Postal Contract and Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Postal Contract and Law - Essay Example P. 71). According to Lord Denning, there is vast difference between the rule of instantaneous communication and the postal rule. The offeror must receive acceptance of his offer for the contract to be complete. In instantaneous mode of communication of acceptance, the place of formation of the contract is the place at which the acceptance is received by the offeror (Davies, 2005. P. 158). In the present day corporate world, communication is chiefly by means of teleprinter, facsimile or electronic mail. Electronic communication is still surrounded by controversy with regard to its legality. The advanced technology utilised in such communication modes enables easy transmission of communications. Thus, electronic communication can be sent at any time to a destination, even after working hours. This raises the question about the point of time when the electronic communication had been legally effectual. The postal rule does not apply to instantaneous forms of communication (Brinkibon Ltd v Stahag Stahl und Stahlwarenhandels GmbH). This was the ruling in Entores Ltd v Miles Far East Corp (Entores Ltd v Miles Far East Corp). Electronic mail is transmitted much faster than the mail sent by post. However, electronic mail cannot be deemed to be instantaneous communication between the parties. The reason for this is that the sending and receipt of electronic mail may take anything between a few hours to several days. Hence, it does not constitute instantaneous communication. Consequently, the postal rule applies to electronic mail. An offer is deemed to be properly communicated in instantaneous communication, if the addressee has notice of the offer. In non – instantaneous modes of communication, the offer is communicated through letters, telegrams or other methods. Such communication has to be dispatched to the addressee and received by the

General Psychology Of Sex And Gender Psychology Essay

General Psychology Of Sex And Gender Psychology Essay The topics I have chosen for consideration of psychological research are language, and sex and gender. The approaches taken will be analysed the topic in general terms and not to focus on one particular aspect at detailed levels. It points to the lack of a conclusive answer which is caused by Psychology as a discipline being relatively young and still in early stages with a lack of adequately strong theories that might assist to connect otherwise contrasting perspectives co existing. The report concludes that different perspectives within psychology can coexist at times, though conflict is frequent throughout. Sex and Gender The Psychology of sex and gender is one the most topical, important and engaging subjects that psychology, it illustrates many of the difficult issues that psychological explanations must address, including the political implications of different perspectives and the challenging of integrating explanations. It has been a controversial topic since the inception of psychology as a discipline and it powerful illustrates some of the diverse approaches with the field. A deliberation of how psychology approaches the analysis of sex and gender discloses four psychological perspectives, these are: Biological sex differences: Explaining the differences between male and female and biological correlates of behaviour. Investigations ere conducted through scientific processes Evolutionary psychology: Explaining the differences in the behaviour between the sexes in terms of behavioural selection for reproductive fitness. Test are conducted empirically Social constructionist theory: Gender differences between the sexes through the study of discourse in various historical, cultural and social contexts and so is hermeneutic. Psychoanalytic psychology: Development and meaning of sexual differences. Studies are largely done through clinical observation. Direct impressions of the four perspectives are objects of knowledge of each of the perspectives are all valid and useful in general psychology of sex and gender,. They pose somewhat different questions, have different objects of knowledge and use different notions of evidences. These perspectives may be complementary, conflicting however the scope for co-existence is not transparent. Given that the perspectives do not share common objects of knowledge, however is there can be an underlying hope for complementary theories in which together they all contribute to a broad understanding. Sex refer to the biological basis of differences between the sexes, where as gender refers to social constructed categories pertaining to these differences. Assigning a sex to humans can sometimes be a complex process, biological characteristics such as genetics and hormonal used to designate male or female, can be unreliable in small proportions of case, due to genetic abnormalities, such as, Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (AIS) and Klinefelterss Syndrome ((XXY) (OU, p137) The biological and evolutionary perspectives certainly seem complementary at theoretic level in which both consider biological sex as the fonudation for gender and view conflicts between sexes as biological characteristics that have been cycled through during evolution. Evolutionary psychologists argue that sexual selections and the different optimal reproductive styles of our male female ancestors have results in some differences in the behavioural predispositions of the two sexes. These are seen to particularly apparent in the area of sexual behaviours and attitudes. Buss (1992), found while both sexes reported experiencing jealousy at the though of their partner being involved with another person, there were differences in the focus of their concerned. OU,p145) In humans, unlike in other animals, clear differences in brain structures that correlate with differences in adult behaviour patterns have proven difficult to demonstrate. Nonetheless, imaging studies show some sex differences in brain functioning of Western adults. This is probably due, at least in part, to the brains plasticity.(Giedd et al, 1999) )p140). While some sex differences are clearly established at birth for most individuals, bodies and brained may become gendered over lifetime of use. A explanations would appear to be consistent with research findings from cross-cultural differences in male and females sexual behaviours, which Allen and Gorski, 1990 study has backed (OU, p139) Nevertheless, biological psychology sets out to explain differences with in male and female psychology in terms of chosen physiological features, e.g. dimorphism in brain structures ( Hofman and Swaab, 1991,OU p.139). Additionally the evolutionary psychologists would primarily contend in favour of selected behavioural features such as differences between sexual attitudes between the sexes ( Clark and Hatfield, 1989, OU p.146). Thus, in that respect a conflict is apprent at the level of analysis, hence it is ironic that evolutionary psychology must dependently coinside with biological psychology since, given the intelligible complusions on its capacity to carryout the types of empirical reserach that might could be hoped for (Herrnstein-Smith, 2000,, OU p.141), it is dependent on a particulr amount of certification from the biological perspective, amongst others (OU, 2007, pp.184). From a social constructionist point of view, they regard sex and gender as features that are declared only through discourse and action. These are repercussion, of the individuals behaviour and experience within a cultural, social and historical context. The depth of the conflict is illustrated by a comparison of evolutionary studies that stress cross-cultural stability in particular sexual preferences ( Buss and Schmitt, 1993, OU, p.148, ) and social constructionist ideas such as Sandra Bem, who developed the idea of the cultural lens of musicality and femininity. This lens is a way of perceiving the world that makes behaviour and experiences gendered, this is called the Gender Schema Theory (1994, Holloway et al, 2007, OU p.153). According to the social constructionist perspectives, biological sex is not central to explaining what it is to be a man or a women, rather it is a signpost to which a whole set of us socially constructed gender differences are attached. In this account, social constructionist created discourse about masculinity and femininity are used by individual to create their own gendered subject positions. Whereas the biological and evolutionary perspectives correspond that biological sex consists at the center of explaining gender, the social constructionist perspective categorically rejects that notion, primarly for political reasons. In relation to Sex and Gender, political differences are often exposed when conflicting accounts of differences occur. Gender and sexuality came to be seen, through Freuds work, as having far-reaching implications for the development of it self. It largely correlates the social constructionist, in conditions of its interpretive or hermeneutic methodology. Therefore both the social constructionist and psychoanalytic perspectives dispute with the biological and evolutionary persptetives at the methodological level of understanding. Contrastingly however the psychoanalysis perspective acknowledges that both biological and cultural contributions to its hypothesis make up, though it is not without its share of difference however. Within the perspective, a important critical developments in the psychoanalytic theory sex and gender includes Freuds notion for the symbolic significance of the penis( and penis envy) quickly came under scrutiny from feminist psychologists to scientific practices, through Freud failure to consider the significant of womens genitals. (OU, Horney, 1926, , 2007, p.164). Language and Meaning There are three main perspectives used to examine the complex area of language, these are: Theory Methods Themes. These perspectives focus on different aspects of language including evolutionary developments of languages, the processing of languages and the construction of meaning through interaction. From the study of language and meaning, an evenly conniving combination of possible co-existence, complementory and conflicting aspects can be found when comparing the three principal perspectives. The evolutionary perspective sets out to explore language to understand how are related structurally and historically, how they are used differently by various social and cultural groups and how languages is used to communicate and create meaning. Language is the main medium for communication between humans beings and where we express, explore and pursue those goals that mean most to us . It can be concvied to view the three perspectives as at to the lowest degree co-existent. Their objectives of knowledge are different and one could anticipate their cumulative intentions to contribute to some sort of merged theroy Nevertheless, the possible conflict between the cognitive and social constructionist perspectives is disclosed in how they consider meaning as the object of knowledge. For the congntive view it is something whihc is manufactured internally by the individual before transmission, and subsequently rebuilt by the whoever present viewing. For the social view it is negotiated as a consequence of discourse between individuals, in which meaning emerges as the result of a complex exchange of intentions, interpretations and power-relations. Therefore, there is cause for discrepancy, as to what meaning is and where it comes from (Sperber and Wilson 1986, OU, p100). It therefore approprant to rationalise a claim of conflict since the types of meaning adopted by the two perspectives are themselves contratsting. A major social constructionist disagreement with a formulist cognitive perspective is that cognitive processes cannot be transparently reported. The argument is one that cognitive psychologist have long noted. Talking about early research into the cognitive modelling of language Boden (1977, pp.113ff, et passim) notes that a persons comprhendion of language in a given instance is dependent, not merely from their knowledge of the einviroment surrounding them, but importantly on their understanding of their relationship with who they communicate with. Within the evolutionary perspective there is also a argument as to whether language evolved as an adaptation advantage and was the foundation for other cognitive abilities. Pinker (1994) believes that languages may have evolved through natural selection, perhaps in conjunction with other cognitive abilities, OU, p83) or as a reaction of selection for an ability to form our Metarepresentation (Sperber, 2000, p.86). These are contradictory and conflicting views.. The major differences between psychological methods based on natural science principles and those based those on hermeneutic principles means that preservatives based on these methods may have difficulty achieving more than uneasy coexistence. Psychologists do not always abide on such significant basic principle. The questions they posture can often be hard to extract without abridging the prognostic ability of whatever solution, in comparion to physics or chemisty which can be measured through of year thousands of years evidence, psychology on the other hand as a recognisable discipline has been prenst of litte over a hundread years. A inevitable conclusion is that psychology is characterised by perspectives that are present at more then one level on conflict, co-existenct or complementtory aspects, No perspective on its own can tell the whole story. The perspectives and levels of analysis and explanations cannot just be combined without an account of how they interact.

Essay on The Glass Menagerie and the Life of Tennessee Williams

The Glass Menagerie and the Life of Tennessee Williams The Glass Menagerie closely parallels the life of the author. From the very job Tennessee held early in his life to the apartment he and his family lived in. Each of the characters presented, their actions taken and even the setting have been based on the past of Thomas Lanier Williams, better known as Tennessee Williams. Donald Spoto described the new apartment building that Williams and his family relocated to in St. Louis, Missouri as having only two small windows, one window in the front of the apartment and another in the rear.   A fire escape blocked the smoky light that might have come in from the window facing the back alley (16).  Ã‚   In The Glass Menagerie, the apartment was described as facing an alley. Meyer brought to my attention that the entrance to the apartment was actually a fire escape. There was no front door in the apartment of The Glass Menagerie, only a fire escape to enter and exit through (1865).  Ã‚   This omission of a front door represents the feeling that Tennessee Williams had that he could not leave his family and strike out on his own in a normal fashion as most children do. Tennessee Williams felt that he had to literally escape in order to follow his own dream of writing as Tom too felt in the play. John Fritscher points out in his dissertation that Tennessee a nd Tom both were torn between their mother's interpretation of responsibility and their own instinct (5). Tom Wingfield, the narrator of the play, is representative of Tennessee Williams himself, down to them sharing the same first name. Tennessee Williams did not earn his nickname until his college days at the University of Missouri (Meyer 1864).  Ã‚   Both Tom and Tennessee William... ...ed his world and his experiences of it in whatever form seemed suitable to the material. (Kahn)    Works Cited: Cook, Sharon. "Permission to Quote Me." E-mail to author. 2 Apr. 1999 Fritscher Ph.D., John J. Love And Death In Tennessee Williams Diss.1967: Loyola University Library. Internet 1999. Available: jackfritscher.com/tennessee Kahn, Sy. Modern American Drama: Essays in Criticism. Edited by Willima E. Taylor. Deland, Florida. Everette/Edwards Inc., 1968. 71-88 Spoto, Donald. The Kindness of Strangers: The Life of Tennessee Williams. Boston: Little, Brown and Co.,1985 Tischler, Nancy M. Tennessee Williams: Rebellious Puritan. New York: The Citadel Press, 1965. Williams, Tennessee. The Glass Menagerie. The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Writing, Thinking. 5th ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford, 1999. 1865-190

Leadership Strategy of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Essay

Choose are leader you are interested in and analyse why you consider him/her to be a leader? Describe his or her key strengths and weaknesses as a leader. What makes you consider that person as an effective leader? Justify your answers in relation to the theories & practices we have examined in the course. Leadership is a crucial important topic that is deeply studied over time till today because it has a major effect in all the systems surrounding us affecting the individuals through political, businesses, humanitarian and to be named depending on the content of leadership nature. The term leadership can be defined as influential relationship between leaders and followers who intend real changes and outcomes that reflect their shared purposes towards a desirable future (Daft 2011). The great leader of all time influential on individuals does not disappear even after these leaders has been deceased. This is because such leaders not only possesses required leadership characteristic such as charisma, courage, passion, ethical and emotional attachment to its people which will further be discussed in the following essay in relation to the chosen leader but also what they have done for their followers and society as an whole for their better future. The perfect leader till date who has not been able to replace not even partially was the Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon him (pbuh) who was a universal leader not just for the people of Muslims but towards every man-kinds on a global scale. He is not just a spiritual leader but also recognized as a leader for his political movement, a philosopher, a family man and also a business man. His teachings and actions were as per the guideline from the holy book of Islam â€Å"The Quran† – the word of god known as Allah (Gullen 2006). This essay will further discussed in details about Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) leadership style in relation to the current established theoretical frameworks on leadership and the reason why he is  still well-known for his accomplishment towards his missions not in just spreading the message of Islam, but also creating the equality and justice which is also a part of the message during the dark age in Arabia where the powerful crashed the weak, women dignity was misused and bloodshed was considered as a virtue (Gullen 2006).

The Cave – Creative Writing

Averting attention had always been far too easy for Deft. Imperial transponder codes, too easy to attain, to forge†¦ or have forged. â€Å"Commander Derivan, you have permission to proceed to sector 478. Please sir, do be careful, it is a savage world.†, the comm officer pleaded. â€Å"Thank you for your concern officer, it is duly noted.†, Deft arrogantly replied as he steered his Oppressor towards the planet. The small clearing was easy to see through the lush vegetation. He would owe the Captain for yet another favor. It was of no true concern to him however, he already owed him far more than he could probably ever repay. The lush surrounding vegetation violently shook as he touched down. Switching off the power, the whine of the generator slowly quelled, Deft stepped from the vessel, wearing only his robes under a black cloak, wielding his newly crafted lightsaber. The visions were weaker now, more distant. His thoughts were clearing. He began his trek through the dense jungle. Somehow, even after all this time†¦. Yinchorr felt inviting. The rocks around him hovered carefully in place. â€Å"You must feel it move within you.†, the small pyramid shaped holocron had instructed. The instruction was efficient. He was coming along quickly. The rocks began to swirl around him†¦ slowly at first, then gradually faster†¦. and faster still, until they were but blurred images of themselves. Deft's eyes closed with a cold determination as his head lowered slightly, focusing himself. The air seemed to hiss as the rocks spun violently around him. Images flooded his mind. Pale blue eyes, familiar, cold, callous. â€Å"You drove her away.†, the voice hissed. Pale blue eyes, calling to him distantly. â€Å"Why didn't you come?†, the new, softer voice implored. Pale blue eyes, exploding into blue flames. The flames faded to green. Deft felt himself pulled across the galaxy. Dathomir, a famliar place, once, home. The elder stood over the cauldron, her arms flailing in the air as she spoke her incantation. Spinning on her heal, her cold green eyes met with Deft's. â€Å"You only think you have won Deriun.† All he could see were the eyes. All he could hear, the roar of the flames. But no longer were they the Elders. Rosalyn gazed back at him. â€Å"Why have you foresaken me?†, her pained voice begged. Blackness. Void. A gentle hand reached out to him†¦. but he couldn't grab it, couldn't hold it, touch it. It slipped, further and further into the darkness. *CRACK CRACK CRACK* â€Å"GASP!†, The rocks had flown wildly out of control, and found themselves crashing into a nearby tree, the sound, pulling Deft from his vision. Even now, none of it seemed to make sense. He had come here for answers, but was only finding more questions. Training had been difficult. The holocron seemed to guide him with exercises intended to push a man beyond humanity. Deft yawned as it rambled on about running with the force, he had no interest in learning to be a coward. This wasn't helping the way he had hoped. He threw holocron in his pack. I've had enough of that. His red saber ignited, and he rushed off into the woods. For a fleeting moment, Deft succumbed to his youthful urges. As he ran through the foliage, he cut down branches, nicked rocks. Faster and faster, leaving a wake of mild destruction in his path. The trail of smoke and destruction, came to an abrupt halt. Deft stood, silently, watching out over the open field he had come to. â€Å"I do†, the words rolled so easily off of her lips. Deft had honestly never thought he'd see her again. The day she married Martyn, a piece of him had died. Then he saw the Watchtower, sitting high above Penumbra. â€Å"I am hearing rumor that there is to be an arranged marriage Deft.†, her words cut him. â€Å"My dear, I would never allow such.†, the words caused the air to stiffen, silent for a fleeting moment, â€Å"If we were to wed, it would be because we love each other.†, Deft stepped in, kissing her for the first time. The kiss, her hands at his back†¦.. they burned. Seering pain raged through him, coursing through his veins. He dropped to the ground, in utter agony. His scream echoed through the empty field. Then, he saw her, shackled to a grate, dangling over a flame, flickering between green and blue hues. Was this a vision of things to come? The vision changed as quickly as it had appeared. Rosalyn and Boden stood in the purple fields of Dantooine, together. Boden grasped her hand. The pain was becoming unbearable now, he could almost feel his flesh melting from his body. Sleep†¦.. it was the only escape. Deft's worn body, and torn psyche, collapsed to the ground, saber in one hand, and a small purple Corellian flower in the other. â€Å"Soon, my dear Aklin†¦. very soon indeed.†, the woman's cackling echoed in Deft's mind as he awoke. The rain fell on his face, but the soft touch of rain could not alleviate the pain he felt. He touched his back, the memory of the agony still with him. How long had he been asleep? How long had he been lying here? For a brief moment, he looked at the flower in his left hand, before tucking it safely away, wrapped in a piece of paper, in his pack. Through the foliage, he sensed something. Something nearby. Something, strong. He made his way cautiously, silently, through the jungle. His head peaked around a large tree to see it. As he stood in the entrance, he could sense something. It clouded him slightly, and for the first time in days, he was not thinking of the visions he had been having. Something was tuggin at him, something from deep within himself. This was the reason he had come here. This, was the reason he had journeyed so far. Why, he did not know, but something inside of him verified the uncovered truth. Something inside, told him that this was where he needed to be. Just inside the cave, he saw him. The hooded figure turned away from him, looking deeper into the cave of which he occupied. Who was this man? How could he have gotten here? Yinchorr was blockaded to all non-Imperial personnel. Even then, only the Imperial Royal Guard, and their hopeful trainees ever really came here. As Deft slowly enterred, time no longer existed. Space but a fleeting human assumption of distance. Everything, always, was right here. Such power, such depth, Deft had never felt before. â€Å"What is this place?†, he spoke out to the hooded figure. Anticipating to startle the man, his responce was far different than what he would have anticipated. â€Å"This my young friend, is your future†¦. and your past.†, the eerily familiar voice stated. The figure stood silent, gazing off into the distance as he approached. Then, as his footsteps brought him ever-closer, the man finally turned. The Emperor's visage, torn, weathered. Deft had never seen him like this before. â€Å"Deft, now you shall see.† There was no possible explanation for this. Deft knew it to be implausible for the Emperor to be here, and yet, here he was. Was he hallucinating? What manner of trickery was this? He turned to glance back at the entryway, but it was no longer there. Everything went foggy for a moment. His mind, his thoughts, even what he was seeing. When his eyes returned to where the Emperor had been standing, they did not meet his, they met†¦. theirs. Before Deft stood the four women he had ever truly loved. Yvaine, Lelu, Nydari and Rosalyn. In unison, they looked to him with pleading eyes and said, â€Å"You have abandoned us Deft†¦. why?† â€Å"You were the only man I ever loved, and you left me in your pursuit of power.†, Yvaine looked at him, her slave collar still attached, her subtle blonde braids gently caressing her tender neck where the collar had caused bruising. â€Å"Without you, I couldn't go on.†, her voice callously stated as she slapped him. â€Å"You never understood Deft, you never listened.†, Lelu said, her soft black hair blowing gently in the growing angry breeze, â€Å"I left you, because you had no time for me.† Nydari's gaze met his now, her cold callous blue eyes cutting through his soul. Deft heard not her words, he could feel what beat in her heart. He had taken her son, and for that, he could never be forgiven. â€Å"Deft, you never came for me.†, her eyes begged for a reason, â€Å"You gave up so easily, so much for love I guess.† â€Å"You left me to die on Dathomir.†, Rosalyn's words made little sense, â€Å"You allowed the Nighsisters to have their way with me.† Her inviting red hair still bore the subtle trace of a helmet. Deft could not help but wonder, was he able to speak with them now†¦. because they were all dead? He dropped to his knees, sobbing, the situation too much for even him, to handle. The incessant yelling stopped, all was quiet. Deft took control of himself once again, regaining his composure. Slowly, he raised his head to see the horrid depiction. All four of them†¦. lie dead before him. Their bodies broken, twisted lumps of flesh that once held a vibrance for life he fed off of. Now, empty vessels. The Emperor once again stepped forward. â€Å"What manner of treachery is this?†, Deft implored, â€Å"They cannot be dead.† â€Å"There is no treachery here, only truths within yourself.†, the Emperor explained, â€Å"What you see, is a mirror of what lies deep within you.† Deft knelt before the four corpses, and then, they came. From the shadows they stepped, each armed differently, each, having a different reason for being there. Those reasons, were the women lying before him. Percy, the insecure boy, placed a gentle hand on Yvaine's head, brushing her flowing blonde braids away from her green eyes. Then, turning his angry, jealous gaze to Deft, he unsheathed his blade. Noldat stood over Lelu Orion, his eyes never waivering from Deft's, this had been a long time coming. His pistol unholstered, and prepared to slay his sworn enemy. Wraidth shed a gentle tear as he touched Nydari's soft blue lekku one last time, unsheathing his sword, he snarled at him. â€Å"I would have cared for her as you never could.† Finally, Boden. Deft stood mildly perplexed at the sight, as Boden's eyes filled with rage and tears stared callously at him over Rosalyn's torn body. No words were spoken, but Deft did not need to hear them, he knew why Boden was there. However, was this a depiction of the truth†¦. or a vision of his own paranoia manifesting itself? In unison, their voices echoed through the cave, â€Å"We loved them as you could not. We cared for them, where you would not. In return for this, you destroyed them in your own lustful search for power.† Deft had no words. No charming way of explaining away the mishaps of his life. No intelligent responce to dissuade the anger and hatred in the room. He allowed his anguish to take hold. His saber ignited, the crimson hue echoing off of the walls, the color only amplified the tension. The hum of the weapon, requesting bloodshed. Percy was the first to charge, and the first to drop. With a gentle flick of the wrist, Deft tore through the young man's weapon, and his flesh. His now lifeless body, fell ironically parallel to that of Yvaine's. Noldat opened fire, and Deft's saber found the blaster bolts of it's own accord, deflecting them haplessly into the cavern's walls. His rage focused inward for a fleeting moment, and manifested itself in a bolt of lightning, sending Noldat to the ground in a lump of mangled and burned Rebel flesh. Wraidth did not hesitate, his scythe had cut Deft before he even had a chance to focus his attentions on his assailant. Blood dripping from his left shoulder, the open wound stinging with agonizing pain, Deft did not cringe, but found new purpose in it, new, unadulterated fury with which to wield his lightsaber. For his treachery, Deft cut him down to size, removing the better part of both his legs, just above the knee. As he lie there, helpless, Deft stepped forward to end his suffering. Wraidth's head made a gentle stop at Boden's feet. Both men stared at each other cautiously. Boden's indigo blue saber reverberating off of the walls, creating a purple hue as it mixed elegantly with the crimson of Defts that had already resided there. *CRACKLE HISS* Their blades met for the first time, held against each other, the sounds became almost deafening as they sparked and slid along one another. Deft arrogantly spun with his blade, driving Boden backward. With a kick, Deft pushed him even farther back as the green bolt erupted from his off hand. â€Å"Show me the truth.†, Deft asked of Boden's mind as he invaded it aggressively. The trick he had learned from the Nightsisters might just prove useful. Boden dropped to the ground, clutching at his head in agony. Yet still, Deft felt no battle, no conflict for the right to attain the knowledge he sought. Now Deft knew, this was not real. With a cold, calculated slice, Boden was no more. A soft voice invaded the newly created silence, â€Å"Deriun?† â€Å"Deriun, is that you?†, the voice called to him. After all these years, her soft voice still sent chills down his spine. He turned to face her. â€Å"I no longer go by that name†¦. mother.†, his cold callous stare met hers. Still adorned with rags, and carrying several collars in her hand, she snarled at him, â€Å"Nonsense, now get your things, we have to pick up some more goods this afternoon.† ‘Goods' was her more humane term for slaves. The idea that anyone could try and tone down what slavery was with simple verbage still sickened Deft. A swift backhand caught Deft off guard, his head cocked to one side partly, stopping midway as if to declare resistance. â€Å"You heard your mother boy, get ready.†, his father said angrily to him. As he stood there, looking at his parentage, something inside him snapped. It was all so much clearer. It all made sense. These people, they were nothing but pawns in a much larger game†¦ a game, Deft now played. A game of power. They were little more than cattle, to be done with as he saw fit. Wraidth's scythe hovered in mid air, both his parents stood there, confused at it's sight. â€Å"So boy, you think you've finally become a man? You think you're going to use that blade to kill us?†, his father nervously taunted, trying to play on Deft's insecurities. Insecurities that died long, long ago. â€Å"No father, I have no intentions of such.†, a cold grin formed on Deft's face as he called on the strength of the force, â€Å"She is going to kill you.† The blade hung still in the air before his mother, â€Å"Take the blade woman, and dispatch him.†, Deft said coldly with a slight hint of triumph in his voice. Her confused and shaking hand took hold of the hilt, she hesitated as she drew it back, â€Å"Let go your rage, allow the blade to find it's way.† â€Å"This is ridiculous.†, his fathers fearful expression made it quite apparent that he did indeed realize that this was no jest, â€Å"Woman, put that damn thing down and go get the slaves cleaned up.† â€Å"Now.†, Deft uttered but one word to reinforce his statements, his hand barely moving to send his message clearly, reinforced by the dark side within him. The blade moved swiftly, cleanly. From his shoulder to his nether regions, it made it's cut. A gentle red mist hung in the air, spackling her torn dress of rags. She dropped to her knees in front of her now lifeless spouse. The blade hit the ground, the sound of the metallic clang echoed through her soul as she realized what she had just done. Tear filled eyes looked to him, â€Å"Why Deriun? Why would you make me do this?† â€Å"Because I can.†, he said simply. The scythe flew true, of it's own volition, through her, pinning her ten feet in the air against the wall. Her last breath escaped, the gentle death rattle the only sound now heard in the cave, quickly replaced by the sound of her blood dripping on the floor. A cackle broke out from behind him as he callously stared at his now dead mother. â€Å"Good†¦. good.†, the voice with satisfaction, â€Å"You have done well, Lord Aklin.† He turned to face the voice, and again met eyes with the Emperor, his sinister grin filling the room with a cold warmth. â€Å"I do not understand, how can this be?†, his confusion showing on his face imploringly, â€Å"What is this place?† â€Å"This place is a mirror of your own inner self my friend.†, the Emperor placed a hand at Deft's back, walking with him casually, â€Å"It is a nexus for the Dark Side which all Jedi must at some point face.† â€Å"So this is a test?†, Deft's question had already been answered in his own mind, he needed his answer to be validated however. â€Å"You could say that. I prefer to look at it as a decision rather than a test.†, the Emperor chuckled. â€Å"I see.†, Deft turned to face the Emperor again, â€Å"I came here, I thought, to find answers.† â€Å"My boy, I am not here to give you the answers you seek.†, he coldly stared at him, â€Å"I think you already have those answers within yourself.† Deft had so many questions to still be answered, â€Å"And how is it you are here?. The Emperor smirked at him, â€Å"I am not here.† With that, the Emperor vanished, and Deft found himself standing again in the entryway of the cave. It was not long after that Deft found himself sitting at the foot of his Oppressor contemplating his existence. What was all of this for? What lessons were to be learned? Why was he doing all of this? For the Emperor? For himself? Where had it gotten him? The Emperor had always promised him, one day he would understand, but perhaps, even the Emperor, could not foresee what was to come. *beep beep* His subspace com erupted with authority. Deft could sense it. â€Å"Yes my Lord?†, he said, knowing exactly who it was. â€Å"I sense you have done well Lord Aklin.†, the cold feeling of triumph was apparent, â€Å"Now†¦. you understand.† â€Å"Yes†¦.. I do.†, he replied, his tone uncaring, indifferent. A short hesitation hung in the air before he proceeded, cutting the Emperor off as he begun to speak, â€Å"I understand that I have grown tired of your meddling old man. And perhaps†¦. a change is indeed needed.† The Emperor's sudden rage could be heard as Deft simply deactivated his com and boarded his ship. Activating the radio aboard The Subterfuge, he quickly contacted Tovina, â€Å"My dear, I think we need to have a little discussion.† Deft knew now what he sought, and being subservient to Palpatine was no longer fitting for him†¦ he was better than that†¦ stronger. The time had come for Deft to take what was his†¦. by force. For the Emperor had indeed twisted him to the Dark Side as intended, though, perhaps he twisted a bit too hard. Perhaps†¦. now it was Deft's turn, to twist back.

The Meanings of Myth and Related Words

The Meanings of Myth and Related Words The Meanings of â€Å"Myth† and Related Words The Meanings of â€Å"Myth† and Related Words By Mark Nichol Myth, originally a word of elevated and scholarly pretension, has passed into the vernacular to describe anything of dubious truth or validity, though it retains earlier senses. This post lists definitions of the word and others of which it is the root. The word derives from the Greek term mythos, which variously means â€Å"speech† or â€Å"story,† or even â€Å"thought.† In modern English usage, a myth is a story, often featuring heroes and deities or supernatural entities, that explains a belief, custom, phenomenon, or worldview; it is also a synonym for allegory or parable. By extension, a myth is a belief or tradition, often one integral to a society, or an invalid notion born of ignorance or bigotry, or simply a rumor or untrue story. (Myth, without the article, denotes a body of myths.) An urban myth, meanwhile, is an account of an unusual or inexplicable event that did not occur, or state that does not exist, that is widely assumed to be true. The primary adjectival form is mythical; it is also used in the sense of â€Å"imaginary,† but mythic is appropriate for referring to astonishing achievements. Mythology pertains to a set of myths, the study of myths, or an allegory, or to an assumption or belief. A mythologist (or, sometimes, mythologer) is someone who studies myths. Mythos is a synonym for both myth and mythology and denotes a symbolic set of cultural attitudes as well. Mythogenesis is the development of myths or the tendency to ascribe mythical status to something. Mythopoeia, too, refers to the creation of myth. To mythicize is to turn something into, or treat something as, a myth; mythologize also has the latter meaning. Conversely, to demythologize is to analyze the meaning of myths or to unromanticize them. (A countermyth, meanwhile, is a myth that challenges or contradicts another myth.) A mythmaker is someone who creates myths, generally in the casual sense of beliefs or traditions or of reputations about a person, place, or thing. A mythomaniac (or, sometimes, mythomane), meanwhile, is a pathological liar or exaggerator; the condition is called mythomania. An etymologically related word is stichomythia (â€Å"verse speech†), denoting argumentative repartee, especially as a dramatic device in the performing arts. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:When to use "on" and when to use "in"50 Types of PropagandaPhrasal Verbs and Phrasal Nouns

Immigrants, Emigrants, and Migrants

Immigrants, Emigrants, and Migrants Immigrants, Emigrants, and Migrants Immigrants, Emigrants, and Migrants By Maeve Maddox A reader asks: Emigrate, immigrate, migrate.   What is the proper usage of these words?   It seems like the [use] is indiscriminate. All three words trace their origin to the Latin verb migrare, â€Å"to remove from one place to another.† This common ancestor gives English four verbs: migrate: to move, either temporarily or permanently, from one place, area, or country of residence to another emigrate: (e, â€Å"out† + migrate) to remove out of country for the purpose of settling in another. immigrate: (im, â€Å"in, into† + migrate) to come to settle in a country not one’s own; to pass into a new place of residence. transmigrate: (trans, â€Å"across† + migrate) of the soul: to pass after death into another body. The verbs yield several noun forms, some of which are also used as adjectives: migration migrant emigration emigrant immigration immigrant transmigration Usage examples from the Web: There is a challenge for policy-makers to understand the obstacles migrants face in Australia. Committee on Migrant Workers discusses role of migration statistics for treaty reporting and migration policies. Although not common, two additional adjectives sometimes seen are immigrational and migrational. From Multiculturalism to Immigrational Survavalism [sic] (headline at novitiate.com) Immigrational Background Affects the Effectiveness of a School-based Overweight Prevention Program Promoting Water Consumption (title of research paper) A common error is to confuse immigrant and emigrant. Here’s an instance when etymological information can help with spelling. Just remember that the prefix im- means â€Å"in† and that the prefix e- means â€Å"out†: When Charles Darnay fled France to escape the guillotine, he was an emigrant. When he settled in England, he was an immigrant. A migrant is simply on the move, not necessarily planning a permanent change of address. Plants and animals also migrate, as do things on computers. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Apply to, Apply for, and Apply withWhat's a Male Mistress?List of 50 Compliments and Nice Things to Say!

Biography of Paul Revere and His Midnight Ride

Biography of Paul Revere and His Midnight Ride Paul Revere (January 1, 1735–May 10, 1818) is perhaps best known for his famous midnight ride, but he was also one of Boston’s most ardent patriots. He organized an intelligence network called Sons of Liberty to help colonists fight against British troops. Fast Facts: Paul Revere Known for: Famous midnight ride alerting the people of Lexington and Concord of an impending British attack; one of the leaders of Sons of Liberty movementOccupation: Silversmith, artisan, and early industrialistBorn:  January 1, 1735 in Boston, MassachusettsDied:  May 10, 1818, Boston, MassachusettsParents’ Names: Apollos Rivoire and Deborah HitchbornSpouses Names: Sarah Orne (m. 1757-1773); Rachel Walker (m. 1773-1813)Children: 16, 11 of whom survived childhood Early Years Paul Revere was the third of twelve children born to Apollos Rivoire, a French Huguenot silversmith, and Deborah Hitchborn, the daughter of a Boston shipping family. Apollos, who emigrated from France as a teen, changed his name to the more English-sounding Revere at some point prior to Pauls birth- a common practice at the time. The young Revere left school in his early teens to become an apprentice in his fathers silversmithing business, which allowed him to interact with a wide variety of different people within Bostons society. When Revere was nineteen, his father died, but he was too young to take over the smithy, so he enlisted in the provincial army. The French and Indian War was ongoing, and Revere soon found himself commissioned to the rank of Second Lieutenant. After a year in the Army, Revere returned home to Boston, took over the family silver shop, and married his first wife, Sarah Orne. By the mid-1760s, the economy was sliding into a recession, and Reveres silver business was struggling. Like many craftsman of the era, Revere needed some supplemental income, so he took up the practice of dentistry. His skill in manufacturing false teeth from ivory was one that would serve him well later. The Brink of Revolution In the late 1760s, Revere formed a close friendship with Dr. Joseph Warren of Boston. The two men were members of the Masons, and they each had an interest in politics. Over the next few years, they became active participants in the Sons of Liberty movement, and Revere used his skill as an artist and craftsman to produce some of Americas earliest political propaganda. He illustrated carvings and engravings, many of which included images of events like the Boston Massacre of 1770, and a parade of British troops through the citys streets. As he became more prosperous, Revere and his family moved to a home in Bostons North End. However, in 1773, Sarah died, leaving Revere with eight children to raise; within a few months he married his second wife, Rachel, who was eleven years his junior. In November of that year, a ship called the Dartmouth docked in Boston Harbor, and history would soon be made. The Dartmouth arrived laden with tea shipped by the East India Company under the newly-passed Tea Act, which essentially was designed to force colonists to buy tea from East India, rather than purchasing smuggled tea at a lower cost. This was extremely unpopular with the people of Boston, so Revere and many of the men of the Sons of Liberty took turns guarding the ship, preventing it from being unloaded. On the night of December 16, Revere was one of the ringleaders when American patriots stormed the Dartmouth and two other East India ships, and dumped the tea into Boston Harbor. Over the next two years, Revere made regular rides as a courier, traveling from Boston to Philadelphia and New York City to carry information on behalf of the Committee of Public Safety. This was a grass-roots committee of patriots who did their best to make governing extremely difficult for British authorities. Around the same time, Revere and other members of the Sons of Liberty, and their associates, began a network of intelligence gathering in Boston. Meeting in a tavern called the Green Dragon, which Daniel Webster called the headquarters of the revolution, Revere and other men, known as Mechanics, disseminated information about the movement of British troops. The Midnight Ride In April 1775, Dr. Joseph Warren was alerted to possible British troop movements near Concord, Massachusetts. Concord was a small town not far from Boston, and was the site of a large cache of patriot military supplies. Warren sent Revere to warn the Massachusetts Provincial Congress so they could move the stores to a safer location. Interim Archives / Getty Images A few days later, British General Thomas Gage was ordered to move on Concord, disarm the patriots, and seize their cache of weapons and supplies. Although Gage was instructed by his superiors to arrest men like Samuel Adams and John Hancock for their roles as rebel leaders, he opted not to include that in his written instructions to his troops, because if word got out, there could be a violent uprising. Instead, Gage chose to focus his written orders on taking possession of the weapons he believed to be housed in Concord. Over the coming days, Revere instructed the sexton at the North Church to use a signal lantern in the steeple if he saw British soldiers approaching. Because the British could either take the road from Boston to Lexington or sail up the Charles River, the sexton was told to light a single lantern for land movement, and two if there was activity on the water. Thus, the phrase one if by land, two if by sea was born. On April 18, Warren told Revere that reports indicated that British troops were secretly moving towards Concord and the neighboring town of Lexington, ostensibly to capture Adams and Hancock. Although the weapons supply had been safely moved, Hancock and Adams were unaware of the impending danger. When the sexton at the North Church placed two lanterns in his steeple, Revere moved into action. He crossed the Charles River in a rowboat in the dead of night, careful to avoid the notice of the British warship HMS Somerset, and landed in Charlestown. From there, he borrowed a horse and rode to Lexington, sneaking past British patrols and alerting every home he passed along the way. Revere traveled through the night, visiting patriot strongholds like Somerville and Arlington, where additional riders picked up the message and traveled their own routes. By the end of the night, it is estimated that some forty riders had gone out to spread the word of the impending British attack. Revere arrived in Lexington around midnight, and warned Adams and Hancock, and then headed towards Concord. On his way, he was stopped by a British patrol and questioned; he told the soldiers that if they approached Lexington they would find themselves face to face with an angry and armed militia. At some point, once they neared Lexington with Revere in tow, the towns church bell began to ring; Revere told them it was a call to arms, and the soldiers left him in the woods to walk the rest of the way to town alone. Once he arrived, he met up with Hancock, and helped him gather up his family so they could escape safely as the battle on Lexington Green began. During the Revolutionary War, Revere was unable to return to Boston, but stayed in Watertown, where he continued his work as a courier for the provincial congress, and printed currency for payment of the local militias. Dr. Warren was killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and nine months after his death, Revere was able to identify his remains, exhumed from a mass grave, thanks to a false tooth he had mounted for his friend, making Paul Revere the first forensic dentist. There is no evidence that Revere actually shouted out The British are coming! during his famous ride. Later Years After the Revolution, Revere expanded his silversmithing business and opened an iron foundry in Boston. His business produced cast iron goods such as nails, weights, and tools. Because he was willing to invest money into expanding his foundry, and embraced new technological ideas in the field of metalworking, he became highly successful. Eventually, his foundry moved into iron and bronze casting, and he was able to mass produce church bells as America moved into a post-war religious revival. With two of his sons, Paul Jr. and Joseph Warren Revere, he founded Paul Revere and Sons, and gradually perfected the production of rolled copper. He remained politically active throughout his entire life, and died in 1818 at his home in Boston. Sources â€Å"Joseph Warren Dies a Martyr in the Battle of Bunker Hill.† New England Historical Society, 16 June 2018, www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/death-gen-joseph-warren/.Klein, Christopher. â€Å"The Real-Life Haunts of the Sons of Liberty.† History.com, AE Television Networks, www.history.com/news/the-real-life-haunts-of-the-sons-of-liberty.â€Å"Paul Revere - The Midnight Ride.† Paul Revere House, www.paulreverehouse.org/the-real-story/.Strangeremains. â€Å"Paul Revere: The First American Forensic Dentist.† Strange Remains, 11 Oct. 2017, strangeremains.com/2017/07/04/paul-revere-the-first-american-forensic-dentist/.

Compare between two institutions policies Research Paper

Compare between two institutions policies - Research Paper Example Human resource department in an organization carries out a number of functions for the management of the workforce including recruitment, selection, development, orientation, performance, and career path management (Zanko, 2002). This study aims at analyzing employee development as a human resource function as integrated in human resource functions of Shell and Qatar Petroleum. This will be done through numerating the various ways both organizations have similar employee development methods followed by the difference as represented by the policies implemented on employee decision making in Shell and Qatar Petroleum. Employee development augments the skills and understanding of the employees for the achievement of high productivity by the organization and ability of employees to achieve their own personal goals of career development and promotion in the organization (Schmidheiny, 1992). Since employee development ensures the organization has enough human capital with adequate skills a nd knowledge, therefore, it is very important to be implemented in any organization. At shell, a number of measures are taken to ensure the development of employees. In Qatar Petroleum, measures to improve employee development have also been implemented. ... en Shell and Qatar Petroleum in employee development is that the two companies have realized on the need to develop their employees through the provision of measures for employee development. The two companies understand the benefits of a motivated, skilled and well trained human resource as depicted in the different policies and practices harnessed in ensuring employee development is done in both companies (International Business Publications, 2012). Both Shell and Qatar Petroleum offer training of employees for the benefit of the employees in terms of career development and augments their skills in meeting the company’s needs. The measures taken to ensure employment training however differ in the two companies. Qatar provides employee development through the Qatar Petroleum Corporate Training Department (CT), to ensure all employees have enough skills as required by the company. The ways that are used by Qatar Petroleum Corporate Training Department (CT) include provision of professional and training programs. This is similar to Shell where professional training and development is done by the human resource development department in the organization. Shell and Qatar Petroleum have a similar decision making in human resource development that is the exposure of the employees. Employees in both companies area offered opportunities to work in an international environment since the two companies operate in different countries offering the means for the access of these global environment training opportunities. Shell and Qatar Petroleum provide its employees with different training destinations beyond their home country, mainly middle and high level management, in the subsidiaries. Being global companies, employees have opportunities to work with colleagues from around

Gender and Identity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Gender and Identity - Essay Example It has been observed that gender identity critics' focal point is reflecting the others who are the contributors; whereas, to understand gender identity, it is imperative to look at all the social and biological aspects. Moreover, gender identity may be influenced by a number of social structures, including the person's ethnic group, employment status, religion or irreligion, and family etc. Research on masculinity and femininity has a long, complex, and controversial history. This may be due in part to the questions addressed. Often researchers ask questions whether masculinity and femininity really exist, and if it does, how are they best defined and measured The argument carried forward in this paper is the question of what molds and determines a person's degree of masculinity and femininity, whether biological factors or social factors Because the roles of men and women have been the subject of passionate debate in recent years, it's no wonder that research on masculinity and femininity has become embroiled in the debate. If masculinity and femininity are real traits, perhaps even genetically determined to a significant extent, then gender would seem to be partly inflicted into our personalities. On the other hand, if masculinity and femininity are social constructions, learned patterns of behavior that are culturally and historically variable, then existing gender roles may be compliant and subject to liberating alternatives. Related Literature The formation of a gender identity is an intricate process that begins with conception, but later on it involves critical growth processes during development and even learning experiences after birth. There are points of differentiation all along the way, but language and tradition in most societies insist that every individual be categorized as either a man or a woman. When diversity is subjectively reduced to absolute beliefs, conflicts are sure to result. (Wikipedia, 2006) Once children develop a stable gender identity and stable gender categories for others (All people come in two varieties, either male or female), they begin to identify with and prefer others of their own gender (e.g., "I am a girl; I like other girls, and girls are good"). Although young children are aware of gender as a social category, they do not think about gender as adults do. For instance, toddlers do not always realize that gender is defined most fundamentally by genital differences. Instead, they may define gender by its surface features, such as clothing, hair length, and kinds of play. By age 6 or 7, most children realize that sex and gender are constant (i.e., you can't readily change them) and linked to male and female genital differences. According to Kohlberg's theory, children older than age 7 nonetheless continue to develop their gender concepts. For example, they learn gender stereotypes (e.g., "Women are nicer and gentler than men," "Men are more violent than women "), and they learn that some cultural symbols (e.g., butterflies and flowers) are more associated with girls, whereas others (e.g., worms and frogs) are more associated with boys. (Kohlberg, 1966) A question arises at this point, should research on gender differences promote inequality between the genders Not necessarily. Even if there are actual differences between men and women, this does not need to imply that one gender is better than the other. Psychologist Diane Halpern notes that although no one would deny that female

The adventures of Huckleberry Finn Norton critical edition Term Paper

The adventures of Huckleberry Finn Norton critical edition - Term Paper Example Briden, Jane Smiley and T.S. Eliot are examined. One of the major critics examining Huckleberry Finn is David Carkeet. Carkeet examines Twains story from a number of critical perspectives, but perhaps his most overarching take on the subject examines the various narrative techniques Twain utilizes throughout the novel. Within this context Carkeet pays particular emphasis on the nature of dialectics utilized in the novel. In these regards, he distinguishes between dialectics including: the Missouri negro dialect, the extremest form of the backwoods South-Western dialect, the ordinary Pike-County dialect (Twain, and Colley). Carkeet notes that it is necessary to make this distinction as without it the novel would simply sound alike, however not succeeding. Within this context then, Carkeet examines the various dialectics for their linguistic elements within the context of the novel. In these regards, Carkeet argues that Finns dialectic himself can be viewed as the norm to which other dialectics are then varied upon. In a way then, F inns dialectic becomes the a sort of majority dialectic spoken throughout the novel through which the other dialectics are understood in terms of a prism. It follows then that in differentiating further dialectics, Twain does so as a purposeful means. For instance, Carkeet argues that one of the major predominant dialectical changes is implemented by Twain to distinguish between race. Another factor Carkeet considers is the relation between these dialetics articulated by Twain and the sorts of dialectics implemented in the actual mid-nineteenth century. In considering this last point, Carkeet notes that there are significant divisions between the novel and the real-life dialectic. One major point in these terms is that Finn himself utilizes different variations on his own dialectic throughout the novel,

The War of 1812 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The War of 1812 - Essay Example 218-19). In 1807, Jefferson persuade Congress to pass a drastic measure, the Embargo Act, prohibiting American ships from engaging in any trade with any foreign port; he thought it would punish the British by denying them American agricultural goods, but, instead, it was "a complete disaster for the economy" (Roark; pp. 218-219). It hit New England merchants and southern planters particularly hard, bringing trade to standstill. It was also hard to enforce, and had little of the intended impact on the British who simply turned to South American countries for agricultural goods. (Roark; pp. 218-219). The embargo stayed in place until Jefferson left office, but was then replaced by the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809 which prohibited trade with only Britain, France, and other colonial possessions (Roark, et al; pp.218-219). In 1810 the Act expired and was replaced by a new law that reopened free commercial relations with either Britain or France, whichever stopped restrictions on neutral shipping f irst. (Roark, et al; pp.218-219). Napoleon, wanting to entice the United States into re-imposing its embargo against England, declared that France would never interfere with American shipping. Madison believed the French and reinstated the embargo against England, but French leaders continued to seize American ships. Many Americans felt that the nation was on the verge of war, but were unsure whether the correct target was England or France (Roark, et al; pp.219-220) "But maritime issues were only part of the reason for the conflict between the United States and Britain" which led up to the 1812 War. (Roark, et al; pp.219-220). In the face of constant encroachments of white settlers west onto Indian lands, Indians began consolidating alliances with British Indian agents (Roark, et al; pp.219-220). American concern over this was compounded by the two "dynamic Shawnee Indian leaders", war Chief Tecumseh, and his mystical brother Tenskwatawa, known as the "prophet", who united many tribes of Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan in a confederation to protect their lands. (Roark, et al; pp.219-220). The Governor of Indiana Territory, William Henry Harrison, negotiated a treaty with "unrepresentative Indians" to purchase three million acres of territory at bargain prices, thus helping Tecumseh work with southern tribes as well. In 1811, alarmed at the brothers' growing power, Harrison met the Shawnees at Tippecanoe Creek, and captured and destroyed their strong hold, Prophetstown. (Roark, et al; pp. 220-222). After Tippecanoe, Tecumseh allied with British military commanders in Lower Canada, and American conflicts with the Indians soon merged into a broader confrontation with England. In June 1812, Congress declared war on England in a "sectionalized vote" with New Englanders largely opposing it (Roark, et al; pp. 223). The war did not go well: a planned invasion of Canada failed, and the British grabbed forts on the Great Lakes. On the home front, New Englanders, led by Federalist merchants, openly opposed the war, and carried on illegal trade with England. (Roark, et al; pp. 223). Federalists gained political strength in the election of 1812, demonstrating discontent with the war. American fortunes improved somewhat with

Critically assess the contribution made by the 1989 UN Convention on Essay

Critically assess the contribution made by the 1989 UN Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and their Dis - Essay Example Greenpeace alerted all the likely ports which repeatedly turned away the ship. It is suspected that ship offloaded the remaining material in Indian Ocean. In November 1986, a Basel based pharmaceutical factory had a fire accident that resulted in an outflow of contaminated water into the Rhine River with some thirty tones of highly toxic material entering the river along with the contaminated water. This led to the Swiss based companies pushing for the Basel Convention so as to reverse the damage to the public relations caused by the contamination. In March 1987, a New York based ship carried 3,186 tons of solid waste and tried in vain to dump the waste in 6 U.S. states. By September 1987, the ship had traveled about 6,000 miles across Mexico, Belize and Bahamas and came back to its own base in New York without being able to unload the cargo of waste anywhere. By June 1987, the UNEP Governing Council in its 14th session brought out Cairo Guidelines and chalked out a programme to conv ene a global convention on the control of transboundary transport of hazardous waste. In June 1987, it was discovered by Greenpeace that traders in waste had tried to export more than 163,000,000 tons of waste by 1986. In August 1987-May 1988, Italian business firm sent eight thousand drums of hazardous chemical waste to a Nigerian port town mislabeling the drums as â€Å"relating to the building trade† and â€Å"residual and allied chemicals†. In their efforts to send the material back to Italy, the Nigerian factory workers experienced severe burns, nausea, vomiting blood and partial paralysis leading to Nigeria to recall its ambassador to Italy .and seized the ships to pressurize Italy to remove the wastes. After series of such incidents, by March 1989 Basel Convention was signed with Greenpeace denouncing it and Africa walking out. The U.S. opposed the ban to developing countries despite repeated requests of developing countries to impose the ban.1 Originally 116 pa rties signed the Convention which provides a global framework for transboundary movement of hazardous waste 2 It is equally concerned about the protection of global environment.3 The Single market in the EU introduced in 1993 regulates transboundary movement of goods including wastes.4 Three aims of the convention With the membership of 170 countries which do not include the U.S.A 5,the Convention’s three main aims are 1) reduction in hazardous waste generation, 2) reduced transboundary movements of hazardous waste and 3) hazardous waste management conducive to environment.6 Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) refers to treatment (management) of hazardous and other wastes in such a manner that human health and environment are protected from the adverse effects of the said wastes.7 In the context of Basel Convention, â€Å"wastes† refer to substances or objects that are disposed of, meant for disposal or those required to be disposed of, under national law. Managemen t in the context of ESM involves collection, transport and disposal of wastes including hazardous ones and the management also includes taking care of sites where the wastes are disposed. Disposal is referred to as actions contemplated under Annexure IV to the Convention document. Transboundary movem

CARRIAGES OF GOODS BY SEA. (LAW DEGREE) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

CARRIAGES OF GOODS BY SEA. (LAW DEGREE) - Essay Example ered to and received by the ship, and therefore excellent evidence of those terms, but it is not a contract.†1 Rather the contract of carriage will be determined by the written agreement of the parties, the booking note the payment of foreign tariffs and normal practices of the carrier of the goods. Therefore, O’s contract with Cherie is the actual contract of carriage between the parties, spelling out the terms and nature of the delivery which is to take place. Since this includes a specific provision that O is not to deviate in any form whatever from the terms of the contract, it is likely that this provision will carry some weight. However, a contract for transportation of goods by sea will be primarily determined by the terms on the bill of lading. The Hague Visby rules provide a uniform standard that applies to most of the world’s shipping nations and has been in force since June 2, 1931. As per Article 1(b) of the Hague Visby rules, the term contract of carriage will only be applicable to those contracts dealing with the transportation of goods by sea, which are covered by a bill of lading which regulates the relations between a carrier and a party holding the bill of lading.2 In this context, it is therefore important to note that in Cherie’s case, the bill of lading, which is the best evidence of the contract and also the instrument that will be actionable in the Courts, does not contain the specific provision that O is not to deviate from the contractual terms. As a result, it is likely that when the dispute comes to the Courts, the focus of the Court will be in determining the causation li nk, and finding out whether any damages are due and which party is the primary causal factor for those damages. Every contract of carriage will be governed by the Hague Visby rules, even if it is not specifically stipulated in the contract between the parties, as per the principle spelt out in the case of Shackman v Cunard White Star Ltd.3 In the case of Vita

Critically assess the contribution made by the 1989 UN Convention on Essay

Critically assess the contribution made by the 1989 UN Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and their Dis - Essay Example Greenpeace alerted all the likely ports which repeatedly turned away the ship. It is suspected that ship offloaded the remaining material in Indian Ocean. In November 1986, a Basel based pharmaceutical factory had a fire accident that resulted in an outflow of contaminated water into the Rhine River with some thirty tones of highly toxic material entering the river along with the contaminated water. This led to the Swiss based companies pushing for the Basel Convention so as to reverse the damage to the public relations caused by the contamination. In March 1987, a New York based ship carried 3,186 tons of solid waste and tried in vain to dump the waste in 6 U.S. states. By September 1987, the ship had traveled about 6,000 miles across Mexico, Belize and Bahamas and came back to its own base in New York without being able to unload the cargo of waste anywhere. By June 1987, the UNEP Governing Council in its 14th session brought out Cairo Guidelines and chalked out a programme to conv ene a global convention on the control of transboundary transport of hazardous waste. In June 1987, it was discovered by Greenpeace that traders in waste had tried to export more than 163,000,000 tons of waste by 1986. In August 1987-May 1988, Italian business firm sent eight thousand drums of hazardous chemical waste to a Nigerian port town mislabeling the drums as â€Å"relating to the building trade† and â€Å"residual and allied chemicals†. In their efforts to send the material back to Italy, the Nigerian factory workers experienced severe burns, nausea, vomiting blood and partial paralysis leading to Nigeria to recall its ambassador to Italy .and seized the ships to pressurize Italy to remove the wastes. After series of such incidents, by March 1989 Basel Convention was signed with Greenpeace denouncing it and Africa walking out. The U.S. opposed the ban to developing countries despite repeated requests of developing countries to impose the ban.1 Originally 116 pa rties signed the Convention which provides a global framework for transboundary movement of hazardous waste 2 It is equally concerned about the protection of global environment.3 The Single market in the EU introduced in 1993 regulates transboundary movement of goods including wastes.4 Three aims of the convention With the membership of 170 countries which do not include the U.S.A 5,the Convention’s three main aims are 1) reduction in hazardous waste generation, 2) reduced transboundary movements of hazardous waste and 3) hazardous waste management conducive to environment.6 Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) refers to treatment (management) of hazardous and other wastes in such a manner that human health and environment are protected from the adverse effects of the said wastes.7 In the context of Basel Convention, â€Å"wastes† refer to substances or objects that are disposed of, meant for disposal or those required to be disposed of, under national law. Managemen t in the context of ESM involves collection, transport and disposal of wastes including hazardous ones and the management also includes taking care of sites where the wastes are disposed. Disposal is referred to as actions contemplated under Annexure IV to the Convention document. Transboundary movem

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

English - Essay Example This attitude is established by Douglass’s description of Mrs. Auld as â€Å"a woman of the kindest heart and finest feelings† (Douglass, p 159) until she is corrupted by the poison of slavery. Likewise, he expresses his deep affection for the little white boys who taught him to read. On the other hand, Douglass is unequivocal in his attitude towards white people who are slaveholders. He declares, â€Å"I loathed them as being the meanest as well as the wickedest of men,† (Douglass, p 164). He holds Andrew and Mrs. Hamilton to be the examples of this bestiality. Douglas is undoubtedly bitter about his slavery experiences. His learning makes him acutely conscious of slavery as a violation of human rights. His hatred of the unjust society, which has denied his people their freedom, is evident throughout the Narrative. He describes such a society as composed of â€Å"a band of robbers,† (Douglass, p 164). Douglass is particularly anguished by the cruel treatm ent meted out to his grandmother, who is abandoned and turned out to die alone in her old age. He condemns a society that supports slavery as one in which â€Å"the exercise of irresponsible power† (Douglass, p 162) is sanctioned. It is slavery which makes barbarians of a society. Charles Darwin’s Natural Selection deals with the significance of natural variations, and the evolution of those variations which are favorable for the survival of the species.

Basic Assumptions in Accounting

Basic Assumptions in Accounting Accounts are produced by all companies as a way of providing information to all third parties interested in the company’s performance. One of the primary aims of these accounts is to reduce the problems inherent in the agency relationship of the directors with the other interested stakeholders such as investors, employees and even government bodies. Due to the wide range of uses for accounts, it is little wonder that research into the way that these accounts are drafted and presented has had to lay down some fundamental assumptions in the way that accounts are written. However, in reality the assumptions that have underlined the analysis of accounts may, at times, be flawed, causing the overall analysis of these accounts to be at best incomplete and possibly even inaccurate (Hermanson, 2005)[1]. Assumption 1 – Accounts are Primarily for Shareholders This is a very common assumption and in many cases is not a damaging one. Even the law seems to support this assumption, with legislation requiring that annual accounts are produced and supplied to the shareholders (Companies Act 2006)[2]. This fuels the concept that the accounts are for the use of the shareholders, only. It is true, however, that accounts are largely for shareholders. The company belongs to the shareholders and is managed and run by the directors. This structure produces an agency problem with those running the business not being those individuals who ultimately benefit or suffer from its success or failure. Shareholders need the accounts in order to determine whether their investment is safe, whether they should be investing more, withdrawing their investment or asking certain questions of the board in relation to policies or activities. The accounts give valuable information to the shareholders in relation to the volume of sales, profitability, comparative analysis of key competitors and the overall value of the shares. Accounting standards have been developed with this key use in mind. It is necessary for all accounts to be audited by an independent auditor to determine that the accounts offer a true and fair value of the state of the financial position of the company. This is, of course, vital for the shareholders as they must trust the accounts being produced by the directors to be accurate, in order for them to make their investment decisions. Whilst all of these principles appear to be geared towards the shareholders, there are other users of the accounts that benefit equally from the standard set out in relation to published accounts. Other key users include the lenders. For many businesses, these stakeholders are absolutely vital and they will be largely interested in the same information as the shareholders, although will only really be concerned about whether the company has sufficient resource to pay back the loan that they have advanced to the company and that suitable security over assets exists (Watts, 2003)[3]. Employees are clearly interested in knowing the health and profitability of the company so that they can be comfortable with their own job security. However, this stakeholder group is often overlooked, despite its central role within the organisation. In addition, government agencies should not be overlooked, with agencies such as HM Revenue and Customs requiring information in order to collect the correct amount of corporation taxes (Brennan, 2000)[4]. Therefore, whilst shareholders may be the most visible group of stakeholders with an interest in the accounts, there are other stakeholders which also have an interest and should not be disregarded. Assumption 2 Accounting Measures a Concrete Reality which is Out There Prepared accounts are required to follow the basic principles such as relevance, understandability, consistency and comparability. Therefore, whilst accounts are prepared in line with the directors’ decisions and interpretations, there are certain underlying rules that must be followed to ensure that the accounts are as close to an unbiased, concrete reflection of the state of the business as is possible. In particular, this is important for the benefit of investor and shareholder comparisons. In order to make suitable judgements regarding investments and decisions about which company should be given support, the accounts of the two companies must be comparable. To be comparable the accounts must be as objective and factual as possible. However, just because it is desirable for the accounts to be a concrete reflection of what is ‘out there’ in the company does not mean that this is an assumption which can be drawn as being true. This need for consistency has been recognised by the International Accounting Standards Board which has developed, in so far as is possible, the financial reporting standards that companies need to follow in a bid to ensure that accounts are as close to being a concrete and comparable reflection as possible (Kroll, 2004)[5]. Take, for example, the way in which a company chooses to report its cash earned. The company could choose to operate on either a cash or on an accrual basis. Under the cash basis, the company would report income as soon as it actually arrives within the company, whereas the accrual basis shows the income earned at the time of the writing of the accounts, regardless of whether or not it has been already received. It is clear to see that the choice as to whether to follow a cash model or an accrual model will have a significant impact on the way in which the profit and loss appears in relation to the company. Other policies that are managed by international standards include issues such as the treatment of goodwill or depreciation, both areas that have traditionally allowed considerable director discretion. By having these basic accounting standards that companies must follow, there is certainly a move towards establishing concrete accounts. This, however, has not been fully achieved yet and, therefore, it is not fair to assume that all accounts are a completely concrete reflection of what is ‘out there’. Assumption 3 – Accounting Can be Neutral Clearly, it is desirable that financial accounts produced by companies are entirely neutral in the way that they are presented. Inaccuracy in accounts generally falls into two distinct categories, dishonesty or incompetence. Dishonesty has several different gradients and may be as simple as the desire by the management team to present a certain aspect of the business, whilst minimising the importance of other activities within the business. One of the main ways that a company could ensure that there is no element of dishonesty in the accounts is to have external auditors checking the accounts to ensure that they are a fair and accurate reflection of the company situation. Furthermore, with the financial reporting standards that have now been developed to ensure neutrality in the published accounts, companies are required to state definitively if they have deviated from the financial reporting standards, so that any move away from neutrality can be immediately and categorically identified. Therefore, whilst not all accounts will always be unbiased or neutral, identifying where neutrality has been deviated from, companies are now required to draw attention actively to this fact, thus increasing transparency. The use of external auditors in the preparation of the accounts is also a useful check and balance to ensure lack of misleading statements in the accounts (Cottingham, 1995)[6]. Despite all these measures, there remains the biased element of the accounts in the chairman’s statement. This is the opportunity for the board of directors to state their opinion and to detail the rationale of the company in terms of previous decisions and the direction which the company is taking in the longer term. This element of the report will naturally result in a non-neutral position (Goch, 1975)[7]. Company accounts are produced, as established earlier, for the benefit of many stakeholders, although primarily they are used by the shareholders and lenders to assist their investment decision. It is only natural, therefore, that companies will choose to forward their best possible position for the accounts. Whilst there are checks and balances in place in the form of financial reporting standards and the requirement of the independent auditor, it is fair to state the accounts are not entirely neutral, at all times. Assumption 4 Accountants are Professionals and Have the Ability to use Sound Judgement Accountants are used at all levels by companies of all sizes to manage the financial affairs of the company and ultimately to produce the accounts for external use, on an annual basis. All qualified accountants are required to be members of professional bodies such as Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and have strict codes of professional ethics in relation to the way in which they conduct their role (Riahi-Belkaoui, 1992)[8]. Despite the need for these accountants to be controlled and to be managed in a way that they conduct their role, it is essential that they are given suitable freedom to exercise their own professional judgement. Increasing transparency requirements and the greater degree of prescription that is being placed on the accounting profession, in terms of financial reporting standards and requirement is changing the role of accountants in the preparation of accounts. Accounting standards have resulted in accountancy becoming much more of a science than an art form. There is a danger in this shift of emphasis. Accountants are professionals and their sound professional judgement is essential in ensuring that the most accurate company accounts are produced. However, this sound professional judgement is only useful if it is unbiased to the company itself, i.e. through an independent accountant or auditor (Thomas Keim, 2003)[9]. Internal accountants who are employees of the company are under the influence of the directors and, as such, may have an unhelpful level of bias towards the company. In this case, where there are competing requirements, accountants cannot be relied upon to exercise the same degree of sound professional judgment. Published accounts are only as good as the information that is supplied to the accountants preparing these accounts. If accountants are not given the full information in relation to the company, they will simply not produce accurate accounts, regardless of how sound their professional judgment is (Chisnall, 2001)[10]. Professional accountants, as a whole, are required under their own code of ethics to exercise professional judgment when conducting their roles and this is generally followed. Constraints are increasingly being placed on the way in which accountants can prepare accounts and this is restricting the ability to exercise professional judgment in all cases. Care must also be taken when considering accountants who are biased due to their position with the company. Conclusions Many assumptions are made when it comes to published financial accounts. In almost all cases, these assumptions are not universally true and care should always be taken to reconsider these assumptions, whenever accounts are being analysed. Any deviations from these assumptions could dramatically impact on the way in which the company accounts are viewed by all stakeholders concerned. Bibliography Brennan, N. Gray, S.J., 2000. Accountants’ reports on profit forecasts: regulation and practice. Managerial Auditing Journal, 15, 9. Chisnall, P., 2001. Fair value accounting – an industry view. Balance Sheet, 9, 1. Cottingham, J. Hussey, R., 1995. The Prevention of Misleading Accounts Through Disclosures of Related Party Transactions. Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, 3, 4. Goch, D., 1975. The Changing Face of the Annual Report. Managerial Finance, 1, 3. Hermanson, R.H., Edwards, J.D. Maher, M.W., 2005. Accounting Principles. 8th ed., Freeload Press, Inc. Riahi-Belkaoui, A., 1992. Morality in Accounting. Quorum Books. Kroll, K.M., 2004. The Lowdown on Lean Accounting: A New Way of Looking at the Numbers. Journal of Accountancy, 198. Thomas Keim, M. Grant, C.T., 2003.To Tell or Not to Tell: An Auditing Case in Ethical Decision Making and Conflict Resolution. Issues in Accounting Education, 18. Watts, R. L., 2003. Conservatism in Accounting Part I: Explanations and Implications. Accounting Horizons, 17. Footnotes [1] Hermanson, R.H., Edwards, J.D. Maher, M.W., 2005. Accounting Principles. 8th ed., Freeload Press, Inc. [2] Companies Act 2006. Section 413. [3] Watts, R.L., 2003. Conservatism in Accounting Part I: Explanations and Implications. Accounting Horizons, 17. [4] Brennan, N. Gray, S.J., 2000. Accountants’ reports on profit forecasts: regulation and practice. Managerial Auditing Journal, 15, 9. [5] Kroll, Karen M., 2004. The Lowdown on Lean Accounting: A New Way of Looking at the Numbers. Journal of Accountancy, 198. [6] Cottingham, J. Hussey, R., 1995. The Prevention of Misleading Accounts Through Disclosures of Related Party Transactions. Journal of Financial Regulation and Compliance, 3, 4. [7] Goch, D., 1975. The Changing Face of the Annual Report. Managerial Finance, 1, 3. [8] Riahi-Belkaoui, A., 1992. Morality in Accounting. Quorum Books. [9] Thomas Keim, M. Grant, C.T., 2003. To Tell or Not to Tell: An Auditing Case in Ethical Decision Making and Conflict Resolution. Issues in Accounting Education, 18. [10] Chisnall, P., 2001. Fair value accounting – an industry view. Balance Sheet, 9, 1.

Maya Angelou and M.F.K. Fisher :: essays research papers

When reading two passages, one by M.F.K. Fisher on the French port of Marseilles and the other by Maya Angelou on the small town of Stamps, I noticed that the passages had some similarities but where entirely different in their effect and the handling of language resources. While Angelou and Fisher organized and constructed their passages similarly, the persona and rhetoric of the authors are opposite.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Angelou and Fisher’s styles differ greatly, however, they both used very similar plot structure in which they introduced the common stereotypes of the places they were speaking of, and they shot it down with reality. Angelou speaks of â€Å"harmonious black music drift[ing] like perfume through this precious air† (Angelou, 3) but later on crushes that fantasy with the true â€Å"flesh-real and swollen-belly poor† (Angelou, 5) of the South. In the same manner, Fisher speaks of Marseilles â€Å"reputation as world capital for dope, whores and street violence† (Fisher 6) but later in the passage her states that â€Å"a trip through old Marseilles/ cannot fail to thrill† (Fisher 21, 22). Thus, Fisher and Angelou organized their plot structures in order to have the same effect on the audience.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While the authors’ plot structure may have been similar, their rhetorical structure is far from comparable. Fisher uses more of a discursive structure, in which she is very frank and sarcastic. She casually speaks of â€Å"undesirables throng[ing] the narrow alleys, and sisters of scarlet sit[ting] in the doorways† (Fisher 23) which gives her passage the effect of being an overly sarcastic fabliau which can be found in any editorial page of a newspaper.

Analysis of A World Where News Traveled Slowly by Lavinia Greenlaw Essa

Analysis of A World Where News Traveled Slowly by Lavinia Greenlaw Lavinia Greenlaw’s nostalgic poem â€Å"A World Where News Traveled Slowly,† captivates readers with its brilliant description of the evolution of communication. The poem is chronologically ordered, giving us the effect of how communication moved through the ages. The modern poem is written in three stanzas each describing a different form of communication. Starting from the time when electronics never existed to the current information age. The fashion is which the poem is written, takes the reader on a journey that lasts centuries. The first stanza talks about the old fashioned way of communication. People living far away carefully sent handwritten letters to each other. These letters were taken by horse rider to their destination. It is implied, importantly that these letters were mainly sent â€Å"while the head had to listen, the heart could wait.† That is at extremely important times and not just for insignificant banter. These lines imply that personal letters were not the prime objective of the post. It was for example at important times such as during war, that people sent mail. The second stanza is maybe a few hundred years later, in the seventeen hundreds, during the â€Å"French Revolution.† It describes a new quicker way of communication. This is still old fashioned and unheard of for the modern day man. It is the time of the â€Å"telegraph,† and the â€Å"semaphore.† This stanza implies that it was not an easy task and was yet difficult and hard to manage. â€Å"It still took three men with all their variables†¦.to read record and pass the message on.† This indicates that comm... ...e so close, we are still not. These messages sent to us so quickly make us feel as if we are incredibly close to each other. The title of this poem describes to us that the author thinks that maybe it would be better if we lived in a world where news traveled slowly. This poem gives us the feeling that the poet believes that technology is both a good and bad thing. Even though it gives as instantaneous messages, these very messages importance is lost. The author feels that the smoothness and speed of the current age is not in keeping with the way we talk to each other. It is implied that the world is now sending a barrage of messages that are not weighted with enough importance by the recipient. Maybe people would consider communication with much more importance if we resided in â€Å"A World Where News Traveled Slowly.†

The Elasticity of Business Ethics

Running head: The Elasticity of Business Ethics The Elasticity of Business Ethics Abstract Given the competitiveness in the world market, many are tempted to go outside of the rules and regulations of society in order to get ahead. Although many would like to think that qualities such as honesty and credibility are first and foremost in the minds of people, temptations have lured some to act irresponsibly to get more of the almighty dollar. Recent scandals have proven that good ethical and moral values are becoming more the exception rather than the rule. This paper will address the following ethical and moral questions: What is ethics and morality in business. How far have we come as a country in relation to business ethics? Why society is becoming more aware of corporate behavior? What measures are taken by businesses to become a better corporate citizen? Business practices came under fire when America's seventh largest firm, Enron, collapsed due to unethical accounting strategies. I feel this created a domino effect and was the beginning of our current crisis. Now there are companies folding one after the other, large organizations in the US collapsed or filed for bankruptcy cover and one case even implicated the famous home economist, Martha Stewart for insider trading. The various deceitful activities of some larger companies resulted in widespread public mistrust of business practices and principles. This paper will concentrate on some of the ethical and moral issues that must be addressed when trying to understand the state business ethics. 1. What is ethics and morality and how do they relate? 2. What happened in business ethics before the 1960s to the present time? . What are factors that could change ones views of a business’ ethical behavior? 4. What are interactions between business and society that alter societal expectations? What is ethics and morality and how they relate? When considering the difference between ethics and morals, consider what a criminal defense lawyer does for a client. Though the lawyer’s perso nal moral code likely finds murder immoral and reprehensible, ethics demand the accused be defended to the best of his ability even when the lawyer knows the party is guilty and that a freed defendant would potentially lead to more crime. Legal ethics must override personal morals for the greater good of upholding our justice system in which the accused are given a fair trial and the prosecution must prove the accused guilt. Ethics is the branch of philosophy that deals with morality. Ethics is concerned with distinguishing between the good and evil in the world, between right and wrong human actions, and between virtuous and nonvirtuous characteristics of people. Ethics means thinking critically about your actions and about their motives and their consequences (Dictionary. com, 2009). Do I want to be an honest, honorable, spiritual, respectful, or loving person? You might hold an ethical position that it's wrong to lie. A time may arise where it may be necessary to bend the truth or sometimes tell a â€Å"white lie†. For example, if you have plans to deploy to Iraq on a sensitive mission and you want to keep your trip a secret for obvious reasons. If someone asks you about those plans, you may need to lie to protect the integrity of the mission. When it comes to making ethical decisions, I take into account my very personal feeling that there is a principle greater than myself. With that said, morality is the subset of ethics dealing in the philosophical study of interpersonal relations and their ethical implications. It has to do with the critical analysis of our roles in society, our â€Å"duties† and â€Å"rights†. Morals are not personal decisions, except in whether you agree with them or not. Morals are rules that a group has decided are best for that group. (Borade, G, 2009). Americans have several versions of what is moral and immoral, Catholics have lists of sins, Christians have the Ten Commandments, Buddhists has a set and so forth. You may strongly agree with them, or trongly oppose them, but they still exist, and people will judge your conduct against them whether you agreed with them or not. Building on these definitions, we can begin to develop a concept of business ethics. Business ethics can be defined as written and unwritten codes of principles and values that govern decisions and actions within a company (Simpson, C, 2004). Business ethics boils down to knowing the difference between right and wrong and choosing to do what is right. The phrase ‘business ethics' can be used to describe the actions of individuals within an organization, as well as the organization as a whole (Lovetoknow. om, 2009). What happened in business ethics before the 1960s to the present time? Now that we have defined terms, we can now discuss the progression of business ethics in the United States over the years. The study of ethics in North America has evolved through five distinct stages: (1) Before 1960, (2) the 1960s, (3) the 1970s, (4) the 1980’s and 1990s to present (Ferrell, 2008). Business Ethics Prior to 1960 Prior to 1960, the United States questioned the concept of capitalism. The 1920s brought about the ‘living wage’ through the progressive movement. In the 1930s came the New Deal, which blamed business for the country’s economic woes and businesses where asked to work more closely with government to raise family income. By the 1950s, the New Deal evolved into the Fair Deal by President Truman which addressed civil rights and environmental responsibility as ethical issues that businesses had to address. Until 1960, ethical related issues were addressed in religious institutions of all faiths. Religious leaders raised questions about fair wages, labor practices, and the morality of capitalism. Religion applied its moral concepts to business as well as government, politics, the family, personal life, and all other aspects of life (Ferrell, 2008). Business Ethics in the 1960s During the 1960s, the antibusiness attitude emerged as critics attacked the vested interests that controlled the economic and political side of society, the so called military-industrial complex. The 1960 saw the crumbling of the inner cities and the growth of environmental problems such as toxic and nuclear pollution and waste disposal. A rise in consumerism by individuals, groups, and organizations began to protect their rights as consumers. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered a â€Å"Special Message on Protecting the Consumer Interest† where he outlined the four basic consumer rights: the right to safety, the right to be informed, the right to choose, and the right to be heard. These four rights later came to be known as the Consumers’ Bill of Rights. After Kennedy came Lyndon Johnson and the Great Society, which extended national capitalism and let the business community know that the government would be responsible for providing the citizens with a degree of economic stability, equality, and social justice. Any business practice that could destabilize the economy or discriminate any class of citizen began to be viewed as unethical and unlawful (Ferrell, 2008). Business Ethics in the 1970s In the 1970, business ethics developed as a field of study. Business professors began to teach and write about corporate social responsibility. Companies became more concerned with their public images and realized that they had to address ethical issues more directly. The Nixon Administration’s Watergate scandal brought attention to the importance of an ethical government. The Foreign Corrupt Act was passed during the Carter administration, making it illegal to for U. S. businesses to bribe government officials of other countries. Numerous ethical issues emerged during the late 1970s such as bribery, deceptive advertising, product safety, and the environment issues. Business ethics became a common expression and researchers sought to identify ethical issues and describe how businesspeople might act in a situation (Ferrell, 2008). Business Ethics in the 1980s In the 1980s, business ethics is acknowledged as a field of study. Five hundred courses in business ethics were offered at colleges across the country. Leading companies such as General Electric, Chase Manhattan, General Motors, Atlantic Richfield, Caterpillar, and S. C. Johnson and Son, Inc viewed business ethics as a major concern. The Defense Industry Initiative on Business Ethics and Conduct (DII) was developed to guide corporate support for ethical conduct. The DII established a method for discussing best practices and tactics to link organizational practices and policy to successful ethical compliance. In the 1980s, the Reagan-Bush eras brought about the policy of self-regulation rather than regulation by government. Tariffs and trade barriers were lifted and businesses merged. Corporations that were once nationally bases began operating internationally. The rules of business were changing at an alarming rate due to fewer government regulation imposed during the Reagan-Bush era (Ferrell, 2008). Business Ethics in the 1990s In the 1990s, President Clinton continued to support self-regulation and free trade. However, it also took unprecedented government action to deal with health issues. These issues included restricting cigarette advertising, banning vending machine sales and banning the use cigarette logos during sporting events. The Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organization (FSGO) was established by Congress and set the tone for organizational ethnical compliance programs in the 1990s. FSGO broke new ground by rewarding and penalizing companies for their ethical compliance programs. Even though the FSGO has made enormous strides it will not be enough to prevent serious penalties. Companies must develop cooperate values, enforce its own code of ethics, and strive to prevent ethical misconduct (Ferrell, 2008). Business Ethics in the 21st century Although business ethics in the 1990s appeared to be an institutionalized concept, evidence emerged in the 2000s that business executives and managers had not fully embraced the public desire for high ethical standards. One such executive, Dennis Kozlowski, former CEO of Tyco, was indicted on thirty-eight counts of embezzling $170 million of Tyco funds and netting $430 million from improper sales of stock. Author Anderson, a â€Å"Big Five† accounting firm, was convicted of obstruction-of-justice conviction for shredding documents related to its role as Enron’s auditor. The reputation of the firm was destroyed and lost all their clients and eventually went out of business. Author Anderson was also questioned for their involvement in audits involving Halliburton, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Dynegy, Qwest, and Sunbeam for their questionable accounting practices. These examples of misconduct increased public demand for improved standards in business. In 2002, Congress passed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which made securities fraud a criminal offense and strengthened penalties for corporate fraud. It created an accounting oversight board for greater transparency in financial reports to investors and other interested parties. Top executives are required to sign off on their firms’ financial reports. Company executives must now disclose stock sales immediately and prohibits companies from giving loans to top managers. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the FSGO have institutionalized the need for top manager to discover and address ethical and legal risk. Business leaders should view that ethical misconduct as the greatest danger to their companies. Ethical disasters can be damaging to company’s reputation and will significantly have an effect on their bottom line (Ferrell, 2008). What are factors that could change ones views of a business’ ethical behavior? In today’s uncertain business environment, traumatized by countless corporate scandals has brought a lot of attention to the social and ethical practices of business. The highly televised, Enron scandal was exposed when the company filed for bankruptcy. The degree of fraud impacting investors, employees, and others became known to the public. Business criticism is more prevalent than ever because people are more affluent, educated, and better inform because of the access to information. Twenty-four hour news coverage, investigative news programs, the internet, the revolution of rising entitlement mentality, the rights movement, and a philosophy of victimization. Businesses now, more than ever, must realize that there is a more informed society and businesses are being watched (Buchholtz, 2009). What interactions between business and society alter societal expectations? Business is increasingly held to greater standards of social performance, reflecting an imbalance between its traditional conduct and the expectations of society. A corporation commitment to its social responsibilities will go a long way to shape societal approval. There are four levels commitment in social responsibilities. First and foremost, economically, businesses strive to make a profit, maximize stakeholder wealth and value, create jobs for the community, and create goods and services to the economy. Legally abide by all laws and government regulations. Ethically, follow standards of ethical of acceptable behavior as judged by stakeholders or any one other interested party. Finally, philanthropic responsibilities refer to activities not required of business but promote human welfare or goodwill. In my opinion, this level of commitment has the greatest impact on society’s view of a company (Ferrell, 2008). The uses of these levels of responsibilities are attempts by businesses to meet societal expectations and become a better corporate citizen. In conclusion, understanding the meaning of ethics and morality and how they relate is important when trying to understand why people act or react in a given situation. Knowing how business ethics has evolved over the years and how far we still must go to create a happy median between business and society.. As technology becomes more available, society is more aware of corporate social responsibility. With this information, consumers are better able to make informed discussions on which companies to do businesses with. Finally, economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic interactions between business and society will alter societal expectations of a business good or bad. References Buchholtz, C. (2009). Business and Society: Ethics and Stakeholder Management. (7th Edittion ed. , pp. 3-7). International: South-Western. Ferrell, F. F. (2008). Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases. (7th Edition ed. , pp. 11-14). Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. Simpson, C. (2004, October). Should I or Shouldn’t I? An Ethical Conundrum. Retrieved September 23, 2009, from http://ebscohost. com: http://search. ebscohost. com/login. aspx? direct=true&db=lfh&AN=14597954&site=ehost-live Dictionary. com. (2009). Retrieved September 3, 2009, from Dictionary. com: http://dictionary. reference. com LoveToKnow. com. (2009). Retrieved September 3, 2009, from LoveToKnow. com: http://business. lovetoknow. com/wiki/A_Definition_for_Business_Ethics Borade, G. (2009, March 24). Difference between Ethics and Morality. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from buzzle. com: http://www. buzzle. com/articles/difference- ethics-and-morality. html