Non-Existence of God and Critiques of Religious Belief Essay Example

Non Non-Existence of God and Critiques of Religious Belief Essay Non-Existence of God and Critiques of Religious Belief Essay Essay Topic: Religion a) Durkheim believed that God does not exist, but is an invention of society. By worshiping God, people are really worshipping society. By worshipping society all its members are controlled, as they have the same set of beliefs and values that gives society order and power, and the ability to control everyone. With out these beliefs and values that people have there would be no society. Religion gives people a reason to keep order, and abide by the laws given to them, however these rules are given by society, not God. By believing there is a God and worshipping him, people keep order and abide by the laws that are set down for them. By using religion, the collective conscience is reinforced. Durkheim used Totemism as an example for a society. This society is divided into clans and each member is totally devoted to its clan. Each clan has a totem, a statue that they use to represent each clan. When they worship this, it represents God and society. It is like a flag or an emblem that represents our country. Therefore by worshipping the totem, Durkheim concluded that they are worshipping their God but they are really worshipping their society. However some say that Totemism is not a real religion. The idea that Durkheim portrays is only relevant to smaller, non-literate societies. Therefore they are not relevant to modern societies such as ours and cannot be generalised. Also people do not set out to become part of a society, they believe in the god and then they are brought into the society by their beliefs. Even thought this argument is interesting, it is not a proof. Durkheim has failed in attempting to prove the non-existence of God. Freud suggested later that religious beliefs are nothing more than illusions, fulfilments of the oldest strongest and most insistent wishes of mankind. In foreign societies, people use religion as a sort of protection against their fears, e.g. flood, fire, death etc and religious beliefs help them stay controlled. By worshipping gods they feel they can control the forces. They give them names, so they can talk to them and worship them. This is an attempt to control the rain and the thunder. Therefore Freud suggested that God is an invention of the human mind. Associated with Freud is the Oedipus complex, where sons banded together to attempt to kill their fathers to gain the love of their mothers. They feel guilty and they realise they cannot all succeed their father. By feeling guilt they have the urge to worship an all-powerful father figure, known as God. They also feel love and awe, as well as guilt before this all-powerful God. Freud has suggested we need to rid ourselves of this psychological crutch. And see the world as it really is. There are many rejections of Freuds description of pre-history, which he took from Darwin. Even though the Oedipus complex is interesting it does seem to be the reason for our actions. In relation to this point there is no empirical evidence that this is the case, it is just Freuds interpretation. This again is not a proof, but again interesting. b) Freud presents an interesting argument however it is greatly flawed. First and foremost, it lacks any empirical evidence. So straight away it cannot be a proof as there is no indication that it is a factual theory. However many do agree with Freud when he has made some claims. The Oedipus complex does seem a little too simplistic and many believe that this is not a substantial verification that this is why men behave the way they do. There is no factual evidence that this is the basis for our behaviour. It is just one interpretation of the information. John Hick Has suggested that inadvertently Freud has compiled an argument as evidence for Gods existence with his idea of this all-powerful father figure. It is a possibility that God has wanted to create this idea in the human mind. He wanted us to think of him as an all-powerful father figure. Hick argues that it is not surprising that humans should think of God as being a powerful, loving father figure who has a wonderful relationship with his children. However many have agreed with Freud when he has suggested Religion has the quality of fantasy thinking. So it is our minds that have created this wonderful being. In conclusion The Freudian theory may be true however it has not yet been shown to be so.

Draconian Implies Cruelty

Draconian Implies Cruelty Draconian Implies Cruelty Draconian Implies Cruelty By Maeve Maddox During the recent Congressional gridlock regarding the federal budget, the word draconian has become a common epithet used to preface the words budget cuts, in the way the epithet powerful usually precedes Ways and Means Committee. How appropriate is the use of draconian to describe budget cuts? It depends. Asking the Pentagon to cut some of its $463 billion non-war related expenditures is not the same as cutting off a thiefs hand for stealing. Eliminating programs that are keeping people alive, on the other hand, might appropriately be called draconian. Apart from budget cuts, draconian is often used in contexts in which official procedures are seen as unnecessarily cruel or tyrannical: Over the past week, the unrest in the Middle East deepened, with growing protests in Bahrain and Libya, and more draconian measures by the countries’ leaders to quash the opposition. A new report this week from Human Rights Watch peers into Chinas Draconian and ineffective incarceration of people struggling with drug addiction. We are not going to take the draconian police measures necessary to deport 11 million people. Draconian new measure requires police to arrest anybody who cant prove they are a US citizen. Since 2005, a rather draconian law has been adopted to deal with offenders. Failure to pay a ticket results in the revocation of driving privileges in Quebec. Somali women complain of draconian Sharia restrictions. Draconian [drÄ -kÃ… nÄ“-É™n ] is an eponym, a word derived from a persons name: draconian (or draconic) of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Draco, archon at Athens in 621 B.C., or the severe code of laws said to have been established by him; rigorous, harsh, severe, cruel. OED Although draconian has come to mean unreasonably harsh, Dracos written code in which punishments were spelled out was seen at the time as being more just than arbitrary punishments inflicted by the local authority figure. According to legend, Dracos code prescribed death for most offenses. Plutarch passed along this much-quoted anecdote: It is said that Drakon himself, when asked why he had fixed the punishment of death for most offenses, answered that he considered these lesser crimes to deserve it, and he had no greater punishment for more important ones. I say according to legend because Ive read that in the only fragment of Dracos code that survives, exile (not death) is the punishment for homicide. Dracos name could have something to do with the fact that his code of laws entered Greek memory as being really really cruel: Greek dracon means dragon or serpent. Bottom line: draconian is a strong word that conveys disregard for the humane treatment of others. Its wasted as a mere synonym for extreme. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 English Grammar Rules You Should KnowWhat is the Difference Between Metaphor and Simile?Preposition Mistakes #1: Accused and Excited

Eugenic Sterilization Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Eugenic Sterilization Law - Essay Example In 1924, Carrie Buck a teenager mother was accused in a court of law for bearing a child outside of wedlock and that her child would probably be socially inadequate. Ms. Buck, whose feeble-minded mother had been admitted in the state colony of epileptics and feeble-minded, was the first American to face eugenic sterilization law. Harry Laughlin’s authentication about Ms. Buck and her child and Eugenic Record Office testimony about her child’s disorder made the court rule in favor of the states. She appealed for a review of the case but the Supreme Court also ruled in favor of the state. Basing his argument on the fact that Ms. Buck was feeble-minded, chief justice Oliver W. Holmes ordered Superintendent Bell to go ahead and perform salpingectomy operation on Carrie Buck. He concluded that it was better for the entire world if unfit human breeds were wiped from the society instead of waiting for them, to bear offspring and execute them for crimes.Later, Paul Lombardo a h istorian at the University of Virginia found out that, apart from Miss Buck’s child turning out to be a very bright student at 7 years old, Buck had been raped. Following this, Eugenics Record Office was forced to close and with time eugenicists’ claims were disapproved by other scientists. This decision had also contributed to more than 65,000 inferiors being forcefully sterilized between 1927 and 1979. United States government has since then been holding annual anniversaries to apologize for the shameful Buck decision.

CIS375 Human Computer questions 1-3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CIS375 Human Computer questions 1-3 - Assignment Example Why would you produce an expensive device when there’s a cheaper one which can do the job with more efficiency? B. Using small touch screen devices is easier than lager devices due to their portability. It’s easier to move them from place to place rather than larger devices that you have to move to where the device is to use it. Large devices also provide a larger and bigger display surface hence its more accurate to operate on individual spots on the screen while touching. A. Functionality- As the price of devices reduce due to increasing technology level, most people consider the functionality of a device very useful. Some basic and important functionalities include internet provision(fast internet from 3G and beyond), Wi-Fi support, Camera, Music, Video playing etc. These are very common uses among people and anyone who needs them will highly consider the device they purchase. Ease of use-Touch screen devices have proved to be efficient especially when scrolling on screens. Unlike button based devices where one has to scroll through several icons to get to the target, touch screens allows direct selection so long as the icon is appearing on the display area. B. Using the bottom stove is easier than using the top stove. The problem with the top stove is that it is difficult to tell which control goes with which burner.  The solution is to arrange the controls in the same configuration as the burners. It is quite easy to tell which burner goes with which control. A. The three interfaces provide a form of interaction involving manipulating of objects presented as icons on the display. The interface of the 1987 Mac is too plain and offers very little aesthetic value to the user. Compared to the 2005 Mac Os X and the 2010 Ipad, the two offer better interface as the user can easily tell the meaning of an icon without even reading its label. For example on the ipad interface, the user can easily identify a calendar icon and a music player

Energy and States of Matter Essay Example for Free

Energy and States of Matter Essay Everything changes, that is a fact. We can find changes, even in simple things that we use. Have you ever asked why does an ice cube turn back onto water when you let it stand outside the freezer? Or do you know why an ice cream melts? We knew about the three basic phases of matter – solid, liquid and gas. From our basic chemistry, we taught about the change of state or phase of matter wherein soli becomes liquid and liquid turns to gas and vice versa. The question is, why do they change phase? To really understand those phenomena, we should look onto the two different graphical illustrations of the changes of states of a substance, cooling curve and heating curve and thereby understand what is really happening on the molecular structure of a substance. Heat is very crucial in these changes on the form of certain substances. This is the energy transformed between two objects brought about by the difference on both temperatures. It means, when you let an ice cube in a plate, after a day, you will find it gone already. The heat causes the ice to melt and eventually turn it into gas and disperse it onto the air. Two types of energy involved are the Kinetic Energy (KE), the motion energy which is dependent on the mass and velocity of an object and the Potential Energy (PE), the resting energy or energy due to position and composition. Heat affects KE and said to be directly proportional to each other. As you increase the heat, the temperature increases resulting to an increase on KE. Heat, Temperature, KE and PE are the main factors why do changes on state of matter occur. Changes are due to evaporation (liquid to gas), freezing (liquid to solid), condensation (gas to liquid), melting (solid to liquid), sublimation (solid to gas) and deposition (gas to solid). All of these processes are result of the changes on the amount of heat added or removed from a certain substance, thereby increasing or decreasing the temperature thru time. Cooling Curve Cooling curve is a graphical representation of the changes of states of substances as heat is uniformly removed from it. At t0 – t1 heat is removed from the gaseous state. The average KE of the gas particles decreases as the temperature drops until it is reached at t1 where gas starts to liquefy. The temperature at which gas and liquid coexist is called liquefaction or condensation point of the substance, which is just equivalent to boiling point of the heating curve. At this time, the average PE remains constant because there is no change yet on the composition of the gas. At t ¬1 – t2 (liquefaction point) there is no change on the average KE of the particles and temperature stays at constant level. Heat is still being removed causing the decrease on Average PE. Since there is decreasing amount of heat, there is a failure to overcome forces of attraction between particles of the liquid forming gas. The gas particles are compressed and converted into liquid wherein stored PE is released. At this time, the amount of gas decreases while the amount of liquid increases, until reaching t2 where all the gases have been converted to liquid. At t2 – t3, the average KE of the liquid particles decreases and the temperature reaches low level until t3 where the liquid starts to solidify. Freezing or crystallization of substances occurs at the temperature where liquid and solid coexist. At this point, liquid is no longer a liquid but already turned onto solid state. The molecules of the liquid have been compressed as result of continuous removal of heat from the substance. This time, the average PE continues to decrease because of the amount of heat being removed. Freezing point is just equivalent to melting point in the heating curve. At t3 – t4, there is no change on the average KE and the temperature of the substance stays constant. Heat is still being removed causing a decrease on average PE of the substance. This time, the amount of liquid decreases and the amount of solid increases until reaching t4 when sufficient heat has been removed thus converting all the liquid into solid. The particles of the substance are oriented properly to form the crystalline lattice at the freezing point. Sometimes, it happens that the heat is continuously removed from the substance without crystallization. At this point, the temperature drops below its freezing point and errors in orienting the particles occur. This phenomenon is learned as Supercooling. We can reduce supercooling by introduction of a seed crystal for the crystallization to occur and thereby initiating the proper structure. Heating Curve Heating curve is just the opposite of cooling curve. The curve illustrates changes of states of a substance with uniform addition of heat to it. At t0 – t1 heat is added to the solid causing the increase on average KE of its particles. The particles are agitated making them disoriented and result into a slightly less ordered solid state. Temperature rises and at t1, solid starts to melt. T1 is termed as melting point of the substance on which solid and liquid coexist. At t1 – t2, there is no change on the average KE and the temperature stays constant. Since KE doesn’t change, average PE must increase as heat is continuously added. Now, forces of attraction between particles have been overcome because of high amount of heat. The amount of heat is being stored as potential energy. At this time, amount of solid decreases while the amount of liquid increases. Eventually at t2, sufficient heat has been added to convert the entire solid to liquid. At t2 ¬ – t3 the average KE and temperature increases. When the increasing temperature reaches t3, the liquid starts to evaporate. At this temperature (t2), liquid and gas coexist and is termed as boiling point of the substance. At t3 – t4, there is no change in the average KE and temperature remains constant. The force of attraction between liquid particles has been overcome due to addition of more heat. The amount of heat added is still being stored in form of PE. PE increases and the amount of liquid decreases while the amount of gas increases. At t4, sufficient heat has been added to convert all the liquid to gas. As oppose to supercooling, superheating also occurs where liquid is heated to a temperature above its boiling point without evaporation.

Children Need to be Encouraged :: Teaching Education Essays

Children Need to be Encouraged As we know, children spend about thirteen years of their childhood (if they graduate) in school around their peers and teachers. Most children go home to busy households where parents do not spend quality time, such as; listening, and disciplining them like they need to. So when these children go into the school the next day, they need and adult to pat them on the back, listen to them, discipline them, and encourage them to keep on trying. Children need to be encouraged so they will try harder. I want to there to give them that extra push that they deserve because many teachers gave me that encouragement to me. These days encourageable, energetic, and determined teachers become evermore important in today’s busy society. Teaching children I would incorporate all of these philosophies such as; perennialism, progressivism, behaviorism, essentialism, existentialism, and social reconstructionism in my instructional curriculum. For example, including perennialism in which, it is necessary to teach elementary students morals, such as; sharing, not cheating, and even playing fair (like in sports). Progressivism will be used in my instruction because cooperative learning activities will take place. I will use reinforcement rewards with computers, stickers, and candy; which will display the philosophy of behaviorism reflected in my classroom. I will encourage free-will in my students by letting them make choices such as; the book they want to read or letting them decide whether or not they want to do extra credit; which would demonstrate a small part of the existentialism philosophy I support. I believe it is also necessary to educate elementary students on other cultures so they will be aware of the similarities and differences compared to their own culture; which is how I will incorporate social reconstructionism into my classroom. However, the basis to hold everything into a functional curriculum I would use the essentialist philosophy; in which I would include all of the basic subjects in every week’s lesson plan to create a structural predictive atmosphere so the students know what is happening next. Students need repetition.

The Impact of Tourism on Benidorm

Map of Benidorm Before the tourist hype Benidorm was a small fishing village, with a relatively small population – whose main income was obtained through fishing the local coast, the Costa del Sol – but quickly became Spain's biggest holiday resort for people from foreign countries, and at its peak, it was attracting four million tourists each year.Benidorm in the 1960’s Between 1930 and 1970 it became one of the most visited tourist destinations. The fact that it’s in one of the most southern regions of Spain and is faces the sun is one of the many reasons so many people were drawn to Benidorm. Another reason it became so popular is the fact that it is only a 2-3 hour flight from most places in Europe and it’s cheap and affordable for most families. For the majority of the local people tourism is their income in one way or another, with 85% of income being from tourism. Benidorm is the most affluent area of Spain due to tourism. There is loads of work for the local people and most are flexible due to their nature. There is also a sense of globalisation as people get to get a taste of a different culture for example eating in foreign food restaurants. Overcrowding in Benidorm There is however some major negative impacts of tourism in Benidorm, for example it is overcrowded, the population has increased from 700,000 to 110,000,00. A lot of the negative impacts effect the local environment such as hardly any of the beach is natural and is constantly having to be replenished due to erosion mainly due to humans. There is also too much rubbish to deal with and roads are congestion due to too many cars and too little busses. Local people who aren’t that wealthy may also struggle to fins houses as house prices have increased due to the high demand for second homes, people are also reliant on tourism and there is a loss of independence. Over the last few years Benidorm has been trying to shake of the â€Å"lager lout† reputation it became to develop mainly due to amount of British tourist go there just to party and become disorderly. Tourism officials decided they did not want that label and wanted to make it more family friendly and are determined to shake the bad reputation they have developed due to the amount of drunken people. There are plans to build more 4-5 star hotels to regain the tourist they had started to lose due to their bad reputation

The Phenomenon of Human Trafficking

Table of contents 1. Introduction2 2. Definition of Key terms;2 2. 1. Human trafficking2 2. 2. Victim2 3. Victims of human trafficking3 4. Trends in human trafficking3 5. Causes of human trafficking4 5. 1. Poverty and desire for better life of exploited victims4 5. 2. Corruption and the abuse of influence4 5. 3. High profits and Low risk. 5 6. Recruitment strategies for human trafficking victims6 6. 1. Being born in to slavery6 6. 2. Use of force6 6. 3. Fraud6 6. 4. Coercion7 7. SEVERE FORMS OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS8 7. 1. Sex Trafficking8 8. Prevention of trafficking in humans8 . 1. Economic alternatives to prevent and deter trafficking8 8. 2. Public awareness and information9 8. 3. Protection and assistance for victims of trafficking9 9. Case study10 9 held for human trafficking – News 2410 10. Conclusion11 11. References12 Introduction The phenomenon of human trafficking or modern-day slavery has received increased media coverage globally; this is because millions of peopl e around the world suffer in silence under slave-like conditions of forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation from which they cannot free themselves. Human trafficking not only continues but appears to be on the rise worldwide primarily because most countries are involved in human trafficking to some extent, either as a place of recruitment, transit or the destination for trafficked individuals. This essay addresses the phenomenon of human trafficking as a form of victimisation and will define key concepts, identify and discuss victims of human trafficking and its trends. The discussion will further look in to the causes of vulnerability to trafficking, reasons for trafficking, strategies for recruiting trafficked people and the responses or courses of action to reduce human trafficking. A case study of recent trafficking issue will also be provided to show the reality of the problem and lastly the conclusion will sum up the discussion in a nutshell. Definition of Key terms; 1 Human trafficking Hodge and Lietz (2007; 163) explain that human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of people, by the use of force, threat or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, and deception. It also includes the abuse of power and position by giving or receiving payments to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation as explained by Hodge and Lietz (2007; 163) include forced prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour and services, servitude and the involuntary removal of organs. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime explain human trafficking as an act of recruiting, transporting, transferring, harbouring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them (UNODC, 2010). 2 Victim According to Howley and Dorris (2007; 229) victims are persons who have suffered harm, including physical or mental injury, emotional suffering including grief, economic loss and/or substantial impairment of rights accorded them by the state law through acts or omissions that are in violation of the criminal law operating in the territory. Victims of human trafficking Winterdyk and Reichel (2010; 5) states that human traffickers tend to victimize the most vulnerable of the global community consisting mostly young women and children and to a certain extent men. According to Winterdyk and Reichel (2010; 5) victims live in desperate, brutal circumstances behind a wall of secrecy and deception and the victims are often sick due to physical and psychological trauma they experience especially when they try to escape. Bales (2004; 56) further elaborates that traffickers instil trauma through a sense of terror and helplessness and by destroying the victims sense of self. Perpetrators also threaten death and serious harm against victims and their families, they also isolate their victims from sources of information and emotional support where they can get help (Bales, 2004; 56). An explanation by Fichtelberg (2008; 151) clearly states that victims of human trafficking are forced into sex trade industry which includes prostitution, pornography, sex tourism, strip dancing, live-sex shows, servile marriages or illegal labour markets such as sweatshops, farm work, domestic work , industrial work, begging, child soldiers, participating in crime or other activities they did not agree to engage in. Fichtelberg (2008; 152) further elaborates that victims are often â€Å"invisible† as they are often isolated from their family members and other members of their ethnic and religious community and therefore unable to speak the local language and unfamiliar with the culture. Victims may not self-identify themselves as victims of human trafficking due to lack of knowledge about the criminal justice system of the host country, fear of retribution against themselves and their families by traffickers, fear of accusation within their families, post traumatic stress disorder and stigma (Fichtelberg, 2008; 152). Trends in human trafficking According to Hodge & Lietz (2007; 163) determining the number of individuals who are trafficked is difficult due to high levels of secrecy and corruption within the human trafficking industry. Furthermore, victims are often hesitant to share their experiences due to fear of reprisals and as a result estimates of the prevalence of trafficking have varied considerably. Hodge & Lietz (2007;163) further states that approximately 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders annually, of which 70- 80% are female and approximately 50% are children. Among all females, approximately 70% are trafficked for prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, while the remaining are males trafficked for forced labour and performing criminal activities for their traffickers (Hodge & Lietz, 2007;163). Causes of human trafficking 1 Poverty and desire for better life of exploited victims According to Logan, Walker and Hunt (2009; 10) poverty is one most important factor in becoming a target of human trafficking because the poverty that the trafficked immigrants experience in their countries of origin is too extreme that it threatens even basic survival, thus making them vulnerable to any promises of better livelihood. Logan, Walker and Hunt (2009; 10) further elaborates that vulnerability to trafficking is on the rise due to a mix of poverty and high levels of population density, infant mortality rate, children younger than 14, civil unrest and violence, cultural acceptance of trafficking and lower levels of food security in those poverty stricken nations. In addition, Logan, Walker and Hunt (2009; 10) explain that impoverished people often want to go to stable and wealthy countries like America for a better life then criminals use their dreams against them and put them into trafficking as they are desperate and willing to accept any opportunity to better their livelihood and help their family members who are also struggling. Corruption and the abuse of influence Surtees (2008;49) explains that corruption of government authorities including politicians, state functionaries, law enforcement officers and immigration officials play a critical role in the operation of human trafficking networks and allows trafficking to continue from, through, and within their countries. Surtees (2008;49) further elaborates that these corrupt officials supports trafficking in many ways; through document falsification, illegal border crossings, overlooking prostitution venues in identifying victims, compromising criminal investigations, lack of investigation and judges dismissing cases or imposing minimal sanctions against international human trafficking networks. Lehti and Aromaa (2007; 125) also states that some individuals within international organized crime syndicates are current or former officials and use their position and/or experience to support criminal ventures. Former members of security agencies, for example, are able to combine their security experience (which includes intimidation and torture) with high-level connections to political, professional and law enforcement agencies, allowing them to function with impunity by hiring legal and business experts as intermediaries or brokers through which they recruit people for trafficking (Lehti and Aromaa, 2007; 125). 3 High profits and Low risk. According to the U. S Department of State (2004) human trafficking is the third most profitable form of international organised crime after narcotics and arms sales. According to this report the sale of trafficked people is generating massive profits for traffickers because unlike narcotics and arms, which are sold once, people who are sold into prostitution and involuntary servitude earn profits continually, year after year, for their exploiters while victims get minimal wages or basically nothing due to debt bondage imposed to them by traffickers (U. S Department of State, 2004). In addition to high profits, Hodge & Lietz (2007; 166) explains that the risks associated with trafficking are quite minimal because prostitution is legal in many places like Germany and Netherlands therefore complicating efforts to incarcerate traffickers. Hodge & Lietz (2007; 166) further elaborates that even in countries where prostitution is clearly illegal, traffickers often go unpunished for their crimes because cases regularly fall apart due to lack of protection for witnesses, family involvement in the trafficking activity and fear of deportation. Furthermore, enforcement efforts usually focus on the women instead of the exploiters, consequently people often attempt to remain unnoticed for fear of being charged, particularly if they are trafficked internationally (Hodge & Lietz, 2007; 166). Recruitment strategies for human trafficking victims A study by Skinner (2008; 131) states that people are trafficked in three main ways which include being born into slavery, use of force i. e. eing kidnapped, sold, or physically forced and by fraud or being tricked. 1 Being born in to slavery According to Skinner (2008; 131) in some countries families may be permanent servants because they were born into it. This is mainly because their families may have been slaves or in debt bondage literally for generations and when they bear children they are automatically under the same circumstances and may be sold to whoever is involved in the human trafficking business. 2 Use of force Skinner (2008; 131) contends that in some countries children are literally sold into slavery out of their will by parents or other caregivers mainly because of the economic situations of the families. Skinner (2008; 131) further states that victims are then raped, beaten, intimidated, tortured and confined so as to control them after they have being sold. Forceful violence as explained by Skinner (2008; 131) is used especially during the early stages of victimisation, known as the ‘seasoning process’, which is used to break the victim’s resistance so as to make them easier to control. In some cases, Skinner (2008; 131) states that people who are often approached to work in the sex industry often refuse and traffickers may kidnap or abduct such individuals and smuggle them to the country of destination to work as slaves or sold to other traffickers. 3 Fraud Hyland (2001; 31) states that traffickers use seemingly legitimate organizations to recruit young women and children in to trafficking situations. This often involves the use of false advertisements promising desperate people a better life in another, usually richer, nation that offers jobs to work as waitresses, maids, landscapers and dancers. In other cases, Hyland (2001; 31) explain that women who work in nightclubs may be approached and promised much higher earnings for doing similar work in wealthier nations only to find that they will be forced in to prostitution and sex related exploitations. According to Hyland (2001; 31) some victims may be made to sign false contracts to make the whole experience seem even more legitimate, and sometimes psychologically binding them even more to the trafficker to erase any suspicions from the victim. Hyland (2001; 32) further states that in some instances, victims are approached by individuals known to their families in their home countries who invite them to come along with them for a job offer but only misleading them into trafficking situations where are often subjected to debt-bondage, usually in the context of paying off transportation fees into the destination countries. 4 Coercion According to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000), traffickers often make representations to their victims that physical harm may occur to them or others should the victim escape or attempt to escape. Such representations can have coercive effects on victims as direct threats to inflict such harm may cause victims to live in fear and become hopeless and hence easy to control. Coercion as explained by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000) means threats of serious harm to or physical restraint of any person, it also includes any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to make a person to believe that failure to perform an act would result in serious harm to or physical restraint against any person; or the abuse or threatened abuse of the legal process SEVERE FORMS OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS According to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000), severe forms of trafficking in persons’’ involves sex trafficking in which a commercial sex work is imposed on someone by the use of force, fraud, or coercion. It also includes recruitment, harbouring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labour or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. Sex Trafficking According to Hodge & Lietz (2007; 165) sex trafficking means the recruitment, harbouring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex. Hodge & Lietz (2007; 165) further states that sex trafficking is no longer primarily localized in one geographic region but has increasingly become a transnational and a global problem. For example, a young girl may be recruited in Botswana, sold and â€Å"trained† in Italy, with the United States being the ultimate destination. Moreover, Hodge & Lietz (2007; 165) states that traffickers primarily target young women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by poverty, the lack of access to education, chronic unemployment, discrimination, and the lack of economic opportunities in countries of origin. According to Hodge & Lietz (2007; 165) most trafficking victims originate in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and to a lesser extent, Latin America while destination countries tend to be wealthy nations like America in which large sex industries like pornography exist or where prostitution is legalized or broadly tolerated as in the case of Germany and Netherlands. Prevention of trafficking in humans 1 Economic alternatives to prevent and deter trafficking According to Beyrer (2001; 547) states that initiatives to enhance economic opportunities for potential victims of trafficking can be used as a method to deter trafficking since the traffickers often target people who live in poverty in the promise for better livelihood. Such initiatives may include microcredit lending programs, training in business development, skills training, and job counselling. Other alternatives as stated by Beyrer (2001; 547) are the provision of grants to nongovernmental organizations that can help to accelerate and advance the political, economic, social, and educational roles and capacities of women in their countries. Furthermore, countries should initiate programs that promote women’s participation in economic decision which can help to empower women economically as they appear to be the primary target and most vulnerable to human trafficking (Beyrer, 2001; 547). 2 Public awareness and information Beyrer (2001; 548) states that countries should establish and carry out programs to increase public awareness on human trafficking particularly among potential victims about the dangers of trafficking and the protections that are available for them. Beyrer (2001; 548) further elaborates that governments should initiate programs to keep children, especially girls, in schools to reduce vulnerability at an early age and to educate persons who have been victims of trafficking. Moreover the development of educational curricula covering issues of human trafficking can also help to create awareness at an early stage Beyrer (2001; 548). Protection and assistance for victims of trafficking According to Beyrer (2001; 549) victim protection begins when a victim is rescued and reunited with their family and continues when they are assisted to rebuild their lives. It may include keeping victims safe from threat, violence and abuse, counselling, help with income generation, education and vocationa l training. Beyrer (2001; 549) further states that prosecution of traffickers ensures the victim receives full justice, including meaningful prosecution of the perpetrator. It requires vigorous law enforcement, fighting corruption, identifying and monitoring trafficking routes, and cross-border coordination. Moreover, Beyrer (2001; 549) further states that protection and assistance of victims can be achieved through policies or framework including government and NGO guiding principles, plans and strategies, which support all of the anti-trafficking initiatives that assist victims. Case study 9 held for human trafficking – News 24 Ermelo – Nine Nigerian men arrested for alleged human trafficking have appeared in the Ermelo Magistrate's Court, Mpumalanga police said on Tuesday. Captain Leonard Hlathi said the men appeared in court on Friday, and their case was postponed to April 16 for a bail application. He said it was alleged that the men forcefully took a number of women from around the country to Ermelo, where they were forced into prostitution. They were given R30 a day for food, and from time to time they were forced to take drugs to ensure they remained addicts. The 12 women, between the ages of 18 and 30, told the police the men took all their earnings and they were not paid for the jobs that they were doing. Home affairs officials confirmed that the suspects applied for asylum in South Africa, and according to the information in their application forms, they do not qualify for asylum. † He said they were being charged under the Sexual Offences Act and for kidnapping. â€Å"These men can consider themselves a bit lucky as human trafficking laws are in the process of being legislated. These acts of the suspects were exactly equivalent to human trafficking. † Source; news24. com The above case study reflects on the reality of the problem of human trafficking in South Africa as it the case in all countries around the world. According to the case study it is evident that traffickers target mostly young women who are more vulnerable and defenceless. As already discussed trafficking is a sustained by huge profits due to exploitation of the victims, the case study further support that statement as it states that the victims were given only a little amount enough to buy food and the profit they make from forced prostitution goes to the perpetrators. Conclusion In conclusion, women, children and people in general are not property to be bought and sold, used and discarded. Rather, they are human beings with certain fundamental human rights that prevent them from being sold into slavery. People should therefore know their rights and exercise them and countries should unite and cooperate in the war against human trafficking because it is a very complicated problem that cannot be solved by one country as it is a multinational crime involving highly organised crime syndicates. Citizens should also assist in the war against human trafficking by avoiding flashy job opportunities which often offer unrealistic rewards. At last people should also report suspicious cases of trafficking as this victims often work in public places including restaurants, hotels and massage parlours. References Bales, K. , (2004). Disposable people: New slavery in the global economy. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press Beyrer, C. (2001). Shan women and girls and the sex industry in Southeast Asia: Political causes and human rights implications. Journal of Social Science and Medicine. Vol. 53. (6). Pp. 543–550. Fichtelberg, A. (2008). Crime without borders: An introduction to international criminal justice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Hodge . R. & Lietz . C. A (2007). The International Sexual Trafficking of Women and Children . Journal of Women and Social Work. Vol. 22 (2). Pp. 163-174. Howley, S. , & Dorris, C. (2007). Legal rights for crime victims in the criminal justice system. (3rd ed. , Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Hyland, K. (2001). Protecting human victims of trafficking: An American framework. Berkeley Women’s Law Journal. Vol. 16 (3). Pp. 29-71. Lehti, M. , & Aromaa, K. (2007). Trafficking in humans for sexual exploitation in Europe. International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice. vol. 31 (7). Pp. 123–45. Logan. T. K. , Walker . R. & Hunt . G. (2009). Understanding Human Trafficking in the United States. Trauma Violence Abuse. vol. 10. (1). Pp. 3-30 Skinner, E. B. (2008). A crime so monstrous: Face-to-face with modern-day slavery. New York: Free Press Trafficking Victims Protection Act (2000), Human trafficking. (URL accessed 21 march 2010); http://www. state. gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2007/86205. html United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2010). Human trafficking. URL (accessed 20 March 2010): http://www. unodc. org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking. html

Foundation Course Evaluation Essay Example

Foundation Course Evaluation Essay Example Foundation Course Evaluation Essay Foundation Course Evaluation Essay Name: Lecturer: Course: Date: : Foundation Course Evaluation When joining this program most of the students have just but a vague idea of what entails the entire program. What I am proud of regarding my academic performance is that our paths have now been laid out clearly for us. The professors have enables us to understand the practical relevance of this course. This means that the course provides important information for the students well in time to deliberate on whether to continue with this career or to quit. I am now proud that I have chosen an excellent career that will greatly assist me in accomplishing my goals and purpose in life. I believe that this institution is one of the best colleges in Canada and by this merit, has the best program in bettering my education. I also consider the school quite capable in aiding me in its programs due to its method of handing out course outlines and other material thus helping me plan my semester in advance. In this way, the students can do additional research and at times acquaint themselves with some of the topics before they are mentioned in class. This will even give the lecturers an even easier time in explaining the contents in the topics. This I believe will work a lot in improving not only mine, but the academic performance of all the students. In particular, the lecture that mostly sticks into my mind the one on foundation in Community and Child Studies 1-CCSF-101 by professor Sama Bassidj. I enjoy taking the lectures. I guess it is mainly because during the class, we are educated on crucial life’s lessons. The lecturer enables one to achieve self-realization by being aware what one’s strengths, values, weaknesses and talents. By becoming aware of this, the students can now know what to change in their life and what to concentrate on in order to literary make the best of their lives. This is primarily why we refer to the class as the, â€Å"life class†. In the end, the lecture develops confidence in the students both psychologically and philosophically. One of the most difficult subjects is psychology taught by Professor Sherry-Ann Mohammed-Gibbes. However, it neither because the subject is not well nor is it that the institution is under equipped. The reason that I find this subject difficult and frustrating is that I do not have any prior knowledge or experience on the subject since I have never learnt it before. However, the lecturer has been doing an impressive job in carefully going though the contents and the concepts. I now consider myself confident on psychology and can perform exemplary well on the subject. If my friends in the program were to speak in one hundred percent honesty, I believe that they would advice that if one is not interest in fieldwork and especially working with kids, this is then not the program for that individual. This is because most of them now understand that in order to succeed in the career, passion plays a very significant role and could end up determining whether one will graduate with distinction or an average score. Another advice is that lectures are not to be relied upon since the lecturers tends to provide only a skeleton of what the student is supposed to learn. This means that one needs additional material and constantly visiting the library to fill the skeleton provided by the lecturers with the necessary meat. This is a requisite of any institution that is worth its salt. Spoon-feeding the student with information will only impart them with theoretical knowledge leaving out the necessary practical knowledge. What I would advice my friends is that the program is very essential as it provides the student with the relevant skills and knowledge to successfully pursue a diploma of choice in the community and child services department in the crown college. The program also goes to the limits of imparting the learner with relevant skills and knowledge that if unsuccessful to pursue the diploma at the Crown College, one may still be able to find a job as a social worker and still work competently. The professors have greatly supported my journey in the foundation program through various capacities. One is that as an international student, my English is not very good. However, the English lecturer, Wendy Chan, has assisted me efficiently and effectively in improving my diction and pronunciations in the English language. Her exemplary skills have further facilitated my learning in all the other subjects and I can now manage to express myself freely and comprehensively in the examination papers. In addition, the class on foundation in Community and Child Studies has further enabled me for identify my values and character and the same can be translated to the society at large. This is very important as one is able to understand his weaknesses and strengths in order to competitively be aware of what one can comfortable excel at. The video tools provided by Professor Cindy Brandon have also facilitated a lot in making learning of Student Success and Interpersonal Skills a great experience. Although the subject is considered as one of the competitive ones, the video tools highly facilitate learning and make them a great experience. The additional supports that could be provided by the professors include the use of video tools like the one of Professor Cindy Brandon. The incorporation of these tools in all the other subjects would help a lot in enabling the students to understand the concepts. There are those students who capture images easily as opposed to words. The use of the video tools would mean that these students are not left at a loss.

What to Wear on the First Day of School

What to Wear on the First Day of School Its time to start thinking about your first day at private school. What do you wear? Weve got some essential tips and tricks to help your first day go smoothly.   First, Check on the Dress Code It doesnt matter what grade your child is in, kindergarten or high school, many private schools have dress codes. The first thing you want to do is check to make sure the clothes you buy fit these requirements. Specific slacks or shirts with collars are common, and even colors can be dictated at times, so be sure youre in accordance with the guidelines. Not sure what they are? Check out the schools website, which will often have information for families. If you cant find it there, ask the student life office or check with admission, and someone can point you in the right direction.   Dress in Layers You may want to dress in layers, even if you dont have a dress code that requires it (many private schools require blazers). Bring a light jacket, cardigan, or even a vest to wear, as some rooms can get chilly with the air conditioning on, while others may not have air conditioning all. If  youve just lugged a backpack across campus in 80-degree heat, well, youre going to want to be wearing something lightweight and cool once you get settled.   Make Sure Everything Fits Well This may seem obvious but is often overlooked. The first day of school is stressful enough, trying to find the right classrooms and where to eat lunch, so having to constantly pull at a shirt that is too tight or pants that are too loose can be a huge distraction. Avoid showing too much skin or wearing overly baggy clothing, too. Looking neat and clean is the way to go.   Try your clothes on before the first day of school and make sure it fits well, feels good, and isnt going to distract you.  Especially when kids are growing, parents may tend to buy clothes that the children can grow into, but for the first day of school, being comfortable and having clothes fit well is crucial. The last thing you want to do is get embarrassed in front of students at a new school after tripping on your pants that are too long, so parents, be sure to help out on this one! Wear Comfortable Shoes Again, make sure to check on the dress code at your school first to make sure your shoes are within the given guidelines, as some schools ban sneakers, flip-flops, open-toed shoes, and even certain kinds of hiking boots. But, the most important thing, after adhering to guidelines, is to make sure your shoes are comfortable. This is especially important if youre going to a boarding school or private school with a large campus. You may find that you have to walk a distance in between classes, and shoes that hurt your feet can be a real pain (literally!) and can affect your ability to get where you need to go on time, and in a good mood. If you get new shoes for school, be sure to wear them throughout the summer and break them in.   Dont Go Crazy With Jewelry or Accessories Some students want to make sure they stand out and look the part but leave your Harry Potter cape at home, and stick with the basics. Dont go overboard with accessories and jewelry either. Constantly clinking bracelets on your arm or jingling bells for earrings can be a distraction to you and those around you. Younger students may be even more at risk for distractions by playing with things like  scarves or bejeweled items. Simple and classic is ideal for the first day, no matter what age. Avoid Heavy Colognes or Perfumes​ This one may be more for  high school students, but skip the extra dose of perfume, cologne or after-shave. Too many scents mixed together in one room can be a distraction and can give you a headache. Its best to keep the scented stuff to a minimum.

Customer Service-Customer Friendly Website-discussion Personal Statement

Customer Service-Customer Friendly Website-discussion - Personal Statement Example in order to attract customers and make them stay and shop. The website should have good navigation which actually means simple and not overloaded navigation (Singh). First, Shirts Shop website has simple color scheme in white and navy with no violent colors, thus the content on the website is rather readable. The company’s logo is also rather simple and laconic. When coming to the website’s home page, the customer sees the popups demonstrating and drawing attention to the most interesting propositions to date. The navigation is very simple with the main goods’ categories located in the line in the upper part of the page. The goods offered on the website are supplied with comprehensive description and high-quality photos (including demonstration photos of aprons on models). All the contact information of the company is put at the bottom of every page. Moreover, to my thinking, the website is accessible for every user, the fonts are highly readable, and the speed o f its operation is rather high. Taking into account these characteristics, this website can be claimed to be

Lack of Trust in the Media during the Swine Flu Pandemic of 2009 Research Paper

Lack of Trust in the Media during the Swine Flu Pandemic of 2009 - Research Paper Example If one doesn’t hear of any news in the media today, then it probably didn’t happen anywhere since the media are today as close to the society as every person is close to one another. While the media has acted as a great eye opener in various regions concerning various issues happening in the society, in some cases, it has acted as a center for deceptions leading people away from what the real fact is. This is when the process of information gathering and communications coupled with a lot of biases based on the real content of the matter. Gelders, Bouckaert, & van Ruler, (2007) define communication simply as the passage of information from one person to another and from place to place usually through a medium. The main content of the whole process is the message borne and the way it is delivered to the persons targeted. The entire process is a closed cycle comprising of basically four components; the sender, the recipient, the message itself and the channel used in trans ferring the message from one person or region to another. The content, urgency and the privacy of the information being passed across is highly dependent on the type of information/ message being transmitted. Mostly, information passed to the public has no privacy issues and is relevant to the time and the event of the time The media personnel have the freedom to reach and access information on any issue in any region of the earth making them the closest neighbor to any person everywhere on the earth’s surface. There has been a rising trend in the number of media houses in the world today as the number of consumes of their information increases over time and space. This has led to rapid competition of the various media houses represented everywhere on earth in terms of the greatest and most interesting news aired by them based on different topics. While some media houses have the capability to reach the international community with their news on a daily basis, some have conce ntrated on local news which they disseminate to the society around them. International news houses have a larger area of coverage and the information they pass has a wide array of audience and sources. Due to this, it is therefore very important that the most accurate information on various issues of life is passed to the right people at the right time. Hathi, (2009) asserts that his level of trust that the people nest on the media today is far much greater than it was before as public awareness and the rise in demand for knowledge increases over time and space. The rise in the level of public awareness on various matters of the society has increased due to the advances in technological development in various societies. Technology has as well played a very integral role in determining who gets what information at what time and in which region. Without technology, the work of passing information on a wide array of events and issues would not be easy as the information may be slow on transit or reach the intended persons when too late to generate any necessary immediate response. According to Congressional Management Foundation, (2008), the accuracy of the media is judged based on the content of the information, the timeliness and its regional access measured by the number of people listening to and receiving the news being passed across. H1N1, commonly referred to as ‘swine flu’ is a viral disease which spreads very fast over time and spac