Military Drug Abuse - 1474 Words

Substance use has been studied in great detail in military service members as well as military children. Acion, Ramirez, Jorge, and Ardnt (2013) conducted a study on the risk of substance use in military children when a parent was deployed. They looked at four main outcomes: â€Å"ever drink alcohol, past 30-day binge drinking, past 30-day marijuana or other illicit drug use, and prescription drug misuse† (p.1419-1420). The categories they used was a recently deployed parent, recently returned from deployment parent, and non-military parents. Their results indicated that there was higher substance use within the deployed parent group than the non-military group. Between the deployed and recently returned groups there wasn’t a significant†¦show more content†¦Overall, spousal smoking and drinking does exist, but the reason for how much is consumed varies per situation (Trone, 2017). This study did not examine any other substance use such as opioids, benzodi azepines, barbiturates, amphetamines, or any other illicit drug use. Relationship between substance use and family conflict Many studies that have been conducted show a correlation between family conflicts when one or more parent is using substances (alcohol or other drugs). Rothenberg et al. (2016) showed a correlation between reported marital dissatisfaction when a spouse was using alcohol. Kelley et al. (2016) found that children had increased worry and anxiety in regards to their father’s hostility when a parent was using substances and inter-parental conflict was present in the home. Kachadourian, Eiden, and Leonard (2009) researched how marital satisfaction and parenting roles were impacted by paternal alcoholism. Their study indicated that paternal alcoholism taking place for 12 months or more had an impact on the father’s parenting role and increased marital dissatisfaction amongst the mother’s in the study. Other indicators of family conflict due to substance use that could be considered is if the spouse is using on a daily basis. Often times this could indicate the spouse is addicted to the substance because it is needed for daily functioning. Is the spouse using while the children are in the home or operatingShow MoreRelatedThe Main Purpose Of This Research Paper Is To Provide Information928 Words   |  4 Pagesmain purpose of this research paper is to provide information on how drugs affect the brain and body of a person. Reports of drug related crimes are common in the media mainly on news reports. The main concern tends to be towards Methamphetamine, which gets the most media attention. One of the most abused drugs in the Philippines is a local type of methamphetamine mixed with caffeine known as Shabu. This is a powerfully addictive drug that can cause people to have intense hallucinations and become extremelyRead MoreMilitary Substance Abuse Prevention Programs2987 Words   |  12 PagesRunninghead: CLINICAL ANALYSIS Assignment #4: Military Substance Abuse Prevention Programs Gemma K. Vizcocho University of Southern California Professor Fred P. Stone, PhD, LCSW April 24, 2017 Substance abuse in the military has been a problem throughout history. The unique culture and stress experienced by military service members put them more at risk for substance abuse. Drug and alcohol use has been an easy escape and a coping mechanism forRead MoreDifference Between Drug Use And Drug Abuse1515 Words   |  7 PagesExplain what is meant by the â€Å"drug abuse continuum†? Explain each of the levels on the continuum. How does the continuum help to explain the difference between drug use and drug abuse? Drug abuse continuum is referred to the stages of substances abuse and usage. This theory is to assess where a person is at in their drug abuse. It helps rate, which treatment is proper, if needed. The stages defined in the continuum are non-use, experimental use, and culturally endorsed us. They are also known asRead MoreThe Impact Of Military Service Members Ptsd1720 Words   |  7 PagesImpact of Military Service Members PTSD Introduction Military work is complex and wide. The soldiers are normally deployed to wars during the war time or deployed to complex rescue missions whenever needed. This is in the belief that military personnel are the most robust trained personnel who can handle the toughest situations and conditions in life. However, for everything there exists a limit. This is because military personnel are normal human beings. They have humanity in them and military work isRead MoreThe Problem Of Prescription Drug Abuse1461 Words   |  6 Pages(Quotes about Drug Abuse). This quote by Wayne Gerald Trotman describes how heartbreaking it is to contemplate on exactly how many people’s lives have been adversely impacted as a result of abuse. Child abuse, animal abuse, and sexual abuse are all major types of abuse; however, prescription drug abuse is a problem that is drastically skyrocketing in today’s society. While other addictions and abuses are equally significant, it is imperative that peopl e put a stop to prescription drug abuse using twoRead MoreEssay on The Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana1475 Words   |  6 PagesThe war on drugs is a movement of prohibition and military aid being undertaken by the United States government intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade (Bullington). In the year 2010 the U.S. government spent $15 billion on the war on drugs, at a rate of $500 per second. State and local governments spent another $25 billion as well. In 2007, $42 billion was spent on the marijuana prohibition. That is more money than the war on drugs spent on all types of drugs three years beforeRead MoreDrug Of Drug And Drug Abuse1538 Words   |  7 PagesDrug Resistance Drug use has become an increasing problem among high schoolers and teenagers around the same age. Ever since the drug war of the 1900s, drugs have been a major problem in today’s society. â€Å"Use of drugs such as opium, morphine, and other byproducts were common in twentieth century America† (Dobkin, 1998). While most students in standard high school drug education know about the use of coca leaves in Coca-Cola and the opium trade in China, drug addiction during the century is muchRead MoreJohn Ray Cash Essay1252 Words   |  6 Pagesbecame his father’s son. Johnny would pick up drinking and doing drugs like his father had done when he was smaller. All this drove Johnny into depression. He never really liked to talk about it but it was known that he wasn’t happy in his life like he could have been. Even right up until the end of his life he was abusing drugs. It was like he always tried to mask the pain but it never worked. He went into the military and went to the Korean War as a Morris code decoder. He couldn’tRead MoreClient Biopsychosocial. Betty Simmons Is A 32 Year Old,1504 Words   |  7 Pagescommitment, nor probation/parole. There is no civil proceeding in place. However, Betty is currently experiencing substance abuse related problems, which she tested positive for meth and opiates during a recent urine analysis test upon admittance. A counselor has been assigned to Betty’s case. Presenting Problems Currently, Betty lives with relatives, and is seeking substance abuse treatment. Betty reports feelings of hopeless, feeling excessive guilt, and helplessness. Betty demonstrates pervasiveRead MoreSubstance Abuse And Addiction Counselor1393 Words   |  6 PagesSubstance Abuse and Addiction Counselor Substance abuse as well as addiction is a topic many people choose to ignore or tend to believe that it does not affect them. Addiction itself does not seek out certain types of people but can affect anyone, at any time, for any reason. Stress, per pressure, financial trouble, even genetics all play a role in substance abuse and addiction. Unlike others, I don’t see substance abusers as weak willed but instead in need of guidance and someone to talk to about

The Problem Of Police Enforcement - 1149 Words

A stranger has broken into your house while your family is home and the stranger plowed through your bedroom door like Ray Lewis; you are lying in bed next to a night stand where you store your .45 – what would you do? The probability of the average American possessing the skillset of remaining composed under pressure is extremely low, and you would likely reach for the gun and pull the trigger. Fortunately, you are the 492 in 493 (99.8%) United States citizens who have not been properly trained to react in that situation, so you could pull the trigger and claim self-defense. If you were the 1 in 493 (0.2%) United States citizens who have been trained to react in that situation, the media would dissect the situation and gleefully inform the entire country of your misconduct. The people who have been trained to react in that situation are police officers, whom have undergone heaps of scrutiny throughout the course of United States history – most exclusively the past deca de. As a country, we categorize law enforcement in two distinct categories: brutal or helpful; we fail to consider similarities between the two categories, and we ultimately fail to classify law enforcement as humans. The philosophy of establishing a distinct code of law dates back to the genesis of America. The constitution established three branches of government that parallels the law code – legislative, executive, and judicial; our forefathers found it essential to institute law enforcement through theShow MoreRelatedThe Problem Of Police Enforcement1489 Words   |  6 PagesEven though law enforcement administrators â€Å"are constantly striving to preserve a positive, ethical image of their departments to the public they are sworn to serve and protect†(pg. 5), in the law enforcement world today, there are many problems that are occurring within the duties of police officers. These problems vary across a broad board. They may include personal issues that officers may be dealing with on a daily basis at home or issues that arise throughout police departments across the countryRead MoreRecruitment And Hiring Crisis Of American Law Enforcement1141 Words   |  5 Pagescrisis in American law enforcement. Among the various problems that law enforcement agencies in America face, however, do not solely pertain to issues such as budgeting or manpower; but rather, it is the problem of recruiting qualified Asian-American applicants (Gaines Kappeler, 2014). Policing in the United States has changed since the early days of American law enforcement. Although there have been opportunities for Asian-Americans to pursue a career in law enforcement over the last forty yearsRead MoreFice Of Community Policing Essay1609 Words   |  7 Pagescommunity policing focuses on crime and social disorder through the delivery of police services that includes aspects of traditional law enforcement, as well as prevention, problem-solving, community engagement, and par tnerships. The community policing model balances reactive responses to calls for service with proactive problem-solving centered on the causes of crime and disorder. Community policing requires police and citizens to join together as partners in the course of both identifying and effectivelyRead MoreThe Issue Of Law Enforcement1429 Words   |  6 PagesMany citizens look for law enforcement for service and protection, some don’t even think about the problems they face day to day. Every day hundreds of people working in Law enforcement put their lives on the line while on the job. They face challenging problems each day such as rising crime, law enforcement corruption, stress, health problems and being portrayed in a negative way on Social media. It’s not easy doing their job but they do it to the best of their ability despite having diffluent obstaclesRead MorePolice And Police Brutality1331 Words   |  6 Pagesone person to ruin and blame the whole race. Police bru tality is an everyday case and there has yet nothing to be done to help reduce nor stop the violence. Often people critic the duty and the responsibilities that a police officer has in this county. Their duty is far from just eating donuts and drinking coffee. The first thing someone does when they feel like their life or someone’s life is in danger, is call 911 expecting that the law enforcement appears on the scene in .0 seconds. Even thenRead MoreAfter The 9/11 Attack, Many Agencies DidnT Know What To1630 Words   |  7 Pageshelp of local law enforcement because they will be the first responders on the crime scene when something bad happens. Local law enforcement usually have it concerns with preventing or solving crimes such as burglary, theft, robbery, and homicide crimes, these crimes usually have an impact on the local community, but when future terror threats local law enforcement will have to reorganize adapt to the policing strategies of the homeland security. In the past few years, law enforcement agencies haveRead MorePolice Brutality Today s Media1626 Words   |  7 PagesPolice Brutality What do most people think of the topic of police brutality? More than once, images and stories of minorities civil rights being taken away become the topic of conversation. It is heart wrenching to see these videos and hear these stories of police brutality in today’s media. Every day there seems to be another headlining case on the topic of police brutality. Police brutality isn’t just law enforcement officers abusing the power granted to them; however, it is a much larger issueRead MoreIt Comes To Light That Police Departments Across The States1741 Words   |  7 PagesIt comes to light that police departments across the states play an important role in fighting and preventing terrorism. They are being trained to learn and investigate local terrorist threats throughout the United States, and to make sure the community is protected from such harm. In to do so police officers will have to extend they stay in the community and be involved in such activities and improve the community trust, another thing they will have to do is to build a partnership with other localRead MoreThe Issues With Police Recruitment1069 Words   |  5 PagesIssues with Police Recruitment Police recruitment, specifically the recruitment of women and minorities, is an issue within the police organization. When it comes to gender in law enforcement, males outnumber females by a large margin. When looking at race in law enforcement Whites outnumber any other race. By leveling the fields of gender and race in law enforcement, this will prove to be beneficial to police organizations across the board. According to U.S. Census Bureau of 2005, women makeRead MorePolice Policing And Community Policing1513 Words   |  7 Pagesdefinitions. In this paper I will prove that community policing is effective by defining, community policing as the police and citizens coming together to create a safe community, stop crime and resolve problems and also urgently responding to the community. Throughout many years, the people’s view of community policing have remained the same. There are some valid causes as to why law enforcement leaders consider that it is time to change the way policing labors so that they are effectively helping the community

Othello has been called a ‘domestic tragedy’ Free Essays

A domestic tragedy takes place in a personal setting. In Othello, the men are in Cyprus to fight a war. However, the tragedy is the events within the relationships of the central characters. We will write a custom essay sample on Othello has been called a ‘domestic tragedy’ or any similar topic only for you Order Now There is little discussion of the war and, although Desdemona blames state matters for Othello’s change in behaviour, the real problems Othello faces are matters of the heart. The women in the play have no part in the war, but still their presence contributes to the downfall of both Othello and Iago, creating repercussions for the state. The historical context of the play is important when considering the female characters contained in it. The play was first performed in 1604 at the start of the reign of King James I. It is generally thought that wives were expected to be obedient to their husbands at this time, and play the â€Å"maiden never bold†, as Desdemona is described by her father in Act One, scene three. However, the time of the play’s first performance was shortly after the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Elizabeth never married and is known to have been of strong character. It is therefore likely that a strong-willed female character would have been accepted by an audience of this time. A feature of the play that should be considered is the misogyny shown by the male characters. In the first scene of the play, the language used by Iago to describe the sexual acts of Desdemona and Othello is coarse, â€Å"an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe†. The sexuality of women is valued little by the men in the play, except for Othello who seems to over-romanticise it. Iago is coarse and rude. Cassio is seen as a ladies man, but uses women for sex. Roderigo shows very little knowledge of Desdemona but loves her for her beauty. Othello is similar to this, he idealises Desdemona, showing little understanding of her as a person. As Leavis says, Othello has a â€Å"preoccupation with his emotions rather than with Desdemona in her own right.† The three men, Othello, Iago and Cassio, all have a typically male profession, that of a soldier. They are all, including Othello (despite his romanticism), very masculine characters. Othello’s lack of understanding and failure to attempt to understand, the complexity of women contributes greatly to his downfall. The character of Desdemona is a complex one. She has strong beliefs and shows complete devotion to Othello. Her main belief is in true love, and her views on this never falter. She will do anything to maintain her love with Othello. Her first appearance in the play shows bravery, a true love of Othello and complete trust in him. It is here she first expresses her views on love. â€Å"to his honours and valiant parts Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate.† Desdemona believes that to love someone is to give oneself to them completely. She has a very idealistic view on love and this is shown again in Act Four, scene three when she is discussing unfaithful women with Emilia. â€Å"Dost thou in conscience think – tell me, Emilia – That there be women do abuse their husbands In such gross kind?† It is her innocent and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve views that show what Desdemona represents in the play. In ‘The Othello Music’, Knight says â€Å"In Othello, pure love is the supreme good†. Desdemona’s main belief is in pure love. This leads to the conclusion that Desdemona represents goodness and purity within the play, as when she is dead, Knight says â€Å"pure love lies slain.† Another value Desdemona possesses is compassion. When Cassio loses his status as Othello’s Lieutenant, it is Desdemona that he goes to for help, under the instruction of Iago. Even though Iago is doing this to benefit himself, what he says to Cassio of Desdemona is entirely true. â€Å"She is of so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition, that she holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more than she is requested.† As Knight states in ‘The Othello Music’, Desdemona â€Å"is typically feminine in her attempt to help Cassio, and her pity for him.† Othello also tells the Senate in Act One, scene three that he loved Desdemona â€Å"that she did pity† him for the dangers he had passed. It is femininity that Desdemona also represents in the play. She is loved and admired for her girlish innocence and feminine compassion. Emilia represents a more down-to-earth, common sense woman. Her personality, like Desdemona’s is feminine in many ways. For example, she is highly protective over Desdemona, acting as a mother figure to her. The femininity she represents is more mature than Desdemona’s. As she is older than Desdemona, and has been married to Iago for a longer time than Desdemona to Othello, she is far more knowledgeable about love and life. She is also more cynical and far less romantic in her views. In her conversation with Desdemona about unfaithful women, she openly admits that she would be unfaithful to her husband if the whole world were her reward. Lianne Evans â€Å"who would not make her husband a cuckold, to make him a monarch?† Emilia knows that love and men are not as ideal as Desdemona believes them to be. When Othello’s behaviour towards Desdemona changes, Emilia, unlike Desdemona realises that something is wrong with the relationship and that Desdemona should not let Othello treat her in such a way. â€Å"I would you had never seen him.† She stands for strength and common sense, and her views about marriage show this clearly. â€Å"Let husbands know Their wives have sense like them†. Bianca represents a quite impure love within Othello. She shows that she loves Cassio, but her lifestyle as a prostitute also shows this as quite corrupt. She represents the opposite of the innocent and naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve Desdemona. She is a woman with no responsibility to anyone but herself in the play. She has a relationship with Cassio but her reputation does not allow this to be taken seriously by anyone, including Cassio himself. She represents a love with few morals. Desdemona believes in completely faithful, perfect love, Emilia believes that being unfaithful is acceptable for a large price and Bianca, although she seems to care greatly about Cassio, has still made her living as a prostitute. She may show strong character in some areas, for example, when Emilia insults her, she comes back with, â€Å"I am no strumpet, but of life as honest As you that thus abuse me.† This shows that she is prepared to stand up for herself and her lifestyle, implying that she believes it is right. It is important when performing Desdemona to a modern audience to portray the strength of her beliefs. Bradley has described Desdemona as â€Å"helplessly passive† and I believe that this view of Desdemona should be avoided. To achieve maximum impact with a modern audience, it is important not to show Desdemona as a helpless victim of abuse, or too stupid to do anything about her unhappy relationship. For Desdemona to be admired and sympathised with, it would be necessary to show her stronger qualities. The reason she allows Othello to treat her with such disrespect is not because she is passive or helpless. She has already shown courage when she first appeared in the play, betraying her father for her love of Othello, and speaking out in front of the Senate. Her dogmatic nature, belief in pure love and loyalty to Othello are the qualities that would achieve a maximum impact with a modern audience. However, it would also be important to show her youth and innocence, being careful not to confuse this with stupidity. She always knows what she is doing, even though it is sometimes misconceived. When standing up for Cassio to Othello, it would be important to show her feminine charms and kind intentions. This would make it believable for Othello to suspect her of adultery, as her nature is so friendly. Emilia appears to be the most modern character of the three women in Othello. Her views on marriage would be much appreciated by a modern audience and her cynicism and wit would be found amusing. Many modern women could easily relate to Emilia. Portraying her mature, worldly personality would be very effective with a modern audience. It would also be important to show her loyalty, especially to Iago. It is clear that Emilia loves Iago as she stands by him throughout the play, until she discovers the real truth about him. According to Bradley, Emilia â€Å"remains perfectly true to herself†, but this is not true. Iago has a great influence over Emilia’s actions, and because of Iago, Emilia compromises her own judgement. In stealing Desdemona’s handkerchief she is doing something that she knows is wrong, but she does it all the same, just to gain the love of her husband. Showing his power over her would create sympathy for her. Her belief in her husband’s honest nature, along with everyone else’s, is part of the tragedy of Othello. At the end of the play however, Emilia’s common sense returns and her most important scene would need to be performed effectively to create maximum impact. To do this it would be necessary to show Emilia’s anger, frustration, hurt and disgust. The character of Emilia is very likeable with a modern audience, and it would be important not to lose any of her strong, amusing and loyal qualities. Performing Bianca would be a difficult task. Her character has little substance and it would be easy to lose her in a performance. Within the play she is mainly ridiculed and insulted. A modern audience could show admiration for her when she approaches Cassio about the handkerchief he gave her. As an actress, it would be important to show Bianca’s strength here, and her belief in herself. Bianca could also be sympathised with as her love for Cassio is unrequited and despite her attempts to woo him, he only ridicules her. In general, a modern audience can sympathise with all the women in the play. All, despite their strengths, suffer at the hands of the men in their lives. Desdemona’s unfaltering belief in pure love only results in Othello’s killing her. Emilia’s loyalty and strength leads her to being murdered, also by her own husband. Bianca’s love for Cassio only brings her ridicule. In a modern society this supports the radical feminist view that no relationship with a man is beneficial to a woman. Each woman displays different feminine qualities. Desdemona’s approach is obedience, Emilia’s is loyalty and Bianca’s, persistence, but none of these bring them any rewards. The women in Othello are so often misunderstood. The majority of criticism on the play is written by males and there is very little comment on the female characters at all. This has led to difficulty in performing these characters to create a Lianne Evans maximum impact with a modern audience. However, their roles are clear. They all show the negative qualities in the male characters, but at the same time have an effect on their lives. The play is a domestic tragedy but the effects of the domestic lives of the characters are shown in all aspects of their lives. The misunderstanding of Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca, within the play and in audiences has led to misinterpretations of their characters. To create a maximum impact with a modern audience, the female characters need to be given their own personality, and the effects they have need to be shown. Without the women going to war with their husbands, the tragedy of Othello would be a very different one. How to cite Othello has been called a ‘domestic tragedy’, Papers

Facets of Consumer Behavioral Decision Commodities and Services

Question: Describe about the Facets of Consumer Behavioral Decision for Commodities and Services. Answer: Introduction: Consumer behavior is the manner in which an individual or group of individual decides to purchase, use or dispose any ideas, commodities and services. It also refers to the factors that affect the purchasing decision of a consumer (Solomon, 2014). It is of utmost importance for any company to understand the detailed behavior of its consumers in order to maximize their sales. The purchasing decision of any consumer mainly depends on 4 broad factors namely, Psychological factor, technological factors, social and situational factors. The psychological and situational factors consumers search for information and recognition of the products. The social and technological factors affect the component of purchasing and post-purchasing evaluation made by the consumer (Bruner Pomazal, 2013). Through this report a detailed analysis of all these components has been conducted to see the way in which all these components are inter-linked. Its the consumers who create the demand for any goods and services and henceforth any company trying to excel in business keeps a detailed information about consumer behavior. Consumers Purchasing Decision Process: Consumers have several ex-ante and ex-post aspects in purchasing process. Some of the aspects can be visually observed whereas others are not observed visually but can be analyzed after studying the consumers psychology (Gao et al., 2012). The process of this purchasing decision has been graphically and contextually represented below: Problem of Recognition: The first and foremost component considered by any buyer before purchasing any goods or services is to identify the utility that they can get from their purchase. While trying to understand the possible benefit the user may get, they often faces recognition problem. The consumer should at first be able to recognize the need of purchasing a product and the opportunity that they may forgo without the product. Often the utility of certain products remains unrecognized (Gao et al., 2012). Availability and accessibility of Information: A rational consumer always tries to gather the maximum information possible about the commodity that they plan to purchase. They can have two sources of collecting information. The internal source which depends on consumers previous experience and external source which depends on information obtained from markets, relatives and friends (Di Pietro Pantano, 2012). Alternatives Available: The demand for any products and services always depend on the alternatives available in the market. If there are umpteen numbers of alternatives in the market for the same product then the consumer has to consider the utilities that he may derive from the different alternatives along with the opportunity cost incurred in all the cases. Usually the consumer buys the product or service that maximizes his opportunity and minimizes his cost (Chang et al., 2014). Purchase decision: The penultimate juncture of the economic activity is the purchasing stage. Consumer guided by their rationality goes through all the above mentioned stages and comes to the cessation of buying any commodity. Even during this stage the buyer may change his decision suddenly. These changes in decisions are guided by feedback as posted in the companys website which sells the product. Negative feedback or pessimistic information from relatives and friends can alter the buying decision eve at the nick of time (Di Pietro Pantano, 2012). Ex-post purchase decision: Every customer purchases the product with some pre-defined expectations. Failure of the product to meet customers expectation may hamper future sale of the product from that company. The customer may give poor reviews about the product on companys website or on social media. Unsatisfied customer may also influence their relatives and friends who could otherwise be a potential customer (Chang et al., 2014). Factors influencing Buying Process: Umpteen number of factors influence the decision making process of any transaction. They can be broadly clustered under 4 categories. The following graphical image explains the categories: Psychological Factors: Strategy maker of business has been able to efficiently leverage the different factors which influence the consumers. Purchasing decision of a buyer depends substantially upon the peoples psychology (Solomon, Russel-Bennett Previte, 2012). This component can again be further divided into few sub-categories namely: Perception: Consumer has the habit of collecting and synchronizing all the available information about any given product. The probability of purchasing increases when consumer feels that there is enough information about the product and it bears less risk (Solomon, Russel-Bennett Previte, 2012). Motivation: Common people are usually risk averse and their buying decision depends on the safety issues associated with the products. It is often observed that consumers are ready to pay a higher cost if a particular product is safer than its alternatives. E.g.: Organic foods are preferred to non-organic foods. Psychographics Attitudes: Buyers are usually captivated by colorful catchy advertisements. Business strategies often use product differentiation to float their products attract the targeted customers. They advertise on the basis of consumers lifestyle, personality traits and attitudes (Collier et al., 2015). E.g.: Pizza Huts sale soared up high after it allowed customization of Pizza via online order. Learning: Shoppers often keep on updating themselves about the availability of various products and plans to purchase newfangled products. Hence, the firms require ameliorating their product portfolio to keep on attracting consumers. E.g.: People after incorporating all information switches over different online shops like Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, etc. Situational Factors: Ex-ante buying decision is greatly influenced by situational factor which has been often ignored by the strategy makers till recent times. The physical surrounding, mood of the buyer and the time are the situational factors (Collier et al., 2015). Physical surrounding: Buyers prefer to purchase goods and services from shops and centers that are in close proximity of their residence. If a firm can locate its outlets in densely populated public places then the scope of their products sale increases. Mood and Time: Time is the factor which remains covertly in any transaction. Consumers prefer to minimise their time in any physical transaction and expects things to be delivered within time in case of online transactions. Purchasing decisions are also clouted by peoples moods (Shah, 2013). Their preference often shows irrational changes which needs to be predicted by the firms and cater them accordingly. E.g.: People hate to stand in long queues and delayed services from online shopping portals. Social Factors: Humans, being a social animal tend to be swayed in their decision process by the social factors. This factor includes components like family, households, reference groups and cultures (Kuan, Zhong Chau, 2014). The impacts of these components are discussed below: Reference groups: People are emotional beings and they often act irrationally after being influenced. They has the tendency to follow the things that their idols to. Their idols can be a movie star, a player, any seniors and even family members. They are the ones who often set an example which is followed by the consumers. E.g.: Bollywood star Salman Khan is the brand ambassador of Thumbs Up, a soft drink company. A large mass of his followers drink Thumbs Up as Mr. Khan is seen drinking the same in an advertisement. Family Household: Conspicuous consumption takes place when people are influenced by their family members and relatives. It has been seen that if any member owns something then there is tendency of other family members to purchase the same in order to maintain status and swagger themselves (Xiao Nicholson, 2013). E.g.: People often buys newly launched mobiles say iPhones, since its already been purchased by any family member or friend. Cultural influence: Sub-culture and Culture plays a pivotal role in controlling peoples behaviour. Global consumers tend to purchase products that are widely used in other countries. They tend to move out of their traditional choices and accept foreign cultures. Religions form an important part of sub-cultural component along with the geographical factors. A firm must set its marketing strategies in a way which incorporates these cultural and sub-cultural aspects (Kuan, Zhong Chau, 2014). Technological Factors: Global economy is paralyzed without the highly efficient technological system. The technological factors includes access to the internet, capabilities of persons to search and find the desired products, the proficiency of the customers to evaluate the products online and the post purchase response given by them. The producers or strategy makers should be able to analyze these factors from buyers viewpoint in order to succeed in their business (Baden-Fuller Haefliger, 2013). They should provide the buyers an attractive yet informative website which gives detailed information at a glance and compels the buyer to go through the different web pages. E.g.: The customers nowadays buy products online thereby saving time. Conclusion: The global consumers can be broadly categorized into two groups, namely impulsive buyers and high-involvement buyers. Impulsive buyers change their mind frequently and purchases unplanned goods whereas high response buyers mainly conduct their purchasing process after detailed analysis of the market. Impulsive buyers mainly purchases small commodities like chocolates, dresses, accessories, etc. High response buying involves luxury goods like cars, jewellery, art works, etc. It can be concluded that the prosperity in the business depends on the extent to which a company could analyze the existing market by segregating the types of buyers and cater to their needs individually. References: Baden-Fuller, C., Haefliger, S. (2013). Business models and technological innovation.Long range planning,46(6), 419-426. Bruner II, G. C., Pomazal, R. J. (2013). Problem recognition: The crucial first stage of the consumer decision process.Journal of Consumer Marketing. Chang, E. C., Lv, Y., Chou, T. J., He, Q., Song, Z. (2014). Now or later: Delay's effects on post-consumption emotions and consumer loyalty.Journal of Business Research,67(7), 1368-1375. Collier, J. E., Moore, R. S., Horky, A., Moore, M. L. (2015). Why the little things matter: Exploring situational influences on customers' self-service technology decisions.Journal of Business Research,68(3), 703-710. Di Pietro, L., Pantano, E. (2012). An empirical investigation of social network influence on consumer purchasing decision: The case of Facebook.Journal of Direct, Data and Digital Marketing Practice,14(1), 18-29. Gao, J., Zhang, C., Wang, K., Ba, S. (2012). Understanding online purchase decision making: The effects of unconscious thought, information quality, and information quantity.Decision Support Systems,53(4), 772-781. Kuan, K. K., Zhong, Y., Chau, P. Y. (2014). Informational and normative social influence in group-buying: Evidence from self-reported and EEG data.Journal of Management Information Systems,30(4), 151-178. Maheswaran, D., Shavitt, S. (2014). 0)Issues and New Directions in Global Consumer Psychology.".Journal of consumer psychology,9(2), 59-66. Shah, S. M. A. (2013).Determinants of consumer buying decision An analysis based upon Product Branding(Doctoral dissertation, Lahore School of Economics). Solomon, M. R. (2014).Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being. Engelwood Cliffs, NJ: prentice Hall. Solomon, M., Russell-Bennett, R., Previte, J. (2012).Consumer behaviour. Pearson Higher Education AU. Xiao, S. H., Nicholson, M. (2013). A multidisciplinary cognitive behavioural framework of impulse buying: a systematic review of the literature.International Journal of Management Reviews,15(3), 333-356.

Algernon and Jack Essay Example

Algernon and Jack Essay The Importance of Being Earnest By Oscar Wild was first performed on the 14th of February 1895, St Valentines Day. It is a play about love and romance in the upper classes, it is set in the present (1890s). It is drawing room comedy, otherwise known as comedy of manors. Oscar Wild is one of the worlds literary greats, he wrote this play shortly before he was imprisoned for gorse indecencies. This play is divided into 3 acts; I will be discussing and contrasting scenes one and two from the first act. It is a play about two idle young men, Algernon and Earnest (otherwise known as Jack), who in attempt to marry two very attractive young ladies pretend that there names are Earnest. In the first act the key relationships between Algernon and Jack are as friends who have not seen each other for a period off about a week. It is in the first scene that Algernon discovers that his friends name isnt earnest, its Jack. In the second scene Earnest proposes to Gwendolyn but gets refused by her mother and Algernon decides to go visit Jack in the country. We will write a custom essay sample on Algernon and Jack specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Algernon and Jack specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Algernon and Jack specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer I believe that too correctly portray the relationships between the two characters I need to show differences between; mood, tone, dress and personality. The first act, scene 1, opens with Algernon talking to his manservant in a very incoherent manor; I would portray Algernon as a man who is not very interested in anything but himself. Algernon is constantly talking in the first person always with emphasis on the word I this referring to himself, this gives the audience helpful insight into what really matters in life, him! Jack enters dressed in a smart but not ostentations attire, Algernon in contrast is dressed in an ostentatious suit with large cuffs and is eating. The men talk idly; Algernon is a dandy, he see only the pleasures in life and has no worries, I as Algernon would constantly smile, raise my eyebrows and lounge around on the couch or chair, crossing my legs and eating in a most informal manor. Jack is much more serious and formal, his clothes are a darker colour, he has come up too town to propose to her [Gwendolyn] this is making him nervous, but he is a complete gentlemen. He is easily manipulated by Algernon, the tone of his voice is slightly deeper then Algernons and I would portray his personality at this point as one who is board but as the same time is nervous. Jack confesses that his name isnt Earnest at all, its Jack, to Algernons amazement. At this time I, as Algernon, stand up horrified with looks of shock and stunned indignation upon my face and my tone would go up a note to signify surprise, I place my hand on my hips and stair at Jack up in arms that he did not tells this to me sooner. Lady Bracknell enters with Gwendolyn (Jacks bride to be) and I watch with pleasure as Jack squirms and blushes in front of Ms Fairfax (Gwendolyn) I leave the room to allow Jack to propose. Algernon is constantly trying to get one over on his naive friend but in contrast Jack (formally known as Earnest) has shown that in some ways such as; mood, tone and personality he is quite similar to Algernon and is not so naive and easily manipulated as one might think. Scene two, in mid proposal, on bended knee Lady Bracknell enters and is shocked at what she sees, I as Jack am even more shocked and suddenly start with absolute fright as the colour drains out of my face. Lady Bracknell begins to interview me as to my suitability to be married to her only daughter, I am extremely nervous, fiddling with my hand, running fingers through my hair and playing with my cuffs to show the audience just what an unpleasant situation it is. My voice is shaking. As the interview digresses I (Jack) starts to fell more comfortable with some of the questions, I starts to relax and gain more control over my emotions. Aunt Augusta then asks about my parentage (Jack is adopted) and I hurriedly confess that I have none, to her abhorrence lady Bracknell leaves and Jack is left looking stunned and shocked. Shakespeare wedding march can be heard coming from Algernons piano and he walks in very gay and debonair strutting and swinging his arms, he suddenly sees that his friend is very upset and his temperament changes to one of compassion, Gwendolyns always refusing people as if to tell Jack that he is not the only one. Jack confesses that it was Aunt Augusta that refused him, in contrast to the first scene Jack becomes less of a Gentleman and displays his anger by distributing Aunt Augusta, I as Jack have a very upset tone and am pacing, which is one of Algernons mannerisms. Gwendolyn enters and confesses her love to Jack, Jack is pleased and blushes, and he is once more his chivalrous self. Algernon confesses that his Aunt would not like this meeting taking place and is hurriedly told by Gwendolen to turn his back and give them privacy. I (Algernon) am not used to being told what to do especially in my own house, I pace over to the fireplace and start eavesdropping on there convocation in full view of the audience, I am trying to find Jacks address in the country and am behaving slightly sly about it. The scene ends with Jack rushing out on Algernon telling him that there meeting has not been a grate success, Jack is flushed, red in the face and peeved that is friend is acting so languidly about the whole situation. Jack leaves via stage right leaving Algernon and his manservant Lane occupying the stage. I look pleased and tell Lane to bring me some sherry, I am smiling, quite in contrast to Jacks last portrayal of his emotions, I stand up and confess in contrast to Jacks statement that the whole situation has been a great success and tell Lane, smiling and arrogantly, to fetch my suits as I am going to go visit Jack in the country and propose to his beautiful young ward whom I am in love with. I believe that as an actor the relationship between Jack and Algernon is not a complicated one. I as Algernon want to be married to Jacks excessively pretty young ward. Jack wants to be wed to my excessively pretty cousin, in this case are wants are similar. We both want to live happy, aimless lives with the woman we love. In my opium the only differences between Algernon and Earnest are there moods, personality, dress and tone; they both want the same things. As an actor I would portray this relationship kindly, in the first scene we are good friends and in slight contrast the second scene we are friends who have had a dispute but both know that we cannot stay exasperated at each other for ever and indeed in the final act, not to give the conclusion away, our relationship concludes, happily.

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buy custom Wallace Group essay Organizations have different reasons for diversification. One of them is to gain synergy among business units. The Wallace Group diversified vertically by acquiring suppliers, but the business did not perform as expected. This essay will evaluate the most critical problems that the Wallace Group is facing, as well as discuss appropriate strategies to solve the issues and provide an opinion on Wallaces diversification plan. Poor leadership is the first important problem that occurs at Wallace. Leadership is the means through which a person influences others to attain an objective (Hoyes 60). The effectiveness of leaders depends on the followers perception of them and the extent to which they agree with the leaders philosophies and values. The unsatisfactory leadership at the Wallace Group emerges because of the Presidents inability to influence the rest of the workers. First, he does not appreciate the contribution of other employees. Consequently, they become frustrated. Everyone in the company invests to its health and awareness regardless of the position they hold in the organizational structure. Therefore, the failure by the President to harness the potential of the employees has affected the performance of the enterprise negatively. As a result of the inadequate management, the Electronics, Chemicals and Plastics functional groups work as independent units instead of being cohesive parts of the Wallace Group. The lack of coordination has prevented all three divisions of the company from achieving the synergy and complementarity. Leaders must take a systemic thinking approach, which allows them to see how the different parts of the organization fit into the corporations strategy. Since each of the units functions independently, Wallace cannot determine what the problem is, and that is why there was a need to hire a consultant to advice on how to run the organization. Before deciding to diversify, Wallace did not create a strategy that would outline the tasks and the people accountable for them. Consequently, the staff of the organization is determining each persons responsibilities while promoting the technical people at managerial positions despitetheir inexperience. The corporate employees are not efficient enough to provide guidance and coordination to the functional units of the company because they are at their learning stage. The second essential problem at Wallace is the inadequate management of the personnel. The first admission that Wallace made to the consultant was that managing people was problematic. The company has no human resource policy on job descriptions and the modes of deciding the qualification of workers. Thus, the administration hires unqualified people for the engineering and advanced systems. Both the directors of engineering and advanced systems reject them, creating a shortage of skilled employees. The current workers are overwhelmed with their duties, which contributes to their low morale. Moreover, the company has no benefits and reward systems apart from the stock ownership program. The stock option may not motivate the workers enough because it is dependent on the companys performance, which is currently minimal. The absence of a training and development program also highlights the personnel management deficiencies. Those holding the management positions without prior experience cannot improve the situation, and thus, will continue underperforming. The process of training and developing workers relates positively to organizational effectiveness (Niazi 43). The first recommendation for Wallace to solve the above-mentioned issues is to create a collaborative work environment where people from all the units can contribute to the decisions of the company. Such an environment is the first step towards creating policies and strategies that are effective. To achieve this objective, Wallace needs to involve all the vice presidents and program directors in making decisions. Their opinions will provide the administration with a holistic view of the organization and give suggestions on how to eliminate the current problems. Secondly, Wallace should promote the creation of a unified strategy that will outline the role of each functional unit and their contribution to the organizations performance. Leadership is critical in both the creation and implementation of the strategies (Azhar et al. 33). Sincee the realization of the strategy depends on all employees, involving the leaders at various levels, it is critical to encourage the frontline employees to accomplish it. In order to solve the non-cooperation among the functional units, the leaders at Wallace should create cross-functional teams to work on various projects jointly. The teamwork will enhance understanding of each groups contribution and challenges, which in its turn can eliminate conflicts and misunderstandings. The industrial relations should formulate a human resource policy to address the personnel problems. The policy formulation should engage the heads of each of the three units because they understand the skill set they want. As such, only qualified people will be hired, which will reduce the workload of the employees. The corporation should introduce a training program, especially for technical employees who may wish to advance to management levels. The program can enhance understanding between the corporate and the functional groups. Finally, the Wallace Group should create an employee benefit and reward system, which is likely to raise the morale and productivity of the workers. To my mind, the diversification plan was a good idea, but the manner of its implementation was wrong. The company tends to gain from diversification through the synergy benefits that accrue from complementarity. The three units would have completed each other if there was a strategy to coordinate their activities. Although such harmonization would have resulted in spending additional costs (Zhou and Robert 625), it would have been cheaper than the loss the company is experiencing due to the chaos among the units. However, since there was no particular plan for the diversification, the operations director now finds it more expensive to purchase from any of the Wallaces groups than from outside suppliers. Consequently, the diversification venture is more a burden rather than a benefit to the company. In conclusion, the two main problems affecting the Wallace Group include leadership and employee management deficiencies. The recommendations contain the creation of a collaborative workplace, a clear strategy, cross-functional teams and a human resource policy. 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Self-Analysis of Leadership Abilities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self-Analysis of Leadership Abilities - Essay Example Since my leadership approach promotes active employee involvement, employees are more likely to take up the responsibility of their projects and complete them successfully within the stipulated time. As Kehle (2008, p. 26) purports, high level employee satisfaction is the main strength of the participative leadership style. In addition, this approach can effectively promote a sense of belonging and teamwork, which in turn can have positive effect on the overall organisational productivity. At the same time, new hirers or inexperienced employees are not allowed to make decisions so as to maintain high level market competitiveness. Although this leadership style fosters greater employee involvement, it exercises better control over employees and changes strategies and practices once the operational flaws are identified. The major area required improvement is that I spend hardly enough time to develop leadership skills in my employees and this issue may adversely affect the performance sustainability of the organisation. As Mattone (2013, p. 2) points out, a leader should focus particularly on succession planning. In addition, I do not pay much attention to employees who are making same mistakes repetitively. Here, I need to give specific focus to those employees so as to improve the overall productivity of the firm. From the leadership style survey, I understand that my leadership approach is participative whereas the Bolman and Deal’s four framework approach to leadership indicates that I follow team leadership style. Both these assessment techniques give almost similar outcomes and indicate that I have strong team development skills. The major common finding is that my leadership strategy gives particular importance to employee involvement and employee creativity. In addition to providing guidance, instructions, and direction to employees, my leadership approach fosters employees to come up with their own ideas

Mutual principles of cooperation between the UNISON and the Vertex Essay

Mutual principles of cooperation between the UNISON and the Vertex Company - Essay Example The paper tells that it is necessary to understand a strong background of trade unions, the role they play within different organization, the way they have been reconsidered in the process of the modern companies development et cetera. These numerous issues would be considered further on with respect to the Vertex Company, where the role of trade unions has dynamically changed during the last decade. The employees of any company should be treated with a great respect, tolerance and understanding. To take into account the interests of the company means to improve the process of the company’s successful development. The workers have a right to protect their freedom of views, support their mutual relations and development and work in the name of a common good of the organization and for their own benefits. The establishment of the UNISON organization and its function as a supporter of the employees’ rights is a good chance to solve social and economic problems develops a w orking favorable environment. It is possible to correlate the role of an employee, who actively participates at the workplace, as a sound citizen’s role to play an active role in the social life of the country. It is a framework, which is applied to the abovementioned issues’ solutions. Pluralists consider the role of trade unions in the following way: â€Å"Unions expect improved productivity and profits to be shared with the participating workers as a democratic legitimated right in line with rights to influence decisions and business development†. ... There is a clear differentiation between IR and HRM approaches in the field of collective concerns. From the IR perspective the workers should be able to take control over the employment relations. In terms of HRM perspective the employment relations are mainly developed under the guidance of HR managers (Collective Bargaining, 2006). Basically, Employment Relations should be developed in accordance with the internal and external concerns of the company. The challenges and opportunities of trade unions and the role they play in the modern business world, partner relations among the employees and employers, numerous challenges and opportunities it provides have been issues of a complex nature. In the company Vertex 8000 were employed. These employees have been located across the UK and there was a need to introduce reliable regulation principles in its structure. In the modern perspective: â€Å"For all European unions, the emerging challenges include recruiting women, white-collar, and service-sector workers, and remaining relevant even as unemployment deprives them of their leverage. .. the European Labour Unions  must reinvent themselves, but their pessimism is pervasive, as they conclude that it is "virtually inconceivable that European Unions  ... will be able to generate the resources from a globalizing, neo-liberal capitalist order that they found the Golden Age† (Bronstein 2001, p. 876). Therefore, Vertex discarded trade unions, but it reconsidered the opportunity of dialogue development between the company and its employees. UNISON became a mediator of this process. This organization enabled the employees of the company to reveal

Complaint Management in Social Media - A Comparative Linguistic Essay

Complaint Management in Social Media - A Comparative Linguistic analysis between Company Websites and Facebook - Essay Example Research findings indicate that complaints are rarely responded to and usually only where the language used is complimentary to and/or helpful to the firm. Therefore, contrary to Hirschman’s theory of exit-voice, companies are not taking advantage of defensive marketing tools calculated to retain customers. Social media is defined as any online forum or site on which users may exchange information, opinions or knowledge. In other words the term social media refers to websites in which users are able to freely post to those websites. Brunty and Helenek define social media as a â€Å"social medium† which facilitates communications between users and communications between users and those who created or manage the website or page. Social media also includes a forum in which users can exchange content. Social media websites provide a variety of ways for users to communicate and include email, message boards, instant messaging, video or audio chatting. The idea is to provide a â€Å"sense of community among users†. ... In this regard, businesses are looking at various ways in which they can benefit from social media via social networking tools such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.3 Businesses are now entering unchartered territories in that they can now engage consumer-to-consumer discussions through various online social networking strategies. These communications are uncensored for the most part and permit the consumers to speak to one another freely about businesses and their products. Social media also provides a platform for consumers to speak directly to business management.4 From the perspective of business, the â€Å"quality of user-general content† can range from â€Å"excellent to abuse and spam.†5 Previously, consumers merely went online to explore content and information relative to a business and its products and/or services. Increasingly, consumers are adding their own content to a company’s profile, blogs or websites.6 Thus social media has the capacity to impac t a business’s reputation, sales and might even impact its success.7 This is all the more important because social media tools are increasing alongside internet users who are gathering at social network sites. For example a Pew Report demonstrates that young adults in the US between the ages of 18 and 29 have increased the use of social networks online via cellular telephones. Between 2006 and 2008 online social networking via cellular telephones, among young adults in the US increased by 10% (from 55% to 65%).8 Overall, access points to social networking via the internet have increased exponentially over the years. Globally, users engaged in social networking increased from 54% to 77% by

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Policy Analysis

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Policy Analysis Policy Analysis on Female Genital Mutilation FGM The policy on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), adopted by the Human Rights Commission of Ontario, Canada, in 1996 (and further revised it in 2000) acknowledges the practice as an internationally recognized violation against women and girls human rights and looks at the domestic implications of Canadas obligations as a signatory to international conventions and treaties which recognize FGM as a human rights violation. The policys focus is on the practice of FGM in Canada by immigrant groups who have brought the practice to the country from their countries of origin in Africa and parts of the Middle East and Asia. The policy looks at human rights issues as well as health, social and criminal law concerns. The Ontario Commission acknowledges the complex social and cultural roots of FGM and the need for dialogue and education initiatives within the at-risk communities in Ontario and across Canada. However, it underlines that arguments based on a defence of cultural or religious values sh ould not be accepted as justification for the practice, nor for discriminating against women who have been subjected to, or perceived to have been subjected to, genital mutilation. Significantly, immigrant groups and advocacy organizations in Canada have acknowledged the need to deal with FGM as an internationally recognized health and human rights concern. This essay will first of all define FGM and look at the reasons the practice has survived in some regions despite international condemnation. It will also give a summary of the key elements of the Ontario Commissions policy, the arguments it uses to justify its actions and also show that in this case, the need to protect and promote the rights of women and girls is more important than concerns of cultural imperialism. The policy adopted by the Human Rights Commission of Ontario on FGM is based on the over-arching argument that the importance of good health to a womans well-being and that of her family and society cannot be overstated. Without reproductive health and freedom, women cannot fully exercise their fundamental human rights, such as those relating to education and employment. Womens disproportionate poverty, low social status, and reproductive role expose them to high health risks, resulting in needless and largely preventable suffering and deaths. The benefits of eliminating the harmful and painful practice of FGM are easily demonstrated, yet the practice persists for cultural and traditional reasons. FGM is a gender-specific violation of the rights of girls and women to physical integrity. Over the years, FGM has become recognized not only as a health hazard and a form of violence against women and girls, but also as a human rights issue under international law. Efforts at the international level, particularly by United Nations agencies, have placed FGM on womens health and human rights agendas. FGM is practised by many ethnic groups, from the east to the west coast of Africa, in southern parts of the Arabian peninsula, along the Persian Gulf and among some migrants from these areas in Europe, Australia and North America. It has also been reported in some minority groups in India, Malaysia and Indonesia. In these societies, FGM is considered a rite of passage preparing young girls for womanhood and marriage. However, often performed without anaesthetic under septic conditions, FGM or female circumcision as it is sometimes called, can cause death or permanent health problems as well as severe pain. Despite these grave risks, its practitioners look on it as an integral part of their cultural and ethnic identity, and some perceive it as a religious obligation. The most severe form of FGM, infibulation, which involves removal of the clitoris, results in trauma that is repeated after each childbirth. In many communities FGM is believed to reduce a womans libido, and thereby is further believed to help her resist illicit sexual acts. Cultural ideals of femininity and modesty, which include the notion that girls are clean and beautiful is also another reason for which FGM is carried out (WHO). The practice has been condemned in many international fora and by womens groups as a manifestation of gender inequality and an attempt by society to exert total control over women. In countries where FGM is widely practised, however, it is often supported by both men and women, usually without question, and anyone departing from the norm may face condemnation, harassment. It is often practised even when it is known to inflict harm upon girls because the perceived social benefits of the practice are deemed higher than its disadvantages (UNICEF, 2005a). Though no religious scriptures prescribe the practice, practitioners often believe it has religious support. Religious leaders take varying positions with regard to FGM: some promote it, some consider it irrelevant to religion, and others contribute to its elimination. In most societies, the procedure is considered a cultural tradition, which is often used as an argument for its continuation (WHO). Local structures of power and authority, such as community leaders, religious leaders, circumcisers, and even some medical personnel can contribute to upholding the practice. The age at which the procedure is performed varies depending on the ethnic group and location. It is sometimes performed on babies, more commonly on girls between ages 4 and 8, but also in adolescence, or as late as the time of marriage or during the first pregnancy. Adult women are under pressure to submit to it in order to ensure the status which marriage and childbearing confer and to demonstrate solidarity with fa mily and community. Younger women and girls have no choice at all (UNFPA). The Human Rights Commission of Ontario has successfully and forcefully used several arguments to make its case against the practice of FGM among minority communities living on Canadian territory. International Law: FGM has been condemned by numerous international and regional bodies including the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the Organization of African Unity and the World Medical Association. In 1995, the Platform for Action of the World Conference on Women in Beijing included a section on the girl child and urged governments, international organizations and Non-governmental groups to develop policies and programmes to eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child including FGM. The United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women defines violence against women as encompassing, inter alia, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women. The Commission underlines that in various African countries where the procedure is performed, comprehensive action plans have been developed by womens groups to attempt to eliminate the practice- although overall progress has been slow. FGM has been outlawed in Sudan since 1946, but it continues to be widely practised. In Burkina-Faso and Egypt, resolutions were signed by the respective Ministers of Health in 1959, recommending that only partial clitoridectomy be allowed, and decreeing that it be performed only by doctors. In 1978, as a direct result of the efforts of the Somali womens movement, Somalia established a Commission to abolish infibulation. In 1984, participants from twenty African countries, as well as representatives of international organizations attending a seminar in Dakar, Senegal, on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children and recommended that the practice be abolished. African states acknowledged that there was a need to establish strong, on-going education programmes for meaningful progress towards elimination of the practice. Rights of the Child: The policy points to the link between FGM and the rights of the child, saying that the Convention on the Rights of the Child asserts that children should have the possibility to develop physically in a healthy and normal way, with adequate medical attention and be protected from all forms of cruelty. The Convention establishes the rights of children to gender equality, to freedom from all forms of mental and physical violence and maltreatment and to the highest attainable standard of health. An article of the Convention explicitly requires States to take all effective and appropriate measures to abolish traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children. FGM and health rights: The physical and psychological health complications resulting from genital mutilation of women have been extensively documented. The partial or complete loss of sexual function constitutes a violation of a womans right to physical integrity and mental health. Domestic implications of international human rights law: the Commission argues that since Canada plays a prominent role in the international arena as a supporter and promoter of womens human rights and is a signatory to over twenty major international conventions and treaties, the province of Ontario would be in compliance with its obligations by taking steps to eradicate this practice. Domestic or national courts are required to interpret implementing legislation in conformity with international convention insofar as the domestic legislation permits. This is also the case in Europe where legislation prohibiting the practice of FGM exists in Sweden, France and Great Britain where the procedure carries a penalty of imprisonment. Criminal Law: The Criminal Code can be used to control the transportation of female children outside the country for the purpose of obtaining FGM. A memorandum was issued to all Chiefs of Police and the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police, stating that FGM is a criminal offence. In 1997, FGM was included in the Criminal Code and put under aggravated assault- any person who commits an aggravated assault is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years. If a parent is present and is in agreement with the act of FGM being performed on their child as well as if the parent performs the operation themselves can be convicted. Duty to report: In Ontario, a duty to report FGM exists under the policy of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO). Under the CPSO policy, the performance of female circumcision, excision, infibulation and/or reinfibulation by a physician licensed in Ontario, unless medically indicated, would be regarded as professional misconduct. Under Ontarios Child and Family Services Act,42 there is a duty to report information with respect to a child who is in need of protection. This duty exists despite the provisions of any other Act. If a person has reasonable grounds to suspect that a child is or may be in need of protection, the person is obliged to report the suspicion to appropriate authorities. The Ontario Human Rights Code: The Ontario Human Rights Code, recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of every person in Ontario. The creation of a society in which all persons can live and work in an environment that is free from discrimination is central to the policy objectives of the Ontario Human Rights Commission in virtue of the Code. There are new immigrants to Canada who may not be aware that some of their traditional or culturally rooted attitudes and values may result in practices that are clearly in conflict with Canadian law, including the Ontario Human Rights Code. FGM is practised within certain immigrant groups- where the families might not consider the operation as a form of physical or sexual abuse. The Commission does recognise the need to treat such issues in a sensitive manner and to educate the public on human rights issues. The need to work with communities: The Commission acknowledges the complex social and cultural roots of FGM and the need for dialogue and education initiatives within the at-risk communities in Ontario and across Canada. However, it is the Commissions view that arguments based on a defence of cultural or religious values should not be accepted as justification for the practice, nor for discriminating against women who have been subjected to, or perceived to have been subjected to, genital mutilation. The Commission is committed to working with members and organizations of the at-risk communities, as well as with other agencies in the public sector in developing public education initiatives around FGM. The efforts of the Commission, together with those of the affected communities and concerned organizations, can help to create an environment in which people are encouraged to eradicate the practice, without imposing a threat to the dignity and cultural identity of the affected communities. The Commissions focus is very correctly on eradicating FGM among immigrants in Toronto which are from the regions where FGM is practised. It is estimated that there are 70,000 immigrants and refugees from Somalia and 10,000 from Nigeria. Reliable statistics on the incidence of FGM are not available. However, based on discussions with members of the communities that are at risk, there is some evidence to indicate that FGM is practised in Ontario and across Canada and that in some cases, families from those communities send their daughters out of Canada to have the operation performed. The Commission is working with local non-governmental groups to spread the message. The National Organization of Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of Canada has prepared a workshop manual for health care workers and facilitators working with communities that have traditionally practised FGM. The aim is to educate participants about the health and legal consequences of FGM, to correct misperceptions and fallacies about the tradition and to support efforts to eradicate the practice. As there were no co-ordinated efforts between various professionals and institutions, and no consistent policy in Canada regarding FGM, members of affected communities requested that the Minister Responsible for Womens Issues establish an Ontario FGM Prevention Task Force. The Task Force, an inter-ministerial/agency/community initiative, was mandated to develop and recommend strategies and policies designed to provide support for girls and women who have been subjected to FGM, to prevent the practice, and to support community work by, and for women affected by genital mutilation. The focus is not on imposing a foreign value system (the concept of cultural imperialism) on societies in Africa etc. but asking immigrants and religious groups which have come to live in Canada to act in accordance with the countrys concerns about the health of women and their reproductive rights. The policy is therefore based around the idea of the empowerment of women and of ensuring an end to discrimination. The Commissions policy has had a direct impact on immigrant communities living in Ontario but also helped to publicise the problem in other parts of Canada and the world. In 1994, in a landmark ruling, Canada also became the first Western country to recognise FGM as grounds for granting asylum. The Human Rights Commission of Ontario has therefore taken a courageous and ground-breaking policy stance to tackle a serious violation of the rights of women.

Concealed Weapons :: essays research papers

Concealed Weapons, Concealed Risk Do you feel safer sitting next to someone carrying a gun? / Many people say no to that question,/ for many valid reasons. Carrying Concealed weapons have nothing to do with your dad or uncle owning many firearms. / This issue relates solely on allowing individuals to carry these weapons/ almost anywhere in the community:/ including football games,/ restaurants,/ stores,/school buildings/ and other many other places where firearms should strictly be prohibited./ There are 7 states in the nation including Missouri/ that does not let any private citizens carry these weapons. Most people who have permits to carry concealed weapons in their proper states are people who are not law enforcement officials/and have limited training and undergo less testing than even the most basic police recruit./ Even law-abiding citizens/ with the best intentions/ do not know how hard it is to use a gun in successful self-defense. Even highly trained police officers often lose control of their weapons; /acc ording to the National Institute of Justice/ an average of 16% of police officers killed in the line of fire/ are killed by a fellow officers bullet. Yet, they are lead to believe/ that if given a dangerous situation/ they will use the weapon with the proper safety and care that law enforcers will. You cannot ignore the fact that out of the thirty-four thousand and forty firearm deaths in 1998,/ only 212 were justifiable homicides out of self defense /by private citizens with firearms. The gun lobby claims that only law-abiding citizens get permits/. According to statistics this is false./ A recent study done by the Violence Policy Center/ demonstrated that in the first six months on 1997, /the weapon related offense rate among Texas concealed weapon license holders/ were more than twice as high as that general population of Texas. / We know that concealed weapon holders are committing crimes/ as a matter of fact/ 946 crimes were committed by Texan Concealed Weapon holders/ in the f irst 6 months of 1997. The full story on this has not yet been told because the Gun Lobby prohibits public accessibility to the lists of concealed weapon permit holders. (www.handguncontrol.com/facts) The carrying of concealed weapons were prohibited/ or severely limited in most states/ prior to the mid-1990s./ Then here comes the National Rifle Association,/ pleading that ordinary people carrying hidden handguns will reduce the nation’s crime rate./ Their first year of this new campaign they were fairly successful,/ and many states changed their laws to allow the widespread carrying of concealed weapons.