Journal #3 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journal #3 - Assignment Example Besides, the slow erosion of families in our society, the acceptance of divorce has rapidly increased, as well as non-marital birth and child bearing. The complexities and dynamics of the society are the driving factors that are accelerating these trends. Furthermore, the society has grown less critical of these issues hence they are steadily creeping in and infiltrating our thoughts in such a way that individuals are beginning to perceived these unfortunate circumstances acceptable. There are numerous factors that result into issues such as divorce, cohabitation, non-marital child birth, and single parenthood. The paper therefore seeks to examine these factors and the perception of the society against them by reviewing historical arguments by Cherlin on greater tolerance for alternative family and parental structure and Wilson’s sociological argument in the contemporary US state. Wilson (2002) book title â€Å"Cohabitation instead of marriage† focuses on the challenges or problems and consequences of cohabitation and functions of marriage in the society and family. Finding solutions to the problems of cohabitation is often a hard nut to crack. The partners usually do not have strong incentive drive to heavily invest the union unlike in marriage which binds couple together since the process of divorce usually lead to some consequences. Wilson (2002) argues that marriage provides restriction to freedom so that the financial and emotional investments in the union of couples make sense. In marriage, the couple makes a commitment to love one another and despite the knowledge of existence of divorce, they tend to stick to the promise. However, cohabiting couples have no commitment to fulfill hence when one is out of love with the other, he or she can opt to walk out of the union. There is less incentive for love in such situations. Most cohabiting couples tend to have separate bank accounts hence the expenses of their lives are

Robotic Surgery Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Robotic Surgery - Research Paper Example There are legal, political and ethical issues associated with the procedure. Robotic surgery is the best invention there is in medicine but the controversies have raised concerns about this technology and addressing them could better automated and efficient surgeries used robots. Description Robotic surgery uses an automated system that has three systems; the console which the surgeons use to control the system, four arms that are controlled by the console and can be manipulated to do practically any task and a high definition visual system for providing real time images of the parts being operated on. Three of the arms are fitted with surgical instrument while the fourth arm is used to control the camera which guides the surgeons on the parts to be operated on. Advantages of the robotic surgery Doctors are able to operate many clients using robotic surgery. Since they are involved indirectly, they do not get as tired as compared to manual operations. Patients on the other hand benef it as the procedure does not take long using the robots for surgery. This saves time for the patient and the doctor. Time saved by the robotic surgery procedure is saving hospitals as much as thirty percent of their budget on surgery. Money saved can be directed to other projects within the hospitals. The robots are quite precise and the incisions required when using them are usually small compared to a normal surgery. This makes the healing process faster for the patients. They do not have to stay in the hospitals for long time thereby saving money as well (Beck, 2013, para. 5). Controversies Despite the advantages that come with robotic surgery, there are many issues that have been raised regarding the use of these machines. They include the safety of the use of the robots, the risks associated with their use, the functioning of the robots and the regulatory framework on the same. These issues have spurred a never ending debate and threaten the use of these systems and are categor ized into several (Mavroforou, Michalodimitrakis, Hatzitheofilou, and Giannoukas, 2010, p.77). Political issues Regulation The use of robots in surgery is not regulated by any institution. Although they have been given the green light by the relevant government institutions, there needs to be a body that regulates their use, evaluates the advantages, the disadvantages, issues raised and any suggestions. Lack of regulation in this field has led to a lot of issues relating to the use of the system. One, there are many injuries and deaths that are associated with the use of robots in surgery in the last few years. In fact, the number has been increasing year after year. If there was a regulatory body, the issues leading to death would have been addressed and less injuries and deaths would be reported. This fact has made some politicians to step up and propose the regulation of the use of robots in surgical procedures. Senator Dick Moore from Massachusetts proposed that there should be a new policy and law to regulate the use of robots in surgery in Massachusetts. Moore is conversant with policies regulations and costs in the health care industry. Senatorial colleagues across the United States including the minority leader Bruce Tarr appreciate that Moore has enough knowledge on this and fully support him. Moore is credited to the enactment of the 2006 universal health care legislation which was a key part in the Obamacare health reforms in 2009.

Strategies for Change Management in Healthcare

Strategies for Change Management in Healthcare An Overview of Change by Management for Better Patient Care Smitha B. Vadakkan Registered nurses are on the front line in all the hospitals for early detection and prompt intervention when patients conditions deteriorate. So better patient outcomes and patient satisfaction are influenced by the number of registered nurses available to assess patients on an ongoing basis. So I like to select a change that management could undertake to improve patient care where I work is the staffing patterns. Adequate nursing care delivered directly depends on the nurse patient ratio. Change can be planned and managed, or it can occur haphazardly (Grohar-Murray Langan, 2011). Nursing is in the middle of so many revolutionary changes. To bring changes to the workplace depends on nurse’s attitude to adapt the change and the learning options and the support from the management. One of the theoretical perspective for the change is the learning dimensions. Continual learning is needed for an accelerated change and it provides ongoing learning of employees. Ongoing learning improves adaptation, resilience, and the hardiness of employees, which in turn result in desired responses to accelerated change (Grohar-Murray Langan, 2011). Skills that are needed to augment this change are systems thinking, personal proficiency, team learning, shared vision and use of information technology increases the access to needed knowledge. Normative-reeducative strategy is the most appropriate for nursing because it is the most likely to advance the profession. It is the strategy employed throughout nursing today to incorporate the latest informatics technology into everyday practice (Grohar-Murray Langan, 2011). In this strategy the members of the system work out programs of change under their own direction. Definition of the change problem includes the probability that shifts in attitudes, values, norms, and relationships between players in the system and between the system and its external environment (Miles, 2007). There is a mutual collaboration between the members and the management in the development of the final strategy. There are external and internal factors that influence change in nursing. The internal factors include the patient acuity levels, staff- patient ratio, treatment modules, and the use of modern technologies in nursing. External factors include social and economic factors that influence how nursing is practiced. Nurses are socialized in a unique way during their education and experience in practice and therefore prepared like no other group to monitor nursing practice (Grohar-Murray Langan, 2011). Nursing strength is found stronger when there is a collaborative effort of nurses in four different roles such as practitioners, educators, researchers, and managers. To have a better change in safe staffing the nurse managers should understand the external and internal factors and make changes which can bring better patient outcomes. Planned change is a better option in safe staffing. When there is a change to be made in the workplace, it is always good to include the nurses and other health care professionals in the unit for opinions and recommendations. The nurses in the unit better know how is the patient acuity level of the unit, how many assisted personnel working on the unit, which shift is the busiest, how can the structure of the unit to be modified for easy access of supplies etc.. There are many ways of implementing change. However, planned change, which is a purposeful, calculated and collaborative effort to bring about improvements with the assistance of a change agent, is commonly adopted in nursing (Roussel 2006). So the nurse manager should ask the nurses for recommendations how safe staffing can be implemented in the unit. Nurse manager with the help of the nurses in the unit can work out safe staffing by not giving two or more people vacation or holidays at the same time or balancing the schedule without giving more people off on the same day, not allowing the same person for more than two overtimes in one month, leaving the person for burnout, if the unit really needs more nurses, the nurse manager has to plan and explain the reasons and submit to the management. The safety of the patient is everyones responsibility. Once a decision has been reached to implement a change, time must be allowed for the sequence of stages designed to reduce resistance and maintain support from others (Grohar-Murray Langan, 2011). According to Kurt Lewin model of implementing change, there are three stages which are unfreezing, moving, refreezing. During unfreezing, more information and time is needed for the change. The people who are going to be affected are motivated for the change because of the benefits and the people who gave the ideas for the change are commented for their participation. By moving, the second stage of the change process is like a vacuum. This transitional stage when everyone is expected of the change when the old is gone and the new is not in place yet. The third stage of the change process is refreezing. Ongoing monitoring for continued quality must follow refreezing, because it provides valuable information about the ongoing effectiveness of the change (Grohar-Murray Langan, 2011). In the unionized city hospital, everything goes with seniority. When the senior nurses enjoy more vacation and holidays and leaving the younger nurses to work which results in more sick calls and also bad retention of the staff which compromises safe patient care and patient outcomes. Even the overtime is given according to the seniority where some older nurses are happy to do more overtimes by taking easy assignments and leaving the heavier assignments for younger nurses which also results in burnout and poor staff retention. The nurse manager should collect ideas from the nurses for the change and should update the management of what is going on in the unit and the need for hiring new nurses if the unit needs for safe staffing. During the unfreezing stage the staff in the unit should be notified of the equal rights for everyone and the management should be notified about the need to hire more RNs. All the nurses should be motivated for the change. During the moving process, it is h ard for the adjustment to the change for the senior nurses who is the majority in the unit. The nurse manager should make fair schedules and assignments and make everybody comply with the change. During refreezing stage the nurse manger should continue to make the best schedules and should check for the effectiveness of the staff and the patient outcomes. The characteristics and qualities of change agents include experience, success, being respected, leadership skills, and management competencies (Grohar-Murray Langan, 2011). Change is a long process and is difficult to achieve. The nurse manager who is the change agent should be calm, positive, optimistic, enthusiastic and able to spend enough time in correcting the problem. The nurse manager’s initial responsibility is to establish a plan of action. The nurse manager should inform her staff and management the reason for a change and should be able to show in measurable terms. The nurse manager should notify all the nurses and the management about the modified vacation time, schedules and the overtimes for safe staffing. The nurse manager should plan for each stage of implementation and should anticipate accommodating any new information and change. Not everybody will be satisfied with the schedule or there may be unexpected staff emergencies or sickness so the nurse manager should be able to get the cooperation of all the staff to perform her duties and should give enough time for the change. According to Lewin’s field theory, there are two opposing forces, the driving force and the restraining force in response to a change. Driving forces generate planned change and restraining forces generate resistance to change (Grohar-Murray Langan, 2011). The nurse manager by all means has to decrease the resistance to the change so the drive can be increased. The most important element in reducing the resistance is establishing trust by giving explanations, requesting input, acknowledging concerns, making changes in small doses, offering to assist, explaining benefits, and acknowledging success (Grohar-Murray Langan, 2011). The nurse manager has to explain to the senior nurses and the union representatives and the management, the need for safe staffing by balancing the schedules and assignments to avoid unnecessary vacation time for more than two people at a time during the busiest season, to reduce burnout and overtimes and to improve retention. Staff retention saves lots of money for the management and it improves better patient outcomes. The nurse manager should succeed in the way she/he explain the need for safe staffing, which can decrease falls, medication errors, pressure ulcers, decrease hospital stays, infections and death. Human behavior and interaction is far too complex to be able to gain total support for a change (Grohar-Murray Langan, 2011). There will be some resistance even with the best explanations given by the nurse manager, but in the long run it will be reduced and can get full support from everybody. The plan for evaluation is consistent with the overall change design, with outcomes being measured against the criteria found in the statements of purpose and objectives for change (Grohar-Murray Langan, 2011). The nurse manager should evaluate the changes. The evaluation of safe staffing can be seen with improved patient and staff satisfaction, better patient outcomes, decrease falls, pressure ulcers and infection rates, decrease sick calls, decrease employee turnover, good feedbacks by the patients and the employees. By interpreting the role of evaluation and the outcomes of changes, the nurse manager can improve and make better plans and modifications. References Grohar-Murray, M. E., Langan, J. (2011). Leadership and management in nursing (4th ed., p. 250-256). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Health Science. Miles, M. (2007).An overview of strategies for planned change in human systems. Retrieved from http://www.innovation.cc/scholarly-style/classic-theories.pdf Roussel, L (2006) Management and Leadership for Nurse Administrators. Fourth edition. Jones and Barlett, London.

Anti-semitism And Sartre :: essays research papers

In Sartre's Anti-Semite and Jew, he makes reference to the notion that anti-Semitism arises not against individual Jews, but against the " idea of the Jew." That is to say that the Jew is recognized only as a member of a group associated with fear and disgust, not as an individual capable of being anything but the stereotype of the Jew. I agree with Sartre's theory as I have seen first hand the disgust associated with being Jewish. The Jew is judged not by his action or words but simply by the fact that he is a Jew, and the preconceived idea of what this means. As discussed in class, Jews have been used as scapegoats throughout history. They have been blamed for countless economical and social problems simply because of the predisposition towards anti-Semitism that most have. To understand this predisposition is easy. It has come from years of unwillingness to assimilate by the Jews. Because of this unwillingness, the Jews have come to be recognized as different and therefore bad, because, as discussed in class, most identify easiest with what is different with the automatic assumption that it is bad. I think another reason for this assumption is the fact that it is easier to judge people than to understand them, as we can clearly see gentiles have done continuously throughout history to the Jews.Consequently, throughout history, the anti-Semite has come to adopt an "idea of the Jew", of his nature, and of his role in society. As Sartre explains, "the Jew whom the anti-Semite wishes to lay hands upon is not a schematic being defined solely by his function, as under administrative law; or by status or acts, as under the Code. He is a Jew, the son of a Jew, recognizable by his physique, by the colour of his hair, by his clothing perhaps, and, so they say, by his character." To the anti-Semite, the Jew's character is oily, tactless, intriguing, selfish and greedy. He believes that all Jews are this way, and therefore treats them all the same, with hatred and repulsion. While a Jew might be a successful business man, a doctor, lawyer, or teacher etc. he is also a Jew, and that is all he is recognized for in the eyes of the anti-Semite.Furthermore, Sartre argues that "if the Jew did not exist, the Anti-Semite would invent him." This is self explanatory by the fact that Jews have been used as scapegoats and will continuously be used as such in the future.

Dont Judge a Book by Its Cover

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they must admit that their parents were right. We do not like to admit it, but the old adages they told us as children are normally correct, and we teach them to our children. My mother was adamant about teaching me that you should â€Å"never judge a book by its cover†. Some examples of what she meant are: the color of someone’s skin, the way they dress, the type of car they drive, anything that might give false impressions, either both good or bad. For the majority of my life, I had lived by that rule; kept it engrained in my mind, but when it came to the men in my life, well the cover was everything. When it came to men I was a student of Oscar Wilde who coined the phrase â€Å"It is only the shallow who do not judge by appearances. † I was under the impression that aesthetics were everything. It took me until one day before my twenty-fifth birthday to determine that maybe I should apply the saying that Mom taught me, rather than the philosophy of Wilde, to every aspect of my life. I now know that it is truer than anything else that Mother ever taught me; â€Å"never judge a book by its cover†, or you just might miss a great story. The day before my twenty-fifth birthday three of my girlfriends and I decided to go out for a pre-birthday celebration. There was a big party planned the following night, and we knew that we would not have a lot of time to hang out together. We got all dressed up and went to our favorite sports bar, George’s. I guess we could be considered regulars, and because of that, we knew a lot of the people there that night. As we sat around our table, listening to music and talking, several people came over to the table to give me birthday wishes since they would not be attending the party the next night. About halfway through the evening, a friend of mine named Chuck came over to say hello because we had not seen each other in quite some time. He had been out of town visiting family in Huntsville, Texas. He told me that he had brought one of his cousins back to Houston with him to the bar as well as an old friend from high school. I looked over towards his table and saw a man, who, in my opinion, at the time was the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on. I had to meet him. There was no way around it; he was tall, dark, and handsome. He had a smile that could light up a room. I did not say anything to Chuck just then, we simply continued our conversation, and I made sure to remind him of the party the following evening. He promised he would come. All the while I hoped that he would bring his friend or cousin. I was not sure yet which he was, but I would soon find out. Sometime after midnight, it was officially my birthday, and I decided that my present to myself would be to meet that handsome stranger. I walked over to Chuck’s table and introduced myself to the other gentlemen. I quickly learned that the man whom I thought was so handsome was Alex, Chuck’s cousin, and the other man was Don, Chuck’s friend from high school. We talked for a while and I invited them all to the party later that night. I made sure they all had my number in case they needed directions and bade them good night. I just knew that Alex would show up and be my next beau. The next evening I got a call from Don, which was not the call that I had been anticipating, he was asking for directions and said that he was coming with Chuck, but they had not heard from Alex. I was a little disappointed, but was excited about the party, so I did not let it get me down. When Don and Chuck arrived, I was shocked to see that Don came in with two dozen long stemmed white roses. â€Å"Happy Birthday Beautiful; you are even more beautiful than the flowers that I hold for you† and he kissed me on my cheek. I felt speechless but somehow managed to muster a quiet Thank you so much, they are amazing. † Once he had given me the flowers, Don and Chuck went to find a seat and I remained stunned in mine. I talked to my friends that were with me the previous night, and one asked â€Å"Where is Alex? † â€Å"I have no idea. † I said. â€Å"Those flowers are incredible! Where did you get them? † my friend Becky asked. â€Å"Don, the friend of Ch uck’s that I met last night at George’s. The flowers are beautiful, and he told me I was too, I can’t believe this, he likes me. I don’t know what to do; he is so nice but just not my type. He’s shorter than most guys I date and he is not slim and trim the way I usually like my boyfriends; what am I going to do? I guess I will just smile and be nice and think about it tomorrow. † I said to my friends and we continued with the party. I never saw Alex that night and never got a phone call from him either. I looked at the flowers all day Sunday and could not get past how much Don was not my type but yet so very sweet. Don called me on Monday to say hi and thank me for inviting him to my party. He had really enjoyed himself. Finally, he asked if I wanted to go to George’s and watch he basketball game on Tuesday night. I was torn, he was nice enough, but I did not want to lead him on because he was not my type, it would never work. I decided to go and see what would happen after some good natured ribbing from my friends about being conceited and mean. I am so glad that my friends did pick on me and make me regret being shallow because I ended up very sere ndipitous. I soon found out that Don was the nicest man I had ever met. After spending some time with him his looks were not of consequence anymore, in fact they had grown on me in a way I never expected they would. Ever since that Tuesday night we have been together and are now married with two beautiful daughters. Once we kissed, that man whom I had once considered a frog quickly turned into a Prince and I was blessed to become his princess. I should have listened to my mother all those years ago and applied the saying to â€Å"never judge a book by its cover† to everything in my life; I may have saved myself some heartache. Thanks Mom for instilling values in me and keeping in the back of my mind, â€Å"never judge a book by its cover† you might miss a great story; or in my case, a fairytale. Dont Judge a Book by Its Cover There comes a time in everyone’s life when they must admit that their parents were right. We do not like to admit it, but the old adages they told us as children are normally correct, and we teach them to our children. My mother was adamant about teaching me that you should â€Å"never judge a book by its cover†. Some examples of what she meant are: the color of someone’s skin, the way they dress, the type of car they drive, anything that might give false impressions, either both good or bad. For the majority of my life, I had lived by that rule; kept it engrained in my mind, but when it came to the men in my life, well the cover was everything. When it came to men I was a student of Oscar Wilde who coined the phrase â€Å"It is only the shallow who do not judge by appearances. † I was under the impression that aesthetics were everything. It took me until one day before my twenty-fifth birthday to determine that maybe I should apply the saying that Mom taught me, rather than the philosophy of Wilde, to every aspect of my life. I now know that it is truer than anything else that Mother ever taught me; â€Å"never judge a book by its cover†, or you just might miss a great story. The day before my twenty-fifth birthday three of my girlfriends and I decided to go out for a pre-birthday celebration. There was a big party planned the following night, and we knew that we would not have a lot of time to hang out together. We got all dressed up and went to our favorite sports bar, George’s. I guess we could be considered regulars, and because of that, we knew a lot of the people there that night. As we sat around our table, listening to music and talking, several people came over to the table to give me birthday wishes since they would not be attending the party the next night. About halfway through the evening, a friend of mine named Chuck came over to say hello because we had not seen each other in quite some time. He had been out of town visiting family in Huntsville, Texas. He told me that he had brought one of his cousins back to Houston with him to the bar as well as an old friend from high school. I looked over towards his table and saw a man, who, in my opinion, at the time was the most handsome man I had ever laid eyes on. I had to meet him. There was no way around it; he was tall, dark, and handsome. He had a smile that could light up a room. I did not say anything to Chuck just then, we simply continued our conversation, and I made sure to remind him of the party the following evening. He promised he would come. All the while I hoped that he would bring his friend or cousin. I was not sure yet which he was, but I would soon find out. Sometime after midnight, it was officially my birthday, and I decided that my present to myself would be to meet that handsome stranger. I walked over to Chuck’s table and introduced myself to the other gentlemen. I quickly learned that the man whom I thought was so handsome was Alex, Chuck’s cousin, and the other man was Don, Chuck’s friend from high school. We talked for a while and I invited them all to the party later that night. I made sure they all had my number in case they needed directions and bade them good night. I just knew that Alex would show up and be my next beau. The next evening I got a call from Don, which was not the call that I had been anticipating, he was asking for directions and said that he was coming with Chuck, but they had not heard from Alex. I was a little disappointed, but was excited about the party, so I did not let it get me down. When Don and Chuck arrived, I was shocked to see that Don came in with two dozen long stemmed white roses. â€Å"Happy Birthday Beautiful; you are even more beautiful than the flowers that I hold for you† and he kissed me on my cheek. I felt speechless but somehow managed to muster a quiet Thank you so much, they are amazing. † Once he had given me the flowers, Don and Chuck went to find a seat and I remained stunned in mine. I talked to my friends that were with me the previous night, and one asked â€Å"Where is Alex? † â€Å"I have no idea. † I said. â€Å"Those flowers are incredible! Where did you get them? † my friend Becky asked. â€Å"Don, the friend of Ch uck’s that I met last night at George’s. The flowers are beautiful, and he told me I was too, I can’t believe this, he likes me. I don’t know what to do; he is so nice but just not my type. He’s shorter than most guys I date and he is not slim and trim the way I usually like my boyfriends; what am I going to do? I guess I will just smile and be nice and think about it tomorrow. † I said to my friends and we continued with the party. I never saw Alex that night and never got a phone call from him either. I looked at the flowers all day Sunday and could not get past how much Don was not my type but yet so very sweet. Don called me on Monday to say hi and thank me for inviting him to my party. He had really enjoyed himself. Finally, he asked if I wanted to go to George’s and watch he basketball game on Tuesday night. I was torn, he was nice enough, but I did not want to lead him on because he was not my type, it would never work. I decided to go and see what would happen after some good natured ribbing from my friends about being conceited and mean. I am so glad that my friends did pick on me and make me regret being shallow because I ended up very sere ndipitous. I soon found out that Don was the nicest man I had ever met. After spending some time with him his looks were not of consequence anymore, in fact they had grown on me in a way I never expected they would. Ever since that Tuesday night we have been together and are now married with two beautiful daughters. Once we kissed, that man whom I had once considered a frog quickly turned into a Prince and I was blessed to become his princess. I should have listened to my mother all those years ago and applied the saying to â€Å"never judge a book by its cover† to everything in my life; I may have saved myself some heartache. Thanks Mom for instilling values in me and keeping in the back of my mind, â€Å"never judge a book by its cover† you might miss a great story; or in my case, a fairytale.

Religious Ethics Essay

In this essay, I will be taking religious ethics to mean the ethical principles of Christianity, i.e. Christian Ethics. This includes the moral decisions based on the teachings of Christianity from such sources as the Bible. The term ‘environmental issues’ covers a broad spectrum of concerns. As far as ethics is concerned, the issue is how far our moral concerns should extend to the environment and how we should live out our responsibility towards it. By environment, the earth and all its living entities are concerned. As our concern for the environment has increased and our general awareness heightened, debates about morality towards the environment have emerged. Issues such as climate change, pollution, global warming and the extinction of species can all be linked to the actions of humans (e.g. CFCs and the burning of fossil fuels). Therefore, as the damage to our environment becomes more problematic, the link between its deterioration and the actions of humans becomes more prominent. Anthropocenctrism, usually attributed to the teachings of Christianity, places humans at the centre of the world and therefore the environment. Aristotle taught that ‘nature has made all things specifically for the sake of man’; he basically states that humans are the only beings on earth that have intrinsic value, and that everything else placed on this earth has instrumental value and is to be used for the benefit of humans. Humanity is placed at the top of Aristotle’s hierarchy due to their possession of reason; animals can move and feel pain so come next; plants who can only grow and reproduce are placed at the bottom; and he appears to place no value on inanimate objects as they don’t even have a vegetative soul. During the late 18th century and the early 19th century, the thinkers of the enlightenment period, also known as ‘the age of reason’, emphasised anthropocentric approaches and concluded that reason is the mark of authority. Scientific discoveries were made that bred confidence in man’s ability and shifted philosophical thought away from the teaching that God and the church are the centre of morality. Capitalism emerged which taught emphasising the success of the individual. Immanuel Kant placed humans at the top of his hierarchy with their intrinsic worth due to their possession of reason. Kant also viewed animals as of no moral concern to humans; the only time it is wrong to hurt an animal is when it could instrumentally harm a human. However, by Kant’s reasoning that we can only have concern for animals if the impact is on humanity, he is contradicting himself as he looks to the consequence, which denotes it as a hypothetical imperative and therefore immoral. He also decides on moral action using formulations of the categorical imperative; 1. universalisability, where no contradictions can occur. Kant did not intend his theory to be used as an environmental ethic as it was not relevant at the time. 2. Kant declares that only moral rational agents need moral consideration as ‘ends in themselves’ and we should exclude animals from moral worth which concludes it to be outdates and unsuitable to be used as an environmental ethic. Therefore, Kant’s ethic is likely to be an unsympathetic approach and would probably lead to damage to the environment. Christian anthropocentrism is mainly derived from the teachings of Genesis. The creation story (Genesis (1:26-28) teaches us to â€Å"fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth†. This implies that God has made all things for the sake of humans; that the only beings upon this earth that have intrinsic value are humans, and that everything else serves to benefit humanity (instrumental value). The only reason we need to have care for the environment is because our actions may have an impact, sooner or later, upon ourselves. St Thomas Aquinas also held this belief and stated that â€Å"injury to an animals leads to the temporal hurt of man, either the doer of the deed, or of another†. Dr Lynn White suggested that we need to re-examine our attitudes towards nature, which derive from our religious beliefs, in order to successfully address the ecological crises. He said â€Å"Human ecology is deeply conditioned by beliefs about our nature and destiny – that is, by religion†. He develops this suggesting that our destruction and damage to the environment can be traced to the technological advances of the industrial revolution and the enlightenment period which are a result of the despotic interpretation of the Judeo-Christian teachings declaring Western Christianity as â€Å"the most anthropocentric religion the world has seen†. Utilitarianism is another approach towards ecological issues that one can consider when deciding the best approach towards environmental issues. Peter Singer is a preference utilitarian, who doesn’t measure happiness in the measure of extent or duration of happiness but instead on the satisfaction of desires or preferences. Singer measures the importance of an individual or being, not on their possession of a soul or reason, but on their ability to suffer. To Singer, it doesn’t matter whether the being in question is human or not and both humans and sensory non-humans are equally entitled to moral concern. As we can imagine that their preference would be to avoid pain. He accused many moral philosophers and scientists of Speceism; refusing respect to the lives of other species, not just humans, and proposed that we need to include animals in the ‘expanding circle of moral worth’; â€Å"If possessing a higher intelligence does not entitle one human to use another for his own ends, how can it entitle humans to exploit non humans for the same purpose?†. The problem that arises from Singer’s theory is whether or not plants, and lesser life forms and non-life forms are included in the ‘expanding circle of moral worth’ as they are not conscious living entities so we don’t know what their preferences would be. Initially, Singer does not consider lesser life forms to have any moral significance, but in the second edition of his book states â€Å"the argument from intrinsic value of the plants, species or eco systems is at best problematic†. Singer’s utilitarian argument has weaknesses in so far as it has no clear boundaries as to where our moral concern should lie. Unlike Christianity’s anthropocentric approach which clearly places humanity as the centre of our moral concern, Utilitarianism only beholds vague ideas of where our moral concern should extend to. The utilitarian argument has its strength in its positioning of the capability of suffering above the possession of reason. This does bear a more sympathetic approach towards humans of lesser intelligence (i.e. those with special needs) but then suggests that they are on the same level as animals. This would suggest Christianity to be a better approach as it is more compassionate. Biocentrism, proposed by Paul Taylor, extends the circle of moral worth to include all living things and thus declares that humanity is not the centre of existence. Taylor argues that all life forms have intrinsic value which human beings have a duty to respect. We therefore have a moral responsibility towards them which would entail engaging in practices and policies aimed at specific ways of preserving the ecosystems. Taylor holds non-living things such as mountains to only hold instrumental value and therefore they bare no ethical status. Taylor’s argument is fairly balanced as it doesn’t presume that human beings are the only beings with intrinsic value but he fails to introduce any sort of hierarchy and places humans on the same level as bacteria, which seems absurd. He also implies that we should all be vegans, but fails to address this, and doesn’t consider whether a lion is acting immorally if it eats a zebra. Christianity therefore is more logical as it sets a clear hierarchy which allows mowing the lawn and eating meat. Ecocentrism is another approach to environmental issues. It recognises the importance of the ecosphere and the environment with out suggesting that any organism as more important than the other. Aldo Leopold proposed an ecocentric theory; ‘The Land Ethic’ which â€Å"simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soil, waters, plants and animals. Or collectively – the land†. He argued that current conservation policies are based on economic motives. He says â€Å"it is inconceivable to me than an ethical relation to land can exist without love, respect, and admiration for land and a high regard for its value. By value, I of course mean something far broader than mere economic value; I mean value in the philosophical sense†. He argues that Christianity’s teachings of ‘dominion’ saw us as conquerors of the land and that if we are to resolve the ecological crises we need to see ourselves as members of the community that also includes the land. Another ecocentric approach is that of ‘deep ecology’ devised by Arne Naess. It was born out of appreciation for non-Christian religions that recognised the sacredness of natural phenomena. This includes the notion of ‘biospheric egalitarianism’ which views that all living things have intrinsic value. Deep ecology views the world as a network of interconnected and interdependent phenomena; a ‘web of life’. These theories fail to determine how lesser life forms could have any moral interest, and how mountains and the like could have any moral interests whatsoever. This weakens it as Christianity. However it does appear to be more sympathetic as it concludes that other life forms have intrinsic value, not just humans. Another ecocentric approach is that of the Gaia Hypothesis proposed by James Lovelock. After discovering that it is the earth’s unique atmosphere that makes life on earth possible, he declared the difference between earth and the other planets was ‘Gaia’. All life forms are part of ‘Gaia’ and he saw the earth as a self regulating living system. In his words Gaia is â€Å"a complex entity involving the Earth’s biosphere, atmosphere, oceans and soil; the totality constituting a feedback or cybernetic system which seeks an optimal physical and chemical environment for life on this planet†. He saw the ecosystems of the earth as intelligently organised, not by God, but by Gaia’s self engineering. He concludes that if humans were taken out of Gaia, it would survive without us; therefore, humanity is not integral to the environment. Lovelock later suggested that as the environmental issues increase, the planet may not be able to recover and we are in the process of killing the earth, which he refers to as matricide. This suggestion that the earth is intelligently organised has much evidence (for example the water cycle, the reproductive system). However, by suggesting that the earth is alive and therefore self regulates these systems is weak as it is hard to prove. For Christians, the intelligent organisation is of course a result of God. The despotic readings of the creation story present Christianity negatively as White argues. Because we are made in the image of God we believe that the world was made for our sake only. However, one must look at other interpretations of Christian teachings that would suggest a more considerate approach to the environment. One could interpret the use of the word ‘dominion’ no as despotic, but as a call for stewardship. God has chosen humanity to regulate the response of the natural world to its creator so we must care and conserve and acts as the director of nature’s obedience to God. This makes Christian teaching more ‘theocentric’ than ‘anthropocentric’ as it suggests that the peak of creation is God. If we used this as a basic principle when approaching environmental issues, then it would be a strong theory, as it allows humanity to care for the land. Aquinas’s Natural Law theory is based on the thinking of Aristotle, that all things in nature are for the good of man. He extends this further to explain how things are not worthless, but valuable because they are what God intended them to be; they fulfil their own Telos. Humans are declared as the most valuable beings due to their creation in ‘imago dei’ and possession of reason but we should follow stewardship rather than despotism. This would however suggest that despite the strengths of being stewards, being a Christian Ethic, one must have a belief in God to conclude this to be a valid approach to environmental issues. Another Christian approach is Joseph Fletcher’s Situation Ethics which emphasises the importance of love in moral decisions, but was never considered an environmental ethic. Fletcher believed in ‘personalism’; that people are placed before the laws, again being anthropocentric in that we are suggested to be able to do what we want. He promoted ‘pragmatism’; that one must do something that would produced the most loving consequences in that situation. This would be a positive approach to the environment as people would be loving towards it. This could perhaps places the environment second to human needs which would be a negative attitude. However, Fletcher’s ethic is too vague to be considered in any depth as we can’t define what is the most loving thing, who it’s for or even what ‘love’ means. Attfield suggests a deeper interpretation of Christian teachings in order to accurately devise an ethical basis towards the environment. He saw that in Job (38:25) for example, God is said to send rain for the plants and uninhabited wilderness. And to have made wilderness for the Ass. Also the proverbs inform us that â€Å"a righteous man regardeth the life of his beast†. This would be the understanding that Jesus would have had, following the Old Testament teachings. There are New Testament teachings that would instruct a more sympathetic attitude to nature such as Jesus’ time in the desert amongst wild beasts after his baptism, and the use of nature and animals in his teachings and parables. However, there are the passages of the Gadarene swine and the cursing of the fig tree that suggest a more inconsiderate attitude is permitted. In Hebrew tradition, Kings were answerable to God, not absolute monarchs in themselves, therefore according to Attfield â€Å"the biblical dominion of man is no despotism†. However, White argues that in medieval times the embrace of Christianity and the rejection of paganism changed the relationship between man and nature. The pagan ideas of living beings having a soul or a spirit (animism) encouraged a positive attitude towards nature, which were corrupted by the growth of Christianity. Attfield however counter argues these claims and says the ecological crises can’t be blamed on ancient traditions as they have happened in more recent times (post 1945). Japan, for example, which is not a Christian country, shares many of the environmental problems that the West has. It is not just paganism and Buddhism that impose a limit on humankind’s use of nature. Attfield then concludes that we needn’t have a new environmental position; we just need to revert to stewardship rather than dominion. Walter H O’Briant proposed a ‘born again Christian’ belief in the rapture; that Christ will return and the bodies and souls of the saved will go to heaven. The earth is, according to O’Briant, a temporary home therefore it doesn’t matter what we do to the earth. After considering the theories discussed and evaluating their strengths and weaknesses I would argue that religious ethics are the best approach to environmental issues, provided we revert to a more ‘stewardship’ attitude, rather than the despotic interpretation.

Public Affair Class Summary #8 Example

Public Affair Class Summary #8 Example Public Affair Class Summary #8 – Essay Example Midterm Political Ads That Worked, and Why Advertising yourself in a political campaign is important because it connectsyou with the electorates. One of the recent best ways of advertising is through ads. But the outcome will depend on how your message connects to the electorate and how you framed the opponent. An example is that, Mrs. Ernst and Mr. Roberts used the ads in their campaigns, the ads convened a lot of messages that later defined the campaign. The Cost of CampaignsThere have been numerous debates on the cost of running campaigns and how political parties should get funded. A lot of these questions were raised after the Watergate scandal, in which it is believed corrupt money managed to drive President Nixon into power. If campaign funding is not regulated, large corporation will pour money into campaigns so that they will have a say in government hence taking most of the government jobs, this will then disadvantages those who cannot afford to raise the funds. Agenda-Sett ing, Priming, and framing Revisited: Another look at Cognitive Effects of Political Communication. Original formulation of agenda setting hypothesis was phrased more like a speculative idea, to construct a more comprehensive theoretical model, Weaver, McCombs, and Shaw suggested that priming and framing should be seen as natural extension of agenda setting. The three, priming, framing, and agenda setting, was combined into a single theoretical framework, this was based on assumption that when theory is integrated, it will become desirable. Are Super PACs Harming U.S. Politics?PAC gained popularity in U.S after a Supreme Court ruling that government should not prohibit independent spending by corporations and unions for political gains. Another ruling from the federal court that involve a case between Speechnow.org v. Federal Election Commission, was that no limit should be put on contributors who are funding groups that carry out independent expenditures. PAC is now running campaign s that support certain candidates and campaigns are running into billions of dollars. Opponents of PAC argue that a lot of money is spending on campaigns while proponents argue that free speech is protected by the law. Chapter 10The current democratic governments have certain laws that can differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate public relation activities. Even with that, it is still hard to draw a line between appropriate communications and odious propaganda. People who engage in public relations exercise should always be aware of dangers that will result from crossing the line. In U.S government, there are several legal prohibitions and related political norms found in the constitution that guides the citizens who may not be in the federal level on what to look after and consider in government. ReferencesLee, M., Neeley, G. & Stewart, K. (Eds.). (2012). The practice of government public relations. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor and Francis Group. Dietram, A.S. Agenda-setting, priming, and framing revisited: another look at cognitive effects of political communication. Mass communication and society. 2000, 3(2), 297-316Clyde, H. The Cost of Campaigns. New York Times. Oct. 19, 2014Lynn, V. Midterm Political Ads That Worked, and Why. New York Times. Nov. 5, 2014Are Super PACs Harming U.S. Politics? Debate club. Available at usnews.com/debate-club/are-super-pacs-harming-us-politics

Sexual Harrassment essays

Sexual Harrassment essays It is important to discuss sexual harassment in the workplace because it has many social, financial, and psychological consequences if not properly dealt with (Gerdes 33). Over the last 20 years, the Supreme Court has handled hundreds of cases dealing with the issue. It has modified and amended the laws concerning the act in order to form a less hostile workplace (Springer). It is hard to calculate just how much sexual harassment is taking place in the workplace because so many employees are unaware of the rules, but also because many are just too embarrassed to come forward. The most accurate and recent study was taken in 1987 and found that as many as 44% of women and 19% of men have experienced some sort of unwanted sexual advancements in public agencies alone. The number of incidents occurring in private business is unknown (Lindenberg 2). It is expected that as more women assume supervisory positions in the work place that the numbers will increase (Larsen). In order to discuss the topic of sexual harassment in the work place, one must have a clear definition of what actually constitutes sexual harassment. Surprisingly, however, there is no one single definition for this act. Each agency is responsible for implementing its own rules and regulations for the subject. Fortunately, though, most definitions can be interpreted nearly the same. The United States Department of Defense has a good and thorough definition that reads: Sexual Harassment may constitute one or several of the following: Æ’Ã ¦ Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person ¡s job, pay, or career or, Æ’Ã ¦ Submission to, or rejection of, such conduct by a person is used as a basis for career or employment decisions affecting that person, or Æ’Ã ¦ Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual ¡s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensi...

Battle of Coochs Bridge in the American Revolution

Battle of Cooch's Bridge in the American Revolution Battle of Coochs Bridge - Conflict Date: The Battle of Coochs Bridge was fought September 3, 1777, during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Battle of Coochs Bridge - Armies Commanders: Americans General George WashingtonBrigadier General William Maxwell450 men British General Sir William HoweLieutenant General Lord Charles CornwallisLieutenant Colonel Ludwig von Wurmb293 men Battle of Coochs Bridge - Background: Having captured New York in 1776, British campaign plans for the following year called for Major General John Burgoynes army to advance south from Canada with the goal of capturing the Hudson Valley and severing New England from the rest of the American colonies.   In commencing his operations, Burgoyne hoped that General Sir William Howe, the overall British commander in North America, would march north from New York City to support the campaign.   Uninterested in advancing up the Hudson, Howe instead set his sights on taking the American capital at Philadelphia.   To do so, he planned to embark the bulk of his army and sail south. Working with his brother, Admiral Richard Howe, Howe initially hoped to ascend the Delaware River and land below Philadelphia.   An assessment of the river forts in the Delaware deterred the Howes from this line of approach and they instead decided to sail further south before moving up the Chesapeake Bay.   Putting to sea in late July, the British were hampered by poor weather.   Though aware of Howes departure from New York, the American commander, General George Washington, remained in the dark regarding the enemys intentions.   Receiving sighting reports from along the coast, he increasingly determined that the target was Philadelphia.   As a result, he began moving his army south in late August.   Battle of Coochs Bridge - Coming Ashore: Moving up the Chesapeake Bay, Howe started landing his army at Head of Elk on August 25.   Moving inland, the British began concentrating their forces before beginning the march northeast toward Philadelphia.   Having encamped at Wilmington, DE, Washington, along with Major General Nathanael Greene and the Marquis de Lafayette, rode southwest on August 26 and reconnoitered the British from atop Iron Hill.   Assessing the situation, Lafayette recommended employing a force of light infantry to disrupt the British advance and give Washington time to choose suitable ground for blocking Howes army.   This duty normally would have fallen to Colonel Daniel Morgans riflemen, but this force had been sent north to reinforce Major General Horatio Gates who was opposing Burgoyne.   As a result, a new command of 1,100 handpicked men was quickly assembled under the leadership of Brigadier General William Maxwell. Battle of Coochs Bridge - Moving to Contact: On the morning of September 2, Howe directed Hessian General Wilhelm von Knyphausen to depart Cecil County Court House with the right wing of the army and move east toward Aikens Tavern.   This march was slowed by poor roads and foul weather.   The next day, Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis was ordered to break camp at Head of Elk and join Knyphausen at the tavern.   Advancing east over different roads, Howe and Cornwallis reached Aikens Tavern ahead of the delayed Hessian general and elected to turn north without waiting for the planned rendezvous.   To the north, Maxwell had positioned his force south of Coochs Bridge which spanned the Christina River as well as sent a light infantry company south to set an ambush along the road. Battle of Coochs Bridge - A Sharp Fight: Riding north, Cornwallis advance guard, which was comprised of a company of Hessian dragoons led by Captain Johann Ewald, fell into Maxwells trap.   Springing the ambush, the American light infantry broke up the Hessian column and Ewald retreated to obtain aid from Hessian and Ansbach jgers in Cornwallis command.   Advancing,  jgers led by Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig von Wurmb engaged the Maxwells men in a running fight north.   Deploying in a line with artillery support, Wurmbs men attempted to pin the Americans in place with bayonet charge in the center while sending a force to turn Maxwells flank.   Recognizing the danger, Maxwell continued to slowly retreat north towards the bridge (Map). Reaching Coochs Bridge, the Americans formed to make a stand on the east bank of the river.   Increasingly pressed by Wurmbs men, Maxwell retreated across the span to a new position on the west bank.   Breaking off the fight, the  jgers occupied nearby Iron Hill.   In an effort to take the bridge, a battalion of British light infantry crossed the river downstream and began moving north.   This effort was badly slowed by swampy terrain.   When this force finally arrived, it, along with the threat posed by Wurmbs command, compelled Maxwell to depart the field and retreat back to Washingtons camp outside Wilmington, DE. Battle of Coochs Bridge - Aftermath: Casualties for the Battle of Coochs Bridge are not known with certainty but are estimated at 20 killed and 20 wounded for Maxwell and 3-30 killed and 20-30 wounded for Cornwallis.   As Maxwell moved north, Howes army continued to be harassed by American militia forces.   That evening, Delaware militia, led by Caesar Rodney, struck the British near Aikens Tavern in a hit-and-run attack.   Over the next week, Washington marched north with the intention of blocking Howes advance near Chadds Ford, PA.   Taking a position behind the Brandywine River, he was defeated at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11.   In the days after the battle, Howe succeeded in occupying Philadelphia.   An American counterattack on October 4 was turned back at the Battle of Germantown.   The campaign season ended later that fall with Washingtons army going into winter quarters at Valley Forge.            Selected Sources DAR: Battle of Coochs BridgePHAA: Battle of Coochs BridgeHMDB: Battle of Coochs Bridge

Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Project - Essay Example There are several ways of gathering data. Data can be collected from primary as well as secondary sources. Data that are collected from the primary sources are called primary data and when they are collected from secondary sources, are called secondary data. In primary research direct interaction takes place between the researchers and the sample of the research as the data are collected directly from the sample. On the other hand in secondary research data are mainly collected from books, journal and scholarly articles that are already published. Less amount of cost is associated with secondary research as compared to the primary research, but on the other hand secondary data are not as reliable as primary ones. Moreover analysis of primary data is more convenient than that of secondary data. This research is based on the primary data that are collected by the help of a properly designed questionnaire which is one of the most important data collection tool. A questionnaire is consis ted of either close ended or open ended questions. Close ended questions are easier to analyze as compared to open ended questions. This is mainly because the answers of close ended questions can be put into statistical tools to analyse them, but it is not possible in case of answers of open ended questions. In quantitative research method it is very important to form a questionnaire that mainly includes close ended questions. However in case of a qualitative research open ended questions can be included in the questionnaire. This questionnaire is designed keeping the focus on the type of data that are required. The questionnaire is given at the appendices Questions are mainly asked to the parents and the teachers as the main objective of the research is to find out the positive relationship between the academic achievement of children and parental involvement. Teachers are also involved in the

Economics Analysis when Chicken food price is going up Term Paper

Economics Analysis when Chicken food price is going up - Term Paper Example The intersection point of the demand and supply curves is called the equilibrium point (Thomas & Maurice 2008). In the given scenario, there is an increase in the input cost for products made from chicken. The input costs are higher as the chicken feed price goes up. There are certain input costs and the increase in their prices results in a reduction of the supply of the products in which they are used. An increase in input cost causes the supply curve to move towards left. In other words, an increase in input costs reduces the overall profit to the supplier and hence, the supplier reduces the level of supply. The quantity demanded, as a result, does not satisfy and remains unchanged. In our case, the result of an increase in chicken feed prices will reduce the chicken output. Relating this to the Restaurant industry, the reduced supply of chicken will result in higher prices of chicken and eggs related cuisines like Burgers, Omelets, Sandwiches and most of the baked items like cakes. The equilibrium price in the restaurant industry for the foods containing eggs goes up due to the shift in t he demand curve. The equilibrium quantity, however, has shown a declining trend. The increment in feed cost moves the supply curve to the left. The reduced supply of chicken will lead to change in the price and demand of certain products. The price of all products in which chicken is used will go up and the quantity will also be reduced as shown in the figure above. Assuming Beef as a major substitute to chicken, it is obvious that with the rise in prices of chicken products, the demand for substitutes like beef-made products will rise. The demand curve shifts towards right (Krugman & Wells 2009). The consumer demand to have meat products will then be satisfied by the consumption of beef hence an increase in the demand for beef boosts up. The poultry industry will definitely be affected adversely due to the rise in

PD Plans and PD Portfolio Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

PD Plans and PD Portfolio - Assignment Example However, after reviewing all the options that are available in the field of marketing, I have decided to pursue my career as the head of brand and product management department and I want to render my services in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods Industry. My aim is to work in any of the well-reputed Multinational Corporations and for that I will definitely incorporate all the necessary skills and knowledge achievements in my PDP.  I have decided about the objectives that I want to achieve through my PDP so that I can enter the professional world equipped with all the mandatory skills to make a prospering career in my selected profession. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand of marketing professionals will continue to increase at an accelerating rate.  Therefore, the field of marketing will be more competitive in near future and in order to get qualified for the best positions in the well-reputed organizations, the graduates will have to make sure that they h ave competitive edge over their competitors. Hence, the graduates will have to prepare themselves for their career well in advance by developing their PDP during their academic years so that they can give a tough competition to other graduates (Moon, 2004).When I was considering the options for my career, I never gave a thought of making my career in the marketing field. Initially, I wanted to enter the field of Arts as I love to do a lot of creative works and it helps me to do something innovative on my own.... The best job options in the field of marketing are advertising, product development, brand and product management, global portfolio management, business to business marketing, international marketing, retail management, project planning, new product planning, marketing research, Sales and sales force management and marketing management science and systems analysis (All Business Schools, 2009 and Eller College, 2010). However, after reviewing all the options that are available in the field of marketing, I have decided to pursue my career as the head of brand and product management department and I want to render my services in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods Industry. My aim is to work in any of the well-reputed Multinational Corporations and for that I will definitely incorporate all the necessary skills and knowledge achievements in my PDP. I have decided about the objectives that I want to achieve through my PDP so that I can enter the professional world equipped with all the mandat ory skills to make a prospering career in my selected profession. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand of marketing professionals will continue to increase at an accelerating rate. Therefore, the field of marketing will be more competitive in near future and in order to get qualified for the best positions in the well-reputed organizations, the graduates will have to make sure that they have competitive edge over their competitors. Hence, the graduates will have to prepare themselves for their career well in advance by developing their PDP during their academic years so that they can give a tough competition to other graduates (Moon, 2004). When I was considering the options for my career, I never gave a thought of making my

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

Literary Response 1 - Essay Example This does not reflect a scary concept or notion, whereas, it even seems like a near to pleasant experience for her. For her, the concept of death was intense, but lines like ‘Safe in their alabaster chambers,’ in the poem The Sleeping (Dickinson, 2005, line 1) and ‘I heard a fly buzz when I died’ (Dickinson, 2005, line 1) in the poem that goes by the same name clearly illustrate that she was fascinated with this subject. The casual tone that she uses for death by referring to it as ‘he’ or by bringing about the reference of a fly is in fact a reflection of how deeply she thought about death. Therefore, one key voice that comes out in Dickinson’s poetry is her obsession with death. Closely related with the voice of death is the tone of morbidity that one can sense in Dickinson’s poetry. Emotions like pain, separation and hunger surface often in her poetry, giving out a strong sense of morbidity (Eberwein, 1998). The line, ‘Pai n has an element of blank; It cannot recollect, When it began’ in the poem ‘Pain’ (Dickinson, 2005, line 1-3), brings about a sensation of overpowering and almost numbing pain that is experienced in extreme situations.

A Theoretical Analysis of the Narrative of Migration Essay

A Theoretical Analysis of the Narrative of Migration - Essay Example People migrated to other countries with an aim of making their living standards better (Brah 1996, p. 32). Just like Mohamed who ran away from home to look for a better life, migration has been the order of the day especially people moving from developing countries to those that are well developed. When these people move to other countries, they end up forming Diaspora communities. They are forced to learn the new cultures and cope up with people with different behaviors as compared to theirs thus forming Diaspora identity (Hall 1996, p. 85). In Mohamed’s narrative of migration, it is clear that Mohamed was continuously looking for a way to get a well-paying job in the UK. He worked in Aden for two years but became unhappy with his long working hours with very low pay. As a strong-minded young man, Mohamed decided to move to Hargeisa which was the capital city of Somali. While there, he managed to get a passport that enabled him to move to the United Kingdom to work as a seama n. This clearly indicates that people were moving to foreign countries to better their lives. When he arrived in the UK, Mohamed found the western culture totally different from his own country. There was free mixing of both men and women, unlike his country where nearly everyone is a Muslim and thus their culture do not permit the mixing of men and women in the society. He also realized that the infrastructural facilities such as roads, railway lines, bridges and even buildings were of high standards when compared to his own country. Despite all these, Mohamed felt isolated and it even became difficult to learn the western culture which was different from that of Somaliland (Bauder 2006, p. 77). There are various problems faced by immigrants as they moved to other countries, for example, language barrier, cultural barriers, racism, under employment based on low levels of education, and even homesickness (Brubaker 2005, p. 49). Mohamed went through so many challenges when he arrived in London. He had thought that in the UK, people lived happily and enjoyed life without struggle. Surprisingly the case was different since he rented a house and looked for a job within a span of 6 months with no achievement. The main hindrance was his little English that

Contribution toward ENG 105 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Contribution toward ENG 105 - Essay Example Like for many students, expressing ideas through writing seems enjoyable to me and it is therefore important to establish the different writing accomplishments throughout the semester. Beginning my college experience this semester, I felt that I had performed at a slightly lower level pertaining the reading and writing proficiency. The justification for this rating can be based upon my first assignment on the response to the â€Å"front and back matter† of RGRW and Real Boys which required students to have a definite introduction, conclusion, thesis, and of course, transitions, quotations and organization. My references were incomplete, they did not follow an alphabetical order and the paper did not only lack in text citations, but also the works cited page in the reference section. I used a rather simple business writing style in writing up the assignment, a style that I had been using to write for the past couple of years. In addition, the paragraph transitions were to a large extent non-existent and prolixity was such a big problem. All through the college experience, taking the Basic English and literature classes have enabled me to address the issue of competency. For instance, the English 105 class has enabled me to learn on the various essentialities of both the spoken and written language. From the class, I have been able to gain knowledge on how to cite references and use proper works cited pages. Besides, I have also learnt the different writing formats such as the MLA, Harvard and APA for typing papers. The argument-based English class that I took equally enabled me to realize that every paper needs to have a flow and transition with specific points to highlight and echo on. In my second assignment, the instructor gave us a paper that was based on the observations made on the different aspects in the campus. This assignment enabled me to gain the ability to make a

A Theoretical Analysis of the Narrative of Migration Essay

A Theoretical Analysis of the Narrative of Migration - Essay Example People migrated to other countries with an aim of making their living standards better (Brah 1996, p. 32). Just like Mohamed who ran away from home to look for a better life, migration has been the order of the day especially people moving from developing countries to those that are well developed. When these people move to other countries, they end up forming Diaspora communities. They are forced to learn the new cultures and cope up with people with different behaviors as compared to theirs thus forming Diaspora identity (Hall 1996, p. 85). In Mohamed’s narrative of migration, it is clear that Mohamed was continuously looking for a way to get a well-paying job in the UK. He worked in Aden for two years but became unhappy with his long working hours with very low pay. As a strong-minded young man, Mohamed decided to move to Hargeisa which was the capital city of Somali. While there, he managed to get a passport that enabled him to move to the United Kingdom to work as a seama n. This clearly indicates that people were moving to foreign countries to better their lives. When he arrived in the UK, Mohamed found the western culture totally different from his own country. There was free mixing of both men and women, unlike his country where nearly everyone is a Muslim and thus their culture do not permit the mixing of men and women in the society. He also realized that the infrastructural facilities such as roads, railway lines, bridges and even buildings were of high standards when compared to his own country. Despite all these, Mohamed felt isolated and it even became difficult to learn the western culture which was different from that of Somaliland (Bauder 2006, p. 77). There are various problems faced by immigrants as they moved to other countries, for example, language barrier, cultural barriers, racism, under employment based on low levels of education, and even homesickness (Brubaker 2005, p. 49). Mohamed went through so many challenges when he arrived in London. He had thought that in the UK, people lived happily and enjoyed life without struggle. Surprisingly the case was different since he rented a house and looked for a job within a span of 6 months with no achievement. The main hindrance was his little English that

Us War Against Iraq Essay Example for Free

Us War Against Iraq Essay The Bush Administration in June of 2003 first attacked but than later withdrew its troops from Syria. There was no significant explanation for this act by the United States. This was a pure and simple aggression. Than later in August of 2003 George Bush told his people that he is going to launch a more destructive attack on his arch rivals around the world. Than George Bush was approving Israel’s leader Ariel Sharon act of aggression against the Lebanon’s, Palestine’s and Syrians. The World War 3 was not far away at this point. In the beginning of 2004, in the presidential campaign George Bush clearly pointed out the clear picture of the prospect on more aggression on different countries. Was this extra aggression a way for George Bush to win his first Election? Or he wanted to steal the Presidency of United States from the people of America like he did in 2000? When the Bush Jr. administrations aggression against Iraq was over, the United States and the United Kingdom became the â€Å"belligerent occupants† of Iraq in accordance with, and subject to the requirements of, the laws of war. Bush Jr. s May 1, 2003 â€Å"end of major combat operations† speech on the deck of a U. S. aircraft carrier was nothing more than a cheap campaign and legally deceptive propaganda stunt. Succinctly put, these legal rules of war can be found in the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, its Additional Protocol One of 1977, the Hague Regulations of 1907, and U. S. Army Field Manual 27–10 (1956), which require, inter alia, the preservation of Iraqs constitutional and domestic legal order. Nevertheless, the Bush Jr. administration made it crystal clear that they were going to remake Iraq in their own image and thus not pay the least bit of attention to the laws of war. This has entailed a range of policies which would further U. S. /U. K. interests while seeking to drastically curtail future Iraqi options, e. g. , â€Å"privatization† of the Iraqi economy, including and especially its oil industry; drafting a new constitution for Iraq to determine the nature and extent of its democracy; re-writing Iraqs laws; establishing ad hoc war crimes tribunals along the lines of the Bush Jr. kangaroo courts in Guantanamo; de-Baathification; indoctrinating Iraqi schoolchildren with American propaganda through extensive â€Å"reform† of its education system; etc. All of this serves to put the future of Iraq up for sale to the lowest American (and then British and Israeli) bidders. Such violations of the laws of war are war crimes, establishing the legal predicate for a legitimate Iraqi government in the future to repudiate them all. Oil and Gas as the Key to Global Dominance There is no denying that oil was at the top of the Bush Jr. / Sr. hit-list and the fact that Iraq possesses about 11% of the worlds oil reserves. Indeed, prior thereto it was the thirst and lust for oil and natural gas by the American power elite that really propelled the Bush Jr. administrations aggression against Afghanistan: the need to gain direct access to the rich oil and natural gas fields of Central Asia, which marked the first exploitation of the terrible tragedy of September 11 as public justification for a pre-planned war of aggression under the pretext of â€Å"combating international terrorism. Though according to the Bush Jr. administrations version of events, 15 of the 19 hijackers on September 11 were from Saudi Arabia, for some mysterious reason America had to attack, invade, and occupy Afghanistan. Bush administration functionaries continue to lie, cover up, and obstruct investigations into who was ultimately responsible for the terrible tragedy of September 11, and why no one in the Bush Jr. administration acted to prevent it despite numerous, repeated, and widespread warnings beforehand from American as well as European diplomats and agencies. We are witnessing a Pearl Harbor cover-up all over again. The Bush Jr. Wars of aggression against Afghanistan and Iraq must be understood as part of a major grab by the United States government for global energy resources and the attendant power to be derived from controlling about two-thirds of the worlds oil and natural gas supplies located around this Eurasian heartland. Such an assault had been contemplated and planned by the U. S. power elite for quite some time, dating back to the Kissinger threat and plan to steal the Arab oil fields in reaction to the 1973 Arab oil embargo of the West for assisting Israel in its war to hold on to the Arab lands Israel had illegally stolen in its 1967 aggressions against the surrounding Arab states and peoples. The collapse of the Warsaw Pact and the disintegration of the Soviet Union provided the U. S. power elite with the opportunity to put their Machiavellian scheme for world economic hegemony into operation. But the Bush Jr. Wars of aggression against Afghanistan and Iraq must be seen as more than the seizure of oil for domestic consumption. Rather, they are components of a longstanding American plan to control and dominate the oil and natural gas supplies for Europe, Japan, and Asia, and thus the future of the worlds economy—a project my teacher, mentor, and later friend, the late and great Professor Hans Morgenthau once denominated as â€Å"unlimited imperialism† in his classic work Politics Among Nations. Tied into this was the subsidiary objective of making sure that oil continues to be paid for in dollars instead of Euros on the open market. The Bush Sr. 1991 war against Iraq for oil was the first battle in the U. S. quest for world economic hegemony. These subsequent events must be viewed in the same light: the Bush Sr. invasion of Somalia; the Clinton/ Bush Jr. military intervention into Colombia; Bush Jr. s support for the anti Chavez failed coup in oil-rich Venezuela; the post-9/11 U. S. military intervention into and occupation of Djibouti in order to control the Suez Canal/ Persian Gulf oil route to Europe, and also to obtain direct military access to the oil and natural gas resources around the Horn of Africa; the August 2003 U. S. military intervention into Liberia, once again to grab direct military access to the oil and natural gas resources located off and on the West Coast of Africa; etc. Whatever the public rhetoric or justification might be, the fact of the matter is that if the reader looks at a map of the world, the United States government has its military, paramilitary, and covert forces converging upon and/or threatening almost every country in the world that possesses significant quantities of oil or natural gas, as well as their transportation supply-lines and the latters choke-points. Many of these energy-resource-rich countries just happen to be Muslim. That reveals what Huntingtons infamous â€Å"Clash of Civilizations† was really all about. Our clash is their civilization. After September 11, Bush Jr. himself proudly boasted that he was going on a Crusade. Certainly that is the way the Muslim world sees it: an American fundamentalist mission to remake â€Å"world order† in Americas imperialist image—not as democracies, but as client or even failed states—while fomenting world disorder in the process. In this relentless quest and insatiable lust for oil and gas around the world, the United States power elite is now in the process of destroying the entirety of the international legal order that had been established by a predecessor elitist generation running the United States government in the aftermath of and in reaction to the genocidal horrors of the Second World War. Most particularly and especially, this includes, inter alia, the United Nations Charter, as well as the Nuremberg Charter, Judgment, and Principles, all of which had heretofore been the bedrock upon which the entirety of the post-World War II international legal order rested. Preventive Warfare: The Nazi Precedent Iraq had been continuously and illegally bombed by the United States and the United Kingdom since the end of the Bush Sr. Gulf War in 1991 under the pretext of enforcing unauthorized and clearly illegal no-fly zones. But in order to accomplish their objective of seizing Iraq outright, the Bush Jr. warmongers had to articulate another operational rationale for a war of aggression that they could then sell to the American people and Congress that was separate and apart from their fatuous â€Å"war against international terrorism. † So they resurrected the long-ago discredited Nazi doctrine of â€Å"preventive warfare,† once again using the terrible tragedy of 11 September 2001 as a pretext for doing so. The first overt step in their plan was the Bush Jr. aggressive threat to Iraq uttered during the course of his State of the Union Address to the United States Congress on 29 January 2002, in which he branded Iraq as part of a so-called â€Å"axis of evil† along with Iran and North Korea. By means of employing this provocative language harkening back to the World War II â€Å"axis† of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and Imperial Japan, the Bush Jr. administration was deliberately preparing the ground for bogus claims to launch preventive wars against all three of these U. N. member states. Iraq was at the top of the Bush Jr. hit list. Having been materially and psychologically debilitated by over a decade of genocidal economic sanctions imposed upon its people by the United Nations Security Council acting at the behest of the United States and the United Kingdom, Iraq and its oil fields were finally ripe for the imperial picking by Bush Jr. and his right-hand henchman, Tony Blair. By contrast, North Korea and Iran could be expected to defend themselves by inflicting enormous casualties against an aggressor. As on the Southside of Chicago, bullies prefer to pick upon hapless victims. The Nazi doctrine of preventive warfare was publicly articulated by President Bush Jr. in his 1 June 2002 commencement address at the West Point Military Academy. Then in late August of 2002, Vice President Cheney signaled the formal commencement of the Bush Jr. war of aggression against Iraq by giving two public speeches before the Veterans of Foreign Wars (Aug. 26) and the Korean War Veterans (Aug. 29) in which he too publicly touted the Nazi doctrine of preventive warfare against Iraq. The U. S. news media were too obeisant to observe that though warmongering for a war against Iraq before these former soldiers who had actually gone to war, Cheney had ducked out of the Vietnam War, as had Bush, Jr. Wolfowitz and the rest of the Bush Jr. administrations Straussian Neo-Con cabal were too busy studying Machiavelli and Nietzsche with Strauss, Bloom, and their acolytes from the University of Chicago. Unlike the WWII American power elite, many of whose sons actually fought in combat (e. g. , Bush Sr. ), the contemporary American power elite prefers to send the children of poor blacks, Latinos, and whites off to kill and be killed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere, as did their elitist predecessors a generation ago in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Indeed a Class war. Finally, in September 2002 the Bush Jr. Administration officially approved and adopted the â€Å"National Security Strategy of the United States,† fully embracing this reprehensible, criminal, and Nazi doctrine of preventive warfare, and transmitted it to the U. S. Congress as a declaration of official policy by the United States of America.. Certainly its most odious language is: â€Å"†¦ we recognize that our best defense is a good offense†¦Ã¢â‚¬  In other words, the United States government has publicly admitted in an official government document that it is now prepared to wage offensive warfare against adversaries of its choosing around the world irrespective of the requirements of, inter alia, the United Nations Charter, the Kellogg-Briand Peace Pact, as well as the Nuremberg Charter, Judgment, and Principles. This official U. S. government document could be filed with the International Court of Justice in The Hague as proof-positive that it is now the official policy of the United States government to wage criminal wars of aggression against other U. N. member states in violation of the most elementary principles of the contemporary international legal order that would be too numerous to list here. The document is nothing less than what lawyers call an â€Å"Admission against Interest. † In brief, the Bush Jr. administration has officially incriminated the United States of America under international law and practice. Such is the arrogance of Power—which usually spells its downfall! Even more disturbingly, while it was publicly campaigning for a war of aggression against Iraq, in December 2002 the Bush Jr. administration released its so-called â€Å"National Strategy to Combat Weapons of Mass Destruction,† which was published on the web-page for the White House itself. This supplementary Nazi war plan calls for the first use of weapons of mass destruction (WMD)–-chemical, biological, and nuclear—by the United States government under the justification of waging a preventive or preemptive war. Of course this Nazi Doctrine of Preventive Warfare is nothing more than a pretext for waging a war of aggression in the first place. So the Bush Jr. administration officially signaled that it is fully prepared to be the first to use WMD. It would do so against its chosen adversaries around the world as part of an offensive military operation, or even to launch a full-scale war itself, thereby evoking shades of Hiroshima and Nagasaki! North Korea took notice and responded accordingly to defend itself. Reference Page †¢ James Moore (2004) Book Title: Bushs War for Reelection: Iraq, the White House, and the People. Publisher: Wiley. Place of Publication: Hoboken, NJ.

The Multifaceted Topic of Free College

The Multifaceted Topic of Free College In a world where blue-collar jobs are considered unappealing by many, an increasing amount of individuals have begun to choose to attend college in the hopes of achieving prestigious positions in the white-collar industry. Unfortunately, however, ones decision to further their education at post-secondary school can have one rather drastic unforeseen consequence: thousands of dollars worth of debt. As a result of this growing epidemic plaguing college students around the nation, rallying cries for free higher education have begun to spring up throughout the country. But, for as many logical, thought-out arguments that exist in support of free college, there are just as many against it. In fact, as highlighted in Dissent Magazines special issue titled Arguments on the Left, in which three different authors share their differing viewpoints regarding free higher education, this debate is anything but simple and is more complex than individuals would both hope and imagine. As a result, on e can only conclude that the idea of free college, while idealistic and tempting, is not completely beneficial nor easily achieved, especially after taking these three articles and their varying arguments into consideration. The first of the three articles, Tressie McMillan Cottoms Why Free College is Necessary, takes a die-hard stance on the supportive side of the free college debate. Believing that higher education should be free regardless of what it can and cannot achieve, Cottom preaches the words and ideas that every college student that has ever faced debt wants to hear. However, while Cottoms argument surely makes sense from the humanitarian side of things, it fails to delve into where the funds are going to come from. Logically speaking, funds from either the state or government that would help students attend college for free would come from the taxpayers own wallets. In a country that is already in a large amount of debt, with public institutions and services often taking the brunt of cutbacks, increasing the amount taxpayers have to contribute in order to provide students with a free college education shouldnt necessarily be a top priority. Additionally, Cottom states, An educational justice policy must include institutions of higher education but cannot only include institutions of higher education (Cottom). Unfortunately, this adds even more burden to an already overwhelming financial undertaking. According to this logic, this notion of free education must expand beyond the boundaries of college and into the realm of trade schools as well, which only increases the cost that cannot easily be paid. Furthermore, Cottom also points out that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦free college would likely benefit only an outlying group of students who are currently shut out of higher education because of cost (Cottom). While I wholeheartedly believe that everyone who wants to learn should, regardless of their economic standing, looking at the situation from this point of view can cause one to question the validity of the whole endeavor. That is, what way does it make sense to undertake such a huge financial burden if free college wont necessarily benefit everyone? Much like Cottoms argument, Mike Konczals article titled, Generation Debt, also approaches the topic of free higher education from a rather positive stance. Konczal proclaims that education is a right that every human should have access to, and insists that the government be the ones responsible for providing the service. However, instead of insinuating that higher education be provided for free, Konczal points out that part of the root of the problem regarding student debt in particular is the fact that there has been large-scale disinvestment from and privatization of post-secondary education. Arguing that, Higher educationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦shouldnt be left to a handful of private schools, where administrators pursue their own objectives independent of public need, or to the market, which is only interested in how much it can profit at any given time (Konczal), he exposes the fact that colleges and universities around the nation are run more like businesses than anything else. In doin g this, students are placed at a disadvantage because they are merely pawns, often attending schools that exist not for the betterment of our nations citizens, but to exploit as much money as possible from the unsuspecting and undeserving. Only worsening the situation is the fact that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦public disinvestment in the states has been paired with generous tax cuts for rich individuals and corporations (Konczal). Combined with the money-making machine that is higher education, the fact that states have chosen to side with the rich and powerful instead of standing with their own constituents only ensures that the rich will get richer and the poor, poorer. Furthermore, as stated by Konczal, National conversations on higher education are often dominated by a few elite schools, so they ignore the promise of mobility offered by the state system (Konczal). As a result of this, community college is often frowned upon and deemed obscure, despite the fact that attending a two year sc hool can save students thousands of dollars. In addition to falling into the trap of capitalist-oriented colleges, many students also choose not to attend community college simply because it is not prestigious, thus further sentencing themselves into debt. The final article, Matt Bruenigs The Case against Free College, takes a rather different approach than the previous two articles when it comes to the free college debate. Overall, Bruenig argues that students already receive various forms of assistance for college in the form of grants, loans, and subsidies, which, in his opinion, is already giving more than what students should expect. In addition to this, Bruenig also articulates that providing even more than what is currently offered, or even making college free, would simply bring more inequality than social justice. Specifically, this is due to the fact that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦only around 20 percent of children from the poorest 2 percent of families in the country attend college. For the richest 2 percent of families, the same number is around 90 percent (Bruenig). So, providing a free college education to current college students would only continue to put those who are lower in the economic ranks at a disadvantage. Much like how Tressie McMillan Cottom admitted that free college would only benefit those who are currently excluded from higher education due to their economic standing, providing a free college education would only keep more money in the pockets of the rich. As a result, Bruenig states that, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦making college free for everyone would almost certainly mean giving far more money to students from richer families than from poorer ones (Bruenig). Sure, providing free college education would give deprived students an opportunity to continue their education, but would do little in the long run when it comes to trying to reach a more egalitarian society. Once again, what are the benefits of free college education if it has the potential to only worsen the inequalities within American society and benefits only a small percentage of individuals? As a current college student, I could only hope and dream that a plan may arise in the near future that would eliminate or drastically cut college expenses, namely tuition. However, after reviewing the three articles in Dissent Magazines special issue titled Arguments on the Left, it has become clear that free college is not as beneficial or easily obtained as one would hope. While this notion of free college is tempting to say the least, it is certainly not feasible without a redesigned tax system, complete overhaul of higher education institutions and their intentions, and careful consideration regarding just who would be benefitting the most from free higher education. As it currently stands, free college will only benefit a small percentage of individuals, failing to address the capitalist nature of universities nationwide, while also acting as yet another way for the rich to keep hold of their wealth. However, it also must be stated that we must not give up hope and abandon the idea altogether. Although the cons currently outweigh the pros, there will one day be a way to implement a free college education system that benefits everyone without continuing to make the rich richer. As a nation, we must work towards that day together, implementing a foolproof plan to become a more egalitarian society without continuing to put thousands of young individuals into debt with the help of our current college system. Works Cited Bruenig, Matt. The Case against Free College. Dissent Magazine, Fall 2015, dissentmagazine.org/article/matt-bruenig-left-case-against-free-college. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017. Cottom, Tressie McMillan. Why Free College is Necessary. Dissent Magazine, Fall 2015, dissentmagazine.org/article/tressie-mcmillan-cottom-why-free-college-necessary. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017. Konczal, Mike. Generation Debt. Dissent Magazine, Fall 2015, dissentmagazine.org/article/mike-konczal-generation-debt-free-college-argument. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017.

The Bubonic Plague in Europe :: essays research papers

The Black Death in Europe 1 Abstract The Black Death in Europe was one of the continents worth natural disasters. The bubonic plague wiped out nearly 60% of the population, causing changes that took many years to recover. The effects of art are astonishing. Every person and social class were affected, the church lost prestige and power, as did the doctors and physicians. Politics changes for a short time and the nobility lost wealth. Fear was wide spread, and people lost trust of their families. No one could escape the carnage this illness brought, if they tried, they succeeded in bringing it with them. The Black Death in Europe 2 Knox (page 15) states that the population losses were staggering, between1347 and 150 nearly 1 to of 3 people where gone. Venetian records stated that the death rates escalated close to 500-600 deaths a day, 60% of Venice’s population was gone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As with medical professions the clergy suffered great losses as well. Theirs was an occupational hazard; entering the home of the sick, doctors were at greater risk of catching the illness themselves. The clergy had to give the dieing their last rights and preside over the burials, this made for their demise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As indicated by Knox (page12) those who were learned hade some ideas about what was causing the disease such poisonous vapors released by constellation alignments. They recommended that no fat meant should be eaten at all and bathing was hazardous, these suggestions only made to make people more vulnerable to the plague. The only real action taken that worked was confinement, cities walled themselves off from incoming ships and would quarantine and ill persons house.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With the population losses the labor forse was reduced, there was a greater need for crafts men and skilled laborers. Guilds began opening their doors to other skilled peoples, because when and skilled man died his whole family usually got the plague as well, this mad openings for others. Towns began to advertise higher wages to those artisans and those with skills. If the miller died and the sickens was in his home, then the miller family passed away also, this left none to mill the grain, therefore towns were in need of help.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Black Death in Europe 3 According to Marchione di Coppo Stefani (1370-1380) people looked to the doctors and the clergy for answers and advice, neither had the answers nor the cure. â€Å" In the year of the Lord 1348 the was a great pestilence in the city of Florence.