evidently decrease profits because of the opportunity loss of interest income. In terms of investment portfolio, short-term securities yield lower returns compared to long-term securities. As investors value price stability and therefore long-term securities pay a yield premium over short term securities, to induce the investors to extend their holding period. For banks that purchase short-term securities, this increases the liquidity but at higher potential returns. For example, in an environment where market expectations are constant for short-term treasury yields, the treasury yield curve will slope upwards, reflecting liquidity premiums that increase with maturity. A bank's loan portfolio displays the same trade-off where the loans carrying the higher yields are the least

Theology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Theology - Essay Example The West and America for instance are known for being liberal and seeking to export values such as economic, political and social liberalism, civil rights and liberty. The Oriental is known for its diligent and the African, its strong cultural and conservative values. Because of this, when engaging in global or regional athleticism, an athlete is deemed as having significantly marketed his country and his country’s values upon winning. Again, the claim that athletes carry values of their training into societies in such a way that the society reflects these values is worthy of credence, since sportsmen and athletes’ training programmes are usually guided by values such as discipline and hard work. The part of discipline compels and guides the athlete’s diet, drug behaviour, civilian lifestyle [in light of patriotism], consistency in practicing and maintaining tenacity while in the actual competition. Although the Jamaican marathoner Usain Bolt is seen to have physical advantage in athletics, yet it is his lack of tenacity and seriousness in the race that made the American marathoner Tyson Gay to defeat him twice on 5 August 2010 and on 5 June 2013. Likewise, it is diligence as a value that constrains the athlete to keep training consistently and to stick to a training manual that the instructor or sports trainer or manager has prescribed. Similarly, the plausibility of this standpoint is furthered att ested to by the fact that the undisciplined or the sluggish seldom win sports contests or athletics because indiscipline, inadequate practice and lack of preparations readily co-occur with physical unfitness. Thus, when a sportsman or athlete wins, it is his hard work and disciplines [important values] that are acknowledged, in lieu of natural giftedness. In light of the above, upon the finalisation of the marathon and the rewarding of exemplary

Impact of 360 Feedback on Job Performance Essay

Impact of 360 Feedback on Job Performance - Essay Example The paper tells that the 360Â ° feedback approach gathers behavioral observations from many sources within the organization and includes employee self-assessment. The individual completes the same structured evaluation process that superiors, project team members, peers, and, in many cases, external customers use to evaluate performance. Survey questionnaires, augmented by a few open-ended questions, typically are used to gather information. Then, the summary results are compared against organizational strategies, values, and business objectives. The feedback is communicated to the individual with the assistance of the company’s human resources department or an outside consultant. The present research has identified that at present, this technique is used by a growing number of firms including General Electric, AT&T, Mobil Oil, Nabisco, Hewlett-Packard, and Warner-Lambert. Usually, multisource feedback is collected for managers or supervisors, but it could be collected for an y employee, with the raters depending on the employee's role in the organization. Multisource ratings are not always collected from all possible sources. For instance, sometimes only upward ratings are collected (i.e., subordinates are asked to rate their supervisor). Multisource ratings are collected through surveys using the computer, telephone, in-person interviews, or paper-and-pencil questionnaires. The survey may be administered annually or more often.

The New Liberalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The New Liberalism - Essay Example The time bracket, from ‘1880s to 1920s constitutes a relatively cohesive era of extensive industrialization and mass enfranchisement’ (Alexander et all.1995). It is also stressed that (Pluralist assertion) Socio-economic development is a precondition rather then the result of welfare state reforms, thus defining â€Å"development as a process of social differentiation and empowerment that generates social needs and fiscal as well as other state resources as well as political demands for provision of income security† ( Wilensky and Lebeaux.1958; Williamson and Pampel.1993). It means that development precedes the demand for welfare state which is accordingly fulfilled in the form of policy response seeking new patterns of redistribution. On the other hand the development of welfare state has been also attributed to the increase in (organic) State’s ‘specialized capabilities to steer’ and chanalize the stresses it experiences during the process of modernization (Skowronek.1982; Skocpol.1992). The Marxists argue that ‘capitalist development is the source which changes class forces and their balance of power’ (Rueschemeyer, Stephens and Stephens. 1991). This means that capitalism through welfare policies redirect and redistribute the power of class forces and tries to assimilate the classes creating new elite in its own reflection. It is however argued that a singular theoretical approach does not fulfill our requirement to determine the dynamics and contours of development of welfare state in UK at the turn of the century.

Isolation and Resentment in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay Example for Free

Isolation and Resentment in Mary Shelleys Frankenstein Essay Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein, deals with two very distinct individuals: the young-but-foolish Victor Frankenstein and his creation, the â€Å"Monster†. Victor is the main focus of the novel for the beginning chapters, while the rest of the work focuses more on the development and actions of the Monster. The characters of Victor and the Monster are first brought together during the Monster’s creation in Chapter 4 (34). It was Victor’s isolation from both his family and his peers that ultimately lead to his creation of the Monster, and it was the Monster’s feelings of isolation and resentment towards Victor that lead to his violent episodes. While these feelings are evident in both characters’ actions throughout the majority of the novel, it was during the Monster’s statements to Captain Robert Walton towards the end of the story that drives home the fact that the Monster’s actions were products of his repeated rejections when he attempted to be accepted by society and as such are not indicative of his inherent nature. It was these feelings of loneliness and resentment that drove both Victor and the Monster to their actions, and it is safe to assume that some of Shelley’s personal feelings of abandonment and resentment towards her mother bled through into her characters. These feelings are made evident by way of the diction of the characters, both elements of and deviations from the Gothic stereotype, the development of the characters throughout the story and the lack of any definite closure to the text. Shelley’s use of eloquent and elaborate language by the main characters could be construed as ironic, in that such well-spoken characters have sunken into committing the most terrible of sins, namely those of murder and hubris. It is this irony that makes the isolation and resentment that Victor and the Monster feel stand out in the reader’s mind; two characters that are so articulate in their speech are reviled for their differences from the rest of society. The sophisticated diction of the Monster in the final pages of the novel helps to lend a feeling of bitterness and remorse to the text. However, the Monster’s eloquent speech does not sway the Captain, as evidenced in the first line â€Å"I was at first touched†¦indignation was rekindled within me. † (154). This shows that no matter how well-spoken an individual is and how sympathetic that person might be, normal society tends to shun those that are viewed as different, whether these differences are physical or in the way that they communicate. Such eloquence, as evidenced in the Monster’s speech â€Å"Once I falsely hoped to meet†¦thoughts of honor and devotion† (154), is a direct product of how a person was raised; those that are raised in an environment where they are kept isolated, whether by choice or through the influence of society tend to develop such oratory skills as a way of hopefully being accepted by those around them. However, more often than not, such well-defined articulation of one’s thoughts leads to such a person being further isolated from society, and as such feeds feelings of isolation and resentment. It was due to realistic depictions of societal reactions like these that helped to solidify Frankenstein’s place as a Gothic novel. Shelley uses many common elements of the Gothic novel in Frankenstein, and the themes of resentment and isolation can be connected to the characters through these elements. Victor is depicted as a â€Å"weak hero†, whose isolation from the world in the development of his creation leads him from an otherwise successful career as a scientist. It could be inferred that Victor’s resentment towards his creation, whom he subsequently abandons, stems not only from his disgust with himself and what he has created, but also from the opportunities denied to him as a result of his irresponsible pursuit of bestowing life upon that which should remain lifeless. Although Victor knew that creating life through artificial means would be considered taboo by his peers, he decided to proceed with the project regardless, letting his scientific curiosity overtake his rational intellect. After he brought the Monster to life, he was realized the irresponsibility of his actions. During this time, Victor had severe difficulties connecting to other people, and he gradually worked to further distance himself from the rest of society, which lead him into an extremely depressed state (. Although there were points in the novel where Victor was able to experience a very temporary reprieve from his mental torments, in his mind he would never be able to fully experience mental peace until one of them was dead. In contrast to Victor’s rather weak characterization, the Monster could be depicted as the â€Å"hero† of the story, in that even while he is committing murders that should sicken the reader, he is still portrayed as a sympathetic character, whose actions are driven by his feelings of abandonment, betrayal and resentment that Victor engenders in him through his various actions, as well of those of human society in regards to the Monster [i. e. The Monster’s episode with Felix]. It is understandably unclear if any the characters can be definitively labeled as a hero or villain, for even though they both have committed acts worthy of abhorrence and disgust, in a sense, they could be considered to be victims of abuse and neglect as well. Due to this, it can be argued that both Victor and the Monster are accurate representatives of the Gothic hero/villain. A final example of Gothic elements that Shelley incorporates into her novel is that of the heroine in distress, in this case Elizabeth. Elizabeth is a good example of a heroine because she is a strong female character who is independent and dedicated, especially to the Frankenstein family after Victor’s mother dies. However, she breaks the classic Gothic mold of a heroine by the fact that she is a patient woman who almost never takes action for herself, and it is for this reason as well as Victor’s negligence on their wedding night that she ends up being killed by the Monster in the novel. Victor’s neglect towards Elizabeth on their wedding night could be due to his isolation during his developmental years, and as such was not comfortable in being tied down to Elizabeth. Victor appeared to have developed in a fairly normal manner, due to the fact that he had experienced a childhood that would be considered normal for the noble class in that time. This continues to be the case until he takes it upon himself match the power of God and attempt to bestow life. From this point, his experiments and eventual creation become his only obsession, and he can no longer interact with other people, even those that he sees on a daily basis while at the college. Victor is unable to communicate with other in any meaningful way during this time, as his mind is always preoccupied with thoughts regarding the monster he is responsible for giving life to. Based on this behavior, it gives credence to the question if Victor ever matured any further as an individual once he arrived at the college. In contrast, the Monster’s experiences during the period of his mental and emotional development were always abrupt and sometimes violent. This occurred when he realized that he would forever be rejected by the human race, as his physical appearance was so ghastly that all those that came in his presence were immediately stricken with fear as evidenced by Even his creator, Victor, who to the Monster’s understanding should love him even if others refused to, was so terrified of the Monster that he refused to fulfill his romise in making the Monster a companion. It is understandable that from that point on, â€Å"all joy was but a mockery† (116) to the Monster, and he decided that the sole purpose in his life was to destroy any and all the things that brought pleasure or comfort to his creator. These events are similar because they both represent periods in which these characters no longer are able to have significant social interactions with those around them. Dur ing his development, the monster was able to have many of the same experiences as a human would. For example, he was able to feel a wide range of emotions, from pleasure to hate, even pride and remorse; he developed intellectually through both his learning from books and his [unpleasant] interactions with society; he learned [much in the way that a child does] to use his physical senses to tell him about his environment. However, because of his grotesque appearance, he was made to feel that he would never accepted as a member of human society, and many of his interactions with humans gave no reason to dissuade him from such a belief. In Captain Walton’s final letter to his sister (154), he recounts the words that the monster speaks to him over Victor’s dead body. The eruption of angry self-pity the Monster displays brings into question the injustice of how he has been treated and compellingly captures and portrays the feelings of isolation and resentment he has experienced in regards to his interactions with society, providing both Walton and the reader a glimpse into the suffering that has motivated his actions. It was these feelings that lead the Monster to disappear with Victor’s corpse, presumably to avoid contact with any others of mankind until he eventually dies; however, the ending of the text is rather ambiguous, so it is possible that the Monster decided to return to revenge himself upon mankind. At the closure of Frankenstein, Shelley does not provide a well-defined ending. The last line, reading â€Å"He sprung from the cabin-window†¦lost in darkness and distance† (156), leaves the reader responsible for deciding how they believe the story concluded. The ending can be regarded as having been left open because although the story does provide a conclusion [in that it may be assumed that the creature took his own life after departing Walton’s ship], there is not enough concrete evidence provided in the text to prove beyond a doubt that this is indeed what occurred. It is entirely possible that the Monster would be unable to let go of his hatred of Victor, and by extension, mankind due to his isolation. Just because his â€Å"creator† died does not necessarily mean that he could let his emotions go, and it is this possibility that shows just how differently people view things; the reader can make of the ending what they will, but they will never know for sure how Shelley would have ended it otherwise. Through the speech of the characters, the Gothic elements applied in the text, the characters’ developments and the rather obscure ending of Frankenstein, it is evidently clear that Mary Shelley believes that isolation and resentment play key roles in how people relate to others, and how they develop their own behaviors. It is through the medium of her novel that allows her to express these beliefs, and she provides plenty of evidence in her text to back up these beliefs. The feelings of isolation and resentment that Victor and the Monster both felt towards society were key aspects of their personalities, and were the main driving forces behind their various actions made through the course of the text.

What is the Turning Point in Romeo and Juliet?

What is the Turning Point in Romeo and Juliet? In this essay I am going to analyse act 3 scene 1 of Romeo and Juliet to work out why it is the turning point of the play. I will analyse the characters; historical context; the structure of the play; the main characters and the language used by William Shakespeare. I will also analyse how Shakespeare built up tension within the audience. I have read the play and have watched the original movie directed by Zeffirellis and the modern version directed by Lurhmann. By watching both the traditional and the modern version I now have a clearer interpretation of the message that Shakespeare wanted to put across. It is acceptable for the play to be modernised as it gives the message to a different audience in a way that they can understand. Both of the versions were unique but they still carried the same message which is that love is blind and that although there are many different types of love, they can all lead to disaster. The genre of the play is a tragedy and this is clearly shown throughout the play especially in act 3 scene 1. The Capulet and the Montague families are both feuding. They are fighting because Romeo had gate-crashed the Capulets party; he gate crashed the party because he was hoping to see Rosaline, who he wanted to see as he thinks he loves her. Romeo has the personality of any other teenager and is prone to getting into fights. The weather was to blame for many of the fights as it was extremely hot and this was making many people agitated, so maybe if the weather was cooler Mercutio would not have been as argumentative and the fight would never have started. Also, if Romeo had not gate-crashed the party Tybalt would not want revenge. Also, if Romeo had stayed with Juliet, Tybalt and Mercutio would have just fought to let out their anger and nobody would have died but Romeo turned up just at the wrong point which meant Tybalt stabbed Mercutio. Romeo did not want to fight; in fact his original intention was to stop the fight and this was because he was now related to Tybalt so he did not want to hurt one of his relatives but he could not control himself after Tybalt had killed Mercutio and ended up fighting with Tybalt. Before the fight Romeo says to Tybalt Either thou or I must go with him and he is trying to implement the fact that Mercutio has only just died and one of them must join him. Even if the fight had not taken place and Romeo had not killed Tybalt, Romeo and Juliet would still not be able to live happily as the two families would still be fighting and would not agree with their marriage. Benvolio says The day is hot, the Capels are abroad, And if we meet them we shall not escape a brawl, For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring. This is very much foreshadowing what is to come as the minute the two families meet a fight does start. Benvolio highlighted twice that the weather was very hot and this was because Elizabethans believed the heat made men angry and they thought that there was even more of a chance that there would be a fight as the weather was hot. In the eyes of the audience this was the start of things to come as this was the start of the turning point of act 3 scene 1. This tells the audience what would happen if the two families meet but what the audience do not know is that the two families do meet which would have built up tension in the audience. The way that Shakespeare puts Mercutio in the fight is showing that act 3 scene 1 is the turning point of play. This is because it is completely changing Mercutios character as he is always harmless and full of life and would never get into a fight, and would certainly not start one. This change to Mercutios character affects the play greatly because if there was no fight Mercutio would not be killed, which would of not triggered the fight between Romeo and Tybalt. This would then mean that Romeo would not be banished as he would not kill anyone. This would change the outcome of the play dramatically as Juliet would know where Romeo was and they could put a plan together to decide what they were going to do next. Before Mercutio died he said A plague aboth houses! By saying this he was wishing the worst luck on both of the families as they are both as much to blame as each other for the fighting and all of the fall outs over the years. Shakespeare had used the plague as this was something that was spreading throughout the time the play was written and if a family caught it their future did not look good. This was also dramatically foreshadowing the future of the two families as even though the audience didnt know it, this is what was going to happen; both families were going to have a great loss. Romeo is another character that Shakespeare dramatically changes throughout act 3 scene 1 to show that this scene is the changing point of Romeo and Juliet. One way that Shakespeare uses Romeo to show that this scene is the turning point is in the change in his attitude. At the start of the play Romeo just wants to be left alone as he his thinking about Rosalyne, and then there is a point at the party where he gets back to his normal self and then falls in love with Juliet and this changes his thoughts and personality dramatically as he changes his views and thoughts on the Capulet family. He realises that if he wants his marriage to be successful he needs to make friends with Juliets family. But by the end of act 3 scene 1 this has changed completely and Romeo ends up killing Tybalt who was Juliets Cousin, a Capulet. This is what completely changed the outcome of the play as Romeo is banished for killing Tybalt which ends eventually in Romeo and Juliet both dying. This is why Romeo was the main cause for act 3 scene 1 being the turning point of the play. Throughout act 3 scene 1 Shakespeare uses very dramatic and powerful language. One example of this is when Tybalt says thou art a villain this is aimed at Romeo. At the time the play was written this was intended as a very serious insult and was like calling him the lowest of the low an extremely bad person. Shakespeare uses this to show that this point in the play is changing the rest of the play. By Tybalt saying this to Romeo it is making it look as if all of the problems are caused by Romeo and he is the cause of the pain and suffering. This shows us that Romeo has changed; he is not seen as the one who stays away from the fights and wants to stop them happening; he is now seen as one of the people to start them. Another example of Shakespeare using dramatic language is when Romeo says But love thee better than thou canst devise. He said this to Tybalt and he meant that he loves Tybalt in a way greater than he could imagine meaning he is now related to Tybalt as he is married to Juliet, Tybalts cousin. This is dramatic irony in the play as the audience knew that Romeo is married to Juliet but no one else does apart from the Nurse and Friar Laurence. By Romeo saying this it is showing how the marriage was affecting the lives of everyone. The marriage was the reason that Tybalt killed Mercutio as if Romeo had not of been with Juliet he would not have left her and interrupted the fight which would not have caused Tybalt to stab Mercutio. Romeo says My very friend, hath got his mortal hurt. In my behalf; my reputation staind. Romeo is saying that Mercutio has been killed on his behalf. This is because the Capulets wanted to have revenge for Romeo gate crashing their party. This is the reason the fight started and if there fight had not have started Mercutio would not have been killed. So because of this Romeo is now blaming the death of Mercutio on himself even though it is clear that it is not his fault as he didnt turn up until the end of the fight. This is another way that we are shown act 3 scene 1 is the turning point of the play as all of the characters feelings and thoughts keep changing dramatically throughout act 3 scene 1. The stagecraft of the play is another way that act 3 scene 1 was shown as the turning point to the play. One way that this was shown was the way that Shakespeare showed someone being stabbed. The actor would wear a pigs bladder under his clothes, this would be full of blood and when another actor touched this with their sword it would burst and the blood would come out making the actor look as if he had been stabbed. This was very gory but very effective making the audience believe the actor had actually been stabbed. This was used in act 3 scene 1 when Mercutio was stabbed and would have dramatically affected the audiences mood and feelings this would have been because they would have felt as if the actor had really died and it would have affected them as they would of felt as if they had just watch someone die. This would have also entertained the audience as the Elizabethans loved blood and gore and would be something that they would want to see in a play. In conclusion, Act 3 scene 1 has many reasons that show it is the turning point to Romeo and Juliet and this is shown by Shakespeare using the way the characters feelings and thoughts change throughout the act 3 scene 1. Also the way that Shakespeare used dramatic language to change the thoughts and tension in the audience. The fight between Tybalt and Mercutio completely changed the outcome of the play this was because this fight led to Tybalt killing Mercutio which led to another fight between Tybalt and Romeo which ended with Romeo killing Tybalt. This then meant Romeo had to be punished and this is done by banishing him from Verona which meant when Friar Laurence and Juliet made a plan for them to live together, the details dont get to Romeo and in the end they both end up killing themselves which lead to the play ending as a tragedy. So if the fight in act 3 scene 1 had not taken place the ending to the play would not have been so sad. This is why act 3 scene 1 is definitely the turning point to the play as it seriously changed the rest of the play. I have analysed the language used by Shakespeare and how he used language to change the mood of the audience and show that act 3 scene 1 is the turning point in Romeo and Juliet. I have also analysed the way that Shakespeare used characters and stage craft to show this. After analysing these points I think without act 3 scene 1 Romeo and Juliet would not be a tragedy as it would not have ended in the way it did.

What are the Most Prevalent Dangers of Smoking and Drinking?

What are the Most Prevalent Dangers of Smoking and Drinking? A report based on open data provided by the UK Government in data.gov.uk Prepared by Tsvetelina Terezova Supervised by Dan Heron This work presents a research of the question What are the most prevalent dangers of smoking and drinking? In order to be understood and given an answer to this question, the report is based on open data, related to the topic and provided by the UK Government in data.gov.uk. All data in this web site are non-personal and in a format that allows it to be reused. The selected datasets here are explored, analysed and calculated by the use of R statistical software tool whereas Tableau data visualization software tool, is used for presenting the data in a pictorial format. The structure of the research is covering the following data visualisation life cycle, presented in figure 1 below. Figure 1. Data Visualisation Life Cycle Alcohol and cigarettes seriously threaten the health and are among the top causes of death. Among all risk factors for heart disease, people have the greatest control over those related to the use or abuse of alcohol and cigarettes. Multiple studies demonstrate that people who use or abuse with these substances have a significant increase in risk of developing heart disease. The answer of this research question presents a range of information on drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes which data is drawn together from different sources. The objective of the report is to present a wide picture of the health problems and dangers relating to the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes in England. The purpose of the data analysis and visualisation is to: Get closer to the data of alcohol and cigarettes consumption; Be understood the influence of smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol; Enable decisions as it is much easier to be understood the potential risks of smoking and drinking by visualising the data; Discover patterns to be shown how both Alcohol and Smoking hide almost one and the same dangers; Inspire action the aim of this work is to visually demonstrate the dangers of smoking and drinking and can influence governments to improve the health care. This research report contains data graphics analysed from different datasets published online at data.gov.uk, by the UK Government. These data graphics are analysed in R software tool and visualised by the use of Tableau software tool. The goal is to be demonstrated how the dangers and abuse of tobacco and alcohol are approximately one and the same. The collected information is from a variety of data sources and the intent is to be presented in a better and amicable format. Also, the report includes some analysis performed by the Health and Social Care Information Centre and some National Statistic publications. [1] Selected Datasets: Statistics on Alcohol, England This statistical record operates as a benchmark for the health issues relating to the alcohol use. The provided information is collected from different sources and is presented in a convenient format. It includes cases such as drinking habits and manner among adults (16 years old and over) and children (11 to 15 years old); ill health and death related to drinking; accessibility of alcohol; hospital admissions related to alcohol consumption. The record consists of previously published data and also comprises further new analysis. The recent analysis are primarily received from the Health and Social Care Information Centres (HSCIC) Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) system, and prescribing data. The statistics also comprises new records on the current government policies and aspirations related to the alcohol use. It also includes links to additional sources of valuable information. [6] Statistics on Smoking, England This statistical record represents an assortment of information on smoking which is collected from different sources. The aim of this record is to present an extensive picture of the health problems related to smoking in England and includes themes such as smoking predominance, addictions, behaviours and style among adults and children, expenses, ill health and death related to smoking. This statistics incorporates data from a variety of sources representing it in a convenient format. It incorporates information and data formerly published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC), Department of Health, the Office for National Statistics and Her Majestys Revenue and Customs. The record also comprises new analyses performed by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. [2] Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England This dataset is announced by the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Smoking, Drinking and Drugs use among Young People in England is an annual research executed in participating schools in England for providing information on scholars smoking, drinking and drug consumption behaviours. The study concentrates on different manners in different years, alternating between drinking and smoking one year, to drug consumption the next year. [3] Alcohol-related recorded crimes, violent crimes and sexual crimes, England The three datasets [7], [8] and [9] contain a percentage respectively of the all recorded crimes, of the violent crimes and the sexual crimes per year, persons, all ages, per 1,000 population. The data are provided by the City of York Council and authorized by the Open Government Licence. Statistics on Womens Smoking Status at Time of Delivery: England This record represents the last outcomes and trends from the womens smoking status at time of delivery (SATOD) data compilation in England. The outcomes provide a measurement of the predominance of smoking among pregnant women at Commissioning Region, Area Team and Clinical Commissioning Group level. This supplement the public data existing from the Infant Feeding Survey (IFS). The smoking in pregnancy can bring to significant pregnancy-related health issues such as complications during childbirth, greater risk of abortion, premature birth, low birth-weight and sudden unexpected death in early childhood. [4] Alcohol-related deaths in the United Kingdom The data here is presented by the National Statistics Office and authorized by the Open Government Licence. This report provides the most recent data for alcohol-related deaths in the UK, its four composite countries and districts of England. Comparisons are made between 2012, and earlier provided information from 1991 onwards. [10] Deaths from smoking This dataset is provided by the Department of Health and authorized by the Open Government Licence. The information for deaths due to smoking per 100,000 is provided by the Association of Public Health Observatories (APHO) Geographies: Local Authority District (LAD), County/Unitary Authority, Government Office Region (GOR), National Geographic coverage: England. [5] The analysis implications are related to preparing the selected data, perception of the intended data characteristics, selecting a proper tool and technique, correctly using the tool, accurately presenting the data and making the right clarifications. In order to be explored and appropriately visualized the answer of the research question are used the following steps: Analysing the entire open data, statistics and reports published in data.gov.uk; Selecting the appropriate datasets related to the research question; Downloading the selected datasets as an Excel files; Cleaning Data and preparing the excel files for analysis. 4.1 Normalization of the data formatting as raw data; 4.2 Removing the introductory text and additional information from the files; 4.3 Clearing the data files from blank spaces and unnecessary written sentences irrelevantwith the data analysis. 4.4 Replacing the contained symbol for missing data (-) with the value 0 in the data fields; 4.5 The following three small datasets: Alcohol-related recorded crimes, Alcohol-related violent crimes and Alcohol-related sexual crimes, are gathered in one excel file with the aim to be analysed and visualised together; Converting all the excel files in .csv format; Exploratory data analysis in R Exploratory data analysis is detective work (it) can never be the whole story but nothing else can serve as the foundation stone. John Tukey Exploratory Data Analysis (1977) [21] The exploratory data analysis (EDA) is very important part in the data visualisation process as it detect mistakes, check assumptions, suggest possible statistical models and determine relationships between variables. Exploratory framework pertains to the following process sequence: Data > Analysis > Model > Conclusion In this work the EDA is achieved with the help of R statistical software tool, widely used and broad range of analysis capabilities. The main types of EDA are Univariate and Multivariate approaches and both can be non-graphical and graphical. Here the Multivariate analysis will be included only in the visualization part. Univariate Approach Alcohol related deaths Filtering the year in dataset Alcohol related deaths only for 2012 with the aim to be compared the data for Smoking related deaths. The STR function is used to display the inner structure of the data and diagnostics Str(Alc_deat), shows the internal structure of the dataset The head(Alc_deat) function is used to look at top few lines of the dataset (to see the data structure) The tail(Alc_deat) function is used to look at bottom few lines of the dataset (to see the data structure) Smoking related deaths Data set structure seems to be fine except value as this should be an integer and not a factor, therefore the value is changed to integer The function Smk_dea$Value = as.integer(Smk_deat$Value) is used forchanging the value to integer The function Summary(Smk_dea$ Metric_seconday) is used for summarising the most common causes of death related to smoking. The function sum(Smk_deat$Value) is used for calculating the amount of deaths caused by smoking ABOVE ALL ELSE SHOW THE DATA EDWARD TUFTE According to Jacques Bertin the visualization is à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the artificial memory that best supports our natural means of perception. [22] And according to Cleveland and McGill, it is also à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦categorical and quantitative information encoded, chiefly through position, shape, size, symbol and colour. [21] Data visualization is above all understanding relations and ratios between numbers. The data visualization is not about understanding particular numbers, but about understanding models, patterns, and relationships that exist in groups of numbers, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the use of abstract, non-representational pictures to show numbers, Edward Tufte. [22] To meet and understand images is one of the common instincts of the human. From a well-drafted image, one is simpler to see the relationships and trends. As the visual production of the data takes advantage of the huge, and often underutilized, range of the human eye to get information from pictures and figures. The data visualization changes the load from digital analysing to visual analysing. Receiving information from visualizations is much more timesaving instead of analysing documents and sums therefore many decision makers would prefer to get the data in graphical form instead of textual or written form. In order to be explored and appropriately visualized the answer of the question What are the most preventable dangers of smoking and drinking? are used the following steps: Making a visual exploration of the data using Tableau Software, as follows: Connecting the excel data files; Creating Views and Analysis for each one of the files as separate worksheets and name appropriately every sheet; Representing the data in more effective way, applying filters, creating sets and groups, generating trend lines, using different visualization methods, such as: Bars, Lines, Plot, Pie, Stacked bars, etc. for better understanding; Using appropriate colours for good visualisation; Adding title and description (caption) to the graphics for better accepting; Gathering the worksheets and creating dashboards and/or data story. In the visualization process are also taken of importance the following Tuftes design principles: the data to be shown above all else, the data-ink ratio to be maximized, the non-data-ink to be erased, the redundant data-ink to be erased and finally the visualization to be revised and edited. [22] The point of this report is to give a resolution of the question What are the most prevalent dangers of smoking and drinking? and to strengthen the answer with real data and facts. R has been used to analyse the data and its results helped to achieve the objective of the research and then Tableau was used to visualise the finding and complete the research question. Well-structured stories expand the influence, make the data more rational and benefit the message retention. Thinking hard about the viewers the structure of the story follows inductive horizontal logic with similar grouped ideas: Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol What are the most prevalent dangers of smoking and drinking? Smoking among adults causes numerous health diseases leading to preventable death; Drinking alcohol among adults is a danger because also causes numerous health diseases leading to preventable death; Cigarette consumption among children is a danger because leads to addiction and damaging the development of childs body; Alcohol among children leads to poisoning and damaging the development of childs body; Alcohol related crimes are danger because lead to Robberies, Sexual attacks, Intimate partner violence, Murders; Smoking in pregnancy affects the life of the mother and her unborn baby; Smoking related deaths are danger because cause lung cancer; Alcohol related deaths are danger because cause alcoholic liver disease; After the made analysis of the data related to alcohol and cigarettes consumption, it can be summarized that the steps in the horizontal logic (shown above) formalized similar grouped ideas which are de facto the key points (dangers), answering the question. After associating several feedbacks, the result was suggesting the visualizations had unnecessary use of data ink, some of the graphics were with too bright colours and the audience had difficulties to get a clear picture of the figures, which are shown in the appendix. The redesign of the graphics included medium data ink, change of the colours from light to colour blind pallet for colour blind people and easier understanding of the images. Also, some of the bar charts were ordered by height as thus were represented the Gestalt features to allow the viewer to see the shapes without spending time to process the image. In order to be answered the research question What are the most prevalent dangers of smoking and drinking? numerous statistical reports and datasets were explored. According to most of the sources, here are visually explained the top dangers of smoking and drinking. Danger 1: Cigarette smoking among adults Smoking damages the blood circulation and the heart. Also, increases the risk of: stroke, heart attack, coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, cerebrovascular disease (damaged arteries that deliver blood to the brain). It can limit the blood supply to the penis and can cause impotence in men. It can also decrease the productivity of both men and women. [11] Key findings for cigarette smoking among adults, registered in UK. Figure 1 demonstrates that people aged 20 to 24 and 25 to 34 reported the highest dominance of cigarette smoking (respectively 29% and 27%), while those aged 60 and over reported the lowest dominance, 13 percent. The data shown in figure 1.1 are an instance how the men are more likely to smoke than the women, 22% of the men report smoking versus 19% of the women. Danger 2: Drinking alcohol among adults Alcohol is ethanol which anaesthetizes the brain as a potent drug. In the bark area of the brain, it works as a relaxant and perverts the control, memory, learning ability, decisions and conduct. There is no doubt that long term use or abuse of alcohol causes inflammation and cirrhosis of the liver and also enhances the risk of kidney disease. [12] Key findings for drinking alcohol among adults, registered in UK. The results of the data here resemble those described above for smoking among adults, namely: people aged 16 to 24 and 25 to 44 have the highest frequency of alcohol consumption, while those who are 65 years old and over have the lowest. (Figure 2) The data has changed and decreased in the years and in 2013 is recorded lower alcohol consumption from young adults aged 16 to 24 and 25 to 44 years old. Danger 3: Cigarette smoking among children The young people and teens are quite vulnerable to the deadly effects caused from the consumption of cigarettes because their body is still growing. Most of the people begin to try cigarettes before finishing their high school. So if the people stay smoke-free in school, they will likely never start smoking. [16] Key findings for smoking among children, registered in UK.From this data set, kids were asked whether they think it is OK to try cigarettes to see what it is like or it is OK to smoke cigarettes once a week. The acceptability of smoking increases with the age. For instance, 6% of 11 years old think that it is OK to try smoking to see what it is like in comparison with 57% (avg.) of 15 years old. The interesting finding here is that girls are more likely to try smoking cigarettes to see what its like than boys are. (Fig. 3) Danger 4: Drinking alcohol among children Alcohol can harm the development of young peoples body because it is still growing. This makes youths especially vulnerable to the long-time harm caused by the alcohol consumption. Drinking alcohol in youth can harm the brain development. Most of the teens think that is not worth to worry about because the health risks caused by drinking are far in the future. Nevertheless, there is an acute rise in the amount of people in their twenties dying from liver disease as a score of alcohol abuse in their teens. The young people consuming alcohol are more likely to be involved in accidents and end in hospital because of alcohol poisoning. [15] Key findings for drinking among children, registered in UK.The summary of the dataset here shows that more prone to alcohol consumption are 15 years old children with the highest record of 25% (Figure 4). The data analysis on Figure 4.1 shows that boys and girls were equally likely to have drunk alcohol in 2014 (8%) which record was dramatically decreased since 2010 when the percentage was 13%. Danger 5: Cigarette smoking during pregnancy Smoking during pregnancy can put the health of the mother and her unborn baby at risk. The cigarette consumption can enhance the danger of: low birth weight; miscarriage; complications of pregnancy; premature birth; congenital defects in the baby (cleft palate); poorer growth, development and health of the child stillbirth or death within the first week of life. [20] Key findings for smoking during pregnancy, registered in UK. The dataset for Womens Smoking Status at Time of Delivery (SATOD) gives information on the frequency of smoking among pregnant women in UK. The results here show that the lowest percentage, 12% of mothers recorded as smokers at the time of delivery (TOD), is registered in 2013/2014 which continues to decrease steadily from 15% in 2006-07 (Figure 5). Regardless of the fact that the percentage of women who are smoking in pregnancy is measured less than those who do not smoke in pregnancy, the smoking at TOD definitely will stay a prevalent danger because it hides many health risks. Danger 6: Alcohol related crimes The alcohol consumption is a very common factor related to most of the cases with criminal records. Many people find themselves involved in crimes after an intense drinking of large amount of alcohol intake because the ethanol has the aptitude to reduce the ability of making decisions, decrease the inhibitions and encourage aggressive inclinations. The most general alcohol-related crimes are cases of drinking and driving. However, there are many other significant violations that result from the abuse of alcohol. The most common alcohol-related crimes are: robberies, sexual attacks, intimate partner violence and murders. [13] Key finding for alcohol-related crimes, registered in UK. According to the Alcohol-related crimes dataset, in 2013 are recorded: 4.85% of alcohol-related recorded crimes; 0.13%   of alcohol-related sexual crimes; 3.63% of alcohol-related violent crimes. Danger 7: Smoking-related deaths Smoking is one of the biggest causes of diseases and deaths in the UK. Annually, around 100,000 people in the UK die from smoking, and many others are living with exhausting smoking-related diseases. Smokers under the age of 40 have a 5 times higher risk of a heart attack than non-smokers. The cigarette consumption is a major reason of around 80% of deaths from lung cancer, around 80% of deaths from bronchitis and emphysema, and about 14% of deaths from heart disease. Almost all cancer deaths can be referred to smoking. For instance, cancer of the lung, throat, bladder, mouth, lip, pancreas, kidney, stomach, liver and cervix. Approximately half of all smokers will die earlier. Generally, the smokers die ten years younger than the people who do not smoke. [11] Key findings for smoking-related deaths, registered in UK. Figure 7 shows that the most prevalent deaths are from cancers (3, 392, 696) followed by all diseases of the digestive system (2,761, 928), all circulatory diseases (2,059, 112) and all respiratory diseases (1,224,208). Figure 7.1 shows that the larger proportion of deaths are among men. Danger 8: Alcohol-related deaths After smoking, the abuse of alcohol is the second most frequent reason of avertible death. The list below counts the causes of death which are related to alcohol consumption: [17] Key findings for alcohol-related deaths by gender, registered in UK. Figure 8 summarises that 6,490 alcohol-related deaths were registered in UK for 2012, an age consistent rate per 100,000 population. For both genders, males and females, it can be summarised that the most common cause of death from alcohol was the alcoholic liver disease with 4,075 registered deaths. 4,230 of alcohol-related deaths were among males compared with females which were 2,260 (Figure 8.1). DATASETS: UK government open data. Available online on: https://data.gov.uk/ Health and Social Care Information Centre. Dataset of Statistics on Smoking, England. Available online on: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/statistics_on_smoking_england Health and Social Care Information Centre. Dataset of Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England. Available online on: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/smoking_drinking_and_drug_use_among_young_people_in_england Health and Social Care Information Centre. Dataset of Statistics on Womens Smoking Status at Time of Delivery: England, Available online on: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/statistics-on-womens-smoking-status-at-time-of-delivery-england Department of Health. Dataset of Deaths from smoking.Available online on: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/deaths_from_smoking Health and Social Care Information Centre. Dataset of Statistics on Alcohol, England. Available online on: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/statistics_on_alcohol_england City of York Council. Dataset of Alcohol-related recorded crimes: Persons, all ages (per 1,000 population). Available online on: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/kpi-lape18 City of York Council. Dataset of Alcohol-related violent crimes: Persons, all ages (per 1,000 population). Available online on: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/kpi-lape19 City of York Council. Dataset of Alcohol-related sexual crimes: Persons, all ages (per 1,000 population). Available online on: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/kpi-lape20 Office for National Statistics. Dataset of Alcohol-related deaths in the United Kingdom Available on: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/alcohol-related_deaths_in_the_united_kingdom REPORTS BOOKS : Health and Social Care Information Centre. Report, Statistics on Smoking, UK (2014) Health and Social Care Information Centre. Report, Statistics on Alcohol, UK (2015) Office for National Statistics. Report of Violent Crime and Sexual Offences Alcohol-Related Violence, 2015 Office for National Statistics. Smoking and drinking among adults, 2009 Raphael Zahler, Caroline Piselli. Smoking, alcohol, and drugs, Chapter 6 Public Health Research Consortium. Report of A Review of Young People and Smoking in England, 2009 Office for National Statistics. Alcohol Related Deaths in United Kingdom, 2013 Health and Social Care Information Centre. Report of Smoking, drinking and dru

Nuclear Waste Essay -- Ocean Dumping Environmental Essays

Nuclear Waste Introduction The Earth's oceans cover approximately three-fourths of the world's surface. Less than one century ago, it would have been difficult to imagine that humans could significantly pollute these vast bodies of water. For as long as there have been human inhabitants along the coast, people have been utilizing the ocean as a dumping ground for garbage and other rubbish. Although several view the ocean as endless and thus, having plenty of room for the waste; this belief is not true. The ocean can not accommodate dumpings without being permanently damaged. Furthermore, the immense technological revolution of the last century has increased society's ability to cause greater damage to the world's oceans. Nuclear Industry The development of nuclear industry has been a cornerstone for the world's technological revolution. Since the discovery of fission more than a half century ago, nuclear power has become a major source of the world's electricity supply. By 1989, 416 nuclear power plants were in operation, thus providing approximately seventeen percent of the world's electricity (Waczewski, 1997). With more than one hundred nuclear operating plants, the United States easily gains the title as having the world's largest nuclear energy program. Radioactive Waste However, utilizing nuclear power has several implications. One of the most severe is that nuclear technology produces a great amount of toxic waste that remains radioactive for thousands of years. Thus, the waste must be disposed of in a safe manner so to avoid the contamination of future generations. Ocean Dumping Regulation The government's Ocean Dumping Regulation of 1989 severely limits what can be disposed of in the oceans. The... ...her damage that can be caused by nuclear waste. One possible solution is to further research the recycling of radioactive materials. In the United States, research in this area of nuclear waste recycling has not been tested to its greatest potential. Conclusion The relationship between the ocean and nuclear waste will continue for thousands of years. This is due to the vast quantities of radioactive waste that has already been dumped into the ocean. However, it is our responsibility to protect the environment and to ensure the Earth for future generations. Nuclear recycling is a plausible solution and it is not too late to expedite the research in this area. References Trudeau, Rebecca, The Ocean Dumping Act; University of Florida,1994. Waczewski, James, Legal, Political, and Scientific Response to Ocean Dumping, Florida State University, 1997.

A Very Brief History on the Existence of God Essay -- Philosophy, Des

The subsequent essay will provide a brief overview on the existence of God from Renà © Descartes through Immanuel Kant. First, section (1), examines Descartes’ proof for the existence of God. Section (2), explores G.W. Leibniz’s view on God’s existence in addition to his attempts to rectify the shortcomings of Descartes’ proofs. The remainder of the essay then examines two additional philosophers, David Hume in section (4) and Immanuel Kant in (5), who contend that God’s existence cannot be rationally proven. (1) As a devout Catholic, Descartes undeniably believed in God. He makes his faith clear in the letter of dedication preceding Meditations on First Philosophy. Here, Descartes writes that we must â€Å"believe in God’s existence because it is taught in the Holy Scriptures, and, conversely, that we must believe in the Holy Scriptures because they have come from God† (Descartes, 1). Nevertheless, in the beginning of the Meditations, Descartes casts doubt on everything -including religion- in his search for absolute certainty. In the Third Meditation, he doubts the existence of God before providing his first rationalistic proof for the existence of God. In offering the proof, he first questions â€Å"whether there is a God† (25). However, even though he questions God’s very existence, Descartes maintains his innate idea of God. After some deliberation, he concludes that because he has an innate idea of God, (which is not fabricated by the mind or drawn from the senses), it must be God who endowed him with his innate idea. Descartes likens his innate idea of God to the â€Å"mark of a craftsmen impressed upon his work† –similar to a stamp which says ‘Made by God’. Additionally, Descartes reasons that because he exists as a thinking thing and ... ...od to exist. As the above has illustrated, both Descartes and Leibniz believed that the existence of God could be proved via reason. But, Hume and Kant, which will be subsequently covered, did not believe argumentation or reason could establish the existence of God (3) David Hume attacks both Descartes’ and Leibniz’s methodology for establishing the existence of God in the following: â€Å"there is an evident absurdity in pretending to demonstrate a matter of fact, or to prove it by any arguments a priori. Nothing is demonstrable, unless the contrary implies a contradiction. Nothing, that is distinctly conceivable, implies a contradiction. Whatever we conceive as existent, we can also conceive as non-existent. There is no being, therefore, whose non-existence implies a contradiction. Consequently there is no being, whose existence is demonstrable† (Bailey, 79).

Socrates :: essays research papers

Socrates Socrates, as known by Renault, was a beautiful creature. Not physically beautiful, but internally and fundamentally beautiful. It was he who said: When you assume the show of any virtue, you open a credit account, which one day you will have to meet or go broke (pp. 398). According to Renault, Socrates taught children free of charge. He often walked and talked with children and young men in the market. They discussed, or more accurately argued in a calm manner, various issues ranging from the sciences to religion. Socrates, however, usually avoided the subject of government whenever possible. Socrates believed his role in life was to teach a new understanding of virtues, it was these virtues that revolved around much of the controversies. The citizens thought that Socrates poisoned the minds of children. Causing them to lose respect for parents and elders. It was said that he did not believe in conventional gods either. This is shown by Strymon on pp. 181 and 182, "I imagine the in your own circle of friends, what we have heard is nothing out of the way. Where the teacher (Socrates) does not even worship the immortal gods, but sets the aside for his new divinities, one can hardly expect in the pupil much reverence for age and kinship in mere men." Parents blamed the lack of respect for elders on Socrates. In truth Renault says that he was only giving them guidance so that they may guide themselves and be free of petty problems. This guidance and advice caused these young men to re-think their attitudes. Indeed Alexias, Xenophon, and especially Plato were all changed by Socrates. They loved Socrates like a mother or father: pp. 392, "In a word," said Xenophon, "We love him." This love for Socrates was often misinterpreted as love being lost for family, through argument. Parents were so afraid of losing children to him they made laws. One law stated that Socrates could not speak to anyone under thirty years of age. Socrates defied this law, and was not punished. However after a while all his defiance's and warnings caught up with him. He was given the choice of banishment or death. He chose death. Many of his students wanted to free him, but Socrates made the choice against it. In the end Socrates is holding the glass of Hemlock saying farewell with his students, and friends. According to The Encyclopedia, Socrates was born around 470 BC and died around 399 BC. He greatly impacted Western Philosophy through his influence on Plato. Socrates was born in Athens the son of a sculptor.

Army Standards and Ethical Dilemmas Essay

The inconsistent application of Army standards leads to unethical decisions on a daily basis. Despite an emphasis on Army values at all levels, military leaders open themselves up to make unethical decisions when they don’t adhere to set standards. Despite the Army having clear standards on height/weight, APFT, the tattoo policy, and reporting requirements, leaders often take it upon themselves to ignore the standard or create their own. Leaders have the responsibility to maintain and enforce standards which are driven by regulations. If military leaders would consistently enforce these standards, ethical dilemmas and unethical decisions would be significantly reduced. Army Standards and Ethical Dilemmas Standards are necessary within an organization to promote discipline, production, and efficiency. Recently, the Sergeant Major of the Army visited the Sergeants Major Academy and the focus of his presentation was really about Army Standards. The Sergeant Major’s message got me thinking about Army standards and the inconsistent application of these standards throughout the Army, specifically the ethical dilemmas that arise due to this inconsistency. If an organization’s standards are applied inconsistently, that organization’s culture changes and allows room for unethical application of those standards. In the Army we see this inconsistent application of standards in the areas of height and weight standards, the APFT, the tattoo policy, application of punishment through the UCMJ, and in unit reporting. Standards First, we must define what a standard is. Standards are methods that define what success is in a training event, such as an APFT or marksmanship qualification. Standards are the rules for conduct in the work place and while off duty. Standards are rules or guidelines for proper wear and appearance in the uniform. In the Army we have regulations, training manuals, and unit standing operating procedures that spell out the â€Å"standard† for everything we do without exception. The Army even has a standard for organizational values, LDRSHIP. A tool that should make consistent application of standards easy for leaders is the acronym LDRSHIP: loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage. Despite regulations and despite Army values, our leaders, Army wide, have difficulty in enforcing standards consistently the result for these leaders, often times, is making unethical decisions which have a negative effect on the force. Our challenge as leaders is to do a much better job of enforcing standards, as well as consistently applying the standards in order to reduce ethical dilemmas. Height/Weight and APFT The Army clearly spells out its policy or standard for both height/weight and physical fitness standards in AR 600-9 and in FM 21-20. In AR600-9, the standard for how much a Soldier can weigh, based on his or her height and age is spelled out. If a Soldier exceeds the height/weight screening table, then the Soldier is taped to assess the amount of body fat the Soldier has. If the Soldier exceeds the allowed body fat percentage, AR 600-9 specifies what actions are to be taken by the commander. Some of the consequences include, counseling by the Soldier’s supervisor, nutrition counseling, the Soldier should be flagged and barred to re-enlist until meeting the height/weight standard, ultimately the Soldier should be chaptered out of the Army if he or she is unable to meet the standard. Just like AR 600-9, FM 21-20 specifies the Army standard for both the conduct of the APFT as well as the standard for passing the APFT. Additionally, the Army has specified that a Soldier that doesn’t pass the APFT should be flagged and not eligible for promotion until that Soldier meets the standard. One would think that such straight forward standards would be easy to follow and adhere to as an organization, but quite the opposite has been true throughout the Army the application of standards has been difficult. The first example that comes to mind is the measuring techniques that are spelled out in AR 600-9 that determine a Soldier’s body fat. I have been in the Army for twenty-one years and have been subject to the tape test my entire career; I can tell you that measurement methods have been inconsistent at best. Sometimes, there are the appropriate numbers of people doing the taping, but often times there is just one person doing the taping. Sometimes, the person doing the taping measures the Soldier correctly and other times the person may tape in such a way as to give the Soldier an advantage. As far as the grading of the APFT goes, although FM 21-20 specifies the correct way to do a push-up or sit-up, the actual scoring for these events are wildly inconsistent from grader to grader. Sometimes these inconsistencies hurt a Soldiers score, but often these inconsistencies give an unfair advantage to a Soldier over his or her peers. The inconsistencies in grading the APFT and measuring a Soldier’s body fat are magnified by those leaders who don’t even bother and just â€Å"pencil whip† the results of both. What a unit or leader does or does not do to Soldiers who fail the APFT or do not meet the standards of AR 600-9 is where possible ethical dilemmas arise. I was the height/weight NCO for a company for almost four years, and we never chaptered a Soldier for height/weight. However, it was not because I or any other NCO didn’t do what is required by AR 600-9. Soldiers were not chaptered primarily due to end strength, bottom line we needed Soldiers. Commanders were unwilling to adhere to standards in order to retain more Soldiers. This is a classic example of inconsistent application of standards that led to the unethical decision of retaining Soldiers that could not meet the Army standards for height and weight. Tattoo Policy Another area of inconsistent application of an Army standard is the Army’s policy on tattoos. For years, the Army’s policy on tattoos prohibited those in the Army or those seeking to enter the Army from having tattoos that were visible below their wrists or visible above the neckline while in uniform. In order to meet recruiting requirements, this policy was lifted and those entering the Army were allowed to have tattoos that were visible above the neckline and below the wrist. Now that the Army is drawing down, the standard is reverting back to the old policy of no tattoos visible above the neckline and below the wrist. If a Soldier with such tattoos desires to stay in the Army, that Soldier will have to pay to have the tattoo removed. Personally, I agree with the policy of no visible tattoos and think such tattoos present an unprofessional appearance. However, I don’t think the Army should have changed the standard to allow such tattoos in the first place, regardless of the recruiting requirements. What has resulted from this policy change or unethical decision is that a significant number of Soldiers who were allowed to join with these tattoos, are now being required to either pay to have the tattoos removed or get out of the Army. If there is no â€Å"grandfathering in† of this policy, then the Army has made an unethical decision to force these Soldiers out or to pay, from their own pockets, to have these tattoos removed. The Army allowed these Soldiers into the Army when the Army needed them, now that the Army is downsizing these Soldiers are being forced out or forced to remove the tattoos. Where were the Army values in this decision? Application of UCMJ Having been a first sergeant, I have been a part of many UCMJ proceedings and have witnessed how Soldiers of different ranks are treated differently. I have witnessed First Lieutenants that have been convicted of DUI get moved to a new unit and later get promoted to Captain. I have also witnessed Sergeants First Class get DUIs that have been demoted and forced to retire. What is ethical in having the same standard, yet having a totally different application of punishment for the same offense? This same argument can be made for two Soldiers of the same rank committing the same offense, and receiving totally different punishments. This usually happens when the Soldier’s chain of command states what a great Soldier they are, request leniency on the Soldier because the Soldier has a family, or is in financial trouble. It is ultimately the decision of the commander to decide punishment of a Soldier, but I contend that it is unethical and unfair to give different punishments to Soldiers for the same offense. Soldiers know what happened when two specialists who went AWOL both came out of their Article 15 hearings and while one is still a Specialist, and the other is now a Private First Class. This type of unequal treatment is unethical and unfair, and has a negative effect on the command climate and unit morale. Official Reporting Another area of unethical activity that is widespread throughout the Army is n official reports, both to the next higher headquarters, clear up to the Department of the Army. A very common occurrence of this false reporting occurs when mechanized or aviation units report their operational readiness rates. Commanders at all levels are under tremendous pressure to report a readiness rate within the Army standard for their type of unit. A commander whose unit’s OR rate is not up to standard, has a high likelihood of being relieved. All too often, these commanders succumb to the pressure and submit false reports to maintain the illusion of preparedness. Conclusion If an organization develops a standard, then those standards should be both enforceable and enforced upon all in the organization. If an organization creates a policy and then changes the policy, the organization should build in exemptions to that policy that prevents the change from being unfair to those already in the organization. If an organization’s standards are applied inconsistently, that organization’s culture changes and allows room for unethical application of those standards. In the Army today and through the years we have seen inconsistency after inconsistency in the enforcement of Army standards. The creation of the Army values and focusing to ensure that all Soldiers know the acronym LDRSHIP was supposed to help with ethical decisions and prevent inconsistent application of Army standards. I think as a whole the Army is getting better in these regards, but we have a long way to go. Continued ethics training from basic training through the war college will help, but consistent application of standards is the key to keep leaders from making unethical decisions.