Air Pollution Essay Example for Free

Air Pollution Essay The use of automobiles in our society today is as normal as waking up every morning and taking a shower. We are so dependent on the use of automobiles that we could not see ourselves without them, but we might have to start to consider one day not using them. Driving a car is the single most polluting thing that most of us does today or may be this might not be so true anymore. Now this is not a new problem, we have been discussing automobiles causing air pollution for decades, but what is new is the amount of air pollution that is being formed from our automobiles. Since air pollution from automobiles is rapidly increasing people need to learn what we have done in the past to try and change it, what is coming out of our automobiles, have we done all we can to prevent it, or can we do more to help preserve our planet. Now people have been talking about cars and air pollution for years and years, and it may seem as if we are still in the same place we were decades ago, but what most do not know is that we have actually tried and accomplished to decrease it. In 1988 The Clean Air Act was passed. It was to decrease emission levels of Carbon Monoxide and other gases, imposes regulation onto businesses to meet certain limits of pollution output for the products they develop. Within the next several years, the Act’s primary goals were to: 1. Decrease automobile pollution by 60% 2. Decrease industrial plant toxic air emissions by 90%; 3. Supply cleaner gasoline in already –polluted cities; 4. Decrease sulfur dioxide (acid rain) emissions from coal;-burning electrical plants by 50%. In order to meet these limits, automobile manufactures had to try to make significant developments to decrease emissions and increase fuel-efficiency. They are still striving to produce vehicles with emission levels ranging from half the current average car level to zero emissions (Andrew Waterman). Cars do not just sit there on the road and cause air pollution; the emissions from the car while it is running cause it. The problem is, is that we resort to using gasoline for our source of power. When we ordinary gasoline ,which is what we all use when we will up our gas tanks, we are burning cheap, ordinary gasoline that gives off three primary pollutants : Hydrocarbons (HC), Carbon Monoxide(CO), and Nitrogen oxides (NO). These products contribute mostly to smog and the ozone in cities such as Los Angeles, California (Andrew Waterman). Now ozone is not in fuels and/or is it a by-product of combustion, it is formed in the atmosphere through a complex set of chemical reactions involving hydrocarbons (HC), oxides of nitrogen, and sunlight. In typical urban areas (like Los Angeles) at least half of those pollutants come from cars, buses, and trucks. This is because it is so populated so the use of automobiles much higher than most other cities, and the cause of that is the city being covered in smog more than 70% of the time (Michael Bright). Now when most people hear the word hydrocarbon, or carbon monoxide, many would say that they do not know what they are or consist of. This is a problem because this is the stuff that is coming out of our Mercedes-Benz, BMWs, and trucks since we all drive those these days. Now hydrocarbon is any of numerous organic compounds, such as benzene and methane that contains only carbon and hydrogen. Now it doesn’t seem like it would be bad, but carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, highly poisonous gas, CO, formed by the incomplete combustion of carbon or a carbonaceous material, such as gasoline. And Nitrogen Oxides are NOx Chemical compounds of nitrogen and oxygen; produced primarily from the combustion of fossil fuels, they contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone. Now these three chemicals are the main chemicals that are causing air pollution and the word â€Å"poisonous gas† doesn’t sound like its helping our problem (Answers. com Those three harsh chemicals are not all that effect air pollution, smog is also another huge one. Smog’s unpleasant properties result from the irradiation by sunlight of hydrocarbons caused primarily by unburned gasoline emitted by automobiles and other combustion sources. Smog is created by burning coal and heavy oil that contain sulfur impurities in automobiles, and forms of transportation. The smog consists mostly of a mixture of sulfur dioxide and fog. Suspended droplets of sulfuric acid are formed from some of the sulfur dioxide, and a variety of suspended solid particles. This smog is common during the winter in cities that are highly populated because the use of automobiles is a lot higher than other cities (answers. com) when major cites burned large amounts of heavy oil without control of the output, large-0scale problems were witnessed such as in 1952, even thought it was over 50 years ago, we still have problems due to it, in London, England 4,000 people died. They died as a result of that form of fog A. K. A Smog. Now the problem is better today, heavy oil is burned only in large boilers and with reasonably good control and/or tall smokestacks so that industrial smog is less of a problem, but some major countries still burn large quantities of oil without using adequate controls (Tom Socha). Since we know what is coming out of our automobiles, we should also know that it is affecting our schools, elementary, middle and even high schools, especially those near highways even more. One in three U. S. public schools is in the â€Å"air pollution danger zone†. 30% of American public schools are within 400 meters, or a quarter mile, of major highways that consistently serve as main truck and traffic routes. The worst part about this study is that it is believed to be the first study of highly populated highways next to schools ever. This basically means that our children have been going to school where air pollution is at its highest, and no one has noticed or done anything about this problem. Major roads play an important role in the economy, but we need to strike a balance between economic and health considerations as we break ground on new areas. † It is almost as if no matter how we try to improve emissions coming out of automobiles, it doesn’t matter because populations keep growing, and major highways keep getting built (Amanda Harper). With the population increase daily and the growth of major highways taking place daily it is hard to imagine that air pollution from automobiles could be decreased. What most do not realize is that it has and is still decreasing. Today’s vehicles are 80 to 99 percent cleaner per mile that vehicles produced in the late 1960’s, even though since 1970, the number of vehicle miles traveled nationwide has increased by 159 percent, from 1. 1 trillion in 1970 to 2. 87 trillion in 2002 ( clean air program reports). Industries have been making significant improvements compared to the 1960’s, when no attempt was made to limit automotive air pollution before that. Even though the number of automobiles on the road is increasing by the year, still the emissions from cars have decreased the production of air pollution. Hydrocarbon emissions are down almost 98% from the 1960’s levels, while Carbon monoxide levels are down 96%, and nitrogen oxides are down 90%. Smog and air qualities levels are changing for the better in most major cities, but not 100%. The pollution from automobiles is actually coming from only a small group of â€Å"grossly polluting†, newer cars, however, as about 10% of cars on the roes are accounting for 50% of all harmful emissions put out by automobiles. Studies now show that, in fact, automobiles are becoming less of the major contributor to air pollution, but yet are still causing a lot of it (Andrew waterman). Though air pollution from cars has decreased by a lot over the last couple of decades, there are still things we can do to decrease it even more. Further exhaust emission controls for vehicles are approaching the limit of technology, and the only way to ensure healthy air is to markedly reduce our use of cars or to switch to cleaner fuels. Some fuels inherently cleaner than gasoline because they emit less nitrogen oxides or hydrocarbons that are less likely to react in the atmosphere to a form of ozone. These fuels include alcohols, electricity, natural gas, and liquid petroleum (propane). Basic changes in the composition of gasoline itself also can reduce emissions of most air toxics. Unless we dramatically reduce the amount of pollution that newer vehicles emit in actual use or drastically cut back on the amount we drive them, smog free is will continue to be non-existent in major cities (Michael bright). At the same time, with government legislation, increasing knowledge of the bigger picture, and the ability to profit from shifts toward less pollution, the harmful effects of emissions could/ will eventually be abandoned due to people wanting cleaner, safer, and more efficient means of gaining energy from nature (Andrew waterman). By every day that passes, automobiles pollute the air, may be not as much as they did decades ago, but they still do. The three major pollutants are hydrocarbon, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, which are major reasons as to why air pollution is accruing. Now unless we completely change our form of gasoline or just stop using automobiles than we will keep having air pollution affects us. We now know what we have done in the past to try and change it, what is coming out of our automobiles, have we done all we can to prevent it, and the answer is that we have not done all we can to prevent it, because it we did than there would be no reason to talk about air pollution from automobiles because it would be known existent.

Pit Bull Law In Ontario Essay Example for Free

Pit Bull Law In Ontario Essay The pit bull law is a touch and go law, it is one of those laws that doesn’t get enforced until this dog actually does something that would get it attention of the police, in which case they would take your pit bull away from you and put it down. Most people blame the bad reputation of pit bulls on bad owners, Pit bulls have been known as bad dogs since criminals started adopting them in the 70’s-80’s and using them in illegal dog fights and self defense dogs to protect drugs and money usually, pit bulls are very intimidating dogs that’s why they where chosen for all this stuff. Tons of sources and people all say that pit bulls make amazing family dogs, numerous people say that the key to a good dog is a good and loving owner, and make a great family dog that are good with kids and other animals only if trained right. The law is also hurting people too, there are a lot of pit bull breeders that are now not legally aloud to breed the only breed they know how to breed which is a violation of there rights. The government cant make you get rid of a pit bull you already own but there are very strict guidelines as to take care and keep these dogs away from society. The bill should be appealed, all dogs bite. Just these dogs need special attention just like every other dog to be a good dog. First of all the big reason why there is a ban on pit bull breeding and ownership of pit bulls is because of the bad reputation that they have accumulated over the past 40 or so years one of the first uses of the pit bull was to fight bears and bulls and stuff and people used that as entertainment, after that got banned for being rules as cruel to animals they came up with a new sport for the dogs which was to pin them up against each other in a pit for a fight to the death and people would bid money on the winners and ect†¦ the dogs where bred to kill. But it was made very illegal very fast and banned in all 52 states and Canada. That breed was very dangerous, but since the 80’s making that killer breed was illegal so that pure killing machine isn’t really around anymore but you cant take it all out of the gene, but it can be easily controlled with proper training and a loving owner. But that’s not always the case bad people do get there hands on these dogs to often and treat them with no respect, love or care and give don’t them proper obedience training. â€Å"Many of the pit bull attacks are due to a skyrocketing number of poorly bred and badly trained dogs raised by backyard breeders, who are trying to cash in on the pit bull’s growing reputation as a cheap, but deadly effective guard dog, particularly in urban areas.† This is a quote from The Houston Chronicle placing the blame almost solely on the humans. Before the 80’s pit bull attacks where almost unheard of in fact there where an American icon along with bull dogs. Pit bulls where used on military poster for the first world war and in other posters, the pit bull was in a lot of households across America. The second topic would be how this law in Ontario has affected people’s jobs in breeding. Because of the new law breeders that have perfected there breed and only have knowledge in the pit bull breed, now that that has been taken away from them it is violating there rights as people, they have been stripped of there jobs because of an unfair law that has no reason to even be a law. Ontario breeders argue the ban violates breeders constitutional rights. Hundreds of supporters of pit bull-type dogs gathered in front of the provincial legislature to protest. Other supporters, including the American Staffordshire Club of Canada, say that Ontarios law is so vague and unscientific that it will affect many animals that shouldnt be banned. In a widely reported case, Toronto police fired more than a dozen bullets into two pit bulls that had turned on the man who was walking them as a favor for a friend. In another in London, Ont., a woman and her seven-year-old son watched in horror as a pit bull latched onto her husbands arm as he tried to keep the family puppy out of the dogs reach. While some breeders are fighting the ban, others are leaving the province. Pit bulls arent really an identifiable breed, added Hillier, so the law only provides a physical description of dogs, which he said could be applied to many breeds. The vague description of pit bulls in the legislation — which speaks of broad shoulders, short hair and a wide forehead Pit bull bans are ridiculous and cruel, she added, and have already been lifted in other provinces, many U.S. states and countries around the world. Everyone knows its the deed, not the breed, thats the problem. We know that German shepherds, we know that Labrador retrievers, we know that Chihuahuas are as capable of biting, or more capable of biting, as so-called pit bulls. What is trying to be said here is that there is no actually law on the breed of pit bulls its just a description and a very vague one at that, This law is very un organized, pit bulls are getting shipped out of Ontario and being pit down even when there not full pit bulls, they are mixes that fit the description. The original Bill 132 was passed on March 1, 2005, and received Royal Assent on March 9, 2005.The Bill prohibits individuals from owning, breeding, transferring, importing or abandoning pit bulls. Now that its 2012 the law has almost been considered being lifted completely it has in other provinces, Ontario is basically the only province that has not lifted it in Canada, and hopefully they let up soon, its unfair to all the breeders and pit bull lovers out there. In conclusion the Pit Bull has had a bad reputation since the mid 19 hundreds between the illegal dog fights and all the gangsters and terrible breeders using these dogs for attack dogs and to protect drugs, and money, and for intimidation, and ect. But truth is that killer breed has been gone for awhile now, its basically just mixes out there from bad breeders with bad owners, there is no such thing as a â€Å"bad† dog, every dog is capable of biting and being viscous, the pit bull is capable of being a good dog, pit bull owners all say, there dog is great with there kids and family and even strangers, other dogs are touchy but can be contained with proper training. Also it putting good breeders out of a job is unfair because they can be breeding great dogs not even the killer ones. It violates their rights and they have been fighting for them back since 2005. The Law is cruel and unusual and should be lifted. Work Cited 1.Arland Kent, pit bulls fighting there historical bad rep, April 2010, www.streetdirectory.com 2. Mrgrimwig, Why do pit bulls attack?, august 12, 2011, www.mrgrimwig.hubpages.com 3. Unknown, 10 common misconceptions about pit bulls. Febuary 10th, 2009, www.dogster.com 4. CBC news team, Pit bull ban begins, August 29th 2005, www.CBC.ca 5. Aaron Hall, Pitbull ban close to being lifted, February 24th 2012, www.ckdp.com

Post Bureaucracy And Network Society

Post Bureaucracy And Network Society Organisations around the world have changed their structures, the internal managerial strategies in order to survive within a competitive market and hence evolved to best suit the external environment they operate in. Every organisation in todays time has to be profitable in order to be in business and therefore it must organise its structure, (Grahame .F. Thompson 2003 Oxford University Press). In the 21st century a revolution of globalisation, Information technology and cultural change has made corporate organisations to re-think and re-structure themselves to better suit the needs of workers, employers, consumers and the future of the company as a whole. There has been a social change in the division of labour and concepts of Post Fordism and flexible specialisation has come up in the last quarter of a century, (Tony J. Watson 2003 Routledge). In this essay we will see the shift from factory type bureaucracy towards a network society and the emergence of post bureaucratic organisa tions in todays economy which is based on knowledge and innovation. But this leaves us with an argument that is a post bureaucratic organisational form predominant in the network society/knowledge based economy? In the latter part of this essay we see some evidence of bureaucracy and its elements still present in Network Organisations. To understand this and come to a reasonable conclusion we must know what are bureaucratic organisation, post bureaucratic organisations and network organisations. As we know that bureaucracy is a highly structured system of administration it was seen in the late 1920s as being highly successful in the era of capitalist and mass production and administrative complexity. Thus, due to its nature of being machine like it ignored moral, ethical and emotional values and was efficient. The control and co-ordination of work task through a hierarchy of appropriately qualified office holders, whose authority derives from their expertise and who rationally, devise a system of rules and procedures are calculated to provide the most appropriate means of achieving specified ends. (Tony J. Watson, 2003, Routledge, sociology, work and industry fourth edition, pg-86). Bureaucracy had a hierarchy and decision making which flowed from top level managers to low level skilled and unskilled workers. In Weber ideal model Weber argued that without a proper filing system the bureaucratic organisation would fail and many organisations followed that and had highly secre tive filing systems. Managers and workers were allocated task according to technical expertise. There was a framework of rules to be followed for the production and functions to be carried out. Decisions made were not affected by emotions or personal preferences but defined by system of rules and under the official jurisdictional area. But the ideal form is for us to understand that it is unachievable but through which reality can be compared. (Tony J. Watson, 2003, Routledge). Bureaucracy is a concept of sociology and political science and can be seen in many government agencies, large manufacturing firms, hospitals, and many academic institutions, (Reference). As the government of states grew larger during the modern period, modern bureaucracies arose and especially following the Industrial Revolution, (Osborne David and Gaebler Ted, 1993, Plume). The major changes which gave rise to the factory system was that the workforce of labour shifted from hand production such as working i n the fields to a power driven machinery system. This revolution made division of labour more complicated, hierarchy gave managers more control, superior supervision and coercive authority, enabled capitalist to take greater reward, moral machinery was introduced to break the resistance from employees, and reduction of skill on which workers relied caused a reduced labour cost, (Paul Thompson and David McHugh, 2009, Palgrave Macmillan). (Give Examples of British companies as well as worldwide) Bureaucracy was at its height with the rise of the factory system. It was transforming organisations into technically superior system of administration and production. Coordination between man and the machine and with the introduction of the assembly line everything changed. Organised and detailed planning were the key features of Technical superiority. Rationality helped large firms achieve more out of the workers by allowing them to do simplified work in a formalised manner to achieve efficiency and limit the decision making power to the top down hierarchy. Limiting workers decision making and increasing efficiency by ground rules clearly defined without personal prejudice and emotional values. Control was achieved by reducing and restricting vital information and knowledge lead to more direct control from the management. Organisations used bureaucratic structures not only to retain the most earning but many of its features benefited the workers, there was job security, grievances procedures and demarcation, etc. This wave caused the workers something to look forward to and see the organisation in a positive manner, (Paul Thompson and David McHugh, 2009, Palgrave Macmillan). Taylorism and Fordism Taylors principles were based on bureaucracy and the phenomena were called scientific management. This was a typical example where an organisation was successful at the time when bureaucracy was at its heights. This was not an ideal type Webers model but it saw social aspects of the organisation where employees were also benefited but the big chunk of profit was taken by organisation. Employees were given specialised routine tasks and which being mechanised with proper coordination of human work effort led to Scientific management. It had a success with organised labour; in which manager had a concept of soldiering on the employee because Taylor thought that it is a tendency for men to take it easy without proper supervision. He had one best way of organising work. In counties like France and Britain experiments on Taylors scientific management started taking place, his ideas of time study and piece rate working gave rise to Taylorism, (Thompson and McHugh, 2009, Palgrave Macmillan). One of the models of Taylorism states that an official can work his way up the career hierarchy within a few years from being a simple worker to a middle level manager and even in some cases as high as the top management. This was the minimum interaction model describe by littler (1982), (Tony J. Watson, 2003, Routledge). In many parts of Britain and Europe Bedeaux system came through and Sweden and Germany followed districting paths but were influenced by Taylorism, (Thompson and McHugh, 2009, Palgrave Macmillan). Henry ford was Fordism became popular after the assembly line was introduced in factory working which increased efficiency many folds. This was the era of mass production were the employees were consumers and part of the market. What made the car factories a success were his detailed supervision, planning management strategies and close supervision. Ford gave his employees something to look forward to in terms of material benefits such as incentives, high wages, and could have a ford car of their own in a number of years. This made them loyal and a sense of trust emerged, (Tony J. Watson, 2003, Routledge). Post Bureaucracy and Network Society Post Bureaucratic organisations emerged when organisations found it difficult to cope up with strict rules and defined boundaries of the bureaucratic structure. With the introduction of advance technology being used in the modern age the organisational structure has changed in many large-scale industries. The age of mass production seemed to be over and highly specialised customer need analysis had to be done. During the time of Henry ford cars were produced in bulk which was standard in its appearance, style and technology. Nowadays we have entered the 21st century where cars are customised according to the needs of a specific customer. We have shifted from a factory type mass production to a customer oriented knowledge based economy where many authors believe bureaucracy is of the past. The ideal type of post bureaucratic structure has more of a dialog based and discussion rather than commands given where individual expertise is given credit. Here we see flat hierarchy which was ne eded in network society to work efficiently on project based process and group tasks, (Heckscher .C, Donnellon .A, 1994, Sage Publications). The changes that are prominent in the network form of organisation are that there are workers and groups with flat hierarchy who take decisions based on their knowledge and expertise. There are team based group doing projects and working together either from the office or from other sites. Networks have proved a useful alternative conception in analysing how a range social activity is organised and governed at a number of levels, (Graham .F. Thompson, 2003, Oxford university press). In modern organisations the concept of flat organisational structure has been introduced and work has been divided into many groups and teams of professional workers, where a set of employees take decisions at various levels of the work process. This also contributes to the innovation where employees have the freedom to make decisions and exercise their expertise. M ost of the employees are treated with formal equality and joint membership in the network organisation, (Graham .F. Thompson, 2003, Oxford university press). Basically what the author is trying to say is that network organisations gave more freedom to work and a sense of equality amongst the workers and employees. This can be seen in highly value added services, like education, medicine, law firms etc. The Network organisations are based on a high trust culture; it has low level of formal division of labour. Networks developed as business shifted from bureaucratic system to a more flexible system because organisations had to survive in the age of technology, innovation and globalisation. The rise of post bureaucratic structure was thought to be due to three major factors such as globalisation, information technology and cultural change. Globalisation caused high degree of competition as the markets to expand and overstretch national boundaries. Many organisations opened branches in other countries and corporate culture was born. This was the era of professionals where knowledge and networking were given importance. Because bureaucratic structures could not cope up with change and adaptability Post bureaucratic organisations had more flexible control process and were more proactive towards its environment. Making connections and providing service was part of almost every organisation regardless of its size and nature. Another major change that gave rise to Post bureaucracy was the change of technology and innovation. Information technology is required for an organisation to stay in business without communication and innovation a business cannot survive in long term. Some people suggest that culture also influenced Post bureaucratic rise in the network organisation. Consumers are given importance in the network society is based on consumerism, relativism and individualism, unlike in the bureaucratic structure, (Manuel Castells, 2000, Blackwell Publishers). Evidence of Post Bureaucratic Forms in Network Organizations (Castells, Journals) Many authors such as Castells suggest that post bureaucratic systems are the only way of the future of the knowledge based economy. This is a very hardcore and too optimistic approach yet we see that a pure bureaucratic organisational structure has failed to adapt into a network society. We know that due to change in administration in knowledge based economy bureaucracy has been replaced by a more flexible and adaptable organisational structure. Social, technological and economic change, multi-tasking work and the need for analysing data at different levels has shifted network society to engage the workers with high trust, empowerment, de-centralised decision making in knowledge economy, (Give Examples).Many organisations stared de-bureaucratizing because Webers concept of control was seen as an exercise of control on the basis of knowledge but in network organisations there had to a freedom to exercise indirect control where employees would practise self discipline and very less s upervision was needed. They had to exchange information and knowledge to be innovative which meant being proactive towards the environment for a long-term survival for the organisation. The concept of disagree to agree is used as friendly constructive discussion for decision making. We know that through empowerment high performance work systems are possible which has shifted from a factory type system where one could not act out of the official jurisdiction of their job description. In many value added organisations empowerment given to employees can lead to success of the firm/company (give example). (Paul Du Gay, 2005, Oxford University Press). Total quality management and customer satisfaction are relatively new methods of the Post-Bureaucratic structure which are used by organisations in the network society and knowledge based service industry. The famous legend in automobile industry Henry Ford ideas of mass production have shifted to some extent to a customised vehicle for a s pecific customer. An article by John Ovretiveit showed that TQM was applied to many hospitals and clinics across Europe became widespread since the 1990s. This method helps organisations deliver better quality control and customer satisfaction essential in knowledge based economy, (John Ovretiveit, 13/2 [200] 74-79, International Journal of health care quality assurance). TQM has been seen as a useful tool but many experts believe that it is difficult to evaluate and is difficult to implement. Whereas we see that in bureaucracy implementation and supervision were regarded highly and Taylors scientific management made it easy for firms to implement policies and evaluate them according to tasks specified to workers according to their official jurisdiction. As Richard Sennett says that there are three deficits of structural change are loyalty, informal trust and adaptive information faced by firms trying to de-bureaucratise, (Richard Sennett, 2004, Yale University Press). Evidence of Bureaucratic elements still present in Network Organizations (Reed M, Journals) Many Organisations have started to re-bureaucratize because there is a problem with the high trust, empowerment, shared responsibility and personal treatment. The concept of re-bureaucratizing has been discussed by many authors that instead of organisations shifting from bureaucracy they simply clean up the bureaucracy in their organisation (Heckscher .C, Donnellon .A, 1994, Sage Publications). Webers Ideal model of bureaucracy can be re-theorized to include any non-contradictory attributes. His ideal type thus cannot yield a clear distinction between bureaucratic and post-bureaucratic organizations, unless bureaucracy is flattened into hierarchy, and post-bureaucratic into non-hierarchical. But hierarchy cannot be eliminated from complex organizations, and bureaucracy can be re-theorized to include any non-contradictory attributes. (Harro M. Hoopfl, Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 19 No. 1, 2006, 8-21, Emerald Group Publishing Limited). Charles Heckscher, the author of The Post-Bureaucratic Organisation talks about the theory of contingency, which is clearly not bureaucratic in nature. The best form of organisational structure should be that which suits the environmental complexities and uncertainty when organisations shift to knowledge based economy. If organisations work under the highly bureaucratised system they would not be able to work effectively, but it is argued that bureaucratic forms have a greater capacity mobilising human energy and cooperation. The author of Lost in translation Simon Norton suggests that Anglo-American approaches of new public management may not be suitable and elements of bureaucracy are still present in public sectors in Japan. The finding of the research is that such systems are popular and work for countries like USA and UK. The findings also suggest that Japanese organisations give priority to the long term survival of firms and its group rather than thinking for individual perfor mance and benefit, for example through reward mechanisms for innovation and demonstration of personal initiative, are at odds with the Japanese tradition of amae and Confucianism; instead, reformers should evolve reform policy around the concept of groupism (Koh, 1989). (Simon Norton, 2007, Emerald Group Publishing Limited). This research shows us that Although Japan being technologically advance it still values its culture and traditions indicates elements of bureaucracy which means that even after entering a knowledge based environment flat hierarchy may not be so suitable as perceived by many authors. In some organisations in network society direct control is being observed in which employees are monitored and supervised. Another finding by Rachel Parker and Lisa Bradley suggests that bureaucratic values within public sector organisations are prominent although there is an evidence of changing economic trend and new public management is emerging. The control and hierarchy in publ ic sectors show a reverse of what post bureaucratic values impose in an organisation. The employees viewed the monitoring and quality management systems as bureaucratic. Public sector organisations have been motivated less by financial considerations than by political considerations, including the public interest, (Perry Rainey 1988). (Rachel Parker and Lisa Bradley, The Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration, Vol 26, No 2 (December, 2004) 197-215). The transition towards a post-bureaucratic society is evident but the process is slow and cannot leave behind elements of bureaucracy as we have not entered a fully knowledge based economy. This is not a claim by me but, in my opinion it is like two sides of the same coin where elements of both bureaucracy and post bureaucracy are present in the modern knowledge based economy and a hybrid form emerges.

Witchcraft Ideas And Their Parallels Across The World :: essays research papers fc

Witchcraft is said to be the most widespread cultural phenomenon in existence today and throughout history. Even those who shun the ideas of witchcraft cannot discount the similarities in stories from all corners of the globe. Witchcraft and its ideas have spread across racial, religious, and language barriers from Asia to Africa to America. Primitive people from different areas in the world have shockingly similar accounts of witchcraft occurrences. In most cases the strange parallels cannot be explained and one is only left to assume that the tales hold some truth. Anthropologists say that many common elements about witchcraft are shared by different cultures in the world. Among these common elements are the physical characteristics and the activities of supposed witches. I will go on to highlight some of the witch characteristic parallels found in printed accounts from different parts of the world and their comparisons to some famous fairytales. First of all, throughout many cultures, physical characteristics associated with witches ring strangely the same. Anthropologist Philip Mayer says that witches typically bear a physical stigma, like a red eye for example (Mayer 56). In the Brother's Grimm fairytale "Hansel and Gretel," the witch shares this same beastly characteristic. Also, people usually cast off as witches are typically always old women. In Slovakia, Milan Mramuch accused his elderly neighbor of witchcraft and allegedly beat the old woman to death (Whitmore). In "Hansel and Gretel" the witch who lives in the tempting, candy house is an old crippled woman and in the Brother's Grimm fairytale "Snow White," the witch who was an elegant queen, performs her craft disguised as an old peasant woman. A second characteristic of witches - and what witches are most commonly known for - is that they cause horrible misfortune to their neighbors and others close to them. Death, sickness, and weather disasters are examples of natural occurrences that witches cause are often blamed for, especially when the occurrences seem strange or out of the ordinary. They can cause this harm simply by willing it to happen. "The witch only has to wish you harm, and the harm is as good as done" (Mayer 56). In Slovakia, Mramuch, who killed his neighbor Anna Tomkova, did so because he suspected the woman of casting a spell on his granddaughter. It was the only answer Mramuch had to counter his granddaughter's sudden suffering of epileptic seizures (Whitmore). In South Africa, Mmatiou Thantsa was accused of witchcraft and summoning lightning (Keller).

The Perception of African Americans in the Media and How it Affects The

The Perception of African Americans in the Media and How it Affects Their Self-Identity There has been much debate over the perception of African Americans in the media and how it affects their self-identity. It is easy to find examples of bias in portraying African Americans, but not a lot of causal research to prove that it causes problems with self-identity. A case can even be made that the amount of media presence by African Americans, whether biased or un-biased, has greatly helped to unify and give voice to a small minority group. The role of the media in the social identity of African Americans According to the United States Census Bureau (2001), 12.3% of all people reporting as one race reported they were â€Å"Black or African American†. This ethnic identity is now the second biggest minority in the United States. It also refers to a group of people who have been in this country for as long as it has existed. However, through the persecution of slavery, the rigors of segregation, and the continuing latent prejudice; African Americans are still searching for their true identity. African American Identity Just as children that were adopted tend to long for a true identity most of their lives, so is the plight of the African American. Stolen from their homeland and forced into enslavement in a new country, African Americans were basically victims of identity theft. Although much progress has been made in the way of an American identity for African Americans, a true identity has not yet been found. According to W.E.B DuBois (1903) â€Å"The history of the American Negro is the history of this strife—this longing to attain self-conscious manhood, to merge his double self into a better and truer self†. (p. 68) Many African Americans feel the same as Kali Tal (1996) when she says, â€Å"After the Egyptian and Indian, the Greek and Roman, the Teuton and Mongolian, the Negro is a sort of seventh son, born with a veil, and gifted with second-sight in this American world – a world which yields him no true self-consciousness, but only lets him see himself through the revelation of the other world.† She also states, â€Å"One ever feels his twoness – an American, a Negro, two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled arrives; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.† A quick look at American histor... ...ly 25, 2004 from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/aaworld/timeline/early_01.html Tal, K. (1996) The Unbearable Whiteness of Being: African American Critical Theory and Cyberculture The Kali Tal Homepage Retrieved July 25 fromhttp://www.freshmonsters.com/kalital/Text/Articles/whiteness.html U.S. Census Bureau (2001) Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin. Census 2000 Website Retrieved July 25, 2004 from http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2001/cb01cn61.html Woods, K. M. (1995) An Essay on a Wickedly Powerful Word Poynter Online Retrieved July 25, 2004 from http://www.poynter.org/content/content_view.asp?id=5603 Afro-phobic or Afro-publicist 15 Worthy, D. (2004) Cosby’s Rant Reverberates Through the Black Press NCM Retrieved July 25, 2004 from http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id= c3a1cf5b268909dfee0db53722131aee Young African-Americans Against Media Stereotypes (2004) Black Athletes and the Media. YAAMS WEBSITE Retrieved July 25, 2004 from http://www.yaaams.org/blackathletes.shtml Young African-Americans Against Media Stereotypes (2004) The NBA and White Wives. YAAAMS Website Retrieved July 25, 2004 from http://www.yaaams.org/whitewives.shtml

Domestic Violence Program Proposal Essay

Astounding statistics reported by the Children’s Defense Fund, â€Å"An estimated 3 to 4 million women in the United States are battered each year by their partners, In homes where domestic violence occurs, children are seriously abused or neglected at a rate 1500% higher than the national average in the general population, Between 2. 3 and 10 million children are witnesses to family violence, Based on an estimate of 2 children per household, in 55% of violent homes, at least 3. 3 million children in the U. S. are at risk of witnessing domestic violence each year,† (Retrieved, 10/12/2011, http://cdf. hildrensdefense. org). Domestic violence is a crime that affects every member of the family, including children. Many times children remain the silent victims that are abused both physically and psychologically. Family violence creates an environment where children live in constant fear and confusion. They are psychologically torn between the abusive parent and the parent who is subject to the abuse. They are affected in ways that make it hard to establish nurturing bonds with either parent. â€Å"Each year an estimated 3. million children are exposed to violence against their mothers or female caretakers by family members,† (American Psychological Association, Violence and the Family: Report of the APA Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family,1996). According to a recent national survey, only about one quarter of domestic violence is reported to the police, making it difficult to accurately estimate the number of actual victims. The children in families where domestic violence occurs are exposed to violence in various ways and the effects usually manifest themselves much like that of an abused or neglected child. Because they may be direct witnesses to the abuse, many suffer irreversible emotional damage. They may also be in harm’s way themselves, have their lives disrupted by moving or being separated from parents, be used by the batterer to manipulate or gain control over the victim, and they themselves are more likely to be abused. According to a 2006 UNICEF World Report on Violence Against Children, â€Å"Exposure to domestic violence is widespread internationally and it is associated with other forms of child maltreatment. † Children can be direct witnesses to domestic violence; they may see abusive incidents or hear iolence. Children are usually considered secondary victims because they are witness to the violence. This can be harmful psychologically and emotionally. According to a study published in 2003, â€Å"Over 15 million children in the U. S. lived in families where intimate partner violence had occurred at least once in the past year, and seven million children live in families in which severe partner violence occurred,† Whitfield, Anda, Dube, & Felittle (2003), Violent Childhood Experiences and the Risk of Intimate Partner Violence in Adults: Assessment in a Large Health Maintenance Organization. In a 2007 study in the U. S. 38% of incidents of intimate partner violence which involve female victims, children under age 12 were residents of the household,† Catalano & Shannan (2007), Intimate Partner Violence in the United States. Children can be displaced by the domestic violence when they seek shelter along with their abused parent. While statistics are not available globally, many shelters take in children as well as their abused parent. According to a study of domestic violence shelters and services in the U. S. in a single day in 2008, 16,458 children were living in a domestic violence shelter or transitional housing facility, while an additional 6,430 children sought services at a non-residential program. From: The National Network to End Domestic Violence, (2009). Domestic Violence Counts 2008: A 24-hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services. These children see no way out of their situation. They withdraw and become fearful. Depression, aggression and suicide occur in higher instances with the children who are not attended to and left to cope without intervention. In order to help in a proactive capacity; as well as, be a catalyst that will spur on legislature and rights for children in a domestic violence situation, Lighted Pathways is a program that will be implemented in order to support children who live with violence and ensure a better tomorrow. Though it is said that children are resilient, it is imperative for them to be given an opportunity to thrive. Opportunities that allow for the child to create healthy bonds with adult, secure activities with peers, and gain a voice for themselves in a secure and protective environment will be provided. It is the purpose of Lighted Pathways to help the child that was either a witness, or a victim of abuse themselves to, gain extended support through various activities, create lasting bonds with supportive individuals; such as, Big Brother/ Sisters and a familial type unit, extend educational opportunities, introduce the child to community resources and opportunities otherwise unavailable to them, create a peer connection, and obtain free or affordable, long-term counseling. Lighted Pathways is set to create all of these programs utilizing resources from the, U. S.  Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB). Funds will also be rendered from the community, stakeholders, donations, and local funding and volunteerism. It is Lighted Pathways intention to assist the children victims and advocate for them in order to help them overcome, break free of the cycle of violence, and gain positive tools in order to be successful in their future endeavors. Lighted Pathways focuses on the whole child and the development in a multitudnal approach. The initiative will utilize advocates, psychologists, law enforcement agencies, both adult and juvenile, educators, child specialists and community leaders to assist in a preventative, proactive program; as well as, help better adjust those children who are victims. Field Overview and Current Trends In 1994, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges published a â€Å"Model Code on Domestic and Family Violence. † The code was not designed to be used universally, but rather one that should be adapted from state to state. Developed with an advisory committee composed of leaders in the domestic violence field from all over the United States including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, matrimonial lawyers, battered women’s advocates, medical and health care professionals, law enforcement personnel, educators and others, it has helped to create stronger laws and enforceable legislation. The introduction to the code states: â€Å"Family violence is a wrong that needs righting in every state in this country. The key is community commitment to recognize, address and prevent such violence. Effective and enabling legislation is the cornerstone,† (Retrieved, 10/12/2011 http://stopvaw. org). Because violence against women is one of the predominant factors of children as witnesses to IPV or intimate partner violence or domestic violence, the organization’s code has been conjunctively used to make the youngest victims voices heard. Recently, the human rights advocacy groups Rights for Change and Aim for Human Rights have issued a step-by-step handbook for conducting research on violence against women. The manual provides users with a human rights background from which to view violence against women, explains how gather and analyze information about violence against women, and then describes how to use the reports to affect change in the area researched. This research is also being used as a cross reference and manual to guide for children. Domestic violence is a devastating social problem which has lasting impacts on every segment of the population. Each age group, race, ethnicity and class is touched by domestic violence, and many times it goes hidden and unseen. Up until recently, the community and resources have been directed primarily targeted toward adult victims of abuse; however, increased attention is now being focused on the children who witness domestic violence and intimate partner violence. â€Å"Studies estimate that 10 to 20 percent of children are at risk for exposure to domestic violence,† (Carlson, 2000). â€Å"These findings translate into approximately 3. 3 to 10 million children who witness the abuse of a parent or adult caregiver each year,† (Carlson, 1984; Straus and Gelles, 1990). Further research indicates that those children which are exposed to domestic violence are at an increased risk of being abused or neglected themselves. â€Å"A majority of studies reveal there are adult and child victims in 30 to 60 percent of families experiencing domestic violence,† (Appel and Holden, 1998; Edleson, 1999; Jaffe and Wolfe, 1990). This has previously led Social Workers to believe that taking the child from the parental home is necessary, but caution should be given to this action, as new inter-agency research suggests that children are manifesting other problems when displaced. Since children respond differently to domestic violence, professionals are cautioned against assuming that witnessing domestic violence constitutes child maltreatment or child protective services intervention,† (Aron & Olson, 1997; Beeman, Hagemeister & Edelson, 1999; Carter & Schechter, 1997; Findlater & Kelly, 1999; Spears, 200; Whitney and Davis, 1999). Various States are creating legislation that better defines child neglect and includes children who witness domestic violence. â€Å"Expanding the legal definition of child altreatment, however, may not always be the most effective method to address the needs of these children. Communities can better serve families by allocating resources that build partnerships between service providers, child protective services, and the array of informal and formal systems that offer a continuum of services based upon the level of risk present,† (Carter and Schechter, 1997; Edleson, 1999; Spears, 2000). National, State and local initiatives are promoting a more cross agency awareness. With this a collective and more uniformed definition and intolerance of abuse is being coordinated. Promising practices in this cross agency approach has included placing child protective service workers, child advocates and police officers in a supportive service arena. Proactive initiatives such as school awareness programs have been created, cross system protocols and training has also been more available for professionals. Integrated services and resources has become the prime foundation to help the adult victims; as well as the children who suffer domestic violence. A shared goal and collaboration working in a proactive way to prevent violence and the subsequent repercussions is necessary. Problems Faced by Victims â€Å"Children who live with domestic violence face increased risks: the risk of exposure to traumatic events, the risk of neglect, the risk of being directly abused, and the risk of losing one or both of their parents. All of these may lead to negative outcomes for children and may affect their well-being, safety, and stability,† (Carlson, 2000; Edleson, 1999; Rossman, 2001). According to research, childhood problems associated with exposure to domestic violence fall into three primary categories; Behavioral, social and emotional, cognitive and attitudinal, and long term. Each of these categories have a plethora of subcategories such as aggression, anger, withdrawal, self-esteem, bonding, poor peer relations, poor school performance, lack of conflict resolution, no social skills, in adults the symptoms manifest in depression, aggression, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, and even a cycle of abuse and becoming an abuser. Children’s risk levels and reactions to domestic violence exist on a continuum where some children demonstrate enormous resiliency while others show signs of significant maladaptive adjustment,† (Carlson, 2000; Edleson, 1999; Hughes, Graham-Bermann & Gruber, 2001). Assessment of factors that affect the child regarding domestic violence is dependent upon the type of violence, exposure, the coping skills of the child, age, gender and whether or not the child suffered physical or sexual abuse, as well. The scars from Domestic violence tend to last far into adulthood. Adults continue to suffer the consequences of a violent childhood, and society has to pick up the pieces. The cycle states that they are more likely to commit suicide, abuse drugs or alcohol, be unemployed, or commit violence against their own partners. And with this, their children continue the cycle with a new generation of victims and witnesses. Because the child is usually not included unless he or she has been physically inflicted by domestic violence, the problem continues. It is a challenge to demonstrate the need to address the effects on children witnessing domestic violence and begin to establish effective solutions. It is important for advocacy groups and programs to support and nurture the child and gives them a multidimensional, therapeutic program that addresses the whole child, not just the physical or the emotional. Conclusion Domestic violence is the single most frequent cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 (â€Å"Family Violence Prevention Fund Domestic Violence Fact Sheet,† www. endabuse. rg. ) Domestic violence shatters the lives of its victims and diminishes the quality of life for everyone in the community. It is the leading cause of homelessness for women and families. It also can be incredibly traumatic for children who witness it. Focusing on the victimization of the child and the impact it has on their lives both presently and long-term helps to create a more positive outcome for those involved. Intervention and proactive programs such as Lighted Pathways are a start to assist in the rebuilding of the child’s psyche. A child who has a support group and a unit that is stable and nurturing is more likely to flourish and thrive. Success depends on volunteerism, funding and community support. It is also imperative that education, advocacy and legislative progress is made for these youngest victims. The dilemma of domestic violence is still an epidemic that seems to be swept under the rug and the youngest victims tend to have the most silent of voices. Lighted Pathways intentions and purpose is to give voice to these victims, support their needs, and strengthen their lives.

Dividend policy decision Essay

Dividend policy decision is one of the important decisions of corporate finance. A dividend policy should be such that it maximizes the shareholders wealth and provides adequate financing to the firm. A firm with fluctuation dividend policy is considered risky by the investors. (Shim & Siegel, 1998) Usually a stable dividend payout policy is maintained by companies. Leverage which is given by total debt/total assets, is negatively related to the dividend payments, that is higher the leverage in the firms capital lower is the dividend paid. Companies with less debt and sizeable tangible assets usually pay more dividends as it is usually stable. (Aivazian & Cleary, 2003) However, this has been contradicted by the signaling theory which says that the company’s which have high dividend payout ratio tend to be financed by debt and company’s which have low dividend payout ratio are more inclined to be financed by equity. (Chang & Rhee, 1990) The agency theory and tax preference theory suggests that there is a positive relationship between the institutional ownership and the dividend payouts. (Jenson, Solberg & Zorn 1992) However, both numbers of shares owned by institutional investors as well as proportion of institutional ownership does not significantly affect the dividend payout ratio. This is because the companies will not have to enter the capital markets for additional funds if they are owned by institutional investors which mean less compliance procedures and monitoring by the external authorities. On the other hand signaling theory advocates a negative relationship between the proportion of institutional ownership and dividend payments. There is a strong positive relationship between the profitability that is the Return on equity and dividend payments. The return on equity is given by net income/ shareholders equity. The higher the income would mean firms would have more money to distribute as dividends, and this would also convey better performance. (Ho, 2003). A firm with high business risk is inclined to pay lower dividends and the firm with stable earnings and low risk would pay high dividends. This is because the firm would be more likely to go bankrupt than a firm with low business risk as the earnings and liquidity position is not predictable. The agency theory of dividend policy says that there is a negative relationship between fixed asset ratio given by fixed asset by total assets and dividend payout ratio. The more money is blocked in the tangible fixed assets, the less is available to fund short term assets, which can be used as collateral security to finance the short term borrowings. The firms would not be able to have access to short term loan and would therefore depend on the retained earnings to meet the short term requirements. Firms which have high liquid assets would pay more dividends than firms with less liquid assets. Liquidity position of a company is measured by current assets / current liabilities. High cash availability would enable firms pay more dividends. Moreover if the liquidity position is high the probability of bankruptcy also reduces. Large firms would pay more dividends as they would have easy access to capital markets than small firms. As large firms are more diversified and less susceptible to financial distress, they pay more dividends to the shareholders than the smaller firms (Gul & Kealey 1999). The higher the growth opportunities the higher is the possibility of firms distributing low dividends. The profits would be retained by the firms in order to finance the expansion plans. Market to book value ratio is used as a proxy for growth opportunities. Hence, there is a negative ratio between market to book vale and dividend payments. Thus we find that all the factors play a role in formulation dividend policy. Some have significant impact while others factors may not have a considerable effect. Reference: Aivazian, V. , Booth I. , Cleary S. , (2003) Do emerging markets firms follow different dividend policies from the US firms? Journal of financial research, 26(3) pp. 371-387 Chang, R. P. , Rhee, S. G. , (1990) The impact of personal taxes on corporate dividend policy and structural decision, Financial management, 19(2) pp. 21-31 Gul, F. A. , Kealey, B. T. , (1999) Investment opportunity set and corporate debt and dividend policies of Korean companies, Review of quantitative finance and accounting, 13(4) pp. 401-414 Ho, H. , (2003) Dividend Policies in Australia and Japan, International Advances in economic research Jensen, G. , Solberg, D. , Zorn, T. , (1992) Simultaneous determination of insider ownership, debt and dividend policies, Journal of financial quantitative analysis, pp 247-263 Shim, Jae K. , Siegel, Joel G. , (1998) Schaum’s outline of theory and problems of financial management, McGraw-Hill Professional, USA