A New American Society Essay

After the Americans gained independence from Britain in 1783 in the revolution. The colonies began to change their economic, social and political system, and began to write their new constitution that lead to the override of the Articles of Confederation in 1781. The major change the Americans accomplished was the separation from the monarchy. Thomas Paine said â€Å"the nearer any government approaches to a republic the less business there is for a king.† (Common Sense 1776) During the process of a new central government, states became independent with their own central government. However, this would give the central government less power over the 13 states. Another huge change in the colonies was the separation from the church. A preacher stated that under British rule that there was a â€Å"Moral obligation, imposed on the world, to answer the purposes of ambitious usurps.† (Lorenzo Dow pg.197) This would later lead to outpouring religious enthusiasm in the colonies and the Great Awakening. An economic issue was that only the states could impose taxes in the states and congress could only request funds to pay off debt. Another factor was that the government did not have a stable money currency in the colonies, which made it difficult to barter or trade with other states. The Northern part of the colonies focused more in manufacturing and the South depended on agricultural needs. Jefferson believed in more of an agricultural economy â€Å"our exterior commerce has suffered very much from the beginning†¦ we have manufactured†¦those who labor in the earth are the chosen people of God† (Notes on the state of the Virginia pg. 170). On the other hand, Hamilton believed in trading manufactured goods with Britain and believed in a society of manufacturing. The weak Articles of confederation lead to a new constitution in the colonies. The articles of confederation were ratified in the constitutional convention of 1781 in Philadelphia. Reasons it was considered â€Å"weak† was the lack of checks and balances, government could not impose taxes, and central government was weak and the lack of personal rights of the colonists. â€Å"Make the following declarations, of our humble opinions, respecting the most essential rights and liberties of the colonists†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Declaration of rights pg. 124). James Madison was one of the founding fathers of the new constitution, because of his federalist papers.

Fascism in Germany and Italy Essay

Many similarities exist between German fascism, or Nazism, and Italian fascism. For example, both fascist movements were brought into power after facing very similar problems. One of the major problems that both countries encountered was a post-war economy teeming with instability. Germany’s fragile economy was undermined by widespread unemployment, hyperinflation, and burdensome reparation payments, while Italy’s economy was just as delicate. In addition, the Great Depression brought both countries even further into economic collapse. Another problem that brought about fascism in the two countries was post-war peace settlements, especially the Versailles Treaty. While the Germans were exasperated by the exorbitant reparation payments forced upon them by the Allies, the Italians felt betrayed by the peace settlements for denying them the territory and status they deserved. Another problem that the two countries faced was their dissatisfaction with their existing governments. Many Germans were disgruntled with the Weimar Republic for signing the humiliating Treat of Versailles, while many Italians were apprehensive of the chaos within their parliamentary regime. Lastly, widespread fear of revolutionary upheaval and the expropriations of a Communism system also caused many Germans and Italians to identify with fascism. Both German fascism, led by Adolf Hitler and Italian fascism, led by Benito Mussolini exploited many economical and political difficulties within their nation in order to gain power. Hitler blamed Germany’s ruined economy on the Weimar Republic, Communists, and Jews, while Mussolini blamed large Socialist and Catholic parties for Italy’s economic struggles. They also gained the support of farmers, small businessmen, civil servants, and young people by advocating strict nationalistic goals and blaming their economic troubles on the Bolsheviks. Nevertheless, the most crucial components of securing political power was though institutionalized violence and the abolishment of all other political parties. The fascist party under Hitler gained power by abolishing the press, public meeting, trade unions, and eventually, all other political parties. They also secured their total dominance by orchestrating violence to eliminate political enemies with the  Sturmabteilung and lat er, the Schutzstaffel. Similarly, Mussolini used the Squadristi to attack his political enemies, the Catholics and the socialists, in order to secure fascist supremacy and make Italy a one-party dictatorship. Both the German and the Italian fascist regimes dominated business. In Italy, Mussolini lent money to many Italian businesses and acquired power in key industries such as steel, shipping, machinery, and electricity. Meanwhile, in Germany, Hitler’s fascist government controlled industry, agriculture, and education. Newspaper and radio broadcasts were operated under strict censorship. In addition, both the German fascist regime and the Italian fascist regime strictly advocated nationalism, militarism, and institutionalized violence. One of the most important characteristics of the fascist regimes of Germany and Italy was nationalism. Nationalism spawned the idea of racial superiority, especially to Germany, and brought about territorial expansion and rearmament. The idea of territorial expansion stimulated militarism in both Germany and Italy. In Germany, Hitler’s three goals, Lebensraum, rearmament, and economic recovery became the basis of his new foreign policy. Lebensraum, or living space, was Hitler’s idea that superior nations had the right to conquer and expand into the territories of inferior states. Lebensraum brought about rearmament, and in 1935, Hitler publicly announced that Germany was rearming. The third phase of Hitler’s foreign policy was economic recovery, which was directly linked to Lebensraum and rearmament, because not only did assembling weapons improve Germany’s economy, but also the Balkan countries that Hitler annexed produced consumer goods for them. Similarly, in Italy, Mussolini was also rearming and targeting many weaker countries for his expansionist aims. In October 1936, the two fascist nations formed the Rome-Berlin Axis. Then, in May 1939, Germany and Italy agreed to offer each other military support both offensively and defensively by signing the Pact of Steel. Another act introduced by Hitler was the creation of Nazi controlled-organizations such as Hitler Youth, which taught German boys and girls between 10 and 18 to uphold his fascist values. However, the most unforgettable acts were his Nuremberg Laws, which deprived Jews of their  citizenship and forbade them from marriage. Then, on November 9, 1938, 20,000 to 30,00 Jews were sent to concentration camps and the night became known as Kristallnacht, or the â€Å"night of broken glass†.

Compare and contrast the approaches to criminal procedure by the U.S Research Paper

Compare and contrast the approaches to criminal procedure by the U.S. Supreme Court under both Chief Justices Earl Warren and Wi - Research Paper Example His presence on the Supreme Court had an impact. More often changes in the decisions of Supreme Court may be caused by change in an issue or by changes in the behavior of individual justices but membership change is also seen as the most obvious source of change in constitutional law and judicial policy making (Smith & Johnson, 1992). Earl Warren served as Chief Justice between 1953 and 1969 and during his tenure the Supreme Court of the United States was referred to as Warren Courts. During his tenure, Warren led group of justice who were liberal and they used judicial power in unique manner and this led to the protest and dissatisfactions of conservative whom they were the opponents (Fugate, 1997). During Warren’s tenure, civil rights judicial powers and civil rights were dramatically expanded. The court under his leadership brought to an end the racial segregation in the United States and was praised for doing so while others criticized the court for doing so. The court als o incorporated the Bill of Rights and brought to an end officially the sanctioned voluntary prayer in public schools. The period is recognized as a high point in judicial power that has receded ever since, but with a substantial continuing impact, members of the Court during the Warren reign included Justices William J. Brennan, Jr., William O. Douglas, Hugo Black, Felix Frankfurter, and John Marshall Harlan II (Fugate, 1997). The effects of Warren Court have been felt greatly in the society and are still referenced to this date; it has undoubtedly had long effect on the society. Since that time, there has never been another court that enjoys the powers similar to the ones Warren Court enjoyed. Besides, many of the rulings made at that time are still the same laws being used today. William H. Rehnquist was a conservative and he led what was then a conservative revolution on the Supreme Court he helped lead for 19 years. Chief Justice Rehnquist's lead in the institution was one of th e longest in the history of the United States and the consequences were most felt (Belknap & Warren, 2005). William h. Rehnquist was very committed to his work and at no point under his leadership did he relent and he managed to translate most of his personal views and held beliefs into binding precedents. Among these precedents was the one that involved enhanced role of the states within the federal system. Under his leadership, the court accomplished this law that deals with federal system by overturning a number of these laws. Rehnquist made his positions known and everybody knew where he stood and left everybody well aware of his position. His position was made known to the public, especially in 1973 when a court overturned laws that prohibited abortion, in his argument he favored the states power. His writings were also very provocative when he wrote on school segregations and women rights as well as the jobs for the aliens in the civil service. He was also in his writings oppo sed to the health care for the poor and other proposals that seems to benefit the low in the society. It was a very controversial precedent and had huge impact on social issues (Decker, 1992). Also during his tenure at the court, he seemed to be on his own isolating

Marketing issues portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Marketing issues portfolio - Essay Example A micro-environment is the internal environment in which the company operates in. This environment is directly related to a given company and it affects a particular company at a given time because it is internal. These factors can be controlled or managed by the management of the company if the right measures are taken at the right time. These factors include; the company itself whereby it is found that different companies have different policies, management style and culture that regulate how business is conducted. As such each company in the economy has different objectives that they aim to achieve where some are growth oriented while others want to make profit as they reach their corporate responsibility goal. The company environment is important as it determines how marketing is done and activities controlled in the company. Suppliers are another micro-environment that affects how the customers receive the intended goods at the required time so as to increase their satisfaction. When selecting the suppliers, careful consideration has to be put into consideration to avoid any inconveniences that may affect the customers in a negative way, for example, the technology available to the supplier, their efficiency in delivering goods as well as the cost of their goods as this will affect the prices that are charged to the customers (Palmer & Worthington, 1992, p. 112). The third aspect of a micro-environment is the intermediaries or those parties that help link the company and its final customers. These parties ensure that the goods reach the customers at the convenience place and time and they play an important role in developing the customer loyalty, for example, the retailers. The customers to the company create another aspect of a micro marketing environment. They are important as they are the immediate users of goods and services provided by the company

Project team for a fictitious technology-intensive company in the year Assignment

Project team for a fictitious technology-intensive company in the year 2011 - Assignment Example (Solomon, et al., 1993). This manager’s guide contains a repeatable, institution-wide approach for the management of project teams involve in the development of software and hardware deployment projects. The practices contained here in practices are transferable to other types of projects that would benefit from project management. It provide ordered sections presenting the basic steps for formation, management and evaluation of project teams across the organisation. This guide has been developed specifically for the management of Information Technology projects. The processes with are operational do not need to follow these guidelines. The projects which qualify to use this guide should have the following characteristics: it is an independent project; lasts longer than a few person hours; requires a multidisciplinary approach; it is not task oriented; involves less than five specialists; it is meant to accomplish a complex project; may require change management process; level of risk is high in term s of financial and operational, among others (Ahmed, 2007). All the projects in the company have to be approved by the Chief Executive Officer through a justified Project Document. Depending on the type of project, the project document should clearly indicate the title of the project; aims of the project; outcomes of the project; team composition; resource plan; methodology of the project; workplan; project cost and evaluation strategy This section provides basic guidelines on the formation of IT projects .The following guidelines should be followed in forming project teams for developing software and hardware. The first stage of forming the project team is acquiring the project team. The members can be selected internally or externally as consultants. The members must be selected based on list of required skills and criteria as demanded by

Implications of Computerized Phyisician Order Entry will have on Essay

Implications of Computerized Phyisician Order Entry will have on Nursing - Essay Example However, the cost of implementation is feared by many hospitals, making the rate of adoption of the process quite low. According to Bates et al. (1999) errors also result to injury or adverse drug event (ADE), resulting to extra work in the hospital. Surprisingly, some ADEs could result to death, with their costs resulting to approximately $2 billion in hospitals. Computerized order entry assists physicians to write orders online, and it ensures that the orders are eligible, complete, and unambiguous. The use of a computer assists physicians in suggesting the appropriate doses while ordering and displaying the necessary laboratory data. It also assists in screening orders for any allergies. As hospitals continue to seek quality care for their patients, health information technology is mostly used in the reduction of medical errors. CPOE is one of the tools used, with an aim of improving quality and safety in hospitals. Approximately 98,000 errors occur in hospitals each year and they result from poor handwriting and miscommunications among the physicians. Nevertheless, CPOE is a savior in such situations, as it requires the providers to type patient’s orders. The CPOE systems have capabilities of reducing the occurrence of harmful drug interactions. Studies conducted have shown that CPOE have the potential to increase care of patients on monitoring and surveillance basis so as to reduce medication errors (Kazley & Diana, 2011). Implications of Computerized Physician Order Entry on Nursing The American recovery and reinvestment act of 2009 requires hospitals to be meaningful users of health information technology, in which CPOE falls under. According to Fields et al (2009, p840), CPOE are being implemented in hospitals at an increasing rate, however, nurses and nursing work is affected by CPOE in one way or another. In a study conducted by Fields et al (2009, p.840), at the community hospital in southern California where nurses were interviewed on the asp ects of CPOE and its effects on the nursing, the nurses’ responses viewed CPOE as a successful tool as it allowed them to be more intelligent when taking care of patients. The nurses viewed CPOE as efficient, as they entered orders in the computer with much ease. However, their fear was on omitting any information and nurses seemed concerned about the time they spent on the computers other than with the patient. This study proved that nurses supported CPOE as an effective measure in improving quality and care in hospitals. CPOE systems have proved to be advantageous compared to paper-based systems. They are fast and are less subjected to errors, they reduce under & over prescribing, reduce the chance of incorrect drug choices, and they make it possible to identify a prescribing physician. The orders typed in the computer are securely communicated, and only accessed by other physicians who are responsible in carrying out the orders. Therefore, CPOE fosters safer patient care p ractices and enables the tracking of physician orders easily. However, CPOE consists of unintended consequences; one of the consequences is the workflow blocks that is in form of alerts and warnings that deem a system unsafe, therefore creating worries of data loosing or delays, and sometime distrusted by nurses. The CPOE system requires computer skills and loads of data that need entry, hence being a source of stress to nurses (Moniz, 2009, p.5). Secondly, the failure to ensure that the system is consistent

Comparing Rhetoric Styles of Kennedy and Clinton Essay

Comparing Rhetoric Styles of Kennedy and Clinton - Essay Example John F Kennedy and Bill Clinton were not only the greatest leaders of American politics in the twentieth century, but they were two of greatest American orators also. These two prominent leaders faced many rhetorical problems during their public meetings. This paper compares similar rhetorical problems faced by Clinton during his addressing in the 1992 American Legion Convention and Kennedy during his speeches to the Houston Ministerial Association in 1960. During his election campaign speech on September 12th, 1960, John F. Kennedy addressed Houston Ministerial Association which consists of ministers from the Protestant community. Kennedy himself was a firm Roman Catholic believer and he forced to speak about his stands on religion. Because of the increasing conflicts between the Protestants and Roman Catholics, the Houston Ministerial Association members were curious to know what Kennedy says about religion or the beliefs of Protestants and Roman Catholics. In other words, Kennedy was forced to solve the problem; how to uphold his religious belief without causing any insults to the Protestants. Same way Bill Clinton also faced the same type of dilemma during his speech in the 1992 American Legion Convention. Clinton was a strong critic of Vietnam War and he had no military service experiences when he was contesting in the 1992 presidential election. The general public had some concerns about Clinton’s abilities in performing well as the commander in chief of the United States.... Both Kennedy and Clinton faced the dilemma of convincing the audience; something beyond their proven abilities, values, ideals, beliefs etc. In short, public inertia was the common rhetoric problem faced by Kennedy and Clinton. Inertia is the property of an object to stay in its position until an external force changes its position. Both Kennedy and Clinton applied the external force through their speeches to change the beliefs of the audience. I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end, where all men and all churches are treated as equals, where every man has the same right to attend or not to attend the church of his choice, where there is no Catholic vote, no anti-Catholic vote, no bloc voting of any kind, and where Catholics, Protestants, and Jews, at both the lay and the pastoral levels, will refrain from those attitudes of disdain and division which have so often marred their works in the past, and promote instead the American ideal of brotherhood (Ken nedy) Here Kennedy tries to uphold his belief in secular values. He tries to convince the public that in an election campaign, religious beliefs and customs have less prominence in front of the interests of the country. He has stressed the importance of isolating religion from politics during this speech. He argued that America should never become a country which takes orders from the heads of different religions. He had also mentioned that any activity against a particular religion or community should be treated as the activity against the American. In other words, he neither supported his community (Roman Catholics) nor he opposed his opponent community (Protestants). He has maintained a neutral approach about religious beliefs throughout his speeches. Thus he

Buyer behaviour and market research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Buyer behaviour and market research - Assignment Example Consumer buying behavior is determined by what the consumers buy, how they do it, the time they purchase and why they purchase it (John & Jagdish, 1969). The study brings together psychology, sociology, and economics in order to understand the consumer decision making process as an individual or as a group of people (John & Jagdish, 1969). The theory also explains characteristics such as demographics, and behavioral variables of every buyer. It also tries to find out the influences the consumer might get from the family members, society, and peer groups when they want to buy. Buyers are not aware of many products and their usage in the market but they keep on choosing from different products. In many occasion, consumers buy new products without having knowledge on the product. When new products are introduced into the market, it is hard for the consumers to understand about the product and it is always hard for the consumers to access the information. If a new product is introduced, the consumers will respond depending on the product reliability and quality. In UK and US, Taste and preferences, culture, psychology of the consumers, social, personality and mode of communication is different. In US, internet has become the main source of marketing; many consumers go to social websites such as Face book and yahoo to find new products and compare the prices with similar products. The cream manufacturer should adopt the UK mode of marketing that is normally done through TV and radio, display, and poster advertisement. This will reach many people very fast unlike the social website which is not trusted b y many people. More advertisement and product promotion should be directed towards women since over 70% of household purchasing is influenced by women unlike in US where the household purchases are influenced by every family

Heidegger's distinction between the ready-to-hand and the Essay

Heidegger's distinction between the ready-to-hand and the present-to-hand - Essay Example Heidegger has approved the explanation with regard to philosophy as 'its own time comprehended in thought'; the same thought has been delivered by the historians. According to Heidegger, the history of philosophy was to be considered as Western civilization's ever-deepening forgetfulness or oblivion of being, and he disapproved the belief that supported progressive self-realization of spirit version of history f philosophy. Heidegger was also supportive of the notion that Eastern intellectual thoughts can be of support towards technological understanding of being. Heidegger once commented that, 'I am convinced that a change can only be prepared from the same place in the world where the modern technological world originated. It cannot come about by the adoption of Zen Buddhism or other Eastern experiences of the world. The help of the European tradition and a new appropriation of that tradition are needed for a change in thinking. Thinking will only be transformed by a thinking that has the same origin and destiny. The technological world must be superseded in the Hegelian sense, not removed, superseded, but not by human beings alone'(G. Neske, 1990). Heideggar's philosophy has much in similar with the philosophy proposed by Edmund Husserl. Heidegger was much impressed by the article of Husserl on Logical Investigations. Heidegger acknowledged that Husserl's phenomenology produced significant impact on his personal work. Phenomenology is with reference to the science of consciousness and the related objects. The Cartesian tradition has been foundation for phenomenology, Husserl is of the opinion that one can reach the phenomenological attitude, based on the detail analysis of the content of consciousness, from natural attitude, based on actual world and related affairs by the application of methodological procedure. Freedom from prejudice and achievement of purity is possible through phenomenological reduction. Heidegger believes that phenomenology is based on separate analysis of consciousness. DASEIN: Ready-to-Hand & Present-at-Hand Being and Time is supportive of Husserlian phenomenology, and Heidegger has tried to explore the different modes of the existence of the beings, and the experience of its encounter. He analyzed the concept of being in a detailed manner, and referred to the daily life as utensils, or in particular mood of anxiety, and has further revealed the identity of Dasein, and terms it to be particular kind of being. Heidegger has denied the concept with reference to the constitution of the original on the basis of pure consciousness, rather is of the opinion that Dasein in its being is the core of philosophy. Heidegger has forwarded many thoughts which need to be answered. In his letter to Husserl he asked, "What is the mode of being of that being in which the world constitutes itself'" he has stressed over the need to evaluate the constitution supportive of the existence of Dasein, and if certain mysteries with reference to Dasein are unanswered, it will have an impact on the being in general. He wrote to Husserl that, "universal problem of being refers to that which constitutes and to that

Thornton's Strategic Choices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Thornton's Strategic Choices - Essay Example 18 References 21 (Words 4997) 1. Introduction The identification of successful strategies is a key challenge for managers worldwide. Usually, the ability of managers to locate strategies that are able to respond to organizational needs is differentiated, according to the personal skills and perceptions. Also, each organization’s external environment is likely to affect, more or less, the progress of strategies of the particular organization. In this context, the establishment of an effective strategic management framework can help an organization to increase its efficiencies and stabilize its market position. Kew and Stredwick (2005) note that three are the key elements of all strategic management frameworks: ‘the strategic analysis, the strategic choice and the strategic implementation’ (Kew and Stredwick 2005, p.205). The first of these elements, i.e. the strategic analysis addresses the following two issues: ‘which is the organization’s current pos ition and where the organization wants to go’ (Kew and Stredwick 2005, p.205). At the next level, the strategic choice refers to the need for the identification of appropriate strategic options, as appropriate, for responding to the organization’s needs, as they have been identified through the strategic analysis process (Kew and Stredwick 2005). ... In 2011, the firm’s employees were estimated to 4,205 (Thornton, company website, investor relations 2012). The firm’s turnover in 2011 was estimated to ?218.26m, slightly increased to the turnover of 2010, which was estimated to ?214.55m (Thornton, company website, investor relations/ financial summary 2012). The firm’s performance during the last five years indicates that the organization has been able to face effectively the market challenges. Indeed, the turnover of the firm from 2007 up to 2011 has been changed, as presented in the table in Figure 1 below. Turnover of Thornton from 2007 to 2011 2007 ?185.99m 2008 ?208.12m 2009 ?214.80m 2010 ?214.55m 2011 ?218.26m Figure 1 - Turnover of Thornton from 2007 to 2011 (Source: company website, investor relations/ financial summary 2012) According to the figures presented in Figure 1 below, the organization has managed to achieve a continuous growth. However, if reviewed more carefully, the organization’s pe rformance has not been improved the last five years. More specifically, the organization’s profits have been significantly decreased in 2011, if compared to 2007, as also revealed through the table in Figure 2 below. Profits of Thornton from 2007 to 2011 2007 ?5.21m 2008 ?6.07m 2009 ?3.60m 2010 ?4.35m 2011 -?0.25m Figure 2 – Profits (after tax) of Thornton from 2007 to 2011 (Source: company website, investor relations/ financial summary 2012) At the same time, the number of the organization’s employees has been decreased in 2011, as compared to 2010; in 2010 the firm’s employees were 4,377 while in 2011 they were reduced to 4,205 (Thornton, company website, investor relations 2012). Also, problems in regard to the alignment

Legion of Honor Trip Essay Example for Free

Legion of Honor Trip Essay This semester marked the first time I had stepped foot onto any type of school or college in over six years. I must say things have changed. Everything seems to be taken over by the internet and I’m not exactly sure I like this idea just for the fact that it takes away from past habits. Furthermore, I am extremely glad that I had the opportunity to enroll in this Art 165 class because it taught me not only the history of art but how to appreciate it as well. As I drove up the road to the Legion of Honor I had no idea what to expect. What I found was a beautiful structure with amazing scenery to surround the museum. It really wasn’t like anything I had ever seen or been to before, if you can tell I don’t leave town very much. After making my admission official with putting on my un-adhesive sticker, I walked into a space of extraordinary history. Not knowing where to start, I began on to the left where I found artworks from the Medieval times and the Renaissance. In the room there was an incredible ceiling that displayed what I thought was an early pendentive. While in the Renaissance room, I seen a painting by El Greco that really caught my eye. It was his painting Saint Francis Kneeling in Meditation. This painting is an oil on canvas and was done around 1605-1610. The art work explains the life of Saint Francis and his love to Jesus. People at the museum were saying that Saint Francis was a very poor man who always had his own death on his mind. He wondered constantly how he was going to die and if it was going to be a nice or painful death. The painting shows him kneeling and praising Jesus while having a skull in the background making you feel as if he was having death on his mind. The artist must relate to Saint Francis because on the issue of death or some type of detachment to the world because most of El Greco’s art shows humans in a very pale, thin and unhealthy perspective. The brushwork was extremely detailed with a beautiful diagonal composition. Entering the Baroque and Rococo section of the museum I seen the Equestrian Statue of Charles III. It was produced by Tommaso Solari of Italy in 1762. At first sight, you would think it was Donatello’s Gattamelata. The next thing you find out, is that it’s wax! Maybe that was common in these times, however, being that we never went over any wax statues or wax artworks, this was astounding to me. From a 360 degree point of view, this piece of art had me in awe. How does something made of wax stay so delicate and well preserved? If you look at the straps on the sides of the horses mouth or in King Charles’ hand, you would actually think they were real because of the extreme detail. Da Vinci had been commissioned to create a large scale horse which was never produced, however, seems to me the horse that King Charles is riding has a very familiar pose as well as its features as did Da Vinci’s concept. As I walked through the museum I found myself in the 17th Century Dutch and Flemish Painting room. There I seen a very different still life portrait. It was titled Hunting Still Life by the Flemish painter Jan Fyt. This oil on canvas was produced in 1655. It is told that his influences for hunting portraits and still life were from his teacher named Snyders. This still life contains graphic images of dead animals such as birds, chickens and a rabbit or hare tied to a rifle. I believe this portrait shows a great example of Tenebroso in the way the light shines on the animals making them the subject of the portrait. If you look at it closely the sunlight on the clouds says that the sun is coming from the opposite direction that the light that is shining on the animals is coming from. You can see the dog staring at its light source as if he’s defending the animals from cruelty, there is also a badger or some type of creature hissing at that light source as well saying â€Å"Get back! † Since dogs meant fidelity in paintings, then this dog is being true to his own kind in that sense and his red collar probably represents his compassion. I find myself a sucker for still life portraits and I enjoyed this one especially for its uniqueness.

Possibility Thinking Research

Possibility Thinking Research Introduction Most people accept that early years education should aim to develop childrens creativity but this raises a number of questions; namely what is creativity? How does it relate to imagination, self expression and intelligence? What ways can creativity be taught and assessed and why is it valuable? Fostering childrens creativity involves more than the creative corner in the classroom it involves recognising their creative engagement manifested by young learners. According to Wilson (20.10.05) It is important that we foster creativity at an early stage so that children are more prepared to lead an active role in their own learning, develop better self-esteem and are more willing to take chances. Possibility thinking is at the heart of all creativity in young children. (Craft 2002) Possibilities are generated by children in all areas of learning e.g. play, music and scientific enquiry. It allows children to explore imaginative ways to produce a variety of outcomes e.g. is a banana a fruit or is it a telephone? The possibilities to develop childrens creative thinking are endless. Possibility thinking has been acknowledged in some educational literature on creativity but it has not been fully accepted by some educationalists (Craft 2001). Jeffrey (2005) believes it is at the core to creative learning and represents the being imaginative part of the current policy framework for creativity in England. Craft and Jeffrey (2004) believe that possibility thinking involves enabling children to find and refine problems as well as solve them. The aim of this research is to investigate whether possibility thinking is at the heart of creativity in young children. I hypothesise that: Possibility thinking is at the heart of creativity in young children Creativity and imagination allows young children to learn and develop Possibility thinking will only take place if adults give children time and space The resources, environment and available tasks affect the possibilities for creative thinking Literature Review Creativity has been described as a voyage of discovery (Craft 2008). When it comes to creativity in schools the second half of the 20th century can be first seen as a drought following the introduction of the National Curriculum in 1989 which rejected children centred curriculum practices. After 1999 there were numerous opportunities for creativity in terms of curriculum and learning due to a shift in values in educational provision and the landscape of the classroom. During the end of the 20th and the start of the 21st century creativity has become significant in education due to the advice of the National Advisory Committee on creative and culture education (NACCCE 1999) led by Sir Ken Robinson and researchers such as Woods and Craft (1997) and Harland et al (1998). The key findings from their work was that creative learning involves children experiencing innovation in the classroom, control over activities, together with a sense of ownership in their learning. These features are characteristic of creative teaching (Jeffery and Woods 2003). The NACCCE saw creativity as imaginative activity, fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are original and of value (NACCCE 1999 pg 29). The approach together with linking creativity with culture saw a shift away from the view that creativity was only attainable by the gifted and a view of learning as empowerment in and beyond the classroom (Jeffrey and Craft 2001, Sefton-Green 2008). From 2002 the establishment of creative partnerships has promoted creative learning. The most recent curriculum polices of creativity within the early years are the Early Years Foundation Stage (DFES 2007, DCSF 2008) which continues to emphasize the significance of creativity. It encourages student engagement and offers teachers a means of personalised learning (Hargreaves 2008). The message seems to be creativity is for everyone everywhere! However there are problems as to how creativity is documented, assessed and how progression is supported (Rose 2008). Learning through the arts has the potential to stimulate open ended activity that encourages discovery, exploration, experimentation and invention contributing to a childs development (Bernadette Duffy 2006). Music, dance, and drama enable children to express their feelings. Creativity and imagination in the light of Every Child matters, Sure Start and the Foundation Stage curriculum enables young children to learn and develop whilst expressing their feelings, thoughts and responses. Anna Craft (2000) introduced and developed the notion of possibility thinking as core to little c creativity. Possibility thinking is means by which intelligence, self-creation, self-expression and know-how are bought together and expressed, It finds a way around a problem by posing questions and finding a problem through identifying a question or topic to be investigated. Fostering young childrens possibility thinking involves moving their thinking on from what does this do? to what can i do with this? It involves a move from the convergent to more divergent thinking. The paper Pedagogy and Possibility Thinking in the Early Years (Cremin, Burnard and Craft May 2006) sought to identify what characterises possibility thinking expanded on young childrens learning experiences and how teachers pedagogical practices fosters this critical aspect of creativity. Possibility thinking is central to creative learning and at the heart of all creative engagement. A 12 month study carried out in a primary school by University researchers showed that teachers use the practice of standing back whilst giving pupils time and space so as to foster possibility thinking. Studies undertaken by the team (Craft 2001, Burnard et al 2006, Chappel 2006, Cremin et al 2006) suggest that the concept of Possibility thinking has creative engagement across all contexts. Possibility thinking implies attention to impact of ideas and nurtures trusteeship (Claxton 2008). The Curriculum Guidance for the foundation stage emphasizes that creativity begins with curiosity and involves children in exploration and experimentation. They draw upon their imagination and originality. They make decisions, take risks and play with ideas. If they are to be truly creative, children need the freedom to develop and the support of adults (DFES 2000:118). The work of researchers such as Craft (2002), Csikszentmhalyi (1997), Fisher (1990) and Lipman (1988) has demonstrated the value of creativity in learning in the early years. In the foundation stage curriculum document creativity is presented as a subject and promoted in areas such as dance, music and stories. However they argue young childrens learning is not compartmentalised (DFES:45). Thus subjects such as mathematics should provide opportunities for creative thinking as teachers need to recognise the importance of creativity throughout the whole curriculum so as to develop childrens creative thinking and extend t heir learning whenever possible. (Worthington and Carruthers 2005) Given the pace of change in the 21st century education needs to be creative whilst enhancing the creativity of both young children and the adults who work with them (Facer 2007). Methodology The researcher chose to use a combination of both secondary source materials alongside primary sources. The already published literature provided her with a solid base on which she was able to begin to base the investigation as well as providing the researcher with possible areas to explore and correlations to look out for when carrying out her research. The primary sources enabled her to support the research that already existed and helped to draw balanced conclusions when it came to answering the research question. This made her investigation current and valid but will also aid the researchers future practice. Research in education is a disciplined attempt to address questions or solve problems through the collection and analysis of primary data for the purpose of description, explanation, generalisation and prediction (Anderson et al, 1998). There are many types of research but they all share the following basic characteristics; They are all, or aim to be planned, cautious, systematic and reliable ways of finding out or deepening understanding (Blaxter et al, 2001, p.5). The researcher used a variety of primary methods: Unstructured interviews Unstructured interviews are a qualitative method of research that provides informal, open ended flowing conversations. The advantage of this method, when discussing a subjective area such as creativity is that it provides in depth information. Interviews provide valid and useful information which will enrich her research and by gathering opinions on possibility of thinking she will gain insight into the benefits and motivation it provides to young children. Participant Observations The researcher will carry out overt observations in a variety of settings namely a primary school, a playgroup and a residential home. She will use overt observations whereby adults, and children are aware of her presence so as to avoid ethical issues. The researcher chose participant observations so that as a trusted adult she could join in with the creative activities and thus fully understand what was happening in each individual setting. The researcher was also keen to observe how an adult intervention and presence affected the childrens creative process. Ethics considered There are research concerns specific to children and young people set out in the British Educational Research Association (BERA) ethical guidelines. Primarily, these are focused upon the informed and valid consent of participants, and ways of assuring that this is attained (Lindsay, 2000). It was ensured that the BERA ethical guidelines were followed. This included, informing the primary school teacher, playgroup leader and childminder what the research entailed and what would be expected of the children included in the sample. In line with ethical issues it was stressed that the data would remain anonymous. Empirical chapter 1: Observations Introduction Observations are an interpretivist approach. Interpretivism emphasizes that people have consciousness involving personal beliefs, values and interpretations and these influence the way people out. They do not simply respond to forces outside of them. (K.Browne 2006) The researcher aims to interpret the values and feelings of both individuals and the group. The information will be in-depth and on a micro scale. Aims Participant observations aim to develop an understanding from the view point of the subjects of the research without allowing the researchers own values and prejudices to distort the observation. Children pose questions and find solutions to stimulate creative thinking. If young children are prepared to take risks they are more creative. Methodology Participant Observation The first task of any research is to gather information. The researcher will be doing this by carrying out observations so that explanations and correlations can be made. The information generated will provide her with opinions about the extent to which possibility thinking is at the heart of creativity in young children. She will carry out three observations the first at a primary school in Stafford where she will observe a year one numeracy lesson. The second at a playgroup in Wolverhampton and finally the third at the residential home of a childminder in Northampton. The observations will be overt and participant. The researcher will be honest with the children and adults so they understand what she is doing. All observations will take place in a non-threatening, safe atmosphere. At both the playgroup and childminders home the children will be either playing or involved in creative activities. At school the year one pupils will be involved in a numeracy lesson. The researcher will use an observation sheet to record information and write the observations up at a later date. She has chosen participant observation as the researcher joins the group being studied and can therefore see things through their eyes. Observation 1 Participants Barnfield Primary school Stafford year one class 25 pupils 14 girls 11 boys Materials Numeracy lesson plan on shape Procedures Firstly she wrote to the head to ask permission to carry out the observation and then visited the school on Monday 14th December 2009 for a pre-visit to discuss the observation with the class teacher. She carried out the observation on Tuesday 12th January 2010. Analysis The data will be written up on the observation sheet and analysed at a later date. Observation 2 Participants Portobello Community Centre pre-school playgroup 8 children 5 boys 3 girls Materials Cut out reindeers, card Construction toys Observation sheet Procedures Firstly she contacted the play leader by telephone to discuss the observations. She carried out the observations on the 7th December 2009 and the 18th January 2010. Analysis The data will be written up on the observation sheet and analysed at a later date. Observation 3 Particpants Registered childminders home in Northampton. At present she looks after boys aged seven and five and a girl aged three. Materials Toys e.g doll house, brio and magnetix Musical instruments e.g drums and shakers Observation sheet Procedures The child minder is a family friend so the researcher made contact by phone. The researcher then visited on Monday 21st December 2009 to carry out the observation. Analysis The data will be written up on the observation sheet and analysed at a later date. Results from observations The researcher chose to observe young children in a variety of settings. The children at school were involved in a directed task namely a numeracy lesson about shape. The children at playgroup and at the childminders home were either playing or involved in semi-structured activities which gave scope for creativity and allowed for personal expression, unlike the numeracy lesson the play, art and music tasks excluded the notation for right and wrong. The children in all 3 settings produced a variety of results and their scope for creativity was dependent upon The environment The activity The resources available The level of adult support and intervention Discussion of Playgroup Observation 1 The observations at the playgroup showed three aspects of the process using the Possibility Thinking framework namely: Posing questions Play Immersion and making connections They also included three aspects of process outcome: Being imaginative Innovation Risk taking There was little evidence of development or innovation but this was probably due to the fact that the children were aged between two to four. The first observation on 7th December 2009 showed the youngsters involved in a Christmas workshop making cards and 3D reindeers. The children were excited and constantly posing questions about what colours and materials to use. The children were immersed in the activity and the outcomes were imaginative and showed they were happy to take risks. The youngsters were confident and supported by numerous adults thus the level of adult supervision was high. Discussion of Playgroup Observation 2 The second observation took place at the playgroup on January 18th 2010. The youngsters were allowed to play in the sand and water, home corner and with construction toys such as bricks and Lego. The boys were more interested in the construction toys, whilst the girls predominately played in the home corner. All children were immersed in play and asked questions. They were imaginative and took risks; however there was little evidence of innovation or development. The level of adult supervision was quite high however the intervention by the adults was low. Discussion of Childminders Observation The researcher visited a childminders home on Friday 18th December 2009 when she was looking after three children. The youngsters played with construction toys, jigsaws, dolls house, and my little ponies. They then played with musical instruments such as a drum set and maracas. The children were thrilled to make music. The three children constantly chatted to each other. They played together and on their own. The boys were immersed in creating a brio track and Lego models whereas the girl immersed herself in the imaginary world of my little pony. All three children were imaginative and creative especially when the musical instruments appeared. They discovered different sounds and ways of making music and formed a mini band. Discussion of Numeracy Lesson observation (year one on shape) The researcher expected the lesson to have limited opportunities for creativity due to space and structure constraints. She views numeracy as a factual, uncreative lesson which focuses on the understanding of set rules. However the researcher was surprised that the pupils ideas were welcomed and they could pose questions. The children could not really produce original work as there were right and wrong answers although they did explore different methods to get there so were given some ownership for their own learning. There was also some scope for development and innovation in their work. Conclusion of observations The aim of participant observations is to develop an understanding from the point of view of subjects without prejudice. The researcher achieved this by observing youngsters and their adult supervisors in a variety of settings whilst becoming a full trusted member of the group. All the children posed questions so as to find solutions to stimulate creative thinking. The youngsters at both the playgroup and childminders home had more opportunities to take risks than those in the classroom so had more chance to be creative. Empirical Chapter 2: Unstructured Interviews Introduction An unstructured interview is like a guided conversation. The interviewer has the topic to cover but questions are open-ended. The researcher seeks to put the respondent at ease, in a relaxed informal situation and hopefully the questions will trigger further discussion. The interviewer aims to obtain further depth than is possible in a structured interview. Unstructured interviews are from an interpretivist approach and provide qualitative data as they are concerned with peoples feelings and views. Aims Unstructured interviews provide rich, detailed information where by the respondents can express their feelings about the issue of creativity and possibility thinking. Certain tasks such as art, music, drama and dance are more suitable to creative thinking. The learning environment and teaching strategies need to provide scope for imagination if children are to produce a variety of outcomes and thus accommodate creative learning. Methodology Unstructured interviews The researcher will interview three adults and conduct the interviews like a discussion with open-ended questions. She will be careful not to influence the replies so as to avoid interviewer bias. She will write down the replies on an interview sheet but try not to disrupt the flow of the interviews. The replies will hopefully produce rich, qualitative information and comparisons between interviews can be drawn. The use of interviews, stimulate reflection and critical conversations about possibility thinking as a form of engagement and strategy of creativity and the creative thinking process. The probing questions will allow the adults to focus on what they consider to be significant in the creative learning experiences. Interview 1 Particpants Barnfield Primary School Stafford Year one class teacher. Materials Procedures The researcher wrote to head to ask permission to interview a class teacher. The researcher visited the school to meet the teacher on Monday 14th December. The researcher carried out the interview on Tuesday 12th January 2010. Analysis The researcher will write the interview up on the interview sheet and compare the three interviews. Interview 2 Particpants Portobello Community Centre playleader Materials Procedures The researcher contacted the play leader by telephone to discuss the interview. The researcher then carried out the interview on January 18th 2010. Analysis The researcher will write the interview up on the interview sheet and compare the three interviews. Interview 3 Particpants Registered childminder who is also a qualified teacher. Materials Procedures The researcher contacted the childminder by phone to discuss the interview. The interview was carried out on Monday 21st December 2009. Analysis The researcher will write the interview up on the interview sheet and compare the three interviews. Results from Interviews The researcher chose to interview the three adults who were involved in her observations. The questions had a focus related to creativity and possibility thinking but were open ended so allowed for development. All adults were interviewed in a quiet environment where they felt at ease. The three adults all said they used similar strategies to encourage creativity namely standing back and providing a safe environment, with multiple resources that encouraged creative thinking. Two out of three adults were unsure that possibility thinking was central to creative learning but thought strategies such as posing questions and giving children time and space does develop the notation of possibility thinking. All three adults thought the environment was important for creative learning and believed a safe, challenging experience helps to provide opportunities for imaginative experiences. All three adults felt some tasks were more suited to creative thinking such as dance, music and play however the class teacher thought subjects such as maths and science should provide opportunities for creative thinking. Discussion of Interviews with year one teacher, play leader and registered childminder All three adults interviewed discussed different strategies they used to encourage children to be creative that included giving youngsters time and space and providing a variety of resources which allowed children to explore activities in imaginative ways. The children were allowed to pose questions and take risks. They felt the environment and the tasks offered were crucial to creative thinking however only the class teacher thought possibility thinking was central to creative learning. They all thought that creativity begins with curiosity and is developed if children are given the opportunity to explore and experiment with different resources and ideas. Conclusion of interviews The aim of unstructured interviews was to provide rich identical information whereby respondents could express their feelings about creativity and possibility thinking. All three interviewees gave the researcher detailed insight into the adults views about the research issue. All three interviews felt certain tasks such as art and music were more suitable to creative thinking. They gave a detailed account of how the learning environment and strategies such as giving children time and space provide opportunities for imagination and creative learning. Conclusion NACCCE (1999) argued creativity is imaginative actively fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of value. According to Craft possibility thinking is at the heart of creativity in education. This idea has implications as the engagement of learners according to Jeffrey (2005) leads to engagement with problems. Fostering childrens possibility thinking can be seen as building their resilience and confidence and referencing their capabilities as confident explorers, meaning makers and decision makers. (Craft 2005). Possibility thinking involves problem finding and solving. Creative teaching may foster learner creativity providing there are co-participative partnerships between teachers and learners, in which they explore issues, pose questions, identify problems and reflect upon their thinking and learning. The key factor being that the control has to be handed back to the learner (Craft and Jeffery 2003). In seeking to unravel the issues of what constitutes possibility thinking in the learning experiences of young children and how teachers, play leaders and childminders foster possibility thinking as an aspect of creativity, the researcher carried out observations and interviews. She used probing questions and encouraged the adults to engage in in-depth reflective practice. Following close observations in each context using the possibility thinking documentation framework and further interviews with the adults in charge, core areas of possibility thinking in childrens learning were identified. They included the three aspects of process i.e posing questions, play immersion and inversion. They also included the three aspects of process outcome i.e being imaginative, innovation and risk taking. The observations were written up in the light of the three-fold-structure. Many of the youngsters were involved in risk taking and were immersed in an activity. On the outcomes there was little evidence of development and the question of taking intentional action was problematic as many of the children were too young. In terms of process outcome the notation of innovation was also difficult as what might be normal for one child in one particular environment may not be normal for another. The separation of process and outcome is not easy during the early years as young children often take risks to move their thinking forward but this may not be an outcome. The integration between creative teaching and learning also seemed to foster possibility thinking. If young children feel safe they gain confidence as with the children in all three observational settings. The three interviews highlighted the fact that they all tried to foster creativity in their youngsters by providing a stimulating learning environment which allowed the children to pose questions and explore a variety of outcomes in an imaginative way. The adults tried to stand back but felt some tasks were more suited to creative thinking than others. The aim of the research was to investigate whether possibility thinking is at the heart of creativity in young children. Researchers such as Professor Anna Craft believe it is so as does one out of three of the adults interviewed. Many researchers such as Craft, Jeffrey, Burnard and Chappel all feel creativity and imagination allow young children to learn and develop. If children are to be creative, adults need to give them freedom to develop. Cremin, Burnard and Craft (2006) found that in a twelve month study carried out in schools; that teachers needed to stand back and give children time and space to foster possibility thinking. The observations and interviews carried out by the researcher reinforced this. The final hypothesis was that the resources, environment and tasks affect the possibilities for creative thinking. The observations and interviews with adults confirmed this. Deciding whether the motivation of pupils based on the creative setting was difficult to determine as she only carried out observations in three settings and only interviewed three adults, thus her findings were limited. Possibility thinking does appear to influence creativity but the sample was small and the decisions the researcher made were subjective and not based upon objective scientific testing. Bibliography Blaxter,L. (2001). How To Research. Second edition. England. Open University press. Browne,K. (2006). Introducing Sociology for AS level. Second edition. Cambridge. Polity Press. British Educational Research Association (BERA). [Online]. (http://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/2010/03/04/exploration-and-analysis-on-creativity-and-innovation-in-initial-vocational-education-and-training/). (Accessed 10.12.2009) Britzman, D. (1986) Cultural myths in the making of a teacher: biography and social structurein teacher education. Harvard Educational Review, 56(4), pp. 442-446. Burnard, P., Craft, A. and Grainger, T. (2006), Possibility Thinking, International Journal of Early Years Education. Volume 14. No. 3, October 2006 pp 243-262 Chappell, K. (2006). Creativity within late primary age dance education: Unlocking expert specialist dance teachers conceptions and approaches. [Online].(Available from http://kn.open.ac.uk/public/document.cfm?documentid=8627). London. (Accessed 21.01.2010) Claxton, G. (2008). Creativity, Wisdom and Trusteeship. Thousand Oaks, CA., Corwin Press. Craft, A. (1997).Can You Teach Creativity? Nottingham. Routeledge. Craft, A. (1999) Creative development in the early years: some implications of policy for practice.[Online]. (http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a739635700db=all). The Curriculum Journal. Volume 10(Issue 1). (Accessed 002.01.2010). Craft, A. (2000), Creativity Across the Primary Curriculum. London. Routledge Craft, A. (2001) Little c Creativity. In A. Craft, B. Jeffrey and M. Leibling Creativity in Education. London.Continuum. Craft, A. (2002).Creativity and Early Years Education. London. Continuum Books Craft, A. (2005) Creativity in schools: tensions and dilemmas. Abingdon.Routledge. Craft ,A. (2008). Creativity in the school.[Online].(http://www.beyondcurrenthorizons.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/ch3_final_craft_creativityinschool_20081218.pdf). Exeter. Open University. (Accessed 02.01.2010) Craft, A. Creativity and Possibillity in the Early Years.[Online] (http://www.tactyc.org.uk/pdfs/Reflection_craft.pdf). (Accessed 02.12.2009) Craft, A. Cremin, T., Burnard, P.(2006) Pedagogy and possibility thinking in the early years.[Online]. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL_udi=B7XN8-4M2WTP9-1_user=10_coverDate=11%2F30%2F2006_rdoc=1_fmt=high_orig=search_sort=d_docanchor=view=c_searchStrId=1255424291_rerunOrigin=google_acct=C000050221_version=1_urlVersion=0_userid=10md5=0241bbe9052a7b6bb3b1e704447d2c06). International Journal of Thinking Skills and Creati

War On Drugs Effective Criminology Essay

War On Drugs Effective Criminology Essay Supply and demand is the major problem we have with combating drugs. Many Central and South American governments are often targeted as objects of its now age old and publicly demonized War on Drugs. Many of these governments have been singled out as cooperators in the production or trafficking of drugs. Now America has started a new war: a war on terrorism. Many of the aforementioned governments have withstood the half-hearted efforts of the War on Drugs, but now the question arises, will they withstand the more widely supported War on Terrorism? The Nixon Administration In 1969, Richard Nixon became president, narcotic usage had already reached crisis levels in the United States (Marcy, 2010). Contrary to what many people believe, this was not something that developed under his administration, President Nixon took action against it. Nixons strategy was arguable successful but he did not have a lot of more options, it was either ignoring it or doing something about it and he decided to do what he thought was right. Nixon felt that he had a national responsibility to stop the nation from being destroyed by drugs; in his administrations view, narcotics threatened the very fabric of U.S. society (Marcy, 2010). The war on drugs started in the middle of a war; Vietnam was in its prime and the drug addiction problem inside the U.S. military was immense. In early 1966, military authorities began to investigate the levels of illegal drug use in their ranks; the Department of Defense estimated that between 1967 and 1970, the use of marijuana, heroin, and hard narcotics in the armed forces had double each year (Marcy, 2010). The problem was not a local problem; it had spread across the United States, from college students to factory workers and the military. President Nixons administration attempted several strategies to stop the use of drugs in the United States. To address the narcotics epidemic, the Nixon administration proposed the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act in 1969 (Marcy, 2010). This plan was designed to consolidate most of the drugs legislation already in place. This plan was geared towards cutting supply and demand for drugs in the United States by creating rehabilitation and education programs while strengthening law enforcement. This plan increased law enforcement training and cooperation between the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (BNDD) and the Customs Bureau and created two new enforcement agencies: the Office of Drug Abuse Law Enforcement (ODALE) and the Office of National Narcotics Intelligence (ONNI) (Marcy, 2010). The plan was to overwhelm drug trafficking organizations and therefore win the war against drugs while educating and rehabilitating drug addicts in order to be effective in the long run. The Nixon administrations efforts at international narcotics control during the late 1960s were focused on stemming the flow of heroin from Turkey, France, and Mexico into the United States (Marcy, 2010). Lack of resources and a weak economy due to The Great Depression impeded United States access to areas outside of Mexico. This and other factors let drug trafficking organizations develop more sophisticated ways of trafficking illicit drugs to the United States almost freely and without much hassle. The war on drugs was a disaster; between the 1970 and 1975, the number of first-time cocaine users in the United States jumped from 301,000 to 652,000 people annually (Marcy, 2010). Instead of the numbers declining, the numbers kept increasing. By the late 1970s not only Peru and Bolivia were a threat to the war on drugs but Colombia had become the pillar of drug trafficking to the United States. By 1976 it was clear that approximately 90 percent of the cocaine shipments destined for the United States passed through Colombia (Marcy, 2010). After that, Colombia started to produce marijuana and increased their shipments of drugs to the United States repeatedly, their violent mode of operations had them atop drug trafficking organizations and earned them respect across the globe. Drugs and the Reagan Administration By the time, Ronald Reagan was elected president drugs in the United States were being sold at an alarming rate. In fact, crack cocaine was so large, that the epidemic was on the consciousness of every American (Marcy, 2010). President Reagans War on Drugs allowed the military to not only help fight it, but to provide intelligence, equipment, and training to federal, state, and local law enforcement (Marcy, 2010). The Reagan War on Drugs put pressure on the Joint Chiefs of Staff to get the military even more involved in the War on Drugs (Marcy, 2010). The Joint Chiefs of Staff were pressured so hard, that the Army gave $277 million in equipment to help fight the drug trade. In the early 80s, Reagan redoubled efforts at curbing imports, further militarized drug policy, and brought about mandatory minimum sentences for minor drug offenses. In 1980, the FBIs Uniform Crime report listed fewer than a hundred thousand arrests for heroin and cocaine, which were tabulated together. By 1989, that figure had jumped to more than seven hundred thousand arrests (Grim, 2009). The drug enforcement bill President Reagan signed in 1986 was criticized for promoting significant racial disparities in the prison population and critics also charged that the policies did little to reduce the availability of drugs on the street, while resulting in a great financial burden for America. The Reagan administration was criticized for its slow response to the growing HIV epidemic. As thousands became infected with the virus, he did not increase funding to try to discover cures rather he downplayed the situation. The Anti-Drug Abuse Act required a minimum of 10 years to life for a first drug conviction, 20 years to life for a second and life in prison if the possession could be tied to a death or serious bodily injury. In addition, the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1974 , was also established to empower the Department of Justice (DOJ) to seize assets derived from drug trafficking (Libby, 2008). Drugs in the Golden The Golden Triangle and the Golden Crescent are very much two distinct areas of the globe, the former located in the areas around Burma, Thailand, and Laos, the latter located around Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran. (Chouvy, 2010) The Golden Triangle, encompassed by Burma or Myanmar has a very bloody history. The Chinese people became addicted to the drugs in return China had made such a stand outlawing the import of opiates once the government learned the ill effects of the drug. Consequently, Britain went to war in the Opium Wars to try to force free trade onto the Chinese in order to foster British exports (Marchant, 2002). Afghanistan, which is majority of the area known as the Golden Crescent, has been known to be the worlds greatest producer of opium and drug trafficking account for a third of the total Afghan economy. Alongside the War of Terrorism the control and eradication of the opium production and related trafficking is a main concern of the international community, Drug use is often a response to war, poverty, and under-development, however, street opium and heroin manufactured in the country are widely available, affordable and of high purity (Maguet Majeed, 2010). The Taliban were smart economists you could say amongst other things and used the Opiates to create a so called shortage to sky rocket the price before increasing the development of the poppy to export for a higher fee. Through Islam law, the Taliban government got over half of profits via taxes from every crop sold and used the money to finance an army of insurgents. While the Taliban has been disrupted by the US following the attacks on the WTC and their support of Al-Qaieda the economic structure they created in their mountainous ranges continue to grow unanswered. The Golden Crescent came to be also out of the outlawing of the drug in neighboring countries; namely China and Iran. It is striking that the Golden Crescent became so lucrative so fast directly following a sheer drop off in the output and demand for the Golden Triangle Opiates. Drugs and Terrorism The merger of trans-national crime, terrorism and corruption is profound; the idea that these ideas can be discussed separately is problematic. (Shelley, 2003). Terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have changed the way law enforcement and governments see terrorist, guerrillas, and organized crime. They represent a greater danger than organized crime organizations because they adopted tactics from all kinds of different criminal, terrorist, and other organizations. A terrorist organization is connecting with scholars, international organizations, and the government. This represents a particular danger because they are usually more aggressive and violent than an organized crime group but working as an organized crime group. It is a complicated situation; terrorist organizations like Hezbollah have seen the benefits or expanding their networks outside the border of where their ideology originally started. They are connecting with o ther organizations and at the same time exploiting the illicit drug market in order to conduct further operations and to make a profit. The illicit businesses are now the largest and most profitable to be located in the developing world; for example, the drug trade now represents about 7% of world trade according to late 1990s estimates of the United Nations and their vast profits and enormous assets make them powerful actors in their home countries and in their regions (Shelley, 2003). When these guerrillas organizations deal with outside markets, they often make more money than what they would make in their respective countries and that makes them powerful. They often manipulate and bribe government officials taking advantage of the economic situations in certain areas. The biggest difference and danger is the ideology of terrorist organizations/guerrilla, organized crime often seeks to profit and do not have other agendas that could endanger innocent people as long as they stay of their way but terrorist organizations and guerrillas do. They are groups that were created in order to fight for a cause and by profiti ng they way they do they become more dangerous. Latin America and Drugs In Latin America, various criminal organizations operate like any multinational corporation, with separate divisions for cultivating the drugs, exports, transportation, distribution and finance. The guerrillas protect the drug traffickers because the latter supply weapons mainly from Cuba and Libya. These guerrillas reportedly attacked prisons to free drug traffickers who were, for example, caught along the northern coast of Colombia. Terrorists and guerrilla organizations in Latin America exchange not only arms, but also intelligence and services for money laundering. The drugs provide quick and assured financial gain, they also serve an international currency funding terrorist activities and guerrilla warfare (Ehrenfeld et. al, 1986, p.1). In parts of Colombia, guerrilla groups are allied with narco-traffickers who pay them to guard their laboratories. In areas such as Magdalena River Valley, traffickers have armed paramilitary groups to protect their property against the guerrilla s, who maintain they are fighting for land reform to benefit poor peasants (US Department of State Dispatch, 1992). As a result of the significant decline in funding of guerrilla and terrorist groups, these groups have become increasingly reliant on drug trafficking as a principal funding source. The terrorist and extremist groups derive much of their drug-related income from taxation levied for protection of drug powers, laboratories, clandestine landing fields, and transport of drugs of chemicals through guerrilla-controlled territory (Library of Congress, 2002, p. 1). Conclusion In spite of documentation showing the effectiveness of the current war on drugs, I do not see the light at the end of the tunnel. When the numbers of production of drugs, such as coca in Columbia are down, everyone is quick to claim the end of the 40-year battle against cocaine. Really, these numbers do not mean much for slowing, stopping, or eradicating drugs. This drug war is raging more violently than ever. The drugs are plentiful, cheap and as addictive as ever. The violence used to obtain the drugs has turn into terrorism at a global level.

Epidemiology and Treatment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Essay

The Epidemiology and Treatment of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) Bovine Spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) is a serious disease found mainly in the U.K. that effects cows and humans alike. Humans can get the new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease by eating beef contaminated with BSE. The exact cause of BSE has yet to be discovered, but there are many theories that suggest that the infectious agent of scrapie and mutated prions have something to do with it. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, more commonly known as Mad Cow Disease, is a Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE). A TSE is a progressive disease believed to be caused by the folding (mutating) of prion proteins found in the brain and causing brain deterioration. Other forms of TSEs are scrapie, Kuru and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. TSEs are contracted either sporadically or by inheritance. In order for an animal or human to contract a TSE sporadically, they must not have had the mutant prion protein allele in their body prior to an infection of the said protein. When the prion enters the body, it causes a chain re...

America And The Ludendorrf Offensive :: essays research papers

The Entry of the USA and the Failure of the Ludendorff Offensive. The Entry of the USA. Both of these factors were very important in determining the outcome of the war. The American factor was important because when America joined the war, it was a critical period for the allies (April 1917). At the time they joined, Britain only had six weeks supply of corn, the French armies were exhausted after Verdun and French morale was so low that ten divisions had mutinied so the American involvement boosted the allies morale. At the time the Russian army was disintegrating after the February revolution so the German army for the first time, could transfer all their troops on the Eastern front to the Western front, so for the first time in the war having numerical superiority on the Western front, also because of the treaty of Brest-Litovich the Germans had much more guns and equipment that the allies. Also at the time, the Italians contribution was much weakened by the battle of Caporetto in November, so the situation at the time for the allies was quite dire! The US navy, when America entered the war, sent lots of destroyers to Ireland to help with anti-submarine patrols. Also, US Admiral Simms enabled Prime Minister Lloyd George to overcome Admiralty resistance to the convoy system so cutting our ship losses from twenty five percent to one percent, which was vital, if Britain was to stay in the war. Also America closed off the submarine threat from Germany by laying a big mine barrage across the North Sea. Although it was not until June 1918 before the Germans had enough troops in Europe to do any serious damage to the Germans and it was not until September that the Americans were strong enough to launch a major offensive (the Meuse-Argonne battle that engaged 1.2 million Americans for 47 days). The US armies also gave the allies the margin of Victory by giving us many men and guns that we would not have otherwise had. I.e.: In April 1918 the Germans had 300,000 more men that we did on the Western front but by November 1918, the allies had 600,000 more men than the Germans on the Western front. This was in part because that Germans were losing many lives through the Ludendorff offensive but mainly because the Americans poured many men in to Europe. America And The Ludendorrf Offensive :: essays research papers The Entry of the USA and the Failure of the Ludendorff Offensive. The Entry of the USA. Both of these factors were very important in determining the outcome of the war. The American factor was important because when America joined the war, it was a critical period for the allies (April 1917). At the time they joined, Britain only had six weeks supply of corn, the French armies were exhausted after Verdun and French morale was so low that ten divisions had mutinied so the American involvement boosted the allies morale. At the time the Russian army was disintegrating after the February revolution so the German army for the first time, could transfer all their troops on the Eastern front to the Western front, so for the first time in the war having numerical superiority on the Western front, also because of the treaty of Brest-Litovich the Germans had much more guns and equipment that the allies. Also at the time, the Italians contribution was much weakened by the battle of Caporetto in November, so the situation at the time for the allies was quite dire! The US navy, when America entered the war, sent lots of destroyers to Ireland to help with anti-submarine patrols. Also, US Admiral Simms enabled Prime Minister Lloyd George to overcome Admiralty resistance to the convoy system so cutting our ship losses from twenty five percent to one percent, which was vital, if Britain was to stay in the war. Also America closed off the submarine threat from Germany by laying a big mine barrage across the North Sea. Although it was not until June 1918 before the Germans had enough troops in Europe to do any serious damage to the Germans and it was not until September that the Americans were strong enough to launch a major offensive (the Meuse-Argonne battle that engaged 1.2 million Americans for 47 days). The US armies also gave the allies the margin of Victory by giving us many men and guns that we would not have otherwise had. I.e.: In April 1918 the Germans had 300,000 more men that we did on the Western front but by November 1918, the allies had 600,000 more men than the Germans on the Western front. This was in part because that Germans were losing many lives through the Ludendorff offensive but mainly because the Americans poured many men in to Europe.

A Mongoliod Child Handling Shells On The Beach by Robert Snyder :: essays research papers

Diction, Theme and Imagery in Richard Snyders Intro To Poetry "A Mongoloid Child Handling Shells on the Beach" When you first read Richard Snyders narrative poem, "A Mongoloid Child Handling Shells on the Beach", it may be perceived that the poem is indeed about a child, happily gathering shells upon the shore. However, if we closely consider the diction and connotations that Synder uses, we can speculate that the meaning of the poem depicts a deeper and darker theme. The title itself gives us an idea from the beginning. The word Mongoloid, as identified in Websters New World Dictionary (675), is an early term for Down's Syndrome, a state of mental retardation. Therefore I believe that the poem represents the child as an outcast from the norm of society. There are several words in the text that refer to the child that we usually wouldn't associate with youth. An early clue would again be found in the title, "A Mongoloid Child Handling Shells on the Beach". Notice that Snyder used the word "handling" instead of playing or collecting, words wich we might think of while envisioning a young girl investigating sea shells. Snyder also uses the word 'slow' to describe the child on more than one occasion, as we see in line one and line eight : "She turns them over in her slow hands/ ...hums back to it its slow vowels." Yet another example could be in line four, which reads: " they are the calmest things on this sand." Calm is yet another word that we would not most likely use to portray a young child. It very well could be that the author is trying to paint a picture of her impairment and symbolize her condition through her actions. Considering Snyder depicted the ocean as "..the mazarine maze,"(3) instead of simply stating that it is the "deep blue sea", it is easy to speculate that the ocean represents life itself. Her being outside of the water while all the other children are swimming is a key example of her being isolated. The way that she is presented, which is slow and rather solemn, contrasts with the other children who are "rough as surf, gay as their nesting towels."(6). I feel that this kind of symbolism is repeated throughout the remainder of the poem. The sea shells, for instance, are another important representation of her isolation. It reads in line three: " broken bits from a mazarine maze,". If we look at the mazarine maze as being life, and the shells are broken bits of it washed ashore, it becomes clear that

Outsourcing Customer Service Essay

Outsourcing Customer Service Executive Summary The choice to outsource company’s relations with their customers is a choice many businesses are making. With the costs of labor more than a quarter of the rate an average customer service representative makes in the United States (U. S. ), large companies are making the choice to offshore some, or the entire company’s customers service departments to other countries. To many of these companies, the benefits are out weighing the issues relating to outsourcing in general. Breaches of security and customer satisfaction are some of the problems businesses are facing when making the choice to offshore. Are cutting costs more beneficial than customers losing faith in the products of the company? Outsourcing Customer Service Outsourcing is a business practice that is used around the world. This paper will describe the business case for a company to outsource some of its operations, and the risks that are weighed when choosing to outsource. What impacts those decisions have on the company and its customers will also be discussed. A Background on Outsourcing Outsourcing customer service overseas involves hiring another company abroad to take over either some or the entire customer support department. Outsourcing has become a growing trend today. Many large American, European, and British corporations are eager to cut costs by off shoring customer service jobs to foreign firms for significantly lesser wages. Why Outsourcing? Some of the objectives a company will accomplish by outsourcing jobs to foreign firms are cost savings, having 24 hour customer service, and a centralized service center. Each of these points does however come at a price, and will sometimes outweigh the benefits. Saving money has been the greatest reason companies have chosen to send the majority of their customer service departments to other countries. The thought of cheap labor is enticing to many businesses when making the choice to off shore. The average call center graduate, usually holding a bachelor’s degree (BA) earns 3,000 rupees a week, which is the equivalent of 67 U. S. dollars (Aspden, 2006). To facilitate the need to off shore, construction of office space is taking 10 months to complete instead of the normal 18 months in Bangalore, India. Each month over 40 companies make the decision to outsource Information Technology (IT), back-office and customer service departments to India, and other countries. To fight the onslaught of new business, India has setup second tier cities to handle the overflow of demand and establish call centers such as Pune, Kolkata, and Jaipur, just to name a few. These cities in India are growing quickly to accommodate the need for outsourcing, while slowly loosing the foothold on the market due to the increases in pay. With other countries such as China, Hungary, and the Philippines competing for lower wage work, India may loose almost half it’s market share by 2007 (Aspden, 2006). However, companies are finding out that there are hidden costs involved with the outsourcing of customer service. A growing trend of customer dissatisfaction is causing major corporations to reconsider the outsourcing of its services. In a recent survey of pension policy holders in the United Kingdom (U. K. ) it was found that 75% would leave their current provider if they experienced bad customer service (Pfeffer, 2006). Mega corporations such as Dell, Capitol One, and JP Morgan all made an attempt to outsource customer service and all reversed course. Evidence is mounting that good customer service is pivotal in a company’s retention of customers. A 2005 Gartner study predicted that 60% of organizations that outsource customer-facing processes will see significant numbers of frustrated customers switching to competitors (Pfeffer, 2006). Even call centers in the United Kingdom (U. K. ) have reverted calls back to their own soil due to customer complaints, with the majority of those companies vowing to keep call centers in the U. K. (Kivlehan, 2005). The corporate mentality towards outsourcing is far understated as companies see the business case for the moves, assuming that customers do not pay attention to dialect and local customs. After years of wondering what all those fiber-optic cables laid around the earth at massive expense in the late 1990s would ever be good for, we finally have an answer: They are good for enabling call-center workers in Bangalore or Delhi to sound as if they are next door to everyone. Broadband’s killer app, it turns out, is India (Fox, 2003). Risk Management

Enron’s Questionable Accounting Practices

Enron used multiple strategic partners to help cover up their accounting schemes. Houston law firm Vinson ; Elkins’ top client was Enron. The law firm wrote opinion letters supporting the legality of the deals Enron was making even though they were illegal. Additionally, Arthur Andersen LLP was Enron’s auditor. More than 100 employees at Arthur Andersen were dedicated to Enron’s account. The firm was a major business partner of Enron and some Arthur Andersen executives accepted jobs with Enron. Some believe there was a conflict of interest.It is also believed Andersen was influenced to destroy auditing documents because of the large consulting fees Enron paid them. Also, Merrill Lynch, one of the largest investment banking firms, was also a contributor. They reportedly helped in a scheme of Enron’s to improperly record their earnings in 1999 through the sale of Nigerian Barges. Andrew Fastow, Enron’s Chief Financial Officer, is believed to be the ma stermind behind the partnerships used to hide the $1 billion debt that led to Enron’s bankruptcy.He defrauded Enron and its shareholders to make Enron look more profitable than it really was (â€Å"Castalar Articles†,  2005). Castalar Articles (2005) says, â€Å"People have described the organizational culture of Enron as being arrogant. Enron’s compensation plans seemed less concerned with generating profits for shareholders than with enriching officer wealth. Enron’s corporate culture reportedly encouraged flouting or even breaking the rules. Enron's focus shifted from working hard and being successful, to taking short cuts to stay successful.Former CEO Jeffrey Skilling is seen as the mastermind behind Enron’s fraudulent accounting. Skilling has been quoted as saying Enron could make â€Å"a kazillion dollars† in a new accounting scheme. He is also reported dumping 39 percent of his Enron stock before the company disclosed its financial troubles. † I think it is easy to say what we would have done in this situation. We would all like to believe we would have done the right thing and report the company and its CEO as well as the CFO. I know that I would have not stayed with a company I thought was acting unethically.If I had been hired to audit Enron, I would certainly not have swept things under the rug, destroyed documents or accepted bribes. I do not believe this behavior helps anyone in the end. If there would have been some honest reporting and accounting the company would have most likely been successful. However, due to greed and selfishness the company was driven into collapse. Source: Castalar articles. (2005). Retrieved from http://articles. castelarhost. com/enron_questionable_accounting_leads_to_collapse. htm

Ignominy in the Puritan Community Essay

The title of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter refers to the literal symbol of ignominy that Hester Prynne’s community forces her to wear as a reminder of her sin. Though the word â€Å"ignominy† is used in sympathetic passages that describe Hester Prynne’s disgrace as an adulteress and out-of-wedlock mother, its use at the same time reveals an extremely critical description of Hester’s community; Hawthorne finds that what is truly disgraceful is the way the community relishes and exploits the opportunity to punish one of its members. Through powerful diction and imagery describing Hester’s sin and through saintly representations of Hester’s beauty and wholeness, Hawthorne reveals his sympathy toward Hester. The narrator commiserates with Hester when the reader first encounters her walking to her daily public shaming upon the marketplace’s scaffold. He writes, â€Å"her beauty shone out and made a halo of misfortune and ignominy in which she was enveloped† (50). The word â€Å"halo† suggests an angelic, even saintly quality, compared to the sin for which she is being publicly disgraced as punishment, making her circumstance more complex than simply one of punished sin. That she is â€Å"enveloped† by disgrace implies that her shame derives more from her surroundings than from her sin; Hawthorne’s use of â€Å"misfortune† also demonstrates the narrator’s sympathy toward Hester, again suggesting that her disgrace comes as much from the community’s display of her sin as from the sin itself. Hawthorne portrays Hester sympathetically yet again in her encounter with Chillingworth in the prison. The disguised physician declares Hester to be â€Å"a statue of ignominy, before the people† (68). Ironically, Chillingworth, in the role of a healer, here admonishes rather than helps Hes ter. His words, intended to threaten and punish Hester, in fact, spark sympathy for her in the reader. Similarly, later in the novel, while Hester and Dimmesdale talk in the forest, briefly away from the opprobrium of the Puritan community, Hawthorne describes how â€Å"Hester Prynne must take up again the burden of her ignominy† (170), on her return â€Å"to the settlement.† The use of the words â€Å"must† and â€Å"again† reveal Hester’s continual forced obligation to wear and be a symbol of shame in her community, and show again the narrator’s sympathy toward her. The fact that she is â€Å"burden[ed]† by disgrace illustrates the extreme weight of her painful, shunned experience, thus establishing the cause for the narrator’s sympathy for Hester. As Hawthorne shows empathy regarding Hester as she leaves the prison, he also condemns the harsh experience inflicted on her by the community, â€Å"The very law that condemned her†¦had held her up, through the terrible ordeal of her ignominy† (71). The words â€Å"terrible ordeal† not only reinforce the narrator’s sympathy toward the protagonist, but also suggest that the narrator is judging the community, not Hester. By revealing the community’s enjoyment and cruelty in punishing Hester, Hawthorne criticizes the Puritan’s ideas of justice and mercy through both assertive diction and direct communication with the reader. When â€Å"A crowd of eager and curious schoolboys† stare â€Å"at the ignominious letter on her breast† (52), the reader sees the â€Å"eager† pleasure and excitement witnesses experience from Hester’s circumstance. Here Hester’s disgrace has become both an entertainment and an educational device. The narrator continues with, â€Å"she perchance underwent an agony†¦as if her heart had been flung into the street for them all to spurn and trample upon† (52). With this description, Hester’s humanity is maintained, even when the comm unity, â€Å"all† of it, objectifies her as a teaching tool. The image of her heart â€Å"flung†, â€Å"spurn[ed] and trample[d] upon† demonstrates both the narrator’s sympathy toward Hester and animosity toward Puritan society, regardless of the age of the member. Shortly after his description of the schoolboy’s callous treatment of Hester, the narrator continues with a harsh account of the scaffold and pillory once employed upon it, â€Å"that instrument of discipline† that represented â€Å"the very ideal of ignominy† (52). The pillory reflects the nature of the community’s sense of justice, and the narrator finds it extremely harsh. The word â€Å"ideal,† often associated with perfection, suggests that the pillory signifies the ultimate desired effect of â€Å"ignominy:† public shame from which the sinner cannot turn away. Next, it would seem that Hawthorne speaks out directly and emotionally to the reader, declaring, â€Å"There can be no outrage, methinks, against our common nature, whatever be the delinquencies of the individual, – no outrage more flagrant than to forbid the culprit to hide his face for shame† (52). Hawthorn’s use of word â€Å"methinks† suggests his forceful personal address on this issue of cruelty; he weighs in powerfully against the malice of the Pilgrim community that punishes Hester, even if it has not subjected her to the pillory. The word â€Å"no† implies Hawthorne’s view that this punishment is an absolute violation of human decency on the part of any community that turns a criminal into a victim by inflicting the use of a pillory. The letter â€Å"A† Hester must wear shows that the Puritans have depersonalized Hester as part of her punishment for committing adultery. The Puritan community is again portrayed as disgraceful when â€Å"John Wilson, the eldest clergyman of Boston† (60), steps forward above the scaffold where Hester continues to stand. He â€Å"had carefully prepared himself for the occasion† (63). Clearly, the words â€Å"carefully prepared† show Wilson relishing the public opportunity to punish Hester. He delivers to the community â€Å"a discourse on sin, in all its branches, but with continual reference to the ignominious letter† (63). His repeated reference to the scarlet letter underscores his depersonalization of Hester in her disgrace, without any consideration of her human suffering. The word â€Å"ignominious† reflects as much about the opportunistic clergyman and the punishing Pilgrim audience as it does about Hester’s sin. The narrator continues, â€Å"So forcefully did [Wilson] dwell upon this symbol, for the hour or more during which his periods were rolling over the people’s heads, that it assumed new terrors in their imagination† (63). The length of this sermon, and the nature of Wilson’s â€Å"rolling† delivery show the clergyman’s intention to hammer his message into the crowd and fire up its punishing judgment. Hawthorne continues to criticize the community as he places Hester historically at the site where she was first disgraced. The narrator notes, â€Å"If the minister’s voice had not kept her there, there would nevertheless have been an inevitable magnetism in that spot, whence she dated the first hour of her life of ignominy† (211). Implied is the idea that the power of public shaming by the community causes her to remain. Specifically, by noting that the scaffold is where â€Å"the first hour of her life of ignominy† began the author criticizes the community by revealing that Hester did not experience â€Å"ignominy† until being publicly disgraced on the scaffold, even though her sin had been committed many months prior. With his use of the word â€Å"ignominy,† Hawthorne repeats throughout The Scarlet Letter the cruelty, judgmental attitude, and narrow-mindedness of Puritan society. He portrays Hester’s community as condemning sinners mercilessly, refusing to accept ideas that are foreign to their ways of living or thinking. In this way, the townspeople depersonalize Hester, suggesting that she and her disgrace are one. Hester is seen as her sin, not as a complex human being with complicated, still unknown, circumstances.