Are cell Phones a Health Hazard?

Are cell Phones a Health Hazard? With the increasing of mobile phones' functions, people rely more and more on them. The lower price also enables the mobile phone to become people's daily necessity. Now even many students have their own mobile phone. People began to worry about the cell phone which will do harm to our health. But why people become worried about that? There are some speculates that cell phone might potentially threaten human being's health. Mobile phones can emit radiofrequency energy (radio waves), which is constituted by non-ionizing radiation.Things closest to the cell phones will absorb this energy. According to the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, as of 2010, there were more than 303 million subscribers to mobile phone service in the United States, which is nearly three times than the 110 million users in 2000. Globally, the number of mobile phone subscriptions is estimated to be 5 billion by the International Telecommunications Union. The nu mber of mobile subscriptions has already increased quickly.  (Cell Phones and Cancer Risk, 2012)The chart below (Chart 1) shows the number of mobile Internet users, including the prediction of the number in 2013. Over time, the amount of time of each phone call, as well as the number of people using the mobile phone has increased. Mobile phone technology has also had a very big change. Chart 1 Chart1: US moblie Internet users & penertration, 2008-2013 (millions and % mobile phone subscriers) To my way of thinking, cell phones will really have a health hazard. RF is a potential threat to human body.Radiofrequency energy (RF) is a form of electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation can be defined into two types: ionizing (e. g. , x-rays, radon, and cosmic rays) and non-ionizing (e. g. , radiofrequency and extremely low-frequency or power frequency). (Cell Phones and Cancer Risk, 2012) As we know, all of the creatures and plants, including humans, are exposed to ionizing rad iation and non-ionizing radiation during the whole period of evolution. So recently the society began to worry about the potential harm of RF from cell phones which may cause brain cancer.A series of studies began to look at the relationship between cell phone usage and brain tumors. If cell phone will bring a negative effect was a controversial topic, and the opinions on this topic are extremely different. Some people hold that cell phones are nothing to do with the health problems, since the non-ionizing radiation from cell phones is typically safe to the human body. A low level of radiofrequency energy is a kind of non-ionizing radiation, and it is different from high levels of radiofrequency energy that produces negative health effects by heating tissue.(Radiation-Emitting Products, 2012) Therefore, it can say people exposed to low level RF which does not heat tissues in human body are not necessary to worry about with cell phones. Although low level RF is safe doesn’t me an that the potential damages do not exist. Firstly, our brain is able to absorb the electromagnetic radiation at radio frequencies that emitted by mobile phones, so if we use mobile phones for a long time, which will increase the hazard of brain cancer to a great extent. So this is a long-term effect. Secondly, cell phones are becoming more advanced, and the inner structure of cell phones has had a great change.Cell phones have come to our daily life with more functions, which may have unknown effects. A recent study showed that when people used a cell phone for 50 minutes, brain tissues on the same side of the head metabolized more glucose than that on the opposite side of the brain. (Cell Phones and Cancer Risk, 2012) It means that using cell phones can change some tissues of human body, although the outcomes have not been deemed good or not. Another negative effect is that talking through cell phones when driving will increase the risk of traffic accidents.There were nearly 80 m illion people who own cell phones, and surveys indicated that 85 percent of these owners use phones while driving. (Williams & Analyst, 2002) According to the journal's publisher, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, there are 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries in the United States every year because of mobile phone distraction. (Britt, 2005) Drivers talking on cell phones will have their attention distracted. As a matter of fact that only 80% of their attention can be paid when they are talking to somebody. And speaking requires more attention than listening.In a conversation, if a driver is more eager to talk to others than to listen, the greater the distraction he has. It is said that drivers use cell phones when they are driving just look but don’t see. There were two different experiments associated with professor of psychology Dr. Amit Almor. (Science Daily, 2008) One experiment needed the participants to test the visual shape on a monitor, and the second experiment required participants to do a visual task while listening to a story that had been prerecorded and then the participants were required to tell their feeling about this story.In the end, the attention level of these participants had been measured. People found that they were four times more distracted when people were speaking than when they were listening. It came to a conclusion that speaking demands more brain’s resources than listening. People are used to communicating face-to- face, so if they were talking while driving, they will imagine the conversation in their brain, and they have to try to remember what they have been talking and how to respond in a right position. Hearing loss is also a big health hazard.People who use cell phones for more than one year acquire hearing loss problems, according to research presented at the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation's Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in Washington, DC. Otherwise, the study found tha t people who used mobile phones more than one hour a day were more likely to suffer from hearing problems. (Robert, 2007) Obviously, long-term use of cell phones will have a great impact on hearing, which is mostly a negative impact. Using cell phones too long may damage our inner ear and bring about a high frequency hearing loss.High frequency hearing loss means that people may feel difficult to hear consonants such as s, f, t, and z, but they can hear vowels generally. Therefore, although people can hear muffled sounds, they unable to figure out what people exactly say. Not just talking too much through cell phones may cause hearing loss, but listening to high decibel music is also producing a big damage to hearing. People now would like listening music with their phones wherever they go, such as in the train, because it is very noisy when taking a train, so people always prefer listening to high decibel music that they can enjoy the clearer music.If some symptoms such as ear ring ing, ear warmth, and the ear fullness have arose, which are warning signs that your hearing is in danger. What are the reasons these symptoms have occurred. The possible cause is the electric-magnetic-frequencies, which emit a magnetic field greater than 3 milli-gauss from many cell phones.The Environmental Protection Agency has announced that electric-magnetic-frequencies greater than 3 milli-gauss may do harm to human health. (Robert, 2007) Naresh K. Panda, MS, DNB, chairman of the department of ear, nose, and throat at the Post Graduate Institute of  Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India, and researcher for a study. He and his colleagues performed experiment. They texted 100 people, at the age of 18 to 45, who had used cell phones for at least one year, and according to length of use, they divided this people into 3 groups. One group had 35 people, who had used cell phones for one to two years, and another group of 35 had used cell phones for two to four years, an d the final 30 people had used them for more than four years.Those who used the mobile phones for more than four years suffered a greater degree of hearing loss in their right ear, the ear often listens through the phone, than those who used the mobile phone for one to two years. (Doheny, 2007) As well, using cell phones too long will hurt our eyesight. Numbers of people use cell phones every day. We can do many things on our cell phones: sending text messages, reading emails, surfing the web, and even finding the driving directions. It’s so amazing that we can do all of this work just in a device which can be held in one hand.However, lots of problems are coming with this convenience. Reading such the really small text on the phones will cause problems. Not only for the tiny letters in such a small screen, but also people have become accustomed to holding the phone closer to their face than they need to. Reading from your phone forces your eyes to focus in a way which is muc h different than before when people usually read from paper. It is also harmful with your eyes’ vergence, which is the simultaneous movement of both eyes in opposite directions to obtain or maintain single binocular vision.Although your eyes are designed to adapt to the circumstances more easily, many people have become accustomed to reading from their cell phones all day long. In the long term, not only can this habit lead to headaches, but also eyestrain, dry eyes, and blurred vision. According to Dr. Jeffrey Hankin, an optometrist, people are pulling their smart phone four inches closer than normal reading distance could cause problems. (NBC25 News, 2011) This is always accompanied by a headache while people just feel tired and maybe have a little difficulty on focusing.Sometimes the blink rate will slow down and the eyes are dry. These symptoms cannot be ignored. It is saying that your eyesight is becoming weaker. How cell phones damage our eyesight? We are in the environ ment full of radiation and electrical signals , at the same time, human body was being attacked by hundreds of signals every second. It is affecting all our body parts, but we have not aware of it yet. â€Å"The wavelength of wireless signals (which is about 2 to 2. 5 cm) used for mobile phones and other wireless terminals matches with that received by the human eye.The dielectric constant (absorption capacity) of eye tissues is around 70 which is greater than unity (above 50). This means that the eye can absorb electromagnetic energy very quickly,† explains Dwivedi. (Cell phones can damage eyes, 2010) So it comes out a conclusion that the problem is not the energy absorbs by the eye, but the heat from the energy absorbed by the eye cannot get transmitted out of the body. Moreover, cell phones have a strong relationship with human mental health. People always take cell phone with them all the time, no matter where they go.They play games, listen to music, watch videos, and ch at with friends. It seems like that we can't live without cell phones, especially children. More and more children at 12 and 13 ages have their own cell phones. Those children who are addicted to cell phones spend most of time on their phones, like talking, texting or playing games. Their parents are beginning to be concerned that the children are unable to do some normal activities without their phones. They often skip classes and lie to relatives to get more money to buy phone cards.It these situations, cell phones are just like the drugs which make the children gradually lose themselves. What’s more, lots of students even play cell phones during class. While teachers are speaking in front of students, students are texting or playing games in their seat even without any covers. The other mental problem is that cell phone is tending to cause depression and sleep problems in young people now. Young people who use cell phones heavily also complain more about sleeping problems, pressures and other mental health problems, according to researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.(Pedersen, 2012) Researchers made a questionnaire survey towards 4,100 young adults at the ages of 20 to24 and interviewed 32 heavy users of information and communication technology. The findings interpret that the use of mobile phone has a close relationship with pressure, depressive symptoms and sleeping disorders. The researchers could not be sure of the origin causes, but what we can speculate is that people with depression or sleep problems perhaps get access to cell phones more than others. Here is more other evidence. The University of Tokyo’s researchers investigated nearly 18,000 young people in in high school in Japan.In order to estimate their depression, anxiety and even thoughts about suicide, the participants were required to answer some specific questions. Participants also reported how often they spoke on their cellphones or sent emails after going to bed and how many hours they slept at night. The findings tell us that children in different countries with different cultures have similar problems are related to similar reasons. As a whole, cell phones are closely integrated cell phones into our lives, yet they have health hazard for our daily lives. We should use them in a proper way.

Imf -Role for Developing Countries

Introduction: International Monetary Fund (IMF),is a specialized agency of the United Nations, established in 1945. It was planned at the Bretton Woods Conference (1944), and its headquarters are in Washington, D. C. There is close collaboration between it and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Its primary mission is to ensure stability in the international monetary system. The IMF provides policy advice and financing to member countries with economic problems.The organization, using a fund subscribed by the member nations, purchases foreign currencies on application from its members so as to discharge international indebtedness and stabilize exchange rates. The IMF currency reserve units are called Special Drawing Rights (SDRs); from 1974 to 1980 the value of SDRs was based on the currencies of 16 leading trading nations. Since 1980 it has been reevaluated every five years and based on the relative international economic importance of the British pound sterli ng, the European Union euro (formerly the French franc and German mark), the Japanese yen, and the U.S. dollar. To facilitate international trade and reduce inequities in exchange, the fund has limited power to set the par value of currencies. Members are provided with technical assistance in making monetary transactions. In 1995 the fund moved to increase disclosure requirements of countries borrowing money and at the same time created an emergency bailout fund for countries in financial crisis. IMF was criticized in 1998 for exacerbating the Asian financial crisis, through the fund's decision to require Asian nations to raise their interest rates to record levels.During the international financial crisis of the early 21st century the IMF provided loans and access to credit of more than $100 billion to developing countries that were affected by falling demand for their exports and other financial problems. Instead of increasing government expenditure and boosting domestic demand, l ocal employment and economic activity to overcome the recession, the IMF is cutting spending and increasing tariffs and taxes in already contracting economies for the express purpose of maintaining low inflation and fiscal deficit rates, flexible exchange rates, and trade and financial liberalization.In this paper we try to analyze effect of reduced government expenditure for developing countries that sought aid on dealing with currency crisis. We also analyze the reasons behind strict monetary policy prescribed by IMF. Our analysis provides a framework that would help improve IMF’s approach in future. Reasons behind strict monetary policy: IMF claims upon maintaining transparency in setting up operation, but it is actually extremely secretive. In recent years, as criticism about this policy has grown, IMF has made certain parameters of structural adjustment of various developing countries public.Although IMF assumes a dominating role in structuring policies for affected nati ons, it imposes its policies on them rather than involving them in the decision making process. Key structural adjustment measures include: †¢ Privatizing government-owned enterprises and government-provided services, †¢ Slashing government spending, †¢ Orienting economies to promote exports, †¢ Trade and investment liberalization, †¢ Higher interest rates, eliminating subsidies on consumer items such as foods, fuel and medicines and tax increasesThe basic idea of these policies is to shrink the size and role of government, rely on market forces to distribute resources and services and integrate poor countries into the global economy. Also, despite pledges to address the crisis in flexible and innovative ways, the IMF's key objective in crisis loans remained ‘macroeconomic stability' through the ‘tightening of monetary and fiscal policies' with below objectives: †¢   Lowering fiscal deficits and inflation levels †¢   Buffering inter national reserves †¢ Reducing or restraining public spending   Increasing official interest rates or restraining the growth of the money supply †¢   Preventing currency depreciation Structural Adjustments in IMF policy: Structural adjustments have been successful at its intended efforts to diminish the scope of government and to integrate developing countries into the global economy. But they have failed by many other measures. By and large, countries undergoing structural adjustment have not experienced economic growth, even in the medium term. Main Reasons include: †¢ The IMF caters to wealthy countries and Wall Street:Dominating decision power and voting power has made US a largest shareholder of IMF of rich countries. Disproportional amount of power held by wealthy countries translates into decisions that benefit wealthy bankers, investors and corporations from industrialized countries at the expense of sustainable development. †¢ The IMF is imposing a fu ndamentally flawed development model IMF forces countries from the Global South to prioritize export production over the development of a diversified domestic economy. i. e. hift from food production for local consumption to the production of crops for export to the industrialized countries. Small businesses and farmers can't compete with large multinational corporations. Thus the cycle of poverty is perpetuated, not eliminated. †¢ IMF Policies hurt the environment The IMF does not consider environmental impacts of lending policies; and environmental ministries and groups are not included in policy making. The focus on export growth to earn hard currency to pay back loans means unsustainable liquidation of natural resources.This happened with the bailouts of Brazil, Indonesia, and Russia–countries that are renowned for their great biodiversity The IMF bails out rich bankers, creating a moral hazard and greater instability in the global economy The IMF pushes countries to dismantle trade and investment rules, as well as raise interest rates in order to lower inflation. The removal of regulations that might limit speculation has greatly increased capital investment in developing country financial markets. More than $1. 5 trillion crosses borders every day.This capital is short-term, unstable, and puts countries at the whim of financial speculators. The Mexican 1995 peso crisis was partly a result of these IMF policies. Impact of Structural reforms on developing countries and its evaluation: Those developing countries that have experienced the greatest economic successes in recent decades have violated many of the central precepts of structural adjustment. They have protected certain parts of their economy, and they have maintained an active governmental role in economic planning.A review of policies sponsored by the IMF illustrated the basic failure of structural adjustment. Countries undergoing such structural adjustment experienced stagnating growt h rates and saw their foreign debt nearly double-dramatic evidence of failure, since reducing foreign debt is one of ESAF's ostensible purposes. As per reports, the two regions with the most structural adjustment experience, per capital income has stagnated (Latin America) or collapsed (Africa, where per capita income dropped more than 20 percent between 1980 and 1997). The emphasis on exports tends to be socially disruptive, especially in rural areas.Poor subsistence farmers frequently find their economic activity described as nonproductive, and experience land pressures from expanding agribusinesses, timber companies and mines. Pushed off their land, they frequently join the ranks of the urban unemployed, or move onto previously unsettled, and frequently environmentally fragile, lands. Structural adjustment has generally contributed to rising income and wealth inequality in the developing countries, a fact tacitly acknowledged by both recently retired IMF Managing Director Michel Camdessus and World Bank President James Wolfensohn.Consider the Asian meltdown caused in large part by South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, which was caused by heavy reliance on short-term foreign loans. When it became apparent that private enterprises in those nations would not be able to meet their payment obligations, international currency markets panicked. Currency traders sought to convert their Asian money into dollars, and the Asian currencies plummeted. That made it harder for the Asian countries to pay their loans, and it made imports suddenly very expensive.The IMF’s usual policy of countries not meeting their balance of payments due to increased value imports and reduced exports was reapplied here. Treating the Asian Financial crisis like other situations, IMF made arrangements for loans to enable these countries to payoff their debts. But IMF placed the condition that the countries would adopt the structural adjustment policies. But th ey failed to understand that the Asian crisis condition differed from this situation.Like, even though Asian countries did not run budget deficits, they were compelled to restrict government spending which further deepened their slowdown. The Fund failed to manage an orderly roll over of short-term loans to long-term loans, which was most needed; and it forced governments, including in South Korea and Indonesia to guarantee private debts owed to foreign creditors. In retrospect, even the IMF would admit that it made things worse in Asia. Malaysia stood out as a country that refused IMF assistance and advice.Instead of further opening its economy, Malaysia imposed capital controls, in an effort to eliminate speculative trading in its currency While the IMF mocked this approach when adopted, the Fund later admitted that it succeeded. Malaysia generally suffered less severe economic problems than the other countries embroiled in the Asian financial crisis. Considering example of Pakist an,   Pakistan is among the most frequent users of IMF loans, having borrowed IMF money 12 times since 1980.However, 10 of these programmes were abandoned midway due to Pakistan’s failure to fully adopt the IMF’s policy recommendations. Undue US interference, inadequate political analysis capacities within the IMF, inappropriate sequencing and over-ambitious agendas given the short loan durations were the main reasons . For example, Pakistan was advised to reduce import duties before it developed alternative taxation measures to cover the ensuing tax revenue shortfalls.This increased Pakistan’s public debt significantly as it had to borrow to cover the resulting fiscal deficits. However, Pakistan must partly share the blame since it accepted the loan conditions. Same happened with for some African countries, which lack both the technical capacities to analyse the IMF conditions and alternative financing options The IMF's structural adjustment prescriptions for countries suffering through the Asian financial crisis were roundly denounced, including by many conservative and mainstream economists and opinion makers.The widespread criticism of the Fund undermined its political credibility. The IMF response has been to make some minor concessions in making its documents more publicly available, limiting its demands that countries liberalize their capital markets (including by allowing unlimited trade in their currency, and permitting foreign investors to invest in domestic stocks and bonds without restriction), and increasing its rhetorical commitment to paying attention to poverty in its structural adjustment programs.But the financial crisis, aggravated due to IMF’sstructural policy, had alreadyled to massive human suffering. â€Å"IMF suicides† became common among workers who lost their jobs and dignity. In Indonesia, the worst hit country, poverty rates rose from an official level of 11 percent before the crisis to 40 to 60 percent in varying estimates. GDP declined by 15 percent m one year. IMF policies exacerbated the economic meltdown in countries hit by the Asian financial crisis.Mandated reductions in government spending worsened the Asian nation's recessions and depressions. And the forced elimination of price controls and subsidies for the poor imposed enormous costs of the lowest income strata’s. In Indonesia, food and gasoline prices rose 25 to 75 percent overnight or in the course of a few days. Although most developing countries are in need of fundamental reform along the general economic principles advocated by the IMF, the problem lies with the specifics of the IMF reform agenda.Thus as per the latest records, most successful East Asian countries have adopted IMF’s principles but have utilized very different specific tools which preserve long-term development, unlike IMF-recommended tools. Instead of widespread immediate privatization, China initially introduced managerial in centive systems in agriculture and industry. This boosted Chinese productivity without the massive economic ruin that the IMF-advised mass-scale privatization caused in Russia in the 1990s.In fact, no developing country sticking entirely to the IMF approaches has achieved the type of success achieved by East Asian countries. Towards growth- and development-oriented fiscal and monetary policies: A more development-oriented macroeconomic policy stance is necessary in order to generate the quantum leap in resources that LICs need to finance large-scale new investments in economic and social infrastructure, which includes the specific MDG (Millennium Development Goals) goals in the health and education sectors, and job creation.Progress on poverty reduction and basic human development has historically required, and continues to require, such a critical degree of spending and investment in the domestic economy. In order to support the achievement of the MDGs, IMF policies need to change: †¢ Support of active use of fiscal policy to for public investments and public spending to build essential economic and social infrastructures. Future revenues expected from the investment should pay off the debt that the government initially incurred. The IMF should encourage more expansionary monetary options that better enable domestic firms and consumers to access affordable credit for expanding production, employment, and increased contributions to the domestic tax base. Monetary policy should thus maintain low real interest rates, rather than ineffectively trying to keep inflation low with high interest rates which dampen aggregate demand and growth prospects. The IMF should permit the regulation of the capital account to confront the continuous inflow, as well as outflow, of private capital from national economies, i. e. ‘capital flight'. Now the question lies, whether the IMF is actually concerned about sustainable development? If yes, then the emphasis should no t be on IMF pushing the countries to adopt its structural policies in exchange of the debt funds. Instead, IMF's influence and power needs to be reduced so it has less say over developing country policies.

Moral Difficulties Involved in War Reporting

Moral Difficulties Involved in War Reporting Contents Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. page 3 Historical perspective on the evolution of journalistic ethics†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. page 4 Deontology and Utilitarianism†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 5 Ethical Dilemma: Should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information in a time of war? Arguments in favour†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ page 5 Ethical dilemma: Should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information in a time of war? Arguments opposed†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 6 Applying principles of Deontology and Utilitarianism to the ethical dilemma†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 8 Conclusion†¦. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦page 10 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ page 11 Introduction Journalists covering wars and conflicts are faced with numerous ethical dilemmas regarding professional codes of conduct, laws regulating national security and personal commitments to ideals such as the public’s right to know, and acting as the fourth estate (with the first three estates being the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government). Of the ethical theories we studied in the Communication Ethics course, I chose to compare and contrast Deontology and Utilitarianism, describe how they apply to a specific moral difficulty, and detail what conclusions can e drawn. For brevity sake, I have left out such theories as Justice and Fairness, Care Ethics, Virtue Ethics, and Moral Intuition as described by Jordin and Beaken (2009). I have also left out numerou s other dilemmas, such as the role advocacy or bias plays in the journalism profession as it relates to war and conflict. Here are just a few of the contemporary moral difficulties that could be examined: 1. Should reporters use neutral labels to describe terrorists? When is a terrorist a terrorist? 2. When can wartime photos and video incite violence? What are the journalist's responsibilities? 3. Should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information in a time of war? 4. Can (and should) news media be used for war propaganda or censorship? 5. What would public support have been like for WWI, WWII or Korea if there had been unlimited and unregulated scrutiny as there is today with broadcast and digital media? The conflict I am specifically examining, and the moral difficulties it presents, involves the current conflict in Iraq. To thoroughly examine one dilemma within this paper’s space limitation, I have chosen number three: should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information in time of war? It is in this area that, while researching the above moral difficulties, I found a significant variation in attitude from war to war. Historical perspective on the evolution of journalistic ethics I found it is useful to place this examination within the historical context and journalistic attitudes of just a few of many past conflicts reaching as far back as the American Revolutionary War period. Ben Franklin was one of America’s earliest and most influential journalists (Burns 2006). Burns says (p. 91), â€Å". . . he was as ethical a journalist as America produced in the eighteenth century. Yet, he deceived on occasion, but only because he thought it was a better way to tell a story, and only because he believed his readers were sophisticated enough to know the ruse and understand that it served a deeper purpose. † Franklin’s newspaper, magazine, and others he inspired covered political and foreign news and wars. War reporting of the French and Indian War of 1754 to 1763, which began in Europe as the Seven Years’ War, provided exciting reading to colonists. Reports were common of troop movements, battles and scalpings. Advocacy journalism was in full flourish, and readers were encouraged (Burns 2006, p. 121) â€Å". . . o resist their French and Indian attackers. † As taxes were increased in the colonies, newspapers began to encourage disobedience and a boycott of British goods. Franklin summarized the state of ethical journalism of the American Revolutionary War when he wrote that â€Å". . . the press not only can ‘strike while the ir on is hot,’ but it can ‘heat’ it by continually striking. † Richards (2005) states the prevalent newspaper partisanship of 17th and 18th century began changing in the 19th century to a more neutral position. This was due to the increasing dependence on advertising revenue, and the need to appeal to the broadest market possible. He also identifies news coverage of the Spanish-American War and the circulation wars between Hearst and Pulitzer as a low point in American journalism, and providing impetus to a call for more objectivity and defined standards. That came in 1910 when the first code of ethics was created by the Kansas Editorial Association and in 1923 by the American Society of Newspaper Editors. Covered in these and subsequent books and codes were such ethical topics as reporting on national security, fairness and accuracy. The Hutchins Commission in 1947 (Richards 2005, p. 8) â€Å". . . ntroduced two key notions – the ‘public good’ and the ‘greater responsibilities’ of the press. † He adds, â€Å"According to this theory, the responsibilities of the press . . . were to be emphasised over its freedoms, and the press was to be considered subject to moral and ethical restrictions. † During the second half of the 20th century there was considerable critic ism of this social responsibility theory. For instance, Richards queries to whom are the journalists responsible, what should the media be free to do, and why are they watching the government rather than the governed? Also, how does the journalist determine the public good and of which of many potential publics are we speaking? To summarize, there have been times throughout journalistic history when deception and taking sides was acceptable, but objectivity and responsibility were largely considered to be professional standards as we entered the 21st century. Deontology and Utilitarianism Of the many methods for applying ethical theories to war reporting, I narrowed the choice down to Deontology and Utilitarianism as referenced in the introduction. Deontology involves applying a universal set of principles (Jordin 2009, p. 15) â€Å". . . which makes the duty or the obligations we owe other human beings the fundamental principle of ethics. † Doing our duty is not based on a particular set of circumstances. Since acts are judged only by their consequences, the means justify the ends. Utilitarianism is defined by the consequences of actions, not the act’s moral or intrinsic value. Jordin (2009, p. 17) states, â€Å"Where deontological theories thus talk more in terms about what is right, consequentialist theories are more concerned with the good. Moral worth is determined by its ability to produce the most amount of good for the greatest number. Here, the ends justify the means. How can these two standards help answer our ethical dilemma? We can answer this question by examining a few cases from the current Iraq conflict and others. Ethical Dilemma: Should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information i n a time of war? Arguments in favour: Former Pentagon aid Daniel Ellsberg leaked a highly classified study, subsequently called The Pentagon Papers, claiming the U. S. government deceived American citizens about the country’s involvement with Vietnam. Mitchell (2008) refers to Ellsberg as establishing the precedent for when the public’s right to know outweighs claims of national security and secrecy. Ellsberg argued that the ends justify the means since journalists sometimes do not question government war statements and do not delve deep enough. In a U. S. Supreme Court ruling on Ellsberg’s case, Justice Hugo Black wrote (Bauder 2009, p. 110), â€Å"The government’s power to censor the press was abolished so that the press would remain forever free to censure the government. The press was protected so that it could bare the secrets of the government and inform the people. Alterman (2003) concurs, maintaining that humans are flawed and abuse authority if they believe no one is watching. He speaks not only of politicians and policy makers, but military leaders as well. Alterman concluded it is the journalist’s role to hold political and military leaders accountable. Dean Baquet and Bill Keller (Bauder 20 09, p. 111) say â€Å"Our job, especially in times like these, is to bring our readers information that will enable them to judge how well their elected leaders are fighting on their behalf, and at what price. † They add that the White House never intended for the public to know classified secrets about faulty intelligence that led to the current war in Iraq, about prisoner abuse, alleged torture, or about electronic eavesdropping without specific warrants. They claim Americans have a right to know how the war is being waged. Others maintain that denying the public’s right to know amounts to censorship, and sometimes this censorship is not used to protect troops and prevent operational information from helping the enemy (Williams 2009), but is used to promote support for the war effort and sanitize its brutality and human cost. Williams cites as an example that the often promoted â€Å"smart† weapons in the Iraqi Gulf War, which supposedly reduced civilian casualties, comprised only seven per cent of the bombs used. â€Å"The rationale for this policy was that the public will no longer support any war involving a large number of civilian casualties. † (Williams 2009, p. 159). He added, â€Å"When the flow of information in a democratic society is controlled by the authorities and when military considerations take precedence over all other considerations then democracy itself is threatened. (Williams 2009, p. 167). To summarize, some believe it is ethical to expose government wrongdoing and deception because the public has a right to know how its government behaves behind closed doors and in foreign conflicts. Ethical dilemma: Should reporters ever leak and/or publish classified information in a time of war? Arguments opposed: At the beginning of WWII editor Tom Hopkinson withheld the truth fr om his British readers regarding the military disaster at Dunkirk, believing (Williams 2009, p. 154) â€Å". . . he truth would demoralise people and make them less able to resist an invasion. † Williams goes on to explain that similar restraint in revealing brutal photographs during the Korean War was so they would not â€Å"give aid and comfort to the enemy. † Williams (2009, p. 156) explained the distinction as to when it might be acceptable to withhold classified and potentially damaging information to a war effort: â€Å"The Second World War was a matter of national survival. There was a direct threat to Britain’s way of life. Defeat would have resulted in subjugation. The Korean War, on the other hand, at least as far as the British public was concerned, was in essence a police action happening on the other side of the world. There was no national emergency. There was no direct threat to national life. It is only when the very survival of a society is threatened that the truth can be interfered with. † During the early stages of the first Gulf War in Iraq, detailed classified information regarding the extent and effectiveness of bombing raids was withheld and restrictions placed on a reporter’s ability to interview pilots and troops (Hatchen 2000). Interviews conducted by pool reporters were subject to censorship. The U. S. Pentagon had decided there was a high priority assigned to the dismantling of the communications and military command structure in Iraq. It was vitally important that the enemy could not anticipate coalition force intentions, targets, troop strength or movements. U. S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that making classified information available to people who are not cleared for it makes finding and dealing with the responsible terrorists much more difficult. Rumsfeld added (Tapper 2001) that â€Å". . . the inevitable effect is that the lives of men and women in uniform are put at risk. † President Bush concurred (Berkowitz 2003), stating â€Å"Our nation's progress depends on the free flow of information. Nevertheless, throughout our history, the national defence has required that certain information be maintained in confidence in order to protect our citizens, our democratic institutions, our homeland security, and our interactions with foreign nations. † James B. Bruce (2007) argues that nothing is more important than national security. He believes leaks forewarn and forearm the enemy and allows them to develop countermeasures, thus placing national welfare and our citizens at home and abroad at risk. He adds in an article published on www. cia. gov that, â€Å"The US press is an open vault of classified information on US intelligence collection sources and methods. This has been true for years. But the problem is worse now than ever before, given the scope and seriousness of leaks coupled with the power of electronic dissemination and search engines. He states that press leaks allow the enemy to see how secret intelligence works, and how to defeat it. Schoenfeld (2006) rails against newspaper leaks that exposed the classified network of CIA prisons in Europe holding al-Qaeda captives, the disclosure of government surveillance of al-Qaeda suspects, and the monitoring of Al-Qaeda financial transactions. He adds the most serious leak was of a classified memo raising serious USA administration doubts about Iraqâ€℠¢s Prime Minister. He states, â€Å"At a moment when the United States faces the present danger of assault by Islamic terrorists and is struggling to protect itself from falling victim to a second September 11, a murmuration of overzealous, self-interested, and mistaken advocates is striving to shield the press’s freedom of movement at the expense of many if not all of the competing imperatives of a system based upon the rule of law. † To summarize, some believe the test for publishing any kind of information, whether classified are not, is as follows. Will publishing the information: 1. provide aid and comfort to the enemy? 2. threaten the safety of our troops and allies engaged in the conflict? 3. threaten our safety as a nation? Some believe if the answer is â€Å"yes† to any of the above, than the material should not be published or distributed. Applying principles of Deontology and Utilitarianism to the ethical dilemma Universalists, and in particular consequentialists (Jordin 2000), would argue that the greater good is served by releasing secrets during a time of war. Withholding secrets could threaten the very foundation of democracy, and the principles we are fighting to defend. If revealing a secret exposes inhumane treatment of prisoners or casts doubt on intelligence gathering which led to the current Iraqi war, then the ends justify the means. A Deontologist would say releasing secrets would destroy the right of a government to possess information that might prove harmful in other people’s hands. The duty to protect state secrets in a time of war is reflected in the â€Å"universal human right to life† as described by Jordin (2009, p. 6), and life, whether it be a citizen’s or the nation itself, might be endangered if secrets were revealed. The means (keeping classified information secret) justify the ends (national security and public safety). How then can a reporter decide when confronted with this ethical dilemma? One approach would be to answer the general questions from the URJC model (Jordin 2009, p. 29). URJC stan ds for Utilitarianism, rights and duties, and justice and care ethics. For the purpose of this discussion, I am employing only the Utilitarianism and rights and duties (Deontology) standards: . â€Å"Does the decision optimise the welfare and satisfaction of all the stakeholders? † No, it would satisfy stakeholders such as crusading journalists opposed to the war, freedom of speech and public right to know advocates, but not necessarily the government, military or intelligence personnel whose lives may be placed in danger, and not the stakeholder citizens who support the war. 2. â€Å"Does it respect the rights and duties of the individuals involved? † No, for the same reasons as stated above. 3. â€Å"Is it fair and consistent with the norms of justice? Yes, government leaks in Iraq and prior wars have rarely resulted in government prosecution or professional censure. 4. â€Å"Does it arise from and reflect an impulse to care? † Yes, acting as the fourth estat e and holding the government accountable and responsible for its actions is an altruistic goal. We can see from this exercise that the answers are evenly split: two â€Å"no† and two â€Å"yes. † A further approach might be to use the modified URJC model as developed by Velasquez et al and described in Jordin (2009, p. 29) by answering the following questions: . â€Å"Who will be affected by each possible course of action and what benefits and harms will be derived from each? † The publication of classified information in time of war could provide aid and comfort to the enemy and potentially endanger public officials, military and intelligence sources both at home and abroad. However, there are situations when governments may wish to cover up embarrassing or potentially illegal activities, and the only way to shed light on the situation is by publishing secret information. Therefore, each situation would need to be reviewed in a case-by-case analysis; weighing the potential for harm against the greatest good. 2. â€Å"Does the course of action respect everyone’s rights to choose freely how they will live their lives, to the truth, to privacy, not to be harmed or injured, to what has been promised or agreed? † No, revealing secrets during the time of war may result in harm and injury to its citizens and to the security of the government, even while promoting truth and democracy. 3. â€Å"Does the course of action treat everybody in the same way or does it show favouritism or discrimination? No, selectively choosing which laws to break and which secret data to reveal does not treat everyone the same way and can show favouritism to a particular point of view, course of action or even a political party. The only way not to discriminate would be to blanketly publish all available leaks or secret data a reporter comes across, or to publish non e at all. 4. â€Å"What kind of person do I aspire to be? Which course of action promotes the development of that character within myself and my community? † The decision is up to each reporter. Speaking from personal experience as a professional journalist I can answer that adherence to the principles of democracy, freedom of the press, and the public’s right to know are of highest importance. Yes, it may be acceptable in some circumstances to leak or publish classified material in a time of war. In reviewing the previous four questions there was one â€Å"maybe†, two â€Å"no† and one â€Å"yes† answers. Conclusion By answering the previous eight questions in the context of Deontology and Utilitarianism theories, it can be concluded that leaking and/or publishing classified information in a time of war is not acceptable. Therefore, it is possible to solve this specific moral difficulty concerning war reporting. Though it is possible to determine a course of action by applying these theories to such an ethical dilemma, the final result is not clear cut. The outcome was decided by a single â€Å"no† answer out of eight questions. Due to such a close margin, I believe these two basic theories can benefit from further modification and application of other ethical models to help find a solution to moral difficulties in war reporting. Bibliography ALTERMAN, Eric (2003). What liberal media? New York, Basic Books. BAUDER, Julia (2009). Media ethics. Michigan, Greenhaven Press. BERKOWITZ, Bill (2003). Escalating secrecy wars. WorkingForChange. com, 9 July. [online]. Last accessed 21 Dec. 2009 at: http://www. alternet. org/story/16369/ BRUCE, James (2007). The consequences of permissive neglect. www. cia. gov, May. [online]. Last accessed 20 Dec. 2009 at: https://www. cia. gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/kent-csi/docs/v47i1a04p. htm BURNS, Eric (2006). Infamous scribblers. New York, Public Affairs. HATCHEN, William (2000). Reporting the Gulf War. In: Graber, Mark A. , Media Power in politics. Washington D. C. , CQ Press, pp. 304-312. JORDIN, Martin. Ethical Theories. In: Communication ethics, Revised (2009) by Beaken, Mike. Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, pp. 14-30. MITCHELL, Greg (2008). So wrong for so long. New York, Sterling Publishing Co. , Inc. RICHARDS, Ian (2005). Quagmires and quandaries: exploring journalism ethics. Australia, University of New South Wales Press Ltd. SCHOENFELD, Gabriel (2007). Why journalists are not above the law. Commentarymagazine. com, Feb. [online]. Last accessed 20 Dec. 2009 at: http://www. commentarymagazine. com/viewarticle. cfm/why-journalists-are-not-abo ve-the-law-10827 TAPPER, Jake (2001). Bush scolds Congress. Salon. com, 9 Oct. [online]. Last accessed 20 Dec. 2009 at: http://www. salon. com/politics/feature/2001/10/09/bush/index1. html WILLIAMS, Kevin. Something more important than truth: ethical issues in war reporting. In: Communication ethics readings. Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University, pp. 154-171.

Divorce Causes in Saudi Arabia Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Divorce Causes in Saudi Arabia - Research Paper Example This increase in divorce cases across the country has led the country to reflect on marriage, as well as the priority of marriage in Saudi culture. It is commonly known that the last solution struggling couples seek is divorce; however in Saudi Arabia the percentage of divorced couples is exceedingly accumulating due to arranged marriages, polygamy and gender inequality. Until quite recently, arranged marriages in Saudi Arabia were a cultural norm whose success was very dependent on sheer luck. There is particularly intense pressure on young women, raised to believe that having children and a husband should be a cherished dream (The New York Times, 2009). In such marriages, the wife and husband have minimal opportunities to become acquainted with one another prior to their marriage, which could result in miscommunication and eventual divorce due to irreconcilable differences identified after the marriage. In Saudi Arabia, the number of arranged marriages disintegrating in the first two to three months after the wedding is increasing significantly, particularly due to emotional and sexual adjustment issues (The New York Times, 2009). In addition, the issue of pre-marital non-disclosure has also contributed to the high rate of divorce in arranged marriages in Saudi Arabia. In this case, fears about the effect of the truth on the outcomes of good alliances means that couples hide the truth from one another prior to their marriage. However, this truth does come out some times and, even if the couple has already been married for a long time or have a strong bond, the non-disclosing partner will be under increased pressure and may undergo indescribable humiliation (The New York Times, 2009). This may result in divorce due to a breakdown in trust. â€Å"Husbands are encouraged to polygamy by male friends who see polygamy as

Major case study Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Major case study - Research Paper Example It has experienced a rapid and dramatic growth in recent year’s world over and is closely connected to eco-tourism along with sustainable-tourism. 1.1 Introduction Wildlife tourism is defined as trips to places with the sole reason of viewing the fauna. According to the definition, it shows that wildlife tourism comprises of different niche markets such as birds watching, exploring marine life like how crocodiles live, swimming and feeding habits of big water mammals such as whales and others. This type of tourism is based upon the animals that are not domesticated. The viewing of animals takes place in different locations; these include animals’ natural habitat or environment where they live. Tourism involves actions that are termed as non-consumptive, these include taking photographs, looking at the places and observing eating procedures, also participating in events that involve game hunting and catching the animals by use of traps, as well as recreational fishing. W ildlife tourism can involve tours, experiences accessible in association with the accommodation of tourists, attractions at fixed sites, or it can come about as unguided meeting by independent travelers (Spenceley, 2012, pp. 85-88). 1.2 Stakeholders in wildlife tourism Wildlife tourism has several stakeholders. The first stakeholders in this sector are the visitors. They have an expectation of accessing experiences that are of affordable high quality. These experiences include interesting activities of wildlife watching and guided excursions. Some tourists would like to have opportunities to familiarize themselves with the local culture through interacting with the people inhabiting those areas (Benson, 2001, p. 132). Another set of stakeholders in the tourism industry includes private and public sectors, such as travelling and bringing together industrial associations. This ensures that there is development in the wildlife sector. They also ensure the individual operators get maxim um short term profits. The third stakeholder is the host and the indigenous community. The indigenous community improves minimal negative social effect of this sector. While capitalizing on profits from the local area, they ensure that there is no disruption on the local wildlife (Lovelock, 2007, pp. 152-156). Another role they play is trying to protect the environment together with the livelihood assets, at the same time minimizing the disturbance that might be encountered by the community, hence, disturbing the culture. It has the capability of adding tourism-related benefits, such as improving the condition of living, creating job opportunities for the locals, improving the infrastructure with the local business opportunities, and this will stimulate revenue generation (Sosinski, 2011, p. 88). Wildlife managers in public plus private sectors are other stakeholders whose sole duty is the conservation, NGOs protection of wildlife habitats, biodiversity, generation of revenues, comi ng up with awareness programs through wildlife tourism so that the locals will understand why the environment should be conserved. They should also show the government, general public and local people the importance of conserving the environment. They make use of tourism in the support of goals of conservation (Newsome, Ross, & Moore, 2005, p.256). The government agencies are a stakeholder

Should loved one be moved to a nursing home Research Paper

Should loved one be moved to a nursing home - Research Paper Example This paper intends to answer my curiosity by discussing the issues that compel people to move their loved ones to nursing homes while focusing on certain questions related to the topic which include: Do the loved ones enjoy being in nursing homes? What effect does this have on the relationship? Does this improve the concept of life in the eyes of the elderly? I have always wanted to know if we manage to improve the life quality of our loved ones once we move them to nursing homes. Thomas (1996), a physician in family medicine and geriatrics, talks about his experience in the nursing home and states that his experience was â€Å"like a dose of castor oil† and â€Å"extremely unpleasant† (p.xii). He writes that he saw his patients getting weaker, sicker, and frustrated as time passed by, and the only excitement in their lives was when some companion died and another replaced him. No matter how much advancement the setting of nursing homes has seen in modern times, still t he thought of being admitted to nursing homes for good is haunting for the elderly for fear of â€Å"loss of privacy† and â€Å"segregation from the outside world† (Johnson & Grant, as cited in Baker, 2007, p.32). This is naturally unimaginable how we can make our loved ones move to a place which, as research suggests, is likely to hinder with their improvement in lifestyle. Now let’s discuss what effect does doing so has on the adult children’s care giving experiences and the relationship between the two parties. Harris (1998) conducted in-depth interviews with 30 sons of elderly parents who had been moved to nursing homes due to dementia. His research focused on sons’ care giving experiences and has concluded that they became more dutiful and responsible toward their parents, going an extra mile for them and arranging professional healthcare setting to ensure their health improvement. They learnt how to devise coping strategies and build relation ships with siblings. Smith and Bengtson (1979) also conducted a research on institutionalized elderly parents and found that the parents and their children reported that their relationships and ties got stronger with the elderly moved to the nursing homes. â€Å"The data suggest that institutional care can serve to enhance family relations, particularly when family ties have been strained by the needs of the older member† (Smith & Bengtson, 1979, p.438). Another important issue is regarding how the perception of the elderly toward life modifies in nursing homes. Hjaltadottir and Gustafsdottir (2007) conducted a research with the eight frail but lucid elderly residing in two nursing homes in Iceland and examined how they perceived the phenomenon of life in that setting. They found that the participants looked at life as a concern for securing their bodies, searching for comfort, preparing for leaving the world, and affirming their inner selves. The participants reported they e njoyed delightful time alone with their own thought and their self-built imaginary world. Their life had turned meaningful to them. â€Å"These aspects of life in a nursing home contribute to living in a meaningful world in which humanity is preserved†, concluded the researchers (p.48). I found from this project that although it is hard for the loved ones and also for the family to

American History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

American History - Essay Example Reformation, which is generally considered to have begun in 1517, came about after well over a century of growing problems within the Roman Catholic Church. As early as the fourteenth century, religious and civic leaders were calling for church reform, and humanists of the early Renaissance as well and the general public were criticizing corruption in the church3. In England, ever since the late thirteenth century, there had been rivalry between the crown and the church over matters such as taxes, the judicial authority of the Roman Catholic Church, and clerical property rights. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, the rise of humanism further heightened the conflict4. Certain events such as the Popish Plot in 1678, the 1679-81 Exclusion Crisis, and the 1685 Revocation of the Edict of Nantes exacerbated anti-Catholic sentiment in England. Anti-popery convinced the Carolina proprietors to to support the Protestant cause. Their aim was to recruit settlers to produce semi-tropical products whose sale would enrich England. Not wishing to weaken England by draining away its population, the proprietors under English private sponsorship encouraged a significant emigration of the Huguenots, Calvinist martyrs in Catholic absolutist France who were in search of a refuge. Economically, the 1660s and 1670s were a period of growth due to commercial expansion, but politically these years were full of instability and crises fuelled by an acute and sometimes hysterical fear of Catholicism, which was referred to as Popery. This proved to be an essential element in the making of Protestant England, serving the purpose of the â€Å"evil God† in the creation m yth. Popery was everyone’s worst nightmare, and was a catalyst for real as well as imagined menaces to the English nation. The Marian persecutions of the 1550s, the 1588 Great Armada, the 1605 Gunpowder Plot, and the Irish Rebellion of 1641 were collectively perceived as instances of how demoniac Catholic forces could

To Whom It May Concern Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

To Whom It May Concern - Essay Example In a hurry to hide something Quick, Lucy! Don't "fill" your blouse with missing cherries from the confection assembly line! Stuff it, girl! Although "farce" theatre has its origins in France, many would argue that it has been perfected by the English. Few would disagree that whilst naming influential forces within the world of farce theatre, it would be appropriate to include many works produced by British entertainers, especially the members of Monty Python. Today, however, it is entirely possible that the bulk of our comedic diet, as Americans, is made up of farce, usually in the form of sitcoms, but also prevalent upon the stage. We seem to have a taste for the outrageous, hysterical episodes of characters caught in ridiculous circumstances. A prime example of farce upon the stage can be seen in Michael Frayn's play, "Noises Off." "Noises Off," is a play whose basic plot entails the misadventures of a struggling, low-budget theatre troupe attempting to pull together and make their performance of "Nothing On," a success. In the first act, we see the various cast members acting out what happens when a wealthy couple trying to avoid the taxman return home from overseas, but without letting anyone-especially the IRS-know. Meanwhile, their home, which is up for let, is being-shall we say explored-by others who don't suspect anyone of being home. This comedy of errors, so cleverly done and well-thought out, makes us forget for a moment that we are watching a play within a play. However, we are soon reminded that the actors on stage are playing actors. It is during this opening act that we see the various relationships between the cast members, who are smitten with whom, and exactly where all those plates of sardines go.In the next act, we see another performance of "Nothing On," only this time with completely diffe rent chemistry between the cast members. What began, in act one, as a rather jumbled, stressed, but good-natured set of people, several of whom were involved romantically, has devolved into a group with growing suspicion and hurt feelings due to a series of misunderstandings.By act three, the confusion has led to outright hostility between the majority of the cast, and we are left where we began: with a plateful of sardines. Within the next few pages, please take a look at set design for "Noises Off." Act I: We need to start with the characters. Since this "play within a play" happens solely within the theatre during rehearsal and show time, the characters will always be dressed like their characters. Dotty Otley: A woman in her early forties, dressed like a housekeeper, with a mid-calf length dress in a drab color, a full-length apron, sensible shoes. Her hair must be pulled back. Flavia Brent: A woman in her late thirties, dressed like a yuppie. Tasteful neutral clothes, jewelry. Roger Tramplemain: A man in his late thirties, dressed in a smart suit. Burglar: A man in his early sixties, gray hair, wearing a black turtleneck, black leggings, black shoes and black gloves, along with a black ski mask, pulled away from his face. Vicki: A pretty, dark-haired woman in her early twenties, wearing a suit appropriate for working in an office. Philip Brent: A man in his la

Collaborative scholarly journal and literature review Essay

Collaborative scholarly journal and literature review - Essay Example The inability to integrate other communication approaches such as social media services and broadcast services has not only undermined the movements’ activities but has as well reduced their ability of attaining their goals and objectives (HAPCO and Global HIV/AIDS 678). Lack of clear and realistic communication strategy is as well a major factor that had interfered with anti- HIV/AIDS movements’ ability to address HIV/AIDS predicament in higher learning institutions. Lack of the required commitment among university management, inadequate training as well as lack of the required support from students has also been associated with inefficiency of HIV/AIDS movements. Some scholars have on the other hand argued that, the incompetence of the existing anti- HIV/AIDS movement is as a result of the ignorance and lack of knowledge among university students and other involved players. Ignorance has as well been a major factor that has led to the increased cases of HIV/AIDS infec tions in higher learning institutions. ... The subsequent writing will therefore explore the significance and relevance of incorporating social media services, broadcast media as well as non-media outlets in the fight against HIV/AIDS in higher learning institutions. Current States of HIV/AIDS in Higher Learning Institutions As explained by (Reinard 67), an expert in HIV/AIDS training, higher learning institutions students is more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS pandemic. So far, the ever-increasing HIV/AIDS cases in modern higher learning institution have killed thousands of incredibly intelligent students. Although the prevalence level of HIV/AIDS is decreasing in some countries, the rate of new HIV/AIDS infections is increasing in some countries. Some scholars have argued that, the increase in the number of HIV/AIDS infections in less developed countries is due to high level of poverty as well as limited access to healthcare institutions. However, as indicated by (Reinard 73), the raise in HIV/AIDS prevalence level is as a result o f lack of efficient and appropriate communication channels between the existing anti- HIV/AIDS and students’ body. In addition, the challenge of lack of communication flexibility can as well be associated with increasing cases of HIV/AIDS infections in higher learning institutions. As stated by MeKeel, et al (89), cases of HIV/AIDS in modern society is particularly higher among young and active people in the society. Recent studies have as well asserted that, young people who are in higher learning institutions are as well vulnerable to HIV/AIDS infections compared to young people who are in other social and professional institutions. In his observation(Wooley 11) asserts that, people who are at higher risks of being infected with HIV/AIDS

MySpace and Facebook Essay Example for Free

MySpace and Facebook Essay I think that stalking is possibly one of the scariest forms of abuse there is. Both men and women are capable of stalking but I think that in most cases it is a male stalking a female. There are many reasons why one person stalks another. I believe the most common reason is because of anger and humiliation. When one person breaks off a relationship with another it often causes conflicting feelings which may turn a person into a desperate stalker. I believe that the longer and more intimate a relationship was the higher chance for stalking and dangerous behavior. I think another big reason why a person will turn into a stalker is because they simply cannot accept that their former partner has moved on and is dating other people. I agree that cyber stalking has become a problem and I think cyber stalking will continue to increase since so many people use computers. The case of the 13 year old girl who committed suicide because of cyber stalking is sad and shocking. I know from experience that teenagers can be quite cruel to one another but this young girl experienced extreme bullying by an adult who should have known better. I strongly believe that the ultimate responsibility for the safety of children on the computer falls to the parents. Parents are responsible for ensuring the safety of their children at all times – including who they talk to and what sites they visit on the internet. In this case it was the parent doing the harassing and terrorizing which is what makes this case so nauseating. Social sites such as MySpace and Facebook make it very easy for teenagers to form cyber relationships with one another. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as long as parents supervise and children behave appropriately. However, I think cyber stalking is going to continue to increase since so many teenagers use these types of sites and their parents have no idea who they talk to or what they talk about. I think the case of the 13 year old girl who killed herself should open the eyes of parents so that they can prevent something tragic like this from happening again.

Ethical Principles in Healthcare

Ethical Principles in Healthcare Introduction The Department of Health (DoH) (2003) highlighted the importance for all professions currently regulated by the Health Professions Council to demonstrate competence through continuing professional development (CPD). CPD is a systematic, ongoing, structured process that encourages the development and maintenance of knowledge, skills and competency that assists us in becoming better practitioners (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), 2003). As a result of the Health Act (1999) and for registration with the Health Professions Council (HPC), CPD is a legal requirement (HPC Standards of Proficiency, 2007) that must be completed in accordance with the (HPC) Standards of Continuing Professional Development (HPC, 2006). This essay allows for demonstration of life-long learning using evidence from clinical practice and critical evaluation to contribute to my CPD. Learning outcome 5 will be demonstrated throughout this essay. Throughout this essay the reader is directed to the appendices to support theory with evidence of practice. I considered my motivations for undertaking CPD before writing this essay and reflected upon them again on completion (Appendix 1). Demonstrate professional behaviour with an understanding of the fundamental, legal and ethical boundaries of professional practice. Beauchamp and Childress (2001) identify four ethical principles; Autonomy, Beneficence, Non-maleficence and Justice. These ethical principles can be used to morally reason whether an action or decision is right or wrong when used in conjunction with a set of guidelines (Kohlberg et al, 1983). Professional codes of conduct are developed within moral, ethical and legal frameworks to help guide and regulate practice (Hope et al, 2008). Every practitioner has clinical autonomy, therefore they are professionally and legally accountable for their actions. The following will discuss the importance of consent and duty of care for both legal and ethical reasons with regards to case 1 (Appendix 2), encounterd on practice placement 6 (PP6). Rule 9 of the HPC standards of conduct, performance and ethics (2008) states you must gain valid consent from a patient for any treatment you may perform or else you could face trial for assault, battery or negligence under civil or criminal law (Hendrick, 2002). It is a fundamental ethical priniciple that every person has a right to exercise autonomy (Article 9; Human Rights Act, 1998) and is reflected in the Core Standards of Physiotherapy Practice (CSP, 2005). Performing a procedure without gaining consent, undermines the moral priniciple of respect for patients autonomy and human dignity (Sim, 1986). However, inability for Patient X to conform to the Mental Capacity Act (2005) meant he was treated in his best intrest in adherance to section 1.5 of this act and Rule 1 of the HPC (2008) standards of conduct, performance and ethics. Assuming the medical management of Patient X, a legal and professional duty of care was established (Rule 6; HPC, 2008). As part of this duty and in accordance with standard 2 of the CSP Core Standards of Physiotherapy, all interventions were explained to patient X despite his inability to consent. Had I not treated Patient X on the basis he had swine flu, this would have been failing to do justice to him, acting outside of the Disability Discrimination Act (2005) which states everyone should have equitable access to and utilisation of services regardless of disability and also Article 14 of the Human Rights Act (1998) in that no one should be discriminated against based on their health status. The Bolam Test (1957, cited in Dimond, 1999) states if duty of care to a client is breached and subsequent harm to the patient occurs, professional standards have not been kept and therefore negligence can be assumed. Although not legally binding, the CSP rules of professional conduct effectiv ely have the same status as law and failure to comply with them means they may not only be used in disciplinary hearings but also in legal proceeding as a civil case under the tort law of negligence (Dimond, 1999; Hendrick, 2002). In summary, a sound understanding of the legal implications surrounding consent and duty of care can help avoid unwanted litigation, however they should not undermine the ethical implications. Appendix 3 demonstrates how I have learnt from this experience. Assess the needs of a range of service users and, with reference to current professional knowledge and relevant research, apply, evaluate and modified physiotherapeutic intervention A service users is anyone who utilises or is affected by a registrants service (HPC, 2008). The complex needs of a service user encompass a range of issues including social, environmental, emotional and health related, the extent of which varies from person to person. For the purpose of this essay, the physiotherapeutic management of two patients treated whilst on PP6 with differing severities of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations (Appendix 4) will be discussed. The National Institue for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines (NICE, 2004) in conjuntion with the guidelines for physiotherapy in respiratory care (British Thoracic Society (BST), 2008) advocates the use of active cycle of breathing technique (ACBT) with expiratory vibrations on the chest wall for the treatment of COPD to help aid airway clearance. Inability for patient A to comply with ACBT indicated the use of manual hyperinflation (MHI) to passively inflate the lungs and aid mucocillary transport (Ntoumenopoulos, 2005). As identified by Finer et al (1979), atelectasis is a common problem observed in mechanically ventilated patients for which MHI has been found to be beneficial in reducing it in a well controlled clinical trial by Stiller et al (1996), scoring a PEDro rating of 6/10. Absence of a cough reflex in patient A, resulted in sputum retention and the increased risk of infection indicating the use of suctioning (Pryor and Prasad, 2002) by which, copious amounts of viscous secretions were cleared. Shorten et al (1991) supports the use of saline instilation to loosen secretions prior to suctioining however, conflicting arguments by Blackwood (1999) and Kinloch (1999) question its effectiveness. Patient Bs compliance with ACBT replaced the need for MHI and suctioning. Patient A developed bilateral shoulder subluxations due to his lengthy intubation for which subluxation cuffs were applied, as suggest by Zorowitz et al (1995) with positive effect. Despite this study being on stroke patients, the results can be generalised to other patient groups as proved. The importance of mobilising patients with regards to respiratory function is highlighted by Ciesla (1996), however mobilisation of critically ill patients is restricted as they are often non-ambulatory. A high quality, randomised control trial using fifty-six participants by Mackay et al (2005), identified mobilisation as superior to other respiratory techniques, therefore Patient B was encouraged to sit out and treated using a graduated walking program. In the case of Patient B, mobilisation constitutes any change in position therefore the use of postural drainage positions and positioning into the cardiac chair setting on the bed were used (BTS, 2008). The range of problems service users present with means practitioners need to be adaptable, drawing on current evidence, professional knowledge from different fields of physiotherpy practice and experiences through CPD to deliever indiviualised patient-centred care. Appraise self management of a caseload and modify practice accordingly, demonstarating effective teamwork and communication skills Caseload management typically refers to the number of cases handled in a certain timeframe by an individual for which they have a duty of care towards (Scottish Executive, 2006). It is the management of time effectively through appropriate priority-setting, delegation, and allocation of resources to meet the service demand of its users (Curtis, 2002). Self-management of a caseload and adaptability to changing circumstances is expected of a registrant (HPC, 2008). Well developed time management skills can make a workload more manageable and improve the effectiveness of treatments and quality of time with patients. Prioritising patients to the order in which they will be seen based on their needs is encouraged by SARRAH (2010), however Nord (2002) argues whether it can be justified to prioritise those in most need if their potential benefit may not be as great as those in less need. In my experience prioritisation is dependant on a variety of factors for example, the trust where PP6 was completed, enforced protected meal times which did not run alongside staff meal times. Therefore, to prevent there being a void in the day, patients were still prioritised according to need but considertation had to be given to see patients that would be eating first and treat those that would not be during protected meal times. It is essential to consider that a therapists workload includes not only patient care, but also admistrative and research tasks in which delegation to others can be a valuable stratergy to assist with workload mangement. Curtis, (1999), identifies the need for practioners to show greater awareness of other disciplines competancies so delegation can be more effective. Feedback systems should be enforced to ensure task completion and objectives are being met (Curtis, 2002). Inter-professional collaboration refers to the process by which different disciplines work together to improve healthcare (Zwarenstein et al, 2009). Poor collaboration amongst healthcare professionals contributes to problems in quality of patient care and consequently poorer outcomes (Zwarenstein and Byrant, 1997). Liaison with members of the multi-disciplinary team (MDT) is encouraged by Shortell and Singer (2008) as practitioners are less likely to work off their own autonomy, ensuring patient safety, as demonstrated during handover in (Appendix 5). The learning objectives on PP6 to develop MDT collaboration and caseload management have been achieved as demonstrated in the feedback from my educator (Appendix 6) which identifies that improvement in self confidence will allow further development of the skills discussed. Demonstrate partnership with more junior students and/or appropriate others through the development of mentoring skills Mentoring is a process aimed at transfering knowledge, skills and psycological support from a more experienced person to a less experienced person, where the desired outcome is for both persons to achieve personal and professional growth (Anderson, 1987). An effective mentor facilitates, guides and empowers the mentee in becoming an independent learner (Coles, 1996) in which the relationships developed are based upon mutal respect, trust, confidentiality and shared beliefs and values (Lyons et al, 1990). The CSP (2005) acknowledges the importance of intergrating mentorship into CPD, in which the mentor develops a range of skills transferable to other CPD activities. This section focuses on peer mentoring as a concept, its practice and clinical application on an informal basis. Having identified the characteristics of a mentor (CSP, 2005), a SWOT analysis (Appendix 7) was completed to assist recognition of my personal learning needs. There are four stages to the mentoring life cycle (Appendix 8), in which the mentor needs to adopt and develop new skills to accommodate the mentee and guide them through the process. A qualitative study using a moderate sample size by Chan and Wai-Tong (2000) encourages the use of learning contracts (Appendix 9) to help establish rapports and facilitate autonomous learning which aids progression to stage two of the cycle. This is further supported in a recent review of the literature by Sambunjak et al (2009). Gopee (2008) recognises the importance of analysing the mentees needs. Foster-Turner (2006) states that different people approach the learning process in different ways therefore, matching the learning styles of the mentor and mentee will produce a more productive and successful relationship (Mumford, 1995; Hale, 2000). Honey and Mumford (1992) suggested people tend to have a predominant learning style and can be classified as activists, reflectors, theorists or pragmatists (Appendix 10). Boud (1999) identifies raising self-awareness as an essential tool used in lifelong leaning and through analysis of learning styles using Honey and Mumfords (1992) questionnaire, this allowed for reflection on the style of learning that would best suit the mentee to help meet their learning needs (Foster-Turner, 2006) (Appendix 11). As identified by the learning style inventory, the mentee and myself were both reflective learners, therefore we arranged sessions where we could dreflect on a clinical experience and discuss how new learning could be applied to future events. A feedback form from the mentee (Appendix 12) an a SWOT analysis (Appendix 13) demonstrates how through increased self-awareness and review of the literature, I have developed a better understanding of the mentoring process, the skills required and its application in into clinical practice. Developing others is central to current and desired practice (DoH, 2000a, 2000b, 2001, 2002) in which mentorship offers all the key attributes to the process. Preparation of an individual for this role, through self assessment, is central to its success, in which the skills developed are lifelong and can enable development into management and leadership roles later on in life. Demonstrate skills of career-long learning Lifelong learning is used synonymously with CPD and is concerned with practitioners critically reviewing their skills and knowledgebase with the ultimate goal of providing a better standard of care to all service users (French and Dowds, 2008). A recent inquest into a practitioner who did not maintain his competencies, demonstrates the possible consequences of poor CPD (Appendix 14). Appendix 15 details a range of formal and informal activities that can be undertaken to contribute towards CPD, evidence of which can be documented in a portfolio. The importance of staff development is recognised by the DoH documents (2000a, 2000b, 2001, 2002) which sets out the Governments vision of an NHS that prepares allied health professionals with the skills to take advantage of wider career opportunities and realise their potential. By using the competency based framework; The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (2004), physiotherapists can participate in development reviews which identify development opportunities and contribute to the fulfilment of personal development plans. References Anderson, E. (1987) Definitions of Mentoring; Unpublised Thesis, cited in; Anderson, E. Shannon, A. (1988) Towards a Conceptualisation of Mentoring; Journal of Teacher Education. 29 (1); 38-42. BBC News (2010) Patients inquest focuses on overseas locum care [online]. Available from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8455971.stm [Accessed 15th February, 2010] Beauchamp, T. Childress, J. (2001) Principles of Biomedical Ethics 5th Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Belbin, M. (1993) Team Roles at Work. Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann Blackwood, B. (1999) Normal Saline Instillation with endotracheal suctioning: primum non nocere (first do no harm); Journal of Advanced Nursing. 29 (4); 928-934. Boud, D. Cohen, R. Sampson, J. (1999) Peer Learning in Higher Edcation: Learning From and with Each Other. Kogna Page Limited: London. Ciesla, N. (1996) Chest Physical Therapy for Patients in the Intensive Care Unit; Physical Therapy. 76 (6); 609-625. Chan, C. Wai-Tong, C. (2000) Implementing contract learning in a clinical context: report on a study; Journal of Advanced Nursing. 31(2), 298-305. Coles, C. (1996) Approaching Professional Development; Journal of Continuing Education in the Health Professions. 16; 152-158. Curtis, K. (1999) The Physical Therapists Guide to Health Care. New Jersey; SLACK Inc. Curtis, K. (2002) Physical Therapy Professional Foundations: keys to success in school and career. New Jersey; SLACK Inc. Department of Health (2000a) The NHS Plan: a Plan for Investment, a Plan for Reform. London: The Stationary Office. Available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/publicationsandstatistics/ publications/publicationspolicyandguidance/dh_4002960 [Accessed 13th February 2010]. Department of Health (2000b) Meeting the Challenge : a strategy for the allied health professions. London: The Stationary Office. Available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publications andstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4025477 [Accessed 14th February 2010]. Department of Health (2001) Working together, learning together: a framework for lifelong learning for the NHS. London: The Stationary Office. Available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/ Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4009558 [Accessed 29th January 2010]. Department of Health (2003) Allied health professions project: Demonstrating competence through continuing professional development (CPD). London: The Stationary Office. Available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Closedconsultations/DH_4071458 [Accessed 24th January 2010]. Department of Health (2004) The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF) and the Development Review Process. London: The Stationary Office. Available from http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4090843 [Accessed 15th February 2010]. Dimond, B. (1999) Legal Aspects of Physiotherapy. London: Wiley Blackwell. Finer, N. Moriartey, R. Boyd, D. et al (1979) Postextubation atelectasis: A retrospective review and a prospective controlled study; The Journal of Paediatrics. 94 (1); 110-113. Foster-Turner, J. (2006) Coaching and Mentoring in Health and Social Care; The Essentials of Practice for Professionals and Organisations. Radcliffe Publishing Ltd: Oxford. French, H. Dowds, J. (2008). An overview of Continuing Professional Development in Physioitherapy; Physiotherapy. 94 (3); 190-197. Gibbs, G (1988) Learning by doing: a guide to teaching and learning methods. Cheltenham: The Geography Discipline Network. Gopee, N. (2008) Mentoring and Supervision in Healthcare. London: SAGE Publications. Hale, R. (2000) To match or mis-match? The dynamics of mentoring as a route to personal and organisational learning; Continuing Professional Development. 3; 88-101. Holbeche, L. (1996) Peer mentoring: the challenges and opportunities; Career Development International. 1 (7); 24. Honey, P. Mumford, A. (1992) In; Honey, P. (Ed.), The Manual of Learning Styles, Maidenhead. Hope, T. Savulescu, J. Hendrick, J. (2008) Medical Ethics and Law: The Core Curriculum 2nd Edition. London: Churchill Livingstone. Kinloch, D. (1999) Instillation of normal salineduring endotracheal suctioning; effects on mixed venous oxygen saturation; Americal Journal of Critical Care. 136; 717-422. Kohlberg, L. Levine, C. Hewer, A. (1983) Moral Stages; A Current Formulation and a Response to Critics. New York: Karger. Kolb, D. (1984) Experiential Learning. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs; New Jersey. Leonard, M. Graham, S. Bonacum, D. (2004) The Human Factor: The CRitical Importance of Effective Teamwork adn Communication in Providing Safe Care; Quality and Safety in Healthcare. 13 (1) 85-90. Lyons, W. Scroggins, D. Rule, P. (1990) The Mentor in Graduate Education; Studies in Higher Education. 15 (3); 277-285. Mackay, M. Ellis, E. Johnston, C. (2005) Randomised clinical trial of physiotherapy after open abdominal surgery in high risk patients; Australian Journal of Physiotherapy. 51 (3); 151-159. Mumford, A. (1995) Managers developing others though action learning; Industrial and Commercial Training. 27 (2); 19-27. National Institue for Health and Clinical Excellence (2004) Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in adults in primary and secondary care. London: National Institue for Health and Clinical Excellence. Available from http://guidance.nice.org.uk/CG12/NiceGuidance/pdf/English [Accessed 13th February 2010]. Nord, E. (2002) Fairness in evaluating health systems, cited in; Murray, C. Salomon, J. Mathers, C. et al (2002) Editors, Summary measures of population health; concepts, ethics, measurement and applications. World Health Organization. Geneva 707-715. Ntoumenopoulos, G. (2005) Indications for manual lung hyperinflation (MHI) in the mechanically ventilated patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Chronic Respiratory Disease. 2; 199-207. Office of Public Sector Information (1998) Human Rights Act Chapter 42. London: Office of Public Sector Information. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/ukpga_1998 0042_en_1 [Accessed 30th January 2010]. Office of Public Sector Information (1999) Health Act Chapter 8. London: Office of Public Sector Information. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1999/ukpga_19990008_en_1 [Accessed 17th February 2010]. Office of Public Sector Information (2005) Disability Discrimination Act Chapter 13. London: Office of Public Sector Information. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2005/ ukpga_2005 0013_en_1.htm [Accessed 10th February 2010]. Office of Public Sector Information (2005) Mental Capacity Act Chapter 9. London: Office of Public Sector Information. Available from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts2005/ukpga_200500 09_en_1 [Accessed 3rd February 2010]. Pryor, J Prasad, S.A. (2002) Physiotherapy for respiratory and cardiac problems: adults and paediatrics. London: Elsevier Health Sciences. Sambunjak, D. Straus, S. Marusic, M. (2009) A Systematic Review of Qualitative research on the Meaning and Mentoring in academic Medicine; Journal of General Internal Medicine. 25 (1); 72-78. SARRAH (2010) Workload Management. Australia: Services for Australian Rural and Remote Allied Health. Available from http://www.sarrahtraining.com.au/site/index.cfm?display=144625 [Accessed 15th February 2010]. Schofield, R. Amodeo, M. (1999) Interdisciplinary teams in healthcare and human service settings: are they effective?; Health and Social Work. 28 (4), 228-234. Scottish Executive (2006) Allied Health Professions; Workload Measurement and Management. Edinburgh: Scottish Executive. Available from http://www.sarrahtraining.com.au/ site/index.cfm?display=144625 [Accessed 3rd February 2010]. Shortell, S. Singer, S. (2008) Improving Patient Safety by Taking Systems Seriously; The Journal of the American Medical Association. 299(4); 445-447. Shorten, C. Byrne, P. Jones, R. (1991) Infant responses to saline instilations and endotracheal suctioning; Journal of Obstetric, Gynecological and Neonatal Nursing. 20; 464-469. Sim, J (1986) Informed Consent: Ethical Implications for Physiotherapy; Physiotherapy. 72; 584-587. Stiller, K. Jenkins, S. Grant, R. et al (1996) Acute lobar atelectasis: a comparison of five chest physiotherapy regimens; Physiotherapy Theory Practice. 12: 197-209. The British Thoracic Society (2008) Guidelines for the physiotherapy management of the adult, medical, spontaneously breathing patient. The British Thoracic Society: London. Available from http://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/clinical-information/physiotherapy/physiotherapy-guideline.aspx [Accessed February 14th 2010]. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (2002) Rules of Professional Conduct 2nd Edition. London: The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Available from http://www.csp.org.uk/uploads/ documents/csp_ rules_conduct.pdf [Accessed 20th January 2010]. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (2003) Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Briefing and Policy Statement. London: The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Available from http://www.csp.org.uk/uploads/documents/csp_infopaper_cpd29_v2.pdf [Accessed 20th January 2010]. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (2005) Mentoring: An Overview. London: The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Available from http://www.csp.org.uk/uploads/documents/ csp_cpd35 _2005.pdf [Accessed 20th January 2010]. The Health Professions Council (2006) Your Guide to our Standards of continuing professional development. The Health Professions Council: London. Available from http://www.hpc-uk.org/registrants/cpd/ [Accessed 16th February 2010]. The Health Professions Council (2008) Standards of Conduct, Performance Ethics. The Health Professions Council: London. Available from http://www.hpc-uk.org/aboutregistration/ standards/standardsofconductperformanceandethics/ [Accessed January 26th 2010]. Zorowitz, R. Idank, D. lkai,T. et al (1995) Shoulder subluxation after stroke: A comparison of four supports; Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. 76 (8); 763-771. Zwarenstein, M. Bryant, W. (1997) Interventions to romote collaberation between Nurses and Doctors; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Issue 2. Zwarenstein, M. Goldman, J. Reeves, S. (2009) Interprofessional collaboration: effects of practice-based interventions on professional practice and healthcare outcomes; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Issue 3.

Evaluating Public Interventions that Impact Market Prices

Evaluating Public Interventions that Impact Market Prices What measurement tools can we use to evaluate public interventions that affect market prices? How might these be used to explain the concept of transfer efficiency? (9 Marks) (a) To justify public intervention it is necessary to identify the market failure that the intervention is expected to correct. Public goods; externalities; competition failures; asymmetric information; and missing markets can all be contributing reasons why the private economy is unable to achieve efficiency. A problem that exists is that regardless that market failures are known they are rarely measured. Despite this the impact of public expenditure depends on the precise extent of the gap between social and private benefit. Public spending is necessary during market failure but not always a sufficient means. The application of a tax, for example, may be much more suited than public spending to correct a negative externality, offsetting the social and private cost difference. Another example is the enforcement of anti-trust regulation, which while breaking down monopolies and correcting competition does not alternatively limit the commodity at issue. However, different tools can be used to measure the affect that public intervention has on market prices. The measured price gap between domestic and world prices is a crucial input into discovering what may happen under different assumptions about policy reform. Estimated per tons and tariffs have an equivalent on producer price as measuring the gap between domestic and world price. In measuring the entire global state of affairs on world agriculture, calculating world prices without the addition of policies may be most appropriate. But the purpose of evaluating agricultural policies is to compare interventions made by governments while pursuing their political objectives. The world price does hold the most importance as it ultimately determines the effort the government makes to ensure a certain level of domestic price is maintained. In terms of agricultural policy reform, the different assumptions about the changing policy reform and trade barriers show changes in both domestic an d world prices, narrowing the price gap. However the ability to change world price lies in the dependence of other countries following the same reform. On a smaller level the measurement of farm support consists of adding two elements; the difference between domestic and world price for commodities multiplied by the amount produced and budgetary transfers. Tariffs, quotas and other restrictions on imports, also subsidies on exports together with government in intervention to boost domestic prices, can create gaps between domestic and world price. To find the producer support estimate (PSE), multiply the gap in prices by the amount of domestic production. The consumer support estimate (CSE), is negative because it is the consumer food subsidies amount minus the implicit tax on consumers from market price support. Therefore, the total support estimate (TSE) is found by adding the PSE, the taxpayer cost of consumption subsidies and the provision of general services, and subtracting import tariff receipts. The measurement tools can used to explain the concept of transfer efficiency. â€Å"Transfers are payments from one agent in the economy to another agent for which there is no corresponding flow of goods and services.†(1a.) Thus the aforementioned measures can determine how appropriately used these transfers are in relation to improving the market economy. To evaluate agricultural policy the objective of the analysis of transfer efficiency â€Å"is to relate the combined taxpayer and consumer costs to the additional income which farmers receive.†(1b.) To put transfer efficiency in to terms, it is the net income gain to farmers that comes from one unit gross transfer cost to consumers and taxpayers. Therefore, transfer efficiency ranges from zero to one. While there is no measurement tool that is greatly superior to compare the transfer efficiency of market price support, these measurements help emphasize the trade-offs. Broadly defined, transfer efficiency focuses on delivering assistance to targeted recipients in the most efficient manner possible. Thus, any estimation of the gains from policy reform needs to take into account the relation between economic intervention and the political response that intervention produces. Policy reform is greatly linked to transfer efficiency and support estimates are grand determinants in studying the success or failure of interventions. (b) Compare and contrast the welfare effects of three of the following interventions designed to raise farm incomes: (i) Import tariff (ii) Deficiency payment (iii) Fertiliser subsidy and (iv) Production quota. What assumptions underlie your analysis? (b) The welfare effects of the following interventions designed to raise farm incomes: (i) Import tariff: Tariffs can have an effect on many different parties including the importing country and the exporting country and the consumers, producers, and Government from both the importing and exporting countries. The importing country consumers of the product suffer due to the increase in the domestic price of both imported goods and the domestic substitutes. This reduces the amount of consumer surplus in the market. Producers in the importing country have a positive gain as the price increase on the domestic market increases producer surplus in the industry and increases output, raises employment and increases profit. Tariff revenue is given to the Government and its benefit is detrimental on how the Government spends it, such as using it to support many government-spending programs, which most likely benefit the public. The impact on the country is determined by totaling the gains and losses to consumers, producers and the government. The overall effect is a positive tra de effect, a negative production distortion and a negative consumption distortion. Since there are both positive and negative elements for the importing country the national welfare effect can be positive or negative. Exporting consumers of the product become better off as the import tariff decreases domestic price and raises the amount of consumer surplus in the market. Exporting producers suffer as the price in their own market decreases along with the producer surplus in the industry. Given that the importing country imposes the tariff there is no effect on the exporting Government revenue. The overall welfare effect for the country is determined by adding the gains and losses to consumers and producers. This effect consists of a negative trade effect, a negative consumption distortion and a negative production distortion, which produces a reduction in national welfare for the exporting country, as all the effects are negative. Adding the national welfare effects in both the importing and exporting countries creates the effect of the import tariff on the world welfare. The overall effect is negative as both the importers and exporter’s consumption and production distortion are each negative. Therefore, an import tariff results in a reduction in world production and consumption efficiency, as the total of the overall losses in the world outnumber the overall gains. (ii) Fertilizer Subsidy: A subsidy for fertilizer is sometimes paid to offset the disincentive effects of low producer prices. Market price support has an effect on the price-ratio between a product and a production input like fertilizer. The expansion in fertilizer subsidy has created greater use due to a distortion of the real price of fertilizer in turn to lower effective pricing. This has resulted in external costs such as a difficulty in monitoring and controlling agricultural pollution. Fertilizer subsidies can be justified, especially in developing countries, in order to maintain soil fertility and to conflict against soil erosion and deforestation. In the 1980’s fertilizer subsidies for countries were estimated at an astounding $2.8 billion, since then this number has rapidly decreased. A need to reduce fertilizer use can be attributed to a generation of health effects. In the world market effects of subsidizing agricultural inputs such as fertilizer raise market barriers and hinders competition, which enables inefficient structures to be protected and maintained. Other negative factors include an indication that rich farmers adversely gain from agricultural subsidies. The welfare effects of an imposed fertilizer subsidy entail a benefit for consumers due to a lower price. Producers’ welfare is not necessarily determinable, as although their price has reduced so have farmers’ costs of production. To establish the effect this subsidy has had, one must be able to find the elasticity of the demand curve. If demand is inelastic, producers will experience a net loss. (1c.) The effect the fertilizer subsidy has had on the total welfare is accounted to the tax placed on the taxpayer. This is found by locating the reduction in the cost of the agricultural product to farmers compared to the new production of wheat produced. (iii.) Production Quota: Production quotas limit the level to which an industry and the individual producer can adjust to changing technical and market conditions. Farm prices are being heavily affected through the rapid growth in supply in contrast to demand, which lowers farm prices and therefore reduces farm incomes. This is a major reason why farmers may seek a production quota to control the rising supply production. When a quota is enforced, if the price falls the supply to the right of the quota becomes inelastic as the producer is not allowed to increase supply. The welfare effects of a production quota are negative on consumer surplus. However, for producers to benefit after a quota the demand curve must be inelastic towards the original price. Also, we must understand that the extent to which structural change is withheld varies based upon the ease of transfer of quota rights. A trade in quota rights between producers may be constrained or there may be blemishes in the quota market. Producers may also try to lease or sell their production quota rights, creating a capital value. However the problems that arise in the future income to farmers may be reduced due to an inability to reform these production quotas. (1d.) The way that quotas are put into effect is to proportionately cutback both the most and least efficient producers but this would also increase the economic costs. To minimize economic costs trade must be encouraged within quotas. This will allow the suppliers whom prevail as the most efficient to purchase quota rights producers that lack efficiency as it will be better served if used by the more efficient of the producers. Under a free market approach, these inefficient producers will be forced from the market, creating an overall more efficient economy and then the production quota will be removed. However, due many restrictions the market is rarely a free and open environment and the welfare effect of a production is generally a negative outcome as a deadweight loss has been created. The assumptions that underlie this analysis are that all of these interventions are created under fair markets. That these markets can all compete together and there is no discrimination between countries. That these interventions reflect a change within each country that is comparable to its contrasting effect within the world economy. That these interventions can be subjectively held accountable upon each individual, for example, that the production quota can be accurately held accountable upon each farmer. Also, fair trade is allowed where there is no bias among trading parties. The major assumption is that when an intervention is put into place the effect will be equally felt by each producer and likewise by each consumer. Also, that the economical practices under which the markets are operated are nominally similar throughout each country. References: Lecture 15. Measuring Costs and Transfer Efficiency of Agricultural Price Policy. ALSTON, J.M. and B.H. HURD (1990), â€Å"Some Neglected Social Costs of Government Spending in Farm Programs,† American Journal of Agricultural Economics www.internationalecon.com www.farmfoundation.org