Benefits of Hodges University Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Benefits of Hodges University - Essay Example Communication can be defined as the process of transmitting ideas verbally, nonverbally, and through the use of technology. Communication is very important, particularly for those who are aspiring to build a career in the field of education. In the course of my studies at the University, I learned the ways and significance of organizing thoughts. Communication must involve description, examples, reasons, and/or research to support assertions. Otherwise, the audience may be misled, which can be extremely dangerous in the teaching profession. Appropriate sentence structure and word selection are crucial since these linguistic skills would ultimately help me to express my ideas and interpretations. Also, the training imparted on using the software tools, electronic media, etc. would help me to increase interactivity during communication, especially while delivering a speech or writing an essay.Critical thinking involves thoughtful judgment, reflective decision making, application of rea sons, and drawing conclusions. Analysis and logic are the pillars of critical thinking. The University curriculum provided me with crucial articulation skills and knowledge in search strategies. It also helped me to learn how to interpret and analyze relationships, concepts, and facts on the basis of evidence and data. I learned how to clarify that whether I support, oppose, or remain neutral regarding a topic or belief. Also, I learned how to consider different viewpoints in the course of eliminating contradictions.

Analyze adequately the extent to which the author of the Gospel of Essay

Analyze adequately the extent to which the author of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles was successful in presentin - Essay Example The Gospel of Luke's success in presenting the Truth about Jesus divinity first begun with the anunciation of Jesus birth. In particular, Luke foretold the coming of Jesus as a Messiah and His Immaculate Concepcion through the Angel Gabriel which can be found in Luke 1:30-31  that says the angel said to her, â€Å"Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.   And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.† Also in the same gospel, Jesus lineage was revealed that traces back to the first man Adam, to the Kings David to Abraham attesting that He came directly from the line of David through this passage in the Bible And the angel said to them, â€Å"Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.   For unto you is born this day in   the city of David   a Savior, who is   Christ   the Lord.   And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby   wrapped in s waddling cloths and lying in a manger† (Luke 2:10-13). ... Jesus acts as Son of God and His Truths were also manifested in the Gospel of Luke whereby He performed many miracles that includes healing paralyzed men (5:18-25, 6:6-10) to raising the dead (7:11-15; 8:41-42, 49-56) which contributed to the Gospel of Luke's success in presenting of Jesus Christ's Truths. Finally, the Truth that Jesus was indeed the Son of God was evidenced with His crucifixion, resurrection and ascension "The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name. Luke 24:46-. Without Jesus resurrection and ascension, Jesus would not have been elevated as a God but rather a man who may be godly but nevertheless mortal. There are also passages in the Gospel of Luke that directly ascribed Jesus Christ as the Son of God particularly in Luke 3:22  where it unequivocally addressed Jesus as Son of God saying "and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from h eaven,   â€Å"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.† Jesus Christ purpose was also stated in the Gospel of Luke For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). To validate this further, Jesus Christ addressed God as Father in Luke 23:46 when he was crucified and His mortal soul about to die only to resurrect and ascend into Heaven. This account made itt unmistakable that indeed Jesus Christ is a Son of God with the words "then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, â€Å"Father, into your hands I   commit my spirit!†. And as if this is not enough to substantiate that Jesus Christ is indeed the Truth, Luke 24:46  further narrated "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the

Science And Its Limitations

Science And Its Limitations Nowadays every person in the world knows and understands the tremendous progress that science has done and still is doing for our life. This essay is about the limitations of science as science does not provide answer to most of the questions this seems to be that science is limited. This essay is also about when science is beyond the limits then it provides danger and threat to the world. As Science has made our life comfortable and easier but has also bad effect on our life. The scientific inventions which are developed due to science help us in almost every aspects of life when the scientists works within limitations keeping regards of social responsibilities and human moral values. But when the scientists do not care of their social responsibilities and human moral values then these scientific inventions provides threat and danger to human life. In this essay we will discuss both sides of science that is its positive effects as well as its negative effects on our daily life. Introduction: If we want to know that what science is, it will be a good start to familiar with the common content of the concept. Today most of the activities are characterized as science, while some of the other activities are characterized as pseudoscience. It will be good for one who has to clear himself what he actually means via the words that he using [1]. Science covers a vast area of knowledge dealing with experimental facts and the link between these facts. The word science is derived from Latin word scientia means knowledge. Imre Lakatos defined science as a genuine knowledge [2]. The most modern definition of science according to late Sir Richard Gregory is Organized and formulated knowledge of natural objects and phenomena derived from verifiable observations and experiments [3]. So the knowledge gained from these observations is used for the creation of new scientific inventions. Some of these scientific inventions provide benefits to us while some of these provide us threat and danger. As we know that the process of producing knowledge is called science. This process depends on observations and the invention of theories that make sense out of these observations. Since the change in knowledge is expected that is new observations may confront existing theories. That is it does not matter how a theory explains one set of observations, it may be possible that the other theory is the more suitable. In science either a theory is old or new, testing, improving and occasional removing of theories goes on every time. In science the ideas are modified normally rather than rejection. For example, In formulating the theory of relativity, Albert Einstein did not discard the Newtonian laws of motion but rather showed them to be only an approximation of limited application within a more general concept[4, 13]. Science considers the universe as a standalone system and assumes that the fundamental rules are the same everywhere and the knowledge that is achieved after studying one part of the universe is valid to all parts of the universe. For example the laws of motion and laws of gravitation that gives explanations of objects that fall down on surface of the earth and also give details about the motion of the planets and the moon. After a couple of year some modifications has being made and the same laws of motion have applied to everything that has motion even to the smallest nuclear particles and to the very big stars, and to bullets and rays of light [4, 2]. In scientific reasoning, theories are confronted with facts; and one of the central conditions of scientific reasoning is that theories must be supported by facts [2]. Now to explain that how these facts support theory, different answers have given by the scientists. Newton proved his own laws with the support of facts. He published only the theories that are proved from facts [2]. Science brings to our mind various different images, a heavy text book, white coats and microscope. An astronomer observes via a telescope, the Einstein equations scrubbed on a black board and the launching of space shuttle, bubbling beakers. Some aspects of science are reflected from these images, but however none of them provides the full image because science has many facets [5]. In school science is just a collection of isolated facts that are available in the text books but this is not the complete story that is because science is a method of discovery and allows us to understand the world from these isolated facts [5]. Science is a method of discovering that what things are present in the world, how these things worked in the past, how they are working today and how these things will be working in the future. Scientist works hardly to discover such things that no one has discover before [5]. The knowledge gained from science is reliable and powerful. The knowledge developed from science help us in the invention of new technologies thats makes our life easier and comfortable like treating danger diseases, and also solve many other problems. Science is constantly exploring the knowledge of the universe and this knowledge generates more new questions in our mind [5]. The role of Science in our daily life: Science has a great effect on our life and in the world in which we are living. Today science is the base for modern technology, materials, the tools, techniques and much of the power sources that make our life more comfortable and easier [12]. Science has given rise to far-reaching changes in all areas of our daily lives. Now everyone can afford to gain the benefits of luxury and comfort offered by science. Science has made goods cheaper and easily available and has brought within reach of every individual. It is only possible due to science that music devices, entertainment devices and communications devices are available at our doors. No doubt the mans life is very different than it used to be a few years ago. Indeed, science has given ears to deaf people and eyes to the blind people [6]. Our life has been changed by science and technology in a dramatic way. Computer, airplanes, automobiles, televisions, communication satellites are few of the technological and scientific invention that changed our life. Today we communicate with relatives and friends, some important people and also for general work. Most of the people living at long distances are contacted and this long distance has been captured by science. So this communication and travelling are possible in very short time. That is for communication we are using telephones, mobiles, internet, e-mails etc, and for rapid travelling we have aero planes. The deep and long water are also conquered by ships and these ships are perfect for secure journey [12]. Health is wealth. This is made possible with modern machinery. Science has invented ways to peep inside the human body to fight against diseases in human beings by X-ray machines. Diseases can be easily detected and various tests carried out in a matter of seconds. Due to science machines are invented and more complex operations are possible due to these machines. Life does not turn into new horizons and heights of prosperity when atomic energy is used entirely for peaceful purposes [6]. One major contribution of science for us is electricity. If there is no electricity in our daily life then we must face completely darkness at the night time. Without electricity no industry could function properly. It is due to electrical energy we can control the climate changes and their effects. We prevent our self from cold in winter by the help of heating gadgets and in summer prevent our self from heating by the help of coolers, fans and air conditioners all these devices operate due to electricity. Today one can enjoy in cinema to release the tension of the daily life this is due to electricity [6]. Now almost every house has a television and radio which are fastest source of communication that is due to science. Science made our daily life more smooth and comfortable. The modern world would become idle without scientific inventions. As we know that the world our facing shortage of spaces so scientific inventions helps us in the construction of high buildings that are use for residential and commercial purposes. The lifts are using in these buildings that made our life easier because we can go to the highest building in just few seconds [6]. The house hold wife can cook several dishes at the same time that is due to electric machines used in the kitchen. Thus she saves her precious time and is capable to spend her time in many activities concern with family life. Similarly due to automatic machines she can wash the clothes in just few minutes and also dry it in few minutes [6]. So looking at the above advantages of science, science are playing important role in our daily life. Science does not give answers to most of the questions: Science is a best tool for solving the mysteries of the universe, but there are some questions for which the science does not answer. This is because science has some limitations. Some of the questions for which science has not a testable answer, since we know that testability is the major point of science so these questions drops out from the area of science [7]. Some of these limitations are Science has no answer for questions of morality that is it cannot decide the right or wrong decision, good and bad decision lies outside the purpose of science. Therefore scientific experts cannot help us to resolve the problem over abortion. The answer to these questions of morality can be determined by social and cultural rules. Science cannot help us here [7]. Science has no answer for questions about value. In scientific process there is no answer to the questions. Which of the flower is more beautiful? Or which flower has good smell? So there is no scientific process to determine value [7]. Science does not help questions related to supernatural. The prefix super means above. Thus supernatural deals with beyond the nature, supernatural questions are beyond the reach of scientists [7]. Science does not deal with metaphysical issues; there are some issues in which cannot be proved by scientific experiments. As we know about the existence of gravity and the effects of the gravity can be describe but no one knows why this gravity works [8]. Science can tell us about the laws of physics but cannot explain why these laws existed [8]. Science cannot explain us that why the universe is existed and lastly science cannot explain that whether God is exists or not exists [8]. However these limitations of science cannot be modified by the advancements of science in future because they are basic to its nature so in the future we can expect major advancements of science [8]. Dangers of Science when science crosses the limits: As we know that today world is called the age of scientific inventions, a lot of scientific inventions have been developed and the process of making these scientific inventions is still continued. Since the scientists are working hardly to develop more new inventions in the field of science and to make our life easier and comfortable. But no one can think about the dangers of these scientific inventions that are related with these inventions. As science has brought happiness to our life but has also brought threats and costs to our life. Most of the questions that generates in our mind are that, Can we know about the future of science? Are there any limitations of science? Who and what decide how science is used? [10]. There are various dangers effects of the scientific inventions for example the invention of an atomic bomb. Millions of peoples were killed by the first attack of atomic bomb when two popular cities of Japan were destroyed in the 2nd world war. Peoples of these cities are still suffering from the dangerous effects of these atomic bombs radiations. Mass destruction is another danger effect of science and many countries have still these chemical and atomic weapons. These are the big dangers because these countries are ready and can use these weapons anytime [9, 6]. Global warming is another dangerous effect and most of the people are unaware from it. The earth has a shielding cover called the ozone layer which protects the danger ultraviolet radiation produced from the sun. That is as the numbers of vehicles increases in the world the consumption of petroleum products is also increased and in the atmosphere large number of waste products are released. This is the main cause of global warming. As we know that some gases are released by refrigerator and air conditioner that create holes in the ozone layer. Change in the climate is the direct effect of global warming and in Antarctic region the melting of ice that increase the sea level is the indirect effect of global warming. Our future generation will be badly affected by the consequences of this global warming [9]. Many controversies have been created by the research on the embryonic stem cells. Most of people understand that embryonic stem cells like a form of human life. These people consider that science has no name for human morality. Today there is a great debate on cloning which is another scientific invention. Due to cloning it is possible to make human beings that have same characteristics to the giver of the stem cells. But this cloning process is challenge the fundamental human morality [9]. Today we are living comfortably due to scientific inventions. Similarly we cannot think life without telephone, electricity, cars, computer, televisions and thousands of many other scientific inventions thus we cannot deny the benefits of scientific inventions. We live longer that is due to the latest research done in the field of medical sciences. As we know that there are a lot of benefits of scientific inventions but we cannot ignore the danger related with these scientific inventions. This is a human nature to seek immediate solutions to problems without the awareness of concealed consequences. That is we cannot think about the danger bees inside the honeycomb we also see the honey on the outer surface of the honeycomb. This is same with scientific inventions we want refrigerators and cars but we do not think about the global warming as this is a great cause for global warming. We only wants nuclear energy and do not think about the dangerous results and the safe disposable of nu clear wastes. We do not think about the loss of natural resources we just want wooden furniture, paper and houses [9]. So it is the responsibility of the scientists to create scientific inventions they should be aware about their consequences. Scientists should warn up about the dangers in the future that are arises due to their inventions [11]. No doubt science has made our life easier but still the danger and bad effects of science cannot be ignored. We use nuclear energy for power purposes it is due to the successful research of nuclear scientists but the dangers associated with these nuclear power stations are very danger for the humanity and cannot be ignored. Because in just few seconds it will destroy our beautiful world in which we are living. Now to protect our world from these scientific inventions there should be some limitations? It is possible when we can look at the scientists and observe them when they are doing research. The government should play their role to stop the scientists that are doing such research and developing scientific invention that provides disasters to the world. That is to make restrictions on them to not develop such inventions and observe their work every time. Conclusions: I agreed that scientific inventions provide us a lot of benefits. We are taking benefits from these scientific inventions and enjoying our self but we should also have look on the future effect of these inventions. My opinion is that if we look on long term of these scientific inventions most of them are dangerous for us. Most of the scientific inventions needs electricity to provides entertainment to us and also make our life easier. But we do not think for our next generation because for producing electricity we are depending on natural resources and we are fully utilizing these natural resources so what be remained for our next generation. If scientists work within limits that is to make such inventions that do not provide harm and bad effects to human life and utilize the natural resources up to some limits then science will be more effective. However if scientist do not think about the future of the next generation and cross their limitations that is to develop such scientific i nventions that provide harm to humanity then there will be disaster everywhere in the world. Since it is the social and ethical responsibility of all the scientists to make such scientific inventions that only provide benefits to the humanity and that they are being aware of the consequences and results associated with these scientific inventions.

Our Need to Idolize :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

Our Need to Idolize In a small way, I think we're all monarchists at heart--as long as we pick the monarchy and can change it at whim. It's when we lose control that we start to panic.The recent death of John F. Kennedy, Jr. started me thinking about who the Associated Press and A&E have called "an American prince." Why does this need to have someone to idolize exist? Where does it come from? Most of us, if we trace back far enough in our family trees, came from countries ruled by a king and queen. For centuries, those dreams of the glamorous royalty lingered in our collective unconscious. Little girls often grew up dreaming about being a princess. Prince William, especially after Princess Diana's death, has become a common pin-up in middle school lockers everywhere, right alongside the Backstreet Boys and 'N-Sync. Surely capitalism and dreams of wealth and status are only a part of the equation. Perhaps instead it's slightly masochistic: we all want to be ruled in some way. We want to be told what to do: it makes life easier. This desire to remain passive conflicts with what we also crave--freedom. At least for us Americans, we cannot simply yield the power our ancestors fought for. Without kings and queens, we have instead found other people to idolize and, without being explicit, they tell us what to do. Instead of the threat of incarceration or death, if we refuse to follow these mandates, we’re simply unpopular--a fate, according to some teens, worse than or equal to death. Millions of women adopted the "Rachel" haircut because Jennifer Aniston had it. A desire to "be like Mike" led to a sports marketing craze: for a while, I could not find a single neighborhood pickup game without someone in a Jordan jersey. Is this that radically different than Peter the Great coming back from France and commanding the men to shave their beards? Well, our adherence to celebrity suggestions is, as we Americans like it, largely voluntary. But the fact that we volunteer to follow someone else is significant. If there's one thing Americans can relate to, it's personal stories of their celebrities. National Enquirer is not an invention of today's society, but a continuation of Walter Winchell and Hollywood Confidential. John F. Kennedy’s assassination was one of the first to be broadcast on television--remember Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald on live television--and combined the immediacy of life with visual cues.

Does the government do enough to punish cyber-attacks & criminals?

1.0 Introduction Cyber-attacks have become a significant problem for information systems (IS) worldwide. When referring to information systems, the term cyber-attack is used for denoting a malicious action that aims to result to specific benefit, usually financial, and which is developed through online routes as available in the Internet (Vacca, 2009). In the UK, the expansion of cyber-crime has been quite rapid the last few years leading to severe financial losses for the victims, individuals and businesses (Cabinet Office, 2011). The graph in Figure 1 shows the cost of the various types of cyber – crime to the UK economy. This paper explores the effectiveness of measures taken by the UK government in regard to the punishment of cyber-crime, aiming to show whether the current initiatives for the UK government for punishing the cyber-crime are sufficient or not. The paper also explains the key characteristics and the value of information systems (IS) security so that the potential of the UK go vernment to secure safety from cyber-crimes is evaluated. I will argue that the UK government does not enough to punish cyber-attacks and criminals. Moreover, the introduction by the government of stricter punishment for cyber-attacks has not resulted to the limitation of this type of crime, as explained below. Figure 1 – Cost of different types of cyber – crime to the UK economy (Cabinet Office, 2011, p.2) 2.0 Security of IS – characteristics and importance Security, as a term, can be related to different fields. In the context of information technology, the term security is used for describing ‘a power system’s degree of risk in its ability to survive imminent disturbances without interruption of customer service’ (Cuzzocrea et al., 2013, p.244). As for the term ‘IT security’, this term refers to three values/ characteristics of an IT system, such as: ‘confidentiality, integrity and availability’ (Katsikas, 2016, p.28). According to Mehdi (2014), the term IS security denotes ‘the protection of IS against unauthorized access’ (p.4310). It is explained that a secure IS can ensure that its data will not be modified or lost (Mehdi, 2014). Also, such system is able to detect early any security threat activating appropriate protection mechanisms (Merkow, 2010). At organizational level, IS security is ensured by using an IS security policy, i.e. a set of rules referring to the securit y standards that would apply in all IS of the organisation involved (Kim and Solomon, 2016). However, the demands of such policy can be many, a fact which is justified if considering the several types of IS threats (Cabinet Office, 2011; Figure 1). Organisations often need to hire an Information System Security Officer (ISSO) for ensuring IS security (Kovachich, 2016). 3.0 The punishment of cyber-attacks and criminals – government initiatives and effects3.1 Laws and policies focusing on IS security In the UK, the first law addressing cyber – crimes appeared in 1990 and aimed to cover the gaps of existing legislation in regard to the protection of IT systems from cyber-attacks (Emm, 2009). This was the 1990 Computer Misuse Act. The introduction in the UK of a legislative text focusing on cyber-attacks has been highly related to a cyber-attack incident: the unauthorized access, by two cyber-attackers, to BT’s Prestel service in 1984 (Emm, 2009). When dealing with the above case, the court used the 1981 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act, due to the lack of a legislative text focusing on computer-related crimes (Emm, 2009). In May of 2015, the Serious Crime Act 2015 came into action (Eversheds-Sutherland, 2015). The articles 41 up to 44 of the above law introduced stricter punishment for cyber-crimes. More specifically, in the context of the 1990 Computer Misuse Act the imprisonment for serious cyber-crimes could not exceed the 10 years. With the 2015 Act, the imprisonment for cyber-crimes has been significantly increased, reaching the 14 years and even, the life sentence in cases of cyber-crimes threatening national security (Eversheds-Sutherland, 2015). This, stricter, punishment for cyber-crimes could discourage cyber-criminals but only if the enforcement of the law was appropriately supported, so that all cases of cyber-crimes are brought before the courts (White, 2016). The National Cyber Security Strategy (CSS) of 2011 has been an effort of the British government to control cyber-crime (Shefford, 2015). The Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a national team that was established in 2014 for helping towards the achievement of the objectives of CSS (Cabinet Office, 2014, p.13). The CERT team provides to organisations in the private and the public sector critical information for the protection from cyber-attacks (Cabinet Office, 2014). Additionally, in the context of CSS, educational initiatives focusing on cyber security are developed by institutions across the UK; these initiatives are funded by the government and aim to achieve two targets: First, to increase the awareness of the public in regard to cyber security. Second, to help individuals to acquire skills which are necessary for supporting cyber security and for facing cyber-attacks (Cabinet Office, 2014; Figure 2). The Cyber Security Challenge (CSC) is a programme developed by the UK g overnment for helping young people to understand the risks from using their cyber skills in the wrong way; the programme includes competitions and other schemes that can motivate young people to use their cyber skills in a proactive way and not for the commitment of cyber – crimes (National Crime Agency, 2017). Figure 1 – Initiatives/ measures of the National CSS for facing cyber-crime (Cabinet Office, 2014, p.22)3.2 Cyber-attack incidents in governmental and non-governmental organisationsThe number of cyber-attacks against governmental and non-governmental organisations in the UK is continuously increased (White, 2016). From January to October of 2016, 75 cyber-attacks have been reported against banks in the UK, while in 2014 these attacks were just five (White, 2016). In 2013, three individuals in Britain were convicted to jail, from 6 months up to 22 months, for unauthorised access of sensitive private data stored in ‘PayPal, Visa and Mastercard’ (McTague, 2014). The above punishment was considered as too soft compared to the seriousness of the crime. In 2014, the government decided to initiate the modification of existing punishment for cyber-crimes, so that future perpetrators are discouraged from committing a cyber-crime (McTague, 2014). Pultarova (2016) argued tha t banks in the UK face cyber-attacks quite regularly but they avoid reporting the specific incidents trying to protect their market image. In November of 2016, Chancellor P. Hammond noted that critical infrastructure units of the UK, such as airports and gas facilities, are threatened by ‘cyber-attacking techniques developed by other countries’ (BBC News, 2016). It was noted that the protection from such attacks would be a priority for the UK in order for the country’s security, at national level, to be ensured (BBC News, 2016). In 2011 the general police officer in the e-crime department of Scotland-Yard argued that the punishment of cyber – crimes in the UK is too soft if considering the actual damage that these crimes cause (BBC News, 2011). It was explained that the annual damage on the UK economy from cyber-crimes reaches the ?27bn (BBC News, 2011). In 2016, the National Crime Agency of the UK published a report for showing the status of cyber-crimes, in terms of occurrence/ rate of appearance. According to the above report, the cyber – crime represents a major part of criminal activity in the UK, reaching the 36% among all crimes developed in the UK. At the same time, the crimes related to computer misuse reached the 17% among the country’s total crimes (National Crime Agency, 2016). The above figures and facts indicate the inability of the UK government to control cyber-crime. The introduction in 2015 of stricter punishment for cyber-crimes has been an important initiative by the UK government for controlling cyber-crime. However, this initiative should be combined with other measures, at national and at community level. In a speech in mid-February of 2017, Chancellor P. Hammond noted that in the previous three months a total of 188 severe cyber-attacks had been reported; these attacks aimed to cause severe damage to governmental services, infrastructure and businesses (Cole, 2017). A similar issue has been raised by Lord West of Spithead who noted in 2010 that in 2009 the UK had to face ‘300 significant attacks’ on the IS of the government (Doward, 2010). According to Lord West, this problem had become quite serious, denoting that the UK had been targeted by cyber criminals worldwide, as these attacks seemed to be supported by foreign governments, as Lord West noted (Doward, 2010). The above arguments verify the existence of gaps in the existing national framework for the protection from cyber-attacks, as this framework constitutes the national legislation and national policy for the control of cyber – crime. The facts presented above further verify the inability of the UKâ€℠¢s policy to reduce the occurrence of cyber-crime. Guitton (2012) developed an experiment, using data related to cyber-attacks that occurred between 2003 and 2010 in businesses located in three European countries: Germany, UK and France. It was revealed that the relationship between attribution and deterrence is strong only in cases of individuals of individuals who are aware of the existing legislation for cyber-crime and who can realise the actual effects of their actions. These individuals represented the 1/3 of the cases reviewed by Guitton (2012). In opposition, it was found that most individuals involved in cyber-crimes are not fully aware of the relevant legislation and they tend to ignore the effects of their actions. For these individuals, the control theory which emphasises on the power of attribution, as held by the state, to ensure deterrence is not applied, as Guitton (2012) argued. In the context of the above study, the potential of the British government to control cyber-crime is limited. This fact, even it would be ac cepted, could not affect the view on the government’s efforts to confront cyber-crime. The update of the terms of punishment of cyber-crimes just in 2015 and the lack of effective control mechanisms for identifying and reporting cyber – attacks verify the failure of the government to ensure the punishment of cyber-attacks and criminals. 4.0 Conclusion and Recommendations It is concluded that the UK government does not make enough to punish cyber-attacks and criminals. First, a significant delay has been identified in the introduction of appropriate/ fair penalties. Indeed, the introduction of strict punishment for cyber-crimes took place just in 2015, as explained above. The facts and views presented in this paper lead to the assumption that for many years, the government has avoided confronting cyber-attacks as a criminal activity, a fact that led to the radical increase of cyber-attacks against IS systems in governmental services and in financial institutions. At the same time, IS security has several aspects, meaning that eliminating cyber – crime is rather impossible. The soft punishment framework for cyber-crimes, as used in the past, has led to the severe deterioration of the problem across the UK. The increase of effectiveness of current legislation, as from May 2015, on cyber-attacks could be achieved through certain practices, such a s: First, events and seminars would be organized at community level for informing individuals on the characteristics of cyber-attacks and the available measures for protection; these seminars would also provide guidelines to entrepreneurs in regard to the value of IS security policy, as part of business strategy. Second, incentives would be provided to entrepreneurs for pursuing the certification of their business according to the information security management standards, such as the ISO/IEC 27000 standards. Third, an independent authority would be established for controlling the performance of governmental and non-governmental organisations in regard to IS safety. Finally, the investment on IS security in governmental and non-governmental organisations would be increased. Security frameworks, such as the ‘Intrusion Detection System’ (IDS), could be employed in these organisations for ensuring IS security in IS systems that manage and store high volume of private data (Stair and Reynolds, 2015, p.460). 5.0 Personal reflections This project has been related to a critical issue: the findings in regard to the study’s subject have been contradictory. More specifically, the UK government has tried to confront cyber-attacks through legislation and relevant policies but the punishment for these crimes has been characterised as soft, at least up to 2015, while the number of cyber-attacks in the UK is continuously increased. Under these terms, I had to face a dilemma: how should the performance of the UK government in facing cyber-crime would be evaluatedBy referring to the initiatives taken or by emphasising on the actual results of these initiativesReflection has helped me to face the above problem. Indeed, reflection can help the researcher to have ‘an objective sense of things’ (Gillett et al., 2013, 85). Moreover, using reflection I tried to estimate the balance between the positive and negative aspects of government’s efforts to punish cyber-crime and to understand which aspect of t he government’s strategy against cyber-crime is more related to the research question: this paper aims to explain whether the government has done enough on the punishment of cyber-crime. Through reflection, I understood that the occurrence of cyber-attacks in the UK should be preferred as the criterion for answering the research question. Ventola and Mauranen (1996) explained that reflection can help the researcher to identify the research findings that are closer to the research question, a fact that allows the researcher to use the right material for answering the research question. Additionally, I used reflection during the development of the study for managing time and for tracking research gaps, which have been covered after the completion of the project. The above tasks have been supported by a research diary (Day, 2013), in the form of notes, where daily progress in regard to research and writing was reported. Thus, the use of reflection while developing this project h elped me to control risks, in regard to the project’s structure and content, and to manage time more effectively, covering all aspects of the research question. 6.0 References BBC News (2016) UK must retaliate against cyber-attacks says chancellor. Available from: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37821867 [Accessed 15 March 2017]. BBC News (2011) Cyber criminals ‘should get tough sentences’ say police. Available from: http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-15680466 [Accessed 15 March 2017]. Cabinet Office (2011) The cost of cabinet crime. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/60943/the-cost-of-cyber-crime-full-report.pdf [Accessed 15 March 2017]. Cabinet Office (2014) The UK Cyber Security Strategy. Report on Progress and Forward Plans. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/386093/The_UK_Cyber_Security_Strategy_Report_on_Progress_and_Forward_Plans_-_De___.pdf [Accessed 15 March 2017]. Cole, H. (2017) UK Government and businesses are hit by two ‘serious’ cyber-attacks a day. The Sun. Available from: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2857508/uk-government-and-businesses-are-hit-by-two-serious-cyber-attacks-a-day/ [Accessed 15 March 2017]. Cuzzocrea, A., Kittl, C., Simos, D., Weippl, E. and Xu, L. (2013) Availability, Reliability, and Security in Information Systems and HCI: IFIP WG 8.4, 8.9, TC 5 International Cross-Domain Conference, CD-ARES 2013, Regensburg, Germany, September 2-6, 2013, Proceedings. New York: Springer. Day, T. (2013) Success in Academic Writing. Oxford: Palgrave Macmillan Doward, J. (2010) Britain fends off flood of foreign cyber-attacks. The Guardian. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2010/mar/07/britain-fends-off-cyber-attacks [Accessed 15 March 2017]. Emm, D. (2009) Cybercrime and the law: a review of UK computer crime legislation. SecureList. Available from: https://securelist.com/analysis/publications/36253/cybercrime-and-the-law-a-review-of-uk-computer-crime-legislation/ [Accessed 15 March 2017]. Eversheds-Sutherland (2015) Will the Serious Crime Act 2015 toughen the UK’s cybercrime regimeAvailable from: http://www.eversheds-sutherland.com/global/en/what/articles/index.page?ArticleID=en/tmt/Serious_Crime_Act_2015_May2015 [Accessed 15 March 2017]. Gillett, A., Hammond, A. and Martala, M. (2013) Inside Track to Successful Academic Writing. Essex: Pearson Education. Guitton, C. (2012) Criminals and Cyber Attacks: The Missing Link between Attribution and Deterrence. International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 6(2), pp.1030-1043. Katsikas, S. (2016) Information Systems Security: Facing the information society of the 21st century. New York: Springer. Kim, D. and Solomon, M. (2016) Fundamentals of Information Systems Security. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Kovachich, G. (2016) The Information Systems Security Officer’s Guide: Establishing and Managing a Cyber Security Program. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann. McTague, T. (2014) Computer hackers face life in prison under new Government crackdown on cyber terrorism. Mail Online. Available from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2649452/Computer-hackers-face-life-prison-new-Government-crackdown-cyber-terrorism.html [Accessed 15 March 2017]. Mehdi, K. (2014) Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology. Hershey: IGI Global. Merkow, M. (2010) Security Policies and Implementation Issues. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Publishers. National Crime Agency (2017) Cyber – crime: preventing young people from being involved. Available from: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/crime-threats/cyber-crime/cyber-crime-preventing-young-people-from-getting-involved [Accessed 15 March 2017]. National Crime Agency (2016) Cyber – Crime Assessment 2016. Available from: http://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/publications/709-cyber-crime-assessment-2016/file [Accessed 15 March 2017]. Pultarova, T. (2016) UK banks under constant cyber-attack but don’t report incidents. Engineering & Technology. Available from: https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2016/10/uk-banks-under-constant-cyber-attack-but-dont-report-incidents/ [Accessed 15 March 2017]. Shefford, M. (2015) What is the UK government doing about cybersecurityDatonomy. Available from: http://datonomy.eu/2015/04/01/what-is-the-uk-government-doing-about-cybersecurity/ [Accessed 15 March 2017]. Stair, R. and Reynolds, G. (2015) Fundamentals of Information Systems. 8th ed. Belmont: Cengage Learning. Vacca, J. (2009) Computer and Information Security Handbook. Burlington: Morgan Kaufmann. Ventola, E. and Mauranen, A. (1996) Academic Writing: Intercultural and textual issues. John Benjamins Publishing. White, L. (2016) British banks keep cyber-attacks under wraps to protect image. Reuters. Available from: http://uk.reuters.com/article/us-britain-banks-cyber-idUKKBN12E0NQ [Accessed 15 March 2017].

Human rights violation against Kurdish minorities in Turkey Essay

Kish had never known how it feels to be happy. As a small boy, his parents were killed when one of the major buildings in the city was bombed. He was very young then and he cannot even recall the faces of his parents. Fortunately he sought refuge with neighbors who were more than willing to take him in. However, after a few months of his stay, events took a new turn. Kish became the house help of the Mirth family. Too tiny to cope up with the difficult chaos, Kish received insults for a small mistake. Sometimes, he was severely whipped. Every member of the large family could turn their anger to the small child. While other children of the house attended their classes, Kish was denied the right for his education. Orphaned and homeless, Kish had no one to turn to or a better place to run away to. He thus remained with the terrible family, enduring pain and suffering. Kish is just a representation of what the Turkish Kurds have gone through in the past. The Kurds as they are widely known have no place they can call home. They are the ancient Middle East people who live in Kurdistan, a mountainous place. The Turkish government has been part and parcel in the oppression and discrimination of the Kurds in the country (English Online, nd). Kurdistan covers different countries namely: Turkey, Syria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq and Iran. After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East in the early 20th century, independent states like Turkey and Iran were formed with the exception of a Kurdistan state. Many are the times when the Kurds have been promised of an independent state of their own but the countries around refused the creation of independent Kurdistan state. The Kurds have inhabited this particular place for a number of centuries now. They had been like homeless children as they had never had their own country. The countries on which Kurdistan stands have taken advantage of their homelessness and oppressed the Kurds beyond measure (English Online, nd). The suffering tale of the Kurds Turkey can win the Nobel Peace Breaking Award (if such is introduced) for their mistreatments on the minorities. It is nearly two hundred years now and the Turks are still adamant to abandon the malpractices. The only term that can best describe the Turks is, ‘bloody killers. ’ In the early 20th century, they conducted a genocide that left a million and a half Armenians dead. The blood thirsty Turks have turned their heads towards the Kurds who have been fighting for their identity, culture and language. Approximately 30,000 Kurds have been slain by the cruel sword of the Turks (Lobby, nd). The Turks not only killed but also displaced The Kurds. Turkish troops have put 3,000 Kurdish villages ablaze putting the lives of three million Kurds in refugees’ camps (Lobby, nd). In the years1980s and 90s, Kurdish communities were evicted from their homes by the Turkish security forces. The act was aimed at depriving the armed PKK (Worker’s Party of Kurdistan) accessibility to infrastructure and goods. ,500 towns together with villages were blazed under the state of emergency rule. From a research done in the month of December 2006 by the Turkish government, approximately one million Kurds had been displaced out of south east Turkey from 1986 – 2005. The NGOs had a different figure of between one and four million five hundred thousand which is quite a shocking figure of the IDPs (Internally Displaced People). They had to be compensated for the displacement but by the set deadline of May 2008, 313,829 cases had still been filed. According to reports IDPs were to receive lower compensations as compared with state officials. The officials are said to have suffered damages during the conflict. Did they suffer more or less than the Kurdish? Furthermore who started the chaos? In this compensation also there is gender discrimination and senseless documentary evidence requirements. Other damages caused like post – traumatic stress was not compensated (Jaroslawski, 2008). The Progressive Report of the European Commission of 2008 points out that if the situation of the IDPs is not going to be addressed, they will continue suffering socially and economically. The IDPS will have no accessibility to educational, health and social services. This is an indication that the IDPs by nature are discriminated against not by their fate but by being Kurdish (Jaroslawski, 2008). Turkey has carried out ethnic cleansing and displaced the Kurds from their homes for no mature reason. This can only be termed as violation of the human rights (Lobby, nd). The Kurdish people are objects of torture by the Turkish security officers. A report by the Human Rights Watch in 2007 showed that there was an increased police brutality when the daily identity checks were being carried out. The prisoners also carried the same cross as they were maltreated. Fatal shootings of the Kurdish people were common activities; they were not carried out by rogues but were extrajudicial killings. Why was all this brutality so common in the southeast Turkey and to the Kurdish Humanity? The security officer use force wrongly and intimidate the Kurds (Jaroslawski, 2008). Human rights violation against the Kurds continues to be experienced. There are new anti-terror regulations that have been put to infringe on the rights of the Kurds. Examples as Jaroslawski lists them include†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ access to a lawyer for suspected detainees may now be denied for a period of 24 hours, publishing houses can be temporary closed without court decision under accusation of ’ terrorist propaganda’ and conscientious objection (from military service) can now be considered as a terrorist offence† (Jaroslawski, 2008). Why does this only happen to Kurdish- related – issues? Judges can give many interpretations concerning ‘incitement to violence’ and ‘public interest’ as far as the Kurds are concerned. It will lead to freedom of expression violations! (Jaroslawski, 2008). Kurds have been treated unfairly by Turkish government who have coined a name for them; â€Å"mountain Kurds (English Online, nd). In a demonstration, a Kurdish girl, Berivan aged 15 received 8 year imprisonment for throwing stones at the police at a banned PKK rally. Was this young girl judged fairly? It was not a surprise for Bervian’s arrest as Kurdish children get imprisoned for singing Kurdish songs (Kayserian, 2010). What crime is committed by speaking a language that you were born with? The Kurds speak a language close to Persian but the Turkish governments have forbidden them from speaking their own language (English Online, nd). Each and every language group has a culture but the question that is hard to answer is; is there culture superiority? The Kurds were not allowed to express themselves culturally. They were not permitted to wear their own traditional clothes in towns and cities (English – online, nd). The Kurdish culture was presented by the Turkish officials as backwards and violent. This was an aim to eradicate the Kurdish culture and replace it with the more ‘modernized’ values of the Turks (Jaroslawski, 2008). The Kurds have their own identity. For example they claim that the name ‘Kurd’ is onomatopoeic for the sound made by cracking snow as the ‘highlander Turks’ walked along the mountainous place. The Turkish community is working very hard to see that the ethnic identity of the Kurds has been completely eroded. All that the Kurdish community wants from Turkey is their language right. They are claiming the freedom to let them learn and speak their language. However, this is only possible after the Turkish constitution has been amended. This will not come so fast; the freedom to use their language will continue to be denied for a longer time (Jaroslawki, 2008). Though some radio stations have been allowed to broadcast in other languages other than Turkish, educational radio programs to teach Kurdish language are prohibited. Young people are the targeted group; not to learn their language. Kurdish is not taught in the schooling system be it in private or public systems. It is also illegal to use any other language apart from Turkish in the administration sector or in political rallies. The Kurdish has traditional celebrations of Kurdish Newroz Springs in the months of March and May. In the recent years, there has been a clash with security forces. The security forces have been condemned for using their force to ruin the celebrations of the Kurds. This is a clear portrayal that the right to embrace their culture has been severely squeezed from all directions (Jaroslawki, 2008). The Kurds have no freedom of expression. The defenders of their rights have been through trying times in the attempt to express their opinions. Jaroslawki in the article, Human rights of the Kurdish community in Turkey, says that they â€Å"†¦have often been prosecuted under Article 301 of the Turkish penal Law for ‘denigrating Turkishness’ and state institutions† (Jaroslawki, 2008). There are very many prosecutions against the Kurds who peacefully express their opinions (Squidoo, 2010) Income in Turkey is not distributed fairly. Kurds in the East and South – East regions of Turkey are disadvantaged. They are languishing in poverty due to the unbalanced income. Development in the Kurdish lands is needed but the issue regarding Kurds is controlled by political determinants. The Turkish Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdogan declared an investment of 11. 7 billion euros to put up infrastructure in the Kurdish regions. This was perhaps a campaign strategy towards regional elections of 2009 and not a genuine state policy. He visited the province of Diyarbakir in 2008 and before his footsteps faded, there were riots by the Kurds and their clash with the security offices of Turkey. One would be left wondering why the Kurdish went on riots after such an ‘honored’ visit by their Prime Minister (Jaroslawski, 2008). The Kurdish people have failed to be genuinely represented in the Grand National Assembly. The poor representation is blamed on the conflicts while in the real sense it is not the cause. The DTP pro – Kurdish party with its own independent candidates managed 10% national vote requirement and obtained 23 seats of the Grand National Assembly. Currently, the party has a great public support. However, corruption, nepotism and allegation of the party’s linkage with PKK made a big portion of the Kurdish electorate convinced and they voted AKP party; currently the ruling party. The Kurds blame the Kurdish politicians for failure to undertake a legal action (Jaroslawski, 2008). How has the human rights violation been addressed by the government? Turkey is, as it says, has tried to respect the human rights of all its citizens by abolishing the death penalty as from the year 2003 (Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign affairs, nd). The reform process has ensured an admirable progress also in â€Å"inter alia, abolishing death penalty, fight against torture, reforming the prison system, freedom of expression, freedom of association and assembly, freedom of religion, functioning of the judiciary, civil-military relations, economics, social and cultural rights and anti-corruption measures† says the foreign affairs ministry in one of their objectives. Human rights education is currently offered in the school system to increase awareness to the citizens about their human rights. This will be in no exception to the Kurdish community also (Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign affairs, nd). The Turkey government has lifted the ban on use of the Kurdish language. Kurdish broadcasts have been legalized but Kurdish cultural expressions are still to be permitted (Squidoo, 2010). The Turkey government claims to protect human rights. What rights are protected if there is no freedom of association? PKK, Kurdish citizens’ voice was founded in 1980 to help overcome the people’s oppression. The Turkish government called the organization a terrorist group for the group’s fight against violations of the human rights (Kayserian, 2010). Human Rights Policy of Turkey One of the major objectives of the Turkey government is to promote and protect human rights. It is for this reason that there has been reform processes currently. The aims of the reforms are to give strength to democracy and ensuring that the rights and freedoms such as the human rights are respected. What right is respected when Turkey deprive some of its citizens of their human rights? Are these reforms meant to cover a specific group of people and not for all? (Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign affairs, nd). According to the human rights policies, it is the work of the Human Rights Boards to carry out investigations on human rights’ abuses and thereafter report to the relevant authorities for a legal action. There is also a parliamentary Human Rights Inquiry Commission that monitors human rights issues especially in prisons and detention centers (Republic of Turkey Ministry of Foreign affairs, nd).

Character Descriptions How To Write Them (in 3 Steps)

Character Descriptions How To Write Them (in 3 Steps) Character Descriptions: How To Write Them (in 3 Steps) Character descriptions - those key passages that describe what a character actually looks like - are almost as crucial to a written story as the characters themselves. If you’re writing a novel, you’ve probably created an awesome, vivid protagonist in your head: motivated, quirky, maybe even memorably named. But how do you convey all that to a reader without depleting the magic?Writing strong character descriptions actually requires quite a bit of finesse. If you skimp on descriptive passages, you run the risk of leaving your readers with forgettable characters. But if you get too descriptive, you wind up leaving no room for the reader’s own imagination. So what does it take to strike the right balance? We’ll tell you! Here are three cardinal rules on how to write character descriptions without falling off that tightrope. Do you know the three cardinal rules for describing characters? Find out in this guide! 1. Choose your words carefullyWhen writing character descriptions, it’s easy to get ahead of yourself. After all, this is the first time you’re introducing a character you’ve created from the ground up.But just because you know everything about them, doesn’t mean the reader needs to. Character descriptions aren’t about doling out every detail in lavish language - they’re about succinct characterization. Here are a few tips on how to achieve just that.Be descriptive in your languageWe’re talking about character descriptions, after all - it’s quite literally in the name. When describing a character that you see clearly in your mind, it’s easy to simply give a laundry list of attributes: she had black hair, brown eyes, and freckles. But that tells us nothing about the character and is frankly a waste of words.Sure, your protagonist might have brown eyes. But so does half the world’s population! And characterization is all about showing what makes a character unique.Sometimes, this can be done through word choice alone. Take this example from Huckleberry Finn:â€Å"There warn’t no color in his face, where his face showed; it was white; not like another man’s white, but a white to make a body sick, a white to make a body’s flesh crawl – a tree-toad white, a fish-belly white.†From this passage, we clearly understand how Huck’s father looks, as surely as if Twain had simply written, â€Å"He was white.† But through the use of figurative language and excellent word choice, another image sticks in our head: that of a sickly, grotesque drunk. Bonus points for the use of â€Å"tree-toad† and â€Å"fish-belly† - descriptors that match the tone of the adventure novel.Use adjectives sparingly Feel free to stretch the boundaries of what you’re describing and how you’re describing it. Rather than simply pointing out concrete characteristics or actions, feel free to describe abstractions, like this passage from Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere:â€Å"Mr. Croup likes words, while Mr. Vandemar is always hungry. Also, they look nothing alike.†Or, describe physical characteristics in an abstract way - that is, use similes and metaphors. In A Christmas Carol, Dickens does not describe Scrooge as a Christmas-hating miser. Instead, Scrooge is:â€Å"Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster.† How did Dickens turn Scrooge into a Christmas-hating miser without ever calling him one? Be biasedWhether you’re describing yourself to a friend or a friend is describing you to someone else, it’s very unlikely either of you would give a painstaking, perfectly objective account.. Biases exist in every aspect of life, so it’s okay to be biased in character descriptions, too.If a first person narrator is describing themselves, they might comment on their own attractiveness, like Humbert Humbert in Lolita:â€Å"I was, and still am, despite mes malheurs, an exceptionally handsome male; slow-moving, tall, with soft dark hair and a gloomy but all the more seductive cast of demeanor.†Or you could have one character describe another, which illuminates the attributes of the latter and the perception of the former. Take, for example, this particularly scathing description of one person by another from Jodi Taylor’s The Nothing Girl:â€Å"The only talents he possessed were delusions of adequacy.†This sentence succinctly describes a not-quit e-self-aware underachiever. But it also illustrates a narrator with a not-so-objective opinion of him.Show, don’t tellYup. The golden rule of writing applies here as well. At the end of the day, no matter what you decide to reveal to your audience, the most important aspect of character descriptions is how you reveal it. Regardless of how special, unique, or honest-to-god awesome your protagonist is, a reader forced to trudge through page after page of intensive description will find any character boring.Instead, think of how we learn things about other people in real life. Very rarely does the color of our eyes or the shape of our nose describe who we are. We don’t tell everything there is to know about each other - we show it, through our expressions, perceptions, actions, preferences, and even our stuff. Apply that same rule to your character descriptions, and your characters (and readers) will thank you for it.Are there any character descriptions that stand out to you? Leave any thoughts or questions in the comments below!

Ethics, CSR and Leadership Report - Business Must Act Ethically The WritePass Journal

Ethics, CSR and Leadership Report - Business Must Act Ethically 1.Introduction Ethics, CSR and Leadership Report Business Must Act Ethically , p. 2). 3.Lessons Learnt from News Corporation Scandal This question will discuss the different lessons companies can learn from the News Corporation Scandal. In doing so, a review as to what led to the scandals taken place will be undertaken, followed by a discussion relating to the importance of ethical polices with respect to Corporate Social Responsibility. The 2011 News Corporation phone hacking scandals have taught businesses a valuable lesson to ensure that they have effective compliance programmes in place. This is because the scandals that took place clearly illustrated that compliance risks were not being managed appropriately, which subsequently led to corrupt practices being undertaken by the News Corporation properties. Whilst the scandal initially appeared to involve a single journalist, it soon became apparent that there was a much wider pattern of wrongdoing that took place. The News of the World newspaper was subsequently closed as a result of the scandals, which demonstrates just how serious unethical business practices are. Businesses that have personal ties to political parties are at a higher risk of being bribed and in cases such as this, it is imperative that effective controls are in place to deal with this. This could be achieved by creating policies that deal with compliance risks appropriately and red flags should be raised by compliance departments if such relationships exist (Wrage, 2013, p. 2). In addition because the majority of employees found to be wrongdoing were at the top end of the hierarchal system, businesses must ensure that all of their employees are committed to compliance regardless as to what level they are at. Businesses could also compel their employees to take part in compliance and ethics training (Daft and Marcic, 2011, p. 153). This will not only allow the business to test its employees on compliance risks but it will also allow employees to test their abilities in dealing with ethical issues, such as bribery.   Another lesson that companies can learn from the scandal is the need to undertake internal investigations on a regular basis by an independent investigator. This appears to be something that News Corporation had in place, which allowed the investigations to take place efficiently (Romm, 2011, p. 1). Since news of the scandals broke out, it seems as though there has been a furore of internal investigations taking place across the whole industry. This is common practice for a corruption scandal and often sees organisations taking a more robust approach with their compliance responsibilities (Urofsky et al, 2012, p. 1145). Although the lessons to be learned have been known for some time, it seems as though businesses are now starting to take compliance risks more seriously than they had done previously after seeing the consequences of non-compliance (Cobert and Pascal, 2012, p. 14). It is particularly important for businesses to have in place corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies since the concept of corporate governance has become a significant issue over the years. Many corporate collapses have lef an overhaul in the way corporations are to be regulated and as put forward by Gobert and Pascal (2012, p. 14); â€Å"it is timely to think further about how best not just to regulate but to control corporations and their directors, whether to use and in what combination, administrative, civil or criminal laws to address corporate misconduct.† The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) is just one of many organisations which seeks to ensure that governments can tackle the economic, social and governance challenges that frequently emerge within a globalised economy. Nevertheless, because there are no specific rules surrounding CSR it is generally up to the organisation to ensure compliance. It has thus been said that there is a â€Å"lack of prescription as to how the company’s board organises itself and exercises its responsibilities† (McColgan, 2001, p. 16). Still, the Combined Code on Corporate Governance (UK Corporate Governance Code 2010), that was issued by the FRC in 2003 does seek to ensure that good corporate governance practices are being adhered to by all companies. It is questionable just how effectiv e this is, however, since companies can employ a different approach than that encouraged by the Code. 4.Role of Corporate Leadership in Ethics and CSR This question will discuss the role a company’s leadership should play in the promotion of ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility. The primary feature of good governance is the relationship between the company and its stakeholders. A company’s leadership therefore plays an important role in making decisions and conducting business with the interests of the company’s stakeholders in mind (Bryan, 2012, p. 14). The provisions under the Code demonstrate the need for leadership; accountability; remuneration and relations with shareholders. However, it cannot be said that these principles are always being adhered to (PIRC, 2007, p. 2), yet it is apparent that compliance with the Code is on the rise. All companies need to be managed appropriately, whilst also providing accountability to its shareholders. This will certify that appropriate safeguards are in place for a company’s shareholders whilst also preserving a company’s ability to develop. Hence, as pointed out in the Cadbury Report (1992, p. 32); â€Å"the effectiveness with which boards discharge their responsibilities determine Brit ain’s competitive position. They must be free to drive their companies forward but exercise that freedom within a framework of effective accountability.† Accordingly, a system of good governance is important for any organisation if CSR and ethics are to be promoted. In order for CSR and ethics to be promoted an appropriate corporate structure needs to be implemented that is individually suited to the business needs as one approach will not be suitable for all. Although, this enables corrupt practices to be employed more easily, companies are still required to adhere to the Code and other legislative provisions. The UK thereby imposes duties upon all organisations to conduct business in an ethical manner, yet because of the difficulty in identifying whether this is being achieved additional strategies need to be implemented by businesses themselves. This can be achieved by a more robust management and control system. A number of precautions may be taken by organisations in order to eliminate or reduce compliance risks and preserve the interests of the company as a whole. This will inevitably benefit the economy overall and fewer corporate scandals and corrupt practices will be undertaken. Such precautions include risk management strategies, the conduction of regular reviews and internal investigations. As put by Ferran (2008, p. 95); â€Å"to minimise the risk, policymakers contemplating the imposition of higher minimum capital requirements for companies generally would need to take on the complex task of designing a carefully set of requirements that achieved a degree of commensurability between the specific risks undertaken by individual companies and the amount of capital that each of them was required to hold.† All companies should therefore minimise any risks by implementing various controls that assess the risks associated with the business. CSR does help to promote business ethics t o a large extent since the actions of a company will be strictly monitored under CSR policies. This will prevent unlawful and unethical conduct from taking place and will also assist in sustainable development (European Commission, 2011, p. 3). Corporate transparency is one of the most important traits a business can have since it will allow greater transparency and accountability to be effectuated. Hence, as pointed out in the Cadbury Report (1992, p. 32); â€Å"the lifeblood of markets is information and barriers to the flow of relevant information represent imperfections in the market.† Not only will this benefit the economy but it will also benefit the organisations as investors will be more likely to invest in a transparent company than a non-transparent one. As such, all companies should ensure that they are fully compliant and transparent when it comes to disclosing their business affairs. 5.Conclusions Overall, in considering the recent corporation scandals that have occurred in recent years, it is imperative that all businesses act ethically by managing compliance risks in an effective manner. Because of the importance business ethics has on the community and on the business itself it is integral that policies and procedures are in place that are aimed at dealing with the main risks that are applicable to the business in question. This will ensure that the interests of the business and society are being protected. Given the increasing emphasis that is being placed upon business ethics, those that are not found to be compliant will suffer the consequences as stakeholders will not be interested in any aspect of the business. This will have a major effect upon the business as a whole which is why adequate procedures need to be in place that deals primarily with business ethics. 6.Recommendations It is recommended that the organisation implements policies within the day-to-day running of the business so as to avoid any possible risks that may arise. When agents are being used organisations must ensure that they receive prior approval from a senior executive who will be able to perform a risk assessment as to whether there is any likelihood of corruption. When considering facilitation payments organisations must also ensure that conditions are attached if they are a necessary requisite of the business activity. In addition, internal reviews and investigations should be undertaken frequently and appropriate training should be given to all staff on how to deal with business ethics. 7.Bibliography Brown, M. E., and Mitchell, M. S., (2001) Ethical and Unethical Leadership: Exploring New Avenues for Future Research, Business Ethics Quarterly, Volume 20, Issue 4. Bryan, C. S., (2012) The role of leadership in fraud deterrence, Financial Executive. Cobert, J., and Pascal, A., (2012) European Developments in Corporate Criminal Liability, Taylor Francis US. Daft, R. L., and Marcic, D., (2011) Understanding Management, Business Economics, 8th Edition. European Commission., (2011) Sustainable and Responsible Business, http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/policies/sustainable-business/corporate-social-responsibility/index_en.htm [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. Fenando, A., (2010) Business Ethics and Corporate Governance, Pearson Education India, Business Ethics. Ferran, E., (2008) Principles of Corporate Finance Law, OUP Oxford. Groenendikj, N., (1997) A principal-agent model of corruption, Crime, Law and Social Change, Volume 27. Healy, P. M., and Ramanna, K., (2013) When the Crowd Fights Corruption, Harvard Business Review, The Globe, http://hbr.org/2013/01/when-the-crowd-fights-corruption/ar/1 [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. Institute of Business Ethics., (2013) Frequently Asked Questions, ibe.org.uk/index.asp?upid=71msid=12 [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. Loscher, P., (2012) The CEO of Siemens on Using a Scandal to Drive Change, Harvard Business Review, The Globe. McColgan, P., (2001) Agency Theory and Corporate Governance: A Review of the Literature from a UK Perspective, ppge.ufrgs.br/GIACOMO/arquivos/gov-corp/mccolgan-2001.pdf [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. OECD., (2005) OECD Principles of Corporate Governance 1999 and 2004, oecd.org/document/49/0,3343,en_2649_34813_31530865_1_1_1_1,00.html [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. PIRC., (2007) Review of the Impact of the Combined Code’, pirc.co.uk/publications/FRCresponse.pdf [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. SFO., (2010) Enforcement of the United Kingdom’s Bribery Act – Facilitation Payments, sfo.gov.uk/media/225554/enforcement_of_the_uks_bribery_act_facilitation_payments_061212.pdf [Accessed 07 November 2013]. Romm, J., (2011) News Corp and the Hacked Climategate Emails: Time for an Independent Investigation, Climate Progress, http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/07/19/272361/news-corp-hacked-climategate-emails-time-for-an-independent-investigation/ [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. The Committee on the Financial Aspects of Corporate Governance and Gee and Co Ltd., ‘The Cadbury Report’ (1992), ecgi.org/codes/documents/cadbury.pdf [Accessed 07 November, 2013]. The Times., (2013) Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility, Business Case Studies, http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/anglo-american/business-ethics-and-corporate-social-responsibility/why-should-a-business-act-ethically.html#axzz2jzaIe2vQ [Accessed 06 November 2013]. United Nations., (1999) Prevention: An Effective Tool to Reduce Corruption, Programme Against Corruption, CICP-2. Urofsky, P., Moon, H. W. and Rimm, J., (2012) The FCPA at thirty-five and its impact on global business, Ohio State Law Journal.    Wrage, A., (2013) 5Compliance Lessons from the News Corp Scandal, Forbes, forbes.com/sites/alexandrawrage/2013/04/03/5-compliance-lessons-from-the-news-corp-scandal/ [Accessed 06 November, 2013].

Personal Essay

Personal Essay Personal Essay Personal Essay Writing a personal essay you should remember about its purpose. The purpose of personal essay writing is to express your personal opinion about   an issue, problem, situation, etc. Writing an essay remember about the audience.   Do not write for a teacher!   When you read your own personal essay, you should understand yourself and your ideas.   It is also recommended to ask a friend or a relative to read your personal essay aloud.   Thus, you will notice the mistakes and gaps in flow you have probably missed before. Make your personal essay writing fresh and lively. It must differ from essays written by other students. Do not write personal essays in a company of other students!   Make yourself memorable! If you succeed in writing memorable essay you 100% distinguish yourself from other students and get a good grade on it. Write your personal essays logically, describing the line of events. Tell what you know, make some research, if needed; write an essay i n academically accepted format. Avoid cliches writing personal essays. Personal Essays: freedom of speech in Australia Please, read essay example about freedom of speech. ...The achievement of free speech in general and legal free speech in particular is never complete, nor should it be. The light beckoning at the end of the tunnel is often a mirage or a firefly briefly lighting the path of those relatively few souls who make legal matters the object of their contemplations and, especially, their outspoken criticism. Sometimes, there is indeed light that will only in very few instances mean the emergence, albeit temporarily, from the tunnel. More often than not, the light signifies no more than a turning or a twist or a light vent in a tunnel, which for the vast majority of societies in the West will seemingly never end in the sunlight of a vital, dynamic, and responsible system of free speech in the legal domain, a system that responds to the needs of a democratic society and also responds to the protection of certain other vital interests of the individual in a humane society. In most respects, one society has to a significant extent em erged in the sunlight of a system of legal free speech that is responsive to the needs of a free society, especially because of the theory of the law as handed down by its highest court. The same holds true concerning unfettered access to information about legal matters... Did you like the above example?   Would you like to write an impressive personal essay?   You may take advantage of our writing service!   We know how to write an excellent personal essay for you and we are working hard to meet the requirements of all clients.   No papers are delivered late!   Refunds are guaranteed! We write custom term paper, custom research paper, and provide coursework services on any topic!

Sustainable Tourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sustainable Tourism - Essay Example However, the benefits accrued from the industry are often off-set by the negative impact it causes on the natural environment and the threats it poses to the bio-diversity. Hence incorporating sustainable measures and policies within this industry is highly crucial for the sustaining and developing of this industry. In order to establish this fact, this paper discusses the various definitions and key concepts of sustainable tourism; the impact of mass tourism; the values and ethics involved; and market failure. The paper concludes with the proposition that the various benefits of tourism can be successfully enjoyed if proper measures are implemented at the local, regional and national levels to ensure effective management of all tourism related activities. Definitions: The term sustainable tourism covers a broad area such as eco-tourism, green travel, culturally responsible tourism, environmentally friendly tourism etc and the likes. However, the basic / fundamental pillars of sustai nable tourism entails the effective management of all key local resources in a manner which ensures that the social, economic, cultural as well aesthetic fabric of the tourist destination are maintained and their cultural integrity is upheld. Furthermore, it also entails the preservation of the bio-diversity of the areas in and around the tourist site, as well as their support systems. There are various definitions of the term 'sustainable tourism' although none of them claim to be comprehensive in nature. Some of them are listed below: According to WTO (1996): "Sustainable tourism development meets the needs of the present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing the opportunity for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled, while maintaining cultural integrity essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems† According to Swarbrook e (1999): Sustainable tourism means "tourism which is economically viable but does not destroy the resources on which the future of tourism will depend, notably the physical environment and the social fabric of the host community" (Pp.13). However, according to a definition provided by a report funded by the European Union the term Sustainable tourism was referred to as: "tourism which develops as quickly as possible, taking account of current accommodation capacity, the local population and the environment .. The development of tourism and new investment in the tourism sector should not detract from tourism itself †¦. New tourism facilities should be integrated with the environment". (Swarbrooke, 1999, Pp.13) According to Butler (1993): "Tourism which is in a form which can maintain its viability in an area for an infinite period of time" (Pp. 29) According to Eber (1992): "if tourism is to be truly beneficial to all concerned . . . and sustainable in the long-term, it must be ensured that resources are not over-consumed, that natural and human environments are protected, that tourism is integrated with other activities, that it provides real benefits to the local communities . . .

Myers and Sadaghiani Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Myers and Sadaghiani - Essay Example t have been made by the author in the journal article are that the Millennials in the workforce are more motivated to work on tasks that are meaningful in nature and are essential for the attainment of organization’s aims and objectives. The second interesting point that the authors have made is that Millennials expect that they are provide with timely, continuous as well as constructive feedback which their managers and older coworkers might believe is unnecessary and time consuming. I agree with both the points made by the authors of the research article. I agree with the first point because any individual, whether young or old would be more motivated to work in those positions and on those tasks that are considered as significant by the organization and others. If they do not perceive that their work is of significance to others, they may feel that they are being used for work that is not necessary for the success of the organization and may end up being dissatisfied with that work. I agree that Millennials require timely, continuous and constructive feedback because they have recently graduated or joined the workforce and they require feedback in order to ensure that they are performing well on their tasks. Feedback and task significance are two important elements of job design that cause satisfaction among employees (Parikh, 2010). Myers, K. K., & Sadaghiani, K. (January 01, 2010). Millennials in the Workplace: A Communication Perspective on Millennials Organizational Relationships and Performance. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25, 2,

American Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Community - Essay Example Indeed, and as the case of example of the Asian American immigrants establishes, not only are groups divided between themselves but, within themselves. Affirmative action, primarily targeting the African American community, is alternately viewed as a means of leveling the playing ground and as a discriminatory practice. Insofar as its proponents are concerned, affirmative action effectively ensures that colleges and universities, among other institutions, maintain a quota for African American candidates/students. In this way, African Americans are assured a place in institutions which would have otherwise been closed to them, largely because of their socio-economic circumstances and, as such given an invaluable opportunity for mobility. It is important to note here that proponents regard affirmative action as society's responsibility towards the African American community and, the least of that which is owed them. Opponents, on the other hand, inclusive amongst which are some members of the African American community, maintain that affirmative action is inherently discriminatory and racist. ... rican American community does suffer from a more restricted range of opportunities than does the majority and in light of the fact that latent racism may further constrain these opportunities, affirmative action is necessary. Indeed, rather than consider it a negative remark on the abilities of African Americans, it could be more properly understood as a policy predicated on a lack of faith in society's own ability to judge African Americans on their own merit, rather than their skin color. Further fortifying the importance of affirmative action is the status of African Americans on all of the socio-economic indicators versus that of a comparatively recent immigrant group, the Asians. In direct comparison to the African American's close to four centuries of history in the United States, the Asian American's history in the United States is short, with the first immigration wave dating to the mid-nineteenth century. This first influx of Asian immigrants was almost wholly comprised of Chinese manual laborers. Before this ethnic population could swell in numbers, Chinese immigration exclusionary measures were instigated in 1882, effectively halting Chinese immigration while encouraging Japanese Asian immigration. Eventually, however, discriminatory policies, halted Asian immigration to America from the 1920s to the 1960s. Anti-Asian sentiments, as which instigated the implementation of discriminatory and exclusionary immigration policies, reached its peak during World War II. Japan's alliance with Nazi Germany and most especially its attack on Pearl Harbor, led to widespread violence against Asian Americans. Indeed, following the said attack, Japanese Americans were interned in camps, unthinkingly classified as enemies despite the fact that many had been born in

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 7

Research Paper Example All these are geared towards promoting food security. However, genetically modified foods have raised great debate in the recent past over their impact on human health. The two main areas of concern are risk to human health and risk to the environment. This paper seeks to look at the health benefits of genetically modified foods and also the disadvantages of these foods. Pathogens, herbivorous insects, and parasites have significantly reduced crop yields all over the world. Given the fact that the population is increasing, traditional crops cannot sustain the world population because of the above threats. GM crops have been introduced to help abate this problem. Examples of crops grown in this case are virus resistant genetically modified papaya and insect resistant crops having Bacillus thuringiensis gene. This has been successful in the United States; insect resistant GM maize is grown on an area of about 10.6 million hectares and represents 35 percent of all the maize grown in the country. The resistance has also been enhanced to include bacterial and fungal pathogens. With reduction in crop loss due to pathogens, insects and parasites, more yields can be achieved and this can reduce malnutrition (Key, Ma and Drake 292). Another issue that has caused reduction in the crop yields is abiotic stress which includes low or high temperatures, drought, and salinity. It is projected that in the coming years these losses will increase due decline in water resources and desertification. Salinity and drought are expected to increase salinization of arable lands. This calls for adoption of new technology that will ensure there is crop survival. There have been attempts to produce abiotic stress resistant genetically modified foods. However, there has been no break through yet and the research is still at laboratory level. In

Relationship banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Relationship banking - Essay Example Sale of banking products has become extremely competitive. This paper will discuss how relationship marketing has penetrated the banking sector and what are its pitfalls or benefits. It will also discuss the type of relationship that banks have with customers and what marketing activities it performs to establish and maintain such relationships. Banks have adopted the concepts of marketing in the highly competitive market as the consumers have become highly literate and empowered. Customers are increasingly using technology for using banking services, and hence the bank-customer relationship have become of great importance. To stimulate the improvement in the quality of service from the banks, deregulation brought in a range of suppliers in the financial services (Durkin & Howcroft, 2003). Because of the pressure on the bank margins from new competitors, banks have had to reengineer their internal and external delivery process to make profits. Technology is used to increase market share and reduce costs. Banks have been forced to consider this because in the new and emerging delivery channels the bank-customer interactions do not involve face to face contact. Relationship marketing (RM) means to identify, establish, maintain and enhance, and when necessary even to terminate relationships with customers and other stakeholders. In doing do both parties gain and the objectives have been met (Durkin & Howcorft, 2003). This conforms to Gummesson’s concept of relationship marketing. Thus it involves mutual satisfaction, gains and attainment of objectives. In RM the customer is treated as a partner and their needs are identified, and loyalty developed through quality service (Fjà ¤llborg, Morin, Mannberg, Rosell & Heckscher, 2005). Relationship between the buyer and seller differs across industries and firms and customer service forms the core of RM. Effective customer service creates

Argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Argument - Essay Example The incident happened between the months of January to October 2006. As early as January 2006, my cousin told me that she is getting married in October 25 of the same year. For this reason, my best friend and I planned to visit my cousin for her wedding celebration. I was really looking forward to meet my cousin for the first time aside from the fact that it will be the first time I will be able to go to Florida. For this reason, I ended up spending at least 12-hour shift at work to save money for my accommodation, food, and travel expenses. Just like me, my best friend was also eager to join me in this occasion. My best friend and I were supposed to leave town a week before my cousin’s wedding day. I was terribly disappointed when my best friend told me that she suddenly changed her mind about going to Florida because her dog was sick. Because of my disappointment, I ended up accusing her for being unreasonable for not going with me because of a dog. I was really angry at her for breaking our plans. I personally believe that it is rude to break something that you have committed yourself into. I feel that my best friend’s dog is more important than I am. I am her best friend. I simply couldn’t believe that she is prioritizing her dog over me. Isn’t she supposed to prioritize me over a highly domesticated animal? Because of my anger, I did not bother to speak to her for more than a week. Some of our common friends noticed the distance between me and my best friend. For this reason, our common friends decided to patch things up between me and my best friend. A week after the wedding celebration, my best friend and I ended up talking over a cup of coffee. She told me that she really felt bad for breaking our plan to go to Florida. She explained that the real reason why she could not go is because she was very shy to tell me that she was not able to come up with enough

Relationship banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Relationship banking - Essay Example Sale of banking products has become extremely competitive. This paper will discuss how relationship marketing has penetrated the banking sector and what are its pitfalls or benefits. It will also discuss the type of relationship that banks have with customers and what marketing activities it performs to establish and maintain such relationships. Banks have adopted the concepts of marketing in the highly competitive market as the consumers have become highly literate and empowered. Customers are increasingly using technology for using banking services, and hence the bank-customer relationship have become of great importance. To stimulate the improvement in the quality of service from the banks, deregulation brought in a range of suppliers in the financial services (Durkin & Howcroft, 2003). Because of the pressure on the bank margins from new competitors, banks have had to reengineer their internal and external delivery process to make profits. Technology is used to increase market share and reduce costs. Banks have been forced to consider this because in the new and emerging delivery channels the bank-customer interactions do not involve face to face contact. Relationship marketing (RM) means to identify, establish, maintain and enhance, and when necessary even to terminate relationships with customers and other stakeholders. In doing do both parties gain and the objectives have been met (Durkin & Howcorft, 2003). This conforms to Gummesson’s concept of relationship marketing. Thus it involves mutual satisfaction, gains and attainment of objectives. In RM the customer is treated as a partner and their needs are identified, and loyalty developed through quality service (Fjà ¤llborg, Morin, Mannberg, Rosell & Heckscher, 2005). Relationship between the buyer and seller differs across industries and firms and customer service forms the core of RM. Effective customer service creates

The Meaning Of Family To The South Asian (Indian) Male Essay Example for Free

The Meaning Of Family To The South Asian (Indian) Male Essay The family is traditionally the core of all Asian societies. Decisions are often carried out while taking into consideration the immediate family, as well as the external family. But in the context of Asian society, the family â€Å"is not a particularly loving social unit.†[1] In most Asian societies, the family is used as a means of safeguarding property, continuing bloodlines and acquiring more wealth.[2] Indian society is one such example wherein this reality exists. Sons are granted preferential treatment over their sisters, because the former is expected to run the family business and continue the family name. In addition, customs such as the dowry system provide instant fortune to a groom’s family. The Indian male, therefore, views the family as a venue wherein he can exercise control and obtain material prosperity. This belief is not without cultural reinforcements. Friends and relatives exclaim congratulations whenever a baby boy is born to Indian parents. In Indian society, a son is regarded as insurance[3] – he will inherit his father’s property and will help support the family by getting a job. In sharp contrast, daughters are seen as additional expenses[4] – their only place is in the home. The bias against daughters is deeply ingrained in Indian culture that people in some parts of India use the expression â€Å"The servant of your household has been born†[5] when greeting a family with a newborn daughter. In the Indian family, the father is the provider and the dominant authority figure. He must treat his wife like a servant and be stern and aloof towards his children. The wife, on the other hand, must be loyal, obedient and subservient to her husband. She is supposed to tend to his needs like a faithful and devoted servant. Such a rigid and hierarchical family structure often leaves wives feeling neglected and abused. To get rid of these sentiments, they lavish all their attention to their sons.[6] In doing so, they become the provider and the dominant authority figures in their respective families.[7] The Indian mother gives her baby, especially if it is a boy, constant nurturing. The baby is constantly handled, overindulged and is responded to at every whimper. Growing up, male Indian children are made to believe that they deserve to be the center of attention simply because of their gender. Their mothers exempt them from chores, as the former regards housework as a girl’s job. Upon reaching adolescence, male Indians are encouraged to prove their masculinity by drinking, smoking, gambling and having sex with prostitutes. This societal expectation is not without support from the family – there are cases when fathers and uncles are the ones who bring their sons and nephews to the brothel for their first sexual experience. Because of its overemphasis on indulging sons, the aforementioned child-rearing technique produces very irresponsible males. Pampered from infancy, most Indian men end up as wastrels, misusing the resources first of their mothers and later of their wives. Worse, they marry women who were raised to tolerate the capriciousness of their husbands. The conjugal family, as a result, is transformed into an extension of the husband’s immediate family. The wife, meanwhile, becomes the husband’s replacement for his mother – a woman who will cater to his every whim and will overlook even his most serious transgressions The wife has no choice but to accept and live with this situation – society dictates that she shifts her loyalty to her conjugal family upon marriage. Not only is she to take care of her husband; she is also to look after her parents-in-law. Indian parents-in-law, especially mothers-in-law, take advantage of this societal obligation by ensuring that the marriage of their sons will provide their family with material benefits. The dowry system is one way of achieving this goal. Although it was already outlawed in India in 1961, the practice of paying and accepting dowry is still customary in the country. India’s illegal dowry system leaves women vulnerable to abuse and even murder. Every year, an estimated 25,000 women[8] in the country are maimed or killed over dowry disputes. Dowry-related crimes are often perpetuated by grooms and mothers-in-law who are not satisfied with the dowries that the bride’s family gave them. Victims of dowry murders are usually killed by being doused with kerosene and set aflame with a lighted match. The family of the groom will then say that the death was a â€Å"suicide† or a â€Å"kitchen accident.† Police are oftentimes bribed into corroborating the claim. Families who are able to afford very expensive dowries, on the other hand, are often left impoverished and with extremely heavy debts. In pre-colonial India, upper-caste families observed the dowry system in order to help defray marriage expenses and to enable the bride to live on her own should she leave an abusive marriage.[9] But the British introduced homogenized and codified laws into the country, resulting in male domination of the local economy.[10] Only men were allowed to own land and work outside the home. In the process, boys gained higher social worth than girls. These social, political and economic conditions led to the transformation of the dowry system from a wedding gift to a form of payment[11] to a man for marrying a woman. Because Indian women were no longer capable of owning land or working outside the home, parents wanted to do away with their daughters as early as possible. As a result, they lured potential husbands with expensive dowries. The families of these men, on the other hand, viewed the dowry system as an opportunity to pay off heavy land taxes that the British imposed on them.[12] Dowries took on a new form in the 20th century. During this period, families of prospective grooms demanded costly dowries in order to keep up with the consumerist lifestyle associated with capitalism.[13] To convince families of potential brides into paying, Indian men, particularly those from the upper classes, capitalize on their eligibility, social prowess and caste.[14] The higher the qualifications and the caste, the higher the dowry required. Indian families regard marriage to a higher caste as the fastest way to social advancement.[15]