Khobar Towers Bombing

The following document will look at the operations that took place in the bombing as well as how they got the money to fund the implementation of the bombing, as well as the association of the terrorist with the governments that funded them. It will also look at how the government of America responded. Introduction Khobar Towers bombing is an attack that was organized by Islamic terrorists and it is said to have taken place in the city of Khobar situated in Saudi Arabia.This is a building that provided housing to the Americans who had come to work in Saudi Arabia. The group that is said to be responsible for the attacks was the Saudi Arabia Hezbollah (Risen et al). The amount of money that was needed to carry out the operation was 1. 2 million dollars (Burrough). They got this money from collaborating with the Iranian government that gave them the gasoline and the explosives that were needed. Al Qaeda is also said to have funded the group to carry out the operations.The members of He zbollah were affiliated with Al Qaeda and the government of Iraq. There was no training that was carried out since the group was already well trained. The government provides the necessary funds for the operations; this is because after the Gulf war, they wanted the Americans to get out of their land. The government of US reacted by evacuating the other Americans that were in the country and moving them in their own country. Investigations were carried out and there were some people who were arrested and charged for the crime.Before the crime the housing complex and its surroundings was under tight security that it could not have been imagined that such attacks would be carried out (CNN). References Bryan Burrough (November 6, 2005). â€Å"‘My FBI': Heroes and Villains†. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-06-11. Risen, James, Jane Perlez (June 23, 2001). â€Å"Terrorism and Iran: Washington's Policy Performs a Gingerly Balancing Act†, The New York Times. Both sides decry new Ruby Ridge charges†. CNN (August 21, 1997). Retrieved on 2008-12-11.

Feminism in Margaret Laurence’s The Diviners Essay

The Funk and Wagnall’s Standard Desk Dictionary defines feminism as, â€Å"A doctrine advocating the granting of the same social, political and economic rights to women as the ones granted to men.† Feminists consider woman as an oppressed group, those who must present themselves as individuals and human beings. In Margaret Laurence’s The Diviners, Morag Gunn’s struggle for female self-representation is seen as she writes about her life. This is shown through Morag’s desires for lust and profanity, that which females should keep hidden. Furthermore, Morag breaks social boundaries by writing her novel from the female perspective. Finally, Laurence allows the reader to become sympathetic for Morag as she is marginalized in a predominantly male society. Margaret Laurence shows the intricacy that is feminism through the depiction of the assertive, yet vulnerable Morag Gunn. Morag is unlike many females as she allows herself to curse and show lust. Knowin g it is socially unacceptable, Morag rejects swearing as a teenager: â€Å"Morag does not swear. If you swear at fourteen it only makes you look cheap, and she is not cheap, goddamn it.† (126) However, as Morag becomes more mature she revises her opinion: â€Å"Shit. Bloody bloody Christly hell. And the hell with not swearing, too.† (133) By being vulgar, Laurence shows Morag’s feminist attributes by having her go against the â€Å"social norm† of her time. Finally, throughout the novel Morag becomes more aware of her lustful desires and offers them bluntly. Alia Amer wrote about a woman’s lust in society: â€Å"Women are not allowed to look closely at a man, however, or to have a lustful or provocative look, or to look deliberately at them when they happen to be in the same setting (such as on a bus, or in a room).† (Amer) Laurence contradicts this statement as Morag’s sexual awakenings are seen as empowering to the female. In conclusion, Morag Gunn’s vulgarity is a representation of Margaret Laurence’s feministic ideology. Morag’s conflicting identities of both a woman and a writer provide an outlook on female roles in her own society. As a female author Morag makes an â€Å"attempt at self-representation† (Smith) though, â€Å"women have historically hesitated to attempt to the pen†¦the woman writer’s self-contemplation may be said to have begun with a searching glance into the mirror of the male-inscribed literary text† (Gilbart and Gubar). Laurence challenges this through Morag’s determination to finish her novel and writing the novel from a predominantly female perspective. Finally, at the end of the novel, Laurence shows Morag’s accomplishment: â€Å"Morag returned to the house, to write the remaining private and fictional words, and to set down her title.† (525) Morag finishing her novel is a representation of how a female can succeed in the â€Å"representative male life† (Smith) of a writer. To conclude, Laurence challenges male identity by identifying Morag as a woman writer, therefore giving a more feminist view on society. Finally, Laurence creates sympathy for Morag as she is marginalized in a predominantly male society. Wayne Booth states that, â€Å"The solution to the problem of maintaining readers’ sympathy is to use the heroine herself as a kind of narrator, though in third person, reporting on her own experience.† (Booth) Through Laurence’s narrative technique, having Morag as the narrator, sympathy is created for the female perspective. Furthermore, Morag’s downfall for making assumptions causes the reader to feel sympathetic for her consciousness. â€Å"Morag perceived that what she had taken to be hostility had been in fact self-reproach on his part.† (278) Laurence creates empathy as the female mind is presented as solitary. Lastly, the feeling of sympathy is created when Morag asks her absent husband for forgiveness: â€Å"I need you, too, Brooke. I care about you. I can’t stand this†¦Brooke, forgive me. May we forgive one another for what neither of us could help.† (359) Laurence shows how Morag is still dependant on a male figure and as a result creates sympathy for her. Overall, sympathy is used to identify with the female perspective in a male-dependant society. In conclusion, Margaret Laurence shows the complexity of women through the contrast of inferiority and self-confidence seen in Morag Gunn. Laurence creates a character with lustful desires and profane ways that are regarded as socially unacceptable by woman in her society. Morag challenges the, at the time, conflicting roles of being both a woman and a writer by writing from a predominantly female perspective and finally, Laurence creates sympathy for Morag as she struggles in an over-bearing male society. Overall, Margaret Laurence challenges masculinity and allows femininity to prevail.

Kurtz’s Downfall in Heart of Darkness

Sophocles once said, â€Å"Money: There’s nothing in the world so demoralizing as money.† Since the beginning of time, humans have associated money with tearing away people’s goodness or, for a more known example, the saying that money is the root of all evil. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Kurtz exemplifies this exact situation of becoming somewhat addicted to gaining riches and lets his darker side take control. This tragic obsession eventually leads to his character’s downfall. Kurtz is a character who takes his success in his job and his power over the â€Å"savages† very seriously and accepts darkness into his life because of the hunger for money. Making money is like a religion to him. He uses this power in the business as an intimidation tool. Marlow recalls a conversation with a chap on the boat in which the man states, â€Å"He declared he would shoot me unless I gave him the ivory and then cleared out of the country, because he could do so, and had a fancy for it, and then there was nothing on earth to prevent him killing whom he jolly well pleased† (Conrad, 315). The people underneath Kurtz are complaisant because he had been put up so high on a pedestal and was so incredibly intimidating. Through his job, Kurtz is put into a position of power and was able to choose the path he wanted to take. Obviously, he chooses to respond to that inner darkness deep inside of him. Kurtz is not afraid to hurt anyone who stands in his way. He abuses the â€Å"savages† with his lack of morality and takes away their native riches. His family life, with his intended, slopes downhill as he has another mistress amongst the tribe. She never knows this, but the idea and regret of it is one of the things that eventually drives Kurtz to be somewhat insane. Marlow is extremely perplexed by Kurtz and wishes to understand him, although he does not know why. He sees what Kurtz is doing is wrong and, in a sense, I think Marlow wants to save him from himself. Marlow recognizes that Kurtz’s biggest problem is what lies within him. However, towards the end of Kurtz’s life, Marlow seems to have given up hope for him ever finding the goodness. Conrad writes: â€Å"But his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself and, by heavens! I tell you, it had gone mad! I had- for my sins, I suppose- to go through the ordeal of looking into it myself. No eloquence could have been so withering to one’s belief in mankind as his final burst of sincerity. He struggled with himself, too. I saw it- I heard it. I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear, yet struggling blindly with itself.† (325) Marlow clearly recognizes the fact that the love of money has taken over Kurtz and his demons all come from within. Realizing this, he sees the need to do a little soul searching. He looks within himself to assure that he has not become a victim to the darkness as well. Through a story about a search for the riches of ivory from Africa, Conrad is able to teach the reader many very important life lessons. In a way, he gives the reader an ultimatum. A person can either choose a life like Kurtz’s, a money hungry and selfish one taken over by the darkness of one’s soul, or a life of light such as Marlow’s. Hopefully after reading of Kurtz’s death during which he spoke his last words, â€Å"the horror,† the reader will see which lifestyle Conrad is encouraging. Kurtz dies in regret for all of the horrible things he had done. Marlow sees this and knows that he cannot submit to his darkness within for fear of having the same fate. Marlow was able to learn by example of how not to end up with a life that is â€Å"hollow at the core.† I find it very ironic that even though Kurtz was in search of something so beautiful and appealing, he ends up finding death and darkness instead. In conclusion, it is apparent what caused Kurtz’s tragic downfall. His love for money, power, and success drives him to a point of madness and, ironically, failure in life as a whole. He affects those around him, such as Marlow and the â€Å"savages†, by exemplifying his darker side. This submission to the darkness of his soul, caused by the love and hunger for money, demoralizes Kurtz’s character until his life is no longer anything of importance.

Review of Ella Delorias Waterlily Feminist Perspective Essay

Review of Ella Delorias Waterlily Feminist Perspective - Essay Example Ella Cara Deloria is best known for her linguistic and ethnographic work on the Sioux Nation. Though not formally trained as anthropologist, since she was a trained as a teacher, she gained a reputation in the field. She brought a new perspective on her work, as she was born on the Yankton Sioux Reservation and part of a traditional Dakota Sioux family. Deloria was born in the White Swan district of the Yankton Indian Reservation, South Dakota. Her parents were Mary Sully Bordeau Deloria and Philip Deloria, the family having Yankton Sioux, Irish, and French roots. Her father was one of the first Sioux to be ordained as an Episcopalian priest. Although Ella was the first child to the couple, they each had two daughters by previous marriages; her parent had three more children after her. Deloria was brought up on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, at Wakpala, and was educated first at her father's mission school and All Saints Boarding School in Sioux Falls, and then a brief period at the University of Chicago at Oberlin College, Ohio, to which she had won a scholarship. After two years at Oberlinshe she moved to Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, and graduated with a B.Sc. in 1915. Throughout her professional life she suffered from not having had the money or the free time necessary to take an advanced degree, largely because of her commitment to the support of her family; her parents were elderly, and her sister suffered from brain tumors. In addition to her work in anthropology, Deloria had a number of jobs, including teaching dance and physical education, lecturing and giving demonstrations on Native American culture, working for the Camp Fire Girls and for the YWCA, and holding positions at the Sioux Indian Museum in Rapid City, South Dakota, and (as assistant director) the W.H. Deloria had a stroke in 1970 and died the following year of pneumonia. Her family spoke Dakota and Lakota dialects of the Sioux Language. It was through the understanding of the Dakota and Lakota dialects that Deloria would find her place in history. The Deloria family was devote Christians, but also followed the traditional ways of the Dakota people. Ella Deloria was dedicated to her family, which through extended kinship was great in numbers and this was one of the factors that hindered her professional education. Waterlilly was perhaps the highest of Deloria's achievement; it can be described as a book that guides the outsider into the mental as well as the historical world of the nineteenth century Sioux. Deloria was more focused on kinship, tribal structure, and the role of women in her traditional society and this greatly shaped her work. From a feminist perspective, Deloria's work appears to demonstrate the strength of the women in a traditional structure that is greatly misunderstood. In her efforts to research traditional culture and structure, Deloria conducted vast number of interviews with elders, women and tribal historians. She spent 1962-1966 working at the University of South Dakota, where she did her research, lectured, consulted and continued writing that she became an authority on the Dakota and Lakota Sioux. These, to a large extent, defined the content and perspective of her novel - Waterlilly. Through her extensive research work,

The history of circumcision in the Jewish religion Research Paper

The history of circumcision in the Jewish religion - Research Paper Example The significance of this practice is also subject to various interpretations and theories, largely with religious and social connotations. It is hypothesized that the ancient Egyptians considered circumcision to be a rite of passage from youth to manhood and an initiation into religious rites. Another perspective sees it as a method of purification which may also have aimed to reduce sexual pleasure. There is conjecture that the practice may be linked to phallic worship, being an offering to the deity of fertility or as a substitute for human sacrifice. The fact that the priests of Egypt and the elite of the Aztec and Celebes tribes practiced circumcision, suggests that is may have been a sign of nobility or superior social status. Practical motives, such as cleanliness and freedom from disease are also offered as an explanation for the practice. Some historians argue that it may have been a form of social control exerted by the church. Others see it as a mark of cultural identity, l ike a tattoo, or a sign of slavery. It is even given a psychological significance as a device of ‘pain imprinting’ through which the infant develops a greater threshold of pain and its chances of survival are enhanced. The root of the word is linked to words referring to preparation for the marital state and to purification. Ancient sources link the practice to reasons of hygiene and also as a test of endurance before entry into the adult world. It can only be concluded that circumcision is an initiatory rite with religious significance.

Just-in-Time Planning at Mutual Insurance Company of Iowa Case Study

Just-in-Time Planning at Mutual Insurance Company of Iowa - Case Study Example Its image could also be affected in the negative light and bring a halt to the current growing demands for its products as new customers shopping around for insurance products will opt for firms with a good of reputation in terms of faster processing of claims. Resources are overstretched and the company could end up losing new and existing business. Looking at the case at the case even without the advice of consultants or experts a number of assumptions can be made about the company’s personnel and equipment situation. Firstly the company and particularly the Des Moines facility for claim processing is facing human resources crisis. The increase in number of claims flowing in on a daily basis means increased amount of work for the same number of employees. One solution thus is the company to hire more personnel to meet the demands of growing workload. The inventory handling capacity should also increase in terms of equipment; the current equipments were not bought in anticipation of the workload the company is getting today. A permanent solution to this would be to get more modern equipment with a capacity to handle more work and also the facility should be expanded commensurately. The company is also faced with challenges surrounding administrative and workflow management. Claim documents have to pass through the hands of different persons for approval before a customer gets a verdict. The net effect of this is a lot of time taken to process just a single claim and also many people doing just the same work. Precisely this could be causing duplication of effort and therefore under-optimisation. The solution approach taken by Cook of streamlining workflow process and cross training employees will eliminate these problems as just the same employees will be capable of handling different types of duties. To help in restructuring the entire process of processing claims, Cook has established a taskforce and also outsourced an external

Ethical Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethical Dilemma - Essay Example This process involved balancing the needs of the insurer, patients and hospital (Primeaux & Pava, 2009). The managers are expected to have the interests of the patients at heart. The process of resisting the conflict of interests and ensuring proper medical procedures are followed without affecting the morale of nurses is a tough balancing act. Nurses can easily feel offended, demoralized or ignored depending on the skills and effectiveness of a case manager (Ulrich et al, 2010). The increasing pressure in the nursing profession demands that healthcare professionals get acquainted to the growing pressure in the nursing field. Nurses are expected to act morally in difficult medical situations. Nurse Managers are faced with the dilemma of balancing patients’ care and supervisory roles. Management responsibilities and active attention on patients demands that nurses pay special care in multiple aspects within the medical field. The call to extra responsibility has proved to be a dilemma as the medical field continues to suffer from acute shortage of medical personnel (Icheku, 2011). Managing multidisciplinary teams requires specialized training (Toren & Wagner, 2010). ... The nurses are expected to co-work with doctors while delivering patient care. Ensuring ethical issues have been fulfilled demands that a team-approach be necessitated. Case managers are answerable to multiple parties (Munhall, 2012). This makes them face multiple dilemmas. Violation of treatment and other medical services can attract legal redress (Ulrich et al, 2010). The act of balancing the needs and requirements of stakeholders in the medical profession is delicate. Nurse Managers or case managers must have the skills to determine successful outcomes in different cases (Icheku, 2011). The multiple dimensions of outcomes should be noted. This means considering the impact they have on patients, nurses, the hospital and other parties (Primeaux & Pava, 2009). Successful outcomes have different implications to different people. The process involves weighing the advisedness of health services (Toren & Wagner, 2010). The managers are expected to have the capacity to weigh the probabili ty of each outcome. This is important in evaluation the course of action to take (Munhall, 2012). This can attract re-examination. Managers are expected to rise above medical needs to create an atmosphere that accommodates other non medical stakeholders. Practice dilemmas evoke distressing reactions from nurse managers. The dilemmas revolve around professional conflicts, inadequate resources and patient care concerns (Munhall, 2012). Moral stress is increasingly becoming common in the nursing profession. This is because of the struggle to make decisions that involve conflict multiple ethical principles. Nurse Managers are bothered by the need to balance patient autonomy to ensure the required results are achieved. Moral dilemmas in the nursing profession have

X-ray crystallography Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

X-ray crystallography - Research Paper Example With this diffraction, it I easy to derive the three-dimensional outline or image projection of the density of electrons as profiled in the crystal. The crystal creates a platform for developing a pattern for mean positions of the atoms in the crystal. One can also manage to determine the chemical bonds of the structure, say carbon in diamond crystals and the varying disorders of some of the crystalline structures. Carbon is common in crystal formation. X-ray crystallography has been applied in many scientific fields due to the presence of crystals of many chemical compounds and elements. A pure crystalline structure is that of table salt, scientifically known as sodium chloride and represented by the chemical formula NaCl. Crystalline structures that have been studied by X-ray crystallography are many. Some of them are calcium fluoride (CaF2), calcite (CaCO3) and pyrite (FeS2). Others are spinel (MgAl2O4) and brucite (MgO4) among others. The inclusion of X-rays in studying crystalline structures enabled further understanding of these compounds in a manner that had never been used before and allowed for formation of more complex compounds through chemical reactions caused by interaction of crystalline structures. X-ray crystallography can be used to identify and locate unusual electronic properties of a material by studying their electron positions and mobility. It is also a tool for noting elastic properties of a material considering the chemical interactions that occur within the crystal and the associated processes. With these properties, X-ray crystallography is used in the design and manufacture of pharmaceuticals. Their application involves combining elements and modifying their crystalline structures to ensure that they bond as required (Clegg, 1988). Other than X-ray crystallography, there are other methods associated with determining atomic structures (Rhodes, 2006). However, they all rely on the principle of diffraction. These

Controversies Behind Accounting and Audit Profession Essay

Controversies Behind Accounting and Audit Profession - Essay Example To prevent accounting fraud, many literature states that it is common for the body of institutional investors to act as the company's monitors. (Chen, Harford, & Li, 2007; Chung, Firth, & Kim, 2002) Therefore, it is possible that fraud firms have a low level of institutional investment before committing fraud due to the fact that these companies lack effective accounting monitoring.For this study, the researcher will compare and contrast the management's responsibility for an entity's financial statements with the auditors' responsibility for detecting fraud and error follow by evaluating the most recent suggestions made by the Audit profession in respect with the auditors responsibility in detecting fraud. The researcher will also discuss about the audit expectation gap as well as the factors that contributes to the increase of the audit expectation gap. The researcher will also examine whether the audit expectation gap is similar to the accounting expectation gap. Prior to the main discussion, the researcher will provide some strategic ways on how auditors could reduce the gap on audit expectations. Compare and Contrast Management's Responsibility for an Entity's Financial Statements with the Auditors' Responsibility for Detecting Fraud and Error Using the generally accepted accounting principles in UK, the top management behind a company is responsible for the preparation of financial statement based on the highest integrity, objectivity and clarity. (Price, 2002) As part of the management's responsibility in developing an accurate financial statement, the top management should ensure that the company hires and trains qualified employees to work behind the establishment and communication of the company's accounting policies and procedures. Since businesses are more concerned with the company's profitability, there is a higher chance for top management to manipulate the company's financial statement. In order to lessen the incidence of accounting fraud and misrepresentation of the accounting figures, there is a strong need for each company to hire the service of an external auditor to perform the auditing of the company's financial statements. The main responsibility of the auditors is to ensure that each company submits an accurate financial statement1 by detecting any possible accounting fraud or errors based on the current United Kingdom Law and Accounting Standards known as the United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice. (Ernst and Young LLP, 2007) In relation to determining whether the company practices accounting procedures, auditors are responsible to follow the relevant legal

Emerging economy that has a low labor productivity Essay

Emerging economy that has a low labor productivity - Essay Example There are many ways one can use to measure labor productivity. These range from the infrastructural capital, advanced technology through human capital. This paper is however concerned with human capital which is crucial in determining the productivity of the labor forces. The term labor productivity may be understood in the context of the total output per employee within a set timeframe. For instance, we can say the total production for every worker per day or per hour. As said before, some factors determine the productivity of the labor forces. Initially, Brazil has been growing economically since its independence. Brazil had hit a high output for every worker in early years of between 1960 and 1970s. In the years that followed from 1990 to early 2013, the production per workers contributed to over forty percent of its GDP. However, the trend is not the same in current years as there are factors that are contributing to its continued low labor productivity. Factors such as poor company management have been blamed for the current low productivity in Brazil (Baer, 2001). Despite most of the corporations in Brazil being well run, they are not managed efficiently leading to reduced productivity. Another factor is high taxes that make it hard for companies to employ a good number of trained and skilled employees. As a result, business owners resort to hiring less-qualified relatives at the expense of running their firms with well trained and adequately skilled personnel. This significantly affects labor productivity as poor skills cannot efficiently produce a great part of the total expected output. One of the motives for employing unqualified family members and relatives is to reduce the possibility of being sued for lack of the observance of labor laws (Baer, 2001). Further, other than the preceding, companies are protected by the government making it hard to face

A Discharge Plan for an Elderly Patient Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

A Discharge Plan for an Elderly Patient - Essay Example Even though Mr. Trosack is hopeful of going back home and living a normal life where he goes to work in his bakery, there are concerns about his mobility, especially the stairs and pain control issues. He would have been helped by his son and daughter in law but they have very tight working schedules that force them to work long hours. His son and daughter in law doubt the diagnosis of Mr. Trosack’s diabetes. Their effectiveness of caring for him is therefore questionable in regard to giving him his new medication and medication regimen. It also raises concerns about moving Mr. Trosack from his long time home, church participation and routine lifestyle since this would cause a lot of anxiety for Mr. Trosack. A lot of safety factors also need to be taken into consideration. These include the fact that his house is cluttered, therefore making difficult for him to move around with a walker. It also increases the chance that he might fall again. Mr. Trosack’s bathroom does not have any safety features that will ensure his safety. He has a lot of expired medication and foods in the refrigerator. There needs to be an interdisciplinary team that will be responsible for designing the best discharge plan for Mr. Trosack. The team should have a manager, a physical therapist, a social worker, a nurse and a physician. The role of the physician would be to provide input on the physical capacity of Mr. Trosack and his expectations on of progress, safe medical equipment, outpatient physical therapy and order medication. The physical therapist would be responsible for providing input on the physical capabilities of Mr. Trosack such as his tolerance level to activities, his strength, mobility and endurance. The role of the primary nurse...This paper will report on the most appropriate discharge placement for an elderly patient by the name Mr. Trosack. Mr. Trosack is set to be discharged from hospital where he underwent a total hip replacement surgery. This case st udy revolves around Mr. Trosack, a 72-year old man who is recovering from a hip surgery that he recently underwent. This paper is a discharge plan for Mr. Trosack so as to ensure that his discharge is faced with the least issues possible. So far, Mr. Trosack’s recovery is going well and he is ambulating well using a walker. Because of this, Mr. Trosack can finally be discharged from hospital so that he can go and continue with his recovery at home. It is therefore the duty of the healthcare team to develop a workable discharge plan for the patient. Mr. Trosack is known to guard his independence strongly. This is evident in the fact that for two years now, since the passing of his wife of very many years, he has been living alone. He has spent most this time living in the same apartment. Mr. Trojack works in a bakery that he jointly owns with his brother Karl. He is a very religious person who is keen on attending church services and participating in church activities. He rare ly gets adequate time to socialize with his son and daughter in law because they do not participate in church activities and have very long working hours. In conclusion, the recovery plan of Mr. Trosack can ensure that he returns home and continues with his recovery process. There should be other support systems to ensure that Mr. Trosack recovers well from home.

Giuseppe Garibaldi Essay Example for Free

Giuseppe Garibaldi Essay Giuseppe Garibaldi was born in 1807 and lived until the year 1882. As an Italian revolutionary and irregular general, he began his long and varied livelihood as a revolutionary striving for the liberation as well as the unification of Italy by joining in Giuseppe Mazzini’s vain revolt at Genoa in 1834. Forced to leave Piedmont, he run away to South America where he spent the subsequent fourteen years, gaining knowledge and experience fighting in various battles. First, he grappled as a guerrilla general plus as a privateer for the province of Rio Grande Del Sol against Brazil, and then he served as a commander of an Italian legion in support of Uruguay against Argentina (Panero, 2005, 3). At the time when Italy rose in insurrection in 1848, he came back and raised 3,000 men to assist the king of Piedmont that is, Carlo Alberto. Obligated to flee the country yet again, subsequent to defeat at the first battle of Custoza, Garibaldi soon returned to manage the defense of the last remnants of the revolution that was-Mazzini’s Roman republic. He was able to hold off the collective armies of the French, Austrians, Spanish, along with the Neapolitans for a number of weeks. Nevertheless, the republic finally came down and Garibaldi runaway to America (Panero, 2005, 5). Despite the fact that Garibaldi fought for Piedmont for the duration of the Franco-Austrian war of 1859, he is perhaps greatly remembered for his role in conquering the monarchy of the kingdom of the Two Sicilies. In May of the year 1860, he set out to liberate southern Italy from the suppressive rule of King Francis II. On 11th May, he arrived with his so called Red shirts at Marsala, Sicily, and ruined the Neapolitan army in numerous battles. He then went on to cross the Stratits of Messina on 22nd August and moved up the peninsula, being greeted ardently by the people along the way. On 7th September, his forces took over Naples (George, 1911, 12). In March 1861, Garibaldi gave up his conquest to King Vittorio Emanuele of Piedmont in order to realize his lifetime dream of having a united and independent kingdom of Italy. Even though most of the Italian peninsula was under the decree of Vittorio Emanuele, the Papal States remained apart. In August 1862 as well as in January 1867, he endeavored to take Rome. These attempts failed due to French interference, and the Papal States were only integrated into the kingdom whilst the French withdrew their troops in 1870. Garibaldi had won a signal conquest. He gained worldwide fame and the praise of Italians. Faith in his prowess was so strong that uncertainty, perplexity, and dismay seized, sadly, even the Neapolitan court. Six weeks later, he marched alongside Messina in the east of the isle. There was a fierce and difficult battle at Milazzo, however Garibaldi won through. By the end of July, only the citadel refused to give in. Having finished the invasion of Sicily, he crossed the Strait of Messina, with the aid of the British Navy, and thus marched northward. Garibaldi’s progress was met with more festival than resistance, and on 7th September, he entered the capital city of Naples, via train. In spite of taking Naples, however, he had not to this point defeated the Neapolitan army (Riall, 2007, 9). Garibaldi’s volunteer army was not capable of defeating conclusively the reorganized Neapolitan militia at the Battle of Volturno. This was the biggest battle ever fought, but its outcome was in effect decided by the arrival of the Piedmontese Army. Following this, Garibaldi’s plans to protest on to Rome were jeopardized by the Piedmontese, technically his ally but unwilling to risk hostilities with the French, whose army sheltered the Pope. Garibaldi sustained his career as a general by ruling Italian troops, with some triumph, all through the Austo-Prussian war of 1866, which resulted in Austria surrendering Venetia to the kingdom of Italy (Farmer, 2006, 4). He again commanded an Italian volunteer force, this time in support of the new-fangled French republic during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 to 1871. After the war, Garibaldi led a political party that fought for the capture of Rome, the peninsula’s antique capital. In 1867, he again rallied on to the city, but the Papal militia, supported by a French supplementary force, proved a match for his ill-armed volunteers. He was shot and consequently wounded in the leg on the Aspromonte, taken captive, held prisoner for a time, and then again brought back to Caprera. When the Franco-Prussian battle broke out, Italian public outlook heavily favored the Prussians, and several Italians tried to sign up as volunteers at the Prussian embassy in Florence. After the French defense force was recalled from Rome, the Italian armed forces captured the Papal States without Garibaldi’s aid. Subsequent to the wartime collapse of the Second French Empire at the combat of Sedan, Garibaldi, undaunted as a result of the recent hostility shown to him by the men of Napoleon III, changed his support toward the newly-declared French Third Republic. Consequently, Garibaldi went to France and assumed authority of the Army of the Vosges, a militia of volunteers that was on no account ever defeated by the Prussians (Panero, 2005, 24). Despite being elected once more to the Italian parliament, Garibaldi spent a great deal of his late years in Caprera, a small island off the coastline of Sardnia. He nevertheless supported an ambitious project of land recovery in the marshy region of southern Lazio. In 1879 he founded the League of Democracy advocating worldwide suffrage, the closure of ecclesiastical property, and maintenance of the standing militia. Though confined to a bed by arthritis, he made several trips to Calabria and Sicily. In 1880 he married Francesca Armosino, with whom he had in the past born three children with (Riall, 2007, 13). After the finale, Garibaldi’s long career as a warrior came towards an end. After serving some years as a deputy for Rome in the Italian parliament, he spent his very last years on a farm in Caprera writing narratives. Significance and Influence of Giuseppe Garibaldi Giuseppe Garibaldi devoted most of his life to the cause of Italian harmony. His utmost triumph was the 1860 overthrow of the Kingdom of Naples, the incident which hastened Italian unification. In May of that year, Garibaldi arrived in Sicily with a volunteer force of one thousand and seventy men. Within two weeks this force had captured the city of Palermo, forcing the surrender of an army of 20,000 patrons. In August, Garibaldi crossed over to the Italian mainland, routing the Neapolitan militia in a series of conquests and capturing Naples itself within the same month. Garibaldi’s March turned out to be one of the grand legends of the nineteenth century mutually because of the genius with which Garibaldi prevailed over vast military odds, and, just as importantly, because of the powerful political symbolism of the occasion in an age in which ethnic and cultural groups more than ever responded to nationalism’s call in a Europe still dominated by the dynastic rule blocs of an earlier era. There can be no uncertainty that the March, whose progress was fervently followed in United States against the European dynastic oppression, was viewed in this nation as a great vindication of the right of the individual to political self-rule. It also encouraged Southern leaders to political leaders in their progress towards secession at exactly the time when accounts of Garibaldi’s exploits come out in the American press. Nor is it by chance that in 1876 Wade Hampton’s followers, in their opposition to the continued existence of Federal troops in South Carolina, appropriated the name of Garibaldi’s followers, the Red Shirts, for themselves (George, 1911, 67). Garibaldi’s fame, his skill at inspiring the common people, and his military exploits are all credited with making the amalgamation of Italy possible. He also served as a global exemplar during the mid-19th century revolutionary patriotism and liberalism. But following the deliverance of southern Italy from the Neapolitan monarchy, Garibaldi chose to forfeit his liberal republican values in favor of unification. Garibaldi subscribed to the anti-clericalism which was ordinary among Latin liberals and did a great deal to circumscribe the temporal supremacy of the Papacy. His personal religious beliefs are unclear to historians. In 1882 he wrote the book ‘Man created God, not God created Man’, however, this conflicted with what he wrote in his autobiography as there, he claimed to be a Christian. Nonetheless, an active freemason, Garibaldi had little use for practices, but thought of masonry as a system to connect progressive men as brothers both within nations and also as members of a global society. He was eventually elected the ostentatious master of the Grand Orient of Italy. When Giuseppe Garibaldi died at Caprera in 1882, five ships of the Italian Navy were named after him, among which a World War II cruiser, the existing flagship, and the aircraft carrier Giuseppe Garibaldi as well (Farmer, 2006, 17). Statues of his portrait, as well as the handshake of Teano, stand in many Italian squares, and furthermore in other countries around the world. There is also a statue of Garibaldi on horse-back on top of the Gianicolo hill in Rome. His face was initially turned in the direction of the Vatican. This was as a representation of the illusion to his aspiration to conquer the Papal States, but after the Lateran Treaty in 1929 the direction of the statue was altered upon the request of the Vatican (George, 1911, 106). Book reviewers have cited Garibaldi as being the only admirable figure in every respect in modern history. In its admiration for example, the Nottingham Forest which was a team of English football designed their sporting kit after the uniform worn by Garibaldi along with his men and have since worn a variation of this design since being established in 1865. The Garibaldi biscuit was also named after him, as was a distinct style of bread. The Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy has been awarded per annum since 2007 within the Six Nations rugby union structure to the champion of the match between France and Italy, in remembrance of Garibaldi. Work Cited Farmer Allan. How was Italy Unified? Allan Farmer Examines the Processes which Led to the Unification of Italy. History Review, 2006, pp. 4, 17 George Trevelyan. Garibaldi and the Making of Italy. Rome, Longmans, Green, 1911, pp. 12, 67, 106 Panero James. Giuseppe Garibaldi: My Life, New Criterion, Vol. 23, 2005, pp. 3, 5, 24 Riall Lucy. Garibaldi: The First Celebrity. History Today, Vol. 57, 2007, pp. 9, 13

Crime Risk Management

Crime Risk Management How can the security/risk manager utilise the Crime Risk Management process and how useful is this process? Crime Risk Management (CRM) is an evolutionary and analytical process to assess whether organisational procedures, assets or individuals could become exposed to a potential threat; to identify the measures necessary to reduce any such risk; to mitigate the consequences of any hazard once realised; to evaluate the success or otherwise of the prescribed course of action; and to adapt appropriately. The conventions of risk management take into account that whilst risk is unlikely to be entirely eradicated, adapting organisational security mechanisms to further protect against anticipated or imagined threats can significantly reduce it. The Crime Risk Management process provides those responsible for securing an organisation against risk with various tools. To develop a greater understanding of how CRM is utilised today it is beneficial to consider the practices of a particular industry in isolation. The manner in which the banking industry combats financial crimes such as plastic fraud provides a useful example. Further to this, in order to critically assess the effectiveness of the approaches taken by industry watchdogs in safeguarding against risk, a brief comparison between the Banking sector and the United Nations CRM practices has been included. Ultimately, when best practices are followed, the CRM process can also have the effect of a deterrent against future misconduct when the latent vulnerabilities of an operation are recognised and appropriately reduced to within acceptable boundaries. According to constitutive criminology, crime is defined as the harm resulting from people â€Å"investing energy in harm-producing relations of power,† which â€Å"denies others their ability to make a difference† (McLaughlin and Muncie, 2006:66). The United States (US) Air Force Material Command Pamphlet (AFMCPAM 63-101, 1997:5) describes risk as â€Å"a measure of a projects inability to achieve program objectives†¦(it) has two components: the probability of failing to achieve particular performance, schedule or cost objectives, and the consequences of failing to achieve those objectives†. Subsequently, risk management is the process of ‘controlling’ such risks and â€Å"includes identifying and tracking risk areas, developing risk mitigation plans as part of risk handling, monitoring risks and performing risk assessments to determine how risks have changed† (AFMCPAM 63-101, 1997:5-6). Cox (2005:64) defines risk management as a â€Å"decision process that maps available risk assessment information about the probable consequences of acts of crime, along with value judgments and priority information concerning the choices of which acts to take in response†. This definition however interprets the discipline of risk management as a more passive activity, focusing more on the assimilation of information and the analysis that follows, rather than the active intervention required to avert or alleviate the risk. Conversely, Broder as cited in Nalla Newman (1990: 92), defines CRM as the â€Å"anticipation, recognition and appraisal of a risk and the initiation of some action to remove the risk or reduce the potential loss from it to an acceptable level†. Based on the above contrasting definitions, one focusing on the information gathering and analysis aspect, and the other accentuating the notion of taking action to avert the risk, CRM can be concluded to have a number of objectives: namely to assess risk by proactive means rather than simply reacting to risks as and when they are encountered, to assess potential losses that might result from these eventualities, conduct a cost benefit analysis of taking risk intervention measures such as setting up a CRM process, and finally, to minimise, control or transfer foreseeable risks (Gill, 1998:14). Therefore, a solid â€Å"risk management approach includes three primary elements: a threat assessment, a vulnerability assessment, and a criticality assessment† (Decker, 2001:1). Each of these aspects also takes into consideration the probability of an occurrence and the timeframe in which it is likely to occur during the lifetime of a project (AFMCPAM 63-101, 1997:6). Threat assessments are critical supports for operational decision-making in the security program design phase, identifying areas requiring crucial and concerted efforts. These assessments identify and evaluate risks based on a number of elements including ‘capability’, ‘intentions’, and the ‘potential lethality’ of a breach (Decker, 2001:1). Since there is no way to anticipate every possible risk, or to know everything about each risk, the two other processes involved in this method, vulnerability and criticality assessments, are essential in maximising preparedness against the threat of a violation. A vulnerability assessment determines â€Å"weaknesses that may be exploited† by potential perpetrators and â€Å"suggests options to eliminate or mitigate those weaknesses†. â€Å"A criticality assessment is a process designed to systematically identify and evaluate†: an operation’s key assets based on their consequence to the fulfilment of its mission or basic function, those within the organisation that may prove vulnerable, â€Å"or the significance of a structure† (Decker, 2001:1). This aspect of the CRM approach is imperative since it has the potential to aid preparedness against material threats, and in turn, enhance the allocation of scarce resources to those areas, whether to assets, procedures or structures, subsequently identified as being of the highest priority and thereby requiring ‘special protection’ from perceived threats (Decker, 2001:1-2). While a number of conventional theories are both accessible and feasibly applicable as CRM processes, the two contemporary methods that are the most popular are the rational choice and routine activity theories. The routine activity approach considers only direct-contact predatory violations, where at least one offender takes or damages the property of at least one other person. It is thus based on three factors, â€Å"a likely offender, a suitable target and the absence of capable guardians against crime† (Cohen and Felson, 1979:588). On the other hand, the rational choice approach focuses on situational crime prevention, predicting the time and place where crimes are likely to occur, reducing opportunities and the motivation to offend, and thereby decreasing the propensity of the criminal to offend at all (Clarke and Cornish, 1985:174-177). Both of these approaches highlight the importance of assimilation and analysis of information. To this end, the Crime Pattern Analysis ( CPA) is a critical informative tool â€Å"which seeks to determine what crimes are likely to impact particular targets†, to identify â€Å"the criminals (most) likely to commit the crimes, and (to forecast) how and when such crimes are likely to occur† (Tyska and Fennelly, 1998:50). An initial consideration of these concepts would appear relatively straightforward, however the prospect of implementing an effective CRM process to adequately safeguard against risk can be a daunting endeavour for the security manager. One area in particular requiring a comprehensive CRM approach is the retail banking industry especially relating to plastic fraud. Plastic fraud includes various types of criminal activity including use of stolen cards, skimming, absent ordering, and identity theft (Newman and Clarke, 2003:145, Refer also to Appendix 1, page 13). Misuse of stolen cards is the most traditional form of plastic fraud, where cards are stolen from customers, enabling the fraudsters to make purchases in the window available to them between their acquisition of the card and the original card holder reporting the loss of the card to their issuing bank who take action to revoke or cancel the account (Slawsky and Zafar, 2005:101). Skimming is another form of plastic crime that takes place when a cardholder uses his card at any commercial establishment or cash machine. The details of the electromagnetic strip at the back of the card are copied onto a secondary storage device, which can later be replicated onto a counterfeit card, illegally cloned to resemble the details of the original, and reused by the fraudster for access to funds or illegal purchases. (Slawsky and Zafar, 2005:104). Another form of card crime growing in incidence is the ‘Card Not Present’ (CNP) variety. This occurs when the perpetrator makes a purchase t hrough mail order or telephone order, usually buying expensive merchandise, for their own personal gain, for either reselling it in the market-place or by tricking the merchant into refunding the value of the goods upon their return (Montague, 2004:12). Leonard and Lamb (2007:91) define identity theft as â€Å"afraud committed using the identifying information of another person†. As such, it comprises the misuse of information that is specific to an individual, usually involving â€Å"a partial and transient adoption (of the details)†¦in order to facilitate criminal activity† (Finch, 2002:86). In extreme cases, this could cause the victim huge financial losses, discomfort and social embarrassment where the protagonist attempts to use these details to derive material benefit at the expense of the victim. When applying the CRM process to this form of crime, the first step the security manager is required to take is the initial assessment phase, which involves evaluating the threats and areas of vulnerability in order to determine the level of risk. A number of tools are required at this stage, some of which are quantitative in nature, and others are qualitative (Fennelly, 2003:494). Quantitative analyses usually employ statistical sampling, based on mathematical calculations to assess the likelihood of a crime, extrapolated from results data (DePersia and Pennella, 1998:304). The aforementioned Rational Choice Theory is a related quantitative approach. Within the context of plastic fraud crime, application of this particular theory is exemplified through the regulated practice of profiling customers. In order to identify extraordinary behaviour financial institutions commonly track the regular transaction histories of their clientele. This is especially true of institutions that issue cards for credit purchases, viewing investment in database profiling of customer transaction histories as crucial. These systems make it possible to characterise potential ‘suspect’ incidents by programming patterns which trigger warnings including: sudden spending sprees, reaching the credit limit or exhausting the account balance, duplicate transactions of unlikely merchandise especially expensive items such as televisions, and an unusual avoidance of delivery services (Slawsky and Zafar, 2005:102). An example of automated programming used to detect uncharacteristic activity on card accounts is the Visa Intelligent Scoring Of Risk (VISOR) facility provided by the Visa network (Grabosky and Smith, 1998:170). The use of this CPA technique has improved the potential to diminish the effec t of fraudulent activity on both customers and institutions alike, by simultaneously preventing further theft and acting as a deterrent against aspiring felons. Qualitative assessments determine the chances of risk on a sliding scale from negligible to prohibitive based on the opinions, experience and knowledge of leading security management experts (Kovacich and Boni, 1999:192). Considering most plastic fraud takes place at the ‘Point of Sale’ (POS), and since highly skilled security managers cannot monitor everything at once, one of the most effective means of incorporating qualitative assessment into the CRM process is by implementing a thorough training regimen for employees, alongside a widespread awareness raising campaign aimed at educating customers and installation of permanent surveillance equipment such as CCTV (Horan, 1996:68-76). This dual approach instructs on the nefarious methods employed to misuse either cards or card information in order to create a front-line defence mechanism and enhance the fraud detection capacity of the operation. Any fraudulent activities intercepted by staff are rapidly communicated thro ughout the organisation, for instructive and investigative purposes, to further foster this self-regulative method (Horan, 1996:68). The assimilation of quantitative and qualitative analysis into banking industry best-practice CRM has resulted in the introduction of a number of effective controls designed specifically to curtail plastic fraud. One solution has been the introduction of embedded ‘microchip’ protection and PIN cards in the United Kingdom (Hoare, 2007:274). This security enhancement prevents the misuse of credit cards by requesting the card PIN for every transaction regardless of whether the customer is making a simple purchase or a cash withdrawal, thereby further reducing the risk of fraudulent transactions. This approach is then combined with customer advisories such as the need to keep cards and PIN information separate (Grabosky and Smith, 1991:170). When implementing crime risk management systems of this nature, however, there are two imperative considerations security managers must remain mindful of in advocating a particular method: probability and the associated cost-benefit outc omes. Proponents within crime management recommend that risk should always be viewed in a probabilistic context (Fischer and Green, 2004:139). For example, the recent collapse of the sub-prime mortgage market, beginning in the United States, has had a tremendous impact on global financial markets, however those organisations that viewed the probability of this event occurring as remote presumably installed fewer measures to insure against such a risk, thereby suffering the greatest losses. This example vindicates those weary observers who viewed this practice as dubious, although not criminal in the strictest sense, and who have continued to advocate for more rigorously stringent regulation of credit lending (Munro, Ford, Leishman, and Kofi Karley, 2005:1-3 26-30). The second, and arguably more important factor, is that the cost of CRM implementation should not exceed the benefits received to the institution in seeking to avoid the risk in the first instance (Culp, 2001:226). The indomitable pervasiveness of plastic fraud, although costly, does not quite warrant the installation of sophisticated risk management systems at all POS sites. One of the more dramatic recent proposals to counteract crimes of an identity fraud nature involves biometrically tagging individuals to a corresponding identification card in order to develop a log of all activities, which is then compiled into an ominous central database (Ahlefeld and Gaston, 2005:79). Although some view these measures as the only way possible of comprehensively monitoring and controlling such crimes, there are certainly many criticisms against this suggested method including the prohibitive cost of implementing and maintaining a system capable of delivering this service, the potential for sec urity breaches in the data system storing private records of citizens, and the associated infringements upon civil liberties and human rights likely to be raised in opposition to the proposal (Grant, 2008). Industry driven cost-benefit analysis is therefore a vital component of appropriate CRM design. There are innumerous benefits to implementing a CRM process within an organisation, regardless of the environment in which it is applied, in either the public or private sphere, which is why this approach has steadily grown in practice (McLaughlin and Muncie, 2006: 363-364). It is the essentially proactive nature of the approach taken in CRM, allowing for the mitigation and prevention of potentially disastrous outcomes, that explains why it is so well favoured. The banking industry is not alone in its vulnerability to losses through fraudulent practices; indeed according to calculations published by the United Kingdom (UK) Home Office Identity Fraud Steering Committee (IFSC), it is estimated that identity fraud represents an annual cost of  £1.7 billion to the UK economy (Home Office, 2006). The significance of this threat is a partial motivating factor behind the financial services sector adopting an industry-wide approach to CRM shared regulatory practices. The Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS) is representative of this trend, working in conjunction with institutions across the entire financial sector and in the general interest of the banking fraternity. These cooperative systems are then linked to the broader national security management infrastructure, and though ongoing consultations and data sharing, a complex relationship has been established to combat pervasive and costly crimes, including plastic fraud (CIFAS, 2007). This level of cooperation was recently formalised in the UK through Royal Assent to the Serious Crimes Act 2007 for the prevention of fraud through shared information with anti-fraud organisations (Office of PSI, 2007: Part 3, Chapter 1, section 68). Thereby the CRM approach of individual institutions informs industry standards to nati onal policing activities, all working cooperatively in a sophisticated network dedicated to crime management. This cooperative approach by the banking industry to CRM processes has a cascading effect. The shared CRM network enables participants to access a continuous risk assessment feedback mechanism, allowing the entire industry to maintain a collective pool of knowledge easily referenced to assess the potential risks associated with a specific action, either not previously anticipated or as part of a new initiative by an individual institution, creating unprecedented levels of cost-benefit sharing and exemplifying the potential of widespread best-practice implementation (CIFAS, 2007 and FSA, 2008). Regulative bodies such as the Financial Services Authority (FSA), constituted with statutory powers through the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Office of PSI, 2000: Part 1, section 1), provide a form of protection for the industry against both internal and external fraud, by monitoring, evaluating and reporting practices across the sector. The authority is an industry funded, non-gover nmental organisation, empowered to enforce its recommendations (FSA, 2008). Alongside the membership requirement to voluntarily commit to full disclosure regulative authorities such as this further enable the industry to self-regulate, mitigate against threats and further spread the cost of CRM across the sector. The systemic level of commitment exemplified by the banking industry’s approach to CRM of threats such as plastic fraud, and the broader commitment to combating identity related fraud in the United Kingdom, demonstrate the high level of cooperative action required to effectively combat specific crimes and realise the full potential of CRM processes at large. Both Gill, through his three foci for risk management decision-making (1998:15), and Young’s 1992 theory of the ‘square of crime’ (Department of Criminology, 2003:1-15) call for multi-sectoral simultaneous high-level intervention for effective crime prevention outcomes. The combinations of: institutions and their customers, advocating for changes in public and private policy to mitigate specific threats, activated by administrators and legislators alike, must be in alignment with factors such as Gill’s means to ‘change offenders’ (1998:16), where appropriate punishment is meted again st identified perpetrators to increase the risk of offending, in concert with a palpable level of public opprobrium (Department of Criminology, 2003:1-21). Whilst a consideration of the plastic fraud approach has illustrated the high level of cooperation required between all impacted by crime, in order to more effectively prevent losses, a brief reflection of the United Nations system further reveals the evolution of CRM at work. CRM processes are performed in two simultaneous approaches within the UN system. CRM practices are now more closely assimilated into the Security Risk Assessment (SRA) processes of the organisation to more effectively combat risk from both internal and external threats (Australian Capital Territory Insurance Authority, 2004: 4-10). CRM and SRA processes are continually reviewed, evaluated, reassessed and adapted as necessary; especially in light of recent attacks such as those on UN staff members in Iraq and Algeria. Updated recommendations are communicated broadly to mainstream their approach across all activities and in order to achieve the aims of comprehensive security management across their global operati ons. The mission of the UN Security Management System (UNSMS) overall is â€Å"to ‘enable’ the effective and efficient conduct of UN activities while ensuring the security, safety and well being of staff as a high priority† (United Nations, 2002:2, Part II, para 3). To achieve this mandate the UNSM system requires maximum coordination and cooperation at all levels to facilitate workable ‘funds and programmes’ so they are enabled to perform their primary objective of delivering aid as appropriate. The ‘management techniques’ discussed by Gill (1998: 14-15) are increasingly being incorporated to general UN practices; for example in the manner of staff and management recruitment practices which emphasise security as the responsibility of all staff employed under the auspices of the UN (United Nations, 2006:4-2). In order to fully integrate this approach, from the ground up and across country programs, a Security Management Team is allocated to meet regularly at the ‘head of mission’ level. These senior level fora are guided by the senior country representative of the UN Department of Safety and Security (DSS), who are â€Å"responsible for providing leadership, operational support and oversight of the security management system to enable the safest and most efficient conduct of the programmes and activities of the United Nations† (United Nations, 2006:2-1, para 2.5). The UNSMS framework exemplifies Gill’s risk management recommendations whereby the mandate of security managers is to be a stakeholder in program operational objectives, enabling their effective fulfilment, and conversely, the managers and staff of each program are a stakeholder in the security of their own operations (1998:14-15). This cultural shift from the traditional perception of security as ‘working in isolation’ allows for an increased level of protection to permeate the organisation and for all staff to enjoy the successful achievement of operational objectives in a safe and secure environment. Although the UNSM system provides one positive example, the reality is that changing internal traditional operational cultures, to incorporate risk prevention as a perceived responsibility for all managers, remains a significant challenge (Handy, 1993: 209). Closer inspection of the plastic fraud approach to the CRM process also exposes a number other difficulties faced by the security manager when implementing procedures to prevent exposure to risk. The crime risk manager may be criticised for displaying a disposition to crime displacement, which results in a transfer of risk rather than absolute dissolution. â€Å"Crime displacement occurs when security measures are effective in preventing crime†, where they are in place, â€Å"and forces the criminal to go elsewhere†¦to commit their crimes†, where there may be less security infrastructure. Displacement could be represented by a shift in time (temporal), shift in target venue (spatial), tactics, or perpetrator (V ellani, 2006:169). As intimated above, the high level of cross-sectoral cooperation required to truly spotlight and diminish specific crimes is often beyond the means of small-scale security managers to influence. Even in the case of confederated cooperation illustrated by the banking industry to mitigate plastic fraud, the crime still exists. Where the perpetrator commits isolated instances of plastic fraud there may be a low risk of detection, incidents may not be recorded or reported and therefore there is a perceived lack of punishment associated with the offence, which can contribute to the overall seriousness of the problem (Department of Criminology, 2003: 1-21). Indeed the CIFAS prevention service lists the three documents most frequently utilised to commit identity related fraud offences as â€Å"non-UK passports, utility bills and then UK passports† (CIFAS, 2008). As CRM policy shifts its attention toward the greater risk area a gap is left behind for small-scale, undetected perpetrato rs that nonetheless contribute to an area of fraudulent activity that still represents major losses for credit providers. The major challenge in taking the CRM process approach is in designing the system based on ‘real’ threats and with enough flexibility to adapt to a constantly changing environment. CRM processes require constant review, evaluation, reassessment and adaptation, and even then there is no guarantee that risk will always be averted (Gill, 1998: 17). There may be those whose commitment to the process waivers, governments and their policies may change, societal reactions to certain risk may be attenuated, criminals evolve to increasingly sophisticated methods as their use of technology improves and victim organisations may change their directions, reforming appropriately as they go (Department of Criminology, 2003: 1-22). Therefore, implementation of a CRM process requires a scrupulous cost-benefit examination, credible and quality information from which the risk assessment is drawn, and a wholesale commitment by the organisation in order to derive maximum worth (Gill, 1998: 1 6-17). If the approach is too conservative the risk may be that tangible business opportunities are unnecessarily overlooked whilst simultaneously failing to address the risks involved. Finally, the security manager must also control the level of expectation associated with their anticipated levels of success, since it is unlikely for even the most reliable system to remain unscathed. In conclusion, almost every act in business involves an element of risk: customer habits change, new competitors appear, and factors outside the sphere of control could delay a project. However thorough risk analysis and management can help to inform decision making and minimize potential disruptions, especially where there is a sufficient balance between mitigating the risk and the cost associated in doing so. Evolving CRM processes that utilise decentralised risk management techniques in combination with a centralised coordination approach are becoming accepted best practice, with the result that individual firms are able to adapt the framework to best suit their preferences and internal conditions. It would therefore appear that the discipline is ‘coming of age’ which is evidenced through the prevalence of its practice in the mainstream. However the combination of the ever-present elements of change and the unforeseen represent the greatest challenges to the security manager in mitigating risk. The reality is that they can only apply their experience, offer their informed advice to key stakeholders, and manage the outcomes, whatever they may be. References Ahlefeld, H. von. and Gaston, J. (2005) Lessons in Danger, OECD Online Bookshop. Air Force Material Command Pamphlet (1997) ‘Acquisition: Risk Management’, AFMC Pamphlet 63-101, http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/shared/media/epubs/AFMCPAM63-101.pdf, (accessed 1 March 2008). Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Insurance Authority (2004) ‘Guide to Risk Management’, Risk Management Guide Toolkit, ACT Insurance Authority, http://www.treasury.act.gov.au/actia/Guide.doc (Accessed 1 March 2008). Bridgeman, C. (1996) ‘Crime Risk Management: Making it work’, Crime Detection and Prevention Series Paper 70, Police Research Group, London: Home Office. Clarke, R.V. and Cornish, D.B. (1985) ‘Modelling Offenders’ Decisions: A framework for Research and Policy’, Crime and Justice, 6: 147-185. Cohen, L.E. and Felson, M. (1979) ‘Social Change and Crime rate trends’, American Sociological Review, 44: 588-608. Cox, L. A. (2005) Quantitative Health Risk Analysis Methods, Springer. Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS). (2007) ‘New Fraud Prevention Power Will Save  £Millions’, Press Centre, 30 October 2007, http://www.cifas.org.uk/default.asp?edit_id=786-57, (accessed 1 March 2008). Credit Industry Fraud Avoidance System (CIFAS). (2008) ‘2007 Fraud Trends’, Press Centre, 28 January 2008, http://www.cifas.org.uk/default.asp?edit_id=790-57, (accessed 1 March 2008). Culp, C. L. (2001) The Risk Management Process, John Wiley and Sons. DePersia, A.T. and Pennella, J.J. (1998) Enforcement and Security Technologies, SPIE. Decker, R.J. (2001) ‘Homeland Security: Key Elements of a Risk Management Approach’, Testimony: Before the Subcommittee on National Security, Veteran Affairs and International Relations; House Committee on Government Reform, GAO-02-150T, United States: General Accounting Office. Department of Criminology (2003) ‘Unit 1: Crime Risk Management’, Module 2: Applied Crime Management, Department of Criminology, 1-5 to 1-23. Fennelly, L.J. (2003) Handbook of Loss Prevention and Crime Prevention, Butterworth-Heinemann. Financial Services Authority (FSA). (2008) ‘Who are we’, http://www.fsa.gov.uk/Pages/About/Who/index.shtml, (accessed 1 March 2008). Finch, E. (2002) ‘What a tangled web we weave: identity theft and the Internet’, in Yvonne Jewkes (ed.) Dot.cons: Crime, deviance and identity on the Internet, Willan Publishing, 86-104. Fischer, R. J. and Green, G. (2004) Introduction to Security (7th Edn), Butterworth-Heinemann. Gill, M. (1998) ‘Chapter 1: Introduction’, in Martin Gill (ed.) Crime at Work Volume II: Increasing the Risk to Offenders, Leicester: Perpetuity Press Ltd, 11-23. Grabosky, P.N. and Smith, R.G. (1998) Crime in the Digital Age: Controlling Telecommunications and Cyberspace Illegalities, Transaction Publishers. Grant. I. (2008) ‘Wave of criticism hits government ID card relaunch’ in ComputerWeekly.com, http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2008/03/07/229773/wave-of-criticism-hits-government-id-card-relaunch.htm, (accessed 9 March 2008). Handy, C. (1993) Understanding Organizations (4th edn), Harmondsworth: Penguin. Home Office (2006) ‘Identity Fraud puts  £1.7bn Hole in Britains Pocket’, Press Releases, 2 February 2006, http://press.homeoffice.gov.uk/press-releases/identity-fraud-puts-1.7bn-hole?version=1, accessed 1 March 2008). Horan, D.J. (1996) The Retailer’s Guide to Loss Prevention and Security, CRC Press. Hoare, J. (2007) ‘Deceptive Evidence: Challenges in Measuring Fraud’ in J.M. Hough, and M.G. Maxfield (eds) Surveying Crime in the 21st Century, Criminal Justice Press. Kovacich, G. L. and Boni, W. C. (1999) High Technology Crime Investigator’s Handbook, Elsevier. Leonard, R. and Lamb J. (2007) Credit Repair (8th Edn),Nolo. McLaughlin, E. and Muncie, J. (2006) The Sage Dictionary of Criminology, Sage Publications. Montague, D.A. (2004) Fraud Prevention Techniques for Credit Card Fraud, Trafford Publishing. Munro, M., Ford, J., Leishman, C. and Kofi Karley, N. (2005) Lending to higher risk borrowers: Sub-prime credit and sustainable home ownership, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, http://www.jrf.org.uk/bookshop/eBooks/1859353355.pdf, (accessed 1 March 2008). Nalla, M. and Newman, G

Understanding Cultural Diversity In Humans Sociology Essay

Understanding Cultural Diversity In Humans Sociology Essay The three branches of human sciences (Social sciences), Sociology, Anthropology and Psychology are interlinked in that they try to describe the different areas of human life and their relationships to each other. They offer an explanation on human behavior and in the society they live. Furthermore, these social sciences provide essential skills in analyzing the intentions and behavior of individuals and groups they encounter. Individual identity is forged by ones culture, groups, and by institutional influences. Institutions such as families, schools and even churches greatly influence human beings yet these institutions are merely organizations whose aim is to develop the core social values of its constituents. In discussing cultural diversity on the perspectives of the three social sciences there is a need to understand the difference between culture and society. This is because the all the three disciplines explore culture and society to understand human behavior in depth. The term Culture has many different meanings, for some it is the appreciation of art, literature, music and food, while for others like biologists; they take it as a colony of microorganisms growing in a nutrient medium in a laboratory. However for social scientists, culture is the full range of learned human behavior patterns. Cultures are traditions and customs, transmitted through learning and adaptations. Children obtain such traditions by growing up in a certain society, through a process called enculturation. A culture results into a degree of uniformity in behavior and thought among the inhabitants of a particular society (Baugher et. al, 2000, p. 4). The terms culture and society are different as cultures are co nsidered to be complexes of learned behavior patterns and perceptions while society is a group of interacting organisms. Therefore this paper will critically analyze cultural diversity based on the three social sciences, evaluating the social sciences similarities and differences. Discussion Anthropological perspective of culture diversity When it comes to understanding diversity in cultures, the anthropological view can help humanity understand and appreciate the complexity of diverse cultures. This discipline involves the study of biological and cultural origins of the humans. The subject matter of anthropology is wide-ranging, including, fossil remains, non human primate anatomy and behavior, artifacts from past cultures, past and present languages, and all the prehistoric and contemporary cultures of the world. The subfield of cultural anthropology is the most commonly studied and useful in analyzing and interpreting the diverse cultures of the world. In recent years, recognition of the need for multicultural awareness, understanding, and skills has grown in our society. The aim is to achieve multicultural diversity competence, which is a term that refers to the ability to demonstrate respect and understanding, to communicate effectively, and to work with different cultural backgrounds (George Fischer, 1999, p. 71). These diversities in culture encompass differences in gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual orientation, social class and physical appearance. Misunderstandings and conflicts in the society are two major consequences of lack of awareness in the ever increasing cultural diversity. Cultural anthropology explains cultural diversity through aspects of social life such as material culture, social organizations, politics, economics, symbolism, change and development, ethnici ty and modern nation-state formation. In explaining and interpreting the diverse cultures, anthropology uses ethnography- describing particular cultures; and ethnology- comparing two or more cultures. In addition it incorporates the holistic approach in cultural studies by studying biological and cultural aspects of human behavior; encompassing the broadest possible time frame by looking at contemporary, historic and prehistoric societies; examining human culture in every part of the world; and studies many different aspects of human culture (George Fischer, 1999, p.68). Cultural diversity is relevant to a cultural approach in learning, in that learning and motivational styles and cross cultural pedagogical strategies assume attention to diversity in learner populations and pluralistic learning outcomes. The data, concepts and insights derived from the study of other cultures helps us meet our professional goals and lead more satisfying lives in a multicultural society. Moreover, the process of studying anthropology is also valuable because of the skills and competencies that it helps to develop. Activities such as taking courses about different cultures, participating in local internships and international organizations, living in the universitys international dormitory, and participating in study abroad programs all combine to provide students with valuable skills in understanding diverse cultures hence achieve multicultural diverse competence. There is a need to come up with a strategy to accept cultural diversity, for example, in the United states of America the freedom to pursue ones individual dream and fortunes in the united states has produced a widening gap between the haves and have-nots. According to Hutnyk, 2006, managing directors in United States of America made forty times as much compared to the average worker in 1973 and three hundred as much in 2004. At the same time, earnings of middle class were growing slightly and those of lower class were actually shrinking. This situation to a European means that the state is working against well being of the population, particularly in light of tax cuts during this period. Another instance is when expressing feelings of affection which is typical for all human. The manner in which the affection is expressed is cultural, the kiss is not universally accepted as a symbol of affection; some societies consider it suggestive of cannibalism. A basic anthropological strategy for understanding other cultures is to look at a cultural feature from within its original context rather than looking at it from the perspective of ones own culture; being inquisitive, non-judgmental, and open to new ways of thinking is vital in understanding other cultures; Balancing contradictory needs instead of trying to eliminate them; emphasize global team work; develop a cognitive complex which is made up of twin abilities of differentiating and integrating; and developing a personal acuity (Naylor, 1997, p. 157). The strategy will not only help you personally in understanding other cultures but assist you in integrating to any culture globally. Sociological perspective on Cultural Diversity Sociology is critical analysis of the society in which humans live. People who make sense of the social world-past, present and future- are referred to as sociologists (Anderson Taylor, 2005, p. 8). Sociologists research on social structures such as class, family, politics, social problems like drug abuse and crime all of which influence the society. Social interaction amongst humans is the basic sociological concept, because all humans and groups that make up a society socialize. Specialists who focus on particular details of specific interactions as they occur daily are called micro sociologists and those that focus on larger patterns of interactions amongst larger sections of the society such as state and economy are called macro sociologists. A society is rarely culturally uniform hence the result of different cultures. As societies develop and become more complex, different cultural traditions appear. The more complex the society, the more likely the culture will be internally varied and diverse. The causes of cultural changes in a society are cultural diffusion, innovation, and imposition of cultural change by outside world (Anderson Taylor, 2005, p. 72). Two concepts from sociology help in understanding complexity of culture in a given society, dominant culture and subcultures. Dominant culture is the culture of the most powerful group in the society. Although it is not the only culture in society, it is commonly referred to be the culture of a society, despite other cultures present. Subcultures on the other hand are cultures of groups whose values and norms of behavior differ from those of the dominant culture. Members of subcultures tend to interact frequently and share a common world view. Sociology stipulates that culture consists of both material objects and abstract thoughts and behavior. Several elements which sociologists consider in understanding culture diversity are language, norms, beliefs and values (Kaufman, 2004, p. 7). Language: Learning the language of a culture is essential to becoming part of a society. Language shapes culture as it provides the categories through which social reality is understood. This was proved by Edward Sapir and his student Benjamin Worf in the 1950s through their theory called the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. The hypothesis states, it is not that you perceive something first and then think of how to express it, but that language itself determines what you think and perceive (Anderson Taylor, 2005, p. 83). In understanding cultural diversity language is seen to reflect the assumptions of a culture. This is seen and exemplified by: language affecting peoples perception of reality; Language reflecting the social and political status of different groups in society; Groups advocating changing language referring to them as a way of asserting positive group identity; The implications of language emerging from specific historical and cultural contexts; language distorting actual grou p experience; language shaping peoples perceptions of groups and events in society. Norms: They are specific cultural expectations for how to behave in a given situation. Lack of norms in any society results in turmoil however, with established norms people would be able to act, behave and interact in a society properly. In the early years of sociology, William Graham Summer in 1906 identified two types of norms; folkways and mores. Folkways are general standards of behavior adhered to by a group, example wearing pants and not skirts for men. Mores are stricter mores which are seen to control moral and ethical behaviors such as injunctions, legal and religious. Beliefs: They are shared ideas people hold collectively within a given culture, and these beliefs are also the basis of many cultural norms and values, example in USA there is a widespread belief in God. Sociology study belief in a variety of ways, and each theoretical mentation provides different insights into the significance of beliefs for human society. Values: They are abstract standards in a society or group that defines the ideal principles of what is desirable and morally correct, for example in USA equality and freedom are important values which provide a general outline for behavior. Values provide values for behavior, but can also be sources of conflict like the political conflict over abortion. Understanding the four elements of sociology enables proper integration in any society. Integration into the society is achieved by respecting the diverse cultures that are found in a society. Sociology studies culture in a variety of ways, asking numerous questions about the relationship of culture to other social institutions and the role of culture in modern life. The new cultural perspective on culture according to Naylor, 1997, is that it is ephemeral, unpredictable and constantly changing; is a material manifestation of consumer-oriented society; and is best understood by analyzing its artifacts- books, films, television images. Psychological Perspective on Culture Diversity Social psychology a subfield of psychology has its origins in the early years of the twentieth century. Its findings do not necessarily concern human thinking throughout history but rather meet the requirements of our modern society. Social psychology research aims to capture the interplay between social thinking and socio-historical dynamics in order to understand how societies function and how culture is produced (Xenia, 2004, p. 13). Psychology is distinguished from neighboring social sciences through its emphasis on studying samples of organisms within controlled settings rather than focusing upon larger groups, organizations or nations. Psychologists test the specific results of changes in a controlled environment on the individual in that environment, but there are strongly set procedures through which organisms are tested psychometrically. There is a big debate in psychology and more generally in social sciences how to define culture. In some definitions the concept of culture includes behavior, in the sense that our behaviors are expressions of our culture. Other definitions emphasize that participating in a culture means having understanding of our world. However with trying to find a consensual definition of this concept, the main argument of researchers in psychology is to highlight how important it is to take into account the cultural context in which psychological studies were conducted (Kerr Tindale, 2011). They were right to point out that humans are linked to the social context in which they live, proving that psychological functioning and human behavior are universal and culture specific. Sharing a culture means that people have a common way of viewing their relationship with the social and physical environment; of communicating their thoughts and emotions; of prioritizing their activities; of dividing tasks and resources; of attributing values, honors, and power (Xenia, 2004, pp.17-18). When they do not share the above listed elements then culture diversity occurs from a psychological point of view. The people of diverse cultures are not like minded hence the question is, whether individuals from diverse cultures can coexist harmoniously in time space and under the same political and social organizations? The answer to this question provides the idea of how to cope with culture diversity. Various cultures flourish from the recognition that they represent a set of beliefs, modes of thinking and practices that are peculiar to them and different from others. Some cultures are more inclusive example western cultures, others refer to a small group of people for instance the Basque culture, but each one of them is important for its members because they represent the way they construct their social reality, and provides them with action alternatives. Conclusion Culture Diversity has been discussed using the three social science disciplines of Anthropology, Sociology and Psychology. Even though all of them have a similarity of trying to understand culture diversity in humans, they are different in terms of how they approach the study. Anthropology looks at culture diversity at the perspective of humanity, his origin and through aspects of social life such as ethnicity, symbolism, politics, race and so on. Anthropology explains that the origin of culture diversity is through mankind hence the concentration a human perspective. Sociology looks at the society which humans live so as to explain culture diversity. It states that elements such as language, beliefs, norms, and values are what bring about culture diversities. Psychology on the other hand analyses culture diversity with focus entirely on internal factors that influence individuals. Therefore the three social sciences provide an understanding of culture diversity and a basis of respec ting other cultures.

Comparing Love and Sports in A Separate Peace and Goodbye, Columbus Ess

Love and Sports in A Separate Peace and Goodbye, Columbus      Ã‚  Ã‚   There is a substantial difference in the way Goodbye, Columbus and A Separate Peace, both published in 1959, address the theme of sex; what there is galore in Philip Roth's novel, is conspicuously absent in the work of John Knowles. Apparently, sexuality was still a taboo at the time, and both books treat it as such: e.g., the discovery that their daughter is no longer a virgo intacta topples the world of the older Patimkins in Goodbye, Columbus (at least the father's sentiment seems to be genuine; whether "Mother Patimkin's" shock and subsequent outburst of indignation are equally unfeigned can be argued). Still, Roth's novel is fairly realistic in explicating sexuality as a driving motif behind its characters' actions, which cannot be said about A Separate Peace. Indeed, sex is a nonentity in the novel of John Knowles; the fact could have been explained by the strict discipline of the Devon prep school, had it not been for The Catcher in the Rye--the book that shows what a significant part of prep school life sex, indeed, was. There is only a few years' interval between the time of the action of these two novels--definitely not enough for morals to loosen so dramatically. One can but conclude that even for a book to have been published in 1959 A Separate Peace is remarkably chaste.    There is only one suggestive reference in the novel of John Knowles--the episode when Finny ignores Gene's warning that wearing a pink should could make him look like a fairy. Of course, the relationship between Finny and Gene itself can be interpreted askance: in his study on A Separate Peace Hallman Bryant draws attention to the analysis of George-M... ...elationship of Brenda and Neil is smothered by the profoundest egotism reflected in their preoccupation with the material aspects of being.    It would be interesting to see what A Separate Peace would look like if the physical aspect of love in it was not superseded by sports. The dynamics of the character suggests that Finny, infinitely free as he is, knowing no fear, and majestically comfortable with breaking the rules, would be more than likely to have transgressed by the age of seventeen--out of sheer curiosity and goodness, in a Tom Jones way.    Works cited Bryant, Hallman. A Separate Peace: the War Within. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co, 1990. Halio, Jay L. Philip Roth Revisited. New York: Twayne, 1992. Knowles, John. A Separate Peace. New York: Macmillan, 1961. Roth, Philip. Goodbye, Columbus. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1959.   

The Good Earth: Summary Essay -- essays research papers

The Good Earth: Summary Wang Lung was the son of a peasant farmer. When it came for him to marry, his father chose a slave girl from the house of Hwang who was hardworking. O- lan, Wang Lung's wife was a good wife for Wang Lung. She did not waste anything, and made items such as shoes for the family so Wang Lung could save his money for other things.. She worked endlessly for Wang Lung and his father, and even helped Wang Lung plow the field. One day while helping on the field, O-lan went inside and bore their first child. Luckily, it was a boy. Girls at that time were always slaves, or married to other family's sons. They named him Nung Wen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before leaving the house of Hwang earlier, O-lan promised to bring their first child to pay respects to the house. That year, the harvest was good, so Wang Lung bought new clothes for O-lan, the baby, and himself. After paying their respects, Wang Lung made a deal with the house of Hwang and bought a plot of good land just outside the house. One year later, another boy was born and was named Nung En.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wang Lung's third child was a disaster. Not only was it a girl, but she was born retarded. That summer, a drought hit the area where Wang Lung lived, and it did not rain for months. There was little harvest, and soon all of the wheat was gone. Starving, Wang Lung had his ox killed for food, but could not bear to watch because the beast had been so faithful to him. Not having any money, Wang Lung sold the furniture in his house for a few silver pieces. His fourth child was born in the drought, and was born dead. The family was forced to move South to find food, so with the money he made from selling the furniture, Wang Lung paid train fare to go down south.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the train, Wang Lung spent some more money to buy material so they could build a hut when they reached the city. At the city, they built their hut, and discovered a kitchen where for almost no money at all, a person could eat all of the rice they wanted. Wang Lung bought enough rice for his family, and they ate it heartily. Now, Wang Lung needed money again, so the next day he rented a ricksha to transport the rich around the city for money, and O-lan and the children begged for money. After paying the rent for the ricksha, Wang Lung did not make a lot, but it was enough to sup... ...e opium, and began to annoy Wang Lung's older son's wife by talking dirty and walking around with his robe open. Seeing this, Nung Wen became very angry and Wang Lung rented a portion of the house of Hwang. The uncle and his wife were left in the country with their opium, and the uncle's son left to join the army.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Ching died, Wang Lung stopped farming and rented out his land, hoping that his youngest son would tend the land, but when he took a girl that his youngest son liked, his youngest son ran away from home and joined the army.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Wang Lung's death came near, he moved back to the country to be with his land. He brought only his slave Pear Blossom, that his youngest son loved, and his first daughter that was simple. One day as he was looking at the fields with his sons, he heard them talking about how they were going to spend their inheritance and what they would do with the money they would make from selling the land. Wang Lung cried out that they must never sell the land because only with land could they be sure of earning a living. But Wang Lung did not see his sons look at each other over his head and grin.

Social Science Essay -- Research Methods, Objective Research

According to the dictionary of Merriam-Webster, Objective is defined as "expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations". And the Cambridge Dictionary has the similar definition: â€Å"based on real facts and not influenced by personal beliefs or feelings.† It is obvious that to be objective, personal opinions on the research question or hypothesis have to be eliminated in the research design, research process and report method. It is the aim of any kind of research to be objective, which means the result can show more effective information and can be generalized to more situations. Almost all the books about social science research method discuss the research should be objective, and more focus on how to be objective. They declare that the research method can determine the research results are objective or not (Fowler, 2009. etc.). In particular, the research methods such as randomly selected participants, Latin Square for inter-subject experiment levels arrangement, and double-blind experience, etc. are designed to make the research objective. It seems that the objectivity is an "automatic assumption if the tools are sufficiently scientific". (Cassel, 2002). However, the paper which discusses the probability of the research results are not objective can hardly be found. Considering the research of social science focuses more on the complex human behaviours (Jackson, 2007), conflict study as one subject of the social science, in my opinion, is impossible to be objective. Because human behaviours are complex, which are effected by changing of mood or emotion, situations around themselves and the information from outside, the inter-personal interac... ...ls as possible in the quantitative research paper, and discover the certain factors which related to the conflict, such as cultural background, religion, economics situation and so on. Then it will be easier for the following research to compare the research results, and obtain more information. Nowadays, the subjective evaluation is a popular research topic, such as the subjective evaluation on happiness, on workload and on stress. I suppose this kind of research approach may be suitable for the studies on conflict situation, because conflict situation is related to human’s emotion and behaviours, thus it should be more effective to ask the subjects to evaluate their own subjective levels, and do the statistics with the values based on subjective evaluation. The results can also be compared between groups, and obtain the â€Å"subjective† conclusion based on data.