Saturday, November 30, 2019

Links Between Crime And Punishment And A Dolls House Essays

Links between Crime and Punishment and A Doll's House Links between Crime and Punishment and A Doll's House There are many links between Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and A Doll's House, by Henrik Isben. Each character goes through many ironic situations. Throughout both of the works all three types of irony are used. In this essay irony is going to be used to link the two works together. Dramatic, situational, and verbal irony are going to be used to link the two works together. Dramatic irony is used throughout Crime and Punishment. The reader knows that Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov killed the pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna, and her sister, Lizaveta Ivanovna. A quote to support this is, "He took the axe right out, swung it up in both hands, barely conscious of what he was doing, and almost without effort, almost effort, almost mechanically, brought the butt of it down on the old woman's head." (Dostoyevsky 114) No one in the novel knows who killed the pawnbroker and her sister except for Raskolnikov. The police officer, Porfiry Petrovitch, suspects that Raskolnikov killed the pawnbroker and her sister but he cannot prove it. The reader also knows that Luzhin puts money in Sofya Semyonovna Marmeladov's pocket when she is not looking. After Sofya, whose nickname is Sonia, finishes talking to Luzhin she leaves. Sonia has no idea that Luzhin has put money into her pocket. Raskolnikov's friend, Andrei Semyonovitch Lebezyatnikov, was present when all of that takes place. "All of this was observed by Andrei Semyonovich." (Dostoyevsky 460) Luzhin goes to a reception for Sonia's father, Semyon Zakharovitch Marmeladov, and announces that Sonia is a thief. Sonia immediately denies the accusation. Luzhin tells her to look in her pocket. Sure enough the money that he was missing was there. Luzhin wants Sonia to marry him but she does not love him. Luzhin plans to blackmail Sonia into marrying him. Lebezyatnikov steps in to save the day when he says, "I saw it. I saw it.... And even though it's against my convictions, I would be prepared to swear to it on oath in any court of law you'd care to name, because I saw how you slipped it into her pocket on the sly!" (Dostoyevsky 465) A Doll's House also contains many examples of dramatic irony. In A Doll's House the reader is aware that Nora borrowed money from Krogstad without her husband's permission. Nora also forged her father's name to gain the money. She says, "You don't know all. I forged a name." (Isben 44) In the following conversation between Nora and Christine it is clearly stated that Torvald does not know of Nora's actions: "Mrs. Linde. And since then have you never told your secret to your husband? Nora. Good heavens, no!" (Isben 13) Another example of dramatic irony in A Doll's House is when Nora wants to practice a dance called the Tarantella. When Torvald goes to look in the letter box Nora says, "Torvald please don't. There is nothing in there." (Isben 46) The reader knows that Nora has not forgotten the dance. The reader knows this when Torvald goes to check the mail and Nora begins to play the Tarantella. Nora then says, "I can't dance to-morrow if I don't practise with you." (Isben 46) The reader knows that all Nora is trying to do is keep Torvald from reading the mail which contains a letter from Krogstad. Situational irony is also used throughout the two works. In Crime and Punishment Raskolnikov is the one who murdered the two sisters. It was totally unexpected when Nikolai came to the police office and said, "I'm the guilty one! The sin is mine! I'm the murderer!" (Dostoyevsky 413) The reader did not expect Nikolai to confess to the two murders because the reader knows that Raskolnikov is the one who murdered the two sisters. Porfiry did not expect Nikolai to confess either. He was positive that Raskolnikov had murdered the pawnbroker and her sister. It is also ironic when Raskolnikov goes to the police station and says, "What if it were I who murdered Lizaveta and the old woman?" (Dostoyevsky 211) Zamyotov just sits back and smiles. Raskolnikov then says, "Admit that you believed me! You did didn't you?" (Dostoyevsky 211) "Of course I didn't! And now I believe you even less!" (Dostoyevsky 211) The reader expects Zamyotov to do his job and arrest Raskolnikov when he confesses to the murders. Letting Raskolnikov is a surprise to everyone including himself. In A Doll's House there are also examples of situational irony. An example of situational irony is when Nora leaves Torvald.

Monday, November 25, 2019

The meaning of the great Gatsby essays

The meaning of the great Gatsby essays What is the great Gatsby really about? This is a question that has many solutions, depending in the view of the reader. This novel contains various characters that differ in their life style and perspective. Due to this reason, many points of views are conveyed by this novel that one might accept as the themes. One of the themes that can occur in the readers mind is vision. The authors imagination is primarily visual; he shows interest in the looking going on through out the novel. Another theme projected in this novel is time. the novel displays a search for happiness by looking into the past. Finally, the last theme that will be discussed is the dreams. All of these themes hold a certain level of authority throughout the novel. the dreams take priority over both, vision and time. The vision discussed throughout the novel is not by any means what this novel is really about. It is rather a natural gesture expressed by several characters by using the gift of sight. Many times in the novel vision lead to misconception, one example is when Mytrle saw Jordan in the passenger seat next to Tom and had mistaken her for his wife. Incidents similar to this one occur throughout the play which contribute to the setting but do not describe the meaning of the novel. Actually the great Gatsby is a reflection of many dreams. Gatsby for example does not admire reality; as a result he changed his original identity. He also shapes the world in a way to satisfy his own desire, throws big parties to gain the sense of liveliness and chases an ideal happiness. In other words he chases a dream. Gatsby himself admits that he had paid the price of chasing a single dream for too long. However, the cause of his fall is not having the wrong dream; he falls because his dream is too n arrowly focused. Furthermore, Nick himself happens to be the character in the novel most obsessed with dreamin...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Chains and Sustainable Development Essay Example for Free

Chains and Sustainable Development Essay Those of us who preach the gospel of agriculture with evangelical zeal find the text compelling and convincing. We are regularly possessed by the spirit only to look around and see out colleagues, in other sectors, in country management, or even our senior management doubting, yawning or subtly edging towards the door. We face the implicit query, â€Å"If agriculture can do such great things, why have they not yet happened? †1 The past decade has been one of agro-pessimism. The promises that agricultural development seem to hold did not materialise. This pessimism seemed to coincide with pessimism about Sub-Saharan Africa. Especially for Sub-Saharan Africa the hope was that economic development would be brought about by agricultural development. After the success of the green revolution in Asia, the hope was that a similar agricultural miracle would transform African economies. But this hope never materialised, agricultural productivity did not increase much in SSA (figure 1), and worse, the negative effects of the green revolution in Asia became more apparent, such as pesticide overuse and subsequent pollution. Also in Asia the yield increases tapered off. The sceptics put forward several arguments why agriculture is no longer an engine of growth2. For instance, the liberalisation of the 1990s and greater openness to trade has lead to a reduction in the economic potential of the rural sector: cheap imported Chinese plastic buckets out compete the locally produced pottery. On the other hand, it does mean cheaper (imported) supplies. With rapid global technical change and increasingly integrated markets, prices fall faster than yields rise. So, rural incomes fall despite increased productivity if they are net producers3. The integration of rural with urban areas means that healthy young people move out of agriculture, head to town, leaving behind the old, the sick and the dependent. It is often also the men who move to urban areas, leaving women in charge of the farm. This has resulted in the increased sophistication of agricultural markets (and value chains) which excludes traditional smallholders, who are poorly equipped to meet the demanding product specifications and timeliness of delivery required by expanding supermarkets. The natural resource base on which agriculture depends is poor and deteriorating. Productivity growth is therefore increasingly more difficult to achieve. Finally, multiplier effects occur when a change in spending causes a disproportionate change in aggregate demand. Thus an increase in spending produces an increase in national income and consumption greater than the initial amount spent. But as GDP rises and the share of agriculture typically decreases, the question is how important these multiplier effects are, especially when significant levels of poverty remain in rural areas, which is the case in middleincome countries. The disappointment with agriculture led many donor organisations to turn away from agriculture, looking instead to areas that would increase the well-being of poor people, such as health and education. Those organisations that still focused on agriculture, such as the CGIAR, were put under pressure to focus more on reducing poverty, besides increasing agricultural productivity. However, since the beginning of the new century, there seems to be a renewed interest in agriculture. A review of major policy documents5, including the well-publicised Sachs report and the Kofi Annan report, show that agriculture is back on the agenda again. The most influential report, however, has been the World Development Report 2008 of the World Bank6. This report argues that growth in the agricultural sector 1 contributes proportionally more to poverty reduction than growth in any other economic sector and that therefore alone, the focus should be on the agricultural sector when achieving to reach MDG 1. A reassessment of the role of agriculture in development seems to be required. This policy paper addresses several timely though complex questions: †¢ First, how can or does agriculture contribute to economic development, and in particular how does it relate to poverty? †¢ Second, the agricultural sector has changed considerably in the past decades: what are the main drivers of this change? †¢ Third, what is the relationship between economic or agricultural growth and pro-poor development? †¢ Fourth, how does agriculture relate to other sectors in the economy? †¢ Fifth, who is included and who is excluded in agricultural development, specifically focusing on small farms? †¢ And finally, if agricultural development is indeed important to economic development, then why, despite all the efforts and investments, has this not led to more successes? 2. Agriculture and economic growth This section presents a number of factual observations describing how the agricultural sector changed in terms of productivity, contribution to economic growth, and indicating the relevance of the agricultural sector for poverty alleviation in different regions. Background: some facts In the discussion of the role of agriculture in economic development, a leading question is how agriculture contributes to economic growth, and especially to pro-poor growth. There seems to be a paradox in the role of agriculture in economic development. The share of agriculture contributing to GDP is declining over the years (see figure 1). At the same time, the productivity of for instance cereal yields has been increasing (see figure 2). It seems that as agriculture becomes more successful, its importance declines in the overall economy. Of course, other sectors in the economy can be even more successful, such as the Asian Tigers. Chains and Sustainable Development. (2016, Sep 07).

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Spatial Inequality around London and other UK Cities Essay

Spatial Inequality around London and other UK Cities - Essay Example 25). Introduction The UK is a welfare state and has been quite active in ameliorating expanding social inequalities that are attached with spatial segregation. This background on spatial segregation has given rise to the basic inquiry over the extent of spatial inequality in London and other cities of the UK. Spatial inequality is generally gauged by social inequality (as appraised via socio-economic parameters the like of un/employment or standard of education) or on race or ethnicity (as appraised by parameters of race or ethnic minority) (McIntosh, 2002). Data Deficiency Problem of insufficient quantitative data has been dominant across all European cities. That’s why EUROSTAT and the European Union has initiated research programmes, the like of BETWIXT project on selected cities including London. On social and employment scales, the European Community Household Panel Survey, the unitary Labour Force Survey and some new programmes have been initiated with a focus on comparative proof, policies and indicators and the Urban Audit with an increased area focus on standard of life data, which includes data on city level as well. Yet these efforts are handicapped by the absence of a single data source to predict outcomes on sub-city spatial segregation. ... defining a list of specific policy recommendations for reducing ‘excessive’ spatial inequality or increasing ‘beneficial’ spatial inequality† (2008, p.35). In this regard, both statistical and theoretical perspectives hold value. What is Spatial Inequality? Spatial inequality can be defined by pointing out the gap in living standard because of lacunas in social and economic causes over a territory that can be quite large or small in size. In a country, spatial segregation can exist to start from state, province, district, and city and at neighbourhood level. At neighbourhood level, spatial inequality cannot be addressed by the central government to help implement positive policies because neighbourhood is quite low administrative level (Faguet and Shami, 2008). Fiscal policy can play a positive role in fighting the causes of inequality or reducing its effects or the possibility is that policy can aggravate the spatial inequality. According to Cheshire (2007), there is a decisive causation relationship between poverty and place. Comparing the indicators of deprivation among residents with affluent neighbourhoods is important but we can not measure how it affects the opportunities in peoples’ lives, as there is no way to keep an eye on them (p. 18). Motivations and desires as well as luck play a role in deciding the place of living. Neighbourhood choice depends on many other factors, as pointed out by Goering et al. (2003). â€Å"Since people typically select their neighbourhoods to match their needs and resources, researchers restricted to cross-sectional, non-experimental evidence must try to separate the impact of personal factors affecting choice of neighbourhood from effects of neighbourhood.† (Goering et al., 2003, p. 4). Personal factors impacting

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The But for test Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The But for test - Essay Example Such pandects believe that as far as justice is concerned, one person should not be the reason for other person suffering injuries or any physical calamities and so as long as the law can proof that but for the defendant’s action, the complainant would not have suffered, the defendant should be made to face the full damages caused. The other school of thought also hold the idea that laws are meant to be amended and changed to suit the human society. For this reason, they see nothing wrong with logical changes that arise from the need to protect the larger interest of society. With such two schools of thought all seeming to have some point to prove, the discussion and conclusion of the paper would bring one of the schools of thoughts higher to the other. How Fairchild (2003) have affected the original application of the ‘but for’ test The Fairchild (2003) emanated from the case, Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd [2002]UKHL 22. In the case, the wife of Mr. Fairchild was seeking justice for her husband, who had worked for different employers, who had all, in one way or the other negligently exposed him to asbestos. Since Mr. Fairchild died as a result of suffering pleural mesothelioma, Mrs. Fairchild was actually suing the employers for negligence. As far as the ‘but for’ test was concerned, her major claim was that ‘but for’ the exposure that her husband suffered at the hands of the different employers, her husband would not have died. But there was going to be more than just this contextual assumption.... as long as the law can proof that but for the defendant’s action, the complainant would not have suffered, the defendant should be made to face the full damages caused. The other school of thought also hold the idea that laws are meant to be amended and changed to suit the human society. For this reason, they see nothing wrong with logical changes that arise from the need to protect the larger interest of society. With such two schools of thought all seeming to have some point to prove, the discussion and conclusion of the paper would bring one of the schools of thoughts higher to the other. How Fairchild (2003) have affected the original application of the ‘but for’ test The Fairchild (2003) emanated from the case, Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd [2002]UKHL 22. In the case, the wife of Mr. Fairchild was seeking justice for her husband, who had worked for different employers, who had all, in one way or the other negligently exposed him to asbestos. Sinc e Mr. Fairchild died as a result of suffering pleural mesothelioma, Mrs. Fairchild was actually suing the employers for negligence. As far as the ‘but for’ test was concerned, her major claim was that ‘but for’ the exposure that her husband suffered at the hands of the different employers, her husband would not have died. But there was going to be more than just this contextual assumption as the judges who heard the case would have different interpretations of the ‘but for’ test to give as far as the case that was presented was concerned. Basically, she had to proof that the sole cause of her husband’s contraction of mesothelioma was as a result of the inhalations he had from his employers are there exists several environmental factors that can expose a person to the disease causing

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Human Resource Management Ethics and Employment Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Management Ethics and Employment Essay Talisman Incorporation management was forced to cut their operations in Sudan. Any commercial operations and gained benefits cannot become a price for protesting riots and the new splash of civil war at any destination. As a matter of fact Talisman Company was told to sacrifice its subsidiary, which is worth around 12% from the Company total value, in order to save political stability. Talisman CEO Jim Buckee’s stated later, after the sale was announced that: â€Å"Talisman’s shares have continued to be discounted based on perceived political risk in-country and in North America . . . . Shareholders have told me that they were tired of continually having to monitor and analyze events relating to Sudan†. (Kobrin, 2004). Even with several years past Talisman situation is a good reason for numerous questions, which are certainly difficult to answer either from ethical or political side. The debates around such topics as foreign capital company responsibility for human rights and violation, the responsibility of management for decisions taking, and the necessity of issuing the institution in order to monitor violation, judge transgressions and to impose sanctions are loud even today. Certainly, there is no regulative powerful tool in such countries as Sudan for measuring, prediction and setting standards for corporative behavior through development of norms and monitoring violations cases. There is a good riddle to be solved within Talisman situation in Sudan. What will happen if Talismans management and board had to make a decision? Would they keep the property in Sudan and continue to try to make a difference through Talismans corporate social responsibility initiatives or the operations are to be cut? Analyzing Talisman situation in Sudan I need to admit that Talisman Incorporation for the years of Sudan operations has become a significant power and authority in the international political system through setting standards, supplying public goods and participating in negotiations. The summary is that political authority should imply public responsibility. This opinion ruins the traditional believe that only state and states agents are responsible for human rights violations. The reality brings the integrated structure of transnational corporations; their strategy is concerned with increasing integration of the global economy and increasing the number of problems between legal political structure and transnational corporations towards questions of human rights violation. Successful transnational corporation such as Talisman Company should become a regulative political mechanism itself for protection of individual rights, operating wise and employing all possible mechanisms for imposing obligations on company management and corporative culture regarding human rights violation and corporative policy in this question. These controversies in Sudan raised lot of questions for other Canadian companies, regarding the reasonability of such investments in foreign oil pipe-line projects. Should Canadian companies invest in Burma or Afghanistan? Who is responsible for risk caused by operations in the territories affected by civil wars and political riots? Political risk always presents in international operations. We can review such historical facts as nationalization of international companies in Russia after Bolshevik revolution. Statistically ten countries have nationalized their oil production before the year, 1970th. For me it is absolutely clear that Talisman Company had no chances to develop their productions under such tough political and activists pressure. Under the circumstances the way out was selling Talisman interest to the Company with suitable ethical background and negotiate policy due to questions of cultural and individual human rights, GNPOC property became a good candidate at the time. Analyzing the present situation in oil-gas Sudan policy, we can admit that petroleum sector including GNPOC is not transparent even nowadays. Corruption and thrilling political wars are the main reasons for that. Talisman Incorporation made a constructive decision through selling its share to GNPOC property, Canadian transnational corporation gained the second chance to develop their operations and grow internationally instead of being stuck in politicians’ games and corruption. The main question, which appeared shortly after Talisman story is more ethical than political, it is focused on the delegation of responsibility for human rights violations by any transnational corporation or its subsidiary operating in foreign territory with high risk of civil war or activists riots. It is obvious that the host country, Sudan in our case, is usually the first violator of human rights. Sudanese government paid very low attention to the accident with Talisman complicating the human rights of its citizens. At the other side, Canadian Government has analyzed Talisman Company Investments in Sudan thus a scope of threatened sanctions were taken to regulate Company activities. (Drohan, 1999, 2003; Frank, 1999). Dr. Campbell (2006, 258) states that, â€Å"†¦governments are, on the whole, neither able nor willing to effectively regulate MNCs, particularly when operating outside of their own jurisdiction and even in areas where legal regulation would be appropriate were it feasible†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Was Talisman selling the only way out of the situation and had Talisman Company the real Human Rights Obligations? Due to the core human and moral rights derived from human being dignity and equality of individual rights all members of human family (United Nations General  Assembly, 1998 (1948)) are identified with moral imperatives of positive law system (Campbell, 2006). So the moral standpoints due to Talisman Company obligations are positive, however they are opposite to commercial interest. Following the moral principals any transnational corporation should observe basic human rights at the legal location of their operations and respect the dignity of human rights as the core value of their business idea and a â€Å"moral compass for business practices† (Donaldson, 1996). Remembering the words of Jim Buckee, who would like Talisman Energy Inc. f Calgary, Alberta, to be known as a true Canadian success Company, that has increased oil and gas production by 30 percent a year since the mid-1990s by reaching beyond its prairie base to develop wells in the North Sea, Indonesia and Sudan, I need to underline that there were no intentions from Talisman side to cut operations in Sudan. Full established oil production just has begun when the Company was attacked by church representatives, civil activists and pension funds in the USA and Canada for violation and genocide, and other abuses of human rights. Why us† Jim Buckee asked, he added: â€Å"We are a in business, we are not in politics, and we can only affect things within our sphere of influence. Now the holdings in Sudan amount to only 10 percent of Talismans total assets and we are happy with project and have no intentions to leave† (Buckee, 2000) The main goal of the conversation between Talisman and legal power forces was concerned with ability of Talisman Company to â€Å"adopt a corporate code that includes human rights in it†. At that point Farther Ryan stressed: â€Å"If you have that, and youre a force for improving the situation, what are your objectives and strategies? And can you produce an audited result of what impact youre having? If you cant operate without violating human rights, the only option is to leave† (Ryan, 2000). That actually became a prediction for Talisman selling its share in Sudan and leaving and leaving. What type of business faces is adoptable for Sudanese political forces and civil activists, is there a definite one? China and Malaysia companies traditionally paying a low attention to human rights claiming that: â€Å"we are the only recognizable Western business face for Sudanese government† (Donaldson, 1996). At the same time, I cannot see any other way out for Talisman Corporation accept the possibility of business development out from Sudan, because according to the Westphalian Context each particular unit of any transnational corporation is obligated to be supervised by national jurisdiction including its own existing as a legal unit and legal personality, so its legal rights and duties are to be affected by the fact. Talisman corporation in our case is actually to be shifted through the grid of state sovereignty into an assortment of secondary rights and contingent liabilities† (Johns, 1994: 141) cited in (Cutler, 2001). On the other hand Westphalian orthodoxy suggests that â€Å"corporations could not have any direct obligations under international law and thus any positive duty to observe human rights† (Muchlinski, 2001). Such kind of â€Å"Treaties are signed by states and international law imposes obligations only on states and not on non-state actors†. (Pegg, 2003; Vazquez, 2005). At this stage of dispute there can be a compromise that it is important for the state to regulate and maintain the controlling tools for activities of non-state actors, because they might lead to human violation riots. Muchlinski, 2001: 35). So the idea of putting direct obligations on Talisman Corporation for human rights violation is some kind of interventionist, as even a sort of neo-colonial extension of violence in the conflict with the sovereign rights of the local/ host state. The problem is that there is a particular concern regarding the developing countries or those with high risk of national rebelling, these territories typically got the highest number of human right violation accusations imposed to transnational corporations. Current policy is reflected in the last draft of the United Nations Code of Conduct for Transnational Corporations code which called for TNCs to â€Å"respect the national sovereignty of the countries in which they operate† and noted that an â€Å"entity of a transnational corporation is subject to the laws, regulations and established administrative practices of the country in which it operates† (United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations, 1990,35). Talisman Company Sudanese conflict drugged the issuing of new tools for corporate behavior regulation afterwards. The Proposal for Human Rights Related Regulation is purposed with building corporate policy for Canadian companies operating on risky territories providing the following recommendations to them: â€Å"All Canadian securities commissions should initiate discussion among their members about issues relating to corporate conduct in war zones, with special reference to direct or arm’s length trade in weapons and materiel, involvement with individuals and companies recruited abroad to engage in hostilities in a third country, or the arrangement of mining concessions in return for protection of any sort. Guidelines dealing with such issues should be created or added to existing codes. † (Campbell, T. 2006). Canadian business is deeply international; its global presence dictates the new rules and policies to all the parties including attention to ethical, social and environmental responsibility regarding local communities’ safety and human rights. The new set of proposals for regulation is issued specially for Canadian global business and aimed to help establishing the friendly community operating business relationship within host company state and non state infrastructures.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Soil Hydrology Under Fire Essay -- Geology Natural Nature Essays

Soil Hydrology Under Fire Soil type is a function of five factors: parent material, climate, topography, biota, and time (Singer and Munns, 1996). Fire's effect on soil can be described in the same manner and, interestingly enough, is almost identical to the five factors of soil formation with only a couple of minor modifications. First, the parent material for a burned soil is the original soil itself plus the fuel consumed in the fire. Second, climate includes not only weather-related variables but also the burning temperature of the fire. This paper focuses specifically on one aspect of the climate factor: the effect of water. It investigates both how soil moisture influences fire severity, and conversely, how fire severity influences the hydrology of a soil. Based on this discussion a land management recommendation states that prescribed fires should be utilized during wetter times of the year to maximize the positive effects for vegetation and to minimize the negative effect of soil erosion. Rapid plant regrowth is essential to the rehabilitation of a burned area, for plants greatly influence the hydrology of a soil. But for plants to grow back on a burned area, they require several nutrients whose concentrations are modified by fires. The degree of these modifications are determined by a fire's temperature, but there are a few general trends. Levels of phosphorus (Kutiel and Shaviv, 1993 and Marion et al., 1991) and pH (Kutiel and Shaviv, 1993) both increase during a fire. Conversely, nitrogen decreases during a fire (Kutiel and Shaviv, 1993, Marion et al., 1991). Chemical concentrations in burned soils are greatly affected by a fire's intensity. Ulery and Graham (1993) classify fire intensity into three major cla... ...h deposition, and clipping effects on soil nutrients in chaparral: Soil Science Society of America Journal, 55, 235-240. Robichaud, P. R. and Waldrop, T. A., 1994, A comparison of surface runoff and sediment yields from low- and high-severity site preparation burns: Water Resources Bulletin, 30, 27-34. Samran, S., Woodard, P. M., and Rothwell, R. L., 1995, The effect of soil water on ground fuel availability: Forest Science, 41, 255-267. Scott, D. F. and Van Wyk, D. B., 1990, The effects of wildfire on soil wettability and hydrological behavior of an afforested catchment: Journal of Hydrology, 121, 239-256. Singer, M. J, and Munns, D. N., 1996, Soils: an introduction: Upper Saddle River, Prentice-Hall Inc., 480 p. Ulery, A. L. and Graham, R. C., 1993, Forest fire effects on soils color and texture: Soil Science Society of America Journal, 57, 135-140. Soil Hydrology Under Fire Essay -- Geology Natural Nature Essays Soil Hydrology Under Fire Soil type is a function of five factors: parent material, climate, topography, biota, and time (Singer and Munns, 1996). Fire's effect on soil can be described in the same manner and, interestingly enough, is almost identical to the five factors of soil formation with only a couple of minor modifications. First, the parent material for a burned soil is the original soil itself plus the fuel consumed in the fire. Second, climate includes not only weather-related variables but also the burning temperature of the fire. This paper focuses specifically on one aspect of the climate factor: the effect of water. It investigates both how soil moisture influences fire severity, and conversely, how fire severity influences the hydrology of a soil. Based on this discussion a land management recommendation states that prescribed fires should be utilized during wetter times of the year to maximize the positive effects for vegetation and to minimize the negative effect of soil erosion. Rapid plant regrowth is essential to the rehabilitation of a burned area, for plants greatly influence the hydrology of a soil. But for plants to grow back on a burned area, they require several nutrients whose concentrations are modified by fires. The degree of these modifications are determined by a fire's temperature, but there are a few general trends. Levels of phosphorus (Kutiel and Shaviv, 1993 and Marion et al., 1991) and pH (Kutiel and Shaviv, 1993) both increase during a fire. Conversely, nitrogen decreases during a fire (Kutiel and Shaviv, 1993, Marion et al., 1991). Chemical concentrations in burned soils are greatly affected by a fire's intensity. Ulery and Graham (1993) classify fire intensity into three major cla... ...h deposition, and clipping effects on soil nutrients in chaparral: Soil Science Society of America Journal, 55, 235-240. Robichaud, P. R. and Waldrop, T. A., 1994, A comparison of surface runoff and sediment yields from low- and high-severity site preparation burns: Water Resources Bulletin, 30, 27-34. Samran, S., Woodard, P. M., and Rothwell, R. L., 1995, The effect of soil water on ground fuel availability: Forest Science, 41, 255-267. Scott, D. F. and Van Wyk, D. B., 1990, The effects of wildfire on soil wettability and hydrological behavior of an afforested catchment: Journal of Hydrology, 121, 239-256. Singer, M. J, and Munns, D. N., 1996, Soils: an introduction: Upper Saddle River, Prentice-Hall Inc., 480 p. Ulery, A. L. and Graham, R. C., 1993, Forest fire effects on soils color and texture: Soil Science Society of America Journal, 57, 135-140.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Positive Effects of Globalization Essay

Globalization has been credited with bringing an increased transparency in the world and communication technology has played a major role in this. Governments can now exchange data, research, analysis, and reports with each other on a real-time basis and this has led to increased cooperation between nations. One of the symbolic manifestations of globalization is the presence of multi-national brands across the globe. Companies like Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Nike etc. are present in a number of countries and to conduct their business smoothly and effectively, they rely on communication technology to a large extent. The latest innovations in web-conferencing have made it possible for businessmen to interact with each other in a better way. The developments that we have seen in the business sector would have never been possible without the presence of an effective communication system. One of the prime examples is the surge in outsourcing that we have seen over the last decade of so. Most US companies have saved around 30% to 50% of their costs by taking their back-office, billing Globalization: Pros and Cons The term ‘globalization’ is profoundly contentious. Where there are some highly appreciated advantages of this ideology of integrating cultures, the world has witnessed some enormously threatening effects of the same too. Its pros and cons simultaneously support and contradict its impact on the world economy. While the ones advocating globalization believe that it is because of this trend that poor economies have regained their hopes and faiths of developing financially, thus, raising their standards of living, the ones contradicting it believe that globalization is the only reason behind elite and high-profile multinational companies trashing local cultures and beliefs, domestic small-scale businesses, and commoners, in the rush to attain an international status. This instigates us to put forth numerous questions like What is the future of globalization with such ambiguities associated? How are cultures going to revive now? All in all, it is upon the masses to keep a check on our sanctities and traditions, and be all the more tolerant as today, interaction in-person is no more prevalent. Issues will crop up, things would be misunderstood, and the power to tolerate will be tested every now and then. In order to properly balance between the benefits and prices that globalization is associated with, it is highly essential to adjudicate as to how the process of globalization works, and the norms and standards that it consorts with itself. It is then that we can seek an all-inclusive answer to globalization’s actual role and purpose within the world economy. The impact of communication technology can be seen in the education sector as well. There are a lot of students who are now able to get access to information through Internet. Students can now get certifications from foreign Universities by completing an online program. These innovations have brought a marked difference to the way education is imparted and has led to an improvement in the quality of education. The impact of globalization on banking industry has been prominent and today we can see various banks being streamlined through effective communication channels. The innovation has also led to the globalization of banking industry as leading banks from all over the world now have their offices in almost every country of the world. While the impact of communication technology has been overly positive, it has led to certain challenges. There is a wide disparity when it comes to access to technology between developing and developed nations. The developing nations do not have a proper infrastructure in place, which has created challenges for a lot of people in these countries. This can be disadvantageous to the developing countries and can lead to economic disparity. Globalization cannot be exclusive as it encompasses the whole world and it is important that corrective actions are taken to ensure that weaker sections of the society are not neglected. There has been a lot of progress in the last few years and developing countries like Nigeria and Kenya have started to take steps to encourage their people to be acquainted with the latest developments in communication technology. It is important to remember that there are various factors that have contributed to globalization and communication technology is just one of them. However, it has played one of the most important roles in spreading globalization. The concerns that are associated with the disparity can be countered by making further innovations in communication technology. Globalization has several advantages on the economic, cultural, technological, social, and other fronts. Any myths existing in the mind regarding these must be dispelled. Globalization means increasing the interdependence, connectivity, and integration on a global level, with respect to the social, cultural, political, technological, economic, and ecological levels. It is the collaboration of countries to provide a boost to trade practices, and also to reduce cultural differences. Its various advantages can be felt all across the globe by one and all, and also to a very large extent in our daily lives. Obviously, now we understand that globalization is here to stay. Here are the most common and important advantages that globalization, over time, has brought about for mankind. These have been listed in no particular order, and are all vital in their own way. Peaceful Relations Most of the countries have resorted to trade relations with each other in order to boost their economy, leaving behind any bitter past experiences if any. Nations now try to raise capital and fortify their stand in international trade, rather than hosting a war. Thus, globalization has induced international peace and security in a big way. Free Trade Free trade is a policy in which a country does not levy taxes, duties, subsidies or quota on the import/export of goods or services from other countries. There are countries which have resolved to free trade in specific regions. This allows consumers to buy goods and services, comparatively at a lower cost. Global Connectivity Globalization has promoted international connectivity. With the use of the Internet, the world has definitely become a smaller place. There has been exchange of thoughts and ideas which has morally boosted and interlinked the mindset of people all round the world. New Markets The opportunities for new markets has increased dramatically. Numerous companies have started investing in different countries and luring customers for their brands. These ever-expanding markets have helped countries to raise capital in terms of foreign domestic investments, thus improving the economy of the country. Employment Opportunities One of the most advantageous factors of globalization is that it fosters the generation of employment. This happens due to the emergence of new companies and new markets, where lots of skilled and unskilled labor is required. Immigration between countries also increases, providing better opportunities for people all round the world. By providing employment, globalization helps in increasing the standard of living of the people, and also reduces poverty. Quality Products The competition among different companies finds place at an international level. It becomes important for the companies to focus on quality goods and services, in order to have a strong foothold in the market. The consumer is benefited in the process, and gets quality products at cheaper rates. He/she also gets the opportunity to select his goods from a large variety available in the market. Environmental Protection Mutual trade carried out by countries has brought about an understanding for the protection of the environment from which they benefit so much. It has been accepted by most countries that action needs to be taken in saving natural resources and wildlife, without thinking about the boundaries that separate them. Global environmental problems like cross-boundary pollution, over-fishing in the oceans, climate change, etc., are solved by discussions and conventions. Good for Developing Nations It is claimed that globalization increases the economic prosperity of developing nations. Developed countries invest in such countries with an aim of capturing new markets, which helps them improve their infrastructure and technologies to international levels. A lot of capital is invested in such projects, which in turn proves fruitful to the economy of the developing nation as well. Equality for All Globalization has helped in creating international criminal courts, and international justice movements are also launched to provide justice to people at a global level. Disputes are solved through global standards such as patents, copyright laws, and world trade agreements. Thus, it has ensured that people do not get discriminated with regard to country, caste, creed or sex. Ease of Transportation With the advent of globalization, there has been an immense increase in the transportation of goods and services worldwide. Things which took weeks for conveyance, can now easily be availed within a couple of days. Due to the development of containerization for ocean shipping, transportation costs are reduced to a great extent, lowering the cost of products in world markets. Travel and Tourism Globalization has promoted tourism to great heights. There are many places that have tourism as their main source of capital generation. International trade among different countries also helps in increasing the number of tourists that visit different places around the world. Unity in Diversity Globalization has helped in bringing about integrity and social understanding everywhere. The dream for a global village becomes realistic after looking at the impact of globalization. It has helped in removing some barriers that had kept the world divided on various grounds. There has been propagation of democratic ideas among countries. Cross-cultural contacts grow and cultural diffusion takes place, which helps in minimizing differences, and promotes companionship. External Borrowing It has often been seen that a poor country is unable to provide adequate financing to its companies, which proves to an obstacle in the development of the country on the whole. With the help of globalization, there is opportunity for corporate, national, and sub-national borrowers to have better access to external finance, with facilities such as external commercial borrowing and syndicated loans. It is a common belief that globalization plays a role just at international levels of trade and commerce, but the fact is that it has played an important role in making our lives much more comfortable too. The phones, apparels, gadgets or accessories that we use in our day-to-day life are be available to us through globalization. Knowingly or unknowingly, we are all under the impact of globalization, and more importantly it has helped in bringing international peace and justice to mankind. Read more at Buzzle: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-of-globalization.html

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Ontela Picdeck Harvard Case Essay

Ontela designed a revolutionary product which allows wireless subscribers to seamlessly transfer data from the consumer’s wireless phone and send it to an email inbox, PC, or website. This allows consumers to use their wireless device more frequently, which generates more revenue for the industry in mobile phone services. Joe Levy, Ontela’s director of carrier marketing, assisted with PicDeck’s segmentation in determining the appropriate target audience. Below you will find an analysis on PicDeck’s choices regarding customer segmentation and evaluation on their data; supporting that research proves their target audience are primarily middle-aged married women and men. SWOT Analysis Issues Short-term †¢Best way to determine the right target audience †¢Making PicDeck more conceptually-friendly so consumers can better understand it user-friendly functions Long-term †¢How could Ontela balance the needs of the subscribers with the carrier’s goals of decreasing churn and increasing ARPU? †¢What is the next big idea to keep company ahead of the game (please help rephrase) Problem Statement: For future growth, the industry will need to continue being creative and innovative in seeking out added services such as data and wireless Internet use to increase yearly revenue; how can Ontela and their counterparts target the right consumers which will utilize both without compromising ARPU? Case Response: Section A 1. Based on the three customer personas, which customer segment should Ontela target? a.Ontela’s objective was to increase the use of wireless carrier service and increase average revenue per user (ARPU). In order to do this the organization conducted a segmentation research to select the right Personas, which will determine how to allocate their resources and time for consumers who use their cell phones and cameras the most. Based on this criteria Sarah, the parent should be considered as the primary target. It is important to consider that women control or influence the purchase of 80% of all consumer goods, including such items as stock for investments, personal computers, and others (2011, Boone). This will automatically include Regina, the teen into the equation, which will automatically boost both revenue and data usage. According with some cell phones statistics from the Defakto Company: †¢55% of mobile social networks usage that is female. †¢42% more likely working moms are than average cellular users to download content to their cell phones †¢42% of women post photos on Facebook (2010, Vermon) Therefore, for this specific scenario, the target should be a female from age 15 to 45 years old, which are the ages for the generations that have lived through the technological changes. In order to narrow more of the target audience, a psychographic segmentation will be necessary. The organization would need to know the typical values and lifestyle of the women who use cell phones cameras, for this purpose we can use tools as VAL which classify consumer by psychological characteristics. 2. Create a positioning statement for your chosen persona and identify the key themes that should be emphasized in the messaging for the PicDeck service to this segment. a.Positioning statement for PicDeck: For the wireless subscribers who want to transfer picture to their computers, email inbox, and mobile devices, the PicDeck provides the most effective way to download and manage pictures. Unlike the currently complex and limited methods we have today, the PicDeck allows the transfer of pictures to any pre-designated destination without the need to press any extra buttons. 3. What are the risks of using qualitative personas to select target customer segments? a.The customer personas and the goal of the organization should be aligned with one another to ensure the company’s cohesiveness and allow them to determine their target customer. The use of personas is useful in marketing to understand the customer behavior, so the personas should represent attributes of the target audience that we want to reach. In using qualitative personas we are assuming that the people represented have similar expectations and goals, and we are not considering important issues as culture and race; and that’s when it becomes risky for the business. This can cause the company to lose revenue because a product of this caliber is universal and therefore the company has no need lock themselves to a certain type of customer when all types of customers can utilize the product. Section B 4. Which segment(s) would you recommend as a target for PicDeck? Explain the logic behind your choice. a.Using demographic segmentation has been a useful tool in determining which customers to target in promoting their product. According to exhibit 4 in section B the strongest response in the surveys came from middle aged married consumers and/or male wireless subscribers. There is additional statistical research supporting this data from the customer personas; which a middle-age married woman with a teenager has the need for this produce and the purchasing power to attain it. In addition, Exhibit 2 consistently illustrates that the middle age consumer wants a device that is easier to transfer photos to their PCs, email, or social website. By continuing using demographic segmentation they can place more focus on income, education, and occupations within middle aged married consumers and males; which this may address Mr. Levy’s concerns regarding the increasing and/or maintaining ARPUs. 5. Develop a positioning statement for your selected target customer(s) the key benefits of the PicDeck service and how the service is differentiated from alternative that customers might consider. a.For the up-to-date Mom and professional savvy male who is looking for timeless convenience the PicDeck Mobile provides fast and clear pictures of your loved ones or Power Point to your boss. Unlike archaic digital cameras the PicDeck can seamlessly send that memory or great idea before you can say cheese. In conclusion Ontela’s Picdeck was definitely on the right path. Looking at today’s society people are using this product every day. Whether it’s a person taking pictures with their smartphone, and instantly sending it to their Facebook page or a fellow student snapping a shot of the groups contact sheet and sending the document via email to the group members; everyone values the product for its convenience and accessibility. It has now become the â€Å"norm† function of a phone. Therefore, Levy’s positioning strategy to ensure the solvency of his company; in addition, addressing carriers’ goals seems as a success with the continuing growth of this industry.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Gender Inequality Research Paper Example

Gender Inequality Research Paper Example Gender Inequality Paper Gender Inequality Paper It has been claimed that language plays a key role in sustaining inequality between the sexes (Coates 1993). Inequality between the sexes is a very important issue in society and language plays an important role in sustaining the inequality. Language and identity are very personal topics and are well researched and debated. Speech is an act of identity: when we speak, one of the things we do is identify ourselves as male or female. (Coates, 1986: 161) Inequality between the sexes in society can be seen in the fact that men still have the majority of highly paid jobs. Men are physically stronger but also have more power in terms of employment and politics for example. The male of the species in general still holds a higher position in society, although the situation for women has improved over the past twenty years and this is reflected in the language we have and use. Language is sustaining the inequality and it can be seen as sexist towards women for many reasons. One of the most obvious examples can be seen in the titles we have for people. There is only one title for a man. A male is Mr, whether he is young, old, married or single but there are three titles for a female and these titles give away some personal information. Miss is unmarried and stereotypically young and Mrs is used for married females and is considered to be an older female. A further title for females, Ms, was introduced as a supposedly neutral term like Mr but this did not replace the Miss and Mrs titles so it became a choice not to indicate marital status and quickly had a stigma attached to it. It appeared to say something about your political opinion and carried the assumptions of a being a feminist or divorced. : The title Ms had many negative connotations; it was seen as being used by old spinsters, which has negative connotations in itself. These differences of titles for males and females are an example of asymmetrical language. Asymmetrical language highlights the sexism in English. Another asymmetrical factor in English is the fact that there is no neutral generic term for a human being. For example for most animals there is a neutral generic term for the species i. e. bovine is the generic term for a cow/bull but for humans the generic term is man. More recently the use of man has decreased as people have become more sensitive about it. A further inequality in the subject area of names is the titles for women once they are married. The woman takes the mans surname as her own and loses her surname. A married couple are also known as Mr and Mrs (the males first name) and the married surname. The inequality between the sexes can also be seen in language through the many different negative connotations that there are for woman in comparison to the few that there are for men. Examples of this are the words for an unmarried person. For a man the use of bachelor is not seen as negative but spinster or old maid for a woman is negative. Spinster and old maid appear to be rarely used nowadays, perhaps because their associations are so negative. Bachelor, however, usually has positive connotations. (Thomas, L and Wareing, S: 1999, 71) Sexism can also be seen in the use of marked and unmarked terms in English. Most unmarked terms are for males whilst female terms are usually marked. The marked terms are seen as the exception to the norm, with different spellings to the marked term. We can also see the inequality between the sexes highlighted in language use through swear words. There are many more female related swear words in terms of both direct insults to women and swear words that are related to the female genitalia that are used against male and females. For example whore, slag, twat and bitch are all insults about or for women, which are harsher than male related, swear words such as bastard, knob and git. Swear words, connotations and titles all help create social stereotypes, which also help sustain the sexual inequality. In the majority of research into language and gender it is considered that there are two ways in which language is seen as sexist towards women. In the way they are taught to use language, and in the way general language treats them. (Lakoff: 1975, 4) The language differences previously mentioned and the different way men and women use language are part of the way general language treats them and the way they are taught deals with education in school and the influence of parents and society. Men and women use language differently and this can lead to miscommunication between the sexes. Speech between all-female groups is characteristically based on their emotions and relationships and concentrated on one topic for a length of time. All male group discussions will avoid conversations about themselves or their feelings, with no specific topic they concentrate on stories of superiority and competition. Womens language involves the different lexical choices that females use in speech that men would not, it also covers the topic of politeness. There are words that are restricted to womens language such as cute that would not be used by men. It is recently more common for women to cross over and start using language previously used by men, including swearing but there is not the cross over of men starting to use more womens language such as descriptive adjectives for feelings. This reflects the situation in society with women starting to take on jobs that were previously considered to be male but there are not so many men taking jobs considered to be female. The idea of a restricted word choice for womens language highlights the inequality between the sexes. Words restricted to womens language suggest that concepts to which they are applied are not relevant to the real world of (male) influence and power. (Lakoff: 1975, 13) Talk between women is often belittled by the names that it is given. Words such as gossip and chatter would never be used for an all male conversation but it is used for female conversation, which implies that the talk is of little importance but dragged out. Conversation between mixed groups often shows results of male dominance, which contradicts the general opinion that women talk more than men. Men will often interrupt women, but women will offer more back channel support in conversations. It can be considered that men and women seem to have different rules for conversations, which leads to miscommunication. Women are considered to be more polite than men and there is also a general opinion in our society that men need to be more polite in the company of women. This comes from the fact that when children are being taught politeness when they are growing up the rules are mainly enforced by female adults. As a result of this many studies have shown that children are more polite to females. There are many other differences between boys and girls as they are acquiring language and starting to interact with people. Girls are expected to be more polite when they are children; it is accepted for boys to throw temper tantrums but girls are expected to behave better. At an early age swearing is looked down upon by adults but boys are less likely to be criticised than girls. Education is often looked at as a starting point for the differences between male and female language. Research from Stanworth in 1981 and Kelly in 1984 has shown there are behavioural differences between girls and boys in the classroom. Boys are generally more confident and will talk more in class discussions and as a result of this get more attention from the teachers, girls remain quieter as quietness is related to politeness and they believe this is the best way to behave. This quietness could leave girls in a position where they are not actively learning and this is why it is considered that girls are in a disadvantaged position at school when it comes to language and speech. Girls do better in terms of exam results and in the humanities but boys will do better when it comes to technology and science, which is important in modern society especially in terms of employment. Discussion of girls underachievement in the education system and its linguistic correlates assumes that differences in girls and boys language are directly related to girls oppression. Coates: 1986, 161) The way language is taught and the way it is used are the reasons why there is inequality in our language but there are other factors in the sustaining of the inequalities in our language. One major factor is the media. We live in a society that is very much influenced and reliant on the media and so they play an important role in creating, changing and sustaining certain things in language. With the power that a newspaper has they can heavily bias opinion of the public. By using words that have negative connotations they can influence the perception that the public will have. They have the ability to sustain inequality between the sexes by their choice of words when writing about women and men. Women are often portrayed in the media in certain stereotypes, they are either sex object, housewife, or in need of male help as in the classic damsel in distress character. They create these stereotypes by using the language that allows for certain connotations such as mistress, young girl, motherly. It is not just in newspapers that this inequality is sustained; in films and television up until recently women had only their stereotypical characters to play. When looking at inequality, it is beneficial to look at the language to see if there is sexism towards males in the vocabulary. There has only been the introduction of sexist language towards men in recent times and there is only a fraction of words for men than that for women. Society is slowly changing in its treatment of women, and the language will take a long time to change for there to be complete equality in language. There are people that do not believe that there is inequality between the sexes now and so do not think that language plays a role in separating the sexes. I think that there has been a great improvement over the past twenty years in terms of society treating men and women differently. However because language change takes a very long time there is not a complete turn around. Although things have changed in terms of education and employment, there is still the inequality in language so it is holding back further progress. For example there has been a great increase in the number of women taking up powerful and well-paid jobs, which is minimising inequality, language plays a role in undermining this situation. There has always been debate and confusion over terms such as policewoman, the suffix of -ess as in actress, and chairwoman. The introduction of the politically correct terms such as chairperson leads to negative feeling and many politically correct terms are mocked. Words such as actor, which are supposed to be unmarked and replace the marked equivalent, actress, are not always used and are often preceded by lady or female which is highlighting the fact that there is still inequality in language. Linguistic imbalances are worthy of study because they bring into sharper focus real-world imbalances and inequalities. (Lakoff: 1975, 43) The English language has many imbalances that we have seen, such as asymmetry, use of politeness and swearing, men and womens conversational differences and the imbalance of negative connotations for women. This all highlights that there are still some imbalances in some peoples attitudes and it will be a long time before certain things change such as the availability of a neutral term like Ms without a negative stigma being attached to it.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Organizational Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Organizational Change - Essay Example PWRC typically employs 5 case managers and 35 correctional officers. The average age of the members of staff is 40 years. A large number of staff is male however; during the first couple of years of data collection, approximately 70% members of the staff were female. In the third year, this percentage dropped to 60%. Around 70% of the staff has obtained their high school diploma and around 90% of the staff in based on African-American employees. PWRC has implemented a change process that emphasized on modifying the climate and culture of the facility. The goal of PWRC is to create a learning environment that supports the results of offenders. A training model, as part of change process, was implemented to evaluate the organizational change. The change process comprised of 2-day communication process, which focused on building communications skills of staff so that they can communicate with offenders in an effective manner. The purpose of this training was to create a sustainable change (Rogers, 2003; Armenakis, Harris, & Mossholder, 1993). This training system addresses the need to external facilitators and coaches in order to help the staff members for learning material in training session. On-site training is a tool that comprises of intensive coaching as well as coaching after training sessions. The most appropriate method for implementing organizational change in correction agency is ‘Continuous On-Site Training’. This method focuses on implementing change for communication strategies, which are utilized by staff as well as for organizational readiness. It has been observed that the most important factor to address in any organization while implementing change is communication skills. If communication skills are appropriate then any change can be implemented easily. If staff members are taught that change is for their own benefits then they will be eager to adopt the change. Therefore, the most appropriate method is to implement ‘Continuous On-Site

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Utilitarianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Utilitarianism - Essay Example Bentham’s Principle evaluates unhappiness and happiness based on their relation to pain and pleasure respectively. His principle characterized by the use of anxiety, closeness and unease as the basis for describing pain and comfort (Smart & Bayles, 1968). John Mill defined utilitarianism criticizing Bentham’s proposition. He described it as a quality representing delight as opposed to pleasure. He added that it is impossible to quantify pleasure thereby leading to the conclusion that the greatest principle of utilitarianism is enjoyment (Smart & Bayles, 1968). Act utilitarianism and rule utilitarianism are the two categories defined by Start Mills. In this course, Smart states the importance of deriving the importance between the two categories in the process of understanding the implication of an individual’s actions. According to act utilitarianism, rules are not required to guide judgement of happiness. It states that moral rightness of an individual’s action is judged on the basis of comparison of the happiness it yields to what any other actions he or she could have performed within that time. A good illustration; if the consequences of breaking a promise are considered more rewarding compared to keeping it, there should be no regulations restricting an extreme utilitarianism. On the other hand, Rule utilitarianism evaluates rightness according to its conformity to the rules that are known to yield greatest good. In which case, rightness of the subject rule acts as a bechnmark for deciding on the rightness or wrongness of the given action (Kant, 1998). If embraced by all, a maximum enjoyment would be realized. An activity will be evaluated according rules followed hence a noble action follows defined rules. However, there are some flaws associated with utilitarianism. One of these is that it appears to limit ethical theory by ignoring means, considered to be of significance for advancement of