Free Academic Essays and Library

The Importance of Essays Sample Online

2012-02-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

There are many website that cater free essays online. Some of these websites lure students to use their papers and eventually ask them to be part of a paid library of academic papers. Others try to sell academic papers that are rewritten so many times to adjust to the needs of every student.

Basically, academic papers are designed to teach the students basic lessons in the academe. It will serve as their training ground so that when they face real life assignments, they are already equipped with skills to complete tasks.

In the Internet, free essays sample are available. The role of each student is to use the sample to create their own essay. Every paper serves as an inspiration to create a better product. For example, you are researching for different literary pieces. After that, you need to comment on each literary piece. The assignment is easier when you have sources online that will be added to your primary sources such as books, magazines and original sources from your professors.

Just research and revise existing essays online. You don't need to make it perfect. Just complete the task. Remember, you will feel boredom in your school assignments without inspiration to hold on to.

Thoughts on "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson

2012-02-02T17:51:00.000-08:00

Shirley Jackson wrote an ironically brilliant piece that would allow you to shout for justice. The story is all about an old tradition in many villages wherein a yearly lottery is made. The lottery is not actually related to money. It is something that should be feared upon. Whoever will get the piece of paper with the black dot will be killed through stone throwing by all the villagers, young or old.

It is so ironic that the villagers are so excited for the annual activity. They were all tensed of course, but there is a sense of fulfillment every time a person got the black dot in a piece of paper.

In one particular village, wherein the population is only three hundred, members of several families excitedly assembled in the square which located between the post office and the bank. If you don't know the story, you would really think at first glance that the "lottery" is all about money and fame.

When Tessie Hutchinson won the lottery, all villagers rushed to throw stones towards her. As she stood in the middle of the square, all of them gathered to start the dreadful tradition.

Basically, the story is an example of injustice and ignorance. I'm not really sure of the history of the tradition. It wasn't stated in the story. But I suspect that the author wanted to share the irony of life, the nature of family relationships in times of adversity and death. Death is certain. However, there should be justice in every death. Since the villagers don't have law that support this maxim, then they're doing the most ridiculous custom and dreadful tradition.

In your case, how would you view the story?

Affectively-based Attitude

2010-04-11T01:15:00.000-07:00

Attitude is a lasting evaluation of people, objects, or ideas which may be positive or not. The concept of attitude is composed of three components which include cognitively-based attitudes, affectively-based attitude, and behaviorally-based attitude. An example of my cognitively-based attitude is the attitude of disallowing my seatmates in school to copy my assignments so that I will remain one of the best students in school. Besides, I believe that I am more wise and intelligent than other students. An example of affectively-based attitude is my feelings regarding the way Barack Obama handled the government despite the economic crisis wherein he is not afraid of the on-going problems as effects of poverty nowadays. Barack Obama is indeed resolute in playing as the elected President of the country. Lastly, an example of behaviorally-based attitude is my disgust of poor people for I believe that they are too lazy to work for their own good. Those people who are loitering in the streets do not deserve help from the government and non-governmental organizations if it was proven that they do not work hard to earn a living. I cannot just tolerate these kinds of people especially that I worked hard for my success in life.

Attitude accessibility corresponds on how rapidly an attitude is activated by memory (Ewoldsen, 2008, p. 1). There are many reasons why it is necessary to access attitude through memory processes of a person. First, attitudes that are apparently accessible from memory are more predictive of behavior (Ewoldsen, 2008, p. 1). Second, it is easy to figure out the influences of any behavior messages. Third, knowing how messages being processed are also possible through attitude accessibility. And that attitude accessibility is more stable as time goes by. In order to understand the concept of attitude accessibility, consider a neighbor who sees a big snake in the lawn. The immediate response of your neighbor will be a shout due to fear of the snake. The immediate fear response upon seeing a big snake indicates an accessible attitude towards big snakes which are apparently dangerous if venomous in kind. In other words, there is already an attitude of fear in the memory of your neighbor and was shown when a big snake appears in the lawn. The idea that big snakes are dangerous is already stored in the memory of the person and quickly activated upon experiencing a real situation. Hence, activation of attitude through the memory of a person is the primary basis of understanding attitude accessibility.

Subjective norms are a concept based on the theory of planned behavior developed in the year 1985 by Ajzen. The concept of subjective norms is founded on the idea that normative beliefs result in subjective norms. In addition, our motivation to complete with the collection of normative beliefs forms our subjective norm with respect to the behavior. For example, we consider the hard work our parents did when they raised us in this life. We even believe that we owe our life to our parents because without them, we would not be given the opportunity to enjoy everything we have. Hence, their example gave us the will to work hard and reap success in life. All our actions are geared towards this normative belief that we have for our parents. In the example given, we also consider working hard to earn good grades in school based on the hard work our parents did in supporting our studies. During the time that we spent many hours in studying our lessons in school, we may know that our will to get a higher grade in every school examination determines our consistency in following our goal. Attitude-behavior consistency can also be determined by means of knowing the motive why a student showed diligence in preparing for school.

Yes. There are kinds of attitudes that people are likely to act consistently or inconsistently with. Basically, there are three kinds of attitudes which could help in knowing the attitude-behavior consistency of a person, and these are positive attitude, negative attitude, and neutral attitude. However, positive attitude is a kind of attitude that people are likely to act consistently with. On the other hand, negative attitude is a kind of attitude wherein people act inconsistently with. With respect to positive attitude, people may become receptive to the said attitude and tend to understand every situation which corresponds to it. Having a positive attitude makes a person happy so that it is undeniable that he would collect data, study every detail, organizes thoughts, and integrates all knowledge of the same as a proof that he understood it best. Hence, the next step for a person is to apply in his daily life the value of having a positive attitude which reflects to attitude-behavior consistency concept. However, when a person comes across of a negative attitude, he would shun and reject its influence in his mind. Besides, his acts will not be consistent due to the distortion he wanted to accomplish by going back to having a positive attitude.

The character of a person may affect conformity to normative social influence. Normative social influence is the ability to conform to the rules, common beliefs, values, attitudes and behaviors of other people. This is founded on the belief that prosperity and survival may be attained by belonging to social groups. However, personal traits affect how a person conforms to the rules of a certain group of which he is a member. These personal traits may include being full of pride and as well as deceitful. It may be noticed that said traits are basically negative attitudes which makes us think that it will surely affect conformity to normative social influence. If a person is a member of a social group and meets another member who is strict, the former would surely get angry and show anger through pride and envy. That act leads to inability to follow rules and regulations of the social group. In addition, the relationship between personality traits and conforming behavior is not always clear-cut. The reason behind this idea is the fact that we cannot predict what is on the mind of a person. Either way, a person may or may not conform to any rules or regulations depending on his personality traits and personal judgment at a given time.

References

Ewoldsen, R. Blackwell Reference. 2008. Attitude Accessibility. Retrieved June 9, 2009, from

http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9781405131995_chunk_g 978

1 4051319956_ss60-.

Comparison and Contrast Between Barack Hussein Obama and John F. Kennedy

2010-04-11T01:08:00.000-07:00

The American rhetoric of Presidents like Barack Hussein Obama and John F. Kennedy, who both served the United States of America are found in the corners of history. Their voices in the inaugural addresses that they both delivered are very influential that even the younger generations could fathom. In this paper, the comparison and contrast of the inaugural addresses of Barack Hussein Obama and John F. Kennedy will be discussed. There are four factors to consider in comparing and contrasting the inaugural address of both presidents. The aforementioned factors include historical perspective, manner of presentation, content, and as well as influence to the people and existing conditions.

Basically, the inaugural speeches of Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy are given after reciting the oath of office as newly-elected leaders of the country. Another similarity is the presence of almost all governmental leaders across the country to witness the event and to listen to the inaugural addresses. The said events that happened in different time are watched by various individuals around the globe through television, the Internet and other channels of information. In other words, the inaugural speeches of John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama are part of world history knowing that the United States of America is still the most powerful and influential nation in the world.

The first point is the comparison and contrast of both speeches in accordance with historical perspective. Simply put, the inaugural address of each government leader is influenced by historical factors at the time it was delivered before the public. In case of John F. Kennedy, the speech was given when the country just won the Second World War via brave spirits of American fighters who redeemed freedom through death and agony because of the bloodshed. On the other hand, Barack Obama delivered his speech amidst economic crisis that the country is facing with hopes of getting over it. In the first, America is enjoying the fruits of winning the war while in the second; the country is beset with economic problems that caused tremendous trials and difficulties. That is the reason why the tenor of Kennedy’s speech is focused on world unity against tyranny while the speech of Obama is geared more on economic progress within the country.

The second point of this paper focuses more on the manner of presentation of both inaugural addresses. This argument is more related in the first except that this is more detailed. It is undeniable that Obama is more eloquent compared to Kennedy that is why he received more applause from the audience. However, it can be gleaned in the way Kennedy presented his speech that he is more relaxed compared to Obama, perhaps, because the latter is facing more burden in saving the economy which the former do not have to consider as top priority. At the time when Kennedy delivered his speech, he is confident that the country is wealthy and even offered to help or assist those countries that are poor if permitted (Eidenmuller, 2001, p. 1). Aside from that, the eloquence of Obama was given more meaning when the listeners who are present during the inauguration applauded him more; knowing that majority of the people believed that the new President will surely save the country from economic crisis. On the other hand, it was Kennedy who stressed that people should not think on what the government could do to the people but what the people could contribute to the country (Eidenmuller, 2001, p. 1).

The content of the inaugural speeches of both Presidents is the third point to be discussed in this paper. As heirs of the first revolution, Kennedy mentioned that Americans are willing to pay whatever it may be, just to advance the interest of liberty and freedom (Eidenmuller, 2001, p. 1). Hence, Kennedy is more concerned of world peace and unity in the sense that bloodshed caused by war should not happen again. On the other hand, Obama mentioned that the country cannot flourish long once it gives special treatment only the prosperous (Phillips, 2009, p. 1). In other words, Obama is trying to remind the people that the market cannot spin out of control if their watchful eyes are practiced.

Lastly, both speeches are influential and delivered in accordance with existing conditions of time. President John F. Kennedy is aware of the effects of war and tyranny which posed threat to the nation prior to his rise to power. His speech is focused on the way every American give example to other citizens of the world that doing the right thing is better than sowing hatred and inhumane values. With respect to the speech of President Barack Obama, he is more concerned of the economy and of eliminating government programs that does not work for the benefit of the people. Finally, both speeches deserve to be remembered even up to this time, and the generation to come because their words are product of raw realizations and commitment to serve the American nation with honor and gratitude.

Works Cited

Eidenmuller, Michael E. “John F. Kennedy: Inaugural Address”. 2001. American Rhetoric. Retrieved July 11, 2009

/jfkinaugural.htm>.

Phillips, Macon. “President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address”. 21 January 2009

< http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/inaugural-address/. >

Child Abuse

2010-04-11T01:00:00.000-07:00

The legal case that will be discussed in this paper in relation to issues that have resulted in legal implications for a school counselor at the K-12 level is entitled State of New Jersey v. Kelly Michaels. The main topic of the case is child abuse. The case was heard before the New Jersey Supreme Court and decided last June 23, 1994. A nursery school teacher was accused of committing sexual abuse against the children she taken cared of. The sentence that was pronounced to the school teacher was a long term imprisonment with sufficient time of parole disqualification. The Appellate Division reversed the decision of the lower court and the Supreme Court affirmed such decision (McMartin, 2000, p. 1). The basis of the affirmative decision of the Appellate Division is the errors committed during the prosecution of the case.

The Supreme Court questioned the way wherein the case is prosecuted in the court of justice. A pre-trial hearing must be done in order to make sure that the State investigators conducted the questioning in accordance with the rules. The rationale behind such ruling is the fact that improper questioning would irremediably compromise the reliability of any testimonial evidence (McMartin, 2000, p. 1). As a result, the State filed a petition in order to nullify the decision of the Appellate Division but the Supreme Court denied such petition. The improper interrogations were found out to be the main cause of the denial decided by the Supreme Court.

The ethical standards present in the given case are divided into two: namely, the utmost diligence to be performed by a school teacher over children entrusted in his care, and courts of justice must perform the proper administration of justice. In this case, the first ethical issue is not violated because the Appellate Division decided that the lower court failed to detect the errors in the prosecution of the case. In other words, there were no sufficient evidences that the school teacher committed child abuse against the children she taken cared for. However, the second ethical issue is violated because the prosecution of the case was done in errors which are not proper in the consequences.

The school counselors at the K-12 level must perform different actions in order to avoid the civil actions taken in the lawsuit. First, the school teacher must be brought before the school governing body for proper questioning regarding the issue that she was involved with. This step would prevent civil cases in lawsuits. Second, the school teacher concerned must realize the importance of exercising utmost diligence in taking good care of the children entrusted to her for education and guidance. When the parents of the school children will learn of any hint of child abuse in school, they would feel restless nights resulting to filing a damages suit.

Third, the school counselors must conduct trainings from to time in handling school children in order to avoid child abuse. Periodic training schedules will also remind school teachers to exercise prudence in giving guidance and education to their students. And fourth, the school counselors must properly supervise and oversee the performance of the teachers in the school.

The outcome of the case and the implications for school counselors and psychologists is much related. The outcome of the case gave the school teacher concerned to change her attitude in her treatment of the children. While it is true that the case was decided in her favor, there is no doubt that the children experienced child abuse while under her supervision as a teacher. Besides, there may be impropriety of the questioning process; the testimony of the victims may at least be approximated. Remember that young children do not necessarily commit falsehood. The school counselors and psychologists must prepare for consequences like the one involved in the case. Both parties must work hand in hand in order to avoid the aforementioned case in the future. Aside from that, the outcome of the case also teaches school counselors and administrators that not all legal cases filed against teachers due to commission of child abuse is with basis and tenable.

The legal issues involved in the case have an impact in the field of school counseling. With respect to school children, they could ask guidance from the school counselors regarding cases of child abuse. In the case of teachers, the school counselors will be able to warn them for possible criminal and civil cases in their failure to exercise ethical and moral standards in their teaching job. Finally, the school counselors could also include in their training schedules the way on how to handle legal issues involved in lawsuits which are baseless.

References

McMartin, M. 2000. State of New Jersey v. Margaret Kelly Michaels. UMKC.Edu. Retrieved July 17, 2009 from

/ftrials/mcmartin/michaelsdecision.HTM >.

Preparing For and Taking Exams

2010-04-11T00:55:00.000-07:00

Introduction

The people who are most prepared in taking examinations are most likely to succeed in their endeavors. Simply put, preparation is the key to success. Students must learn the preparation techniques in taking their exams as well as what to do during the examination proper. In this paper, preparation techniques and preparedness during the examination proper of students will be discussed. It is submitted that careful study planning and intelligent execution of such plan is the best way to any examination for students.

Students are always faced with examinations and tests in their studies. It is one way of gauging what they learned from school. Without the system of giving daily or periodic examination for students, there is no way of concluding whether or not a student learned something in every lesson taught in school. The task of passing every examination is a hurdle that a student must conquer. There is no easy formula for that purpose, but a diligent student could reach his dreams if determination and hard work is being utilized. In line with that, this paper would tackle the preparation techniques before taking examinations and as well as what to do during the examination proper.

Preparation Techniques in Taking Exams

Students must learn the preparation techniques in taking examinations. It is a common knowledge that if a student is well-prepared during examinations and able to control the environment, there is a great chance of passing the same (“Study and Exams”). The time spent in studying before the examinations are crucial because important reminders will be mastered and the lessons learned as well as concepts must be polished. With that, there are many ways in order to maximize the time during the preparation stage of a student who would take an examination.

One technique is attendance during classes wherein the teacher would provide basic knowledge of the concepts related in every subject. A student must also attend the final few classes in order to know the pointers to be given by the teacher (Ziehr, 2005, p. 1). In other words, the final few classes are the time wherein the teacher would probably provide tips on what to focus on during preparation and studies. Second, a student must be aware of the coverage of the examination in order to have a maximum grasp of the subjects to be included. There is also a necessity to know the format of the examination like essay type exams, short questions, multiple choice, true or false questions, or a combination of any of the said format (“Exam techniques for a dyslexic student”). Third, a student must also study in an area which is conducive for learning. It is additional burden to a student to focus on two things at the same time. For example, a telephone ringing, or someone calling in to see a student, can break one’s thread of concentration (“Exam techniques for a dyslexic student”). It would be hard to go back on the area being studied before the interruption. The best way to do is to try separating socialization from study.

In addition, a student must also conduct an active participation during class discussions. This technique could add knowledge for the student and make it easy for him to remember the concepts taken in class. Fifth, a student must develop a habit of careful and diligent reading in all assigned topics in textbooks. This method is vital to study habits because questions in examinations are taken in textbooks most of the time. If a student missed any concept to be studied, it would be hard to analyze a given question related to it. Another thing, a student must the student must practice in answering examination questions. The study guide found in textbooks can be used as a material for practice exams.

Moreover, students can also discuss the subject of the exams during free time. The instructor may also conduct brainstorming activities with the students prior to the examination. In this way, familiarity of the exam coverage and ability to remember important concepts can be done. Lastly, every student must complete assigned homework by their teachers in order to have an opportunity to practice answering exams. Assigned homework for students is also one way of learning each subject by piecemeal (Ziehr, 2005, p. 1). No student could ever go wrong in diligently answering assigned homework from school. Having periodic homework assignments, it is one way of preparing during the entire semester for final examinations season. In every study session, students should also take few minute breaks (“Exam Preparation and Techniques”). If all these methods are done, there is no doubt that a student could pass an examination.

The Examination Proper

Preparation for examination includes activities to do during the examination proper. During examinations, a student must be intellectually, emotionally, and psychologically prepared in order to hurdle the intellectual ordeal. The first thing to do is to know the exact location of the examination. In other words, a student must know the battleground well. It is not common for students to be wrong in reading date, time, and even the location of the exam (“Study Guide, Exam Preparation”). When they go round they discover that they have either missed the exam or they are not in the right location (“Study Guide, Exam Preparation”). Aside from that, a student must be read the directions of the examination questions properly in order not to miss any points. A student must give close concentration to whether there is a need to answer all the essays or some specified numbers only (“Essay Test Tips”). In addition, a student must also check and review his answers after answering the questions in order to make sure that he did not missed any question. Being careful is also the best way to pass an examination.

Conclusion

In every examination, it is presumed that a student has done all the necessary preparations. Such preparation must start from the first day of classes up to the final examination season. There is also a need to have a complete attendance in class discussions to avoid missing topics to be discussed by the teacher.

Moreover, preparing for examination also needs discipline and ability to manage time. Socialization and studies must be separated. Emotional problems must not ruin one’s studies. Eating healthy foods and daily exercise is also required to maintain an active mind and body. Therefore, exam preparation must include all aspects of human development such as physical, mental, psychological, emotional, and even spiritual aspect.

References

Charles Stuart University Online. 2009. Study and Exams. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from

http://www.hsc.csu.edu.au/study/.

Curtin Business School Website. 2009. Exam Preparations and Technique. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from http://www.business.curtin.edu.au/business/current-students/writing-and-study-skills-support/study-skills-guide/exam-preparation-and-techniques.

Dyslexia College Website. 2009. Exam techniques for a dyslexic student. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from http://www.dyslexia-college.com/exam.html.

Merlinhelpstudents.com. 2009. Study Guide, Exam Preparation. Retrieved July 22, 2009,

http://www.merlinhelpsstudents.com/resourcecentre/studyguide/exampreparation.asp.

Testtakingtips.com. 2009. Essay Test Tips. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from

http://www.testtakingtips.com/test/essay.htm.

Ziehr, Z. Northeastern State University Website. 21 August 2005. Techniques for Exam Preparation. Retrieved July 22, 2009, from http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~ziehr

/courses/geog4823/exam-preparation-GEOG4823.html.

Women and Feminism

2010-04-11T00:51:00.000-07:00

This paper is a response on the topic of cinema and gender studies. There are three articles involved in the paper and these are Afterthoughts on Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema which is written by Laura Mulvey, The Hypothetical Lesbian Heroin by Chris Straayer, and Film and the Masquerade: Theorizing the Female Spectator written by Mary Anne Doane. Since cinema and gender studies are two related topics and deeply intertwined with each other, the analysis to be presented should be simple and clear.

In the Film and the Masquerade: Theorizing the Female Spectator, the author pointed out that the real nature of a woman can be viewed on what signifies man. It was supported by several analysis of Freud, Burch, Irigaray and many others. Most of the authors agree that women steal masculinity and the only way to hide it is to emphasize feminine flirtation. The strength of these arguments lies on the capability of women to excel just like as men and possess physical bodies that defy mystery. On the other hand, the weakness of the arguments is related to the fact that not all circumstances that it could be applied.

Moreover, in Afterthoughts on Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema, the author believes that the third person masculine always catches as the right audience for films. Despite the fact that some people look for the representation of women, several ideas surpasses such fact which points to the power of masculinity points of view. This argument of the author was supported by the analysis of the film Duel in the Sun which reflects heroine’s crisis of sexual identity. The weakness of the argument starts with the overlapping of the ideas on the unacknowledged problem posed in the auditorium and the dramatic moving pictures in films. The strength of the argument is the fact that men overpower the presence of women characters in most films which makes the latter supporting characters only to the former.

In The Hypothetical Lesbian Heroine, the author focused on considering lesbian desire and sexuality. It was supported by analysis of films involving lesbian viewers and its effect to their gender. The strength of the article is the ability of the author to include the difference between how men fall in love and how lesbians find their love interests. The weakness of the article is that the author failed to analyze which of the two genders could create more effect towards keeping attraction more intense. Where women could attract more men, it is not always true that lesbians could attract more women.

Lastly, the article on Film and the Masquerade: Theorizing The Female Spectator is more informative compared to the others. However, the article written by Straayer about lesbians is more interesting because it touches issues that are less popular. All things considered, gender representations in films are always analyzed based on different factors in order to take a more positive and informative knowledge on the subject of inquiry. There should be no bias in understanding men, women, gays and lesbians in relation to cinematic presence.

Works Cited

Laura, Mulvey. Afterthoughts on Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema

Chris Straayer. The Hypothetical Lesbian Heroin

Mary Anne Doane. Film and the Masquerade: Theorizing The Female Spectator

Adaptations of People, Processes and Structures

2010-04-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

The demand of oil drives the economic development of the world. The oil and gas industry is composed of the production of oil, gas, coal, and other related consumable fuels. Without the supply of oil, many business transactions will be affected which could practically shut down business organizations. The extent of the supply and demand of oil around the world cannot be ignored.

Essentially, the oil industry involves expenses which are necessary for exploration, production, refining, marketing, storage, and transportation of various consumable fuels. Due to the nature of the industry, various oil firms such as Exxon Mobil Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell (Shell), British Petroleum (BP), and Saudi Aramco are concerned with the adaptation to changes in the global environment. The rationale behind the idea is the fact that people in the society are also concerned of the effect of oil production in the environment aside from the necessity of its supply. Thus, there is a need to develop schemes in order to maximize the production of oil and at the same time avoid or limit destruction in the global environment.

In line with that, each oil firm has its own method, with the assimilation of people, processes and structures through good organization, effectiveness and modernization. There is no doubt that the rapid pace of modernization requires oil firms to discover novel ways to establish their value within the six global environments. As explained, the success or failure of a business will eventually depend on how the firm reacts to shifts within the Global Culture, Global Politics, Global Economics, Global Natural Environment, Global Technologies and Global Industry and Business. Hence, the ability of oil firms to deal with each global environment in such a way that they will establish their value and adaptation methods.

The rapid pace of change directly affects the firms being studied in this paper. In matters of global culture, British Petroleum has started to improve its infrastructure in Russia due to a total increase in energy and oil demand within this region as well as worldwide. The company decided to place a new chief executive in the Siberian territory to be in charge of these operations. With respect to Chevron Australia, the firm has newly undergone a $30 billion infrastructure project to extract natural gas from the Australian coast. The company wanted to improve its operations but many Australians are against the idea of having much of the western coast to be under control of the oil giant, as it creates pollution and eliminates potential real estate. Due to the escalated protests, this plan has not been finalized. Aside from that, in terms of global politics, Exxon Mobil was stirred by the government-related actions of Obama. It was reported shortly after the release of Obama’s new energy policy that Exxon believes oil firms have started the exodus from the retail fuel industry. Exxon Mobil even believes consumption of gasoline has peaked and demand also increased in the United States apart from other firms. Indeed, the rapid pace of change affected Exxon Mobil, Chevron Australia, and British Petroleum.

The types of activities that I believe firms must do in order to succeed in the oil industry for a long period of time are two-fold: responsibility for environmental care and protection as well as maximum production with a fair price in distribution for consumption. Primarily, the firm that plays a better role in keeping the environment protected despite the production and consumption of oil will most likely succeed in the oil industry. Besides, if there will be plans for increase of the production of oil products, the prices of its distribution for consumption must be fair enough for the whole economic system to adapt. Therefore, proper research about environmental issues related to oil industry must be made as well as implementation of policies to resolve the same are necessary together with fair control of the prices.

Based on various reports, ranking oil firms in accordance with performance would feature Exxon Mobil Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell (Shell), British Petroleum (BP), and Saudi Aramco (“Petroleum Intelligence Weekly Ranks World's Top 50 Oil Companies (2009)”, 2008, p. 1). Saudi Aramco remains in the first place, Exxon Mobil follows, British Petroluem is the third, and Shell remains in number four. Based on the reports of Energy Intelligence Group, Saudi Aramco remains number one since 2006, which is followed by the firms studied in the is paper like Exxon Mobil, British Petroleum, and Shell respectively (“Petroleum Intelligence Weekly Ranks World's Top 50 Oil Companies (2009)”, 2008, p. 1). The performance of Shell is the worst compared to the three mentioned while Saudi Aramco remains to be the best firm in the oil industry. The myriad factors affecting the performance of the oil firms may vary from one to another, yet the necessary things to improve are just the same like richness of natural resources in a country, technological development and management skills of managers in each firm.

Finally, the skills of managers in oil firms is the most easy to change and develop and control compared to technological advantage and extent of natural resources. Thus, managers must develop their managerial skills to cope up with the rapid pace of changes. These skills may include ability to motivate employees despite the recession, capability to hire best employees for the company operations amidst stiff competition and good public relations.

References

Energy Intelligence. (2008). Petroleum Intelligence Weekly Ranks World's Top 50 Oil

Companies (2009). Retrieved June 6, 2009, from http://www.energyintel.com/

DocumentDetail.asp?document_id=245527.

Culture and Personality

2010-04-09T07:39:00.000-07:00

Culture is a pattern of behavior which has evolved through time and shared in the society. It is also a usage of particular ideas and behavior which has been passed from one generation to another. In this paper, the linkage between personality and culture will be discussed based on the concept of culture mentioned by Susman in his article and with the movie entitled It which was filmed in 1927. It was expounded and opined that there is a particular vision of the self basic to each cultural order in relation to personality. With that, the cultural order of society is connected with self or one’s being.

The development of the consciousness of self is the reason why the world becomes modern (Susman, 2001, p. 1). The novel vision of the self resulted to the Reformation and even the growing system of nation-states (Susman, 2001, p. 1). The word consciousness is no longer understood as having a link with what is around of a person, but on personal human being himself. That is, the self or the personality of a person. The cultural order was developed based on the reflection of consciousness in relation to one’s being and not on what revolves around him. For example, the growth of one’s self is becoming more important than religious growth. In that sense, there is a shift from being conscious with religious development to the development of personal ideals and aspirations.

However, there are also philosophers who degraded the value of self consciousness. Taking into account of the works of Darwin in the nineteenth century, he explained the essential affinity of men with animals which degraded the value of civilization and reason. The idea was strengthened by Freud by means of teaching that men do not have complete power of their beings. In addition, the said blows of the belief in the consciousness of one’s self manifested in the time of Freud and Darwin.

Moreover, ideas may also become social attitudes. The idea leads to the analysis of culture in relation to personality. There is an eventual linkage of personality and culture due to the changes in language and usage of words as people interact with each other. In other words, language used in the seventeenth century became different in the eighteenth century. The personality of a person evolved and became the concept of character which is a basis of judging a person. As a result, it is undeniable that the concept of character appears to be a relevant vocabulary in the nineteenth century.

Yet, the problem of self emerged as a new problem. Through the years, there have been efforts to achieved cultural, social, political and development, but the ability of one person to cope up with such development becomes questionable. The character of a person plays a very important role in the said development. Hence, a negative character is a hindrance to any aspect of development in life which reflects in the society. The culture of character paved the way for huge changes in the society. Susman confided that the concept of the culture of character is just assertions and not propositions.

In relation to character, there are others words or concepts used in the society which affects the development of culture. These concepts include nationality, responsibility, democratic system, labor, structure, good manners, adventure, invasion, respect, repute, ethics, honesty, and most of all, the concept of manhood (Susman, 2001, p. 1). The concept of ethical standards has been stressed as vital to the society pointing to the higher moral standards of a person. Thus, the medium of individual nature has been utilized as the foundation of moral order in the society.

In connection, the concept of self is very relevant in this topic. Personality is mirrored in the self or the being of a person. As Susman mentioned, personality is the quality of being somebody (Susman, 2001, p. 1). The assimilation of different kinds of people requires the development of character in order to wield friendship and camaraderie which are relevant in the development of culture in the society. One person’s character must be distinguished from another in order to decipher differences. In other words, one’s intellectual, physical, and pragmatic qualities must be developed and determined in a mass society wherein there are different people existed Individuality in a crowd was used by Susman to analyze the need to define personality of a person.

At this juncture, we are going to analyze the film entitled It on how it exemplifies the culture of personality as described by Susman paying particular attention to the way the film structures it as a quality that can distinguish one from the crowd and mass society. The movie was produced by Photoplay productions under Paramount pictures. It was directed by Clarence Badger then. The players or characters of the movie include Betty Lou, Cyrus Waltham, Monty, Molly, Adela van Norman and many others.

The main theme of the film is the magnetic force of the quality of a person which draws all others in a mass society. In the movie, the peculiar and magnetic force of a person which corresponds to the total personality is emphasized. It was even explained that by having an “it” personality, a woman may have all men and men may have all women via magnetic personality. It is on the choice of the person having an “it” personality whom he or she would be interested with. In other words, the theme of the movie is physical and personal attraction between men and women. The “it” personality is like magic that makes people become interested in a single person.

Some scenes of the movie are taken in a biggest department store in the area. The character of Monty is the one who brought big wreath of flowers for the new boss of the department store. Since the movie is silent, the way the characters act is very important in understanding the topic. As Monty entered the office of the new boss, it is understandable that he played a comic character especially when he brought with him the wreath of flowers that is so huge. There is fun and laughter in the movie as intensified by the players and the sound effects.

Monty found a magazine in the room of the new boss and read on a topic about having an “it” personality. He did not know that by his actions alone, he can be considered as an “it” person. He shared what he read to the new boss who seems to be not interested on what he heard from Monty. The latter even mentioned that the new boss has no “it” personality. It is so funny that Monty kept on thinking about the person that has “it” personality despite the disinterest of the new boss. Later on, the persons who would look around and check the department came in. But still Monty is very busy looking for the “it” personality.

The second scene which shows a person that portrays an “it” personality is in the department store. The sales ladies were very busy selling the products of the store. Clara Bow was shown with customers who are a couple and she showed them a garment for sale of which they were so interested. On the other hand, Molly came in the scene still holding the magazine which talks about the “it” personality topic. Then, Molly got hold of the beauty of Clara Bow and showed to the new boss of what he found. Still, the new boss is not interested. Molly came to the girl who has the “it” personality and talked to her. She was so attractive and smart that Molly thought she has the “it” personality of all the people in the crowd.

Lastly, the culture of men is so evident in the society in matters of male-female relationships. A person has to be very attractive in order to marry the person he or she wants. In the film, the sales ladies are very fond of the new boss and even of the prince. It is notable in one of the scenes that Clara Bow is so determined that she could attract the new boss of the department store. Being an “it” girl is the primary factor that she could attract the new boss. Aside from that, finding the person who has an “it” personality is very easy. Spotting the said kind of person can be done in a very casual manner. In the film It, the mannerisms and actions of the female character played by Clara Bow is evidently portraying of an “it” girl personality. Indeed, in a mass society wherein there are so many people, the personality of the person must be unique in order to be noticed.

References

Susman, W. 2000. H-Net.Org Website. Personality and the Making of Twentieth-Century

Culture. Retrieved May 31, 2009, from http://www.h-net.org/~hst203/readings

/susman2.html.

Relationship Between Culture Jamming and Advertising

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With respect to the second main question on the relationship between culture jamming and advertising, there are more interesting answers to the same. The link between culture jamming and advertising is apparent in the activities of the people nowadays. Culture jamming is an interesting variety of political communication that has developed in retort to the commercial seclusion of public life (Center for Communication and Civic Engagement 1). On the other hand, advertising is a strategy that attracts more clients or consumers of products and services owned by companies. For so many years, the dominant public role has been considered as concerns of a citizen in a given country. But this fact is no longer true nowadays since dominant public role has shifted from citizen to consumer (Center for Communication and Civic Engagement 1). In other words, there is an intimate link between commercial activities and being a participant in various social issues.

According to the Center for Communication and Civic Engagement, participants of culture jamming dispute that civilization, political affairs, and social values have been twisted by drenched commercial environments, from commercial logos on sports amenities, to television substance intended exclusively to convey targeted fanatics to producers and sponsors (Center for Communication and Civic Engagement 1). Numerous community issues and societal voices are pressed to the limits of society by advertisement values and profitable messages, making it complicated to attract the awareness of those existing in the restricted thinking that equals to consumerism. Essentially, culture jamming provides kinds of motivating communication channels that correspond with the branded imagery and icons of buyer culture to make customers conscious of contiguous troubles and varied cultural circumstances that merit their scrutiny. Thus, the role of advertising in culture jamming is quiet relevant in the sense that consumerism is directly linked to it.

The age of YouTube, web media, parody, and postmodern advertising apparently signified the relationship between culture jamming and advertising. In YouTube, videos of different products are being uploaded for the free access of individuals who would decide on what products to buy. It is admitted that millions of people are using YoutTube in order to search for quality products that they could acquire for themselves. The way YouTube videos are presented in the Internet reflects much of the definition of culture jamming. Public awareness of societal issues that are vital to every individual is included in YouTube video sharing.

In the web media, weblogging is the well-known channel of communication for consumers and advertisers meet with respect to the quality and availability of certain products. People who participated in this activity exercises more freedom in expressing their views about social issues in relation to the products that they endorsed. That is the reason that advertisers are willing to pay bloggers linked to the web media in exchange of useful content with a touch of culture jamming for their products to be known to consumers. It also includes parodies which advertisers exploit in order to attract more buyers and consumers for the products they endorsed. For instance, the Nike parody was presented to public through subversive affirmation wherein the branding of Nike campaign was exaggerated (Center for Communication and Civic Engagement 1). As a result, the said parody catapulted various citizen protests because the people were getting concerned of the real issue behind the parody.

Apparently, postmodern advertising are getting synonymous with social awareness. Going back to the way Reebok presented is stance in the market, it used the fall of Nike due to its unethical activities just to promote respect to human rights when in fact the company is also committing human rights violations the same way with Nike. There are instances that the people are lulled by defective advertising techniques that to get their attention. Gone are the days when unpretentious and tiresome advertising processes are being done by marketers, advertisers and product owners or companies.

In connection, culture jamming is not a new movement in the society. Culture jamming is just a refection of the long time opposition to unethical standards of companies and failure of governments to cater the needs of the people (Lasn 415). There are times when the life of a person becomes monotonous and it is more appealing to emerge into a more renewed personality transformation or emulation through the use of some products available in the market. In other words, some people nowadays prefers sudden changes in their lives which points out to the bloated, self-absorbed consumer culture needs. The way advertising strategies were used and how it shaped cultural perspective of individuals is what linked culture jamming and advertising. The philosophy and strategy of culture jams is obvious in the advertisements that we see nowadays through television, radio, and print media. The focus of advertisers is to provide a virtual world for people to emulate and depart from their old personalities without losing their identities through the introduction of various products that makes it all possible like credit cards, extreme sports, spectacular movies, famous clothing brands and other products and services.

Since culture jammers are useful in product endorsements, advertisers utilized their services for making products available to the public scene. There are also instances when advertisers used the techniques of culture jammers to develop a brand for endorsement. The tactic used by advertisers is to shun the American dream and teach the public through their product endorsements that there are more important than being rich which are being spontaneous, authentic, and living well (Lasn 424). The strategy is in line with allowing individuals to express themselves without following old habits and applying novel ideas that are highly personal. For example, advertisers are sending messages to the people that it is cooler to ride a bike than traveling around in an expensive car. The culture shock was made more surprising and people loved it as shown in their direct consumption and attraction of culture jamming activities presented in television, radio, and print media. Finally, if I were a culture jammer, I would choose to represent the importance of wearing clothes from clothing companies that participates in social activities that eradicates inequalities, poverty, and chaos in the society.

References

“Culture Jamming”. 2009.Center for Communication and Civic Engagement. 6 May 2009 <>

Jamming.htm >.

Klein, Naomi. “Taking Aim At The Brand Bullies”.

Lasn, Kalle. “Culture Jamming”. The Consumer and Society Reader. 1999.

Panda, Tapan. “Taking A Brand Global”. 2009. Indian Institute of Management. 6 May 2009 <>

+%5B+The+Hindu+Business+Line+-+Catalyst-+September+19-2002%5D.pdf >.

Tactics of Marketing Products

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However, there are changes on the tactics of marketing products as socially aware. Since many companies are already using the said strategy, competition is stiff in the market. Customers and clients are getting knowledgeable that social issues were used as channels of brand endorsement. With that, clients and customers usually choose products from companies who sponsored activities that improve the environment and the society. For example, when Jet Blue Airways sponsored activities for caring the environment, many travelers bought airline tickets from them. Hence, product endorsement through social awareness is no longer a shallow strategy used by companies but are taken seriously in developing a brand.

In this juncture, we would examine few campaigns relating to the said changes and analyze how advertisers and marketers think about and address consumers. Considering the way Nike endorsed its shoe products, there were many implications understood by some researchers. Nike shoes are endorsed through glamorous images of superstar athletes hiding real brutalities in the society. On the other hand, the government failed to place some trade barriers that would prevent companies that impliedly promote inequalities from trading within the economic system. In other words, the image of Nike is affected by the way the government allows various companies to sell their products under the pretense of quality and popularity but would eventually results to chaos and inequality in the society. For instance, the lack of trade barrier within the economic system would invite more transnational companies that pay low wages through business outsourcing. While it is true that Nike products are heaped with quality and popularity, but it actually exemplifies brutality linked to the way the government controlled the whole economic system.

In addition, the growth of Wal-Mart was viewed in its business prominence, nasty strategies, and aggressiveness in the market (Klein 422). In case of Reebok, it has hurried to benefit from the controversies of Nike by positioning itself as the principled shoe option (Klein 422). What Reebok did was that it gives high profile Reebok Human Rights Awards to activists who struggle against child labor and oppressive dictatorships. The problem is that Reebok produced its products the same way as Nike did and exercise unethical standards like paying less to its employees without the knowledge of the public. The public are keener in their observations of the activities of transnational companies which affected product advertising. Changes of advertising through social awareness were geared towards protecting company profile in terms of ethical and moral standards from the scrutiny of the public. Therefore, advertisers and marketers think about and address consumers by means of strengthening the moral and ethical profile of product owners or companies to make sure that it would not be tarnished with the publicity of unethical principles like human rights violations within company operations. This idea is in consonance to the reality that consumers or clients are looking for what a company fights for. Hence, advertisers and marketers are more concerned of developing brands that promotes solutions to social issues and eradication of inequalities in the society for the benefit of companies that hired them. The idea of advertising through social awareness is no longer performed without tangible results and intentional application in the society as a whole.

Advertising and Society

2010-04-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

The people who lived within the society are more interested on the products endorsed by retailers and traders. The most common way of selling products to the people is advertising through the tri-media which is composed of television, radio and print media channels. With that, there is an invisible link between the media and advertising which runs the society as a dynamic mechanism of existence. In connection, there are two questions relating to the linkage of advertising and society in involving tri-media channels. The first query is focused on the evolution of product marketing through campaigns of social awareness. On the other hand, the second query is about the relationship between culture jamming and advertising. With analytical strategies and research on the topics given, the two questions can be answered in the most concise and informative manner.

With respect to the evolution of product marketing through campaigns of social awareness, there are many ideas related to the said topic. The evolution of product marketing through campaigns of social awareness has evolved into a more rigid and direct to the point style and tactics which requires product customers or clients to get involved by means of thinking it over. There are myriad issues in the society that attracts more customers and clients such as domestic violence, abortion, terrorism, drug addiction, global warming and other environmental issues, teenage pregnancy, education, and even health concerns. The strategy of advertisers is apparently to attract the attention of customers and clients to specific products by means of incorporating these issues into the advertisements. Social awareness has increased through the years when this strategy was developed by various product advertisers throughout the world.

A related question is that: what are the central ideas behind the branding of products as socially aware, and how have the tactics of marketing products as socially aware changed? There are various reasons and central ideas behind the branding of products through social awareness development. First, product advertisers want to reach out to more customers and clients that concerned in the events and state of the society. It has been proven that while clients or customers choose the products they would use, it is more likely that they would go into the products that are endorsed through social awareness strategy. A basic example of this idea is the success of the clothing products of United Colors of Benetton which were endorsed through brand ideas that hinted social issues like abortion, gender matters, teenage life, and care for the environment. The pictures or logos of the said company in advertising their products depicts of important social issues which attracts more buyers and customers.

Second, product owners requested product advertisers to bring their products and brands in global perspective. It is hard to keep up with the global market without incorporating social awareness strategy in product endorsement since more people are becoming concern with the environment and the society. Besides, a global brand is one which is perceived to reflect the same set of values around the world (Panda 3). Thus, a product that facilitates social awareness on abortion issues could attain more clients in a way that if one person in China thinks the same way with another person from the United States on the issue of abortion, both of them would buy the product. And third, companies that produced products that are endorsed through social awareness gain more brand trust due to consistency from clients around the world. Since social issues are dealt with formally by government and concerned individuals for the benefit of the public, prospective customers and clients are more attracted to the brand that cares for the people in the society.

Adavasi People

2010-04-08T19:30:00.000-07:00

The first article entitled Indian Indigeneities: Adavasi Engagements with Hindu Nationalism in India, is all about Adivasi people which is a social group named as scheduled tribes in India. These group of people participated in the war against Hindu supremacy, the Christians, and even the Muslims (Boviskar, 2000, p. 267). The main problem fought for by the adavasi tribes is politics of place and belonging in the Indian country. The main issue is to gain a separate tribal identity and fought for reclaiming rights to resources. In the event of this evolving situation, many non-governmental organizations helped in educating the said Indian tribes for them to stray away from their backward lifestyle and embrace modern developments.

On the other hand, the second article entitled Lost Innocents and the Loss of Innocence: Interpreting Adivasi Movements in South Asia is all about movements of tribes in South Asia which is similar of the adivasi tribes in India. Primarily, the article talks about the concept of adivasi in relation to South Asian prejudices concerning tribal organizations. The assertions of the adivasi in South Asia are also rights to property and share in political power. The concept of backward lifestyle practiced by adivasis in South Asia is also discussed in the article which reflects to what has been practiced by Indian tribes.

Finally, the two articles actually met in the idea of the process of modernization for both the adivasi people in South Asia and India. The ways wherein tribal communities live in both regions in the world are being developed in order to achieve modernization. The movements of adivasis against social, economic and political inequalities also reflect how the society is developed in the long run which made them fight even more.

References

Bates, C. (2000). Lost Innocents and the Loss of Innocence: Interpreting Adivasi
Movements in South Asia.

Boviskar, A. (2000). Indian Indigeneities: Adavasi Engagements with Hindu Nationalism in India.

What Is Holy?

2010-04-08T19:27:00.000-07:00

The article is about the holiness between the scribes and a poor widow during the time of Jesus Christ. In religious philosophy, being holy is a reflection of one’s character and ability to follow the commandments of Jesus Christ who was considered a person whose influence is so profound. The article specifically talks about the genuine holiness of a poor widow who gave more money to the treasury as compared to the scribes who gave less despite the fact that they cultivated themselves to become holy (Harrington, 46, 2006).

Essentially, I know that a person’s religious views should affect his treatment towards other people. If a person practices his or her religion and do not apply it in daily life, that person would become a hypocrite. Hypocrisy is not a proper attitude and should not be reflected upon. In connection, the concept of humble generosity still exists nowadays. Although there are many people who do not practice humble generosity, others are trying to hide their generosity and continue helping other people. After all, the proper way to help is not to broadcast one’s generosity for purposes of being famous accepted in the society. Hence, humble generosity is still a valued trait but only for a small number of people.

Lastly, rewriting the article calls for an honest evaluation of what transpires in the modern world. I will equate the poor widow to a single mother who worked hard for her child and still pay her dues in the government and in the church where she belongs. On the other hand, I will equate the scribe to a restaurant owner who gives more money to charitable organizations but failed to give food occasionally to those who are asking for food in the streets. In today’s society, selfishness is common because of the will to increase one’s riches. In case of the single mother being mentioned, her ultimate goal is to raise her child properly with the help of her faith in God assuming she believes its existence. In other words, her actions are based on her beliefs. Finally, the poor widow in the article is more holy than the scribes because her generosity is sincere and genuine. The scribes are considered hypocrites which must not be considered as good examples.

References

Harrington, D. (2006). Who Is Holy? America Press Inc., 46.

International Law

2010-04-08T19:24:00.000-07:00

International law is that branch of public law which regulates the relations of states and of other entities which have been granted an international community. It is simply the set of rules that countries follow in dealing with each other. Obviously, the function of international law is to set rules for the administration of the interactions and relationships of countries which are governed by their own municipal or local law. The absence of international law will result to chaos and various acts of reprisals against states.

In line with that, I agree that cooperation of the United States is necessary for global treaties to succeed. A treaty may be defined as the formal agreement, usually but not necessarily in writing, which is entered into by states or entities possessing the treaty-making capacity, for the purpose of regulating their mutual relations under the law of nations. In connection, the written provisions of a treaty are binding among and between the parties involved in it. In case of the United States, it entered into important treaties with other countries that changed the relations of countries for the better such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Moreover, the law on immigration, blockade, as well as extradition treaties is part of our daily lives as these rules affect the relations of one country to another. The sovereignty or independence of a country contributes to the effective and efficient implementation of international law. Sovereignty is relevant in international law since a country that does not have freedom to direct its foreign affairs is only considered an object of international law and not as a subject.

I also believe that countries must surrender some sovereignty for purposes of cooperation and standardization in relation to specific international laws and agreements. An example of this fact is the Kyoto Protocol wherein member- countries adhere to the provisions of the treaty in order to solve problems relating to climate change. As a member of the international community, a state is bound to observe the generally accepted principles of international law. In this sense, international law should be deemed a part of the domestic law of each state despite its differences in the manner of implementation and regard by each state. Besides, the rights and freedoms that Canadians enjoy universally acknowledged or equally applied throughout the international community because it is in line with the rules for international peace, cooperation, and harmony. The concept of pacta sunct servanda and reciprocity are the international standards that must be adopted to protect rights all over the world. However, human rights are difficult to protect at the international level because it is natural upon foreign countries to protect its own citizens who violated the human rights of a foreigner.

The United Nations, The Human Rights Commission, The International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights are example of governmental and non-governmental organizations that deal with human rights violations. For international collective security, states act together against a particular state to produce what is usually a punitive result. The establishment of the creation of the League of Nations and the United Nations are caused by the will of countries to achieve peaceful and harmonious relationships within the international arena.

With respect to the United Nations, its primary objective include the maintenance of international peace and security in the world, the development of friendly relations among nations, achievement of international cooperation in solving international problems, and the harmonization of the actions of states in order to achieve all these goals. The UN Charter is also akin to a Constitution, and indeed it is a constitution for all nations states since majority of countries are members of the said organization. But, the UN is not considered a world government because not all states become member of the same. Finally, I believe that a world government becomes possible to achieve in the future for majority of countries vie for peace and harmony within the international arena and their collective efforts are relevant to the same hope of a world government. With that, a balanced representation among states must be reached if a world government would be developed in order to maintain international peace and order.

Criminal Justice and Fairness

2010-04-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

Justice and fairness is one of the most important ingredients in attaining peace, security and harmony in the society. The absence of justice in a society carries with it a risk of unimaginable failure and eventual chaos. The ability of man to choose between right and wrong includes the choice of committing crime that is punishable by law. The court of justice is the venue for a case to be filed, heard and tried. Criminal justice system wields the authority of the courts to determine the facts and the law of each case. The applicable penalty will then be executed against a convicted criminal. In the end, a criminal may either be convicted or absolved from the crime committed based on legal reasoning. Criminal justice is a term for the system by which criminal demeanor is investigated, arrests completed, evidence collected, charges filed, defense alleged, trials made, sentences rendered, and punishment executed (“Criminal Justice”). With all court processes, the criminal justice system must be molded in accordance with the principles of justice and fairness. Equity, which is justice sweetened with mercy, must also be applied in case the meaning and spirit of the law calls to do so. With that, the three most important issues on the criminal justice system of the United States include issue on discrimination between blacks and whites, ineffective justice system and failure to prioritize prevention.

There had been many questions as to whether or not the criminal justice system is racist. The main problem is the high rate of black incarceration (Mac Donald, 2008, p. 1). It is self-evident that the cause of the situation is discrimination. Political processes, like presidential elections, provide opportunities to tackle the issue with high degree. A writer named Mac Donald quoted what Barack Obama mentioned in a debate, wherein the latter questioned the fact that blacks and whites are arrested unequally (Mac Donald, 2008, p. 1). The real scenario is this; there are differences in degree of sentences for the same crime which makes it imperative to review the criminal justice system of the United States. The incarceration of so many blacks compared to whites is indeed disgraceful. The criminal justice system of the country is racist for the reason that there are increasing numbers of blacks who are in jail for the past two years. In the year 2006, the percentage of blacks in all state and federal prisoners is 37.5% even though; blacks were only 13% of the national population (Mac Donald, 2008, p. 1). In addition, 11% of all black males between 20 and 34 ages stay in detention cells (Mac Donald, 2008, p. 1). According to the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, the black homicide cases were seven times higher than those who are whites, a fact that is so depressing (Mac Donald, 2008, p. 1). The ultimate realization is that police officers, prosecutors, and judges are biased in their treatment towards blacks and whites in relation to criminal cases being charged and tried against offenders. In other words, police officers over-arrest blacks and disregard criminals who are white (Mac Donald, 2008, p. 1). Reports even mentioned that the rate of crime victims are also the same with the number of black suspects (Mac Donald, 2008, p. 1). Discrimination looms in the cities of the United States affecting thousands of blacks being tried for crimes with no commensurate sentences. Overcharging by prosecutors and over sentencing by judges against blacks who are suspected criminals are practices that should not be tolerated. Bias and discrimination weaken the economic and political development of a country where racial mixture and cultural assimilation is rich. The most notable scenario is that blacks were considerably poorly represented during trial of homicide cases (Mac Donald, 2008, p. 1). Therefore, the problem lies in the criminal justice system but not on patterns of offending victims in the society.

Majority of Americans commented that the criminal justice system of the United States is ineffective and broken (Weil, 2002, p. 1). Solely punitive approach to crime is not effective such that, changes must be made. Many studies revealed that it is better to analyze the cause of the crimes rather than punitive approach (Weil, 2002, p. 1). The progressive approach of understanding the reasons behind the commission of crimes rather than focusing on punitive approach is more effective to lessen high criminality rates. One of the major decisions in order to balance state budget, is to decrease budget in prison expenditures (Weil, 2002, p. 1). There had been campaigns that counseling and treatment is the best way to handle drug abusers, rather then incarcerate them. Dumping prisoners in jail who are found to be drug abusers for a period of time and releasing them thereafter is not effective since they would go back into the streets with the same behavior. For sure, recidivists are those drug abusers who were able to experience being in prison due to commission of a crime. The pattern of criminality of offenders must be taken into consideration and prevent them from doing another mistake by submitting them into treatment and counseling. Hence, prevention is the primary goal of the criminal justice system and not the implementation of purely punitive approaches.

Finally, criminal justice system of the United States focused more on criminals and their wrongdoings and not on the prevention of crimes itself. There are many criminal offenders in the country who are allowed to be punished and then given probation, but committed another offense when brought again to the streets. Why do we have to focus more on punishment through sentences rather than putting them into rehabilitation and counseling? There are times that police officers deal more on the crime committed but not on the real cause of the misbehavior. For instance, the case of John Evander Couey who is a recidivist under probation and later on kidnapped, sexually assaulted and killed a minor, made the people realize that there is something wrong in the criminal justice system (Bidinotto, 2008, p. 1). Essentially, the causes of crimes are extreme poverty, illiteracy, unemployment and dysfunctional families (Bidinotto, 2008, p. 1). Hence, the government must focus on these factors rather than imposing excessive punishment on crimes committed by offenders.

Moreover, there are things that forced criminals to react inappropriately in some situations. On important issues like racism and discrimination, ineffective justice system and failure to focus on prevention, the primary consideration is the root causes of crimes itself. Anyway, if social conditions that affect unfortunate individuals can be altered, crime rates would surely decrease. The impact of the said issues in the criminal justice system is alarming since the social condition of the society worsened. Therefore, we must be more concerned of the future and not the past crimes of offenders if we need to impose punishment. Treatment, rehabilitation and counseling must be implemented in a higher degree rather than following the pattern of arrest to punishment and from probation to recidivism. Finally, justice and fairness must not be taken for granted in assessing and deciding on a given case especially in the matter of sentencing a convicted criminal.

References

Bidinotto, R. J. 2008. Econot Website. Crime and Moral Retribution. Retrieved January 22, 2009, from http://www.econot.com/page15.html.

Legal Dictionary. 2008. Criminal Justice. Retrieved January 21, 2009, from

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Criminal+justice+system.

Mc Donald, H. 2008. City Journal. Is the Criminal Justice System Racist? Retrieved January 22, 2009, from http://www.city-journal.org/2008/18_2_criminal_

justice_system.html.

Weil, A. 2002.Soros Website. Majority of Americans Think U. S. Criminal Justice System

Is Broken, Ineffective; See Need For Changes. Retrieved January 22, 2009, from

http://www.soros.org/initiatives/usprograms/focus/justice/news/systembroken_20020213.

Ethics in Action

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Introduction

This paper is about ethics in action wherein the concept of ethics is applied in topics about employment. The article entitled Public-policy exception to employment at will: innkeepers’ liability for wrongful discharge will be discussed in this paper to correlate the concept of ethics with the topic of employment at will. Every week businesses make decisions that have an impact on their employees. It should be noted that employment at will gives the employer the latitude of changing the employment arrangement by employee without the issue of collective bargaining. Employment at will also gives the employee the latitude of negotiating employment terms that are beneficial to the individual employee.

Synopsis

The main topic of the article is the legal effect that if an employee is dismissed from his work for the purpose of the exercise of a protected right, the term employment at will finds no application. Employment at will is an agreement between parties to an employment contract that either party may terminate the job at will with or without reasons (John, 2009, p. 1). Aside from that, employment at will can be considered a management prerogative which was considered to present employers with extensive latitude in increasing a faithful and well-organized work force, one not inundated with unskilled our reluctantly aggravated employees whose existence in the company might encourage poor performance by others and thereby put at risk the achievement of the business operation (John, 2009, p. 1). Basically, the objective of utilizing employment at will in employment contracts should be to defend the lawful right to direct the work force and simultaneously distinguish and value the right of an individual employee to obtain fairness and balanced handling.

Evaluation of the Decisions

The employment at will is a good legal measure and option in entering into a contract of employment because it’s working purpose is to give an employee wide latitude in deciding for and about his work without unnecessary constraints. It will also promote sound employment practices. In using the employment at will clause, good faith is a vital ingredient between employers and employees. In order to delve on the issue, the article also explained a case which tackles problems involving employer-employee relationship.

In connection, the main issue of the case is whether or not; the employer who runs a hospital business is liable to an emergency-room attendant. The attendant or the nurse involved in the case is an at will employee. She was fired by her female supervisor for reasons that she failed to participate on a nude bathing and drinking spree during a company outing. Subsequently, the said activity was translated by the female supervisor into a skit or a play in one of the events made in the hospital of which the nurse did not also attend. The Arizona Supreme Court reversed the decision of the lower court in favor of the nurse. Hence, the hospital, the employer was found to be liable to the nurse who is involved in the said case. In line with that, the decision of the highest court in Arizona is very reasonable and reflects the idea that cases resulting out of personal disagreement must not be equated with inability to follow company rules and practices. The act of the nurse in not attending the nude bathing, drinking spree, and the skit in the hospital for reasons for disagreement with the female supervisor is not sufficient to find her unable to follow company policies and practices. Thus, the use of employment at will as the basis of governing employee-employer relationship must be done in accordance with law, morals, and public policy.

References

John, S. 2009. All Business Website. Public-policy exception to employment at

will: innkeepers’ liability for wrongful discharge. Retrieved May 31, 2009, from http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/330217-1.html.