The effect of performance management systems on employee engagement

Introduction Background Prior research has established the positive effects of employee engagement in the workplace, not only for the organisation in its entirety but also for the wellbeing and productivity of individual employees (Kahn, 1990). It is therefore of paramount importance that research correctly identifies the factors which give rise to increased employee engagement and investment in their job. Rich, Lepine and Crawford (2010) found in a study of 245 fire fighters that engagement, conceptualised as the investment of one’s complete self into a job role (the degree to which a job role is integrated into a personal construct) was a significant mediator in the relationship between value congruence, perceived organisational support, core self-evaluations and the dependent variable: job performance dimensions. Aside from the obvious benefits, including increased productivity and employee initiative, this also suggests that there are psychological perks for employees with higher rates of engagem ent. Increased self-efficacy, job satisfaction, self-esteem and morale have been found to be direct consequences of higher rates of employee engagement (Bakker and Schaufeli, 2008; Harter, Schmidt and Hayes, 2002). Employee wellbeing in the workplace is known to correlate with positive business outcomes (Harter, Schmidt and Keyes, 2003). Overall, engaged employees are more likely to view their job as meaningful, their management and leadership as above average, have better perceptions of their own ability to perform their duties and are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs, leading to a greater work ethic and better performance (May, Gilson and Harter, 2004). The research question The research problem we are facing is to determine the antecedents of employee engagement in the workplace. The questions that will be used to investigate this will query the relationship between management policy and employee engagement. The objective of this study will be to determine whether performance management strategies used by companies affects in any capacity the tendency of employees to fully engage themselves in the workplace. The experimental hypothesis will be that increased use of performance management strategies in the workplace increases rates of employee engagement. Performance management is the independent variable and employee engagement will be the dependent variable. This will establish whether one significant facet of management policy affects employee engagement; an important factor in predicting effectiveness in the workplace. However there are other factors which could potentially influence the dependent variable (employee engagement) which are beyond the scope of this study. There may be many aspects of the individual and their chosen career which affect how engaged they are regardless of management policy. In addition, Saks (2006) found that multiple facets of how an organisation handles employees’ work ethic determines how engaged they are in the workplace, including how much training is provided and perceived effectiveness of procedural justice at work. Isolating performance management will be one step in building a framework to more fully predict employee engagement. If the anticipated effects are discovered, this would be valuable information for businesses wishing to enhance employee productivity and satisfaction using the medium of employee engagement. By establishing the antecedents of employee engagement it will be possible to fill in another gap in the overall model presented by research to predict positive business outcomes. It has been vehemently established that employee engagement can indirectly affect this outcome, but the influences resulting in greater engagement have received relatively little attention. Performance management in particular was chosen since it encapsulates something that is under the direct control of businesses, and will therefore potentially offer an immediate and practical means for businesses to affect employee engagement. Literature review This section will incorporate definitions of the variables involved and the theoretical context of employee engagement and its antecedents. It will also cover some of the research into other factors besides the independent variable for this study which could reasonably affect the independent variable. Employee engagement The definition of employee engagement is surprisingly ambiguous in the literature, which led Macey and Schneider (2008) to gather and categorise the various definitions found in research. They found that authors generally referred to engagement in one of three broad domains; psychological state engagement, behavioural engagement and trait engagement. The effect of management, leadership, company policy and any performance management strategies employed by the business are of course effective only at the behavioural and psychological state level; trait level engagement is innate and relatively constant in each individual, and arises from various psychometric variables. The conceptualisation we shall settle on for this study will therefore involve only the psychological state and behavioural levels, since the primary independent variables of interest involve factors the business can influence to increase employee engagement. Theoretical context for employee engagement Within a theoretical context, employee engagement fits well into the explanatory remit of self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985). This theory postulates that different forms of motivation exist; autonomous regulation refers to all volition which originates from genuine internal desires, as opposed to controlled regulation in which the source of the impetus to act is external. In terms of engagement at work, autonomous regulation is desirable, as it results in greater initiative and productivity at a task. According to Meyer and Gagne (2008), who explored the underlying psychological mechanisms of autonomous regulation in the workplace, the key lies in satisfying basic psychological needs for competency, autonomy and relatedness. Performance management systems are likely to be a part of building the work environment which successfully cultivates these feelings in employees; giving them a sense that their needs have been met. Although of course there is certainly more involved in determining the extent to which employees are personally involved in their work than need satisfaction. Intervening factors are likely to include employee personal circumstances and the current economic climate. Performance management For the purposes of this study, the definition of performance management shall be the degree to which intervention by the business occurs to ensure recognition of above average performance, and involvement with offering incentives for increased productivity and work ethic. All other variables listed above which have been identified as causal antecedents of engagement will be considered as confounding variables in this study, and will be controlled for as far as possible. According to Roberts (2001), performance management involves the setting of objectives, the use of appraisal systems, reward strategies, training and feedback. This is a definition that can be more easily operationalized as the components are clearly divided which will make development of measurement scales for each subset simpler. Therefore these are the components that shall be measured as the independent variable in this study to make up performance management. Theoretical context for performance management Performance management affects employee perceptions and attitudes, which subsequently affect performance (Hartog, Boselie and Paauwe, 2004). This fits in with the theoretical framework which places employee engagement as reflecting attitudes and the meaning ascribed to job roles. It is therefore logical to expect that higher levels of implementation of performance management strategies would be significantly related to employee engagement. Although this theoretical framework does not leave much room for the inclusion of the position individual employees ascribe to their jobs in their lives. It is relatively simplistic in terms of modelling the expected effects, and there are likely to be confounding variables. Intervening variables Research has uncovered some general factors which contribute in various magnitudes to the level of employee engagement. Job characteristics (van der Broeck, Vansteenkiste, de Witte and Lens, 2008) perceived organisational support (including leadership), procedural justice, learning and training opportunities and performance management strategies (including rewards and recognition management) are all important in predicting the level of engagement an employee is likely to exhibit (Saks, 2006). This study will address one aspect of the bigger research question then; the explanatory power of performance management over employee engagement will be established. The issue will require further research to account for other possible influences on engagement, and potential interaction effects between independent variables. The originality of this study then lies in the examination of a relatively newly recognised concept (employee engagement) and shedding light on the specific relationship it has with performance management strategies, independent of other influences. Methodology This section will describe the proposed method of examining the experimental hypothesis, including how data will be gathered, what will be measured, and how the data will be analysed. Design and procedure Since the sample is limited to one business many confounding variables such as differing job demands and organisational structure can be eliminated. The samples will be taken from historical data, from employees working within a business with relatively low levels of performance management compared to similar organisations. The business under study will have to be one which has at some point implemented a new, more involved performance management strategy; this is how the independent variable will be manipulated. Both levels of employee engagement and performance management will be measured before the implementation of the new performance management strategy to serve as the control data. After the new strategy has been imposed and levels of performance management have increased in the business, the independent and dependent variable will be measured again, and this data will serve as the experimental condition. To establish the persistence over time of any significant differences in the dependent variable found to result from the change in performance management strategy, three samples will be taken at six month intervals after the implementation of the new strategy. If there is any initial difference in employee engagement between the samples immediately before and after the new strategy comes into for ce, the subsequent samples taken after the strategy has been present for some time will tell us about the long term effects of increasing performance management, otherwise the possibility remains that any effects are merely short term and fade when employees become accustomed to the new system. This will therefore be a repeated measures design. The rates of employee engagement will be compared between temporally differing samples, which will determine if changing levels of performance management alone were sufficient to affect a change in engagement, and how any effects persist, weaken, or strengthen with time. Participants Data will be gathered from secondary sources extant in the literature. The ratings of employee engagement and performance management strategies will be gathered from employees and managers working within the same business. Model specification The model we have to test (based on prior research in the area) places employee engagement as dependent in part on performance management. An a priori power analysis will be conducted on previous studies examining employee engagement to determine the expected effect size. Operationalisation of variables Performance management will be defined as the number of rewards and punishments handed out by senior management, the amount of time employees spend in training, and how often employees are appraised. Employee engagement will be measured with subjective rating scales and peer ratings. Analysis Statistical analysis of this data would include one-way analysis of variance. First performance management would be measured in each group to ensure that in reality there was a change due to the implementation of the new strategy. Then the degree of variability in engagement can be examined between conditions. The relative impact of increasing performance management can be examined in the short and long term, which could help in our theoretical understanding of the psychological underpinnings of any effects observed; if the effects change over time, this will provide clues for future research to investigate, and give use evidence to speculate further on why the change took place. This method of statistical analysis will allow for simple comparisons between control and experimental groups, and for different levels of the experimental condition, in this case the amount of time elapsed after the implementation of the new strategy. Limitations Since the data will all be gathered from the same business, many confounding variables will remain constant between groups, however this means the findings may be less applicable to other business contexts. There is also the fact that a substantial time will have passed between conditions, meaning there may have been other changes other than the independent variable under study, which could confound the results. All other pertinent factors will be investigated and accounted for in the final report to ensure they remain as consistent as possible. It is also essential to recognise the fact that different individuals harbouring different internal traits and psychological dispositions will be motivated to engage in their workplace by different factors which are meaningful to them personally. This is especially true between individuals with radically differing job characteristics and duties since they are likely to have different expectations of their job, and view their relationship to their job role differently. However the influences on engagement cited here have been shown to be generally applicable despite differing job roles. Psychological factors of unique individuals may also play a role in shaping how well specific employees fit into their job role. May, Gilson and Harter (2004) found that perceived meaningfulness of job role, perceived safety at work (including co-worker relations and perceived job security) and availability of psychological resources relevant to job demands are all positively correlated with employee engagement. Such factors may be positively influenced directly by effective performance management but are otherwise outside the scope of this study. The fact that different employees are likely to have been used between conditions (due to the time elapsed) could also pose a problem due to their potential to have very different opinions, experiences and traits relevant to their work life which could influence employee engagement. Limitations include the fact that not all influences on the outcome variable have possibly been considered in the analysis, although there are good theoretical grounds for including the variables that are present. There is likely a myriad of intervening factors affecting how much employees engage at work, but focusing on ones that are immediately under the control of the business administrators and relatively logistically sound to implement makes the most sense as a starting point for this line of research. References Bakker, A. B., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2008) Positive organizational behavior: Engaged employees in flourishing organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 29(2), 147-154 Den Hartog, D. N., Boselie, P. and Paauwe, J. (2004) Performance management: a model and research agenda. Applied psychology, 53(4), 556-569 Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L. and Hayes, T. L. (2002) Business-unit-level relationship between employee satisfaction, employee engagement, and business outcomes: a meta-analysis. Journal of applied psychology, 87(2), 268 Harter, J. K., Schmidt, F. L. and Keyes, C. L. (2003) Well-being in the workplace and its relationship to business outcomes: A review of the Gallup studies. Flourishing: Positive psychology and the life well-lived, 2, 205-224 Kahn, W. A. (1990) Psychological conditions of personal engagement and disengagement at work. Academy of management journal, 33(4), 692-724 Macey, W. H. and Schneider, B. (2008) The meaning of employee engagement. Industrial and Organisational Psychology, 1, 3-30 May, D. R., Gilson, R. L. and Harter, L. M. (2004) The psychological conditions of meaningfulness, safety and availability and the engagement of the human spirit at work. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 77(1), 11-37 Meyer, J. P. and Gagne, M. (2008) Employee engagement from a self-determination theory perspective. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 1(1), 60-62 Rich, B. L., Lepine, J. A. and Crawford, E. R. (2010) Job engagement: Antecedents and effects on job performance. Academic Management Journal, 53(3), 617-635 Roberts, I. (2001) Reward and performance management. Human resource management: A contemporary approach, 3, 506-558 Saks, A. M. (2006) Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement.Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21(7), 600-619 Van den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H. and Lens, W. (2008) Explaining the relationships between job characteristics, burnout, and engagement: The role of basic psychological need satisfaction. Work & Stress,22(3), 277-294

The darkness closed in over her – Creative extended writing

The darkness closed in over her. She could feel it getting nearer. Every breath a vicious flash back of her life. â€Å"Don't hurt me,† she sobbed. â€Å"Please don't hurt me†. Still he came, closing in on her. The silence was deadly. She huddled against the cold, damp wall, paralysed with fear. She thought that if she moved he would easily find her, but it was useless, he knew where she was anyway. She tried closing her eyes and block out thoughts of what he would do, willing herself to disappear. There was no escape now. She was stuck, watching him draw nearer, if she closed her eyes, visions would appear. Horrible visions of him committing the deadly crime. Over and over in her mind, she could see herself being killed and lying dead on the dark floor of the secluded warehouse. â€Å"No!† she screamed. Eyes wide open. She couldn't believe it. She was alive. He was gone. It had changed, there was no longer the dripping pipes or piled boxes of the warehouse. Instead, she found herself in a green field, daisies and rabbits everywhere. She was stunned, suddenly the terrible death scene had transformed into something completely different. Something she liked. The sun was setting over the hills, the gentle breeze caressing her face. She sat on a soft patch of heather and sighed. Turning to see the view, everything disappeared from her line of sight and all she saw was rubble flying everywhere. An earthquake, maybe, or a bomb. She crouched down to dodge the rocks that were falling like rain. Then she felt the rocks start to disintegrate beneath her. She started to panic. What was happening? She fell and landed on something soft. It looked familiar, where was she? â€Å"I know this place,† she whispered to herself. She felt soft flooring underneath the soles of her bare feet. Reaching down with her hand, she touched a rug. Her rug. She was back in her room. But something was different. Something was missing. Light. Everything was in darkness and the atmosphere was eerie. Something wasn't quite right. She tried closing her eyes tight again, imagined she was somewhere else. Hoping that when she opened her eyes again, everything would be okay. But things don't work that way. Horror struck as she realised she couldn't open her eyes. â€Å"I can't open my eyes!† she screamed, running into the wall. She desperately clawed at her eyes but to no avail. Then ‘POP!' Her ears popped and she lost all sense of hearing. Deaf, blind, it can't get any worse! Could it? Just as she thought it was the end, the vision of her home faded into sight. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the hallway. Smiling as she recognised each and every familiar crack in the paintwork. Her dads' handiwork. â€Å"Ahem.† She spun round to face a police officer. â€Å"And what are you doing here young lady?† he said in an immaculate British accent. â€Å"I†¦I live here† she stammered. â€Å"Preposterous!† cried the police officer. â€Å"You can't live here!† close to tears, she looked him in the eye and said. â€Å"Why not?† Just as the police officer was about to answer, her little brother stared at her in shock from behind him. His face completely drained of colour. He gulped and said â€Å"Officer, tell me you can see her too.† What was going on? Had he gone crazy? Was something going on in his warped 14 year old mind? What could he possibly mean by that? â€Å"Yes I see her. What a strange thing to ask. She obviously there, I mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he stopped dead in his tracks. â€Å"Oh goodness. Is that†¦?† her brother nodded slowly, hardly believing it himself. â€Å"But that's impossible!† exclaimed the police officer. â€Å"How can it be?† â€Å"How can what be?† she asked. â€Å"What's going on?† she stared at her brother, waiting for him to answer. â€Å"You're dead.† It was so simple. Amazing what two little words could do. She couldn't believe her ears. â€Å"I'm what?† she whispered. â€Å"You're dead sis. But then, how come I can see you? Are you like†¦some kind of spirit now? A ghost?† she stared blankly at him. He stared expectantly back into her eyes. Amidst the silence, the police officer crept away. â€Å"I†¦I don't know.† She said. â€Å"Am I†¦Am I dreaming?† she stammered. Confused, she held her heavy head in her hands. Her eyes rolled into her head and colours swirled in her mind. She felt as light as air. Just like a ghost! She looked at her hands and she could see her brothers' horrified face through them. â€Å"Delise?† he cried her name. She was too shocked to speak as she faded away into nothingness, or so her brother thought. She found herself in a beautiful, peaceful garden, full of tulips, her favourite. There was a sparkling pond with a weeping willow hanging over it providing some cool shade. She couldn't help but relax and it felt so good. There was a tall, young man standing in the middle of it, she wondered how she had not noticed him until just now. â€Å"Delise Patterson,† he smiled. â€Å"I've been expecting you† â€Å"I'm dead,† was all she could say. â€Å"No people never die, you are not a ghost, you are a person. That body was your ghost. Now you are free of it. Now you are nothing but yourself, like it was meant to be.† He smiled warmly at her but she didn't return it. â€Å"I have to go back! I want to go back!† she cried. â€Å"Why would you want to return to a place where you can feel pain, where you can get hurt, where you can hurt others?† he asked, â€Å"This is paradise.† â€Å"I was murdered! Please show me how to go back!† she screamed. â€Å"Why do you want to go back?† he repeated the question patiently. â€Å"I have to find the bastard who killed me!† she screamed angrily. â€Å"No!† he flared out. â€Å"I'm not letting you get away! Not again, not ever.† â€Å"Get away again?† she said to herself. What could he mean again? Have they met before? Impossible. She was sure she could recognise a face like that. Beautiful, yet twisted. Charming, yet deceptive. Cocky, yet hesitant. â€Å"Never again will I let you escape. My whole life spent searching for something, and in a matter of seconds, it's gone. She's gone. You, were gone.† He said, close to tears. Delise could sense that if she didn't do anything soon, he'd be sobbing uncontrollably and she'd never get out. She'd never go back. Back home. But she needed to get back to take her wicked revenge. â€Å"Please stop crying. I†¦I will come back.† But he still wept. Delise was starting to get irritated. â€Å"Come on don't be pathetic, what do you mean you won't let me go again?† â€Å"You don't recognise me do you?† he said through tears. â€Å"Why should I?† she asked, puzzled. â€Å"How can I recognise you if I don't know who you are?† â€Å"But you DO know me. You DO!† he cried. â€Å"How can you not recognise your own brother?† Silence. â€Å"Tim?† she whispered. â€Å"Yes,† he whispered back. â€Å"Tim.† He didn't know why he did that. Lied to her. He guessed Tim was her brother. He'd change his name to Tim now. Yes. Tim. â€Å"You look so different.† She said stunned. â€Å"Tim. If you love me, you will let me go back. Don't you want the person who murdered me to get what they deserve? She sobbed. â€Å"You're not dead.† He said. â€Å"How many times do I need to tell you? You're not dead!† he paused. How could he come up with a believable reason? â€Å"I took you here to be†¦safe.† Delise stared in disbelief. â€Å"I didn't want you to get hurt.† He said. â€Å"Hurt?† she questioned. â€Å"Yes. Hurt. Hurt by†¦me.† â€Å"What? But you're my brother! Why would you hurt me?† she cried. â€Å"I'm not your brother and you can't leave. I have to protect you from him.† â€Å"This is crazy.† She said. â€Å"I'm protecting you from him, the guy in the sky, the man upstairs, GOD.† â€Å"What? I'd rather be dead than stay here with you, you psycho.† â€Å"Oh no you don't.† he muttered. â€Å"Nobody stands up to me and gets away with it!† he screamed. â€Å"I am the most powerful being there is! Fear me mortal!† â€Å"DELISE!† she heard a man's voice. â€Å"Don't look into his eyes! It's Satan!† Satan? She knew she was in real trouble now. Clamping her eyes shut she screamed for help. Nobody came. The darkness closed in over her. She could feel it getting nearer. Every breath a vicious flash back of her life†¦ She felt dizzy. Exhausted and sick. Ill with confusion. Fatigued, she fell into a deep sleep. * * * * * Delise awoke to the sound of humming. A mellifluous tune. Calming and dreamy. She hummed along as if she knew the tune all her life. Smiling, she sat up. Beside her, a man in his early twenties aroused, dazed. Not the man she met in the garden, he was too peaceful to be evil. â€Å"Delise,† he whispered. â€Å"Is it really you?† â€Å"Yes.† She whispered back. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"Tim.† He smiled. Truth in his eyes. Eyes that have seen too much. Eyes like Delise's. â€Å"It's really you this time, I can tell.† She said. â€Å"Oh Tim!† she cried as she threw her arms around him. â€Å"I won't ever leave you again.† Tim's eyes started to fill with tears â€Å"That day†¦when the house was burgled and mum and dad†¦well you know†¦where did you go?† he whispered between sobs. â€Å"You just sort of†¦faded out of sight. All those years I thought you were dead.† He sobbed. â€Å"I'm sorry Tim.† She really was. â€Å"I was so alone! My friends turned on me. They called me an unwanted orphan. So long, Delise, too long.† â€Å"Do they still†¦Ã¢â‚¬  she couldn't think of what to say. â€Å"Bully me? Call me names? No.† He said. â€Å"Never again. I am forever rid of them. The world is forever rid of them.† Her eyes widened in shock. â€Å"Oh Tim you didn't did you? Oh please say it's not true!† she wept hysterically. Without waiting for his answer, she ran. She ran for what seemed like forever until she was out of breath. Panting, she rested her pounding head on the cool wall of the dimly lit corridor. By now, she was sobbing uncontrollably, she couldn't, wouldn't believe it. Her little brother? He's a†¦she couldn't bring herself to even think the word. Suddenly, she froze. Footsteps. Behind her. She waited. Still the footsteps drew nearer, ever closer, the pace matching that of her hearts'. Spinning round, she searched for the eyes of her stalker. There was no one there. â€Å"Delise.† Said a voice behind her. She gasped in horror. â€Å"Murderer.† Whispered Delise. â€Å"Delise, you need to understand, I had to do it. There was no other option.† â€Å"No other option.† Said Delise coolly. â€Å"No other option!† she turned on him, pushing and shoving, wrapping her slender but strong arms around his dark neck. â€Å"Don't give me that you little piece of shit! I'm ashamed of you Tim. You are a disgrace.† She hissed. â€Å"It was either them or me. Satan is in charge of the world now and he controls everything. There's no escape Delise. He's even watching us right now. He makes people fight for his fun, but there's no loser until someone dies. They had to die.† Still hitting him, but now more feebly, she wept. She wept for her brother, she wept for those he killed, but more than anything, she wept for herself as she saw an image play in her mind. She was standing, covered in blood. Someone else's blood. â€Å"This is it. You ready?† sneered a woman also covered in blood. Delise glared hard at her. â€Å"You look just like my mother. I'm home† she spat back. Screaming, the anonymous woman ran at her dagger at the ready. Barbarically, Delise mirrored her actions but was a split second too late. The cold metal touched her skin seductively before breaking the skin, scraping her ribcage, piercing her already broken heart. Eyes wide open; Delise didn't even have a chance to scream. The taste of fresh blood in her dry mouth, gushing out onto the sandy floor. A stinging mixture of blood, sweat and tears as she realised this was no vision. She fell forwards, pushing the dagger all the way through so that it protruded her back. The darkness closed in over her. She could feel it getting nearer. Every breath a vicious flash back of her life. Closing her eyes, she let herself drift into sleep, never to wake again.

My favorite hero Netaji Subhaschandra Bose Essay

Great heroes are honoured in every country. There are many such heroes in every country. People have great liking for this hero or that. In our country many great heroes were born in the past. They were great patriots. They sacrificed their lives for the freedom of their mother land. We may mention, for instance, the name of Rana Pratap. He was a great national hero. He sacrificed everything for the freedom of his State. In the present age also many great heroes were born in India. They sacrificed their lives for their country’s freedom. We remember their names with love and respect. My favourite national hero Among the great heroes of modern India, the name of Netaji Subhaschandra comes uppermost in my mind. I like him best/He is my favourite national hero. His life is a great ideal to us. It inspires every Indian with ardent patriotism. Why he is my favourite national hero Very few Indians can be compared with Netaji Subhas. He was born in a rich and aristocratic Bengalee family in Orissa. He became a member of the Indian Civil Service. That was probably the highest ambition of most of the Indian students during the British rule in India. But Netaji Subhas was not satisfied with this. He did not like the life of luxury and pleasure. He chose the difficult path of serving his motherland. He took the vow of freeing his beloved motherland from the bondage of foreign rule. He resigned his imperial sevice. He did not care for rank and wealth. He joined the movement of the Indian National Congress under Deshbandhu Chittaranjan. He reaped the fruit of his service to the motherland. He struggled hard to free India from the British rule. And for this he had to suffer much all through his life. He was sent to prison. He was externed. Then he was interned in his own home. But no hardship could daunt his spirit. He followed his ideal with wonderful zeal. He did what he thought to be right. In this respect he did not yield even to Gandhiji. Perhaps we cannot mention any other eminent leader who had the courage to oppose Gandhiji. But Netaji did it because he had the courage of conviction. He felt that in certain respects he was right and Gandhiji was wrong and he had the courage to say this. His courage won the admiration of all. He became the President of the Indian National Congress. But he had to resign Presidentship for his fault of opposing Gandhiji. He preferred this. Still he would not sacrifice his firm faith in his policy of fighting for the freedom of his beloved motherland. During the last great War, he left India in disguise and went to Germany and Japan. He hoped to free India with the help of those countries. He had a wonderful power of organization. This had been noticed all through his life. He raised an army and called it the Indian National Army. It is briefly known as LN. A. With this army he fought against the powerful British Government at Imphal in Manipur. But owing to many adverse circumstances, his attempt was not successful. But his noble example inspired all freedom-loving people and particularly the young men of India. This LN. A. and’Jai Hind’ which was their way of greeting, will make his name ever memorable in the history of India. The members of I. N. A. alled him Netaji and since then he has been known as Netaji Subhas. After his failure, he left for Japan in an aeroplane. It is said that he met his death from the crashing of that aeroplane. But many Indians still believe that he is not dead. If he is alive, we do not know where he is now. Conclusion The life of Netaji Subhaschandra is a bright example of wonderful patriotism, indomitable spirit, undaunted courage of conviction, miraculous power of organization and loftiness of character. All these virtues appeal to me most, and hence I regard him as my favourite national hero.

A critical analysis of the media's reporting of politics and the Essay

A critical analysis of the media's reporting of politics and the political process - Essay Example Powell (1990) says that it is ‘this form of connection that will determine our lives’. Thus, critical analysis of media’s reporting of politics and political process has become essential to evaluate its role in the changing dynamics of socio-political and economic paradigms of a nation. The various elements of political system vis-Ã  -vis changing dynamics of society, government, political parties, corporate world etc. have become vital ingredients of exploitation by the media. In the recent times, the role of media in the political campaign has come under lot of flak for myriad reasons (Bakir, 2006; Hall Jamieson & Waldmann, 2004; Patterson, 1980). While sometimes media exploits them for its own vested interests, other times it is exploited by the system, especially the political parties and politicians and the corporate world to garner support for their own political agenda (Kepplinger, 2007; Ridout & Mellen, 2007). The media, everywhere in the world, is a leading agency for projecting the ideologies and news to a huge target population or viewers. The larger the audience base, the more powerful it becomes. The media in its various format like television, radio and newspaper and magazine, basically has the main objective of informing the audience of the events and news that are taking place around the world or it may just be region-centric, depending whether it is targeting domestic or international market. In the early eighties, there were about 80 media houses which have now shrunk to only five. These are Time Warner, Walt Disney Company, Murdoch’s New Corporation, Viacom and Bertelsmann. This cartel of big five, control a lot more than media houses. Each of them has stake in all forms of mass media; be it radio and television, newspaper and publishing house or motion pictures. They have become strong

Evolution of Iraqi national identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Evolution of Iraqi national identity - Essay Example In the Middle East for instance it may not be anachronistic to see President George Bush and Osama bin Laden seen on parallel screens of different television channels simultaneously. This places greater pressures on the control of the mind space of the general masses for development of relatively sophisticated concepts as nationalism and national identity. Iraq has been the subject of considerable debate in international polity in the past few years. This is so due to the total revolution that the state has been undergoing post intervention by United States led forces in 2003 and toppling of the Saddam regime. Outbreak of a civil war has added to the confusion as no clear picture on the fractious polity of the hapless state and its people is emerging. Simultaneously we have seen proliferation of media in all its forms in this short period, partly initiated by the United States forces efforts at public diplomacy and partly due to the natural growth of media in the Middle East revolutionized by the entry of television channels as Al Jazeera. ... f the concept of national identity as it has existed in Iraq over the years, particularly from the time of the end of the First World War to the present times. How and in what way media can contribute to national identity is another facet which has been considered by an holistic analysis of media particularly its Iraqi dimension. The way ahead in involvement of the media in developing national identity in Iraq is covered in the final part of the paper. Identity is a political issue. Media and polity are umbilically interlinked as media is a political instrument of influence. Thus this study should provide us an insight of polity contributing to national identity as well as the role of media under such a dispensation. The Concept of National Identity Identity has been variously defined. When related to group identity it is said to be a sense of purpose and belonging to a common programme.1 It coagulates people with a notion of shared aims.2 It is also defined as a set of ideas which are constructed around the concept of a nation and relation of individuals and groups to these.3 In terms of national identity, it applies to people born and living in the same nation.4 Thus it would be clear that identity relates to development of commonality between two individuals or a group of people which creates a sense of belonging. It leads to cooperative relationship between people. When related with nations and people, two or more people naturalized in the same state and citizens of it can be called as nationals of that country. However this may be too narrow an understanding of national identity hence there is a need to develop this concept further to understand its nuances. The attitude that people display about their nations is said to construe national identity and its

Eminent domain Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Eminent domain - Essay Example The right of the government to seize private property, is for public utility propjets like hospitals, schools, government t office buildings, parks etc. To have just laws is fine. What is important is the interpretation of the law needs to be just and the end use of the acquired land needs to be for just purposes. The wise saying goes, that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. The implementing authorities may try to abuse eminent domain, but it is for the community to resist such ill-boding moves. When the State Government delegates the power to their political subdivisions, such as cities and counties, the chances of misuse of eminent domain is real. The saving grace for the American citizen is, as the author points out, â€Å"Constitutional rights carry a moral and symbolic power not shared by statutory protections.†(7) According to the 5th Amendment, â€Å"No person shall†¦be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.†(16)Thus the American citizen is protected by the abuse of eminent domain as he gets th e fair market value of the property. The federal and state governments often delegate the power of eminent domain to private corporation that are engaged in quasi-government functions, such as railroad and utility companies and they can acquire property through the process of condemnation. But without the power of eminent domain, no government can initiate large-scale welfare measures and public utility projects. Even before the American Revolution, colonies used the powers of eminent domain for construction of roads and

Homeland Security Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Homeland Security - Assignment Example Foreign Intelligence Security Act (FISA) The 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) allowed agents easy access to warrants if they could show that there was a substantial â€Å"foreign intelligence† angle to their work; the warrants would be granted by a special FISA court. FISA can now be used in cases that are entirely crimial in nature, agents can get automatic â€Å"admisitrative† FISA warrants as long as agents can assert that there is some foreign intelligence angle to the cases, they receive such warrants on demand (Darmer, 2004). Prior to 9/11, FISA was not considered a law enforcement tool; its function was solely preventative. FISA surveillance powers were available only when the primary purpose of an investigation was to obtain foreign intelligence, including counterespionage and counterterrorism information. FISA authorized surveillance under flexible conditions that are considered unacceptable when the government’s objective is to gather e vidence for criminal persecution (Howard, Forest and Moore, 2006). FISA surveilleance is permitted after showing diluted suspicion not equivalent to the traditonal criminal starndard of probable cause. Surveilllance and searches can continue over extensive peiods of time, with less jusicial supervision. The person targeted normallly is never notified that he was subjected to surveillance. If that peron is prosecuted, his attorney normally cannot review the surveillance documents for prurposes of his defense, as they could if surveillance had been conducted under conventional law enforcement standards (Darmer, 2004). If the judge finds that there is probable cause that the individual is indeed a terrorism funder, then he can use the provisions as set by FISA to determine whether this calim is true or not. FISA establishes leagl procedures for electronic surveillance, physical serches as well as the use of trap and trace devices and pen registers to gather jevidence. if this evidence is collected on the activities of the suspect, then it can be used agaist him in court. this law is applicable to anyone who is involved in any way in terrorism activities. this means that anyone found guilty of terririst activities can be tried using this law regardless of whether he is a citizen of the US or not. the Lone Wolf provision of FISA also allows for the prosecution of a suspected terrorist without having to confirm the people he/she is working with. inthis case, if there is enough physical evidence to show that the suspected financier of terrorism is guilty as charged, there is no need to find the people he is working with jfor him to be sentenced. The USA PATRIOT Act This is an Act of the US Congress which became law on 26 October 2001. The letters USA PATRIOT are acronyms for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (Bazan, 2008). This is one important piece of legislation that every judg e dealing with a terrorism case should be conversant with. the issues that are likely to come up in regards to this law are discussed below. The Patriot Act has ten titles outlining new powers of government for counterterrorist activities, expands technical support for the FBI, expands electronic intelligence gathering research, and defines presidential authority in response to terrorism. The purpose of Title II is to improve the government’s ability to gather electronic evidence. Title II allows

Philosophy of Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Philosophy of Education - Essay Example An essential aspect of education is the willingness, or voluntariness, of the learner. Peters attempts to elucidate the concept of education by formulating the four criteria which characterize the processes involved in ‘being educated.’ By his own admission, Peters formulates his criteria as a â€Å"guide,† and not as a â€Å"definitive statement† of law (2). Taken in this perspective, his criteria for ‘being educated’ appear very reasonable. Peters’ lists four criteria which are essential for a process to satisfy the concept of education: education involves a body of knowledge and an understanding of associated principles; education implies a transformation of outlook; education involves caring and commitment; education must have a cognitive perspective. Peters’ four criteria succeed in giving us a very clear idea of the concept of ‘being educated,’ although they cannot be accepted as absolutely categorical. The firs t criteria laid down by Peters, to which the processes of education must conform, is the possession of knowledge and an understanding of underlying principles. ... The knowledge possessed by an educated person cannot be just â€Å"a collection of disjointed facts† (8). Peters clearly differentiates between training and education: training is â€Å"equipping people with necessary skills for a job† (7). Education has another dimension than mere training. Training can have educational value, but the concept of education transcends the mere acquisition of skills. Peters categorically states that the objective of education is not extrinsic: extrinsic objectives, such as making the learner job-worthy, fall under the ambit of training. On the other hand, the objectives of education are intrinsic, including â€Å"the development of individual potentialities --- intellect and character† (5). In differentiating between training and education, Peters now leads into his second criterion, which is based on the change brought about by education. According to Peters’ second criteria, ‘being educated’ brings about a cha nge in the outlook of the educated person. He elucidates the kind of knowledge which an educated man must possess, in order to be called ‘educated,’ and not just ‘knowledgeable’. The knowledge acquired by an educated person is active, and his â€Å"outlook is transformed by what he knows† (9). This knowledge comes to characterize his way of looking at things, and does not exist in isolation from the other spheres of his life. In other words, Peters’ emphasizes that the knowledge possessed by an educated person is not inert: it is actively applied to every aspect of that person’s life. Peters’ concept of the ‘active’ nature of education is also marked by another characteristic, which forms his next criteria. Peters’ third criteria is closely

Chocolat Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Chocolat - Movie Review Example ns for its spread in the entire community and would give people something to cherish and enjoy in a strictly held environment of religious associations. The timing of the mega event is of high significance and it is related and dropped at a time that coincides with the local locality’s religious beliefs. The two chose Easter Sunday for the festival which is the last thing the mayor and other opponents of the idea could have expected. The chocolate coated message in the movie: The movie is indication and message conveyer of empathy and love and cherishing the moments and living the life as it should be lived. The entire idea about the confectionery and chocolate business is to bring about joy and happiness in the lives of people of the incumbent society who are pressed by the recluse in the name of theological beliefs imposed on them in form of orthodox social factors. The coining in of the chocolate concept makes it softer to digest and leaves an impact in a gentle way. While the mayor and other officials are skeptical of the entire idea, the locals receive the entire idea warmly and see it as a breath of fresh air in an environment and society that was restricted previously in the name of religious practices. It is the strong presence of chocolate and its ability to make way and find place in the hearts of people of the local scene that its practices and confectionery operation is allowed. This very act sets the precedence for more relaxation and more power and freedom of people in the society which was a scarcity in past and people had to live under curbed circumstances. Director’s cut: Lasse Hallstrom has lived up to his name and has delivered what he is expected of and is known for. With this movie and deliverance he has extended his legacy as one of the fine... The movie is indication and message conveyer of empathy and love and cherishing the moments and living the life as it should be lived. The entire idea about the confectionery and chocolate business is to bring about joy and happiness in the lives of people of the incumbent society who are pressed by the recluse in the name of theological beliefs imposed on them in form of orthodox social factors. The coining in of the chocolate concept makes it softer to digest and leaves an impact in a gentle way. It is the strong presence of chocolate and its ability to make way and find place in the hearts of people of the local scene that its practices and confectionery operation is allowed. This very act sets the precedence for more relaxation and more power and freedom of people in the society which was a scarcity in past and people had to live under curbed circumstances. The script conveys a loud message in a very subtle way and through the most feasible and flexible tool of confectionery that hits the sense of taste in the sweetest of manners. It has pointed out to a old custom that was oppressive and against the nature of free society and free people, yet the message has been conveyed in the most harmonized manner without hurting anyone’s feelings. The director has various other movies and fine pieces under his belt which make him the established, renowned for his artistic work in cinematic corridors. The movie is well coherent and structured in bits. Each segment complements other in its own way, while the first phase is a build up and relatively slow, second is well carried along and the third is relatively fast paced as per need since it had more activity to it.

Four Poems by Derek Mahon Essay Example for Free

Four Poems by Derek Mahon Essay Four Poems by Derek Mahon INTRODUCTION Derek Mahon belongs to the same generation of Northern Ireland poets as Seamus Heaney. But, whereas many of Heaneys poems are rooted firmly in the rural landscape of Ulster where he grew up, Mahons poems reflect his childhood spent in Belfast. His familiar places were the streets of the city, the Harland and Wolff shipyard where his g-andfather and father worked, and the flax-spinning factory where his mother worked. Later on, Mahon would come to study at Trinity College Dublin and from there he spread his wings to travel and work in many different places, from France, Canada and America, to London and Kinsale in Co. Cork. , †¢DAY TRIP TO DONEGAL Tie shift, in both meaning and feeling, that :sxes place between the first and final lines of ~ s poem makes it memorable. The title :=e~s ordinary: Day Trip to Donegal suggests :- :~ :od days out at the seaside or even a school trip with classmates and teachers. ~~ opening stanza is conversational in tone. I : ,al at his seaside destination, the poet s n familiar surroundings. There were to be seen and as ever the hills a deeper green/Than anywhere in the : : seems at this point that we are r: r :: share a pleasant day at the seaside in Donegal with the poet. However, just as we . rev. ~~ comfortable with this expectation, -:::†¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ appears. We are disturbed by the 2. Deration in the final line and the image : ^reduces: the grave/Grey of the sea Me grwnmer in that enclave. : — : _s -rial line of the opening stanza , a similar scenario in stanza two. The poet watches the fishing-boats arriving back at the pier with their catch. This familiar scene is often described in attractive terms by songwriters and painters. But here Mahon startles us in the second line by describing the catch as A writhing glimmer offish. The word writhing is very vivid. The fish are seen as suffering and this notion becomes more intense in the concluding lines of the stanza where he sees them flopping about the deck/In attitudes of agony and heartbreak. A story is told about Mahon as an only child who spent a lot of time alone. His imagination had free rein and in the bicycle shed in the garden at home the Mahons also kept coal. Apparently the boy Derek Mahon suffered guilt when he went to the shed to get his bicycle. He felt pity for the coal which was, to him, imprisoned in that dark, cold, shed. His compassion was evident even then; he felt sorry for the coal! In Day Trip to Donegal we see that the poets day is changed by the sight of the caught fish. He feels compassion for them in their dying moments. In stanza three the return journey to Belfast is described. This poem is poised between two worlds — the seaside one in rural Donegal and the urban one in Belfast. Have you noticed how Mahon chooses to describe his arrival back in Belfast? We changed down into suburbs/Sunk in a sleep no gale-force wind disturbs. There is a suggestion here of a tamer world than the wild gale-beaten one of Donegal. The phrase changed down refers to the gear-change of the car, but it also shows how the poet is struck by the difference between the rural and the urban worlds he has experienced on that particular day. The sleeping suburbs seem slow and quiet after the drama of the Donegal landscape. Exam ; Career Guide 241 I t/2 _i O Z LU LU h-U LU U Nightmare Stanza four picks up again on the disturbing imagery of stanza two. There is an intense feeling of terror here as the poet recalls his dream after his day out at the seaside. In his nightmare, the sea is seen as a powerful force of destruction. We can be chilled by his description of the sea performing its immeasurable erosions — Spilling into the skull. The combination of words here is powerful: immeasurable erosions and the alliteration of spilling and skull. The choice of the word erosion is worth noting here. It suggests eating away at something — the action of the sea on the coastline over many years. Why does the poet draw a parallel between himself and the eroding coastline, at the mercy of the infinite onslaught of the sea? Could this be an oblique reference to the political circumstances in which he lived in Northern Ireland? We remember that Donegal was described in stanza one as a green enclave. He has travelled there from Belfast — another political entity to which he returns after his day across the border. In the nightmare he is the helpless victim at the mercy of the relentless sea. It mutters its threat — the poet does not enjoy a peaceful sleep after his day-trip to Donegal. Instead he has a kind of nightmare, a surreal vision which is frightening and sinister. The nightmarish journey continues into the final stanza. Now the sea has become a metaphor for the poets own view of his life. He is alone and drifting, has not taken enough caution to prevent this danger and feels surrounded on all sides by the vindictive wind and rain, i. . , the malevolent forces that control his life and which cannot be placated. The poem ends on a note of hopelessness and despair. There is no promise of rescue. His predicament recalls that of the fish described in stanza two — flopping about the deck/In attitudes of agony and heartbreak. †¢ ECCLESIASTES The title of this poem situates it immediately in the context of religion — Ecclesiastes being the title of a book in the Old T estament, used frequently by preachers in their sermons. The context of the poem is the Ulster of the religious preachers and the churchmen which Mahon knew very well, being an Ulster Protestant by birth. The opening three lines of the poem are full of feeling. We notice the repetition of God and the rhythm created by purist and puritan, and wiles and smiles. Mahon is imagining himself as a member of the preaching classes and he tries in this poer-look closely at his identity as an Ulster Protestant. There is self-mockery in h s _s= of the phrase purist little puritan. The preacher is narrow minded (little) and rigid his attitudes — a purist puritan would be 3 extreme version of an ordinary puritan *^ would have been very strict in religious :. -†¢ moral matters. There is mockery and contempt as he describes the preache (Ecclesiastes) as God-chosen and God-fearing. He sees himself as occupying tr-e high moral ground while at the same t~-= basing his morality on fear rather than genuine conviction. The world inhabited by the Ecclesiastes (preachers) is a grim one. The images in ine 4 and 5 convey this most powerfully. The choice of the word dank (meaning da-x sr damp and cold) for the churches and the tied up swings on Sundays paint a joyless picture. Sunday was a particularly gloorny ~ in Protestant Ulster as it was strictly designated for prayer and church-going. Pleasure of any kind was frowned on. Marc then contrasts this life-denying way of lrvrgt;f with the real life of the world — the heat i the world. He mentions how such a rigic code of behaviour allows those Churchmer to avoid the humanising interaction with women and the bright eyes of children. He continues with this train of thought in lines to 16. His tone is very critical. He sees tr-e preacher as using his public morality tc 2*c the real challenges of life — the call on eac of us to understand and forgive. The red bandana and stick and the ban? c referred to represent the antithesis of the preachers life. The red is a lively contrast n the dork doors mentioned before and the bandana and stick would be used on journe to brighter, livelier places than the dark r of Antrim which are washed by the cole January rains. This dark, cold place is the natural habitat of the preacher. He is following in the tradition of his forebears — the heaped graves of your fathers. Here he can close one eye and be king. This is an allusion to Erasmus, who once said: In the country of the blind the one-eyed man is King. Is this a reference to the closed mm and the bigotry of Mahons Ulster? The preacher can lord it over the ordinary peoc whose heavy washing flaps in the housing estates. They are credulous. But Mahons preacher has nothing to offer them. The ft imagery of the poem is filled with contemp 42 Exam ; Career Guide cts the preacher stiff with rhetoric forth to the captive audience yet lothing whatever to offer them — ng nothing under the sun. eamus Heaney writes about Ulster :es in the memory of The Forge, in scape of Bogland, The Harvest Bow and Mahon, on the other hand, has a vision of Ulster — and he shares gt;n with us in Ecclesiastes. It is a place ;tants and Puritans and Preachers. He :dges that this is part of his own oo, and we find that he has a very ew of the narrow, life-denying f the culture which formed him. IT SHOULD BE m, the mindset of another type of explored. This time it is that of the jrderer — who kills another man ie sees as a just cause. When ;ntions the Moon in the Yellow ire reminded of the Irish Civil War. :hat name was written by Denis ;et in 1927. Its story is of a man e who tried to blow up a generator ydroelectric station which was and was a symbol of the progress Irish Free State. Blake was shot by ;gt;f the Free State called Lanigan. The = officer of the Free State is the ir in this poem, as he justifies his nd even takes pride in it. : of Murder titeous tone is struck at the

Practical Barriers to Healthcare Provisions in New Zealand

Practical Barriers to Healthcare Provisions in New Zealand 5. Write a comparative analysis about the practical barriers that exist in the healthcare provisions in New Zealand and in those of one overseas country of your choice through using the following determinants: a. Safety issue New Zealand According to the organization of GNS Science, as faults lines are running under New Zealand, more than 15,000 earthquakes happened per annum. Therefore, New Zealand is threatened by the risk of several magnitude 6 earthquakes once a year, which might cause a lot of damages to inhabited areas. J.K. Mclntosh et al (2012), reported the 22nd February 2011, Mw 6.3 Christchurch earthquake in New Zealand caused major damage to not only infrastructures, but also to the healthcare system of Canterbury region. It is often said that big natural disasters will bring confusions and disorganizes to healthcare system, for example, damaging to facilities, shutting down of lifeline, running of medicine, shortage of human power, and increasing of patients, consequently, it is one of the major safety issue in New Zealand. India According to the website of Indian Journal of Occupational Environmental Medicine, the lack of amenities, in particular, sanitation is a major public health issue in India. Inadequate sanitation system causes public health issue, for example, diarrhoeas and respiratory infections. Additionally, a person whose immune system is weak is easily to be infected by these diseases, and areas where are not urbanised are more lacking of infrastructures. Generally, once they are in sick, they tend to be in critical conditions, and take long time to be recovered. In India, some inhabitants suffer from unavoidable disease, because of lacking of sanitary conditions. b. Geographical barriers New Zealand In New Zealand, some regions, such as the Far North District and Southland District, a variety numbers of inhabitants need more than 30 minutes to visit GP. Therefore, it is possible to say that some remote rural areas have a difficulty to access to GP due to geographical isolation. This barrier is revealed to The New Zealand Health Survey, which is conducted by the Ministry of Health in 2011/12. According to this survey, 3.4% of New Zealanders did not visit GP, because of lacking of transportation, consequently, the distance to GP prevents from visiting GP. Furthermore, some people would visit GP after symptoms and the stage of illness become worse, and as a result, some of them might not be received effective treatments. India Looking at geographical feature of India, the safety of India is threatened by new clear weapons, which Pakistan and China posse, and to make the matter worse, the relationship between India and Pakistan is intense. Moreover, India has 19 nuclear plants, so it obtains a highly risk of nuclear power both inside and outside of country. Therefore, if there will be an explosion of nuclear weapons at outside of country or some damages to nuclear plats will occur accidentally in India, the land will be contaminated. Furthermore, not only inhabitants, but also healthcare providers will be exposed to radiation. When these situations will happen in the future, hospitals will be the frontline of treatment, and it will affect huge impact to provision of healthcare in India. c. Cultural barriers New Zealand According to the website of Ministry of Social Development, the ethnic diversity of New Zealand’s population will continue to increase, and, in particular Asian population is projected to have the largest growth, averaging 3.4 %, annually. Therefore, the number of people whose first language is not English is increasing in New Zealand. For non-English speakers, language is the biggest barrier to communicate when they have medical treatment. For international patients, it is difficult to tell details of symptoms and to use medical terminologies when they need to talk to healthcare providers. Therefore, for both patients and healthcare providers, language is the biggest barrier to receive effective treatments. India In India, people, particularly living in rural areas generally have their own beliefs and practices pertaining health, and some tribe groups still believe that disease comes from violation of taboos and breach of spirits. Furthermore, some of them follow treatment, which has no evidence and inherited mouth by mouth. Therefore, it might have difficulty to intervene for healthcare providers if people strongly follow their own thoughts and beliefs. d. Socioeconomic barriers New Zealand The New Zealand Health Survey, which is conducted by the Ministry of Health in 2011/12 revealed that 14% of New Zealanders did not use GP service, although they had medical issues. In addition, 7% of adults did not used after-hour services, and 8% of adult did not collect prescription items. The main reason of this is especially for people from low socioeconomic group, it is difficult to afford medical cost. However, medicines are subsidized for people only need to pay relatively small amount for each prescription. Moreover, to compare to the percentage of above percentages between Maori and non-Maori, Maori registered highly percentages in each category. The root of this result is because of lower income and highly unemployment rate of Maori compared with other ethnic groups, and it becomes obstacles of visiting GP and collecting necessary medicines. To sum up, financial issue is the biggest barrier for people who are necessary to visit hospital and to take medicines. India In India, there is a huge gap of the number of medical facilities between urban areas and rural areas. Aust. J. (2002) indicated that 69% of hospitals are located in urban areas, however, the population of rural areas are three times than that of urban areas, and in urban are the majority of inhabitants are people from low socioeconomic groups. Aust. J (2012) insisted that ‘the basic nature of rural health problems is attributed also to lack of health knowledge and awareness, poor maternal and child health services and occupational hazards.’ Additionally, the rural area, their living and working conditions are abysmal, so that they are relatively straightforward to become victims of pandemics of diseases. To make the matter worse, even if they become a sick, they are not able to afford medical cost. In India, the socioeconomic gap is the big barrier, which exists in healthcare practice, and some causes of death are preventable. e. Organizational barriers New Zealand In New Zealand, ambulance service is mainly operated by St John, which is not fully funded by the government. According to the article of The Press (2014), ‘St John is being forced to reshuffle its limited ambulance resources in an attempt to shoulder ballooning demand and multimillion-dollar funding shortfalls.’ The background of this issue is that New Zealand is an aging society, therefore, a lot of elderly people have conical illnesses, and, then, demands of ambulance has been increasing. However, St John is a charity organisation, their funds and resources are limited. Therefore, it might cause the slower response to arrival time of an ambulance, in particular, rural areas. It is often said that in case of emergency, how quickly patients are received medical services is vital to be rescued, so, slow response affects directly to city dwellers’ lives. India Dr. Mohammad Akram (2013) mentioned the situation of sanitation in India at the conference of Sociology of Sanitation National Conference. According to him, 55% of population has no access to toilet in India, and most of them are living in slums and rural areas. In many developed countries, the sanitation is the first priority that the authority organized. However, in India, the interest of public health system was weaker than to be grown up economically, and the policy makers of government were not attracted by sanitation. The government has a power to make policies but if members of the government are not aware of importance of it, it becomes obstruct to improve the satiation and condition. (1254 words) References: Website: GNS Science. (n.d.). Earthquakes and Faults. Retrieved from http://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Learning/Science-Topics/Earthquakes/Earthquakes-and-Faults Map of India. (n.d.) New Clear Plants in India. Retrieved from http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/nuclearpowerplants.htm Ministry of Social Development. (2010). Ethnic composition of the population. Retrieved fromhttp://www.socialreport.msd.govt.nz/people/ethnic-composition-population.html Sociology of Sanitation National Conference. (2013). Sanitation, Health and Development Deficit in India: A Sociological Perspective. http://www.sociologyofsanitation.com/honble-guests/sessionspeakers/sanitation-health-and-development-deficit-in-india-a-sociological-perspective/ The Press. (2014). Ambulance service short of millions. http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/9627350/Ambulance-service-short-of-millions Books: Aust. J. (2002). Current Health Scenario in Rural India. http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~dludden/WaterborneDisease3.pdf Ganesh,S. K, Sitanshu Sekhar.K,andAnimesh.J. (2011). Health and environmental sanitation in India: Issue of prioritising control strategies. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3299104/ Health and environmental sanitation in India: Issues for prioritizing control strategies Health and environmental sanitation in India: Issues for prioritizing control strategies Health and environmental sanitation in India: Issues for prioritizing control strategies Health and environmental sanitation in India: Issues for prioritizing control strategies J.K. McIntosh, C. Jacques, J. Mitrani-Reiser, T.D. Kirsch, S. Giovinazz, and T.M. Wilson. (2012). The Impact of the 22nd February 2011 Earthquake on Christchurch Hospital. Christchurch, New Zealand: University of Canterbury Ministry of Health. (2012). The Health of New Zealand Adults 2011/12: Key findings of the New Zealand Health Survey. Wellington, New Zealand Ministry of Health Lars Brabyn, Ross Barnett. (2004). THE NEW ZEALAND MEDICAL JOURNAL Vol 117 No 1199 ISSN 1175 8716. http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10289/2019/Brabyn%20population%20need.pdf?sequence=1 Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency. (2003). Pakistan India relationships. http://www.millat.com/democracy/Foreign%20Policy/brief3eng.pdf

Normative and Educational Ethics :: Philosophy Morals Papers

The controversies in our time between teleological and deontological ethics which come down to the problem "from being to ought," referring to human being or nature, can be resolved only by an adequate conception of human nature. Taking up the ancient tradition (Plato, Aristotle, Stoa) again, we can re-examine the teleological conception of human nature as primarily instinctive and selfish, and say that human nature is constituted also by reason and that the instinctive nature is predisposed to be guided by reason or intellect. The constitutive order of the human soul, with the subordination of the instinct under the intellect, involves already some natural goodness, of which the intellect is aware (in the natural moral conscience) and for which the will strives (in a natural inclination). This is the basis for the "moral law" and for normative ethics. Thus, human nature is not selfish in itself. Although moral goodness as humankind’s perfection is an ideal, it has in us alrea dy imperfect natural beginnings, a "natural morality." In a certain sense, the moral ought of actions comes from one’s being, from the natural moral goodness of which the intellect is aware in itself, and from its good intentions. I. Problems of Foundation Seen historically, the foundation problems of ethical norms and normative ethics have been treated, in modern times, in two opposite directions, the empiricist and the rationalistic way. The former is characterized as the aposterioric way, taking the criterion of morality only from the result of experience — feelings of usefulness and happiness —, in contrast to the latter as aprioric, taking the criterion from a law of reason — universal human duties — foregoing to all experience. Kants’ ethics tried to superate the aposterioric ethics of the English empiricists, claiming, with the rationalists, a law of reason apriori, but in doing so he did not follow the way of pure rationalism. Rather he established his position as a combination of both directions, the empiricist and the rationalistic one. They form the so-called "material" and "formal" side of his ethics. The moral law of reason, the famous "categorical imperative", belongs to the formal side, whereas the objects of our actions are considered as "material", i.e. as objects of our sensitive desire or vital needs which can be given only in the field of sensible intuition. He denies with the empiricists any intellectual intuition and formulates the "paradox of method" (1) that no object or "good" can be the criterion a priori for morality, but only the categorical imperative, of which, if applied to actions, every object or good is a consequence.

The Prostitute In Dostoevskys Crime and Punishment, Notes from Undergr

The Prostitute In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Notes from Underground, and The Meek One The prostitute is a curious fixture of Victorian era literature. In the works of William Thackeray and Samuel Richardson it was almost clichà © for the heroine to end up in a house of prostitution and then to transcend that situation in a show of proper Victorian morals. Having seen many young women forced by extreme poverty to take up the trade of a loose woman, Fyodor Dostoevsky, a petit-bourgeois fallen on hard times himself, took a rather different approach to the whole issue; he recognized that these women were not utterly without merit as so many people of the time thought. Georg Brandes spoke accurately when he said, "Dostoevsky preaches the morality of the pariah, the morality of the slave." Dostoevsky explored these themes through prostitute characters in many of his works. The most famous of these characters are found in Crime and Punishment, Notes from Underground, and "The Meek One." Each of these presents a unique approach to the condition of prostitutes and the problem of their redemption. In Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky uses the character of Sonia Marmeladov, whose first name means wisdom, not solely to illustrate God's mercy toward a fallen woman but to have her redeem both herself and Raskolnikov through God's mercy. As in the parable given by Father Zosima on his death bed in The Brothers Karamazov, Raskolnikov's initial connection to Sonia in Book I functions as his "stalk of grain" which keeps him from being completely severed from God's grace. Just as the old woman in the parable was without merit except for the fact she gave the beggar a stalk of grain, Raskolnikov lacks merit after his murderous deed exce... ...uments of grace. But most importantly, he tells us that without our own attempt to transcend our sinful nature we will fail like the Underground Man or leap to our spiritual and physical doom as the heroine of "The Meek One" did. We are all Raskolnikov, we are all Sonia. The key is to strive, strive harder and strive forever to reach the unreachable perfection lost to us and unreachable without God. Works Cited and Consulted Dostoevsky, Fyodor. Crime and Punishment. Trans. Constance Garnett. New York: Bantam, 1981. Dostoevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Trans. Constance Garnett. New York: Signet Classics, 1999. Dost. Research Station. Ed. Christiaan Stange. Vers. ? 17 July 1999 - kiosek.com/dostoevsky/quotations.html Martinsen, Deborah A., ed. Notes From Underground, The Double, and Other Stories. New York: Barnes and Noble Classics NY, 2003.

Free Great Gatsby Essays: Social Relationships :: Great Gatsby Essays

Social Relationships in The Great Gatsby    Novelists are often concerned with exploring the confusions and complexities of social relationships. In the context, confusions refer to puzzling relationships, which are confusing to comprehend. Whereas, complexities relate to complicated and intricate issues. The different social relationships discussed in F.Scott Fitzgerald's novel, THE GREAT GASTBY, are business colleagues, lovers and married partners. The characters involved in these relationships consist of, Jay Gatsby, Daisy and Tom Buchanan, Myrtle and George Wilson, Jordan Baker, Mr. Wolshiem and Nick Carraway. Each character interacts with others, establishing either confusions or complexities within their social relationship.    A complex social relationship explored in this novel is between Wolshiem and Gatsby. The two are business colleagues who work together, however the nature of their business is rarely discussed. During lunch between Gatsby, Wolshiem and Nick, Wolshiem mistakes Nick's reason of invitation, which Gatsby quickly states, 'I told you we'd talk about that some other time.' (p69) This suggests to the audience that their business is not above board, as Gatsby does not wish to discuss their business dealing in front of company. Throughout the novel, their business relationship is kept very vague. On the surface it appears to be a normal business relationship, however due to the uncertainty of their dealings, it is established to the audience that there is a complex relationship existing between the two characters. Thus showing how complexities can be explores through the social relationship of business colleagues.    Another example of a social relationship explored in the novel, containing complexities, is between Wolshiem and Gatsby from Wolshiem's point of view. In the final chapter, Wolshiem sends Nick a letter in regards to Gatsby's death. He states that he is, '...tied up in... very important business... cannot get mixed up in this thing now.' (p157)    This reinforces that their relationship was strictly business and there was not a very strong friendship existing between the two characters. It appears that Wolshiem has very little respect for Gatsby, as he doesn't have the courtesy to attend his funeral. It is portrayed that all Gatsby was to Wolshiem was a business colleague, nothing more. Wolshiem doe not want to further their relationship as friends. Within the letter, Wolshiem refers to Gatsby as a 'thing.' This represents Gatsby's death as an inconvenience on Wolshiem's behalf. As Wolshiem was involved in some 'very important business,' this once again reinforces the idea that their business relationship was below board.

Race and the Community Essay

What information about diversity in the United States has helped you better understand or relate to others in ways that you may not have in the past? Information about diversity in the United States has helped me better understand and relate to others in ways that I have not in the past. By learning that there is two sides to every story and that prejudice and discrimination does not lead to any good. It hurts society and myself. It can cloud my judgment about a situation and cause me to make the wrong decision. Also the more information I learned about the hardships that many women and men faced in this country I gained more of an appreciation for the hardships that they went through. From the first immigrants coming to the United States and feeling like they needed to change their own names in order to become respected here in the United States. To the hardships that woman faced in order to get a voice in this country. Having the ability to speak for themselves and have a say in their own lives and how their own country is run. Learning all this gave me a new perspective on how discrimination and prejudice is still prevalent in our country and what I can do personally to combat it. Have you learned something new about your own racial, ethnic, or cultural history? I have learned something new about my own cultural history. In taking this course I began to ask questions about my own heritage and background. When it came to the discussion of immigration during week three I began to ask questions about where I came from and my families lineage. I decided that the best person to ask would be my Grandma on my dad’s side, not only because she is the oldest in the family but also I new she had done some genealogy research in the past. I knew that the majority of my family came from England and crossed the Atlantic Ocean to reside here in the United States. In talking with my Grandma I learned more information about my families past. I found out that the Moncur family line originates in France. They were French Aristocrats and fled to England during the French Revolution. Though my last name is not pronounced with a French accent, many people want to do that. Further more â€Å"mon couer† in French translates to â€Å"my heart† so essentially my last name translates to â€Å"my heart† in French. Trends in immigration will continue to shape the demographics of the United States. What will the U.S. population look like in the year 2050? Why do you think so? Because of trends in immigration the United States demographics will continue to change. In the year 2050 the US population will be different than what it is today. I believe we will see a rise in the Mexican American population. As more people from Mexico will immigrate to the United States to better their way of life. Also because the current generation of Mexican Americans will begin to have their own kids and a second generation of Mexican Americans will be born here in the United States. I also think there will be more of an influx of the African American population as they begin to populate more of the urban areas of the United States. As of right now the majority of African Americans seem to be heavy in the South and in city areas. As time goes on more will move to other areas of the country as more urban areas are built and established. What challenges does the United States face due to the diversity of its people? Some of the challenges that the United States faces due to the diversity of its people is finding its â€Å"one voice†. Because the United States is such a melting pot of a country there are many people with many different beliefs and cultures. Because of so much variety and diversity it may prove difficult to establish a majority, especially on hot topic issues such as religion and how it should affect government. A small example of this is going on in my own home state of Utah. Right now there are a variety of people with a variety of different religions. But the state is being run by one dominant religion though there should be a separation between church and state. The current topic in the news has to do with Utah State Legislators asking their church officials about hot topic issues. Because not everyone in the State of Utah is a Ladder Day Saint it makes if difficult to understand that one religion is deciding what I can and cannot do with my life. On a larger scale such as the country we face the same issues. As we become more diverse and have many separate voices it will be hard to find that majority and speak as one as a country. Right now we are having a hard time as it is. Politics have become a attack on each candidate and are no longer focused on what is actually best for the country. What are the benefits of such a diverse society? Some of the benefits of having such a diverse society is we do get a variety and a mix of opinions. The more people you have that come from a different background and have a different perspective on things allows for more of a stronger dialogue between people. It allows for a new input on problems that we might face as a country. It also allows for us to see our differences and what we have in common and join forces together allowing us to become stronger as a nation. In times of war we have been able to set aside our differences and band together to become victorious. An example of this was using Native American service man and their native language as code, which was never broken and was said to be the reason that we were able to win the war. We are able to see our differences and use those differences to our advantage for the greater good. How can we foster a climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism in the United States? As a society we can foster a climate of acceptance and cultural pluralism in the United States in a couple of ways. The first way is to ensure and instill in our societies young children that it is because of our differences we are a stronger nation. Education is key when it comes to help foster a climate of acceptance. Most prejudice starts with fear and so by teaching our young that there is nothing to fear we are able to move on and form more of a utopia society. Part of educating has to do with learning from our countries and society’s mistakes to make for a better future. An example of this is our own countries civil rights movement that went on in the 1950’s and 1960’s. It is from our mistakes in that time that we have learned that social problems such as equal rights only divides our country and makes us weaker. In what ways does the media perpetuate stereotyping and prejudice? Mass media contributes to the perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudice in the United States by having unbalanced reporting. A couple examples have to do with Fox News Channel, they claim they are fair and balanced but they are far from being fair or balanced. Fox news is particularly unbalanced towards the Democratic Party and especially towards our current President Barack Obama who is African American. There have been times where he has been portrayed as a Muslim because of his heritage and therefore a terrorist. He has been portrayed â€Å"ape† like in a couple political cartoons featured on their programming. Fox news is essentially telling its viewers, who are primarily white, that a African American man is unable to run this country. Another way how the media contributes to the perpetuation of stereotypes and prejudice in the United States is by reporting on certain people’s actions for shock value and commercial gain. An example of this is a Pastor is Florida who was burning the Quran. The media outlets posted this story everywhere, which infuriated the Muslim people. However by doing so a stereotype was formed that the United States is after all people of the Muslim faith. So in a way the media perpetuated a negative stereotype about their own American people. In what ways does the media help foster appreciation for diversity? There are many ways the media helps foster appreciation for diversity. The media does this by reporting on events and situations that effect minorities. There are many situations out there that are often overlooked by the media because they only affect a small amount of people. But by reporting on these diverse topics it is giving a voice to minorities and they are able to tell their story. An example of the media helping fostering an appreciation for diversity happens here in the city that I live at. There is a whole paper that is dedicated to the Hispanic population and the events that are going on in the community. By doing so the paper allows all others to see what is going on and be included in the community. How might individuals and the United States work together to reduce prejudice and increase appreciation for diversity? Individuals and the United States can work together to reduce prejudice and increase appreciation for diversity. This can be done in a couple ways. The first would be through proper education. Coming together as a society and declaring that prejudice is wrong and should not happen. Another is by not giving into the tendencies that start prejudice for example telling jokes about a particular race. How might you change your own behaviors to be more inclusive and pluralistic? I can change my own behaviors to promote a more inclusive environment that I live in. I can do this by not contributing to prejudices and racial profiling. I can also help by sticking up for others when they do not have a voice and are unable to speak up when an injustice has occurred. I can also help by supporting businesses and communities that foster the same ideals as I do.

Nectar in a Sieve Discussion Questions

Nectar in a Sieve Inner/Outer Questions Emily Murphy 1st period 8/30/11 1) What is the main character’s name in the book? A: Rukmani 2) What do you think could have happened if Ira was given the medicine the Rukmani had to bear children for her first husband? A: She would have been severely neglected and abused, for he seems to be not a trustworthy man. 3) What is the underlying theme of the importance of fertility? A: In Hindu society, fertility and the ability to take care of children decides how successful a woman will be in a marriage and whether the marriage will last. So, the central idea of fertility is nothing new to books about Hinduism. 4) Can you provide a definition of the title? A: Nectar is the drink of the gods according to the Hindus because it’s savory and sweet. But when you put it in a sieve, the sweetness is lost and it’s no longer a good drink. 5) What is the symbolic meaning for the tannery? A: The tannery is a symbol of urbanization and the outside world coming into their cultural bubble. The whole village is kind of a town luck in time. 6) Identify the problem with the caste system in the setting of the novel. A: Especially in Rukmani’s case, sometimes a girl of a middle or low caste is forced to marry below her caste simply because her family is not financially ready. 7) What evidence is there to support that Rukmani’s parents are not financially stable? A: Rukmani was the fourth daughter born to her parents, so her oldest sister had a lavish wedding lasting for days, which was very expensive. Consequentially, by the time Ruku got married, her wedding was short and plain. 8) What was the turning point in the novel? A: The turning point was definitely when Nathan and Rukmani had to leave their land because the tannery bought it. This is so because everything important to Nathan was in that land, and everything goes downhill from there. 9) What was the author’s purpose for not specifying the exact time and place? A: Markandaya prevents a lot of work and attention on the subject of location. The reader spends more time focused on the story, and the author does not have to worry about correct facts about the location and time period. 10) How are Nectar in a Sieve and Ishmael alike? A: They both point out some of the flaws in humans and their society.

One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest Response to Literature Essay

Society is a judgmental and rejecting place. It only allows uniform individuals to be in this society which discards anyone’s individuality and pride. In the novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey, Nurse Ratched alienates the patients’ individualities which only allows them to never progress in their mental health. The society rejects the people who are not normal. In this case, the people are the ones with mental disorders. Kesey’s anti-establishment point of view against society portrays that the government misuses power to manipulate society which leads to the suppression of individuality through the literary devices analogy, metaphor, and symbolism. Ken Kesey conveys his theme by vividly explaining the â€Å"pecking party†. As one of the treatments, Nurse Ratched holds group therapy for the patients. During the group therapy session, McMurphy notices that the Nurse ignites all the conflict at first so he explains, â€Å"The flock gets sight of a spot of blood on some chicken and they all go to peckin’ at it† (Kesey 57). McMurphy is trying to explain the abusiveness of Nurse Ratched’s power. This analogy supports Kesey’s message of how society rejects and leads to the suppression of individuals. Kesey uses the chickens to represent the patients and the â€Å"first peck† would represent Nurse Ratched because she manipulates an individual which causes uneasiness to the patient which will never be the cure for one who is mental to get better. After McMurphy goes on about the pecking party, he says one more thing to Harding about the pecking party, â€Å"You want to know who pecks that first peck? † (58). McMurphy’s rhetorical question signifies his opinion even more. This allows not only Harding, but the rest of the patients to see how Nurse Ratched is just another person and how they should not let her take complete control over them. Kesey furthers his analogy after the pecking party image because it reveals and justifies who really does â€Å"peck that first peck†. This relates to the theme because Nurse Ratched represents the government while the patients represent society; concluding that the government continuously pecks at the individuals who feel that they are not a part of society. Overall, the pecking party is an analogy of how society suppresses one’s individuality because to be an individual one must â€Å"get better† like the patients attempt to do; but all they are doing are taking steps back due to Nurse Ratched. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Kesey demonstrates his use of metaphors through machinery comparisons to portray the theme of suppression of an individual. When Bromden characterizes Nurse Ratched he says, â€Å"So she really lets herself go and her painted smile twists, stretches to an open snarl, and she blows up bigger and bigger, big as a tractor, so big I can smell the machinery inside the way you smell a motor pulling too big a load. † (5). Bromden sees Nurse Ratched as machinery and not as a human being. This supports the fact that the ward is like a factory, just waiting to make patients into â€Å"products†. Kesey uses metaphor to compare Nurse Ratched to machinery because this describes her persona perfectly. Like a machine, Nurse Ratched is very smooth and calm about things at first but like every machine there are flaws. When Nurse Ratched meets her flaws, that is when things begin to go haywire like a machine. It can either breakdown or malfunction but it is always repairable. When Bromden has the dream about Blastic, he thinks â€Å"†¦I was looking to see – just a shower of rust and ashes, and now and again a piece of wire or glass† (88). The significance of Bromden’s dream is that it represents how the ward is inhumane because â€Å"a shower of rust and ashes† fell out of Blastic’s body instead of human organs. Kesey exemplifies metaphor through Bromden’s dream by explaining how society’s standards of being â€Å"accepted† can transform one to be inhumane and to lose their individuality. Overall, these comparisons relate to the theme having the machines represent a form of government, standing in the way, or suppressing, the individual, or society. This can support the main theme that society abuses their power to manipulate and suppress the individuality of others. Fog is used by Kesey to demonstrate them and to symbolize the aloneness and individuality of a patient. Bromden describes the effects of fog when he thinks, â€Å"I don’t have to end up at that door if I stay still when the fog comes over me and just keep quiet† (132). This explains how much control Nurse Ratched had over the patients. It demonstrates how something like fog takes away their individuality be they â€Å"just keep quiet†. The fog symbolizes a safe zone and aloneness for the patients because Nurse Ratched had so much authority over the patients that it was like a crib holding them while she was out. Kesey’s theme is supported in this because society takes away individuality as well as fog does. One characteristic they both share is the way they manipulate and abuse their power. Bromden also thinks about fog when he said, â€Å"You had a choice: you could either strain and look at things that appeared in front of you in the fog, painful as it might be, or you could relax and lose yourself† (131). Bromden describes how the patients were almost forced to be in the fog because â€Å"you could relax and lose yourself† and that the time that is all the patients really want. The fog also symbolizes a scapegoat for the patients so they don’t have to face all the challenges ahead because â€Å"you had a choice†. A simple break from everything, especially Nurse Ratched. This furthers Kesey’s message of how the fog is another form of control from Nurse Ratched, in which she abuses her power by manipulating her patients so they cannot get better. Ken Kesey uses analogy, metaphor, and symbolism to demonstrate how society uses their power to manipulate others which leads to a suppressed individual. He uses examples from the ward to compare the real outside world with a mental asylum. This world and society focus too much on how to fit in and it has become more of a moral thing to fit in than to be one’s self. Kesey blames it on the establishment that people are suppressed of their individuality, but is that really true? It has become a custom rather than a rule and that needs to change; and it starts from being a leader and an individual rather than a follower. The real story of individuals is not within the establishment, but it is within a person. To express that is to depending on the person and that is the problem in our society, no one likes to be that person to step up and be the first to go. But if someone were to do it, our society would change instantly.

Corporate Responsibility and Society Essay

While commuting home from work, you take a detour through a residential area to avoid a congested main artery. Because only a few drivers take the detour, it removes several minutes from your commuting time due to the light traffic. Is your action generalizable? I do believe that my actions would be generalizable; therefore it would not pass the generalization test. According to Hooker, the meaning of generalization test is that the reason for your action should be consistent with the assumption that if everyone who has the same reason as you would act in the same manner (Business Ethics, 2011). The detour is not an area that is not allowed to be taken; it is there for anyone to take despite of the reason for taking it. Anyone that wanted to cut down their commute time in order to pick up a child from daycare, to get to school on time, to prepare dinner, or just because they no longer wanted to sit in traffic is irrelevant to the fact that they are able to take this route. In order to further put this generalization to the test we should see if it meets and passes all four Corollaries’. Corollary one states that an action is unethical if its general adoption would undermine a practice it presupposes. So everyone is free to take this detour through a residential neighborhood. Suppose everyone decided to take this detour, it would congest this neighborhood, children that normally ride their bikes on the side of the rode or play outdoors are more apt to being either hit by a car or injured by a vehicle in some way. This may pass the corollary test but it fails the generalization test. Corollary two states one shouldn’t be a free rider on the efforts of others. This corollary really doesn’t affect this example because every driver is free to make up his or her mind whether or not to take the detour. So this would pass corollary two. Corollary three states an action is unethical if generalizing the action is inconsistent with achieving its purpose. This actions is telling me that I take the detour when is best suites me, i.e. traffic is at its heaviest and I can achieve a shorter time commute by taking the detour. This action is then generalized when everyone who takes the regular congested route takes the detour when it best suites them. Thus my action of taking the detour is generalized, it would be impossible for those who take the detour when it best suites them to achieve the purpose of the action because the new detour would become congested and we are back to where we started. This action fails corollary three and the generalization test. Last but not least Corollary four states that an action is unethical if generalizing the action is inconsistent with the possibility that everyone who performs the action achieves its purpose. If this action is true then me taking the detour is ungeneralizable because it is impossible for everyone to enjoy the same avoidance of traffic congestion by taking the same detour. After completing all four Corollary test I have come to the conclusion that my action to avoid traffic by detouring through a residential area is ungeneralizable. Although my action may have passed a corollary test or two my action ultimately did not justify the action.