Combat And The Long Term Effects Of War On Veterans

Warfare has over the years been inherently destructive in regard to sustainable development. Those who have self-interest bridge the majority of the set laws. States decline to respect international law providing protection for the environment in the times of conflict, as well as cooperating in further development. Some decide to side on the side that they feel that benefits them most or oppresses their enemy. The application of weapons, the destruction of structures, fires, military transport movements and chemical spraying are a few of the examples of the destroying impact war may have on the environment. This paper shall examine the action and environment of war, and the impact of combat and death on the soldier, and provide important insight as to why soldiers fight and the long term effect of war on veterans. During and after the war many soldiers are victims of post-traumatic stress disorder. They flashback all that they have undergone such as intrusive thoughts, memories, nightmares, and feelings that they experienced in their involvement in the war. The experience shall always remain fresh in their mind as they recall those disgusting moments. During and after the war soldiers experience significant transformation. Their identity and character completely change. Some during and after the war are faced with significant challenges such as illness and even loss of life that result in the formation of the soldier’s identity. The emotional impact of combat and death onShow MoreRelatedU.s. Soldiers During The Vietnam War1472 Words   |  6 PagesU.S. Soldiers in the Vietnam War To this day, many Vietnam veterans suffer and feel forgotten, unappreciated, and even discriminated against. Combat experiences or physical disabilities have ruined some of their lives. For more, returning to normal life had not been easy. Imagine if you had just graduated out of high school and were sent to a guerrilla warfare far away from your home. During the war, you were exposed to a lot of stress, confusion, anxiety, pain, and hatred. Then you were sentRead MoreAn Analysis Of The Red Convertible By Louise Erdrich1018 Words   |  5 PagesConvertible The short story â€Å"The Red Convertible† by Louise Erdrich is a story the author uses to shed light on the effects of mental illness on Vietnam era returning combat veterans. The story includes the effects not just on the veterans, also on their family and community. The acceptance and treatment of mental illness in veterans takes on new meaning with the recent increase in veterans returning from extended periods of service suffering from the disease of mental illness. 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According to MedlinePlus.gov, a free website sponsored by the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, 31 percent of Vietnam veterans are affected by PTSD, as wellRead MorePtsd Is A Whole Body Tragedy, An Integral Human Event Of Enormous Proportions With Massive Repercussions Essay1553 Words   |  7 Pageswhole-body tragedy, an integral human event of enormous proportions with massive repercussions†. Veterans returning from war should be able to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder by going to health professionals or getting help with counseling. What is PTSD? Post-traumatic stress disorder is a life-threatening exposure in which an individual experiences a flashback to a traumatic event, such as war. Combat often substantially affects the soldier’s minds, but post-traumatic stress disorder can followRead MoreToday’s Soldier: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay1599 Words   |  7 PagesWe usually think of war injuries as being physical, although one of the most common war injuries is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and the effects can be devastating. PTSD is an emotional illness classified as an anxiety disorder and usually develops because of a terribly frightening, life-threatening, or otherwise highly unsafe event, often experienced in combat. Although this condition has likely existed since humans have endured trauma, PTSD has only been recognized as a formal diagnosisRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder Essay1672 Words   |  7 Pagesfor the increasing number of Michigan Veterans affected by psychological diagnoses and the benefits that come from utilizing service dogs to decrease effects associated with these diagnoses for Veterans to function in society. It would allow a five-year pilot program to be established to record the significance service dogs have on decreasing psychological symptoms of Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. It would also record the number of Veterans who are able to return to normal functionality

The Battle of Gettysburg Free Essays

The Battle of Gettysburg (local i/ t? sb? r? /, with an /s/ sound),[6] was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It was the battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War[7] and is often described as the war’s turning point. [8] Union Maj. We will write a custom essay sample on The Battle of Gettysburg or any similar topic only for you Order Now Gen. George Gordon Meade’s Army of the Potomac defeated attacks by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia, ending Lee’s invasion of the North. After his success at Chancellorsville in Virginia in May 1863, Lee led his army through the Shenandoah Valley to begin his second invasion of the North—the Gettysburg Campaign. With his army in high spirits, Lee intended to shift the focus of the summer campaign from war-ravaged northern Virginia and hoped to influence Northern politicians to give up their prosecution of the war by penetrating as far as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, or even Philadelphia. Prodded by President Abraham Lincoln, Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker moved his army in pursuit, but was relieved just three days before the battle and replaced by Meade. Elements of the two armies initially collided at Gettysburg on July 1, 1863, as Lee urgently concentrated his forces there, his objective being to engage the Union army and destroy it. Low ridges to the northwest of town were defended initially by a Union cavalry division under Brig. Gen. John Buford, and soon reinforced with two corps of Union infantry. However, two large Confederate corps assaulted them from the northwest and north, collapsing the hastily developed Union lines, sending the defenders retreating through the streets of town to the hills just to the south. On the second day of battle, most of both armies had assembled. The Union line was laid out in a defensive formation resembling a fishhook. In the late afternoon of July 2, Lee launched a heavy assault on the Union left flank, and fierce fighting raged at Little Round Top, the Wheatfield, Devil’s Den, and the Peach Orchard. On the Union right, demonstrations escalated into full-scale assaults on Culp’s Hill and Cemetery Hill. All across the battlefield, despite significant losses, the Union defenders held their lines. On the third day of battle, July 3, fighting resumed on Culp’s Hill, and cavalry battles raged to the east and south, but the main event was a dramatic infantry assault by 12,500 Confederates against the center of the Union line on Cemetery Ridge, known as Pickett’s Charge. The charge was repulsed by Union rifle and artillery fire, at great losses to the Confederate army. Lee led his army on a torturous retreat back to Virginia. Between 46,000 and 51,000 soldiers from both armies were casualties in the three-day battle. That November, President Lincoln used the dedication ceremony for the Gettysburg National Cemetery to honor the fallen Union soldiers and redefine the purpose of the war in his historic Gettysburg Address. How to cite The Battle of Gettysburg, Papers

Equal Human Rights Essay Example For Students

Equal Human Rights Essay Lauren Moore History 8* 3/6/99 Equal Human Rights Essay In 1863, Abraham Lincoln was faced with a major dilemma dealing with an upcoming election. Arguments and fights were breaking out among the people of Northern and Southern States. Lincoln knew something had to be done to show his view points about on slavery and the reconstruction of the Union. Lincoln believed that slavery should not be interfered with by the government. However, he also knew that only four states of the Union were slave-holding states, Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and Delaware. Lincoln thought these states were an important part of remaining the Union. Lincoln knew that he could not legally abolish slavery, and the power to terminate slavery would have to be done with the Constitution. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln finally signed the Emancipation Proclamation. At this moment Lincoln revealed to the states that slavery would not last much longer. Since masters were unlikely to tell their slaves of Lincolns act, and word of mouth was unreliable, miniature copies of the Proclamation were handed out by soldiers(www.thelincolnmuseum. com). The Proclamation was only a written authorization, and had to be enforced by the army, especially Shermans army. General Sherman and his army soon began, thousands of slaves followed in their wakeand were never under the legal authority of their former masters. So the argument that the Emancipation freed no slaves is a specious one(www.w3f.com). The Thirteenth Amendment was known as the continuation and enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation. However, before the second writing of the Thirteenth Amendment there was a missing Thirteenth Amendment which was part of the Constitution before the publishing of the current Thirteenth Amendment. This first writing of the Thirteenth Amendment has now has now been completely deleted and in some cases never heard of. It was a section of the constitution in 1789 as the amendment called titles of nobilitys. The Amendment was taken out of the Constitution and later forgotten in 1819. The amendment just basically said, take no bribes from foreign powers or that person or persons will be prohibited from citizenship and incapable of holding an office. After the Proclamation, the newest record of Thirteenth Amendment was signed onto the Constitution to abolish slavery in all states, and allowed only congress to apply slavery or any appropriate punishments according to the new Thirteenth Amendment. The Fourteenth Amendment has become a part of our Constitution despite the counting of votes for rejected states and the dishonesty put into voting for it. The Fourteenth Amendment is a mistaken belief, of the Constitution and the United States people. This Amendment was made to protect the Freemans Bureau and African-Americans. Does this Amendment really exist? During 1867 until 1868 there were only 37 states in the Union, so ratification by at least 28 states was necessary to make the Amendment an integral part of the Constitution. Actually only 21 States legally ratified it(U.S. New and World Report). Southern states also disagreed with the Amendment, but were urged to pass the Amendment, which it did in 1868. This Amendment was very important after the Civil War because the South States had to approve of the Amendment before they were allowed back into the union. The Amendment was not only important to African-Americans in the 1860s and 1870s but it also became very useful during the Civil rights Movement of the 1960s. However, ignoring the conflicts over this Amendment I believe it serves a just points in allowing equal rights and protection to all people who lived in the United States, but slavery kept individuals from agreeing with equals rights. Women were also now included in the picture of Civil Rights, wanted and would fight for the same rights as men because the Fifteenth Amendment allowed all citizens to vote, except the Amendment did not clearly state that an individual could vote despite their gender, it do not say women could vote it only specifically referred to, race, color, and servitude. in some states womens right to vote was still withheld. The Fifteenth Amendment creat ed a battle of the sexes, because the males refuse to address womens rights. .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382 , .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382 .postImageUrl , .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382 , .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382:hover , .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382:visited , .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382:active { border:0!important; } .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382:active , .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382 .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u64d8b3eac6e50731be98ef6c52ff2382:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: CONFUCIANISM AND CHRISTIANITY Essay Yet strong women did exist, such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady. .

Killer Whales Essays (1605 words) - Biota, Megafauna, Apex Predators

Killer Whales Whales are giant creatures that live in the sea. They look like fish, but are not. Whales belong to the group of animals called mammals. Whales belong to the group of mammals called cetaceans, which comes from a Latin word meaning large sea animal. There are two major groups of whales. The first group is mysticeti (baleen whales), and the other isodontoceti (toothed whales). In the group odontoceti, there is a family of whales called delphinidae (dolphins and small toothed whales). In this report, I will focus on a species of whale that comes from this family, and that species is the killer whale, or also known as orcinus orca, or just orca. The largest and most striking of the dolphin family, the killer whale is one of the most fearsome predators of the deep. Killer whales are basically the same shape as fish, but they differ in many ways. One of the most obvious differences is the tail fin. Fish have vertical tail fins, while whales have horizontal tail fins. One of the most distinctive features of orcas is the tall, wide dorsal fin located on its back. In females, the dorsal fin can grow to about 2 feet high. It is falcate (hooked or curved). In males, the dorsal fin is triangular in shape and can grow up to about 6 feet high. Another distinctive feature of killer whales is that they possess a sleek, black and white pigmentation pattern. A white patch is located above and behind the eye. An extensive white ventral patch extends onto the flanks (sides). "There is a gray saddle behind the dorsal fin, which is black at birth." (Hoyt, Pg. 32) At birth, orcas are about 2.1 to 2.4 meters long and weigh about 180 kilograms. When they are adults, males grow to about 9.5 meters long weighing 8 tons or more. Females grow to 8.2 meters long and weigh 4-6 tons. "Orcas have robust and graceful bodies with a conical or rounded head." (Hoyt, Pg. 97) It has no distinct beak. They have straight mouthlines. Another physical attribute of killer whales, besides having a tall dorsal fin, is that killer whales have large, paddle-shaped flippers. These flippers are 2-3 times larger in males than they are in females. Killer whales are very large physical specimens. Being known as a fearsome hunter with killer instinct, it would be interesting to know what a killer whale's diet consists of. The orca resembles the great white shark in its predatory skill and range of food. They eat seabirds, turtles, fishes, including sharks, whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and sea lions. These hunters feed in groups of two to twenty animals. They can even kill baleen whales much larger then themselves. They have 10 to 13 teeth on each side of each jaw, which helps in their feeding. Though killer whales sometimes attack dolphins, seals, and other whales larger than themselves, but they have not been known to attack people, although there have been documented cases of killer whale attacks. Throughout the ages, whales have lost some of the characteristics of mammals. Mammals have hair covering their bodies. Whales have only a few stiff hairs on their heads. Mammals have four legs. A whale has no hind legs. The only traces that they remain are two tiny hipbones. The front legs have developed into flippers, which are used for steering or keeping its balance. Although killer whales share the same characteristics as mammals, they also have special features that allow them to live in the water. Whales have many special characteristics suited for living in the water. Living in water enables them to reach enormous sizes. "The buoyancy (lift) of water helps support a whale's body, which makes it possible for them to grow larger." (Ellis & Knoph, Pg.18) Orcas have a highly streamlined shape. This enables them to swim with a minimum of resistance. The powerful tail fins called flukes are horizontal. Whales swim by moving the flukes up and down. Another characteristic that is helpful to killer whales, or any type of whale, is that a whale's backbone, ribcage, and shoulder blades resemble those of other mammals. Almost all mammals have seven neck vertebrae. In killer whales, these vertebrae are compressed into a short length or joined together into one bone. This keeps the head from moving about. It also joins the head directly to the body. Orcas have smooth, rubbery skin that easily slips through the water. Mammals have hair to keep them warm. Whales have only a few

Thought and Husband Essay

Thought and Husband Essay Thought and Husband Essay Colleen Bowden Barriers To Critical Thinking HUM/114 August 25, 2014 Pamela Strunk There are many barriers to critical thinking. The ones that I feel are barriers for myself are anger, stress and depression. These three barriers can cause a person to not be able to correctly critically think about a specific situation they are in. Anger. The first barrier that I feel hinders my critical thinking. I’m going to use an example with my husband to best describe this barrier. Let’s say I am having a bad week all around, work, home, kids, school, everything is just not going right for me. Then we add on the sink full of dishes, the dirty floor that has not been swept or vacuumed all week and the mound of laundry in each room of the house. Meanwhile, my husband is watching his favorite shows or movies or playing on his phone. I work full time, going to school full time and have two little ones, I could use help around the house. Not realizing that I am overwhelmed at the current moment, my husband doesn’t think anything of it. I let the sink full of d ishes sit there because I want to â€Å"show him† I am not going to do it, but I am upset with him about it already. The next day the dishes are still there, then the same for the following day. I just blow up. My anger gets so heated that I cannot think rationally and think things through. What I should do to overcome this barrier is from the get go, have good communication with my husband. Let him know off the bat that my week is not going so well and that I am feeling overwhelmed and that I would love to have extra help this week. That right there can stop anything else from happening during the week to have me go postal on him for something so small and minor. Let’s say I do get to that point that I am that mad, I need to take a breather. Step back, leave the room or the house for a minute and cool down. Collect my thoughts and find out what it is that is making me so angry, is it that there is a sink full of dishes? Or maybe that I am feeling so overwhelmed and ne ed help. Then go talk to my husband about it instead of blowing up at him over something that was not his fault. Stress can cause a person to not be able to critically think. I know when I am feeling overwhelmed and have a lot going on and I am stressed out I cannot think straight. I think irrationally and think of a â€Å"quick† fix to things that are overwhelming me or stressing me out. Right now, to overcome

Beowulf vs grendel Essays - Beowulf, English-language Films, Geats

Beowulf vs. Grendel The epic poem, Beowulf, is infused with the forces of darkness and the forces of light, heaven and hell. These forces symbolize the forces of good and evil, between two of the main characters, Beowulf, and his rival, Grendel. Grendel's watery lair is dark, and he only hunts at night? darkness. The heroic warriors halls were they rejoice is illuminated? light. These two examples are just one of the many differences portrayed in the epic. Along with differences, there are also similarities. For example, during Beowulf?s and Grendel?s fight scene, the characters appear to be the reincarnation of ancient Mithraic twins, Cautes and Cautopates, who represent life and death. Grendel and Beowulf are completely different beings, when one detail brings out a comparable change in the other. Grendel is a descendant of Cain and a man-eater who is feared by the Danes. Living with his mother at the bottom of a foul lake, which hence his name, ?grenja? meaning ?to bellow,? or ?bottom of a body of water.? Grendel comes out at night, leaving his watery den in search for food. His prey, drunken warriors who slumber in Hrothgar?s golden halls, slaughtering them as they sleep, and then dragging their bloody corpse back to his lair for a feast of his own. Legendary warrior from Geatland and Edgetho?s son, Beowulf, is human, but seems super-human, having the strength of thirty men. Beowulf is also a monster in some ways, but not in the sense as Grendel. Beowulf arrives at King Hrothgar?s kingdom with thirteen of his warriors, to assist King Hrothgar with Grendel, with King Hrothgar accepting Beowulfs pledge to kill Grendel. Beowulf plans to rest at King Hrothgar?s castle, and wait for Grendels arrival. Later that night, Grendel comes to the castle, devours some of the men, and then confronted by Beowulf. Grendel is immune to human weapons, so Beowulf confronts Grendel with his bare hands, and with his super-human strength, rips off Grendel?s arm. Grendel?s death and his evil nature are directly connected with darkness. The connection between evil and darkness are repetitive throughout the text, and is strongest with the physical description of Grendel?s den, where his dead corpse rests. As hell receives Grendel?s body, a sense of peace and relief is present. Beowulf?s primal desire for blood and violence and his tales of his killings do no differ much from Grendel?s bloody night massacres at Herot. Beowulf and Grendel neither need weapons to fight, Grendel being immune to man-made weapons, bewitched blades, and can not be wounded by them, but Beowulf, human, defeats Grendel without the aid of man-made weapons. This elevates Beowulf above the human standards, revealing more monstrous qualities. Beowulf and Grendel not only contradict each other, but they also compliment each other. They both symbolize heaven and hell, light and dark, life and death with each characteristic they each hold. Both characters take on ?non-human? attributes, Grendel being a monstrous being and Beowulf having superhuman abilities.

The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe Essay

The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe - Essay Example Poe draws this classical connection between the family and the land early on, saying bluntly that the House of Usher is "an appellation which seemed to include, in the mind of the peasantry who used it, both the family and the family mansion" (Poe 45). The future of the House is revealed in the observation that the family "had put forth, at no period, any enduring branch" (Poe 45). It is not a prolific family tree, and neither Roderick nor the Lady Madeleine exhibit the sanguinity to make them fit stewards of the property or likely to bear any descendents. The House of Usher, we are to understand, is dying. Their lands exhibit an atmosphere of death, the family is vulnerable to illness, both physical and mental, and they just don't seem like the kind of people with the inclination to procreate. The very idea of children feels sacrilegious in this somber atmosphere. The bleak surroundings are apparent before any observations are made on the family. The story opens with a long paragraph describing precisely how desolate and disconcerting the landscape is. The house is located in "a singularly dreary tract of country" (Poe 43), the first adjective used to describe it is "melancholy" (Poe 43), and the narrator's first emotional response to its sight is, "a sense of insufferable doom" (Poe 43).

Natural Catastrophes Caused by Plate Tectonics Essay

Natural Catastrophes Caused by Plate Tectonics - Essay Example Another proof of the theory is that coal deposits usually associated with tropical areas are also found near the North Pole, and that signs of glaciations are evident in the plains of Africa. A third proof is the presence of fossils of exactly the same species during the prehistoric times are located on the earth in the spots where one would find them if the Continental Drift Theory were true. (Sant, 2010) Wegener’s explanation for the Continental Drift Theory is the â€Å"centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the earth† and â€Å"the ‘tidal argument’ based on the tidal attraction of the sun and the moon† (Sant, 2010). In short, Wegener hypothesized that either or both the rotation of the earth and the pull of the tides caused the continents to drift. However, he did not have any explanation for how exactly the continents were able to move. He met with opposition from fellow scientists who said that the centrifugal and tidal forces were too wea k to to move continents (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). However, the reasons for the opposition were perhaps because there was a great anti-German bias in the 1910’s and that his work was discredited because his training was more on astronomy and not geology. (Sant, 2010) Theory of Plate Tectonics (Theory, Evidence) The Plate Tectonics Theory originated in 1915 as an answer to the weaknesses of the Continental Drift Theory (Glasscoe, 1998). However, by the 1960’s, the theory has been widely accepted by scientists. The one principle on which the Plate Tectonics Theory lies is that â€Å"both continents and ocean floor form solid plates, which ‘float’ on the asthenosphere [and thus move]† (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). The asthenosphere is the molten, viscous liquid rock on which the plates move and is the one causing all the movements of both seafloor and continent. (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011) Evidence for the Plate Tectonics Th eory include fossils of similar species found in continents that have now separated as well as evidence provided by paleoclimate studies which reveal signs of glacier formation in parts of the world that are now geographically separated (Glasscoe, 1998). Another evidence is the age of the crust. In Plate Tectonics Theory, â€Å"the farther away you travel from a ridge, the older the crust is, and the older the sediments on top of the crust are† (â€Å"Alfred Wegener,† 2011). This is one fact that the Continental Drift Theory was not able to account for. If all land masses separated from Pangaea, then the land must be as old as each other, but how come the ages of these land masses are different from each other? (â€Å"Tectonic Plates,† 2011). Thus, the Plate Tectonics Theory is more plausible than the Continental Drift Theory. Characteristics of Tectonic Plate Boundaries (Divergent Boundaries, Convergent, Transform Fault Boundaries, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Mount ain Building) Based on the Plate Tectonics Theory, plates are created through â€Å"rifting† or the separation of a continental crust leading to the formation of a â€Å"diverging plate boundary.† The formation of the divergent plate boundary occurs in four steps. First, the rift valley begins to expand from the pressure coming from the asthenosphere. Second, two continental plates result from the continuous expansion of the rift valley with the molten rock continually pushing the crust apart. Third, water collects in the middle forming a sea. Fourth, the

Guiding Principals of Professional Learning Communities Essay Example for Free

Guiding Principals of Professional Learning Communities Essay Normally, in a professional learning community also known as a PLC, the educators work together brainstorming ideas, lessons, and activities that will support a plan to be implemented all in hopes of the student’s achievement. A professional learning community can benefit a school’s environment by reinforcing teacher morale and leadership skills. As the school moves forward, every professional in the building must engage with colleagues in the ongoing exploration of three crucial questions that drive the work of those within a professional learning community: †¢ What do we want each student to learn? How will we know when each student has learned it? †¢ How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning? The answer to the third question separates learning communities from traditional schools. A PLC can serve as a support system that motivates teachers to follow a guided plan. Educators who are building a professional learning community recognize that they must work together to achieve their collective purpose of learning for all. Therefore, they create structures to promote a collaborative culture. This plan can include classroom assistants, parent volunteers, and other school personnel like librarians. The PLC culture can influence teachers through numbers. When teachers come together and have strength in numbers they can support each other, collaborate, and brainstorm the most effective methods and techniques to instruct the students. Even the grandest design eventually translates into hard work. The professional learning community model is a grand design, a powerful new way of working ogether that profoundly affects the practices of schooling. But initiating and sustaining the concept requires hard work. This is where the challenges may arise. It requires the school staff to focus on learning rather than teaching, work collaboratively on matters related to learning, and hold itself accountable for the kind of results that fuel continual improvement. A PLC will construct a solid foundation of committed teachers who are passionate about their career and working with families a nd fellow colleagues. The benefit(s) of a PLC is that everyone has the opportunity to be involved and share goals and positive learning experiences of the schools learning environment. When educators do the hard work necessary to implement these principles, their collective ability to help all students learn will rise. If they fail to demonstrate the discipline to initiate and sustain this work, then their school is unlikely to become more effective, even if those within it claim to be a professional learning community. The rise or fall of the professional learning community concept depends not on the merits of the concept itself, but on the most important element in the improvement of any school; the commitment and persistence of the educators within it. In conclusion, educators who work together form structured atmospheres that promote learning. References Barth, R. (1991). Restructuring schools: Some questions for teachers and principals. Phi Delta Kappan, 73(2), 123-129. Marzano, R. (2003). What works in Schools: Translating research into action, Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

The Effectiveness of Terrorism Essay -- Papers

The Effectiveness of Terrorism The dictionary defines terrorism as â€Å"The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.† Is terrorism an effective political medium for the advancement of a political minority or rather an act of defiance rendering a society into a state of ephemeral hysteria? It remains to be seen how this latest act of terrorism will unfold and what political awareness it may generate. Unfortunately, historically acts of violence have often proven themselves effective tactics in promoting significant political attention. In the next few paragraphs I will examine some examples of terrorism and make note of their political impacts One of the nation’s first and most iniquitous terrorist groups is the Ku Klux Klan. What significance has their use of terrorist tactics had on our culture overall? While some would argue that the Klan’s tactics have been proven ineffective in that...

The Cask of Amontillado Essay

Rocio Cruz Professor Fred Kille English 102 February 3, 2013 The Cask of Amontillado Essay â€Å"A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself as such to him who has done the wrong† Some people are driven to do wrong by enviousness and Edgar Allan Poe’s short story â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† is one good example of such. The story tells the event of the murder of Fortunato in the hands of Montresor, the narrator.Although many critics argue that Montresor acted out of self- righteousness, one cannot conclude such due to the lack of credibility that can be accounted to him and his malice. Montresor is an unreliable, malicious narrator who shows to have contrasting feelings of guilt and remorse towards his crime against killing Fortunato. Montresor, through his own telling of the events, showed not only that he is not accountable for credibility but he also showed that his main mo tif to kill Fortunato was enviousness. Perhaps the most revealing reason to asses that Montresor is not a just person is that he lacked evidence to condemn Fortunato.For instance, Montresor opens the story by saying â€Å"the thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult, I vowed revenge. † These latter lines are all the reader knows of Fortuno’s presumed crime which suggests that there was no concrete wrongdoing from Fortuno after all; therefore revealing that Montresor acted without proof and out of malice. In further support of the claim that the narrator is bad-natured is that he also shows to be a cynic. Throughout the story he constantly refers to Fortunato as â€Å"my friend†.The fact that Montresor does not use negative words to refer to Fortunato tells the audience that he is attempting to protect his self-image and that he acted with hypocrisy. By the same token, the way Montresor talks about Fortuno conve ys that he was somewhat envious. While they were already in Montreso’s mansion, he admits to Fortuno â€Å"your health is precious. You are rich, respected, admired, beloved; you are happy, as once I was†. This words are enough to disclose that Montreso was jealous of the place that Fortunato held in society; perhaps implying that Montresor himself once occupied the same place.Not only does Montresor show that he murdered Fortunato unjustifiably but he also seems to live with mixed feelings of guilt and remorse. Following his atrocity, the narrator of the story seems to live with guilty responsibility of killing Fortunato counteracting what many people believe. Montresor’s remorse came right after the crime was committed. â€Å"There came forth in return only a jingling of the bells. My heart grew sick-on account of the dampness of the catacombs,† says Montresor.To clarify, the narrator first admits that he felt unease in his heart and then, almost like t rying to convince himself, he attributes this feeling to the â€Å"dampness of the catacombs† showing that his conscience was the true causer of this heart â€Å"sickness†. Another clue that tells the reader that Montresor felt guilty is that, although no one certainly knows who the intended audience of the story is, he is conceivably justifying himself to God. In the first paragraph of the story, Montresor says, â€Å"You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that I gave utterance to a threat†.By admitting that â€Å"You† knows â€Å"the nature of [his] soul† the reader can draw the conclusion that it might be someone divine who he is talking to for who else would know him so well? In the same manner, he is asking this divine being to not judge his crime so heavily for he did not simply â€Å"give utterance to a threat†. Likewise, another fact that serves as evidence that Montresor is that he is telling the eve nts fifty years later. This goes to show that the event has haunted the narrator for half a century since he not only recalls everything but is taking the time to tell the story.The narrator of â€Å"The Cask of Amontillado† showed, through his own telling of the events, not only an unreliable narrator but also an envious man that is now living in remorse. The events that led to the assassination of Fortunato do not excuse Montresor as he believes they do. From the way in which Montresor â€Å"brags† his â€Å"perfect crime† the reader can draw the conclusion that he is not but a malicious member of society who tries to justify his wrongdoings by attributing them to the honor of him and his famiy.

Bioethics of Euthanasia

As biological organisms, humans design patterns of how to live by way of autonomous lifestyle choices, only after being born into a subjective realm of existence with social opportunities and limitations suggested by how one is nurtured and raised. A sense of a connection to objectivity is gained depending on how closely one associates themselves with an organized institution such as religion, or other form of moral code. The idea that knowledge learned from a moral superior at a young age can suggest, or sometimes in early adulthood, coerce decision-making is indicative of a set of parameters or expectations that one must achieve so to honor the objective family belief. Therefore, the family is also an institution which generates the same attachment to objectivity that encourages a certain set of goals. Ultimately though, it is one’s subjective experience that has it’s own social, physical, mental, and spiritual habits and attachments that cause the mind and body to perform and exist in a particular way. The overarching illegality of euthanasia across North America is supported by religious institutions which act as the sole moral platform for questioning the professional conduct of medical practitioners. The hegemonic belief that is fostered views euthanasia as a breach of non-maleficence, though doctors have and will likely continue to comply with life-ending aid in North America, regardless of recent deliberation regarding legislation. A legalization of euthanasia could ease tensions for physicians and patients dealing with chronic fatal health conditions, but would require specific criteria for legality. The debilitating suffering from a terminal illness should be the first criteria, as well as an autonomous request made by the sufficiently competent patient. Those who advocate for the legalization of euthanasia are part of a particular morality that sees beyond the mystical value of medical non-maleficence and opposes overarching institutional moralities that forbid life-ending decisions. Also of concern is the slippery slope argument, whereby any level of legal euthanasia would likely incite requests for more flexible criteria, publicly bringing into question the intangible value of human life. A central notion of biomedical ethics that stands as a major contender against the legalization of euthanasia is non-maleficence. To generally adhere to the principles of non-maleficence, physicians should not provide ineffective treatments to patients as these offer risk with no possibility of benefit and thus have a chance of harming patients. In addition, physicians must not do anything that would purposely harm patients without the action being balanced by proportional benefit (Beauchamp, 155). This benefit is not necessarily beneficial to the terminally ill individual who has requested euthanasia. The benefit referred to in the medical field is generally an extension of life and a restoration of health, which is not a reality for the terminally ill, rather a benefit might be an end to incurable suffering. Because many medications, procedures, and interventions cause harm in addition to benefit, the principle of non-maleficence provides little concrete guidance in the care of patients, and acts as a fairly weak argument against euthanasia. A helpful distinction when debating the validity of physician assisted suicide is that of ‘killing’ and ‘allowing to die’. If a patient is too frail to undergo restorative treatment, it can be said that the withholding of that treatment is allowing the patient to die. On the other hand, ‘killing’ entails taking action that would hasten the onset of death. There is considerable overlap between these two concepts, to the point that a clear distinction is not readily discernible (Beauchamp, 172). The prima facie nature of allowing a patient to die, as expressed by Beauchamp is acceptable under certain conditions whereby a medical technology is considered futile, or ineffectual, or a patient and/or surrogate decision maker has validly denied a medical technology (173). In the case that a patient is suffering unnecessarily, and has denied or been denied the opportunity for treatment due to severity of illness, should euthanasia not be an acceptable option? This action would undoubtedly fall under the category of ‘killing’, but if the nearest solution is the imminent death of a terminally ill patient, the concept of non-maleficence should not apply to a deliberate hastening of the patients’ biological shutdown. It can also be argued that fading to death in palliative care with little to no cognition is of little value, and coming from a strictly utilitarian perspective, in some cases, may be unnecessary. If an elderly patient has no immediate family, and is in the final stages of a degenerative disease, the option of the patient to deny extended care and hasten the imminence of death should ot be considered immoral. The approval of certain cases such as the example above would definitely introduce a ‘slippery slope’ argument whereby the notions and parameters of conducting euthanasia would be challenged, inflated, and publicly scorned. The infamous example of Dr. Kevorkian is indicative of the demand for physican-assisted suicide, and the flexible moralities of perhaps many physicians who are faced with the challenge of allowing a patient to pursue a hastened death. Michigan doctor Jack Kevorkian was convicted of second-degree murder for delivering a lethal injection to a 52-year-old man suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease. It was the first time in five trials that Kevorkian was found guilty of a crime after participating in, by his count, at least 130 assisted suicides. Likened to â€Å"a medical hit man† by the prosecution, Kevorkian compared himself to Martin Luther King and told the court he was no more culpable than an executioner. The 70-year-old doctor had dared prosecutors to charge him and threatened a hunger strike if convicted. â€Å"Suicide†). The case of Kevorkian’s assisted suicides shows that public hegemonic belief places all burden on the physician involved, for it is technically legal to carry out or attempt suicide, but not with the aid of any other person, especially a clinician. These laws tend to make sense in every realm except the medical world, where euthanasia is an issue that arises with the terminally ill, and particular moralities strongly advocate for the right to die under certain circumstances, as illustrated by Kevorkian’s rash threats of a hunger strike if convicted. Obviously viewing himself as a liberator, Kevorkian’s particular morality quickly earned him a reputation, and having participated in over one hundred assisted suicides, he stands not as a reputable opposition to hegemony, but rather a moral pariah. Kevorkian’s comparison of his ‘moral fallacy’ with the conduct of an executioner is an interesting philosophical idea, and also illustrates the exclusivity of moral professionalism within the medical world. This is mostly apparent in the United States where there is a domination of privatized health care, and plenty of capital punishment. The application of morality is varied when it comes to death and dying, in a society where a 20 year old can be put to death for committing murder, and in the same society, a terminally ill, suffering patient cannot decidedly seek a peaceful death without moral intervention. In both cases, strong moral impositions are made, and guide the fate of both individuals. The convict has a chance at rehabilitation, and renewing his moral adherence and contribution to society, but is not rewarded the chance because his actions stripped him of his dignity. On the other hand, the dying patient is not permitted to seek assistance in death because common morality forbids it, much like the same common morality denies the convict a second chance. The patient is denied euthanasia because the hegemonic function of the medical field is to avoid non-maleficence, so according to the same morality, the criminal is denied rehabilitation and put to death because the function of the law is to appropriately punish offenders. This paradox shows how two distinct versions of the same common morality are stamped like a ‘cookie cutter’, yielding the anticipated results of the societal function: the patient can’t die because medicine is designed to keep him alive, and the criminal can’t live because capital punishment is designed to eliminate him. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to suggest that the application of euthanasia in the medical field should be acceptable in certain circumstances, and that exclusive clinical moralities should allow deliberation on the subject, and not continue to function in a ‘cookie cutter’ fashion. In Canada and the United States, laws distinguishing ‘active’ and ‘passive’ categories of euthanasia are divided into four sections: â€Å"deliberately killing persons who wish to die or assisting them in suicide (active voluntary euthanasia and assisted suicide), deliberately killing persons whose wishes are unknown or opposed to such treatment (active involuntary euthanasia), withholding or withdrawing life-preserving means from those who do not want them used (forgoing treatment of competent individuals), and letting persons die by withholding or withdrawing life-preserving means when their wishes are unknown or when they want, or would tolerate, such means to be applied or maintained (forgoing treatment of incompetent individuals)† (Dickens, 136). According to these legal parameters, it would seem that active and passive euthanasia should only occur when indicated by the patient, living will, or a surrogate, such as active voluntary euthanasia, an d the forgoing of treatment to competent individuals. These two forms provide the patient with the moral decision to adopt the institutional values of their choice and affect their course of longevity and suffering. In the cases of active involuntary euthanasia, and the withholding of treatment from incompetent patients it can be said that, morally, the physician has no right to change the course of the patient’s treatment without clearance from a living will or surrogate. To conduct active involuntary euthanasia, or withhold treatment for no apparent reason indicated by the patient or surrogate, negligence would necessarily apply and represent the justified fault of the attending physician. Dealing with death is a subjective experience that generates fear, and causes humans to seek comfort in institutional beliefs, whether that be family, religion, other forms of spirituality, or modern medicine itself. Death reminds humans of their biological capacities and fleeting opportunities for experience in life, and generates a desire to medicalize suicide. â€Å"We want physicians to provide the means to end life in an antiseptically acceptable fashion. Knives, guns, ropes, and bridges tend to be messy. We seek a more aesthetically pleasing way of terminating life, one that leaves the patient looking dead, but not disgusting. For this, as in so much else in the 20th-century quest for happiness, we turn to the physician† (Paris, 33). Much like we seek aesthetic modifications from plastic surgeons, and mental stability from psychologists, we turn again to professional doctors for a method of dealing with the harsh reality of death. Though euthanasia may be an acceptable option for some people in certain sets of dire circumstances, it is the fear of death generated by the triumphs of medicine that provide the illusion that death and suffering are something a physician can cure. Medicinal miracles and the rise of technological medicine give people the impression that old losses are new triumphs, at least insofar as one can be kept alive for longer with chronic diseases. This notion sparks the fear of suffering before death, and that morbidity will be extended instead of compressed. Essentially then, it is the physician who bears all weight of the laws pertaining to euthanasia, which seems unjust when there is little more that medicine can do for a terminally ill patient than aid in their peaceful departure from life. The argument that legalized euthanasia would initiate the slippery slope, and â€Å"hospitals would become cruel and dehumanized places† are refuted by the suggestion and observation of the exact opposite (Schafer). As Schafer suggests, â€Å"experience has shown that what happened was exactly the opposite of what was predicted by the naysayers: Doctors and hospitals have become kinder and gentler, patients' wishes are better respected than previously and society has come to accept the importance of individual autonomy at the end of life† (3). Clearly, the legalization of euthanasia would not entirely disrupt the nature of medical care in Canada, and with current debates indicating the possibility of change, society may undergo a change of ideas in the near future. The idea that euthanasia may provide a patient with more dignity at death than what is often referred to as ‘sedation to unconsciousness’ is becoming more common, and should not be deemed unacceptable next to palliative care. With the right safeguards in place, euthanasia should be one of many life-ending options available to Canadians near the end of their life, with palliative care being a morally adjacent decision. The subjective experience of death is one’s own, and even familial institution can only do so much to comfort the process of being terminally ill. Therefore it should be a decision of the patient to seek medical help, either in the form of sedation and longevity, or immediate peace.

Conflicts Being a College Student Essay Example

Conflicts Being a College Student Essay Example Conflicts Being a College Student Essay Conflicts Being a College Student Essay Patrice Williams November 12, 2013 Conflicts of A College Student The daily life of a college student is filled with many conflicts. To begin with, students face everyday conflicts such as having transportation, family issues, financial problems, and also lack of focus and responsibility. In college if one is without a car or a reliable source of transportation every day, it can really affect them in school. One might could have a car but it is currently broke down or someone said they were willing to provide the transportation but possibly not showing up. For example, Nicole’s car has broken down over the weekend now she’s wondering how to get to school Monday morning. Nicole calls her friend Monica to give her a ride to school and then she’ll take the metro back home. This could cause Nicole stress and causing her to take focus off of school work. Second, college students also face family issues and crisis. One could have lost a family member that is causing a lot of stress or grief on their head while attending school. A student may have a family member or friend at home that causes them stress everyday also. For instance, Mark lives at home with Mom, brother, and sister. Conflict may be between everyone at home that causes Mark stress everyday he comes to school. Next, many students come across financial problems during their college life. Some students may lose their job or simply just don’t always have the funds to get by every single day. A student may be on a payment plan every month to pay for school or a student loan. Having everyday issues such as these can cause stress on the mind of a student that he or she doesn’t need while attending college. Take Mya for example, she’s currently in college and is on a payment plan at school to pay her tuition every month, for this current semester. Mya just lost her job and is finding it hard to come up with the money for this coming month; with her also struggling the previous months when she did have a job. This situation is very stressful on Mya and causing her to jeopardize school such as being late, missing assignments, and sometimes not showing up at all. Financial issues can play a huge downfall in a life of a college student. Finally, having a lack of responsibility can cause conflict while attending college. Some students start college but aren’t fully prepared. College students would sometimes start off college as if they were in high school and not strongly aware of the transition. Students hang out and party all night with school being in the morning. They slack on their work and put in high school work ethic instead of College work. Having a lack of focus can also affect students. Conflicts such as all of these can pay a huge part daily in a student’s life.

HIV Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

HIV - Research Paper Example Theories has been used to try to explain how the virus crossed from animals to human but all of them does not show evidence that indeed HIV originated from animals. For instance, it is believed that the virus crossed as a result of eating monkey meat. The virus is believed to have originated from Africa as monkeys from Asia and South America has not been found with the virus (Worobey et al., 2008). HIV is an epidemic. It has spread so fast in the world and causes a lot of harm in countries. For instance, a lot of money has been put aside to fight the spread of HIV. This affects the country’s economy. On the other hand, HIV is taking dominance to the young and middle aged people in a country. The group that is most productive. With this it is clear that HIV is indeed a problem that needs to be taken care of seriously. The productive age groups of young and middle aged are endangered thus burdening a country with children and elderly who are not in a position to provide for thei r living. This paper will look at HIV as the problem worldwide that needs to be understood well and necessary precaution taken to reduce its spread. The first case of HIV was discovered in early 1980’s in the USA. Gay men displayed symptoms of opportunistic infections like cancer. HIV/AIDS did not come in to the picture but those men seemed to suffer from a common syndrome; their infections resisted treatment. HIV was later discovered. HIV has been spreading fast in the world because of several reasons such as blood transfusion, immigration, use of injectible drugs, unprotected sexual behaviors and transmission of mother to child. With the current globalization, most people are traveling from their countries with the purpose of trade. There is no restriction of migration of people who are infected with the HIV virus. People travel and mingle with other people from different

Discussion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 64

Discussion - Essay Example oblem identifies significant effects on the students, with possible secondary effects on the students’ ability to concentrate on their studies and the students’ health. An empirical study of 195 students established significance of homesickness and effects such as depression, sexual behavior, and consumption of alcohol. The study that focused on moderation effects of religion on impacts of homesickness established significance of religion (Longo, 2010). Other effects of homesickness are isolation, inability to focus on studies, and stimulation of preexisting psychological disorder among students (Thurmber and Walton, n.d.). The data establishes significance of homesickness among college students and identifies its burden on students’ academic potentials and their health. I believe that effects of homesickness such as involvement in irresponsible sexual behavior, as Longo explains that more than 30 percent of his research participants engaged in unprotected sex, e xplains risks of sexually transmitted diseases while depression suppresses the students’ cognitive potentials. Longo, G. (2010). Homesickness in college students: The moderating effect of religiousness on the relationship between homesickness and Maladjustment. Retrieved from:

Desire and Crime of Young People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Desire and Crime of Young People - Essay Example Passive goodness and dynamic evil are choices that in themselves may or may not be adequate or objectionable, but that in terms of the novel are neither. (Burgess, pp 41-49) While strain theory offered to motivate research, it commonly formed frail consequences. Strain in much of this work was considered as the inconsistency between professional or instructive ambitions and prospect for success in these fields. The conclusion from this research commonly demonstrated that criminal behavior was most probable when both desires and prospects were low results which leaned to suggest support reliable with control theory. Research using substitute procedures of strain, such as professed blocked possibilities or the disjunction between financial desires and instructive means were more helpful of the viewpoint; however results were destabilized when opposing theories were integrated into the study on desire and crime of young people. Utilized as procedures of an entrance to triumph through legal means, or the attainment of victory, these varied results provided additional proof to send away the typical strain perception. A strain is not only the result of the failure ... He conflicted that the democratic ideology and "American Dream," often escorted persons to assess themselves with an orientation to those higher in the stratification system parting those inferior in the stratification system feeling comparatively disadvantaged and more at peril for criminal activities. Comparative dispossession is said to lead to both useful and non-utilitarian crimes. While people might engage in wealth crimes to get money in an effort to reduce these approaches, comparative dispossession is also considered to be connected to aggression because people are angered by their failure to share in the pronounced wealth that seductively surrounds them but remains beyond reach.  

Developing a conceptual framework is an impossible possibility Essay - 1

Developing a conceptual framework is an impossible possibility - Essay Example There have been increasing efforts towards formation of standardized approaches in accounting, in what may be explained to be an accounting conceptual framework. The standardized approach in accounting aims to offering a holistic and uniformed approach in which all accounting problems can be handled. Moreover, such standards help in ensuring ethics and morality in accounting discipline considering that fraud and dishonesty are the main vices affecting the economic discipline as people undertake such economic roles with selfish interests, eroding the integrity of such a profession. Knowledge regarding elements and aspects of accounting and the image created by such profession are thus of critical importance in accounting. Knowledge and Sources of Knowledge Epistemology is the discipline concerned with the theory of knowledge and the way people can attain knowledge. In most cases, sentences are only used to convey meaning, and the meaning itself does not reside in sentences. A proposit ion is the main element in a sentence as it refers to the meaning of a sentence, and it is the one that leads to knowledge. In accounting, knowledge can be gained from a diversity of sources. Knowledge may be attained through skills in doing something. An accountant who spends most of the time preparing financial statement will develop skills in the practice and this would lead to more detailed knowledge than other accountants in a separate department. This involves the act of â€Å"knowing how† to do something. Moreover, such knowledge may be genetically programmed in that some people are born with talents and have much higher proficiency in carrying out specific tasks. Knowledge may also be obtained through acquaintance with something or observing something until one grasps the basic concepts in doing it. For example, as person can observe the basic operation of balancing a balance sheet, or any other financial statement over time till they grasp the basic concepts of perfo rming such a task even without formal education on how to do it. Many people in on-job training learn through acquaintance till they develop such skills and are able to perform as required. Knowledge may also be obtained through understanding statements in an inductive reasoning approach. For example, one may gain knowledge by first appreciating the fact that a financial statement has to convey the truth about a company. Therefore, one has to develop a belief regarding the truth conveyed in such a financial statement, and then look for some good facts as evidence to prove the belief is true. However, it must be recalled that truth has to remain as truth despite one knowing it or not, and is not influenced with such inductive reasoning. Knowledge and truth are thus independent of one another and one requires deeper investigation to determine if such knowledge really leads to reality or truth. Accounting Theories Hendrickson (1970) defines a theory as a set of coherent hypothetical, p ragmatic and conceptual principles that guide in the field of inquiry (as cited in Deegan and Unerman, 2009). The use of the word coherence indicates that all the elements in a theory have to work together in presenting a certain knowledge, or result in accounting. However, Deegan and Unerman (2009) noted that theories

Scientific Method Applied To Forensic Science Environmental Sciences Essay

Scientific Method Applied To Forensic Science Environmental Sciences Essay Forensic science is often described as a science about patterns of crime mechanisms, about collection of information about the crime and its participants, about rules of evidence gathering, researching, evaluating and applying, and eventually about those media and methods based on this knowledge necessary for judicial scrutiny conduction and crime prevention (Raton, 2003). It makes it natural for this science to use not only specific forensic methods, but general scientific method tested by time and different branches of natural and physical knowledge as well. The term scientific method means a method of research in which a problem is identified, relevant data are gathered, a hypothesis is formulated from these data, and the hypothesis is empirically tested (Flexner Hauck, 1987). The matter is, many scientists fail to build a fundamental theory of how scientific method is applied to forensic science, while it is extremely important to differentiate the way it is applied to this science and the way it is applied to other sciences, as they differ to a great extent. Forensic sciences study the past and not the present, Dr. Thomas Young explains (Young, 2009). The first stage, observation and description is intended to find out and completely reflect what happened. The activity of observation requires efficient and intentional direct perception of objects and phenomena with the use of senses. It includes the study of materials and products, structures and textures. It is especially significant during inspection, search, and other investigative actions. The purpose of observation depends on the character of the object or phenomena we examine. Sometimes we reveal some thing; sometimes we look for certain characteristics, properties and features this thing possesses. In other cases it can be the behavior of the suspect, accused etc. (Davis, 2005). According to these criteria, some facts revealed during observation and procedurally fixed can have the significance of evidence, while others (like the behavior of a defendant during the interrogation) can be just a kind of material to build versions. In this way the task is to describe a set of de fined circumstances, to reconstruct the picture of the crime or a tort, to recreate the intricate variety of past conditions as full as possible, paying attention to timing and order of events. The prerogative are the actions intended to reveal and fix the traces of the crime or tort that change fast and the evidences which can be easily lost or changed on purpose. When the expert has enough data to see what took place, he formulates a hypothesis or several of them to explain the observation. This process can be also called versification we look for versions. The gnoseological aspect interprets version as a form of transmission from unawareness to knowledge about the investigated event. Thats why it is defined as a form and process of reflecting material world phenomena and empowering the objective nature of a studied object by thought itself. The process of cognition doesnt put borders between logical, psychological and cognitive aspects as they are all the parts of one process of mentality (Shafer, 2008). To have scientific power, hypotheses should be theoretically substantiated, allow specific order of verification and applicable methods to check the version. Hypothesis is a driving force of science development; hypothesis is one of the forms of science. Apart from the general theory of forensic science, the expert should apply his own professional experience. This stage is based on application of different logical constructions as an instrument. It is closely connected with the next action, consisting in building up predictions of other phenomena or concluding results. The media and methods of forming forensic predictions are intended for practical cognition of certain social phenomena which is a crime and aim at solving the question of guilt or guiltlessness of the subject. Hence they are to correspond to the strict criteria of reliability, legality, morality and acceptability. Each result, each consequence concluded from the proposed version should be carefully verified. Until the version is disproved and rejected, each fact logically coming from it should be checked in the light of its correspondence to the reality. Some part examined does not give the reason to take the version as something objectively true. If the examination provides contradicting data, you should never stop the tests. All the reasons of divergence should be found out. Falsification is an essential constituent of the scientific method. The hypothesis should be ideally either disproved or falsified. If there is a possibility to disprove the hypothesis, the scientist can discard it and turn to another, more correct hypothesis. Alternatively, if the hypothesis is confirmed by the experimentation and the following observation, it still does not mean this confirmation proves the truth of the hypothesis, Thomas Young claims (Young, 2009). Among the other methods, some statistical methods (generating quantitative results) are applied. Though they are not very popular and, according to the results of the survey, only 7% of respondents rely on them. Quantitative methods dont receive wide practical use because they fail to take to account individual features, and because this systems are not developed that well at all (Shafer, 2008). The last and the very important stage includes the application of such scientific method as experiment. It is usually based on scientifically conducted test performed to study the verified phenomena and its links with other phenomena. The particular feature of the experiment is possibility and necessity to interfere in the process of testing, studying the phenomena from different sides and in different conditions. Through investigation experiment is applied in various forms. One of the most effective methods affirmed by the theory of forensic science is parallel (simultaneous) testing by several independent experimenters. It means that other investigators are permitted to check and try to falsify the hypothesis proposed by the scientist. This procedure provides the most optimal tempo of investigation and economization of working time of the team. It is also efficient to check up several versions across. Gradual verification threatens to take more time and even ruin precious evidences , miss the procedure deadline of investigation. Considerable rule of examination consists in the following: test should go on until the version is disproved or until we achieve the situation when we can consider it to be the objective truth. The scientific method turns an assumption on any fact into a reliable piece of knowledge when we can prove this is the only fact to give such results. The hypothesis also turns into reliable knowledge when it is proved that all possible reasons of some fact except one are ruled out. The forensic version is right under the following circumstances: If all possible suppositions concerning the circumstances of the crime under detection were taken into account and no new data bring new versions. For instance, if there are three versions of murder (willful homicide, manslaughter, or an accident), disprove of the two versions except the first doesnt prove the willful murder is true. It can turn to be a mistake and truth nay be in the suicide version missed by the investigator. All the versions proposed concerning the situation were verified and all of them except the only one objectively proved were disproved and thrown away. All the consequences (circumstances) logically concluded from the proved version were thoroughly studied and revealed by confirmation. The version confirmed is absolutely coordinated with other circumstances of the case. Only in the case all the conditions listed are observed, the version can be admitted as the one corresponding to reality and expressing the objective truth (Flexner Hauck, 1987). Eventually, when the hypothesis is confirmed repeatedly through times over time, this hypothesis has all the chances to become a theory. When we say a theory, we mean a common principle used by scientists to explicate phenomena and make predictions of further events. All in all, we have seen the systematic approach provided by the general scientific method when applied to the forensic science. At the same time it is necessary to remember that forensic science itself is often defined as the application of science to law. It goes without saying, it is not ideal at all and has its own disadvantages consisting in certain limitations, but still it has demonstrated its sustainability in the sphere of crimes. The scientific method has proven itself over time to be a reliable way to arrive at real, measurable, observable truth, Dr. Thomas Young proclaims (Young, 2009).

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath Essay -- society, gender stereotype

Literature is the superlative resource when one is attempting to comprehend or fathom how society has transformed over the centuries. Many written works—whether fictional or nonfictional—express the views of gender roles and societies’ expectations. Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar is an exemplary novel that explores these issues. Ester Greenwood was portrayed the superficial and oppressive values of the mid-twentieth century American society through her experiences of gender inequalities and social conformities. Plath’s own life was correspondingly mirrored in this novel; which in turn left the reader aware of the issues in her time period. At the conclusion of The Bell Jar, the audience realizes that she was pushed to completely conform to society. During the nineteenth century, gender roles were outrageously strict. Linda Brannon, a Doctorate Professor of Psychology at McNeese State University, states â€Å"a gender stereotype consists of beliefs about the psychological traits and characteristics of, as well as the activities appropriate to, men or women† (160). These stereotypes were supposed to be adhered to sternly. Obviously, the stereotypes for men and women were polar opposites. This patriarchal society viewed the male as the head of the household. They were expected to be the workers in the family. Men were expected to be powerful, brave, worldly, rational, independent, and sexual. Joletha Cobb, a minister and an NCCA licensed clinical pastoral counselor, explained the expectations of genders in accordance with past centuries with an emphasis on the bible. Women â€Å"were expected to bear children, stay home, cook and clean, and take care of the children† (Cobb 29). They were expected to be weak, timid, domestic, emotional,... ...her writing career. The Bell Jar was an exceptional novel that can be used to view the ideas of gender roles. Ester, who despised marriage and focused on education, went through multiple events that pushed her to subvert and conform to society’s expectations. Women’s literature—such as this work—of the nineteenth century provided confirmation of society’s emphasis on â€Å"The Cult of Womanhood and Domesticity†. Plath’s life mirrors Ester’s and ultimately brought awareness to the oppression of women. References Brannon, Linda. Gender: Psychological Perspectives. 4th ed. Boston: Pearson/Allyn And Bacon, 2005. Print. Cobb, Joletha. Women: Who You Are in Christ. Durham: Joletha Cobb, 2006. Print. Hogeland, Ronald W. Women and Womanhood in America. Lexington, Mass.: D.C. Heath, 1973. Print. Plath, Sylvia. The Bell Jar. New York: Harperperennial, 2006. Print.

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 2

Hannah found herself on her feet. Her awareness was fragmented and understanding came to her in pieces because she simply couldn't take in the whole situation at once. It was too bizarre. At first she simply thought of a bomb. The explosion was that loud. Then she realized that something had come in the window, that it had come flying through the glass. And that it was in the room with her now, crouching among the broken shards of windowpane. Even then, she couldn't identify it. It was too incongruous; her mind refused to recognize the shape immediately. Something pretty big-something dark, it offered. A body like a dog's but set higher, with longer legs. Yellow eyes. And then, as if the right lens had suddenly clicked in front of her eyes, she saw it clearly. A wolf. There was a big black wolf in the room with her. It was a gorgeous animal, rangy and muscular, with ebony-colored fur and a white streak on its throat like a bolt of lightning. It was looking at her fixedly, with an almost human expression. Escaped fromYellowstone , Hannah thought dazedly. The naturalists were reintroducing wolves to the park, weren't they? It couldn't be wild; Ryan Harden's great-grandpa had bragged for years about killing the last wolf in Amador county when he was a boy. Anyway, she told herself, wolves don't attack people. They never attack people. A single wolf would never attack a full-grown teenager. And all the time her conscious mind was thinking this, something deeper was making her move. It made her back up slowly, never taking her eyes off the wolf, until she felt the bookcase behind her. There's something you need to get, a voice in her mind was whispering to her. It wasn't like the voice of another person, but it wasn't exactly like her own mental voice, either. It was a voice like a dark cool wind: competent and rather bleak. Something you saw on a shelf earlier, it said. In an impossibly graceful motion, from eight feet away, the wolf leaped. There was no time to be scared. Hannah saw a bushy, flowing black arc coming at her and then she was slammed into the bookcase. For a while after that, everything was simply chaos. Books and knick-knacks were falling around her. She was trying to get her balance, trying to push the heaviness of a furry body away from her. The wolf was falling back, then jumping again as she twisted sideways to get away. And the strangest thing was that she actually was getting away. Or at least evading the worst of the wolf's lunges, which seemed to be aimed at knocking her to the floor. Her body was moving as if this were, somehow instinctive to her, as if she knew how to do this. But I don't know this. I never fight†¦ and I've certainly never played dodge ball with a wolf before†¦. As she thought it, her movements slowed. She didn't feel sure and instinctive any longer. She felt confused. And the wolf seemed to know it. Its eyes glowed eerily yellow in the light of a lamp that was lying on its side. They were such strange eyes, more intense and more savage than any animal's she'd ever seen. She saw it draw its legs beneath it. Move-now, the mysterious new part of her mind snapped. Hannah moved. The wolf hit the bookcase with incredible force, and then the bookcase itself was falling. Hannah flung herself sideways in time to avoid being crushed-but the case fell with an unholy noise directly in front of the door. Trapped, the dark cool voice in Hannah's mind noted analytically. No exit anymore, except the window. â€Å"Hannah? Hannah?† It was Paul's voice just outside the room. The door flew open-all of four inches. It jammed against the fallen bookcase. â€Å"God-what's going on in there? Hannah? Hannah!† He sounded panicked now, banging the door uselessly against the blockage. Don't think about him, the new part of Hannah's mind said sharply, but Hannah couldn't help it. He sounded so desperate. She opened her mouth to shout back to him, her concentration broken. And the wolf lunged. This time Hannah didn't move fast enough. A terrible weight smashed into her and she was falling, flying. She landed hard, her head smacking into the floorboards. It hurt. Even as she felt it, everything grayed out. Her vision went sparkling, her mind soared away from the pain, and a strange thought flickered through her head. I'm dead now. It's over again. Oh, Isis, Goddess of Life, guide me to the other world†¦. â€Å"Hannah! Hannah! What's going on in there?† Paul's frantic voice came to her dimly. Hannah's vision cleared and the bizarre thoughts vanished. She wasn't soaring in sparkling emptiness and she wasn't dead. She was lying on the floor with a book's sharp corner in the small of her back and a wolf on her chest. Even in the midst of her terror, she felt a strange appalled fascination. She had never seen a wild animal this close. She could see the white-tipped guard hairs standing erect on its face and neck; she could see saliva glistening on its lolling red tongue. She could smell its breath-humid and hot, vaguely dog-like but much wilder. And she couldn't move, she realized. The wolf was as long as she was tall, and it weighed more than she did. Pinned underneath it, she was utterly helpless. All she could do was lie there shivering as the narrow, almost delicate muzzle got closer and closer to her face. Her eyes closed involuntarily as she felt the cold wetness of its nose on her cheek. It wasn't an affectionate gesture. The wolf was nudging at strands of her hair that had fallen across her face. Using its muzzle like a hand to push the hair away. Oh, God, please make it stop, Hannah thought. But she was the only one who could stop this-and she didn't know how. Now the cold nose was moving across her cheekbone. Its sniffing was loud in her ear. The wolf seemed to be smelling her, tasting her, and looking at her all at once. No. Not looking at me. Looking at my birthmark. It was another one of those ridiculous, impossible thoughts-and it snapped into place like the last piece in a puzzle deep inside her. Irrational as it was, Hannah felt absolutely certain it was true. And it set off the cool wind voice in her mind again. Reach out, the voice whispered, quiet and businesslike. Feel around you. The weapon has to be there somewhere. You saw it on the bookcase. Find it. The wolf stopped its explorations, seeming satisfied. It lifted its head†¦ and laughed. Really laughed. It was the eeriest and most frightening thing Hannah had ever seen. The big mouth opened, panting, showing teeth, and the yellow eyes blazed with hot bestial triumph. Hurry, hurry. Hannah's eyes were helplessly fixed on the sharp white teeth ten inches away from her face, but her hand was creeping out, feeling along the smooth pine floorboards around her. Her fingers glided over books, over the feathery texture of a fern-and then over something square and cold and faced with glass. The wolf didn't seem to notice. Its lips were pulling back farther and farther. Not laughing anymore. Hannah could see its short front teeth and its long curving canines. She could see its forehead wrinkling. And she could feel its body vibrate in a low and vicious growl. The sound of absolute savagery. The cool wind voice had taken over Hannah's mind completely. It was telling her what would happen next. The wolf would sink his teeth into her throat and then shake her, tearing skin and ripping muscles away. Her blood would spray like a fountain. It would fill her severed windpipe and her lungs and her mouth. She would die gasping and choking, maybe drowning before she bled out. Except. . . that she had silver in her hand. A silver picture frame. Kill it, the cool voice whispered. You've got the right weapon. Hit it dead in the eye with a corner. Drive silver into its brain. Hannah's ordinary mind didn't even try to figure out how a picture frame could possibly be the right weapon. It didn't object, either. But faint and faraway, there came another voice in her head. Like the cool wind voice, it wasn't hers, but it wasn't someone else's, either. It was a clear crystal voice that seemed to sparkle in jeweled colors as it spoke. You are not a killer. You don't kill. You have never killed, no matter what happened to you. You do not kill. I don't kill, Hannah thought slowly, in agreement. Then you're going to die, the cool wind voice said brutally, much louder than the crystal voice. Because this animal won't stop until either it's dead or you are. There's no other way to deal with these creatures. Then it happened. The wolf's mouth opened. In a lightning-fast move, it darted for her throat. Hannah didn't think. She brought the picture frame up †¦ and slammed it into the side of the wolf's head. Not into the eye. Into the ear. She felt the impact-hard metal against sensitive flesh. The wolf gave a yelping squeal and staggered sideways, shaking its head and hitting at its face with a forepaw. Its weight was off her for an instant, and an instant was all Hannah needed. Her body moved without her conscious direction, sliding out from under the wolf, twisting and jumping to her feet. She kept her grasp on the picture frame. Now. Look around! The bookcase-no, you can't move it. The window! Go for the window. But the wolf had stopped shaking its head. Even as Hannah started across the room, it turned and saw her. In one flowing, bushy leap it put itself between her and the window. Then it stood looking at her, every hair on its body bristling. Its teeth were bared, its ears upright, and its eyes glared with pure hatred and menace. It's going to spring, Hannah realized. I am not a killer. I can't kill. You don't have any choice- The wolf sprang. But it never reached her. Something else came soaring through the window and knocked it off course. This time, Hannah's eyes and brain identified the creature at once. Another wolf. My God, what is going on? The new animal was gray-brown, smaller than the black wolf and not as striking. Its legs were amazingly delicate, twined with veins and sinews like a racehorse's. A female, something faraway in Hannah's mind said with dreamlike certainty. Both wolves had recovered their balance now. They were on their feet, bristling. The room smelled like a zoo. And now I'm really going to die, Hannah thought. I'm going to be torn to pieces by two wolves. She was still clutching the picture frame, but she knew there was no chance of fighting them both off at once. They were going to rip her to bits, quarreling over who got more of her. Her heart was pounding so hard that it shook her body, and her ears were ringing. The female wolf was staring at her with eyes more amber than yellow, and Hannah stared back, mesmerized, waiting for it to make its move. The wolf held the gaze for another moment, as if studying Hannah's face-in particular the left side of her face. Her cheek. Then she turned her back to Hannah and faced the black wolf. And snarled. Protecting me, Hannah thought, stunned. It was unbelievable-but she was beyond disbelief at this point. She had stepped out of her ordinary life and into a fairy tale full of almost-human wolves. The entire world had gone crazy and all she could do was try to deal with each moment as it came. They're going to fight, the cool wind voice in her mind told her. As soon as they're into it, run for the window. At that moment everything erupted into bedlam. The gray wolf had launched herself at the black. The room echoed with the sound of snarling-and of teeth clicking together as both wolves snapped again and again. Hannah couldn't make out what was going on in the fight. It was just a blurred chaos as the wolves circled and darted and leaped and ducked. But it was by far the most terrifying thing she had ever witnessed. Like the worst dog fight imaginable, like the feeding frenzy of sharks. Both animals seemed to have gone berserk. Suddenly there was a yelp of pain. Blood welled up on the gray female's flank. She's too small, Hannah thought. Too light. She doesn't have a chance. Help her, the crystal voice whispered. It was an insane suggestion. Hannah couldn't even imagine trying to get in the middle of that snarling whirlwind. But somehow she found herself moving anyway. Placing herself behind the gray wolf. It didn't matter that she didn't believe she was doing it, or that she had no idea how to team up with a wolf in fighting another wolf. She was there and she was holding her silver picture frame high. The black wolf pulled away from the fight to stare at her. And there they stood, all three of them panting, Hannah with fear and the wolves with exertion. They were frozen like a tableau in the middle of the wrecked office, all looking at each other tensely. The black wolf on one side, his eyes shining with single-minded menace. The gray wolf on the other, blood matting her coat, bits of fur floating away from her. And Hannah right behind her, holding up the picture frame in a shaking hand. Hannah's ears were filled with the deep reverberating sound of growling. And then a deafening report that cut through the room like a knife. A gunshot. The black wolf yelped and staggered. Hannah's senses had been focused on what was going on inside the room for so long that it was a shock to realize there was anything, outside it. She was dimly aware that Paul's yells had stopped some time ago, but she hadn't stopped to consider what that meant. Now, with adrenaline washing over her, she heard his voice. â€Å"Hannah! Get out of the way!† The shout was tense, edged with fear and anger- and determination. It came from the opposite side of the room, from the darkness outside the window. Paul was there at the broken window with a gun. His face was pale and his hand was shaking. He was aiming in the general direction of the wolves. If he fired again he might hit either of them. â€Å"Get into a corner!† The gun bobbed nervously. Hannah heard herself say, â€Å"Don't shoot!† Her voice came out hoarse and unused-sounding. She moved to get in between the gun and the wolves. â€Å"Don't shoot,† she said again. â€Å"Don't hit the gray one.† â€Å"Hit the gray one?† Paul's voice rose in something like hysterical laughter. â€Å"I don't even know if I can hit the wall! This is the first time I've ever shot a gun. So just-just try to get out of the way!† â€Å"No!† Hannah moved toward him, holding out her hand. â€Å"I can shoot. Just give it to me-â€Å" â€Å"Just move out of the way-â€Å" The gun went off. For an instant Hannah couldn't see where the bullet had gone and she wondered wildly if she had been shot. Then she saw that the black wolf was lurching backward. Blood dripped from its neck. Steel won't kill it, the wind voice hissed. You're only making it more angry. . But the black wolf was swinging its head to look with blazing eyes from Hannah with her picture frame to Paul with his gun, to the gray wolf with her teeth. The gray wolf snarled just then and Hannah had never seen an animal look closer to being smug. â€Å"One more shot†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Paul breathed. â€Å"While it's cornered†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Ears flat, the black wolf turned toward the only other window in the room. It launched into a vaulting leap straight toward the unbroken glass. There was a shattering crash as it went through. Glass fragments flew everywhere, tinkling. Hannah stared dizzily at the curtains swirling first outside, then inside the room, and then her head snapped around to look at the gray wolf. Amber eyes met hers directly. It was such a human stare†¦ and definitely the look of an equal. Almost the look of a friend. Then the gray wolf twisted and loped for the newly broken window. Two steps and a leap-she was through. From somewhere outside there came a long drawn-out howl of anger and defiance. It was fading, as if the wolf was moving away. Then silence. Hannah shut her eyes. Her knees literally felt as if they wanted to buckle. But she made herself move to the window, glass grating under her boots as she stared into the night. The moon was bright, one day past full. She thought she could just see a dark shape loping toward the open prairie, but it might have been her imagination. She let out her breath and sagged against the window. The silver picture frame fell to the floor. â€Å"Are you hurt? Are you okay?† Paul was climbing through the other window. He tripped on a waste-basket getting across the room, then he was beside her, grabbing for her shoulders, trying to look her over. â€Å"I think I'm all right.† She was numb, was what she was. She felt dazed and fragmented. He blinked at her. â€Å"Um .. . you have some particular fondness for gray wolves or something?† Hannah shook her head. How could she ever explain? They stared at each other for a moment, and then, simultaneously, they both sank to the floor, squatting among the shards of glass, breathing hard. Paul's face was white, his red hair disheveled, his eyes large and stunned. He ran a shaky hand over his forehead, then put the gun down and patted it. He twisted his neck to stare at the wreck of his office, the overturned bookcase, the scattered books and knickknacks, the two broken windows, the glass fragments, the bullet hole, the flecks of blood, and the tufts of wolf hair that still drifted across the pine floorboards. Hannah said faintly, â€Å"So who was at the door?† Paul blinked twice. â€Å"Nobody. Nobody was at the door.† He added almost dreamily, â€Å"I wonder if wolves can ring doorbells?† â€Å"What?† Paul turned to look straight at her. â€Å"Has it ever occurred to you,† he blurted, â€Å"that you may not be paranoid after all? I mean, that something weird and uncanny really is out to get you?† â€Å"Very funny,† Hannah whispered â€Å"I mean-† Paul gestured around the room, half-laughing. He looked punch-drunk. â€Å"I mean, you said something was going to happen-and something did.† He stopped laughing and looked at her with wondering speculation. â€Å"You really did know, didn't you?† Hannah glared at the man who was supposed to guide her back to sanity. â€Å"Are you crazy?† Paul blinked. He looked shocked and embarrassed, then he glanced away and shook his head. â€Å"God, I don't know. Sorry; that wasn't very professional, was it? But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stared out the window. â€Å"Well, for a moment it just seemed possible that you've got some kind of secret locked up there in your brain. Something†¦ extraordinary.† Hannah said nothing. She was trying to forget about too many things at once: the new part of her that whispered strategies, the wolves with human eyes, the silver picture frame. She had no idea what all these things added up to, and she didn't want to know. She wanted to force them away from her and go back to the safe ordinary world ofSacajaweaHigh School . Paul cleared his throat, still looking out the window. His voice was uncertain and almost apologetic. â€Å"It can't be true, of course. There's got to be a rational explanation. But-well, if it were true, it occurs to me that somebody had better unlock that secret. Before something worse happens.†

Bdo Benchmarking Assignment Essay

When considered in general terms Turnbull described it as: â€Å"All influences affecting the institution processes, including those for appointing the controllers and/or regulators involved in organising the production and sale of good and services†¦.. it includes all types of firms whether or not they are incorporated under civil law. † (Turnbull, 2002:181) Factoring in all other definitions, in its simplest terms it can be defined as the â€Å"exercise of power over corporate entities† (Clarke, 2004). It is not the same as the management and the running of the company, it is concerned with how the Board of Directors, who are the governing body of a company, supervise management, because it is they who are responsible for holding the management of a company accountable and ensuring the company is being ran in a way which is favourable towards the shareholders and other stakeholders. It is the Directors’ responsibility to develop strategy and policies for the ompany and to determine the direction the management should take the business in and the Directors have overall responsibility for the performance of the company (Tricker, 2012). While the phrase ‘corporate governance’ wasn’t coined until the 1960’s and not commonly used until the 1980’s, it has really been in a gradual process of evolution since the 16th century and joint venture trading. One of the major developments in world economies which brought the need for corporate governance to the fore was the introduction of limited liability companies in the 19th century. What this meant was when companies were incorporated they became a separate legal entity, separate from their shareholders and with similar legal rights to buy, sell and transfer shares and assets, to employ people and to sue and be sued in the name of the company. This meant the liability for any company debts lay with the shareholders and not the management or the company. Add to this the fact that because of the introduction of the stock market, shares could be easily bought and sold, meaning the shareholders could be vast in numbers and have a large geographical spread. Due to the fact that all corporate entitites need to governed, the implications of this were that the management (executive control) and the shareholders (owners) were often separated (Tricker, 2012). Situations such as these, are where corporate governance is deemed to be most necessary because there is a root assumption, that members of management who do not own the company are likely to be more reckless with someone else’s money, i. e. the company’s, than they would be with their own money (Having Their Cake, 2013). This is known as the agency dilemma, which will be expanded upon later. Electing a Board of Directors who have the interest of the shareholders at the forefront of their mind, allows members to indirectly oversee the actions undertaken by the management, in order to ensure that as agents of the shareholders, the management is performing in line with the best interests of the corporation (Lashgari, 2004). 1. 2. Selection of a Case Company However, as Turnbull pointed out in ‘Corporate Governance: Its scope, concerns and theories’ (2002), having a restriction of only publicly traded corporations in studies of corporate governance, limits the validity of any onclusions drawn about the most efficient arrangements for corporate institutions with regards to good governance practices and the effect they have on a company’s performance. As Jensen said in 1993: â€Å"Privately held entities could provide the most form of enterprise. † (Jensen, 1993, cited in Turnbull, 2002). It was with this in mind that I chose BDO LLP UK (BDO), which is an incorporated partnership company in the UK, which is owned and ran by its members/partners. It is a company which offers financial accounting, audit, tax and business consultancy services (BDO LLP UK website, 2013). . 3. About the UK Financial Accounting and Audit Sector With the ever increasing focus on corporate governance for companies across the World, not just in the UK, audit firms such as BDO, KPMG and Deloitte are becoming more important because it is there job to ensure that companies are adhering to regulations laid out in the UK Corporate Governance Code (2010, revised in 2012). It should naturally follow that audit companies will have extremely good corporate governance practices put in place, however, this is not necessarily the case. Since 2000 there have been a number of high profile scandals within the International Corporate Financial Accounting industry, for example, Enron were found to be inflating revenues and hiding debts and there was also the Bernard Madoff â€Å"Ponzi Scheme†, where the real scandal was that the robbing of millions of pounds worth of people’s money, escaped the attention of auditors and regulators. ). Due to such scandals, many national regulators implemented new corporate governance requirements to improve standards (Mitchell Van der Zahn, 2009). In the UK new regulations with regards specifically to audit companies were also introduced, targeted directly at a certain group of companies. As of January 2010, 95% of the auditing work in the UK was being carried out by 8 firms, BDO being one of them. It was deemed that such companies had built upon their reputation to gain dominance in the UK market and the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) felt it was in the Public’s interest for these companies to be transparent and in order to maintain public trust be exemplars of best corporate governance practice. This led to the introduction of the Audit Firm Governance Code (2010) by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which drew from aspects of the 2010 UK Code and established principles such as the appointment of independent non-executives within the governance structure of their company. While such rules did not apply outside of the targeted companies, it was the hope of the ICAEW that it would provide a benchmark of good governance for other companies to follow (ICAEW website, 2013). With such a bold statement being made about the importance of corporate governance in this field of work, it seemed to me to be an obvious choice to choose one of the 8 companies on the ICAEW’s list for my case-study. 1. 4. About BDO LLP UK As detailed earlier BDO LLP UK is an incorporated partnership company in the UK, which is owned and ran by its members/partners and it provides financial accounting, audit, tax and business consultancy services. It is the 6th largest accountancy firm in the UK and is a member of the BDO International Network, which itself is the 5th largest accounting organisation in the World. In an attempt to break into the top 4 big firms in the UK, BDO LLP UK completed a merger with PKF, a rival firm, in April 2013 (Keynote, 2013). After researching BDO LLP UK, it became very clear that corporate governance was of the upmost importance to the company. Not only did it have specific areas on its website dedicated to corporate governance and corporate social responsibility but it also had a number of relevant publications regarding corporate governance. One article for example, ‘Making Internal Audit Relevant’, discussed the high quality of corporate governance in the UK found by studies carried out by the FRC, it went on to say that this was underpinned by the UK Corporate Governance Code and that it was vital in maintaining the attractiveness of the UK market, to encourage new investment (BDO LLP UK website, 2013). My research also found that BDO had carried out a joint study with the Quoted Companies Alliance, which considered the introduction of a mandatory corporate governance code for small and mid-capital audit companies in the UK. Just as a point of fact, this was a proposition that 92% of such companies agreed with. One of the major indications that BDO think corporate governance is vital to the success of a company is that they produce an annual transparency report, which has an appendix of a statement of compliance with the Audit Firm Governance Code (2010). They have also went to great lengths to create a summary report in 2012 for businesses which they audit, detailing any changes to corporate governance regulations and focusing on leadership and effectiveness, reporting, risk, audit, remuneration and investor relations (Corporate Governance for TMT Businesses, 2012). It seems to be an interesting idea to look at a company who places so much emphasis on good corporate governance, not only for itself but also the companies it works for, to see if they do comply completely with the codes and if they are in fact â€Å"exemplars† of good practice. . Theories of Corporate Governance There are various theories and philosophies with regards to corporate governance, all of which, as a collective, have laid a foundation for the development of different corporate governance systems around the world (Lashgari, 2004). This paper will look at a number of these theories and how they relate to BDO, in order to gain a better understanding of th e governance standards at BDO. 2. 1. Agency Theory In the 1930’s, Berle and Means published ‘The Modern Corporation and Private Property’, it provided the first debate about the agency dilemma and set a basis for agency theory. They suggested that where ownership is separated from management or is widely dispersed, it becomes difficult for owners to have an effective check on the autonomy of corporate managers. The agency dilemma was further refined in the 1970’s, when theories were brought to the fore suggesting agents (managers) are likely to be self-interested and will serve their own interest before those of the principle (owners). Such theories also suggested that in order to counter this problem companies have to incur agency costs, for example, to create incentives to align the interest of the agent with the company and the cost of monitoring the conduct of agents. Many other theorists have a problem with agency theory because it does not even attempt to explore the possibility managers are not self-interested and opportunistic. However, they cannot deny that it has een very influential in developing market-based governance mechanisms and board-based governance mechanisms. Due to BDO being an incorporated partnership and their shares not being publicly traded, we will only look at the board-based mechanisms (Having Their Cake, 2013). Agency theory has caused internal reform of boards, there has been an increase in executive share options schemes, meaning that managers are being offered equity in the company they will manage, in order to â€Å"align their interest† (Having Their Cake, 2013). Agency theory has also led to the introduction of independent non-executive directors onto Boards of Directors, in order to ensure the actions of the management are being sufficiently monitored by the board themselves and role of boards have been greatly elaborated, they are becoming more involved with the setting of objectives of companies and monitoring of any actions taken by management and stricter provisions have been put in place to ensure the separation of the roles of chairmen and chief executive (Cadbury Committee, 1999). When applying agency theory to BDO, it is easy to see that there is a situation of agency and principle, with the fact that there are 193 partners in the firm and only 5 partners who are part of the Leadership Team (LT- management) which is responsible for the overall management of the company and is chaired by the Managing Partner. It is also noticeable from their 2012 ‘Transparency Report’ that all members of the LT have been partners in the company for a number of years, with currently the shortest term being 12 years. This could be considered good governance by BDO because in an effort to avoid the agency dilemma, they ensure their management team is made up of partners, whose interest is already aligned with the interests of the business. The transparency report also states that BDO have a Partner Council (equivalent to a Board of Directors) which is independent from the LT and responsible for the overall governance, in particular the oversight and accountability of the LT. They are also responsible for choosing members of the LT and for electing independent non-executive directors, for which there are 2 at BDO. These independent non-executive directors sit on the LT and report to the partner council of any issues of compliance with governance, policies and procedures, for which they are responsible for providing information on to the LT. The Partner Council is chaired by the Senior Partner who performs a client facing role and is responsible for managing all decisions. He also attends LT meetings in a non-executive capacity to facilitate his oversight role of the governance of the company (Transparency Report, 2012). As we can see the management team is subject to a lot of oversight and monitoring by the Partner Council and the roles of the Senior Partner and Managing Partner are completely separate, this is all a way of ensuring the company has a high standard of governance and to also ensure the management is acting in the best interest of the all the owners. BDO goes to a big effort in organising their governance structure in order to avoid the problems arising from the agency dilemma. 2. 2. Resource Dependence Theory This theory originated from studies performed by Pfeffer and Salancik (1978), they suggest that board members and non-executive directors can provide a firm with a vital set of resources. Non-executive directors are appointed with the expectation that they will support the organisation with its problems and to be a source of expertise which executives can draw upon for skills and advice and they can also be a source of contacts and information which they have gained through their past experience (Having Their Cake, 2013). At different stages in the life-cycle of companies, they have very different needs from their non-executive directors. To young entrepreneurial companies, non-executive directors can be a cheap source of legal, financial or operation management skills, while publicly listed companies are in need of network connections such directors can provide, for example, sources of finance. They can also provide the benefit of attaching a good reputation to their company. Mature businesses, with which we are most concerned because BDO falls into that category, can use non-executive directors for their relevant market or managerial experience and from the consumer confidence which can be gained from that person’s good reputation being affiliated to their company (Having Their Cake, 2013). Applying this theory to the independent non-executive directors of BDO, we can clearly see from the Transparency Report (2012) that both have experience of past non-executive director roles and both bring their own experience in a relevant field, Lesley MacDonagh with a high level of experience of law and business management which she gained from being a Managing Partner at Law firm Lovells and Lord David Currie having experience of business management from eing a Dean of Cass Business School and a past Chairman of OFCOM and he also has sound knowledge of the legal system from being a member of the House of Lords. This places them perfectly for their positions of overseeing the governance of and business management of BDO. 2. 3. Stewardship Theory This theory, which originated from the works of Donaldson (1990), suggests that directors can have motives which are ‘pro-organizational’ and counters the assumption by agency theorists that management aims are based in self-in terest and are not aligned with those of the shareholders. Donaldson even goes as far as to suggest that negative investor assumptions of the management will have the opposite effect to what was intended and can actually weaken the leadership of a company by weakening the management’s authority when splitting the decision making power between the board and the management. Donaldson also put forward the theory that inside managers and directors have possibly spent their lives working for the company they govern and because of this not only have a strong understanding of how the company is ran, therefore are able to make superior decisions, but also they will have naturally built a strong affiliation and personal investment in the success of the company. He also points out that decisions made by a board of outsiders could be of a lower quality because they would not be in a position to fully understand the company because they would not have access to the same informal knowledge sources and would lack any information which could inform them of the contextual nature of any business situations. All this in turn could lead to low firm performance (Nicholson and Kiel, 2007). As was stated earlier, BDO has a LT which is made up of partners who have been working for the company in a particular field and have been a partner for a number of years. The field they are responsible for as part of the LT is relevant to the field they have been previously working in, for example the Head of Audit and Tax, Paul Eagland has been a Tax Partner for 17 years. This ensures that any decisions that are being made are informed with the necessary knowledge to make the correct decision for the company. Also, as has been stated previously working for the company has long has built a strong affiliation to the company and its success. With regards to the non-executive director element of the board, it is made up of both independent members who come from outside the company (such as mentioned previously) and Directors such as the Senior Partner who has been with the company for a number of years, this allows for any gaps in the knowledge of the directors to be covered because there is an overlap between the meetings of the LT and the Partner Council when the Senior Partner sits in on LT meetings as an affiliated non-executive director. This ensures that the company is practicing good governance and that the board cannot be misled by the management as to how the company is being ran and if the interests of the other Partners are being looked after (Transparency Report, 2012). 2. 4. Stakeholder Theory Freeman (1980’s) put forward a whole new idea in terms of corporate governance theories, he argued that it should not simply be just the shareholders’ or partners’ interests which should be considered when making business decisions, he suggested that companies should be ran with the interests of all stakeholders in mind. Other stakeholders include employees, who have invested their time and skills in the company and have an invested interest in the company’s success, in order for them to ensure job security. This, Freeman classes as a direct interest in the success of the company, other direct stakeholders include customers and suppliers. What Freeman classed as having an indirect interest in the performance of the company includes the community as a whole and the environment (Having Their Cake, 2013). There is a major problem with this theory, which is that it is hard to operationalize because it is difficult to decide the weight that should be given to different stakeholders but accepting this difficulty, some theorists have suggested that while ultimately they are accountable to the shareholders, they must take into account the interests of other stakeholders when making decisions. This demand for ‘stakeholder value’ is legitimised through a number of examples, take globalisation; the spread of business and corporations across the world has led to environmental damage, an increase in corporate corruption and excessive executive pay has been, for example with RBS, to come hand-in-hand with company downsizing which has a direct impact on employees. In the name of good corporate governance, the increase in the value of stakeholder interests has led to an increase in business ethic codes and heightened corporate practice visibility and corporate reports of social responsibility and environmental matters (Having Their Cake, 2013). According to BDO’s website and their Transparency Report (2012), the company takes the interests of various stakeholders into account when making decisions about how the business is run, in a number of different ways, through policies and procedures: * Ethical Requirements The company has a Professional Services Manual and an Audit Manual, which contain rules relating to ethical conduct of employees, management and Partners. It is easily accessible on the company intranet and is supplemented with training and is designed to comply with International and UK Ethics Standards. The Partners and staff sign annual declarations as to their compliance to the code and the company has an Ethics Partner who is tasked with providing guidance as to correct ethics and also with maintaining compliance. * Client Relationships BDO has 5 core values which all partners and staff are committed to, they are; honesty and integrity, taking personal responsibility, mutual support and strong and personal client relationships. To aid in these values and to help deliver a quality service to clients, the company has robust client and engagement procedures. They carry out risk assessments on every potential client, before signing a contract and this helps to ensure that not only is the company secure but also that they provide the client with the sufficient standard and amount of staff they are in need of. The HR department also has clear policies and procedures when it comes to recruitment in training, to ensure the company has a sufficient number of staff who are competent and meet the required ethical standards, all in the name of providing a quality service to clients. * Employee Relationships BDO have an inclusive culture when it comes to recruitment and training and development, it provides every staff member with the same opportunities to progress regardless of differences. They have strong policies and procedures regarding regular reviews, which are performed bi-annually. They also seek to adopt the most relevant recruitment selection tools, in order to ensure the fit and quality of those joining the company. They also provide employees with ‘learning maps’ and ‘career and performance wheels’, which helps with career development and ensures promotions only occur when the staff member is ready. This all aids in the success of the company. * Corporate Social Responsibility BDO actively support and develop the local community, they have an established network of over 20 champions in the UK, tasked with â€Å"stimulating local ideas and initiatives† to help developing the community. They have a Community Volunteering Policy, allowing employees to take 6 days a year to volunteer, and they are not restricted to volunteer at certain organisations. It can be whatever is important to them. BDO ensure the negative impact their business has on the environment is minimised and have an Environmental Policy which can be accessed at the follow address: http://www. bdo. uk. com/about-us/corporate-social-responsibility/environment. Considering this, it could be said that with regards to ‘stakeholder value’ BDO practices good corporate governance. . BDO Governance in Practice 3. 1. Transparency Report Due to the EU’s 8th Directive on transparency reporting being adopted, in April 2008 the Professional Oversight Board published the Statutory Auditors (Transparency) Instrument (2008), requiring auditors of companies with a public interest to publish annual transparency reports. It also detailed requirements that such reports must meet, including systems of q uality control, independence practices and procedures and information about the company, i. e. he structure and the management. The BDO Transparency Report (2012) is available at: http://static. bdo. uk. com/assets/documents/2012/09/Transparency_Report_for_the_52_weeks_ended_29_June_2012. pdf . Transparency reports are used to demonstrate the quality of audit processes and practices of a company and are also used to encourage a high level of confidence and trust from stakeholders and the business community. BDO also provided a statement of compliance with the Audit Firm Governance Code (2010), which can be seen in Appendix A. The transparency includes details of the Governance Structure of the UK Firm, including the management and implementation of independent non-executive directors, the values of the company, the Internal Quality Control System, the Risk Management Control System and details the policies and procedures regarding independence, whistleblowing, professional development and partner remuneration. 3. 2. Statement of Compliance with the Audit Firm Governance Code One of the most important aspects of the Transparency Report is the Statement of Compliance with the Audit Firm Governance Code. Some of the key aspects of which include compliance with: * the owner accountability principle- the Partnership Council reviews decisions made by the Leadership Team, the management * the management principle- strategic and operational leadership is provided by the LT * the professionalism principle- the whole firm is committed to quality work and professional judgement and values. The firm’s management and the Head of Risk and Quality reinforce the appropriate ‘tone at the top’, instilling professional and ethical values in the firm. BDO employees are expected to comply with an internal code of conduct * the Involvement of independent non-executives principle- BDO appointed Independent Non-Executives in July 2008, comply with the same independence requirements as our partners and employees and they have sufficient experience and expertise to command the respect of the partners * the Compliance Principle- BDO have policies and procedures to ensure they comply with professional standards and applicable legal and regulatory requirements * the whistleblowing policy- all actions arising out of incidents of whistleblowing, are reported to the Head of Risk and Quality who will make an annual report the Internal Reporting Principle- LT, Partnership Council, Audit Committee and Risk Committee are supplied with information in a timely manner and in a form and of a quality which enables them to discharge their duties * the Financial Statements Principle- BDO publish annual audited financial statements in accordance with UK GAAP While BDO provide a very clear statement about how compliant they are with regards to the Audit Firm Governance Code, we must look at the FRC’s ‘BDO LLP- Audit Quality Inspection, 2013’ which considered the corporate governance compliance of BDO in order to get a true understanding of their standard of corporate governance compliance. 3. 3. FRC Annual Review of BDO The FRC found that in most areas there were appropriate policies and procedures in place for its size and client base and they found that all the statements that were made in the Transparency Report were consistent with their understanding of BDO’s policies and procedures of the firm. However, when the FRC reviewed the audits BDO carried out themselves on other companies, they found that a number of governance codes were not being adhered to: * Firstly, they were not always providing a high standard of quality auditing, failing to challenge explanations and inputs from managers, they did not always report the disclosure deficiencies which were identified to the Audit Committee and there was a lack of adequate communication with the Audit Committee with regards to inaccurate information, which led to safeguards that had been put in place not being properly assessed. Secondly, the FRC found that the audits were not always being reviewed thoroughly enough and audit quality issues and omissions in reports were not being identified. * Thirdly, BDO were found to not have complied fully with ethical standards in a number of different ways; * The business plan inferred that fees should be set lower if non-audit fees are likely to be earned, this goes against their own required ethical standards and their own * Performance evaluation criteria including the cross-selling of non-audit services * The list of entities which partners held shares and could generate a conflict of interests was not up to date. A more robust set of procedures was suggested to ensure that this list was kept up to date in future Lastly, the Internal Quality Review was not of a high enough standard, it did not provide a sufficient level of detail and clarity of explanations of significant findings. 4. Conclusion We can see that BDO go to great lengths to try and ensure that they are fully compliant with corporate governance codes and regulations, not only with their policies and procedures a nd the way the company is managed but also with governance structure of the company and the values and focus of the aims and objectives of the company. They also have a strong focus on transparency and ethics within in their business and this is linked to their value of providing great customer client relationships with professionalism, honesty and integrity. They also go to great lengths to aid the companies with which they work, in complying with corporate governance codes, again this is all in the name of developing excellent quality and trustworthy client relationships, in order to maintain and improve the success of their business. However, as we can see from the FRC review, there are gaps in their governance compliance, in particular with internal reporting and ethical standards, but it will have to be seen in the coming years of reviews if the increase in transparency and an even greater focus on corporate governance will lead to BDO closing such gaps. 5. 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