Justice is a theme of all great literature Essay Example for Free

Justice is a theme of all great literature Essay Justice comes from actions and decisions being balanced, in that when someone does a good thing, they are rewarded, and when they do something bad, they are punished. It is the gods primary role to hand out justice and make sure everybody is treated fairly. This theme appears immediately in the Odyssey, as Zeus is considering the story of Aegisthus, who courted Agamemnons wife and then killed Agamemnon. Aegisthus was killed for this treacherous act. This story of justice shows us instantly that the Odyssey will be strongly structured around it. May all who act as he did share his fate! says Athene. This shows how openly the gods in the Odyssey despised the works of those who went against the will of the gods. Both Nestor and Menelaus repeat this story of Aegisthus, and as god fearing men, they know how important it is to stay on their right side because they know what happens as a result of an imbalance in terms of justice. The Aeneid opens however and were told that the poem is based on the founding of Rome and the main string of justice seems to be coming from one scorned goddess, who simply doesnt want her favourite city to be destroyed. The balance she tries to restore is simply an act of revenge rather than actual justice, and rather than convincing the other gods its the right thing to do, she simply bribes Aeolus. Justice is however looked upon a little while later as Venus goes to Jupiter and asks why the Trojans are being made to suffer after doing nothing wrong. Jupiter tells her not to fear as justice will be done and Rome will be founded. Such behaviour seems to recur constantly throughout the Aeneid. For example, in book 8 we learn of the betrayal that a Tuscan tribe suffered at the hands of Mezentius, and in book 9 he continues his evil ways killing Trojans. The Gods have decided to stay out of the battle and so the following events have nothing to do with the justice that is familiar in epic poems. Both Mezentius and his son Lausus are killed, by Aeneid. I see these deaths as acts of revenge rather than justice, although Lausus death is more deserving. The death of his son is Mezentius true punishment. I see these deaths as acts of revenge because Mezentius tried to kill Aeneid, as well as all the other innocent people and the treachery he brought upon the aforementioned Tuscan tribe, and so Aeneas kills them. The fact that the innocent Lausus dies shows that the justice portrayed in the Aeneid is much more malicious, and it doesnt just affect the culprit. Theres also the case of the unfortunate people in the underworld that must wait 100 years to cross the river, through no fault of their own. Justice really does seem obscure in the Aeneid. Another instance of this is when the people of Carthage feel Didos death was just, simply because she fell in love with the wrong man, and through no fault of her own. I believe Turnus death to be the best example of the incomprehensible justice served in the Aeneid. His justice only prevails once they see fit, once it fits in with their plans. In the end, it becomes obvious that while justice is a powerful motivator and regulator in the lives of mortals, it is the will of the immortals that truly controls their lives, and their disfigured system of justice On the other hand, there are moments when actual justice is served. Examples include the groups beyond the river in the underworld and the story of Hercules and the giant for example. He goes to extreme lengths to kill the giant for all the robbery and murder hes committed, and its just that Hercules puts a stop to it, even though its brought about by someone who isnt quite immortal, and so possibly not what the gods perceive as justice. Although weve already established that the gods perspective is fairly warped in the Aeneid. The other case of actual justice involves king Minos, who spends eternity hearing the cases of people, unjustly executed, and finally getting the plea their cases. They are finally being treated fairly, even if it is beyond life. In the Odyssey however, deaths and misfortunes seem to come about through the idea of justice, and nothing else- no malicious or unfair punishments seem to prevail i. e. there seems to be a point behind them, rather than them just being malicious acts of immortals. For example, Zeus becomes angered at Odysseus because his men eat the sun gods cattle, despite being warned not to; however he doesnt let Odysseus die, because the sun god only asks that the crew be punished, because after all, Odysseus did warn them. However he does unavoidably get caught in the cross fire and this is how he winds up on Calypsos island in the first place. Another example is Poseidon. He makes Odysseus aqua adventures a nightmare because he impairs Poseidons son Polyphemus vision, which goes against the rules of Xenia really. It is of course, Odysseus own fault because he becomes arrogant about what he did to Polyphemus, by telling him his name, after hes left. Therefore its just and fair to punish him. Even though hes such a great hero, he does a wrong act and is punished as any other man would be. Then of course, there is the case of the suitors; the epic conclusion to the Odyssey. Odysseus finally returns to find all the suitors and some of the maids running riot in his home, having raunchy sex, eating all the food, and drinking away his wealth. Odysseus is of course a bit bothered by this, so he decides, and Athene, who borrows Mentors image again, agrees that he, Telemachus and a couple of close friends will pick up their weapons and launch them through any part of the suitors they see fit. The fact that Athene helps proves that the act is just. Rarely do gods help out in a way that we can perceive as just in the Aeneid, because most of the time, the punishments are just vicious or over-exaggerated. So anyway, Telemachus sees to it that the ill-mannered maids are hung until they stop twitching, and Odysseus destroys all the suitors so that he and Penelope can live happily ever after, as they justly deserve. By the end of homers poem, everyone has been served the justice theyve earned, both good and bad. I think its fair to say that justice is very important in both plays, but as a modern day reader, its easier to understand the justice in the Odyssey because at times, the events in the Aeneid seem so obscure.

Bilateral Relations Between the EU and China

Bilateral Relations Between the EU and China Till the 1978, Peoples Republic of China (PRC) was in self employed isolation because of two things, one was Cultural Revolution and another was the transformation of the society and economy from traditional to modern. Another factor which also played a part was the Soviet threat to China after 1958 till 1983. On the other side EU was coming out of the wars and conflicts of the first half of the 20th century and making the headway for global economic power after the economic boom from 1960-1970. Though there were trade agreements between China and EU in 1978 and in 1985, however, till the end of Cold War, relations between the EU and China were at low as latter has not given high priority to relations with former, however, globalisation, and interests in multi polar world became the factors that lead to growing bilateral relations between the two. The bilateral relations between the EU and China developed and reached to its height in 2011, when train started connecting the two mighty economic and political actors of globe through Central Asian Republics. Since the bilateral relations between the two partners are still growing but there are new issues that are need the dynamism to solve the problems, human rights violations in some parts of China, and other issues like lack of transparency in China that was highlighted by EU Ambassador at WTO in June 2012, â€Å"related to lack of transparency, which makes Chinas trade and investment policies in the words of Secretariats report â€Å"opaque and complex† (EU Ambassador to WTO, June 2012). The paper will analyse: What steps have helped the bilateral relations between the EU and China? What are the hurdles that need solutions to make the bilateral relations more powerful? The growing interdependence after the globalisation has played a role in integration of trade, finances and people and ideas that led to speed up the bilateral relations between the countries, regions etc. According to new interdependence phenomenon regional powers, countries having different forms of government came closer to each other and start and world institutions like WTO played great role in promoting the phenomenon by replacing protectionism by free trade. The interdependence at times had made so much impact that many countries adopt policies according to international norms to trade and protect ones economy. In the conference of the Interdependence and Globalisation, Secretary-General of UN said, â€Å"There are two main aspects of forging coherence in advancing the development goals in a globalizing world economy †¦ At the regional level; there is a need to broaden and deepen regional integration and to foster coherence through greater coordination of policies and th rough peer reviews While some regions have taken the necessary steps to achieve these ends, others lag Behind.†[1] Under the following back ground and arguments about to achieve the goals of necessary steps for the relations with the other countries, regions like (EU) had taken many steps and have shown dynamism for the bilateral relations and trade particularly with the Central Asian countries and China. However, some of the countries lack behind like (China) that is not a positive sign though the Chinese government have made many changes. Review of literature: There is literature available on the bilateral relations between the China and EU in the form of different journals, books, reports and conference proceedings. They give the information related to trade between the EU and China and the annual high level summit held between the two. However, most of the literature is related with the trade relations and their impact on both side but about the progress in the other social problems there is stray references. The stress is not given on the peace building capacity and conflict resolution capacity of the both partners jointly or the problems which both are facing in the bilateral relations. Last but not the least to what extent they have made the world multi polar from unipolar. As one of the recent articles published by the by the European Council on Foreign Relations argues that Europe needs a â€Å"global China policy,† meaning that it should look at its relationship with China not from a traditional bilateral perspective, but ra ther from a global perspective that takes into account indirect effects through third countries or regions (Godement, 2010). History of bilateral relations between China and EU: The bilateral relations between China and EU started after 1975 and that were further developed by the economic policy changes introduced by Deng Xiaoping in 1978. Since 1978 China has freed itself from the self imposed isolation and integrated with the world. Not only was this but the major shifts in the world economy which had left their mark on the relations between China and various European economies. The single most important events bringing about a significant reshuffle of the European economies economic structure and the pattern of their integration into the international division of labour have been the evolution of a single European market under the auspices of the European Union and the breakdown of socialist block the ensuing transformation of the Central and East European economies into market economies (Markus: 2002). During this period many agreements on trade and bilateral relations were signed by the two like those of Trade Agreement between the EC and China followed in 1978 (Official Journal: 1978). In 1985 this agreement was replaced by the Agreement on Trade and Economic Co-operation between the EC and China. The European Commission opened its representation in Beijing in 1988, and ever since there has been a continuous deepening of economic and trade relations. Since after the opening of the economy after 1978 and especially after the fall of USSR and globalisation, Chinese economy have become the second largest economy. On the other side EU is making it headways to became the major champion of the human rights, rule of law, democracy and is expanding its membership that made the EU major player in this global world. These events make both EU and China think about their larger interests and exchange of goods and rapid development of bilateral trade. China in 2001 joined WTO that helped the both partners to come closer to each other. After 2009 when Lisbon treaty came into force and main motives of the treaty was to overhaul the basic setup of the European Union (EU) had been to make it stronger, more visible and more assertive actor on the international scene. This institutional re-structuring which followed, notably the creation of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and EU delegations with global reach, was also intended to enhance the EU’s role and capacity in supporting peace processes, making relations with other countries more practical (Joris Larik, Catriona Gourlay). When Catherine Ashton was appointed to new post of High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy was welcomed by the Chinese government, as it has given China a contact at the top of the EU’s administration with whom they are already familiar through trade negotiations. Such a dynamism of both EU and China saw the fruits when the bilateral trade that in the first decade of the 21century as the EU having surpassed the United States as China’s largest trading partner ( Fox: 2009). On the one side EU has beca me the largest supplier of technology and equipment, in the form of FDI, and also a number of joint technology projects with China. Apart from the good and prospective trade relations EU-China co-operation activities are also seen in the categories of measures directed in transition process to an open society based on the rule of law; support of economic reforms; business and industrial co-operation; legal and administrative reform; human resources development; science and technology; environment and energy; regional disparities, poverty alleviation and social cohesion; academic and societal activities (Franco: 2002). Cooperation has extended to other areas, with 100,000 Chinese now studying in the EU, against 60,000 in the United States, and the Chinese invited to join in a number of European technology projects, including the Galileo satellite navigation programme (Europa press release: 2003). This co operation shows the bilateral relation between the two China and EU are reaching to the new heights and levels and can be called the emergence of a new Sinoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ European axis in world politics (Shambaugh 2004; Scott 2007). According to the statics of the 2012, the bilateral trade between the China and Europe reached to 443.6 billion Euros in which EU exports to China reached to its height â‚ ¬143.9 billion and Chinas exports to EU reached to â‚ ¬289.7 billion.[2] That means that one billion trade is done on the average between the two partners. Hurdles in the Bilateral Relations: Though the EU China bilateral relations reached to it new heights nut there are also some hurdles that created problems many time and even when Shambaugh wrote in the International Herald Tribune (26 November 2007) that â€Å"for Europe the ‘China honeymoon’ is now over†. Starting from 1989, when because of Tiananmen Square protests for more reforms towards democratic setup and its suppression lead to the death of more than 1000 persons. Though this event does not have much impact on the bilateral relations between the two but EU with USA imposes the arms embargoes in place (Franco: 2002). Also the problems like human rights violations in Tibet, Xinjiang and Carbon emissions. These issues reached to its height and created the rift between EU and Chinas bilateral relations, when latter cancelled their participation in the annual EU-China summit in retaliation against French plans to meet the Dalai Lama in December 2008. On the economic front the problems like dumping issues against China, and EUs response like increasing the anti-dumping tariffs of up to 50 percent on Chinese-made candles sold in the Europe have made bilateral relations somewhat more strangled(ROBERTO: 2010). In 2012, out of 100 fake goods captured on the European borders 64 were made in China that has created the larger problems. The other problems in the economic front are the China laws on the foreign companies that diminish the role of the EU companies and FDI. As for example EU investments in China add up to less than 2% of the total FDI abroad compared with nearly 30% in the United States.[3] The Chinese government also does not use country specific standards than international standards which EU companies fail or find hard to meet. Because of this in 2012, 45 % of EU companies have missed the business opportunities by these standards or regulatory barriers. Since these things need a solution and compromise between the two wor ld largest economies for this some of the steps have been taken by the EU and China for better prospects and better bilateral relations like. As both the EU and China have more to gain from each other than either has to lose and to overcome the issue of the human rights in China both EU and China have started dialogue from 1996 onwards one among them was on the Human rights in China (EU-China Observer, 2010). To come out of the hurdles between the two bilateral partners, they started Strategic Dialogue in 2005, held at the Vice Ministerial level and since then dialogue is held yearly for the progress and prospectus of the bilateral relations between the two and the framework of this annual dialogue covers wide range of areas. After the Lisbon treaty the dialogue is held at the direct the highest decision-making level helps maintain the strong momentum in strengthening contacts and increasing bilateral cooperation between the two partners. At the end of each summit meeting, the joint declarations reveal the new agreements reached between the two sides, which draws the blueprint and directs further the future development for EU-China relations and also serve to clarify each other’s interests and concerns. (EU-China Observer, 2010). This dialogue have given the opportunities to both the partners to known about each other’s grievances and progress on any contested issue, however, still lot has to be done in this regard. On the other side the growing the threats of terrorism to both partners in general and world in particular have became great problem to world peace. Although EU have made peace building process and conflict resolution there priority in their international relations after Lisbon treaty 2009. EU had send many peace keeping missions to Kosovo, Libya, Georgia, Afghanistan, Iraq, Niger, Palestinian territories and some military missions to Somilia, Atalnta, Bosinia, Mali. Both China and EU can start a new dialogue process with the leaders of the conflict areas for peace as both are considered neutral that can help in solving these deadly problems. Also EU and China can help the poor countries of the world for the sustainable human resource development and economic activities by investing jointly the technology and the finances in these countries. Although now the annual summits held between the two global partners on the security situation in Asia, from non-proliferation to the control of small arms and light weapons, from global warming and climate change to the fight against illegal migration and trafficking in human beings but still lot have to be done. Bibliography: Action and the External Action Service,  Algieri, Franco (2002). â€Å"EU Economic Relations with China: An Institutionalist  Perspective†, The China Quarterly, No. 169, Catriona Gourlay, The European Union as Peacemaker – Enhancing EU Mediation Capacity,  European Policy Centre, Available at: EU-China Observer, 2010, issue 5, (available online www.coleurope.eu.). Europa press release (2003) â€Å"EU and China are set to collaborate on GALILEO, the  European global system of satellite navigation†, Foa, Roberto (2010), â€Å"The EU-China Relationship†, Published in the 21st Century  International Review, Francois Godement, (2010) â€Å"A Global China Policy†, ECFR Policy Brief 22, London. Fox, John and Franà §ois Godement, (2009). â€Å"A Power Audit of EU-China Relations†,  European Council on Foreign Relations, Joris Larik, The EU on the Global Stage after the Lisbon Treaty: External Kapur, Harish (1990), Distant Neigbours: China and Europe, London, New York: Pinter  Publishers. Official Journal of the European Communities, L 123, 11 May 1978. Philip Baker, (2002)â€Å"Human Rights, Europe and the People’s Republic of China†, The China  Quarterly, (1). Scott, David (2007), China and the EU: A Strategic Axis for the Twentyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ First Century?, in:  International Relations, Vol. 21, no. 1, 23à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â„¢45. Shambaugh, David (2004), China and Europe: The Emerging Axis, in: Current History, 103,  243à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â„¢248. Taube, Markus 2000, Die chinesische Volkswirtschaft zum Jahrhundertwechsel.  Entwicklungsstandund Perspek-tiven, Zeitschriftfiir Politik, No. 1 pp. 32-53. Wu Jianmin, (2007) Waijiao Anli (Case Studies in Diplomacy), Beijing: Renmin University  Press, Yahuda, Michael B. (1994), China and Europe. The Significance of a Secondary  Relationship, in: Thomas W. Robinson and David Shambaugh (eds), Chinese Foreign Policy:  Theory and Practice, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 266à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬â„¢288 Yves Dumas, (2009) â€Å"European NGOs calls on EU to Ensure Human Rights in China Before  2008 Olympics†, The Epoch Times, 15 May EU Statement, EU Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation Angelos Pangratis, Fourth Trade Policy Review of China, 12 and 14 June 2012. [1] â€Å"Globalization and interdependence†, Report of the Secretary-General, United Nations General Assembly, 31 August 2004.Cf Martin Wolf, Globalisation and Interdependence, (Available online) [2] Facts and figures on EU-China trade, Oct, 2013; http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2009/ september/tradoc_144591.pdf online [3] Karel De Gucht (7 June, 2013) EU-China Investment: A Partnership of Equals, European Commissioner for Trade, Brussels

Facebook As A Learning Tool

Facebook As A Learning Tool Many teachers believe that students using laptops during class are not always taking notes or doing research related to their class discussion. If students are wondering then chances are they are using Facebook. Statistics show that students spend most of their time on Facebook. Most of the teachers believe that Facebook is a disturbance in the classroom, but Facebook has the potential to be a learning tool when it`s used strategically and creatively. I assert that Facebook can be a reliable and a popular medium through which both educators and students can interact appropriately. I will review findings by some researchers to understand the relationship between Facebook and education, and will show how it could be a reliable and popular mean to be used as a learning tool by focusing on three main points: (1) Facebook promotes knowledge and maintains effective and efficient student interaction with educators. (2) Facebook open doors to new opportunities for ubiquitous learning. (3) Fa cebook as a medium to develop communication skills and encourage participation and social commitment. Develop communication skills and encourage participation and social commitment: Communication through Facebook is different from traditional face-to-face communication. First, friendships through Facebook are explicit, where traditional friendships usually tend to be implicit. Secondly, conversations through Facebook are persistent. They are permanently stored and easily retrieved at any point in time. Finally, Facebook conversations share with all friends who can access someones profile (Siegle 15). Facebook is used as a primary communication activity through which young adults post, comment, and share information with each other. Facebook can provide a window into anyones life. Given that fact, it is the responsibility of the parents to monitor and provide guidelines to their children once they start using Facebook. The use of Facebook by students entails education-related interactions, while some use it to obtain information on a missed class, others may use Facebook to engage in humorous comments about their own and their teachers actions. No one can deny the fact that Facebook broke down the barriers between students and educators because the informal learning that occurs in the context of sharing media offers important opportunities for increased student involvement in formal learning settings (Fewkes and McCabe 2012). Fewkes and McCabe have argued that a learning community would perform its best if the characteristics of connectedness and trust have been established amongst the learners (Fewkes and McCabe 2012). For this reason, education remains one of the areas most heavily impacted by technology. Promotes knowledge and maintaining effective and efficient student interaction with educators: Various studies have been conducted on teachers, university professors, and young adults to understand and assess the usage of social networks in the light of education and its effect on students academic achievements as well as fulfilling the desire of promoting knowledge and maintaining effective and efficient student interaction with educators. Aaron M. Fewkes and Mike McCabe conducted a survey on a sample of students at Waterloo Regional District School Board after the latter had made a decision to embrace the growing popularity of Facebook to verify if their vision of using Facebook in schools aligns with the actual behavior of the students. The results show that 48% of students do log on to Facebook at least once during class time, moreover, the research exposed a possible disconnect between school board and students due to improper implementation of this policy. Educators who relied on Facebook to follow professional organizations were more knowledgeable than those who did not (Pilgrim and Bledsoe 38-39). We live in an age in which we are fully dependent on instant updates and information, the rationale behind using Facebook as a tool for professional learning adopts the idea that the internet is this generations defining technology for literacy (Pilgrim and Bledsoe 39). Facebook is indeed an important source of information for educators who seek to continue their learning. According to a study conducted on university instructors in Turkey, all instructors who participated in the survey somehow use Facebook in their courses; even the instructor with the lowest frequency had used Facebook to make announcements about the course by creating a group. The study concludes that instructors have adopted Facebook and they are using it intensively, with a greater tendency toward its use for educational purposes. According to my cited sources, the studies recognized Facebook as a reliable source for academicians because it is flexible and user friendly, in addition, the sources emphasized on the role of Facebook as a medium between students and instructors and argued that Facebook can neither be solely dependable for conducting courses nor can it be ignored. Open doors to new opportunities for ubiquitous learning: Educators respond the use of technology in their classrooms in five ways: (1) Ban it: This has been deemed ineffective due to the fact that technology is becoming a part of our life that we constantly use. Typical workarounds are hiding devices behind books and texting from pockets. (2) Do business as usual: I disagree with this behavior of educators as it is the educators responsibility to engage the students in their classrooms (3) limit the use of Technology: a clear guideline indicating what is to be tolerated and what would be unacceptable. (4) Enhance traditional practice: Technology is dependent on users. (5) Use the technology to restructure the educational process: encourage students to use technology for inquiry, problem solving and/or instruction. (Siegle ) If I was an instructor, my choice would be the fifth option, as it is the most effective and efficient according to the studies conducted by Pilgrim, Beldsoe, and Siegle, who all have concluded in their studies the importance of learning how to incorporate Facebook into the education process. The use of technology allows students to use social media websites like Facebook to engage in formal or informal discussions with their instructor as well as their fellow students. There are many ways educators and students can connect using Facebook. For instance, teachers can post comments for the students, students can post their final work for their peers to review and provide feedback, and also students can use the wall feature to ask questions and respond to each other. In addition, teachers set up a central page where all classroom mates can join to participate at any time of their choice to exchange knowledge and understanding of the subject being studied. Using social media should be, however, accompanied by some important precautions which educators should adhere to when using Facebook as a tool for educating students: (1) Teachers should consider setting up a separate Facebook account. (2) Educators should obtain signed parental consent prior to interacting with young students on Facebook. (3) Teachers should refrain from installing any applications on their page that would negatively affect their professional image. (4) Educators should remind students that they need to transfer the respectful tone teachers expect in class to their online interactions with them and ensure that students are aware that a teachers ethical responsibility will continue online. After I have explored the usage of Facebook by educators as well as students and identified the benefits of such usage by each party, I can say that Facebook is a reliable and a popular medium through which both educators and students can interact appropriately. In order for this medium of communication to work in its most effective and efficient way, students need to be trustful and self-regulated, that is, to refrain from the over- use of Facebook. In conclusion, Educators and students use Facebook; the education process should be focused on the interaction of each party with the other and not the technology itself. Facebook opens new doors to students and allows their knowledge to grow. Facebook also allows them to learn about themselves from their peers. It is my belief that social networks like Facebook will continue to evolve and optimize the education channels in the context of human communication. Educators should consider Facebook as a mean of enhanced communication that provides traceability to what has been discussed and a source of feedback and/or evaluation on whether the discussion has fulfilled what it is mandated for or not.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Essay -- Disease, Disorders

In this day and age, nearly everyone has heard the term â€Å"Sleep Apnea† in one place or another, whether it was on the news, from a friend or relative, or perhaps from their very own physician. What is sleep apnea? Who is at risk for developing sleep apnea? Are there specific signs or symptoms to look for? How is sleep apnea diagnosed? Can it be treated? What additional health problems can be caused if the disorder is untreated? All of these are vital questions. Most people have encountered sleep apnea, but many do not know the answers to these important questions, and knowing these answers may help save their own life or the life of a loved one. Sleep apnea syndrome is a sleeping disorder marked by repetitive episodes of cessation of breathing, 10 seconds or longer, during sleep. During this time, the individual's oxygen level drops, resulting in hypoxemia and sleep disruption. (Bencosme, RDH, MA & Castellanos, RDH, MA, 2011) There is more than one type of sleep apnea, but the most common type is Obstructive Sleep Apnea, or O.S.A. This is a result of relaxation of the soft tissues around the airway in the rear portion of the throat, which block the passage of air, causing obstruction. The cessation of breathing throughout the night disrupts sleep and causes wakeful episodes, as many as hundreds per hour of sleep. These disruptions cause the sufferer to arise the next morning feeling as if he or she did not sleep at all, and they are typically unaware that they actually did not sleep. There are several risk factors for developing sleep apnea. Those who are overweight, especially if considered to be obese or morbidly obese, and those who smoke have a much higher risk for developing sleep apnea. Males have a higher te... ...n cause many other life-threatening illnesses. Evidence shows any case of OSA can become severe if not treated in a timely manner. Anyone with questions regarding this disorder should seek medical advice, because it could help save a life. Works Cited Bencosme, RDH, MA, J., & Castellanos, RDH, MA, S. (2011). Sleep Apnea Syndrome. RDH, 76-77, 115. Berry, MSN, APRN, ACNP-BC, CCNS, CCRN, D. (2008). Case Study: Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Medsurg Nursing, 11-6; quiz 17. Harrington, J. (2007). Sleep Apnoea. Cambridge Handbook of Psychology, Health and Medicine, p. 1. Johns, M. W. (1991). A New Method for Measuring Daytime Sleepiness: The Epworth Sleepiness Scale. Sleep, Vol 6, 540-545. KU Medical Center. (n.d.). Department of Respiratory Care Education. Retrieved from KU Medical Center: http://classes.kumc.edu/cahe/respcared/cybercas/sleepapnea/trenpoly.html

Do Primates Posses Culture? Essay -- essays research papers

Writing Assignment One--Do primates posses culture?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think that if culture is defined as learned behavior, than it is reasonable to say that primates posses a form of culture. Primates have been observed making tools to aid in collecting food and developing communication system, both of which are learned behaviors.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is common in monkeys, apes and humans that behavior and social organization aren’t necessarily programmed into the genes. There have been several cases where an entire troop has learned from the experiences of just a few. In a group of Japanese macaques, for example, a three-year-old female female developed the habit of washing dirt of of sweet potatoes before she ate them. First her mother, and then peers and then the entire troop started washing their potatoes too. Another macaque troop has a similar experience when a group of dominant males learned to eat wheat. Within an hour, the practice had spread throughout the entire group. Changes in learned behavior seem to spread more quickly from the top down than from the bottom up.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For monkeys as for people, the ability to learn is a tremendous adaptive advantage, permitting them to avoid fatal mistakes. Faced with an environmental change, primates don’t have to wait for a genetic or physiological response, since learned behavior and social patterns can be modified.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The extensive usage of too...

Bullying Essay

The issue of bullying may seem like something that should not be taken seriously, and it is quite often something we are all likely to neglect. If you place yourself in the shoes of the victim, the issue is in fact not a joke, but extremely serious. I think that there should be consequences for bullies because they should not be able to get away with hurting other children. Simply yelling at a kid for bullying another will not do anything to change the bully’s mind at all. Getting detention or in school suspension seems to not fix the problem of bullying. They will keep bullying and continue to create more problems for the victim. Bullying is a serious issue in today’s society. Over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying each year and approximately 160,000 of those students skip school every day because of it. Most bullying takes place in school and 1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only interfere 4 percent of the time. Teacher’s that witness bullying and don’t do one thing about it is a huge problem because then the bullies don’t learn that the bullying is wrong. In my opinion, other than yelling at a kid for bullying, there should be more consequences that the bully should face. I would suggest the following consequences be put in place. First offense would be in school suspension. Second offense would be in school suspension and counseling. I think this would be effective because maybe kids will now see repercussions for their actions. I think it would be a better idea to have more consequences for the bully because it will give them the opportunity to look at the situation in the eyes of the person that they hurt. There are many benefits to punishing a bully. One benefit is the bully is aware that they are targeting someone in an unfair way. Being aware is one of the first steps to changing your bad behavior. Another benefit is the victim can be more comfortable going to school and can rest a sure that the bullying will stop, otherwise there will be further consequences. This will not only be beneficial to the victims in the school, but also to the authority figures because they will no longer be a problem. Disciplining a bully will result in multiple benefits. Most do not think much of bullying but in reality it is a widespread problem. Being personally targeted by others whether in school or out of school can tend to have a negative effect upon the victim, and may not always have a great turnout. I think that there should be more consequences for a bully’s actions.

Social Responsibility in Business

In examining the mission statements of multiple companies, it is apparent that corporations claim to prioritize social responsibility. Companies like Whole Foods, Ben &Jerry’s, Camano Island Coffee Roasters all actively contribute to different social causes. Even Philip Morris prioritizes â€Å"actively [participating] in societal concerns that are relevant to [its] businesses† over generating returns for its stockholders (Philip Morris, 2011). There are many different views on the extent to which corporations should be involved in societal concerns.The three most prominent are the stockholder theory, the concept of social business, and the stakeholder theory. Of these, the stakeholder theory is the most appropriate. Because corporations are considered to be individuals within our society, they bear a certain amount of responsibility to their fellow citizens, so it is not enough for them to act only in the interest of their stockholders. However, corporations are entitl ed to earn profits, and therefore cannot be expected to act as purely social businesses.Consequently, businesses must look for a happy medium within the stakeholder theory, acting in the interests of the stockholders, customers, employees and civil society. Milton Friedman, a major proponent of the stockholder theory, argues that beyond legal compliance, â€Å"the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits,† meaning corporations hold responsibilities only to their shareholders and the law (Friedman, 1970). One of the main points he addresses is the fact that when a company manager spends the company’s money on a social cause, he/she takes away from the maximum possible returns to the stockholders.In addition to taking from the stockholders, the price of the product may rise, taking away from the consumer, or wages might fall, taking away from the employees. Because of this, the manager â€Å"is in effect imposing taxes, on the one hand, and deciding how the tax proceeds shall be spent, on the other† (Friedman, 1970). Friedman claims taxes are the responsibility of the government and giving the corporation’s money to a social cause is a form of taxation without representation. This would be the case if the manager were merely donating the funds to a cause of his/her choosing.However, Camano Island Coffee Roasters (CICR) supports its own industry by ensuring that they participate in Fair Trade. In addition to participating in Fair Trade, CICR helps the coffee farmers by making sure they own the land they work, as well as helping to keep their children well nourished (Gunter, 2007). By helping the farmers from whom CICR buys its coffee, it ensures that it can use â€Å"the top 1% of the available coffee market† (Gunter, 2007). As a result of its acts of altruism, Camano Island Coffee Roasters has been able to ensure a top quality product and consequently has been a very successful corporation.Friedman’s theory is also similar to the â€Å"trickle-down† theory. He believes that by maximizing profits, corporations will help the less fortunate by providing better goods and services as well as higher wages. However, like the â€Å"trickle-down† theory, the result is the CEOs of corporations make millions of dollars, whereas the lower level employees barely make enough to survive. Ben and Jerry’s is a perfect example of a company that does not abide by Friedman’s philosophy, and yet has been extraordinarily successful.They manage to provide the highest quality product possible, in addition to paying their employees what they call â€Å"living wage,† making sure the lowest paid employees are still making well above the minimum wage (LEDA article). For Ben and Jerry’s, the tax, as Friedman would call it, is taken from the highest paid employees of the company. An article reviewing Ben and Jerry’s business ethics says: â€Å"Consistent with [their mission for social responsibility], the highest paid employees of Ben & Jerry's would not earn more than seven times more than the lowest paid full-time employees† (LEDA article).Despite the success of socially responsible corporations, Friedman would argue that these companies would have had greater success if they had focused solely on turning higher profits. Therefore it is critical to consider the possibilities for corporations to act in an unethical manner even when complying with Friedman’s philosophy. When Ford released the Pinto, it was aware of the potential for customers to be killed due to a flaw in the Pinto’s design.Despite this knowledge, based on a cost-benefit analysis, Ford determined it would be less costly to deal with the law suits brought by people who were injured or killed rather than to recall and fix each car. Ford was well within the legal requirements for car safety at the time and legally sold the Pinto, despite the danger. How ever, by not considering the consequences of its actions beyond just the financial, Ford was responsible for over fifty deaths (American Decades, 2001). According to Friedman, this decision to value profit over human lives was perfectly ethical. On the other side of the pectrum from the stockholder-oriented philosophy is a new field of business called social business. By definition, a social business is a non-loss, non-dividend company whose focus is not on profits, but on furthering a social cause (Yunus, 2010). Nobel Peace prize laureate Muhammad Yunus is the founder of this field of corporate social responsibility. In 2006, Yunus collaborated with a French food company called Danone to launch the first social business, Grameen Danone. Its mission is to provide children in rural Bangladesh with nutrients that are lacking from their diet.An article on the Danone website says: â€Å"the success of the project will above all be judged on non-financial criteria: the number of direct and indirect jobs created (milk producers, small wholesalers, door to door sellers), improvements to children's health, protection of the environment etc†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Danone, 2011). However, based on the way we currently measure the success of corporations, Grameen Danone would appear to be a very unsuccessful business. Do social businesses and non-profit organizations necessitate a change in the conventional methods of determining the success of a corporation?It is highly unlikely that many corporations will adopt such a radical method as social business. Therefore, while social businesses should be commended, and even used as inspiration, for their contribution to society, it is more reasonable for corporations to focus on the interests of both their stockholders and community. R. Edward Freeman is one of the founders of the stakeholder theory, which says that companies hold responsibilities to five main groups including shareholders, consumers and the general public.Unlike soci al business, Freeman’s stakeholder theory is not meant to be a foil to the stockholder theory, but instead, Freeman argues that the views of both Friedman and Yunus are just narrower versions of the stakeholder theory (Theoretical and Pedagogical Issues). Freeman says that in modern society businesses must consider multiple stakeholders when making decisions. Whole Foods provides an example of a company which takes into account more than just making profits. Whole Foods purchases its products from local farmers despite the fact that this raises the costs of its goods.Even though this may hurt its checkbook, Whole Foods is able to sell healthier and higher quality products while also supporting its local community. In addition to performing altruistic acts, many of Whole Foods’ customers are loyal because of its ethical methods of doing business (Conversation with John Mackey, 2011). Whole Foods also goes beyond merely making profits by creating trust with its employees . When executing a merger with the company Wild Oats, Whole Foods needed to close down many of the Wild Oats locations because they were in markets where there were already Whole Foods stores located.However, instead of firing the Wild Oats workers, Whole Foods offered solid job security and alternate positions at the existing Whole Foods locations. In an interview, in regards to the job security offered to Wild Oats employees, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey said, â€Å"First of all, that’s the right thing to do, and secondly, if people have a lot of anxiety that they could lose their jobs, that inhibits their ability to learn and adapt. I feel you’ve got to offer security if you want to get people to move forward. Otherwise they’re too scared. † (John Mackey Interview, 2008)Not only does this stakeholder approach to business result in societally beneficial actions, but it also leads to more efficient, harder working employees. However, there are problems wi th the stakeholder approach to business ethics. Many argue that an adoption of stakeholder theory, over stockholder, would â€Å"[undermine] shareholder property rights†¦ and discourage equity investment† (Ethics Gone Wrong, 2000). Advocates of this concept claim that because corporations must cater to the needs of groups other than their shareholders, the â€Å"potential of [the stockholders’] investment†¦ diminishes significantly† (Ethics Gone Wrong, 2000).Contrary to this idea, investment vehicles like the Calvert Investment Mutual Fund provide â€Å"investment portfolios that integrate two distinct research frameworks: a rigorous review of financial performance, and a thorough assessment of environmental, social and governance performance. † (Calvert Investments, 2011). The success of the Calvert Mutual Fund provides evidence that even when considering corporations that apply stakeholder-oriented business practices, the value and â€Å"trad e-ability† of equity capital does not diminish.Therefore, even if most corporations adopt a stakeholder-oriented perspective, the effects on the stock market and on equity capital will be much less severe than critics predict. Another issue often addressed by critics of the stakeholder theory is that an adoption of the stakeholder philosophy would result in an increase in self-serving behavior among managers. This is because managers will be able to appeal to the conflicting demands of different stakeholders in order to circumvent certain responsibilities, as well as indulge in self-serving behaviors.Advocates of stockholder-oriented business claim that adopting the stakeholder philosophy will not only multiply the amount of self-serving managers, but will also make it even more difficult to discipline such behavior. Alexei M. Marcoux, a critic of the stakeholder theory, says, â€Å"Between the ability of managers to justify their self-serving behavior in terms of the balance d pursuit of stakeholder interests†¦ and the protections that a stakeholder-oriented corporate law must afford to managers†¦ the accountability of managers for their actions must necessarily suffer. (Ethics Gone Wrong, 2000). However, if firms are so intent on adhering to a strict ethical code, there will be internal means by which such dishonorable behavior can be disciplined. Furthermore, in the hiring process, firms will ensure that managers will not act in self-serving ways, but instead maintain high ethical standards. Among the various philosophies regarding the social responsibility of businesses there is a spectrum ranging from exclusively profit-oriented to solely serving the community.However, because corporations are considered individuals within our society, it is incumbent upon them to use their position to achieve a balance between the responsibilities they hold to their shareholders and the responsibilities they hold to the other member of the society. Theref ore, corporations should adhere to stakeholder-oriented business ethics. Bibliography: Yunus, Mohammad. Building Social Business. New York, NY: PublicAffairs, 2010. Print. â€Å"The Ford Pinto Case. †Ã‚  American Decades. 2001. Encyclopedia. com. 5 May. 2011  . Makower, Joel. â€Å"Milton Friedman and the Social Responsibility of Business. †Ã‚  World Changing(2006): n. pag. Web. 5 May 2011. . Marcoux, Alexei. â€Å"Business Ethics Gone Wrong. â€Å"CATO Institute  22. 3 (2000): n. pag. Web. 5 May 2011. . Hooker, John. â€Å"Why Business Ethics?. † (2003): n. pag. Web. 5 May 2011. . Freeman, Edward, Ramakrishna Velamuri, and Brian Moriarty. Company Stakeholder Responsibility: A New Approach to CSR. †Ã‚  Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics  (2006): n. pag. Web. 5 May 2011. . Fassin, Yves. â€Å"The Stakeholder Model Re? ned. â€Å"Journal of Business Ethics  83. (2006): 113-135. Web. 5 May 2011. . Tupate, Patel. â€Å"Ben & Jerry' s a Moo-del of Corporate Social Responsibility. †Ã‚  LEDA  n. pag. LEDA at Harvard Law School.Web. 5 May 2011. . Gunter, Marie. â€Å"Fair Trade or Fairly Traded?. â€Å"Articlesbase. 2007. Web. 5 May 2011. . Freeman, Edward, Andrew Wicks, and Thomas Jones. â€Å"Stakeholder Theory: The State of the Art. â€Å"Theoretical and Pedagogical Issues  n. pag. Web. 5 May 2011. . â€Å"Public Trust in Business- John Mackey of Whole Foods. †Ã‚  Business Ethics and Leadership. Web. 5 May 2011. . Danone Website: http://www. danone. com/en/what-s-new/focus-4. html Calvert Investments Website: http://www. calvert. com/products-funds-by-sri-approach. html Philip morris Website: http://www. philipmorrisusa. com/en/cms/Company/Mission_Values/default. aspx? src=top_nav