Goodfellas Essays - Lucchese Crime Family, The Vario Crew

Goodfellas Goodfellas The 1990 Martin Scorsese's motion picture Goodfellas, is a classic movie about the world of organized crime. Goodfellas is based on the Nicolas Pileggi novel WISE GUY. The film starts off in New York City in the 1950's, and is on the life of a poor Irish-Italian named Henry Hill. Hill is an aspiring criminal who threw the movie, rises threw ranks of his Brooklyn neighborhood's organized crime branch, and has Henry and his family living the good life with his profits from his criminal activity, finally Henry is forced to testify against his former partners and lands Henry and his family in the FBI's Witness protection program. In his teen age years Henry starts working in a local hangout for wise guy's (members of organized crime). At first Henry is put to work, parking cars and little odd jobs for the wise guy's. After a few years things escalate into more involvement for Henry like working in an underground gamboling ring, running messages, Torching cars, and to selling stolen cigarettes. Most of his current activity is a classified as a misdemeanor, or a public order crime. When Henry ends up getting arrested, and after a light slap on the wrists, Henry earns much trust and respect and starts off on his life of crime. In his early 20's Henry and his partners, Tommy, and Jimmy set up different jobs Crowell 2 to improve there financial gain, social status and if not more importantly respect, from other individuals involved organized crime. The three ran jobs like robbing cargo trucks filled with goods from fur coats, to cigarettes, and even occasionally a shipment of shrimp and lobster's. These goods are sold illegally on the ?black Market? for a fraction of their original costs. These criminal activity starts to enhance as time moves on, with public official and police payoffs, crimes are put on the bottom of the pile or never investigated. Along with the intimidation of witness's and the common fear of two-timing organized and never being herd from again members of organized crime usually escape the long arm of the law. Henry's first big score was a robbery of an over sea's bank exchange from the Air France loading dock with the help of Tommy and the head security guard jimmy just walked out with a suit case of almost 250,000 dollars, After this Henry earns respect as a big time wise gu y. With time Henry, Tommy, and Jimmy move on to more serious crimes like Major shakedowns of business for protection and skimming a popular restaurant by unloading goods like liquor out the back door and selling them for a fraction of the price, but it was not a loss because no one was going to pay for it when the restaurant barrowed every last dime they torched the place. This was an insurance fraud crime and Arson witch are both serious felonies. When members of organized need to keep someone quiet they take care of it by making the person disappear, In the film this usually entailed a six foot pit up state. Henry, Tommy and, Jimmy took many trips up state during the course of the movie. Hit's were not an uncommon thing in the movie, like when Jimmy pulled off one of the Crowell 3 biggest robbery's in u.s. history he killed everyone involved. In most crimes vehicles are stolen to be used in illegal dealing's so no one could trace a car back to the person who committed the crime. After the criminal activity was over the car was torched or driven into the river. When Jimmy made his big score, the get away driver got drunk and forgot to dump the car, this is when people started disappearing. On a failed robbery Henry and Jimmy were pinched (arrested) on federal charges and given Ten years in a federal prison. When Henry went to prison he stated paying off the guard's to look the other way so he could sell narcotics to other inmates, and live a decent life behind bars. Henry did not live with the prison population he lived in a private cell with other mafia figures in prison on different charges, they received many privileges like being able

Families of the Forest Essays

Families of the Forest Essays Families of the Forest Essay Families of the Forest Essay ANTH 418 Final Paper This paper will be discussing the ethnography by Allen Johnson titled Families of the forest. The ethnography describes the Matsigenka people of Shimaa that live in the Peruvian Amazon. The paper will examine the Matsigenka culture, the needs and resources of the culture, and proposed projects to meet the needs of the culture. The Matsigenka of Shimaa live in isolation along river valleys and forested mountains in the Peruvian Amazon (Johnson,1999, p. 24). They live in small villages of about 7 to 25 people, that make up three to five nuclear family households (Johnson, 1999, p 3). The Matsigenka prefer to live in these hamlets and avoid interacting with people outside of their immediate family. The Matsigenka live a family level society and this helps them to avoid being exploited or to encounter enemies (Johnson, 1999, p. 6). Their isolated hamlets are very self-sufficient; â€Å"good land for horticulture is ample, however, and the low population density and widely scattered small settlements has meant only minimal competition between family groups for what wild foods do exist† (Johnson, 1999, p. 21). They live off of fishing, foraging and horticulture and the most important food to the Matsigenka is insect larvae. This provides them with protein and dietary fats, which they can get year round from moths, butterflies, beetles, bees and wasps (Johnson, 1999, p. 36). The cultural values of the Matsigenka are not to far from that of Western culture. Much of their religious beliefs are stemmed from folklore and spirits which promote proper behaviors within the group. They can be calm, quiet, gentle, but also mean, aggressive, and violent. They might be less sociable in large groups, but â€Å"they are more courteous and thoughtful in individual interactions. They are less attracted to the lure of commerce and new value systems. Their commitment to freedom of the family unit is truly remarkable† (Johnson, 1999, p. 50). The Matsigenka are a people that are at their happiest when left alone from outsiders and in their isolation. Much of their happiest in isolation stems from the fear of outsiders bringing in infectious diseases, which happened in the 1950s and 1960s when they first encountered Peruvians and Euro-Americans (Johnson, 1999, p. 75). They maintain societal standards for their hamlets that require independence and being able to live peacefully within a group. : They do not have or give proper names to one another and when they do name a person it is usually referring to a deformity or amusing incident (Johnson, 1999, p. 20). â€Å"Somehow individual men and women must be highly self-reliant, motivated to do the necessary thing according to their own judgment with little encouragement (or interference) from others, and yet at the same time be generous in the family and avoid the impulsive expressions especially of sex, aggression and greed that can shatter even the strongest interpersonal bonds in closely-cooperating family groups† (Johnson, 1999, p. 10). â€Å"Courtship is generally open and a topic of delighted conversation at large. For many couples, courtship is a more or less public expression of mutual interest as they test the possibility of marriage† (Johnson, 1999, p. 120). A married couple within the Matsigenka culture have established roles, they are partners with skills in separate areas of surviving. They seek to m arry well and make sure to not marry a lazy person. They think that this will lead to an unequal marriage and the lazy person will always be dissatisfied (Johnson, 1999, p. 121). Matsigenka husbands and wives spend much time together in evident harmony and enjoyment of each other’s company. We frequently find them sitting side by side at home, working quietly at some task, talking and laughing together. At times they become playful and giggle or wrestle erotically† (Johnson, 1999, p. 120). Anger does not play a large role in their marriages, but it does happen occasionally when there are beer feasts and the men become drunk. The men may even beat their wives who in return will runaway to the home of their brother or father. The Matsigenka understand that intercourse between a man and woman is what leads to pregnancy and that the woman always knows who the father of that infant is (Johnson, 1999, p. 78). They do practice abortions and infanticide if the child is not wanted or is believed to not be the husband’s baby. Abortions are used if the mother is a widow or already has enough young children, and it is considered the mother’s choice (Johnson, 1999, p. 82). In early childhood, â€Å"the matsigenka overtly do little to hasten a child’s development. Their style is best described as a gradual raising of expectations. They do not cajole a child to rise up and toddle toward them, but they welcome her when she does† (Johnson, 1999, p. 85). The child learns responsibility from interacting with the mother. The families feel they need to tame the willful child, so that the family can survive and multiply (Johnson, 199, p. 78). â€Å"Matsigenka siblings are close and affectionate. They spend most of their childhood in each other’s company, and interact seldom with other children. This is partly because there may be few other children around, but it is also a reflection of the nuclear-family centeredness of Matsigenka behavior† (Johnson, 1999, p. 14). Some hamlets send their children to school. The school is about an hour walk each way for most children. â€Å"The school acts as both a magnet and a repellent for Matsigenka households. Attraction to the school, for trade goods, medicines, and a general sense of security comes into conflict with many of their most basic preferences abo ut where and how to live best. It is these conflicts that account for the aversion many Matsigenkas have toward school communities† (Johnson, 1999, p. 197). When reading the ethnography by Allen Johnson there are a few specific needs that would benefit the Matsigenka people of Shimaa. When assessing the needs of the Matsigenka community it begins with gathering the information from the ethnography and then applying it to the community problems. The first need involves their drinking water and the access to it. The Matsigenka get their water from the river closest to their hamlets but because of their desire for isolation and the danger, they do not live close to the river banks. When they are in a the season of high water or Kimoariniku the trails become become muddy and make it hard to travel. During low season the â€Å"little streams that supply household needs during dry high water dry up, forcing people to lug river water in heavy, sloshing gourds up steep trails to their houses. And dry spells occur of long enough duration that crops in well-drained fields begin to wilt under the intense sun and Matsigenkas anxiously watch the skies for welcome signs of rain† (Johnson, 1999, p. 34). The second need of the Matsigenka people is a latrine. Johnson mentions in his book that a house did have a latrine but most of the people would use strips of land where brush or cane grow to defecate (Johnson, 1999, p. 207). â€Å"These are preferred areas for urination and children’s defecation. Adults are fastidious about defecation, however, and prefer whenever possible to refrain until they are at the edge of an old garden or out foraging in the forest† (Johnson, 1999, p. 207). By having effective latrines they can ensure proper sanitation, the prevention of infectious diseases, and help keep their drinking water safe and clean. The Matsigenka are disgusted by feces (itiga), not only of other people but of any animal. The feces of toddlers, not yet toilet trained, are quickly collected into a leaf and disposed of† (Johnson, 1999, p. 208). The Matsigenka do try to maintain good health but they do not have the proper tools and means to make sure they do not develop any infectious diseases. They try to locate their homes in areas where a family is not living upstream from their location, this ensures that the water will not be contaminated by urination or feces. They have standards of cleanliness to which they adhere, and they respond to injury and illness with all the tools at their command. But their technology for dealing with health threats, and particularly with infectious diseases, is of limited effectiveness† (Johnson, 1999, p. 431). Johnson notes that they do not go around with dirt all over them and smelling bad. They usually sit on the dirt floor with a mat, wash themselves daily, wash their garments daily, and wash their hands before preparing food (Johnson, 1999, p. 431). They also make sure that any waste or garbage is thrown away from their homes and in a designated area. â€Å"But efforts at hygiene are in a sense a losing battle in Shimaa. In addition to parasites, infections pass freely between members of a household or hamlet because of the continual affectionate touching and sharing between them† (Johnson, 1999, p. 434). The third need for the Matsigenka is the prevention of infanticide. â€Å"A small but significant proportion of women, again perhaps one in ten, contemplate killing their infants rather than raise them. Men may have attitudes in the matter, and may promote infanticide if they believe another man is the father, but it is primarily the woman’s decision and her action† (Johnson, 1999, p. 81). Johnson discusses that some women feel the need to kill their infant because they have been unable to stop it from crying after a few days. Not everyone in the hamlet feels that infanticide is right but most do feel that it is the mother’s choice. â€Å"The general belief is that troublesome children should be bathed in hot water, not given up on† (Johnson, 1999, p. 82). There is a need of prevention not only with the mother but also with those closest to the mother. Some of the mothers were told by others to kill their babies, either because they needed them to continue working or because a co-wife told them they cannot raise children (Johnson, 1999, p. 82). â€Å"In the difficult choices of abortion and infanticide, the mother has the ultimate say and performs the act, even when her husband or parent tries to influence her decision†(Johnson, 1999, p. 82). The final need involves the Matsigenka’s access to school and their participation in school. Education is important because it helps to increase income and knowledge which makes future generation better able to survive. Many Matsigenka people do not like the school communities because they involve being around people they do not know. â€Å"Although social relations are peaceful and courteous, in private there is a good deal of suspicion and accusation leveled against members of other hamlets† (Johnson, 1999, p. 49). Other Matsigenka school communities besides Shimaa are much more integrated, visit each other more often, and trade goods (Johnson, 1999, p. 49). This is why it would be beneficial for all members of the community to be more open and involved in the school systems. With more students attending the school there is more opportunity to have better teachers and a better education. Discussing the proposed needs of the Matsigenka cannot happen without having a proposed development project to accompany each need. The first need discussed was drinking water and the access to it. To gain better access to drinking water the Matsigenka people need manually drilled wells to help secure their water and make it more accessible. By working with the school ommunities they could work to gain donations and funding through organizations to help manually drill wells for the people. While doing this, information could be explained to the different hamlets on the importance of boiling the water to prevent infectious disease. The second need for the Matsigenka is latrines. This is an important project because it helps to prevent disease and keep peo ple healthy through proper sanitation. Many places that use latrines collect the waste and transport it out to be processed for future use as compost. With Matsigenka’s isolation and lack of roads and transport this makes this process very difficult. The project being proposed is to still use latrines but use biodegradable clay or stones to build it so that when the latrine fills up, it can still be used for farming in the future. Another possibility is to use good bacteria to help compost the human waste faster to help prevent the odor and flies from accumulating. When there is too much smell and flies people will prefer to defecate other places than the latrines. An additional way to cut down on the flies and smell is to install a type of sky light or vent that is at the top of the latrine. By building the latrine it will help sanitation and prevent water from being contaminated. While building the latrines it will be important to inform people in the community of the importance of not to defecating in the surrounding areas that they are living. To help keep infectious disease and bacteria from spreading it will be important to inform the community on the important of washing their hands after use of the latrine. The Matsigenka are already practicing good habits by avoid the areas of used for urination and defecation, so this would help in their transition to using latrines. The third proposed development project involves the prevention of infanticide. The Matsigenka people also practice abortions which are done before a child is born. This will not be a debate regarding whether or not abortion is right or wrong but rather a discussion on preventative measures to protect babies that are already born. Infanticide is usually used as a way to control the population or because of stressful parental situations. The community in Shimaa leaves the decision to the mother on whether or not to kill her infant. This is why it is important to inform the mother on etter ways to soothe a crying infant and ways to handle stresses regarding the infant. A project could be to implement awareness in the schools on how to handle infants and what are the options outside of infanticide for them and their infant. This is not a problem that could be change overnight. It may take many years of education and awareness to see the number of deaths decrease. The last proposed develo pment project is the need for more school communities and access to education. Education is incredibly powerful and when that knowledge is obtained it is something that cannot be taken away. Education for the Matsigenka people can mean opening up their communities to more opportunities to trade and increase their incomes. With more income they can afford to have stronger and more functional housing. More income can also mean better access to medicines and clinics so illnesses can be treated early. â€Å"Attraction to the school, for trade goods, medicines, and a general sense of security, comes into conflict with many of their most basic preferences about where and how to live best. It is these conflicts that account for the aversion many Matsigenkas have toward school communities† (Johnson, 1999, p. 197). The Matsigenka people fear outsiders because of their fear of illness and their history with outsiders bringing influenza to their communities. â€Å"Always a topic of conversation, news of a viral infection in the neighborhood travels quickly. Families scatter to their alternative residences. They will stay away until they believe the danger has passed and the locale is again safe† (Johnson, 1999, p. 198). This will be a hard part of the project to handle but with proper sanitation, clean water, and awareness of proper hygiene their fear of outsiders bringing infection can be lessened. The Matsigenka are unique in their want of isolation. Most communities are looking to make sellable goods or use of their land, so that they can reach more people to have the possibility of more income. With more people coming to the Amazon in search of natural gas and to exploit their resources the Matsigenka people are going to have to become more aware and take more preventative action with the outside world. This means they need more information to protect against infectious diseases and to keep their community in the changing world. References Johnson, A. , (1999). Families of the Forest. Retrieved from sscnet. ucla. edu/anthro/faculty/johnson/ethnography. html

Japan Business Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Japan Business - Term Paper Example There were  many  periods in the history of Japan, but the first period was of Prehistoric Period that began around 10,000  BC  and the inhabitants of the Japan lived by hunting, gathering, and fishing. During the post-war period, the economy of the Japan experiences the  boom  and  massive  boom  came by the Korean War. The Japan came as the crucial power in different economic spheres such as, car manufacturing, electronic and steel manufacturing. Business History Society of Japan  was prearranged  in the year 1964 (Karan, 2010). In 1989,  the economy of the Japan marked the most rapid economic growth that spurts the history of Japan as Nikkei 225  reach  to the record high of 39,000, due to the strong Yen and favourable exchange rate in comparison with dollar. Geography Mountain Islands of Japan is in the eastern coast of Asia that served as the protective barrier as mentioned in  history. The Japan has the insular nature along with the  main  terr itory  and cultural homogeneity of individuals. The country has four islands, which are: Kyushu, Honshu, Hokkaido, and Shikoku. Islands in the Japan  stretch  1100  Km  from the major islands. Tokyo is the capital of Japan that covers 13000 square kilometres. Small number of habitant has promoted  terrain. Land is reclaiming through the sea by dikes construction and drainage along with rice paddies, which is the main export of the country to other countries. Rivers in Japan are less than 300  Km, but there rapid  flow  through the mountains gave renewable and  valuable  resources such as, hydroelectric power generation. Coastal shipping around the Inland Sea compensates the lack of  navigable  river. Natural Resources The Japan has fewer natural resources such as, gold, coal, silver, and magnesium; therefore, the Japan depends over the export of its natural resources along with the energy resources and raw materials. As the country has the  large  marit ime area, the Japan is one of the first producers of the fishing products. In Japan, only 15% of the land is suitable for cultivation. Two main crops of Japan are Tea and rice; therefore, the agricultural economy of the country  is subsidized  and protected. Agriculture of the country contributes into the  GDP  and employs up to 5 % of the active population. Industrial sector of the country  is diversified  and covers steel and paper along with the highly technological products such as, biotechnology, nanotechnology, renewable energy, automobile, and robotics. The Japan is the second largest car manufacturer and ships in all over the world. Industrial sector of the country contributes into the 30% of the  GDP. Political/Legal System Political and legal  system  of the Japan presents the  complicated  picture. In one side, The Japan is the democratic  state  having the  strong  legal and civic institutions, and on the other side the country shows the cha racteristics of non-democratic systems. The Japan has the  democracy, the Liberal Democratic Party that runs the country after the World War  II. The Japan is also  bureaucratic; decisions that impact the national  policy  are taken  by the ministries having the  substantial  power  that ties with industrial and business groups. The Japan legal system is different from the Westerners. After 1986 foreign legal

English 103 - The Respendent Quetzal by Margaret Atwood Essay

English 103 - The Respendent Quetzal by Margaret Atwood - Essay Example About the mental state of Sarah, Atwood writes, â€Å"At first Edward’s obsessions had fascinated her†¦but now they merely made her tired†¦She herself, she thought, had once been of his obsessions† (1998,p.154). They see a superficial world in Mexico, as compared to the painful world in which they live at present, for the obvious reason. Somehow they wish to transcend the unhappy reality of their marriage, and seek solace in the beauty of nature in Mexico. The superficial world of Mayan ruins now is plagued with the commercialization, and the westernization of the village from which they hail from are like the alternative beats of the same heart, but Sarah and Edward do not realize this fact. The author describes the situation at the site of Mayan ruins in Mexico thus. â€Å"The "authentic" Mexican diner where they ate had a radio shaped like Fred Flintstone playing American pop songs, a crà ¨che with an eclectic collection of holy figurines and a TV playing a dubbed version of "The Cisco Kid". The Mayan site is swarming with foreign tourists with their generic guidebooks, straw hats and large "tasteless" handbags.† (Atwood, n. p.)Through the failed marriage theme Atwood tries to explore the important women issue, the difference in perception for the tragic loss Sarah and Edward suffer. Thus, the characterization of the tourists mentioned in the story is not about the normal tourists but the ones who arrive to find solutions to their inner turmoil and strained relationship. The symbolic object of Mayan ruins becomes the destination of the couple and they hope the vacation in Mexico will restore the lost cheer back to their lives. A story writer, howsoever intelligently he/she may try to sweep under the carpet, will not be able to hide some of the real life

Segmentation Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Segmentation - Term Paper Example Segments are the portions attained after considering the various variables that include age, gender, and societal class in terms of income generation, attitudes, and opinions. Other factors include their interests, physique, and their knowledge status among many others. Segmentation is part of the many tools and theories in the marketing world (Wedel and Kamakura 69). For instance, the manufacturing of the products is within the target needs of a specific part of a population. This paper will seek to expound on the various steps involved in analyzing of the same. The other objectives of this paper shall include in-depth market analysis of a product of choice in line with segmentation, the various segmentation variables, and how they influence the marketing and selling of the identified product. In addition, it will give a detailed analysis of the existing market segments carefully depicting the underutilized variables in improving the marketing and distribution of the chosen product. Predominantly, there are two classes of variables, which influence the use of segmentation in a target market. The first factor is needs, which essentially is what an individual cannot do without. Mostly, wants take the place of needs as is in many instances individuals confuse their urgency and importance. A want is something that one can simply delay its use as it is not pressing or not of urgency. Essentially, needs are the most basic things and are unavoidable. In market segmentation, the needs of the consumer are the referral point in the marketing strategy. Obtaining of these needs is through the conducting an intensive research in the identified market (McDonald and Dunbar 40). The other variable is profilers, which are the detailed description of consumers’ characteristics by determining their age, area of residence, citizenship, income level and their gender. Further, under area of residence, ascertaining if the segmented group lives in urban or rural setting is cri tical as the way of life for those living in the two tend to be different (Weinstein 54). Amazingly, examples of profilers and the characteristics of the needs revolve around the same factors mentioned above. Further, a field’s societal status can also be the base of the argument that distinguishes what a segmented group would want and what it would not. For instance, race and religion play a role in the segmentation period as marketing of a certain product to a certain race would be unsuccessful as their religion may not allow it (Yankelovich and Meer 5). Therefore, market research is an important tool that would ensure the successful penetration of a product into a targeted market. The lifestyle of those whom a marketing company intends to roll out the product to should also serve as their reference point. Many product releases fail to pick in a market mainly because the product does not get to the right individuals. Poor study of the group leads to such cases, thus inhibit ing exhaustion of the market area. Another factor is the behavior of the segmented group in terms of the product usage. In a market, there are high, middle and low level consumers of a specific product. In essence, profiling them according to their different usage levels helps the marketer to determine the amount of products to release into the market (Wedel and Kamakura 73). One among the extensively growing industries is the automobile one. With the motor industry as the basis, it is

Durkheim Modernity Theory

Durkheim Modernity Theory Durkheim saw Modernity as a new form of thinking that would change the way individuals functioned in society. It took away the overarching order in which humanity, nature and God were interlinked and functioned as the higher power and order of life in traditional societies. The Enlightenment bought about values of questioning, it began to examine the relationship and function that traditional institutions, customs and morals had on the individual and society. Science and rationality began to take the place of stability and order. The modernity of these modes of thought lay in the innovative way in which the philosophes sought to demolish and replace established forms of knowledge dependent of religious authority, such as the biblical account of the creation of the world, with those new forms of knowledge which depended upon experience, experiment and reason quintessentially science. (Hamilton 1992, p. 29). This founding of individualism and new thought is what most worried Durkheim. He felt that strong bonds had to be maintained to keep solidarity which was what he felt society needed to function best. He questioned the place the individual now had in this modern society. To Durkheim, social solidarity is the key to society, Without these social links, he stated, individuals would be separate and unrelated (Morrison P. 128). It brings integration, social bonds and interchanges that he feels are key to a functioning society which cooperates together to achieve goals. After all, we are all fundamentally social where our life at home, work or worship is what defines us and gives us meaning and purpose. Without solidarity Durkheim felt, there would be poor cohesion which linked individuals to social groups. Durkheims The Division of Labour in Society (1893) puts forth the two diverse types of solidarity mechanical and organic. Mechanical solidarity saw society as a whole, with collective opinions and thoughts. The higher power of mechanical societies was held within religion. The stability and order of the Church gave continual reinforcement of the way to live your life and the population were bought together as a whole under this chain of being. This meant all individuals were directly linked and a part of society which carried with it strong social rules and moral values with little individual autonomy. At this time there was a strong collective conscience. The conscience collective exists over and above individuals and becomes implanted in them. It is a society in which the division of labour remains at a very basic level (Craib. I. 1997 p.65). Due to Industrialism, society took a major turn and organic solidarity came into place. Industrialism bought about specialisation in the division of labour. As labour developed individuals became reliant on each other to perform separate functions and individual bonds grew rather than loyalties to society. Durkheims concern of organic solidarity was that he felt it took away the social rules which became paramount in mechanical, Durkheim asserted that the tendency exhibited by utilitarians to reduce society to individuals led them to ignore the larger system of social rules which acted as restraints on individual action. (Morrison P. 125). Individuals now had become a product of society. Urbanisation developed so people moved from rural areas into the cities for better work and job opportunities. This created a growing social mass and intensified social interaction. Durkheim was worried that in this form of modernity created selfish individuals which would exist and focus on their own economic gain even at the expense of others. Here, the conscience collective has decreased in importance and now concentrates on the individual. The enlightenment bought about the significance of science. This new knowledge embraced reason and logic which were very important to Durkheim as he was a positivist. People now questioned what was happening instead of leaving it to fate or divine will like in traditional societies. Challenging ideas created differences in opinion which eventually lead to the secularisation of society and threatened values, all contributing to individualism. Industrialisation created a new way of work and lifestyle where labour became highly organised by the market and state and replaced the legitimisation of traditional authority. People began to become specialised in a particular form of labour which was then sold on or traded. Now, people were dependent on each other not reliant on society, The force of social bonds integrates individuals in their economic occupational functions, and the ties to society become indirect and operate through the division of labour (Morrison, P. 130). Durkheim felt there always had to be a higher power for society to function. Society cant be reduced to just individuals, it was bigger than that and needed a higher power. In mechanical, God took the place whereas in organic solidarity it was traded with the formulation of the individuals aim of reaching aspirations set by ourselves. The low conscience collective in organic solidarity concerned Durkheim in the way that without the clear boundaries and reinforcement that the traditional societies set, common ideas would be lost and societies would become unsystematic and disorganised and the level of behaviour expected would break down. Durkheim described this state in his book Suicide (1897) to be anomie. The anomic state was a type of suicide which reasoned that aloneness or estrangement occurred when a relationship between the individual and society is shattered. Durkheim felt that, Suicide is a result of societys strength or weakness of control over the individual (Shneidman p.24). They emerge from the collective but result in the individual belief. He saw this type of suicide as a social fact which ran through various societies not connected to each other. We see the reason for anomic suicide to be that society has in some way failed that individual. In some ways the individuals committing suicide havent been able to create social cohesion and solidarity with their surrounding community. The isolation from this malfunction is the reason for their act of suicide. To conclude, Durkheim felt that if we live our lives this way we will move away and deviate from a functioning society where working for the common good and living by shared norms was principal to the life that we should live. In some cases this may be true, with profit proving everything and exploitation of recourses and skills. Individuals are now placed and classified into society by their occupation and wealth. Durkheim hoped that in the future the importance of status from birth and inheritance would disappear. If everyone started from the same background and standing then societies would be equal and function best, Consensus is possible (Hawthorn p. 123). I feel that the disintegration of the conscience collective has affected the modern society we now live in. However, to say that the norms and values of traditional societies have disappeared is an exaggerated opinion of Durkheims. However, we do see that in todays society the impacts of industrialism and individualism has cre ated strong inequalities which Durkheim was afraid of happening and simply hopes that we can cooperate in such divisions of labour together.

The Power of Free Will in Milton?s Paradise Lost Essay -- Milton Parad

The Power of Free Will in Milton's Paradise Lost Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Remember always that you not only have to be an individual, you have an obligation to be one." To be an individual means to act by choice and make decisions with free will enhanced by the power of knowledge. Only then are people true to themselves and to others. In Paradise Lost, Milton clearly conveys this concept of acting freely under God. He shows the reader that only with the freedom to choose do a person's actions become meaningful and sincere. This idea also helps Milton to explain the importance of "the fall" and God's ultimate plan. Throughout the book, free will is demonstrated not only by Adam and Eve, but also Satan and the other fallen angels, as well as God's Son. Each character's fate further explains why freedom is so important in expressing true feelings. In Paradise Lost, Milton portrays his belief that God's real desire is power. To achieve this power, God has given to man the freedom to choose. By giving mankind, more specifically Adam and Eve, this freedom, God will have undefeatable power because those following him will be true. As Eve later states, For we to him all praises owe, And daily thanks, I chiefly who enjoy So far the happier lot, enjoying thee Pre-eminent by so much odds, while thou Like consort to thyself canst nowhere find (Milton, 4.444-48) By following God of their own will, the praise Adam and Eve give to God is real. It is not a dreaded act done out of fear. To take away the freedom Adam and Eve are given would be taking away God's power. This helps to convey the understanding among mankind that part of God's ultimate plan of holding power is to allow people to act on their own free will. .. ...e, the decision to do so is much more meaningful. Thus, God has an even greater following, which again, fits into his ultimate plan. Without the freedom of choice, a person's actions are not sincere or meaningful. As a part of God's ultimate plan, he gives the angels in Heaven and Adam and Eve free will in their actions. By doing so, God heightens his own power because his following is strong and faithful. Satan's character, on the other hand, gains followers out of fear. As a result, he does not attain the same power that God does, which helps to support the thesis that true power can only be gained with free will. Milton also adds depth to this concept by connecting the power of knowledge to free will. Works Cited Empson, William. Milton's God. London: Chatto and Windus, 1961. Milton, John. Paradise Lost. Ed. Roy Flannagan. New York: Macmillan, 1993.

Applied Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay

1) Why do you think Starbucks has been so concerned with social responsibility in its overall corporate strategy? â€Å"I think that Starbucks has been concerned with social responsibility in its overall corporate strategy because in the long run it affects the bottom line. By being socially responsible, the business is also showing that they care about more than their profits. Caring about more than just profits allows for greater employee commitment, investor loyalty, as well as higher customer satisfaction. Research has also shown that social responsibility and good business ethics contributes to higher profits. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2013)† 2) Is Starbucks unique in being able to provide a high level of benefits to its employees? â€Å"No, Starbucks is not unique in being able to provide a high level of benefits to its employees. Business ethics has become more important in the business world and it has been found that if a company is dedicated to taking care of its employees, the more dedicated the employees will be. If an employee sees that the company is acting and treats them in an ethical manner, the employee is more likely to act in an ethical manner. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2013)† 3) Do you think that Starbucks has grown rapidly because of its ethical and socially responsible activities or because it provides products and an environment that customers want? â€Å"I think that Starbucks has grown rapidly because it has combined a product and environment that people want with great business ethics and social responsibility. This combination has allowed the company to expand exponentially during a good economy and maintain in a bad economy. By being socially responsible and treating their employee’s right, the company has less of a turnover rate and in the long run has been able to avoid large layoffs and shutting down a large amount of stores. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2013)† 4) In what other ways does this case relate to the concepts that we have learned in the chapters so far? â€Å"This first chapter has shown that ethics is a big part of business. It can basically make or break a company. In the case of Starbucks, it has made them. They have based their business around social responsibility and ethics and have been able to maintain in an economy that has tanked because they treat their employees and customers right. According to our textbook, being ethical pays off with better employee performance, and higher employee honesty and integrity. (Ferrell, Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2013)† Bibliography Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J., & Ferrell, L. (2013). The Importance of Business Ethics. In O. C. Ferrell, J. Fraedrich, & L. Ferrell, Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases (pp. 17-22). Mason: South-Westen.

Basic Facts about U.S. Territories

Basic Facts about U.S. Territories The United States is the worlds third largest country based on population and land area. It is divided into 50 states but also claims 14 territories around the world. The definition of a territory as it applies to those claimed by the United States are lands that are administered by the United States but are not officially claimed by any of the 50 states or any other world nation. Typically, most of these territories depend on the United States for defense, economic and social support. The following is an alphabetical list of the territories of the United States. For reference, their land area and population (where applicable) have also been included. American Samoa Total Area: 77 square miles (199 sq km) Population: 55,519 (2010 estimate) American Samoa is made up of five islands and two  coral atolls, and is  part of the Samoan Islands chain in the south Pacific Ocean. The  1899 Tripartite Convention divided the Samoan Islands into two parts, between the US. and Germany, after more than a century of battles among the French, English, German and Americans to claim the islands, during with the Samoans fought fiercely. The U.S. occupied its part of Samoa in 1900 and on  July 17, 1911, the US Naval Station Tutuila  was officially renamed American Samoa. Baker Island Total Area: 0.63 square miles (1.64 sq km) Population: Uninhabited Baker Island an atoll just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean about 1,920 miles southwest of Honolulu. It became an American territory in 1857. Americans tried to inhabit the island in the 1930s, but when Japan became active in the Pacific during World War II, they were evacuated. The island is named for Michael Baker, who visited the island several times before claiming it in 1855. It was classified as part of Baker Island National Wildlife Refuge in 1974. Guam Total Area: 212 square miles (549 sq km) Population: 175,877 (2008 estimate) Located in the western Pacific Ocean  in the Mariana Islands, Guam became a U.S. possession in 1898, following the Spanish-American War. Its believed that the indigenous people of Guam, the Chamorros, settled on the island roughly 4,000 years ago. The first European to discover Guam was Ferdinand Magellan in 1521. The Japanese occupied Guam in 1941, three days after the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.  American forces liberated the island on July 21, 1944, which is still commemorated as Liberation Day. Howland Island Total Area: 0.69 square miles (1.8 sq km) Population: Uninhabited Located near Baker Island in the central Pacific, Howland Island comprises the  Howland Island National Wildlife Refuge and is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The U.S. took possession in 1856. Howland Island was the destination aviator Amelia Earhart was headed for when her plane disappeared in 1937.   Jarvis Island Total Area: 1.74 square miles (4.5 sq km) Population: Uninhabited This uninhabited atoll is in the south Pacific Ocean halfway between Hawaii and the Cook Islands. It was annexed by the U.S. in 1858, and is administered by  the Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system.   Kingman Reef Total Area: 0.01 square miles (0.03 sq km) Population: Uninhabited Although it was discovered a few hundred years earlier, Kingman Reef was incorporated by the U.S. in 1922. Its incapable of sustaining plant life, and is considered a maritime hazard, but its location in the Pacific Ocean had strategic value during World War II. Its administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as the  Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. Midway Islands Total Area: 2.4 square miles (6.2 sq km) Population: There are no permanent inhabitants on the islands but caretakers periodically live on the islands. Midway is nearly at the halfway point between North America and Asia, hence its name. Its the only island in the Hawaiian archipelago which is not part of Hawaii. Its administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. formally took possession of Midway in 1856.   The Battle of Midway was one of the most important between the Japanese and the U.S. in World War II. In May 1942, the Japanese planned an invasion of Midway Island which would provide a base for attacking Hawaii. But the Americans intercepted and decrypted the Japanese radio transmissions.  On June 4, 1942, U.S. aircraft flying from USS Enterprise, USS Hornet, and USS Yorktown attacked and sunk four Japanese carriers, forcing the Japanese to withdraw. The Battle of Midway marked the turning point of World War II in the Pacific. Navassa Island Total Area: 2 square miles (5.2 sq km) Population: Uninhabited   Located in the Caribbean 35 miles west of Haiti, Navassa Island is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The U.S. claimed possession of Navassa in 1850, although Haiti has disputed this claim. A group of Christopher Columbus crewmen happened on the island in 1504 on their way from Jamaica to Hispanola, but discovered Navassa had no fresh water sources. Northern Mariana Islands Total Area: 184 square miles (477 sq km) Population: 52,344  (2015 estimate) Officially known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, this string of 14 islands is in the Micronesia collection of islands in the Pacific Ocean, between Palau, the Philippines and Japan.   The Northern Mariana Islands have a tropical climate, with December through May as the dry season, and July to October the monsoon season. The largest island in the territory, Saipan, is in the Guinness Book of Records for having the worlds most equable temperature, at 80 degrees year round. The Japanese had possession of the Northern Marianas until the U.S. invasion in 1944.   Palmyra Atoll Total Area: 1.56 square miles (4 sq km) Population: Uninhabited Palmyra is an incorporated territory of the U.S., subject to all provisions of the Constitution, but its also an unorganized territory, so theres no Act of Congress on how Palmyra should be governed. Located halfway between Guam and Hawaii, Palmyra has no permanent residents, and is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Puerto Rico Total Area: 3,151 square miles (8,959 sq km) Population: 3, 474,000  (2015 estimate) Puerto Rico is the easternmost island of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean Sea, about 1,000  miles southeast of Florida and just east of the Dominican Republic and west of the U.S. Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico is a commonwealth, a territory of the U.S. but not a state. Puerto Rico seceded from Spain in  1898, and Puerto Ricans have been citizens of the United States since a law was passed in 1917. Even though they are citizens, Puerto Ricans pay no federal income tax and they can not vote for president. U.S. Virgin Islands Total Area: 136 square miles (349 sq km) Population: 106,405  (2010 estimate) The islands that make up the U.S. Virgin Islands archipelago in the Caribbean  are St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas, as well as other minor islands. The USVI became a U.S. territory in 1917, after the U.S. signed a treaty with Denmark. The territorys capital is Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas. The USVI elect a delegate to Congress, and while the delegate can vote in committee, he or she cant participate in floor votes. It has its own state legislator and elects a territorial governor every four years. Wake Islands Total Area: 2.51 square miles (6.5 sq km) Population: 94  (2015 estimate) Wake Island is a coral atoll in the western Pacific Ocean 1,500 miles east of Guam, and 2,300 miles west of Hawaii. Its an unorganized, unincorporated territory is also claimed by the Marshall Islands. It was claimed by the U.S. in 1899, and is administered by the U.S. Air Force.

A Readers Responsibility

A Readers Responsibility Yall ever read Suite T, the blog for Southern Writers Magazine? Its pretty good, and this past week,  Terry Whalin  posted  4 Ways to Support Writers. I want to take this a step further and not state HOW a reader can help a writer, but WHY they have a responsibility to do so. When a reader picks up a book to read, they expect to invest hours into the entertainment. The author and publisher on the other end are waiting with fingers crossed to hear how the reader liked it. They need feedback to better understand how to proceed with subsequent works. Any type of industry needs feedback. Are they doing it right? Are they creating the right product? Publishers, agents, and bookstores hang on public feedback to determine whether an author is worth fooling with. Silence is deadly. So, if a reader likes a story, or an author, they need to speak up. Otherwise they risk losing a good story, or worse, a good author. Lets talk about a readers responsibility when they read a book: 1) Buy the  book. An occasional freebie is fine, especially when test-driving an author. However, authors, publishers, agents, cover designers, etc. depend on income to eat and put a roof over their head. Buy a book. 2) Write a review.  Do you want more stories like the one you just read? Then post a review. Otherwise, how is anyone supposed to know that this type of writing needs to continue? Call it a thank-you to the people who fought hard to put that book in your hands. They cannot read your mind. 3) Reply to blog posts.  Blogs are free, frequently used to sell books or an authors prowess. Dont read a post  and silently blow away. At least thank the writer or blog host. Yes, youre busy, but so are they. What if you did a job and nobody told you whether it was good or bad?  Again, the silence is a killer. 4) Take responsibility for your social media.  Dont just read. Dont just rant about politics or the neighbors noise next door. Dont just take and not give back. When you see a book promoted, and you like it or the author, then retweet or share. Its a button, people. 5) Use your word-of-mouth.  If you do not relay to others about a good book, and everyone else remains just as silent, that good book disappears along with the subsequent books after it from that author. Many an author has withered away due to lack of feedback, because feedback equates to sales, which equates to contracts and/or earning a living. Ive seen good writers think they were no goodall because readers remained quiet. Oh, and if youre a writer? Magnify that responsibility

The Indiscriminate Nature of Cancer Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Indiscriminate Nature of Cancer - Case Study Example The WHO and The Pfizer Medical officers held their research from different perspectives of age, one at a tender age, and the other at his sunset days. For instance, Mariam’s case explains why the failure of people to make use of the available knowledge about chronic disease prevention and control mechanism continues to endanger the future generations (Redman, 2007). Mariam case exemplifies the culture shock, most impounding on the poor majority of the global community. The Sridhar’s case is a cancer condition brought by his way of living. Having chewed tobacco and drank heavily since his youthful days, this lifestyle has deteriorated his respiratory and blood systems resulting in cancer. Since cancer continues to endanger people’s lives through such lifestyles, the main issue lies in having enough knowledge and awareness or resources, like Mariam’s problem, to prevent the spread of cancer (Ray, 2005). Studies done in India to examine the percentage of elde rly people at risk of having cancer or already battling with it indicates that 2.3 percent is battling with cancer while 4.5 percent risks being victims due to their lifestyle (Weisman, 2002). In Tanzania, the researcher also found that the younger generation born of able families, despite their lavish and uncontrolled feeding habits had a1.9 percent chances of having cancer. In addition, children from poverty-stricken families have uncontrolled eating habits yet cannot afford reasonable medical cover, hence 5 percent of them are more susceptible to cancer at tender ages of 14-25 years (Mukherjee, 2010). The WHO and The Pfizer Medical researchers separated the two cases in order to highlight their assessment. The most important issue that the group had in place was to disseminate the knowledge in understanding what cancer was. By making cancer more realistic to the youthful generation, not only in India but also in Tanzania, the group thought this would alter the resultant effects of cancer in old days because of unreasonable living (Ray, 2005).  Ã‚  

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions - Essay Example However this evolution came with a struggle that was marked by numerous constitutional crises. Perhaps the most important early constitutional crisis that dealt with this issue revolved around the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts. These laws, which dealt censorship in the press, immigration, treason, and related punishments, were established by national government and endorsed by a majority of the states as a means of securing the national safety and welfare during its time of early development, but they were believed by several key founding fathers – notably Thomas Jefferson and James Madison – to be unconstitutional. In response to the laws, Jefferson penned the Kentucky Resolution and Madison the Virginia Resolution – both documents that mapped out a protest against the national laws which eventually fed into those later constitutional fights. In this brief paper, the arguments Jefferson and Madison put forward will be compared and contrasted. Both Jefferson and Madison relied on a theory of a national compact in the establishment of the US Constitution which argued that the states were the true representatives of the people and that they had endorsed the national constitution, but only so far as it went in carrying out its limited powers enumerated in the Constitution. Madison (1798) wrote that the Virginia Assembly viewed the national government’s role â€Å"as resulting from the compact, to which the states are parties; as limited by the plain sense and intention of the instrument constituting the compact.† He argued that that the states had a â€Å"right† and in fact were â€Å"duty bound† to â€Å"interpose† when the national government overstepped its role and sought powers that the states believed were beyond the limits of its authority. Jefferson (1799) agreed, claiming that if the national government were the sole authority regarding the limits of its authority it would lead to the dissolution of the states and a