Structural Theory of Conflict Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Structural Theory of Conflict - Research Paper Example However, since the 1970s newer approaches have started to come out with new concepts of criminology. All of these approaches evolved into what is now known as left realism. The major difference which can be found between the left idealism and left realism is a moral issue which will be discovered later in this article. Traditional Marxist Theories Marx himself had very little to say about crime. He merely explained it as a product of poverty. However, there are other sociologists who have built the traditional Marxist approach to crime. There are four main areas which are discussed by the traditional Marxist approach: the manipulation of values; the process of law creation; the enforcement of law; and individual motivation. According to the Marxists society is controlled by powerful industrialists- bourgeoisie. Control is maintained in the society by means of socialization and threat. Through the process of socialization the young are taught to obey the power and value of the capital ist system. A wide range of social institutions such as the school, mass media and religion convey the message to the masses. Marxists claim that the meaning of crime depends upon the dominant social values. A very valid example would be that the murder of a person in a brawl will be counted as a severe crime but the death of a factory worker is considered an accident even though the cause of the accident might be the irresponsible attitude of the management. The problem which results from this is that the perception which is created through the sociological institutions that much of the crime is carried out by the youth, or the working class men or the black. This creates an ideology which causes the law enforcement agencies to focus more on these people and as a consequence there are more policemen in such areas. According to concepts of Marx law is created by the ruling class. The ruling class ensures that the laws not only maintain their dominance but they also provide them the freedom to carry out oppression and also preventing the working class for improving their standard of living. Marxists also argue that the law enforcement acts as a major catalyst in widening the gap between the ruling class and the working class. This is quite visible by the way that crime is handled. Street crimes are more likely to be punished more severely than white-collar crimes. This is compounded by the fact that white-collar crimes are very likely to be dealt by the firm itself by firing etc. to avoid the scandals. Apart from this the treatment of these crimes is also a question mark on the law enforcement system where street crimes might result in long jail sentences whereas corporate or white-collar crimes usually only result in heavy crimes. Two areas which are explained and discussed extensively in Marxist studies are mugging and corporate crime. When ‘mugging’ is discussed most important details are provided by Hall et al. (1979) in the book policing the C risis.’ It was in the early 1970s that mugging became the headline news in Britain. Mugging can be defined as robbery in the streets where the person is threatened or harmed. Mugging was an entirely new concept for the masses and simultaneously grabbed the focus of the news agencies who from time to time reported these crimes. This had increased such that the stat came out that it had increased by 129

Sizing up the Matter about Matters on Size Essay Example for Free

Sizing up the Matter about Matters on Size Essay The article by Roy Johnson was concerned about the sport open-wheel racing. The author noted that there are new policies regarding the weight of the vehicle, which included the weight of the driver. A lot of women are involved in such races, including those who were least expected—the modeling type of women. By being so light, there is an advantage in a race, both on and off the track. With lighter weighted drivers, it is almost expected to have the cars run faster. However, it is not just the weight that defines the speed of the driver. It also challenges the skills and knowledge of the driver about the sport. In this regard, when a model type women run through the races, and if her experience and knowledge lacks in comparison to those plus sizes, then who exactly has the greater advantage? The article also included that she is able to attain ranks in races wherein women never reached that almost equal levels with men. But after the many attempts and races she experienced, she was still lacking in excelling in this sport. In the end, does the size and gender really matter in attaining the most victorious position in any race? The first placer and grand price? Perhaps there are sports wherein people would have to accept that only men, or only women, can perfectly excel in a certain sport. I do no believe that it is being spiteful of sexes, or within sexes. Should the women really be that skeptical about their weight? With these said, he only answer that this paper could suggest is to keep in mind that sports do not only measure physical strength. It also involves skills and knowledge. Work Cited Johnson, Roy. â€Å"To the IRL, size matters. † Yahoo Sports. 28 March 2008. 11 April 2008 http://sports. yahoo. com/top/blog/roy_s_johnson/post/To-the-IRL-size-matters? urn=top,73900.

Who Needs Friends? :: Friendship Essay

How Needs Friends? As the plane taxied to the runway, I found myself sitting alone with two empty seats next to me. Oh, joy. I fluffed my pillow, retrieved my book, and stretched myself out under a blanket. All was good. If I had had any idea that the seating arrangement was to be the highlight of my trip, I might have just stayed on the airplane. In making plans for this trip, I forgot that life seldom works out according to nice and tidy plans. Life is, in fact, usually messy. The best vacations aren't always the ones really taken but are instead sometimes the ones you take only in your imagination. Judy, Lois and I met when each of our lives was in upheaval. Between us, two marriages ended in divorce, one parent died, one daughter moved across the country, one car was repossessed, one house burned down (it wasn't my fault), and one I.R.S. audit was threatening. Together we had been, if not to hell, at least to purgatory and back. Our friendship seemed solid and assured; even when after remarrying, Lois decided to move to North Carolina to be near her family, especially her daughter. This daughter, this wicked girl, waited until the U-haul pulled up, car in tow, to announce that in six months she was getting married and moving to Texas. For Judy and me, it meant a trip, an engagement not to be missed. The three of us together again was going to be grand. I could hardly wait. I imagined I'd hop on the red-eye and be in Asheville for breakfast. A reunion of unprecedented glee would ensue. After that, we would check out the wedding site, see the monuments to the city's Civil War soldiers, and check out the local watering hole. Later, there would be the meeting with the family and the fulfillment of other pleasantries. Then we would talk into the night, sipping bourbon and tittering quietly so as not to wake the household. The wedding was scheduled for Saturday morning, and I thought it could be potentially awkward for Lois. You see, Lois' first husband, Hank, the father of the bride, would be there. Lois' second husband, Henry, the man she left Hank for, would be there. Lois' third husband, Steven, the man she left Henry for, would be there, too. The only task Judy and I would have was keeping the three husbands at equal distance from each other.

In the National Gallery

In the short story In the National Gallery by Doris Lessing we follow a narrator, which gender is unknown for the reader. The story line takes place in the National Gallery – therefore the name of the short story. The narrator’s intention in the gallery is to find a picture big enough to be able to sit in the middle of the room looking at it, which is succeeded. An old man joins the narrator on the bench together with a younger man, also with the intention of looking at the picture.The old man lectures the younger man about Stubbs’ picture which shows that the old man already familiar with the picture, â€Å"How much I would have liked to know as much as he did[†¦]†(p. 2 ll. 15-16) However it does not interest the younger one, and he walks away while looking, â€Å"†¦ a bit rueful, like a pupil chidden by a teacher†(p. 2 ll. 21-22). The narrator makes up a relation between the young and the elderly man, which is shown in the following quot e, â€Å"†¦ as if saying, â€Å"Oh, let’s kiss and make up†Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 2 ll. 29). It shows how the narrator makes up an abnormal relationship between the two of them.As if they are boyfriends. It is not abnormal if they are homosexuals but the abnormal thing about the assumable relationship is the big generation gap. Another example of a big generation gap in the short story is when a group of young French girls steps into the gallery. The narrator mentions how the girls’ entrance creates a contrast to the normality in the National Gallery. In the group there is a sort of leader â€Å"a package to be admired† (p. 3 line 41-42) as the narrator says. The narrator explains to the reader how the old man on the bench is gazing intensely on the leader of the girl group.Of course the reader is not 100% reliable in the things he/she observes, but the old man’s interest in the young girl is patent in a quote, which is when the old man addresses the na rrator, â€Å"†She’s like a girl I was in love with once. (p. 3 ll. 71). He tells the narrator about how the girl from the past walked out on him, and this arouses old, hidden feelings in the old man. Throughout Doris Lessing’s In the National Gallery the reader follows the progress in the short story through a 1st person narrator. He/she acts passively and is just observing throughout the whole short story.The narrator attaches importance to the relationship between the elderly and the young man and also especially the relationship between the elderly man and the young French girl. The only time the narrator acts actively in the short story is when he/she talks to the old man about his first love that the French girl looks like. Because of the 1st person narrator the short story does not necessarily correspond with what is happening in reality. The group of girls and the two men is characters we only hear about through the narrator. It means that what the narra tor tells the reader about the characters is not necessarily true.We experiences them as the narrator do. This is show by this quote, â€Å"In the space of a moment the scene had turned ugly. †(p. ll. 24), this is just the way the narrator experiences the situation, but she/he doesn’t know how the young man and the old man is used to talk with each other and does not now their body language. It is also shown how the narrator is quick to judge in the beginning when the two men are having a discussion. He/she only hears few parts of the conversation between the two, and yet there is an immediately judgment, that the relationship between them are student and teacher, â€Å"A son?A younger brother? Certainly a pupil [†¦] (p. 1 ll. 12). However some of the comments between the two of them, as earlier mentioned creates some a kind of love affair. A 1st person narrator can never be looked at as a trustworthy narrator. Doris Lessing maybe uses this kind of narrator to ma ke her points more indirect and discreet. The short story would have been told in a whole different way, if she had used a third person omniscient point of view. With a first person narrator the reader is forced to think about what the narrator tells us if we want to get a deeper meaning of what is being told.An example of this is in the end of the short story. The group of girls is leaving the National Gallery and the narrator assumes that the old man is following them, â€Å"Slowly, he followed. Oh no, I was thinking [†¦] There was a wildness in the air, unexpressed, and raw, and dangerous. † (p. 5 ll. 151-154). What the narrator experiences in this quote do not correspond with the environment that usually is in a museum. The narrator gets carried away with his/hers lively imaginations since the narrator has these associations.On the other hand, a 1st person narrator gives a subjective, detailed description of the characters. In this short story the narrator for instan ce sympathize with the elderly man but also thinks that it is repulsive that he looks so intensely after the French girl â€Å"The man next to me was staring hard at her(p. 3 ll. 51). Because of the detailed description of the characters, the reader does not need to think about the underlying information about them. But again, a 1st person narrator is unreliable which the reader needs to be attentive about.

Benefits and Costs of Investing in China Essay

In terms of economic performance, China has been performing impressively compared to its neighbouring countries in Asia and can compete at par with top developed countries like United States and United Kingdom in terms of volume of trade and sources of competitive advantages. Likewise, due to its large population sixe and high disposable income of every Chinese household due to its impressive economic development for the past years, China offers great potential market to many multinational companies seeking for large number of customers. This will provide multinational companies high sales and profit from operating in China. Alongside with the influx of foreign direct investment in China, Chinese share of trade on their GDP continuous to increase every year as multinational firms increases the international trading transactions of China to the rest of the world. Furthermore, due to China’s large population, it has been able to offer cheaper laborers and large potential market which are both attractive to foreign investors leading to the improvement of their foreign direct investments for the past years since the late 1990’s. Without this component, it is impossible for China to attain its present state and achievements. Since 1999, the GDP growth rate of China has been performing impressively as foreign direct investments stabilized major economic indicators, specifically the trade balance and domestic consumption, which are vital in determining the overall performance of a given economy. This only suggests that China can offer high return on investments to investors in the next coming years as China’s GDP growth rate continuous to increase every year. Due to the effort of the Chinese government to attract more foreign investors into their market, it has been extensively supporting the development of its communication infrastructure by providing subsidies to telephone companies. This would soon boost the business activities all over the domestic market of China. Costs Compared to communication infrastructure, physical infrastructure of China seems to develop at a slower rate thereby could impede for the fast growth of foreign investments in China. Though the Chinese government is also on the process of improving their facilities in this area, but, overall it is still lower compared to the development of their communication facilities as mentioned above. On the communist government, one of the primary factors that scare foreign investors in putting their capitals in China due to rampant corruption and insufficient laws that would protect the interest of foreign investors. Â  Add to this the weak economic freedom, which could draw potential investors away of China if the situation continues to exist in the next coming years. Per capita GDP in urban areas are undeniably high but considering the conditions of those households from the rural areas, overall, per capita GDP of China is not in good condition as wealth distribution is still skewed towards to the households in the urban areas. Â  Another cost or disadvantage in the Chinese economy is the high inflation rate which has been one of the economic problems of China that it presently faces due to its fast-paced economic growth. This could pose either as beneficial or detrimental to foreign investors depending on the type of product they will sell in the Chinese market and the size of their operation in China. In terms of infrastructure, most of the major waterways of China are on the process of gradual formation as the Chinese government wants to utilize its waterways efficiently specially the river systems in the mainland. The Chinese government is still on the process of developing its roads and highways especially those roads that would connect different provinces to major cities. It would still take a few more years before this physical infrastructure will be fully developed. References: Bodde, Derk. Introduction. Chinese Thought, Society, and Science : The Intellectual and Social Background of Science and Technology in Pre-modern China. Honolulu University of Hawaii Press, 1991. pp 3-4. Qiang, Christine Zhen-Wei. China’s Information Revolution : Managing the Economic and Social Transformation. Herndon, VA, USA: World Bank, The, 2007. p 2.

Poverty in Canada.

Poverty in Canada. Poverty is a reality in Canada today. Despite having one of the higheststandards of living among all the developed nations, and despite being voted numerous times in recent years by the United Nations as the best country in the world in which to live, experts agree that poverty is prevalent in Canada today. Unfortunately, that is more or less where the agreement ends. Exactly how prevalent and how serious a problem poverty is in Canada is an open question that has been hotly debated for the last 10 years.There have been two times in the past 300 years when economic structural changes have occurred in the world that have been so massive and so far-reaching, that the impact on societies has been nothing short of monumental.The first time was in the Industrial Revolution which began in the early 1700s and caused massive societal transformations, especially in the western world, changing life from agrarian-based societies to industrial-based societies.POVERTYThe second time was in the ea rly 1980s with the beginning of the "Information Revolution." Today, a rapid, world-wide, economic transformation is taking place that is changing our societies from industrial-based societies to information-based societies, the 3rd wave.These changes are part of a greater phenomenon called "globalization" . The improvement in technology lead to a desire to make trades with other countries, and therefore allowing foreign companies to sell in Canada and thereby compete with Canadian companies, and vice versa ("Laisser faire, laisser passer" - Adam Smith).This increased competition lead to ever greater pressures on Canadian companies to reduce their costs of producing goods. Companies closed down and went looking in third world countries because labour is cheaper. At the same time, technology was replacing human labour; employees lost their jobs, being replaced by machines that could do the...

Free Essays on The Similarities And Differences Of Emily Grierson and Granny Weatherall

Human beings react in many ways to tragedy. Some run and hide, some resort to lieing and cheating, and others do the unthinkable, kill. A more positive reaction to tragedy is when a person can look adversity in the eye and weather-all. These two opposite reactions are described in graphic detail in the short stories, â€Å"A Rose For Emily† and â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall.† The characters of Emily Grierson and Granny Weatherall are similar in many ways, but how each one faces their misfortune defines them. These two women had many similar characteristics. Both were left by their first loves. Miss Emily’s first love turns out to be gay(133 paragraph 41), and Granny Weatherall is left at the alter by her fiancà ©.(417 paragraph 43) Both remained alone for a long period of time. When Miss Emily’s father dies, she is left a poor old woman all alone, and after the death of Granny’s husband, she is left alone to raise her family.(415 paragraph 25) In each of these stories both are portrayed as stubborn old women. Miss Emily defies the tax collectors by refusing to pay. (131 paragraph 10) Granny Weatherall refuses to believe that she is dying.(41 paragraph 1) What sets each of these women apart is their reaction to tragedy. Miss Emily’s father never allowed her to love any man.(132 paragraph 25) After her father’s dies, she is free to love. Emily meets Homer, â€Å"a big, dark man with eyes lighter than his face.† McDade 2 Later in their relationship, Emily finds out that it will not work out with Homer. The man that she loved so much was known to like men.(133 paragraph 41) She could not take the pain. Finally, after years of loneliness, she was allowed to love, but she could not have him. Miss Emily’s solution was to purchase arsenic and poison Homer. (133 paragraph 39) By killing the man she loved, keeping his deteriorating body in her bed so that she could lay with him every night, she secured... Free Essays on The Similarities And Differences Of Emily Grierson and Granny Weatherall Free Essays on The Similarities And Differences Of Emily Grierson and Granny Weatherall Human beings react in many ways to tragedy. Some run and hide, some resort to lieing and cheating, and others do the unthinkable, kill. A more positive reaction to tragedy is when a person can look adversity in the eye and weather-all. These two opposite reactions are described in graphic detail in the short stories, â€Å"A Rose For Emily† and â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall.† The characters of Emily Grierson and Granny Weatherall are similar in many ways, but how each one faces their misfortune defines them. These two women had many similar characteristics. Both were left by their first loves. Miss Emily’s first love turns out to be gay(133 paragraph 41), and Granny Weatherall is left at the alter by her fiancà ©.(417 paragraph 43) Both remained alone for a long period of time. When Miss Emily’s father dies, she is left a poor old woman all alone, and after the death of Granny’s husband, she is left alone to raise her family.(415 paragraph 25) In each of these stories both are portrayed as stubborn old women. Miss Emily defies the tax collectors by refusing to pay. (131 paragraph 10) Granny Weatherall refuses to believe that she is dying.(41 paragraph 1) What sets each of these women apart is their reaction to tragedy. Miss Emily’s father never allowed her to love any man.(132 paragraph 25) After her father’s dies, she is free to love. Emily meets Homer, â€Å"a big, dark man with eyes lighter than his face.† McDade 2 Later in their relationship, Emily finds out that it will not work out with Homer. The man that she loved so much was known to like men.(133 paragraph 41) She could not take the pain. Finally, after years of loneliness, she was allowed to love, but she could not have him. Miss Emily’s solution was to purchase arsenic and poison Homer. (133 paragraph 39) By killing the man she loved, keeping his deteriorating body in her bed so that she could lay with him every night, she secured...

Discussion and Examples of Expectation States Theory

Discussion and Examples of Expectation States Theory Expectation states theory is an approach to understanding how people evaluate other people’s competence in small task groups and the amount of credibility and influence they give them as a result. Central to the theory is the idea that we evaluate people based on two criteria. The first criterion is specific skills and abilities that are relevant to the task at hand, such as prior experience or training. The second criterion is composed of status characteristics such as gender, age, race, education, and physical attractiveness, that encourage people to believe that someone will be superior to others, even though those characteristics play no role in the work of the group. Overview of Expectation States Theory Expectation states theory was developed by American sociologist and social psychologist Joseph Berger, along with his colleagues, in the early 1970s. Based on social psychological experiments, Berger and his colleagues first published a paper on the topic in 1972 in the American Sociological Review, titled Status Characteristics and Social Interaction. Their theory offers an explanation for why social hierarchies emerge in small, task-oriented groups. According to the theory, both known information and implicit assumptions based on certain characteristics lead to a person developing an assessment of anothers abilities, skills, and value. When this combination is favorable, we will have a positive view of their ability to contribute to the task at hand. When the combination is less than favorable or poor, we will have a negative view of their ability to contribute. Within a group setting, this results in a hierarchy forming in which some are seen as more valuable and important than others. The higher or lower a person is on the hierarchy, the higher or lower his or her level of esteem and influence within the group will be. Berger and his colleagues theorized that while an assessment of relevant experience and expertise is a part of this process, in the end, the formation of a hierarchy within the group is most strongly influenced by the effect of social cues on the assumptions that we make about others. The assumptions we make about people - especially who we dont know very well or with whom we have limited experience - are largely based on social cues that are often guided by stereotypes of race, gender, age, class, and looks. Because this happens, people who are already privileged in society in terms of social status end up being favorably assessed within small groups, and those who experience disadvantages due to these characteristics will be negatively assessed. Of course, its not just visual cues that shape this process, but also how we comport ourselves, speak, and interact with others. In other words, what sociologists call cultural capital makes some appear more valuable and others less so. Why Expectation States Theory Matters Sociologist Cecilia Ridgeway has pointed out in a paper titled Why Status Matters for Inequality  that as these trends perpetuate over time, they lead to certain groups having  more influence and power than others. This makes members of higher status groups appear to be right and worthy of trust, which encourages those in lower status groups and people in general to trust them and to go along with their way of doing things. What this means is that social status hierarchies, and the inequalities of race, class, gender, age, and others that go along with them, are fostered and perpetuated by what happens in small group interactions. This theory seems to bear out in the wealth and income disparities between white people and people of color, and between men and women, and would seem to correlate with both women and people of color reporting that they are frequently presumed incompetent or presumed to occupy positions of employment and status lower than they actually do. Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

Legal Aspects of Nursing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Aspects of Nursing - Case Study Example an injury resulting from the negligence, a record of failure of the nurses on performing their duties properly on the patients, and direct failure in responsibility of care towards the patient during the patients stay at the medical facility (Iyer and Aiken 2001). The patients therefore must prove that their conditions worsened due to the malpractice or negligence (Rostant 1999). The law stipulates that any claim against a nurse is also one for the hospital owing to the professional of nursing working in hospital environment. For Jose’s case, there are several cases of liability against the hospital. First, there is administrative liability against the hospital. The hospital is liable for damages for not having an anesthetist in place for emergency cases. The absence of the anesthetist resulted to late surgery that consequently resulted to permanent disability of Jose’s shoulder and arm. The hospital is also administratively liable for Jose’s claim for not having properly functioning x-ray machine that took so long before determining Jose’s arm condition as requiring surgery. Third, there is a civil liability against the emergency physician. The emergency center physician is also liable for damages for neglecting the duty of contacting the anesthetist as soon as he realized that the emergency would result into surgery. It is his moral duty to ensure that a patient is not left in pain awaiting a physician whose presence is not available (Rostant 1999). The physician can be charged with civil liability for not making referral when he knew that Jose’s condition was bad and the anesthetist would not be available until morning. This delay resulted to severe pain for Jose. In Jose’s scenario, the hospital administration is responsible and not the emergency physician or the anesthetist. It is the responsibility of the hospital administration to ensure adequate personnel at all times and ensure adequate, effective and efficient machinery, equipment and

What do non-humans present in graphic design Essay

What do non-humans present in graphic design - Essay Example AbsÐ µncÐ µ or lack of which could makÐ µ art losÐ µ novÐ µlty. Talking of novÐ µlty, how about looking at art in naturÐ µ? Richard Dawkins statÐ µs that thÐ µ diffÐ µrÐ µncÐ µ bÐ µtwÐ µÃ µn human art or dÐ µsign and thÐ µ amazingly â€Å"ingÐ µnious† forms that wÐ µ Ð µncountÐ µr in naturÐ µ, is duÐ µ tho thÐ µ fact that Human art originatÐ µs in thÐ µ mind , whilÐ µ thÐ µ natural dÐ µsigns rÐ µsult from natural sÐ µlÐ µction. Which is vÐ µry truÐ µ. HowÐ µvÐ µr it is anothÐ µr mattÐ µr that natural sÐ µlÐ µction and cultural sÐ µlÐ µction, that will ultimatÐ µly dÐ µcidÐ µ on thÐ µ â€Å"popularity† of an art don’t function in thÐ µ samÐ µ way. Anyhow How can wÐ µ rÐ µmovÐ µ thÐ µ cultural bias or thÐ µ human bias that wÐ µ havÐ µ in our art forms? .AnswÐ µrs in Artificial LifÐ µ: Artificial lifÐ µ may bÐ µ dÐ µfinÐ µd as â€Å"A fiÐ µld of study dÐ µvotÐ µd to undÐ µrstanding lifÐ µ by attÐ µmpting to dÐ µrivÐ µ gÐ µnÐ µral thÐ µoriÐ µs undÐ µrlying biological phÐ µnomÐ µna, and rÐ µcrÐ µating thÐ µsÐ µ dynamics in othÐ µr physical mÐ µdia - such as computÐ µrs - making thÐ µm accÐ µssiblÐ µ to nÐ µw kinds of Ð µxpÐ µrimÐ µntal manipulation and tÐ µsting. This sciÐ µntific rÐ µsÐ µarch links biology and computÐ µr sciÐ µncÐ µ.†1 Most of thÐ µ A-LifÐ µ simulations today can not bÐ µ considÐ µrÐ µd truly alivÐ µ, as thÐ µy still can not show somÐ µ propÐ µrtiÐ µs of truly alivÐ µ systÐ µms and also that thÐ µy havÐ µ considÐ µrablÐ µ human bias in dÐ µsign. HowÐ µvÐ µr thÐ µrÐ µ arÐ µ two viÐ µws that havÐ µ Ð µxistÐ µd on thÐ µ wholÐ µ idÐ µa of Artificial LifÐ µ and thÐ µ Ð µxtÐ µnt it can go. WÐ µak A-LifÐ µ is thÐ µ idÐ µa that thÐ µ â€Å"living procÐ µss† can not bÐ µ achiÐ µvÐ µd bÐ µyond a chÐ µmical domain. WÐ µak A-lifÐ µ rÐ µsÐ µarchÐ µrs concÐ µntratÐ µ on simulating lifÐ µ procÐ µssÐ µs with an undÐ µrlying aim to undÐ µrstand thÐ µ biological procÐ µssÐ µs. Strong A-LifÐ µ is Ð µxactly thÐ µ rÐ µvÐ µrsÐ µ. John Von NÐ µumann oncÐ µ rÐ µmarkÐ µd â€Å"lifÐ µ is a procÐ µss which can bÐ µ abstractÐ µd away from any particular mÐ µdiumâ€Å". In rÐ µcÐ µnt timÐ µs

The Craft of Public Administration Statute Essay

The Craft of Public Administration Statute - Essay Example Accommodating the suggestion either, totally or with modifications or restrictions; deferring action resting on the suggestion or looking for additional information concerning its operation and impact; rejecting a proposal because it does not have value or would be contradictory with other rules or a statute. (Magat 70) When an advisory committee decides primarily that a particular modify in the rules would be suitable, it normally asks its journalist to prepare a draft modification to the policy and an explanatory committee note. The draft amendment and committee note are discussed and nominated upon at a committee meeting. (Magat 72) Once an advisory committee vote initially to recommend an amendment to the rules, it is required to obtain the approval of the Standing Committee, or its chair to issue the proposed amendment for municipal comment. In seeking publication, the advisory committee must give details to the standing committee the reasons for its suggestion, including any marginal or separate views. (Magat 83) The reporter prepares a summary of the printed comments received from the municipal and the proof presented at the hearings. The advisory committee next takes a fresh look at the anticipated rule changes in light of the printed comments and testimony. ... Once the advisory committee decides to carry on in final form, it submits the proposed amendment to the Standing Committee for approval. (Magat 86) Stage 4. Approval by the Standing Committee The standing committee considers the final recommendations of the advisory committee and may recognize, reject, or modify them. If the Standing committee approves a projected rule change, it will pass on to the judicial conference. (Magat 90) Stage 5. Judicial Conference Approval The judicial Conference generally considers proposed amendments to the policy at its September assembly each year. If approved by the conference, the amendments are transmitted to the Supreme Court. (Magat 91) Stage 6. Supreme Court Approval The Supreme Court has the authority to lay down the federal rules, subject to a legal waiting period. 28 U.S.C. 2072, 2075. The Court ought to transmit proposed amendments to assembly by May 1 of the year in which the modification is to take effect. 28 U.S.C. 2074, 2075. (Magat 93) Stage 7. Congressional Review Congress has a statutory period of at least 7 months to take action on any rules prescribed by the Supreme Court. If the Congress does not pass legislation to decline, amend, or defer the rules, they take outcome as a matter of law on December 1. 28 U.S.C. 2074, 2075.

Criminology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criminology - Case Study Example The availability and computing of crime statistics is a vital component of law enforcement. Crime statistics provide us with important facts that theories must then explain. During the increased crime rate of USA during 1980s, the criminologist's strugged to justify the unexplained increase in crime rate throughout the nation. However, during 1990s the same country experienced a reduction in the crime rate and thus it is now essential for criminologists to discover the root causes of crime in order to understand this trend. The who, when, where, how of crimes is addressed by the quantitative techniques of measuring crime and which are vital in answering the why of crimes. Measuring criminal behavior is not just an academic exercise in futility, for it can fruitfully be used in evaluating criminal justice policy initiatives, policing, judicial and correctional administration amongst various other uses. Siegel, (183-227) believed that criminal behavior was a function of the human ability to choose an individual course of action. Psychological theories of crime which justify the reduction in crime rate during 1990s began with the view that individual differences in behavior may make some people more predisposed to committing criminal acts. These differences may arise from personality characteristics, biological factors, or social interactions. There are many other theories that attempt to explain criminal behavior, but that is beyond the scope of this essay. Now, having learnt about crime and criminology, it is now necessary to throw some light on the root causes of crime. Discussion Although there were several specific crimes which were on the rise during the increased crime rate of 1980s, those crimes experienced a reduction during 1990s. However, while interest in crime has always been high, understanding of why it occurs and what to do about it has always been a problem. Public officials, politicians and 'experts' offer simple and incomplete solutions for obliterating crime, whereas academe invariably offers abstract interpretations and suggestions that often have little practical value. As in most areas of human behavior, there is no shortage of experts but there are very few effective solutions (American Journal of Sociology, 3920-4259) According to Siegel (183-227) criminologists studying the trend of crime rate in USA during 1980s and 1990s have rarely shown interest in the aspect of situational crime prevention. Criminologists develop theories and conduct research to understand and explain criminal behavior. A theory attempts to make sense out of many disparate observations (or facts) by stating a general principal that connects, integrates and explains them. A good theory is extremely valuable in that it extends our knowledge beyond the facts in front of us (the raw data), enabling us to predict how others might behave at another time and in another place (Ojp.usdoj.gov, 2007). Criminological theories based on biology, psychology were both, at one stage dominant in the field; however the vast majority of current criminological text employs sociological theory and research. Biological and psychological explanations will be examined in the following essay; however there will be a focus on sociological theory. It has been said that a theory of criminal conduct is weak indeed if it is uninformed by a general psychology of human

Recruiting and Selection Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Recruiting and Selection Paper - Essay Example It attempts to encompass every level of employees in the recruitment and selection procedure (Sullivan, 2007). Current Recruitment and Selection Approach used in Google There are several kinds of recruitment and selection approaches that an organization can adopt as well as implement. In this regard, a few of the approaches are internal sourcing, external sourcing, campus recruiting and employee referral among others. It has been apparently observed that Google use multiple approaches of recruitment. The prime objective of the organization is to employ talented employees. With respect to recruitment and selection approach, Google adopts unique approach and thus developed an effective recruiting culture successfully. The recruiting functions in Google encompass entire organization rather than focusing only upon human resource (HR) department. As a result, it can be affirmed that Google has gone through following certain extraordinary steps for attracting along with retaining best tale nts. The components relating to recruitment and selection approach that used by Google are as follows: Employment Branding Employment branding is a method of making an organization to be one of the finest sites to work for. Google has successfully established itself as an employer brand which helps to attract huge figure of individuals or people. As a result, Google is observed as one of the top companies of employment choice for different talented individuals. In this regard, the approach of employer branding helps to attract potential employees towards any particular brand (Sullivan, 2007). Employee Retention Google produces exceptional experience for the employee and provides chances for them to concentrate on developing their key abilities. Due to this reason, the rate of employee turnover in Google is quite low, even if the organization provides the employees only market- oriented salary. The key rationale for Google’s unique recruitment approach is that the organization does not consider money to be the only issue in employment, rather there are other non-monetary factors that largely affects employee loyalty by a considerable level (Sullivan, 2007). Creativity Google continues to crop up with innovative approaches in relation to recruit and select talented employees. For instance, in the year 2006, Google had rearranged its search engine in order to deliver effectual recruiting message to the students as well as the faculties of different schools and colleges. This approach of recruitment was quite simple and discreet in nature (Sullivan, 2007). Employee Referral Program Employee referral program is the other vital recruitment approach which used by Google. In this particular approach, if any suggested candidate is appointed by the organization, the employee who referred that candidate gains reward on the condition that the suggested employee stays for a specific time period. In Google, the program concerning employee referral has been designed w ith the intention of gaining excellent candidate experience. Google can be viewed to be highly active and considers every referral with equal importance. While other organizations design the program relating to employee referral on the basis of fulfilling organizational requirements, Google had understood that the success of employee referral program should be designed in order to satisfy the requirements of the employees (Sullivan, 2007). Data Oriented Approach to Candidate Evaluation Google

Criminology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Criminology - Case Study Example The availability and computing of crime statistics is a vital component of law enforcement. Crime statistics provide us with important facts that theories must then explain. During the increased crime rate of USA during 1980s, the criminologist's strugged to justify the unexplained increase in crime rate throughout the nation. However, during 1990s the same country experienced a reduction in the crime rate and thus it is now essential for criminologists to discover the root causes of crime in order to understand this trend. The who, when, where, how of crimes is addressed by the quantitative techniques of measuring crime and which are vital in answering the why of crimes. Measuring criminal behavior is not just an academic exercise in futility, for it can fruitfully be used in evaluating criminal justice policy initiatives, policing, judicial and correctional administration amongst various other uses. Siegel, (183-227) believed that criminal behavior was a function of the human ability to choose an individual course of action. Psychological theories of crime which justify the reduction in crime rate during 1990s began with the view that individual differences in behavior may make some people more predisposed to committing criminal acts. These differences may arise from personality characteristics, biological factors, or social interactions. There are many other theories that attempt to explain criminal behavior, but that is beyond the scope of this essay. Now, having learnt about crime and criminology, it is now necessary to throw some light on the root causes of crime. Discussion Although there were several specific crimes which were on the rise during the increased crime rate of 1980s, those crimes experienced a reduction during 1990s. However, while interest in crime has always been high, understanding of why it occurs and what to do about it has always been a problem. Public officials, politicians and 'experts' offer simple and incomplete solutions for obliterating crime, whereas academe invariably offers abstract interpretations and suggestions that often have little practical value. As in most areas of human behavior, there is no shortage of experts but there are very few effective solutions (American Journal of Sociology, 3920-4259) According to Siegel (183-227) criminologists studying the trend of crime rate in USA during 1980s and 1990s have rarely shown interest in the aspect of situational crime prevention. Criminologists develop theories and conduct research to understand and explain criminal behavior. A theory attempts to make sense out of many disparate observations (or facts) by stating a general principal that connects, integrates and explains them. A good theory is extremely valuable in that it extends our knowledge beyond the facts in front of us (the raw data), enabling us to predict how others might behave at another time and in another place (Ojp.usdoj.gov, 2007). Criminological theories based on biology, psychology were both, at one stage dominant in the field; however the vast majority of current criminological text employs sociological theory and research. Biological and psychological explanations will be examined in the following essay; however there will be a focus on sociological theory. It has been said that a theory of criminal conduct is weak indeed if it is uninformed by a general psychology of human

Organizational Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 6

Organizational Behavior - Essay Example These experiments included a variety of modifications to the work; all modifications resulted in greater productivity because of the fact that the workers were being observed or received special attention. Thus, workers are motivated to perform better when attention is given to them. McGregor’s Theory X is quite similar to the Hawthorne’s effect; however, Theory X proposes that workers are inherently lazy and that they need to be continuously monitored to derive optimum output or performance. Most of the times, managers follow Theory X concept, and tend to supervise, plan, control, and monitor their subordinates’ work. On the other hand, Theory Y proposes that managers assume that people like to work to achieve their goals. Workers are self motivated and are smart, which makes them perform well (Kincki & Kreitner, 10). of Deming‟s â€Å"85-15 rule,† and identify the Four Principles of Total Quality Management (TQM). Also explain the Contingency Approach to Management and compare and contrast human and social capital, and the impacts of positive organizational behavior (POB) as a field in the practice of management. Deming’s 85-15 rule was developed to identify causes for failures in terms of quality and productivity. This rule proposes that 85 percent of failures in an organization are due to management, systems, policies etc and that employees account for only 15% of the failures (Kincki & Kreitner, 12). Through this rule, Deming advises to encourage and motivate employees and not to lower their motivation and commitment by holding them responsible for failures or punishing them for failures. The four principles of TQM include, doing things right the first time and eliminate rework; listening to and learn from employees and customers; adopting continuous improvement as an everyday practice; and to work through team work, trust and mutual respect (Kincki & Kreitner, 21). The contingency approach proposes that

Consumer Questionnaire for Soft Drinks Essay Example for Free

Consumer Questionnaire for Soft Drinks Essay 1. What is your monthly budget for consumption of drinks? Ans- Around Rs 300. 2 . Are you satisfied with the drinks available to you in the market? Ans- Yes, although different flavours would be appreciated, along with aerated fruit drinks. 3. Do you find the price range of these drinks to be appropriate? what is yan approximation of an ideal prioce? Ans- Not really. As it exceeds the budget if you generally eat out more than twice a week as is the case with most people. Rs 15 for 200 ml 4. Are you willing to make changes to your existing choice of product? what would u like to see in a drink? Ans- Yes, if a new product with my requirements is available. Less sugar , less preservatives natural, no preservatives colour calories etc 5. What more do you expect from your drink manufacturer that can help you to derive maximum satisfaction? Ans-Healthier drinks are more appreciated as opposed to sugar filled carbonated drinks. Also the pricing can be changed to make it better for consumers to buy on a regular basis. QUESTIONNAIRE FOR RETAILERS- MORE MANAGER, SADAKAT PEERZADE. 1. What is your approximate profits from the sale of Soft drinks per month? Ans- turnover Around 1-2 lakhs, about 2-3 % . 2. Are you willing to take up promotional activities for a new range of products in this line? What kind? Ans- yes if the product is up to the standards we require and we get some incentives. 3. What is the feedback received from the consumers regarding the available products? Ans- Customers wanted more healthy options, drinks with less sugar, the most popular being Real fruit juices. 4. Do the existing manufacturer provide you assistance for the marketing of their products? Ans-Yes such as discounts on products and special offers offering extra quantity at the same price. Coupon booklets are also used along with leaflets. 5. Do you suggest any changes in the Marketing/Distribution system which can help to save cost? Ans- Providing more coolers and other storage facilities for stock to ensure better distribution. Also better packaging, quick deliveries so extra stock need not be kept. Free samples.

Disagreement Aid the Pursuit of Knowledge

Disagreement Aid the Pursuit of Knowledge Many people believe that disagreement is simply like a husband and wife arguing with each other about whether the dress makes her look fat. However there is a great deal more to disagreement than just conflict between two people and from understanding the notion of error, truth, mistake and belief and how they cause disagreement to occur or trying to win your claim leads to interesting knowledge. Disagreement can actually aid the way to pursuit the knowledge in the ways of knowing of reason, emotion and sense perception in the areas of knowledge of human and natural science. This essay will show you how disagreement helps to pursue knowledge. Is it certain that disagreement aids the pursuit of knowledge? This following example will show that it does. One disagreement in natural science that has aided us humans to know more about our universe than before came from the dispute between scientists in the Theory of Quantum. In 1905 Albert Einstein stated that Max Plancks theory of the quantum was right and he proved his point by using an experiment with light, which showed that sometimes light acts as a wave. This shocked a lot of scientists because to them it was crazy as saying a rock acts like a wave. Niels Bohr disagrees with this idea because it went against the classical law of physics which applied to every object in that time. This disagreement made Bohr come up with a methodology proving his idea against Einstein by using hydrogen atoms to show that light isnt a wave. The disagreement between the two founders of quantum mechanics caused them to think further to discover more of the truth. Later Bohrs idea of a fix equation for an atom to behavior like particle was disproven by Max Born who building on Einsteins earlier work said that the quantum mechanics could be found by probability. However Einstein spoke strongly against this idea because he believed God does not roll a dice  [1]  and disagreeing with Borns idea of probability which held that everything was made up by chance. Einstein refused to accept quantum indeterminism and sought to demonstrate that the principle of indeterminacy could be violated, suggesting experiments which should permit the accurate determination of incompatible variables.  [2]  Then he came up with the two slip experiment to help prove his theory by using reason. All of this back and forward arguing between scientists gave us the further knowledge of quantum mechanics bringing us closer to the real truth. By using the way of knowing reason, they experimentally proved facts to argue each other and showing way of knowing emotion, their pride made them stand for their point of view on which view of quantum was true. Another example that really shows that disagreement aid the way to pursuit the true knowledge is disagreement between Alice Stewart and other doctor during 1950s in Oxford. Alice Stewart was trying to identify the cause of child cancer which later discovers that it is cause by X-rays during woman is pregnant. From Ted talk by Mergaret Heffernan about this story she stated that, Alices daughter told me that every time Alice went head-to-head with a fellow scientist,  they made her think and think and think again. It show clearly that disagreement between Alice and her fellow scientist help them to understand the true meaning and further information into the research.  [3]   Disagreement aid the way to pursuit the true knowledge because from disagreement over the answer help scientist find more way and perspective to solve the problem. On the other hand this disagreement may not aid the way of pursuit knowledge because of the close mindedness of the people. These people will not find disagreement and aid because from viewing their own result as the real truth which then closed down all possible answer from other people. For example in the past, it is how Catholic Church believing in geocentric and strongly against all other idea of heliocentric, that was claim by Nicolaus Copernicus. From this classic example it shown that Catholic believe in geocentric because they believe that god was born in planet Earth which mean that Earth is definitely the center of the universe. They believe in this theory and even against an idea of heliocentric. Even theory of heliocentric can be proving by an observation of star. As we have seen emotion also can play an important role in finding the truth because being scared to be proven wrong makes some people close the way to develop their idea or refuse to check their assumption so that the real knowledge of truth cant be revealed. From the article Separating The Pseudo From Science by Michael D.Gordin, we get a good idea on disagreement in science between science and pseudoscience. There is not a demarcation between pseudoscience and science because both areas can add to range of human knowledge. As Gordin said If scientist uses some criterion such as peer review to demarcate, so will the fringe. The brighter the light of science-that is, the greater its cultural prestige and authority-the sharper the shadow, and the more the fringe flourishes.  [4]  The pseudoscience on the fringe will expand the size of the knowledge because pseudoscience views and investigate thing from different perception than normal science. We do have to be careful that it is possible that someone who doesnt know anything about science can claim something is scientific and true based on non-empirical evidence which can lead them off the track. We need to justify any claim by peer reviews that scientist do before we can add to our theoretical or concrete knowledge bases. Disagreement in the human science field can be shown in the field of history which country disagreeing with each other to cause the war to happen. For example American civil war was happen from one conflict or one disagreement which is about slavery. Northern of United States claim to free and end the slavery in the country however Southern part wanted to continues with the slavery because it will affect their economic in a bad way if the slavery end. The disagreement led further to cause a war against two sides of United States. From historical point of view we can see that disagreements over time over how a war began help to find the true cause of the war. However the knowledge is not certain because of the perception of the viewer who views one country or bias one more than another. There are no absolute truth behind disagreement in human science because history can be record in hatred which causing the truth to be change. On the other hand it may not help to find the absolute tru th but from using disagreement help to increase and change the way to approach which can help to discover some knowledge behind. For me the most interesting areas where disagreement aids the pursuit of information are in the areas of knowledge of mathematics and human science. Disagreeing with teacher over either answer was correct or not help to pursuit more knowledge on mathematic than normal because from this I can understand more on how to solve the question by looking at why am I wrong or finding prove to show why I am right. There are a lot of formula and way to solve the question so it is certain by discussing with teacher and sharing our different views, he and I can help each other learn that even though the formula or method isnt the same but the answer in the end is the same. In human science there is a lot of disagreement, because human can understand each other behavior more through sense perception and emotion than by scientific evidence. This lack of hard proves easy lead to an argument. From my experience people will start to know each other more and more when they are disagreeing with each other because it is our human nature to control ourselves and present the information in the best possible way. If that isnt their real behavior, the real behavior will be revealed when they are face with strong rapid change of emotion from arguing with other people. On the other hand in some situation arguing with other people will not lead to knowing each other more but lead into destruction of friendship. Disagreement in both human science and natural science can aid the pursuit of knowledge like in the way like Einstein and Bohr arguing to discovered quantum mechanics through the argument between themselves and how historian discover the meaning and the purpose of history by learning about disagreement which led to war between country. However this knowledge that came from disagreement may be not the real truth for everything because my truth and your truth are not same, like each scientists and historians view thing in different point of view. So everyone must freely look at both sides. Disagreement can help the pursuit the knowledge if we have the reason and right emotions to be open minded enough to listen to other people ideas and accepts the fact that they also can be saying the truth from another perception. Disagreement Aid The Pursuit Of Knowledge Disagreement Aid The Pursuit Of Knowledge Disagreement may aid the pursuit of knowledge in the natural and human sciences because disagreement fosters new research to justify rival theories. Openness to allow disagreeing points of view and theories to be presented is important because it challenges scientists and prompts them to justify their points of view through a genuine dialogue. In this essay I will focus on biology and economics then I will try to discuss how ways of knowing are linked to disagreement. I will also endeavor to show how disagreement has helped me in the process of knowledge acquisition. 1858 was the year when Charles Darwin and Alfred Russell Wallaces new theory was published the evolutionary theory that was thoroughly expounded in the famous treatise On the Origin of Species (1859)  [1]  by Ch. Darwin. In contrast to Lamarck, Darwin proposed the concepts of the common descent and the branching tree of life, which means that two totally different species could have a common ancestor. The theorys fundament was the idea of natural selection, and it was based on a variety of evidence from animal husbandry, geology, biogeography, embryology, and morphology. Evolution underlies every aspect of the form and behavior of organisms. We can see a proof of this in the way species behave and adapt as a result of natural selection. The ability to adapt is exhibited in activities such as locating food, keeping away from predators or finding mates. Life forms can also react to selection by working together with each other, by assisting their relatives or entering in a symbios is of shared advantage. In the end, evolution creates new species through separating the familial populations of organisms, forming new groups that are not able to produce a common generation. Today, the contemporary evolutionary theory is accepted by the greater part of scientists. On the other hand, evolution is still a controversial notion for a number of theists. While a number of religions and denominations are prepared to accept the theory of evolution, making it compatible with their beliefs, there are creationists who purport that evolution is opposing the creation myths present in their religions. As the responses towards the Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation in 1844 show, the most controversial feature of evolutionary biology is the inference that human beings descend, together with apes, from a common ancestor and that the intellectual and ethical abilities of humans possess the same inherited attributes as those characteristic of animals. In a number of countries, particularly the United States, these strain between science and religion has produced the current conflict between creation and evolution, a religious conflict connected with politics and p ublic education. While scientific areas such as cosmology and geology also clash with a number of interpretations of religious books, evolutionary theory encounters noteworthy antagonism from religious theoreticians and practitioners. The debate over evolution shows how disagreement encourages more detailed research and, as a result, contributes to the pursuit of knowledge. However, it also shows that disagreement is not only about gathering reliable knowledge, but also about the way one undertakes the acquisition of it. Because theism had been a deeply-rooted philosophy for a very long time, people felt some kind of emotional attachment to it. The same, however, can be said about evolutionists. This can be seen from the fact that the supporters of evolution did not reject the theory in light of new controversial findings. In my opinion, the fact that the evolutionists accept evolution as a basic principle is not disputed by the creationists. It is absurd to say that creationists use the beliefs of the evolutionists to show that they doubt evolution. The purpose of quoting the supporters of evolution is to show the disputable issues in the field of evolution, which are being studied. Another example of the role of disagreement in science is exhibited in the field of modern economics, especially when it comes to the long-run equilibrium  [2]  . It is a notion that aggregate demand is equal to long-run aggregate supply. Given that there is disagreement among different economic concepts, we distinguish between Keynesian equilibrium output in the long run and the new classical equilibrium output2. According to new classical economists, economy will always try to achieve a long-run equilibrium at the full employment level of output. Thus, long-run equilibrium is where the aggregate demand curve meets the vertical long-run aggregate supply curve. The effect of any changes in aggregate demand will be only on the price level. In each case the equilibrium level of output is where aggregate demand is equal to long-run aggregate supply. According to the Keynesian economists, however, this equilibrium level of output may be found at different levels. They believe that the economy may be in long-run equilibrium at a level of output below the full employment level of national income. This will be the case if the economy is operating at a level where there is spare capacity. In this view, the equilibrium level of output depends mainly on the level of aggregate demand in economy. In the Keynesian view, aggregate demand can increase in such a way that there is an increase in the level of r eal output, without any resulting increase in the price level. No clear conclusion has yet been made concerning the long-run equilibrium in macroeconomics. Instead of having a weak and formal equilibrium, vigorous disagreement between experts would give the decision-makers the opportunity to come up with meaningful alternatives that inform and enrich discussions. Writing this essay invoked a memory of a disagreement I had with a classmate of mine over GMO (Genetically modified organism). Few months I watched a TV program on CCTV it was an attempt to introduce the advantages of GMF. I know that the problem with genetically modified food is probably the most significant one. But I am quite aware for the fact that there are genetically modified elements in many other products. This program is very interesting and it widens the eyes. The one that I am sure of is cotton. It has brought many discussions all over the world. However, at the same time a friend of mine was convinced by a text in a website called Ten disadvantages of genetically modified food  [3]  . We started doing a lot of research to support our personal argument. Thus disagreement aided our individual pursuit of knowledge. We did not reach a conclusion due to lack of enough reliable information. He asked me: Can you imagine a genetically modified human being- can it be perfect? Sure, we have to be careful as one day we, human beings, can be modified too. A genetically modified human is the logical continuation of this process. And as far as I know, many claim that choosing the genes for your children and improving their genetic material is good as long as we help them avoid diseases. But in my opinion is same of his, once we start doing this, there will be no going back. And one day some science fiction movies will become reality. When scientists aspire to speak in an unified voice, they usually do so in a quite scientific way: they make and launch consensus reports. The idea is to compress the knowledge of many experts into a single point of view that can resolve disputes and help policy-making. But the process of reaching such a consensus often works against these goals, and can challenge the very authority it tries to project. The idea that science best asserts its authority through consensus statements differs from the real process of scientific development. Consensus is good for textbooks; real science makes its progress by increase challenges to the existing state of always-incomplete knowledge. Science would present greater importance to politics if it uttered the broadest set of likely interpretations, possibilities and perspectives, anticipated by the top experts, rather than forcing meeting to a purportedly unified voice. To conclude, a disagreement can often stop you from rushing into dire decisions and choices. They allow you time and give you space to think over it though you may get annoyed by the delay and hindrances. It is always possible you that may have done big homework on a decision, but you still may have left unnoticed a simple, but vital point, which the dissenting person can perceive when looked from a dissimilar viewpoint. Disagreement has fostered the pursuit of knowledge in the natural and human sciences such as biology and economics, because disagreement has led to additional research. We should not be afraid to disagree or recognize disagreement. Real leaders accept disagreement as truly successful one must periodically welcome a liberal dose of disagreement in every main or significant decision one takes, even if one is a specialist in what one does.

censorhf The Banning of Huckleberry Finn Essays -- Adventures Huckleb

No Justification for the Banning of Huckleberry Finn Columnist James J. Kilpatrick wrote that Huck Finn is "a fun book for white boys to read. For black children, I have come to realize, it is a brutal slap in the face." He condemns the book because of its use of the word "nigger." Many school districts have banned this book for the same reason. Since the Civil War, racism has been a very delicate issue with the American public. Whereas some people have tried to transgress this issue, pretending that race no longer plays a significant role in our country, other people still believe that there are serious racial dilemmas in the United States. I am one these people. However, unlike some, I do not believe this problem can be solved by avoiding or sugarcoating the issue of race, as James L. Kilpatrick and several schools appear to be doing. In the novel Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain presents an adventure story filled with deeper meanings and controversial topics, two in particular being slavery and racism. Despite the usage of the word "nigger" and the stereotypical portrayal of African Americans, I do not think schools have any justification in banning this book from reading lists. Mark Twain wrote Huck Finn during the Reconstruction period in the south, at a time when most Americans wanted to forget all about the institution of slavery and its consequences. However, Twain set the time period of this novel prior to the Civil War when slavery was at its peak. Thus, the racist views he included in the book mirrored the attitudes of most southerners ... ...acist attitudes prevalent in South at this time. For all those school administrators who say that the language and ideology of Twain’s writing is offensive, well, maybe Twain wanted to offend people with this novel. Maybe he wanted to offend them so much that they would come to the realization that individuals should not conform to society’s standards, one of these standards being slavery. Until someone is offended, status quo doesn’t change. Maybe it’s about time that we remove the blindfold from our nation’s youth and stop trying to be politically correct. Maybe it’s about time that kids are exposed to the true horror of racism and prejudice so to detour them from repeating fatal mistakes. High school students are neither naïve nor stupid; they can handle the contents of this novel, and hopefully, learn from Twain’s messages.

Poem Blessing, by Imtiaz Dharker

The poem blessing, by imtiaz dharker depicts the desperation of water in a place which is a victim of drought. the poet has very vividly described the unfortunate situation and has also made the reader sympathize greatly with the poverty sticken people of this area. The poet begins the poem with a simile â€Å"the skin cracks like a pod† which appeals to the visual imagery of the reader as it paints a picture of people with very dry skin in the readers mind.This simile is used very effectively as it not only adds to the visual imagery of the reader but also captivates the reader by hinting to the reader about the lack of water in an area which is further described in more detail. the next line clearly states the theme of the poem which is the description of a situation with deficiency of water and extreme poverty. In the former part of the poem ,† imagine the drip of it†, the poet is expressing the desperation of water by the people. this line is being said or thou ght by the people affected by this calamity! t suggests that these people are craving water so much that they are hallucinating about the sound of water splashing into a tin mug and comparing this sound to â€Å"the voice of a kindly god†. the words† small splash† and â€Å"echo† add to the auditory imagery of the reader which help the reader understand the situation being expressed by he poet more vividly. the writer mention a â€Å"tin mug† in the hallucination of the victims which suggests poverty to the reader . this is because while dreaming about water which is heavenly for these people they imagine it being dripping Into a tin mug which is unusual in financially supported households.Moving on the poet uses a metaphor comparing water to fortune in the line†the sudden rush of fortune†. this metaphor enhances the language used and also emphasizes on water being demanded highly and hence being called â€Å"fortune†. The poet the n describes a scenario where a municipal pipe bursts and water is leaking in abundance. another metaphor is used here comparing water to silver. this comparison once again emphasizes on the high demand and craving for water. This scenario is described vividly in the lines â€Å"roar of tongues†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦frantic hands†.These lines add to the visual imagery of the reader and help the reader grasp a more detailed picture trying to be painted by the poet in the readers mind. the word â€Å"frantic† is used to emphasize on the emergency of the situation. In the latter half of the poem the poet mentions â€Å"naked children screaming† being present in the situation . this line puts a poverty stricken atmosphere forth to the reader and makes the reader feel sympathetic towards the situation. in the last stanza the poet has mentioned the presence of heat significantly in the lines† liquid sun†,†polished to perfection† and â€Å"flashin g light†. hese phrases repeatedly remind the reader about the scorching heat which adds to the misery of the situation.The poem ends leaving a significant impact on the reader with the element of god coming in. the poet mentions that angel rays,†flashing light†, shine over these people suffering which signifies that god is watching over their â€Å"small bones†. this phrase also adds to the visual imagery of the reader portraying a scenario effected by poverty and hunger. The poem is written in free verse . njambments llike â€Å"echo in a tin mug†,†every man woman child for streets† and â€Å"frantic hands and naked children† are present in abundance which adds to the flow of the poem due to no rhyme scheme being present. According to me this poem was very appealing as it made me respect the luxuries I get and take for granted. the poet has been able to describe the helpness situation of these poor and hungry people so vivdly that it made me nderstand the value for the goods and services these poor people don’t benefit from and also feel greatly sympathetic towards them.

Biltrite case Module I through X Essay

Module III: Control Testing – Sales Processing 1.The sampling plan in the design of controls does not provide tests about revenues and accounts receivables. The weakness that I could see is the fact that goods that were delivered to customers were not billed which result in bill of lading not being pre-numbered. Because of this, bills of lading do not count as an effective sampling unit. For a successful audit, auditors need to evaluate orders randomly and check to see if the goods were shipped and the customers received invoices prior to the receipt of the product, Therefore in this case, existence/occurrence is the course of action for the auditors. 2 and 3 are attached under â€Å"2009 attribu† 4. The sampling plan shows that there is an effective control of the company by the people in charge since the price of the products, the quantity of the footing and the credit limits offered to customers are not above the limitation. However the bills of ladings that were missing keep the auditors skeptical and make them look further for material information. Also, the other thing that looks suspicious is the inflated earnings showed. The analytical procedures and attribute testing performed will the auditors to look further in regards of the sales recorded during the year, the customer balanced and the accounts receivable. Therefore, I believe that aggregate materiality threshold shouldn’t be lowered since both accounts receivable and sales tests show earning’s inflation. Module IV: MUS Sampling- Factory Equipment Additions 1. The objective of performing this test is to test if the factory equipment accounts are materially overstated from the errors found in the capitalization of ordinary repairs. The sampling unit is the debit posting to the factory equipment account and the population is $12,600,000 which is the difference between the total debits of $89,860,000 and the equipment additions of $77,260,000 2. Find excel document â€Å"2009 MUS† for answers 3. In setting these parameters, Derick focused on his assessment of inherent risk and control in regards of the acquisition cycle and the level of the  overall audit risk. To explain the parameters further, because the risk of incorrect acceptance is 5% percent, this means that Derick is 95% sure about the results that he will get only 5% percent of errors in the population. Anticipated errors of $100,000 is usually based on previous year’s audit and the $640,000 of tolerable misstatement are errors Derick think exists in the population in regards of the factory equipment account. 4. Find excel document â€Å"2009 MUS† for the calculation of the Projected misstatement calculation 11.3B a.â€Å"Tainting percentage† appear on a column when the book value of a unit is less than the sampling interval of 160000. And its purpose is to develop a projected error for all the sampling interval. 5. And 6 can be found in the excel document â€Å"2009 MUS† for WP 11.3 C 7. a. Basic precision is the amount of uncertainty associated with testing only a part of the population and it is calculated by multiplying the sampling interval by the confidence factor to measure sampling errors. b. Incremental allowance for sampling error increases when there is an increase in the sampling error. c. Allowance for sampling risk is a factor used in planning statistical samples to keep sampling risk at the desired level. d. Upper misstatement limit is determined by adding the misstatement (basic precision) and incremental allowance for sampling error. It measures the maximum overstatement at the 95% confidence level set. 8. The sampling results do not support Derick’s concerns regarding possible material misstatement since the result of the upper misstatement limit is $3,720,833 which is more than the tolerable misstatement of $640,000. Also the proportion of the projected error is 85% which is calculated by dividing $2,503,060 by $2,936,338. These errors should bring the population within the bounds of acceptance. In my opinion this error represent the adjustment necessary that represent the $12,600,000 population of factory equipment. Module V: Accounts Receivable Aging Analysis 1. a.The proportion of the total dollar amount receivable I included in the confirmation request is in â€Å"Account Receivable Aging Analysis† by diving the total amount that is collectible â€Å"C† by the total amount of sales. The result is 82% ($9,803,430/$11,920,028) of the total dollar balance in accounts receivable. b.In the event of no reply to a request for positive  confirmation, as an auditor I need to ask for further requests, contact the manager and ask him to get a hold of the customer. In case of no response from the customer, I should examine the document I have in hand such as sales orders, sales invoices, shipping orders, and bills of lading. c.The purpose of analyzing subsequent collections because it a way to check and make sure that the existence of the action took place. Also checking subsequent collections allows the auditors to check the adequacy of the allowance for uncollectible accounts. This helps the auditor to better calculate the amount tha t is uncollectible from customers 2.I am not satisfied that I have sufficient evidence to evaluate the existence and valuation assertion because I wasn’t able to get a hold of some customers. Due to this inconvenience as auditors we should be suspicious about if those sales do in fact exist. Also, in terms valuation, additional audit needs to be performed because from the confirmed amount owed, it is not sure if it will be collected. 3.Reclassification entry can be found in excel document â€Å"2009 ar†. 4.A. In order to satisfy the account receivable write-offs, I would need to examine correspondence to and from customers, legal counsel and collection agencies involving the disposition of amount that were due in the past. b. The audit adjustment is $340,000 which make the allowance balance to be $560,000 which I think is adequate as adjustment. c. See attached excel document- â€Å"2009† ar. 5. The full document â€Å"2009 ar† is attached with the case. Module VI: Sales and Purchases Cutoff Tests 1. Inventory cut off errors: a. Vouchers 12458 and 12459 was received in 2009 as inventory but not recorded in the books until next year, 2010. Which resulted in overstatement of $854,154 as effect on net income b. Raw material inventory that was in transit. This action does not affect net income because it was exluded c. Sales 33003, 33004, 33006, 33007, and 33009 were performed in 2010 but they were reported in 2009 which resulted in overstatement of $3,760,330 in net income. I think that the misstatement listed above appear to be intentional in order to overstate net income and make it look higher that its value. This practice is one of the earning inflation devices that can be used to overstate net income. 2.See excel document â€Å"2009 cutoff† for audit  adjustments. Module VII: Search for unrecorded Liabilities 1.Comment on the adequacy for the procedures performed: Lucas was able to check if there was additional invoices that were received and recorded. He also checked if the company he is auditing included these charges in year-end adjustments for liabilities that are not recorded. On the other hand she did not check if invoices received in 2010 should be recorded in 2009 and therefore applicable to the 2009 audit and if they were part of year-end adjustment for the same year. The last thing that Lucas need to check is the liabilities from the previous, 2008 and to see if they apply to see if they need to be considered for 2009. 2.Audit Adjustment 6 can be found in excel document â€Å"2009 Liab†. 3.Audit Adjustment 6 can be found in excel document â€Å"2009 Liab†. Module VIII: Dallas Dollar bank Reconciliation 1. The â€Å"Bank Reconciliation- Dallas Dolalr Bank† does not reconcile for December mainly because the general ledger balance is less than the adjusted balance (Audit adjustment number 7). The amount that differ between the two balances is $9,000. Some of the causes in case of non-reconciliation are: – There might have been an error performed by the bank at the time of recording the deposit or check. – There might have been an error when the bank recorded the cash receipt of the action. 2. After I have made the correction, the account does reconcile. The adjustment is made in WP.1 in excel document â€Å"2009 Bank†. 3 and 4 : See excel document â€Å"2009 Bank part WP.1.B 5. The cutoff statement received directly from the bank support the existence, completeness and valuation objectives. This statement gives an auditor satisfaction regarding the amount of cash receipt at the end of the year and if they were recorded at the right time. If the cutoff statement covered the period 1/1/10 through 1/21/10 and the deposit in transit was credit in 1/12/10, as an auditor I should be concerned that a client was keeping cash receipts records open after the end of the year period and could have recorded 2010 cash receipts in 2009. To allay my concerns, I should apply remittance advices, cash listings in order to be able to check  the cash receipt at the end of the year that make up for the deposit in transit. Module IX: Analysis of Interbank Transfers 1. A. The purpose of analyzing inter-bank transfers for a short period before and after the balance sheet due in to check if there are any cash cutoff errors. B & C. the check 127332 showing $3,000,000 received from Lawton was in fact an interbank transfer from Bank Two to Dollar Bank. The Biltrite Company is in violation of one of the restrictive covenants in the Bank Two agreement because if the transaction was recorded correctly, it would show that the balance was below $10,000,000 compensating balance. 2 & 3. See Audit Reclassification entry at the bottom of WP 1.C 4. Yes the Record Reclassification does in fact place Biltrite in default because it decreases the compensating balance to below $10,000,000. Some of the audit procedure that can be applied is questioning management and legal counsel in regards of the examination of the agreement that was agreed upon with the bank since there is a default. Also, checking the balance after year end to see if the compensation balance has increased to its minimum balance of $10,000,000. 5. See excel document â€Å"2009 Bank†. Module X: Analysis of Marketable Securities 1. There are investments in common stock that resulted in realized loss of $198,000 in 2009. This support does not support McAfee goals of â€Å"maximizing returns while minimizing risk of loss†. Since there is a loss, it contradicts the statement. 2. In order for the securities to be classified as current on the balance sheet, the securities need to be readily marketable and acquired as temporary investments. 3. The auditor’s objective in the audit of marketable securities is to check: -The existence of the securities -The ownership of the securities, if the client owns them. – Are the values of the securities shown in the statement consistent with their real value – Are the losses and gains correctly reported – Interest and dividend correctly reported – Are the securities classified as current and noncurrent correctly The audit assertions for the auditor to examine are existence, valuation and the presentation and disclosure of the securities. The objectives that are not satisfied is the working paper that does not state if the securities are current or noncurrent. Answers to questions 4 through 8 can be found in excel document â€Å"2009 Security†. Biltrite Practice Case Module III: Control Testing – Sales Processing 1.The sampling plan in the design of controls does not provide tests about revenues and accounts receivables. The weakness that I could see is the fact that goods that were delivered to customers were not billed which result in bill of lading not being pre-numbered. Because of this, bills of lading do not count as an effective sampling unit. For a successful audit, auditors need to evaluate orders randomly and check to see if the goods were shipped and the customers received invoices prior to the receipt of the product, Therefore in this case, existence/occurrence is the course of action for the auditors. 2 and 3 are attached under â€Å"2009 attribu† 4. The sampling plan shows that there is an effective control of the company by the people in charge since the price of the products, the quantity of the footing and the credit limits offered to customers are not above the limitation. However the bills of ladings that were missing keep the auditors skeptical and make them look further for material information. Also, the other thing that looks suspicious is the inflated earnings showed. The analytical procedures and attribute testing performed will the auditors to look further in regards of the sales recorded during the year, the customer balanced and the accounts receivable. Therefore, I believe that aggregate materiality threshold shouldn’t be lowered since both accounts receivable and sales tests show earning’s inflation. Module IV: MUS Sampling- Factory Equipment Additions 1.The objective of performing this test is to test if the factory equipment accounts are materially overstated from the errors found in the capitalization of ordinary repairs. The sampling unit is the debit posting to the factory equipment account and the population is $12,600,000 which is the difference between the total debits of $89,860,000 and the equipment additions of $77,260,000 2.Find excel document â€Å"2009 MUS† for answers 3.In setting these parameters, Derick focused on his assessment of inherent risk and control in regards of the acquisition cycle and the level of the overall audit risk. To explain the parameters further, because the risk of incorrect acceptance is 5% percent, this means that Derick is 95% sure about the results that he will get only 5% percent of errors in the population. Anticipated errors of $100,000 is usually based on previous year’s audit and the $640,000 of tolerable misstatement are errors Derick think exists in the population in regards of the factory equipment account. 4.Find excel document â€Å"2009 MUS† for the calculation of the Projected misstatement calculation 11.3B a.â€Å"Tainting percentage† appear on a column when the book value of a unit is less than the sampling interval of 160000. And its purpose is to develop a projected error for all the sampling interval. 5. And 6 can be found in the excel document â€Å"2009 MUS† for WP 11.3 C 7 . a. Basic precision is the amount of uncertainty associated with testing only a part of the population and it is calculated by multiplying the sampling interval by the confidence factor to measure sampling errors. b. Incremental allowance for sampling error increases when there is an increase in the sampling error. c. Allowance for sampling risk is a factor used in planning statistical samples to keep sampling risk at the desired level. d. Upper misstatement limit is determined by adding the misstatement (basic precision) and incremental allowance for sampling error. It measures the maximum overstatement at the 95% confidence level set. 8. The sampling results do not support Derick’s concerns regarding possible material misstatement since the result of the upper misstatement limit is $3,720,833 which is more than the tolerable misstatement of $640,000. Also the proportion of the projected error is 85% which is calculated by dividing $2,503,060 by $2,936,338. These errors sho uld bring the population within the bounds of acceptance. In my opinion this error represent the adjustment necessary that represent the $12,600,000 population of factory equipment. Module V: Accounts Receivable Aging Analysis 1. a.The proportion of the total dollar amount receivable I included in the confirmation request is in â€Å"Account Receivable Aging Analysis† by diving the total amount that is collectible â€Å"C† by the total amount of sales. The result is 82% ($9,803,430/$11,920,028) of the total dollar balance in accounts receivable. b.In the event of no reply to a request for positive confirmation, as an auditor I need to ask for further requests, contact the manager and ask him to get a hold of the customer. In case of no response from the customer, I should examine the document I have in hand such as sales orders, sales invoices, shipping orders, and bills of lading. c.The purpose of analyzing subsequent collections because it a way to check and make sure that the existence of the action took place. Also checking subsequent collections allows the auditors to check the adequacy of the allowance for uncollectible accounts. This helps the auditor to better calculate the amount that i s uncollectible from customers 2.I am not satisfied that I have sufficient evidence to evaluate the existence and valuation assertion because I wasn’t able to get a hold of some customers. Due to this inconvenience as auditors we should be suspicious about if those sales do in fact exist. Also, in terms valuation, additional audit needs to be performed because from the confirmed amount owed, it is not sure if it will be collected. 3.Reclassification entry can be found in excel document â€Å"2009 ar†. 4.A. In order to satisfy the account receivable write-offs, I would need to examine correspondence to and from customers, legal counsel and collection agencies involving the disposition of amount that were due in the past. b. The audit adjustment is $340,000 which make the allowance balance to be $560,000 which I think is adequate as adjustment. c. See attached excel document- â€Å"2009† ar. 5. The full document â€Å"2009 ar† is attached with the case. Module VI: Sales and Purchases Cutoff Tests 1. Inventory cut off errors: a. Vouchers 12458 and 12459 was received in 2009 as inventory but not recorded in the books until next year, 2010. Which resulted in overstatement of $854,154 as effect on net income b. Raw material inventory that was in transit. This action does not affect net income because it was exluded c. Sales 33003, 33004, 33006, 33007, and 33009 were performed in 2010 but they were reported in 2009 which resulted in overstatement of $3,760,330 in net income. I think that the misstatement listed above appear to be intentional in order to overstate net income and make it look higher that its value. This practice is one of the earning inflation devices that can be used to overstate net income. 2.See excel document â€Å"2009 cutoff† for audit adjustments. Module VII: Search for unrecorded Liabilities 1.Comment on the adequacy for the procedures performed: Lucas was able to check if there was additional invoices that were received and recorded. He also checked if the company he is auditing included these charges in year-end adjustments for liabilities that are not recorded. On the other hand she did not check if invoices received in 2010 should be recorded in 2009 and therefore applicable to the 2009 audit and if they were part of year-end adjustment for the same year. The last thing that Lucas need to check is the liabilities from the previous, 2008 and to see if they apply to see if they need to be considered for 2009. 2.Audit Adjustment 6 can be found in excel document â€Å"2009 Liab†. 3.Audit Adjustment 6 can be found in excel document â€Å"2009 Liab†. Module VIII: Dallas Dollar bank Reconciliation 1. The â€Å"Bank Reconciliation- Dallas Dolalr Bank† does not reconcile for December mainly because the general ledger balance is less than the adjusted balance (Audit adjustment number 7). The amount that differ between the two balances is $9,000. Some of the causes in case of non-reconciliation are: – There might have been an error performed by the bank at the time of recording the deposit or check. – There might have been an error when the bank recorded the cash receipt of the action. 2. After I have made the correction, the account does reconcile. The adjustment is made in WP.1 in excel document â€Å"2009 Bank†. 3 and 4 : See excel document â€Å"2009 Bank part WP.1.B 5. The cutoff statement received directly from the bank support the existence, completeness and valuation objectives. This statement gives an auditor satisfaction regarding the amount of cash receipt at the end of the year and if they were recorded at the right time. If the cutoff statement  covered the period 1/1/10 through 1/21/10 and the deposit in transit was credit in 1/12/10, as an auditor I should be concerned that a client was keeping cash receipts records open after the end of the year period and could have recorded 2010 cash receipts in 2009. To allay my concerns, I should apply remittance advices, cash listings in order to be able to check the cash receipt at the end of the year that make up for the deposit in transit. Module IX: Analysis of Interbank Transfers 1. A. The purpose of analyzing inter-bank transfers for a short period before and after the balance sheet due in to check if there are any cash cutoff errors. B & C. the check 127332 showing $3,000,000 received from Lawton was in fact an interbank transfer from Bank Two to Dollar Bank. The Biltrite Company is in violation of one of the restrictive covenants in the Bank Two agreement because if the transaction was recorded correctly, it would show that the balance was below $10,000,000 compensating balance. 2 & 3. See Audit Reclassification entry at the bottom of WP 1.C 4. Yes the Record Reclassification does in fact place Biltrite in default because it decreases the compensating balance to below $10,000,000. Some of the audit procedure that can be applied is questioning management and legal counsel in regards of the examination of the agreement that was agreed upon with the bank since there is a default. Also, checking the balance after year end to see if the compensation balance has increased to its minimum balance of $10,000,000. 5. See excel document â€Å"2009 Bank†. Module X: Analysis of Marketable Securities 1. There are investments in common stock that resulted in realized loss of $198,000 in 2009. This support does not support McAfee goals of â€Å"maximizing returns while minimizing risk of loss†. Since there is a loss, it contradicts the statement. 2. In order for the securities to be classified as current on the balance sheet, the securities need to be readily marketable and acquired as temporary investments. 3. The auditor’s objective in the audit of marketable securities is to check: -The existence of the securities -The ownership of the securities, if the client owns them. – Are the values of the securities shown in the statement consistent with their real value – Are the losses and gains correctly reported – Interest and dividend correctly reported – Are the securities classified as current and noncurrent correctly The audit assertions for the auditor to examine are existence, valuation and the presentation and disclosure of the securities. The objectives that are not satisfied is the working paper that does not state if the securities are current or noncurrent. Answers to questions 4 through 8 can be found in excel document â€Å"2009 Security†.

Internet security Essay

Modern technologies have inevitably changed the social, economic, political, and professional aspects of lives across the globe. Such technologies have brought with them reliability and efficiency of communication and execution of electronic financial transactions, evident in E-commerce. According to statistics, electronic financial transactions over the internet have grown by over 70% during the past on decade compared to its prominence during the 1990s (Ena 2008, p. 14). This has been attributed to the fact that small business are increasingly engaging in the competitive business advantage of online marketing for their products, a practice that was earlier dominated by big corporations. Nevertheless, electronic financial transactions over the internet are marked with numerous security threats. Security threats attributed to electronic financial transactions are not only a potential infringement to our right to privacy, but have been a source of economic loss for individuals and institutions. Among these threats, internet fraud, identity theft, and network hacking are the most commonly identified threats to the reliability of internet-based financial transactions (Glaessner, Kellermann, & Mcnevin, 2002). However, the government, security software scientists, and financial institutions have engaged in concerted efforts in promoting security of online financial transactions. In this essay, the author will identify and discuss the different kinds of security threats relevant to financial transactions over the internet, their nature, severity, and the actions that have been taken or can be taken to address the threats and their effectiveness. Case studies of actual security incidents will be given to support the analysis. The problem of security threats on internet-based electronic financial transactions has been identified as a major drawback to sustainable embracement of the competitive advantages brought by this unique technological advancement in the community. Although the actual economic damages caused by internet crime is hard to assert, a consensus between law enforcement and IT scientists has it that over $500 millions are lost in the USA alone due to internet related crimes (Glaessner, Kellermann, & McNevin, 2009). There are numerous security threats to electronic financial transactions over the internet. Identity theft and fraud is a quite common form of security to internet-based funds transfer. Identity theft is the act of using the identity of another person to illegally gain financial advantages (Glaessner, Kellermann, & McNevin, 2009). To achieve this, perpetuators engage in misrepresentation of information to lure their target victims to conduct a financial transaction or provide personable information such as credit card number and password. Numerous research findings have found that the process of acquiring another person’s details is realised through use of e-mail messages (mainly spam) or using fake websites to entice potential victims (Glaessner, Kellermann, & McNevin, 2009). Such information is used in executing activities such as conducting unauthorised emptying of the victim’s account and opening and operating an account in the victims name and failing to settle its associated bills. This leads not only to loss of funds by the victim but also source of debt as financial institution seek account bill charge payments from the victim. According to statistical evidence from the Internet Crime Compliant Center, of the internet crime cases reported in 2008, an estimated 13 percent involved fraud and identity theft (Maclean 2009). Further, the statistics have indicated that such a figure is quite low given that most incidences of internet crime activities go unreported. Still on fraud as a security threat to internet-based financial threats is the problem of non-delivery of goods and services. A quick browse into most websites in the internet, one finds many sites promising lucrative employment or business opportunities. However, most of these engage in dictating for payment of services that are non-existent. FBI reports have it that over 27 percent of internet fraud activities involve payments for non-existent business and employment opportunities (Ena 2008, p. 18). Another form of electronic financial transactions over the internet is the confidentiality threat brought by malicious computer programs. In the recent past, the information technology has witnessed an increase in the number and complexity of malicious computer programs. The most common types of malicious programs are virus and worms, which serve to corrupt executable computer programs (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development 2007). Through this, the authorised suffer the costs of losing their confidential information saved in the machine or network. Moreover, distributed access denial programs are a major threat to the reliability of online financial transfer. This is because they compromise their ability of an authorised individual to access, transact, and/or monitor their electronic financial accounts. Nevertheless, Trojan horse, backdoors, and rootkits are the main threats to electronic financial transactions over the internet given their capability to gain access into personal accounts without detection by the user. Trojan horse and backdoors computing are the most destructive malicious programs to the security on internet financial accounts and networks. Trojan horse computing for example gives the capability of ensuring continued operation of the system (they prevent attempts to shutdown the system) once it has been installed in the system (Glaessner, Kellermann, & McNevin, 2009). This gives the perpetuators of the crime adequate time to execute practices such as remotely accessing personal information as well as conducting unauthorised electronic financial transfers from their accounts. On the other hand, backdoors computing serves the purpose of compromising the security of an attacked system to enhance easy unauthorised access in the future (Glaessner, Kellermann, & McNevin, 2002). To achieve this, this computing technique allows for the creation of bypass into the attacked networks to compromise its normal authentication requirements. This has been blamed for potential long-term security attacks to electronic financial transactions accounts over the internet. Rootkits are found to protect malicious computer programs from being detected or deleted by the user upon installation into the system, thus allowing for ease corrupting of personal accounts as well as the network connections (Maclean 2009). Thus malicious computer programs are a real threat to internet-based financial transactions. In addition, confidentiality fraud has gained much important as a security threat to electronic financial transactions over the internet. The right to privacy is a fundamental individual right. This is more crucial in financial transaction as it protects sustainable realisation of social and economic development among community members. On the contrary, it is estimated that an estimated 14 percent of internet based crime activities engage in privacy frauds. Such problems are instigated by hacking practices (Khosrowpour 2000, p. 76). Hacking as a threat to individual privacy involves actions that allow the remote access of confidential personal or institutional information. Thus, hacking threatens individual privacy as well as security of online financial transactions. Following the appreciation of the competitive advantage brought by electronic financial transactions over the internet compared to other modes, much concerted efforts have been engaged by the key stakeholders in the field in promoting its security. First, the government as the custodian of the social and economic aspects of its citizens has enacted and enforced numerous laws governing electronic funds transfer. Such include the Electronic Funds Transfer Act of 1978. This act defines numerous rights, responsibilities, and liabilities for participants involved in electronic funds transfer (Ena 2008, p. 9). According the law, the victims of erroneous electronic transactions should communicate with the financial institution not later than sixty day. On the other hand, the financial institutions are bound by the law to investigate and resolve such error within 45 days. In addition, customers should report loss of credit cards to their financial institutions to mitigate potential illegal transactions. To realise this, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act dictates that financial institution should provide its customers with reliable contact number for enhancing communication (Ena 2008, p. 19). Another important law in mitigating security threats on online financial transactions is the Patriotic Act which provides for increased government surveillance on the internet. The purpose of law is to mitigate terrorism activities over the internet such as communication and transfer of fund online for funding terrorism activities. This law gives the law enforcement agents the legal authority to tap internet communication between suspected crime offenders. Such has the implication that these provisions can significantly aid in promoting the war on online transaction security threats. On the other hand, commercial and constitutional laws are quite effective in prohibiting illegal electronic transaction. This is evident from the fact that fraud and identity theft activities remain a criminal act according to the commercial laws of America (Ena 2008, p. 19). Moreover, the right to privacy is sufficiently protected by the provisions of the first amendments to the civil rights bill of the American constitutions. Still, the American government has established the Internet Crime Compliant Center which is responsible for documenting incidences of internet crime activities. This body is a partnership of the FBI and the National White Collar Crime Center. In addition, the organisation works closely with local and international law enforcement agencies in qualifying the dynamic patterns internet crime activities. The security software scientist community on the other side has engaged numerous resources in the designing and production of highly reliable security safeguard software for protecting the authenticity of online financial transaction. It is worthy noting that the process of innovation in the software development has been on the hike over the past one decade (Carey 2001, p. 45). This can be evident from the numerous software outsourcing and direct investment by major software corporations across the globe. Through this, these companies enjoy the competitive advantage of tapping and taming the best brains in the IT field for promoting viable solutions to internet crime activities. Further, internet providers have employed qualified network administrators for preventing, identifying, and reporting incidences of internet related criminal activities. On the other side, financial institutions are marked with the responsibility of ensuring safety of financial transactions and storage for their customers. This is the reason behind effective monitoring practices that have been put in place by these institutions in safeguarding confidential institutional and customer information. It is a common practice for financial institutions to engage in constant changing of their network authentication codes. This serves to complicate the process of internet crime perpetuators gaining unauthorised entry into their networks. Another precaution taken by these institutions is closely monitoring financial transaction and blocking as well as reporting suspicious activities to the relevant authorities for legal actions (Glaessner, Kellermann, & Mcnevin 2009). To achieve this goal, most financial institutions engaged in electronic financial transaction over the internet contract IT professional company to manage their networks. This outsourcing practice brings with it the advantage of speciality, an element that ensures quality and reliable services in promoting online transactions’ security. Nevertheless, the war against electronic financial transactions over the internet security threats remains a major concern to the reliability of this modern funds transfer technology. This has been blamed to the lack of awareness among members of the general public (Khosrowpour 2000, p. 4). True to the later, the process of qualifying the exact economic loss caused by insecurity on internet-based financial transactions is complicated by the fact that only a few cases of the incidences are reported to the relevant authority. Therefore, the war on internet security issues should ensure adequate awareness of the public on how to identify these crimes, prevent them, and/or were to report them. In addition, the global community should seek to establish a unifying law against internet crime as a way of increasing cooperation in the process through elimination of existing bureaucracies. All in all, the problem of electronic financial transactions over the internet security threats remains a major challenge to the reliability of this technological advancement in the society. This is because of the ever changing tactical attacks and innovations employed by internet crime offenders to promote their criminal interests (Carey 2001, p. 102). Some of the mostly cited instruments for promoting insecurity in internet-based financial transaction are malicious computer programs such as Trojan horses, rootkits, and backdoors. This is due to the fact that such programs are capable of hindering from the system user while still compromising the systems authentication provisions, thus allowing for remote access by unauthorised persons. Such call for the government, software scientists, and financial as well as all other stakeholders to invest more resources in the war against internet transactions insecurity. This should put into consideration the need for promoting public awareness on the nature of internet crimes and were to report them as well as viable prevention measures.