Perception towards mutual funds Essay

Abstract: Mutual Funds provide a platform for a common investor to participate in the Indian capital market with professional fund management irrespective of the amount invested. The Indian mutual fund industry is growing rapidly and this is reflected in the increase in Assets under management of various fund houses. Mutual fund investment is less risky than directly investing in stocks and is therefore a safer option for risk averse investors. Monthly Income Plan funds offer monthly returns and invest majorly in debt oriented instruments with little exposure to equity. However it has been observed that most of the investors are not aware of the benefits of investment in mutual funds. This is reflected from the study conducted in this research paper. This paper makes an attempt to identify various factors affecting perception of investors regarding investment in Mutual funds. The findings will help mutual fund companies to identify the areas required for improvement in order to creat e greater awareness among investors regarding investment in mutual funds. Introduction A Mutual Fund is a trust that pools the savings of a number of investors who share a common financial goal. The money, thus collected, is then invested  in capital market instruments such as shares, debentures and other securities. The income earned through these investments and the capital appreciation realized is shared by its unit holders in proportion to the number of units owned by them. Thus a Mutual Fund is the most suitable investment for the common man as it offers an opportunity to invest in a diversified, professionally managed basket of securities at a relatively low cost. Monthly Income Plans or MIPs invest maximum of their total corpus in debt instruments while they take minimum exposure in equities. It gets benefit of both equity and debt market. These schemes rank slightly high on the risk-return matrix when compared with other debt schemes. There is considerable amount of research being done regarding investment in mutual funds. However very little research has been done to study the perception of investors regarding investment in mutual funds especially MIP funds. Literature Review Ippolito (1992) states that an investor is ready to invest in those fund or schemes which have resulted in good rewards and most investors’ are attracted by those funds or schemes that are performing better over the worst. Goetzman (1997) opined that investor’s psychology affects mutual fund selection for investment and to withdraw from the fund. De Bondt and Thaler (1985) submitted that mean reversion in prices of stock is backed by investor’s retrogression which is based upon investor’s psychology to overvalue firm’s recent performance in forming future expected results which is also known as endowment effect. Gupta (1994) surveyed household investor to find investors’ preferences to invest in mutual funds and other available financial assets. The findings of the study were more relevant, at that time, to the policy makers and mutual funds to design the financial products for the future. Kulshreshta (1994) in his study suggested some guidelines to the investors’ that can help them to select needed mutual fund schemes. Shanmugham (2000) conducted a survey of individual investors with the objective to find out what information source investor depends on. The results explained that they are economical, sociological and  psychological factors which control investment decisions. Madhusudhan V Jambodekar (1996) conducted his study to size-up the direction of mutual funds in investors and to identify factors that influence mutual fund investment decision. The study tells that open-ended scheme is most favored among other things and that income schemes and open-ended schemes are preferred over closed- ended and growth schemes. News papers are used as information source, safety of principal amount and investor services are priority points for investing in mutual funds. Sujit Sikidar and Amrit Pal Singh (1996) conducted a survey to peep in to the behavioral aspects of the investors of the North-Eastern region in direction of equity and mutual fund investment. The survey showed that because of tax benefits mutual funds are preferred by the salaried and self-employed individuals. UTI and SBI schemes were most preferred in that region of the country over any other fund and the other funds had been proved archaic during the time of survey. Syama Sunder (1998) conducted a survey with an objective to get an in-depth view into the operations of private sector mutual fund with special reference to Kothari Pioneer. The survey tells that knowledge about mutual fund concept was unsatisfactory during that time in small cities like Visakapatanam. It also suggested that agents can help to catalyse mutual fund culture, open-ended options are much popular than any other schemes, asset management company’s brand is chief consideration to invest in mutual fund. Anjan Chakarabarti and Harsh Rungta (2000) emphasised the importance  of brand in ascertaining competence of asset management companies. Shankar (1996) suggested that for penetrating mutual fund culture deep in to society asset management companies have to work and steer the consumer product distribution model. Raja Rajan (1997) underlined segmentation of investors and mutual fund products to increase popularity of mutual funds. Objectives of Study 1. To study the investment pattern of Indian Investor. 2. To find out the awareness level of investors regarding mutual funds. 3. To find the type of scheme of mutual fund preferred by investor. 4. To find out the importance of factors like liquidity, higher return, company reputation and other factors that influence investment decision of mutual fund holder. 5. To find out awareness level of investors regarding Monthly Income Plan fund. 6. To ascertain the most preferred factor for investing in MIP fund. Research Methodology Investor’s main objective is to earn higher returns keeping in mind the risk and liquidity factor. With this objective in mind, an investor is looking out for various investment avenues. Mutual funds offer comparatively better returns and have less risk as compared to direct investment in stock market. In this research paper, an attempt has been made to evaluate the perception of investors regarding mutual fund investment with special emphasis on Monthly Income Plan funds. A survey was conducted in Pune city during the period June 2013 to September 2013. A sample of 150 individual mutual fund investors were surveyed through a pre-tested questionnaire. The investors were selected on the basis of those who have made prior investment in mutual funds and have some knowledge about the basic terminologies involved with mutual funds. An attempt has been made to find out the perception of investors regarding mutual fund investment and to identify the factors considered to be important by the investors before investing in any mutual fund. The awareness level of investors regarding Monthly Income Plan funds and their benefits is also studied.

Analysing the change in the role of the management accountant

This work is focused on critically measuring the doggedness of the alteration in the function of the direction comptroller from traditional accounting maps to that of a strategic contriver and concern spouse. The work of Johnson and Kaplan ( 1987 ) , titled â€Å" Relevance doomed † has prompted a drill-down on this research country. Though most of the research workers agree to the altering function of the direction comptroller ( Burns and Baldvinsdottir, 2005 ; Cooper and Dart 2009 ; Allot 2000 ; Chenhall and Langfield-Smith2007 ; Siegel1999 ; Kerby and Romine 2005 ; Vaivio1999 ; Ittner and Lacker2001 ; Ax and Bjornenak 2007 ; Bhimani 2006 ; Roslender and Hart 2002 ) . The importance the traditional function still remains critical to others, and should function to complement the new techniques or the alteration. ( Bromwich and Bhimani 1998 ; Burns et Al. 1999 ) . Others are of the position that history is still a relevant portion of the hereafter or the altering tendency. ( Fleischman and Funnell 2006 ; Luft 1997 ; Beaman and Richardson2007 ) .The type of organisation every bit good as the direction may besides find the nature of alteration. Yazdifar and Tsamenyi ( 2005 ) . This a lteration does non take the same signifier in organisations, but differs in form. Sulaiman and Mitchell ( 2005 ) . With the present economic miasma, some research workers are even recommending a return to the old ways: the traditional function, ( Baldvinsdottir et al ( 2009 ) . The first subdivision of this work will therefore reexamine these positions presented and seek to pull a comparing between these positions to see if the function of the direction comptroller has really changed and to what extent. This will be done pulling support from literatures. It will instantly be followed with some of the new roles the direction comptroller is taking up in organisations. Thereafter the place of traditional accounting pattern in this new tendency of events will be discussed. This will enable us to cognize where to put the traditional accounting function, whether it has lost its utility and should be wholly cast-off or should function to congratulate the new functions. Following to that, some of the new techniques in direction accounting that organisations are following, the factors that are driving the alteration in function every bit good as their significance to the new function will be discussed. Decisions will so be drawn as to the direction comptroller ‘s functions change.The altering function of the direction comptroller.Johnson and Kaplan ( 1987 ) are deemed to hold set the canvas in this statement with their book titled â€Å" Relevance lost: the rise and autumn of direction accounting. † These strong footings used by them has prompted or necessitated a batch of research work in this way. They argue that the bing signifier of direction accounting lacked the know-how to run into up with the dynamic concern environment. Their statement was supported by mentioning technological promotions, information engineering, every bit good as planetary and domestic competition as grounds doing the bing patterns inadequate. Harmonizing to an article published in the Journal of Accountancy ( Most Companies Want Their Certified public accountant to Be Business Strategists, Survey Says, 1996 ) , much more is now being demanded of the direction comptrollers within organisations. Their occupations are traveling beyond the readying of fiscal statements as accounts and reading are now required of them of the information they provide. The direction comptroller is consequently a â€Å" high-ranking determination support specializer † . Kerby and Romine ( 2005 ) argue that for direction comptrollers to stay a relevant portion of their organisations, there must be a alteration in accent from the traditional accounting patterns which involves the numeration, analysis, reading and presentation of fiscal information. They advocate that the direction comptroller should be versed with cognition about alterations impacting the concern of his organisation and imbibe qualities that would enable them map as fully fledged concern spouses. Smith ( 2007 ) opined that the focal point of the direction comptroller within organisations is now switching to the external environment. That the direction comptroller is no more uniformed of what happens externally to his organisation, He now looks both inwards and outwards. Cooper and Dart ( 2009 ) , give support to this position that, direction comptrollers are traveling from being information suppliers to back uping the determination devising. Siegel ( 1999 ) , noted that direction comptrollers were earlier now non involved in the existent decision-making procedure, but acted in support of the determination shapers and subsequently got informed of facts. But the function of the direction comptroller had changed and greater portion of their clip was being spent as internal advisers or concern analyst within their companies. Like most of the other authors he attributes this altering function to the promotion in engineering which he states has freed the direction comptroller from what he describes as â€Å" mechanical accounting † . He stated that the new function of the direction comptroller now involves a batch of direct contacts with people throughout their organisations, and that they are more involved in determination devising and cross-functional squads. This he termed development from functioning internal clients to being concern spouses.The direction comptroller as strategic contriver and concern spouse.The cardinal message of this work has been on the direction comptroller presuming the function of strategic contriver and concern spouse as opposed to the traditional function of corporate bull and bean counter. The direction comptroller ‘s function has evolved and is determining up into a strategic fiscal contriver and director of information. The direction comptroller is said to be h olding less to make with the everyday accounting pattern. ( Siegel 2000, Cooper and Dart, 2009, Latshaw, A. and Choi, Y. , 2000 ) . New countries of focal point of the direction accountant include the development of fiscal programs, information engineering systems direction, assisting in the formation of concern aims every bit good as monitoring consequences and maintaining up with selling aims. Others are direction and organisation of work force, playing consultative function in operational determinations, programmes and undertakings. ( Feeney and Pierce, 2007 ) . For the direction comptroller to work efficaciously as concern spouse, certain accomplishments must be acquired. This will include the quality of analysing and treating unwritten and numeral informations into meaningful information. This should be buttressed by the ability to work efficaciously in a squad. ( Curruth, 2004 ) As concern spouse, the direction comptroller combines both the traditional function of protecting the assets of the concern with a new function of analysis and engagement in determination devising in the concern disposal. ( Kennedy and Sorensen, 2006 ) . Caron ( 2006 ) , defined stairss that should be taken for the direction comptroller to presume the place of a concern spouse. They include: Acting as operation and cognition expert. He/she should be able to supply best pattern information and strategic accomplishments. Should be able to set to pattern the cognition acquired in developing strategic direction programs. He/she should be able to mobilise the human resources at his disposal. He/she should be able to circulate accounting information efficaciously.Management accounting the place of the traditional function.Although Johnson and Kaplan ( 1987 ) opined that the traditional accounting function of the direction comptroller had lost its value and have argued that it is no more relevant to the dynamism of today ‘s universe, non everyone believe their sentiment is best for direction accounting, and have therefore expressed their reserves. ( Bromich and Bhimani 1989 ; Burns et Al 1999 ; Yazdifar and Tsamenyi 2005 ) . Baldvinsdottir et Al. ( 2009 ) are of the sentiment that a return to the traditional or â€Å" mechanical † accounting methods is of great importance particularly at this period of economic down-turn. They argue that although the ballyhoo about the altering function of the direction comptroller, a batch of the traditional accounting function has comparatively remained the same over several decennaries. Luft ( 1997 ) is of the position that history serves as a platform for understanding the present ; that the oversights of the nowadays could really be alleviated by mentioning back to history. Fleischman and Funnell ( 2006 ) , while holding with Johnson and Kaplan, that it is of import that direction accounting studies provide direction with information that will help them in minimising cost and improved productiveness, argue that although these activities are frontward looking, they have to be based on what they described as â€Å" intimate dependance between the past and future † . They insist this is necessary because of the uncertainnesss and instabilities associated with commercial environments, coupled with the intricatsies of direction. That, direction comptrollers in the class of seeking to do the information they provide more utile to their organisations should bear in head that this should be done in observation of necessary ethical issues. Beaman and Richardson ( 2007 ) found out in their research that accounting patterns within organisations are being confined to the traditional function, alternatively of the expected function of determination support and job resolution. There has been the recognition of the broad usage of traditional accounting techniques in most organisations as opposed to the supposed outlook of radically new advanced accounting techniques being adopted by these organisations. ( Burns and Scapens, 2000 ) .Emerging techniques in direction accounting.Some comparatively new trends/techniques have emerged with the purpose of undertaking the insufficiencies of the traditional accounting methods. Some of them have been lauded as the new title-holders of direction accounting solution suppliers in organisations. ( Cooper and Kaplan, 1991 ) . Although these techniques are extremely praised, their acceptance and execution may non hold been as widely accepted as the ballyhoo associated with them. ( Collier and Gregory, 1995 ; Roslender and Hart, 2003 ) . These techniques include: Activity based costing ( ABC ) ; The coming of ABC has changed the pattern of cost allotment necessitating that direction accountants develop more analytical accomplishment to undertake the complexnesss of apportioning operating expenses to different cost objects utilizing cost drivers. ( Burns and Yazdifar, 2001 ; Byrne and Pierce, 2007 ; Anderson, 1995 ) . ABC made the direction comptroller an indispensable portion of the determination doing procedure by concentrating on pertinent information needed to better steadfast public presentation financially and market wise. ( Kennedy and Affleck-Graves, 2001 ) . Kaplan and Anderson ( 2004 ) nevertheless noted that organisations have abandoned ABC because of its failure to capture the complex nature of their operations, the holds of execution and the cost consequence which are normally excessively expensive. Balanced scorecard ( BSC ) : The balanced scorecard enables the direction comptroller to strategically mensurate public presentation and develop a model for the strategic measuring and direction systems ( Kaplan and Norton, 2007 ) . It changes accent from fiscal facet to encompassing client, internal and every bit good as acquisition and growing factors of organisations. ( Kaplan and Norton, 1996 ) . This has altered the function of the direction accountant puting him strategically as a determination support specializer. ( Latshaw and Choi, 2002 ) . BSCs are adopted by houses for strategic public presentation measuring, but the result of these steps is normally developed to encompass operational scheme, nevertheless it was noted that organisations frequently fail in seeking to set BCS into a peculiar usage ( Wiersma, 2009 ) . Atkinson ( 2006 ) noted that the BSC has been found deficient from empirical consequences of its benefits.Strategic direction accounting:Strategic direction acc ounting ( SMA ) : SMA shifts the focal point of direction comptroller to non-financial factors external to the organisation. ( Simmonds,1981 ) . It demands that the direction comptroller be knowing in subjects like public presentation indexs development, value concatenation analysis every bit good as capacity cost direction. It broadens the range of the direction accountant beyond the house to strategizing for competitory market and chances. ( Whiteley, 1995 ) . SMA requires the direction comptroller as a member of the cross functional squad which his function now embraces to convey to bear relevant information and expertness that will help determination devising. ( Roslender and Hart, 2001 ) . The direction comptroller now addresses the impact of other non-financial activities, the cost place of rivals, and rating of rival merchandises and services. These activities have placed the direction comptroller in the important function of strategic contriver and concern spouse. ( Whiteley , 1995 ; Langfield-Smith, 2008 ) . However, Roslender and Hart ( 2003 ) , noted that what constitutes strategic direction accounting is still non clearly defined. Collier and Gregory, ( 1995 ) opined that the degree of execution of strategic direction accounting may postpone in different economic systems. That is, the economic system determines the scheme and functionality of the direction comptrollers. Enterprise resource planning ( ERP ) : ERP requires the direction comptroller to hold sound cognition that will enable him to supply information that will technically run into the demands of the house. It besides demands that the MA be versed with cognition of concern maps related to production, selling and information engineering. For the direction comptroller to acquire traveling with all these maps, he needs to construct a sound inter-personal and societal accomplishments. ( Barton, 2009 ; Pierce and O'Dea, 2003 ) . It may nevertheless cut down occupations, making unemployment. Enterprise resource planning ( ERP ) : enables the direction comptroller to track â€Å" production by occupation, work centre, and activity † ( Zimmerman, 2009:720 ) . However, respondents to research carried out by Knnerley and Neely ( 2001 ) were non certain the debut of ERP to their organisations had made any noticeable impact.Factors driving the alteration in the function of direction accounting.The utility of direction accounting has come under examination following factors like: mechanization of mill procedures and processs, information engineering, competition, and globalisation, complexness of concern among others. Some of these factors and their significance will be discussed briefly. Information Technology: ( Carruth, 2004 ; Beaman and Richardson, 2007 ) , noted that information engineering has enabled direction comptrollers to take more responsible functions in their organisations. The direction comptroller is now able to salvage clip in his analysis and reading of information. The direction comptroller helps in showing informations in a signifier that makes them relevant and utile for managerial intent. This involves strategizing and being involved in the determination devising procedure. Granlund, M. and Malmi, T. ( 2002 ) It has changed the nature of information and placed determination doing on information provided by the direction comptroller. ( Atkinson et al. 1999 ) . Automation ; requires the direction comptroller to develop more analytical accomplishments and to be able to supply such information that will enable houses take determinations and follow such schemes that will assist them remain in competition. ( Kerremans et al. , 1991 ) . Automation is advantageous in take downing labor cost, but may make occupation losingss. ( Mantripragada and Sweeney, 1981 ) .Other factors:Other noteworthy factors driving the function alteration in direction accounting include ; the accent on quality, rational capital, more client focused organisations, addition in overhead cost, less of direct labor cost, and precedence on environmental and external issues. These factors have helped orient the direction comptroller ‘s function to that of a strategic contriver and a concern spouse. The direction comptroller now takes a more proactive function in cognizing and supplying solutions to strategic issues in his organisation. The issue of competitory concern env ironment which is closely related to globalisation is another major factor impacting the manner direction accounting maps are handled in organisations.DecisionAlthough there have been demands for the alteration in accent on the function of direction comptroller, this alteration has non been absolute. This is because the cost and complexness of using these new techniques have made their acceptance slow. The debut of new techniques in direction accounting and the impact of assorted factors have made the direction comptroller more focussed on non-financial facets of organisations and has widened the range of activities external to the organisation, doing him a utile portion of the determination devising procedure. However recent issues ‘ following the economic downswing has suggested keeping of portion of the traditional function in combination with new techniques might be more utile. ( Balvinsdottir et al. , July/Aug. 2009 ) Furthermore, the importance of these new techniques and the benefit they provide to organisations can non be overemphasized. These new inventions have made the direction comptroller more flexible, a solution supplier and an of import portion of the organisation as concern spouse and strategian, reconstructing relevancy. ( Johnson, 1992 ) . It is notable that though many are the advantages of implementing these new techniques, some organisations still stick to traditional accounting because it is less complex to implement, salvaging clip.

Outline marketing plan for the next year for Atlantic Quench 03059 Essay

Outline marketing plan for the next year for Atlantic Quench 03059 - Essay Example With a strong brand and market experience, it is expected that Atlantic Quench Cranberries Inc. will have its sales increase by 20% through the current marketing plan. In order to carry out macro environment analysis for Atlantic Quench Cranberries (AQC, 2015), this plan will use Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Environmental and Legal (PESTEL) analysis, concentrating on the forces that are most relevant to the AQC company in order to evaluate any possible strengths, weaknesses opportunities and threats.To achieve the objectives, the company seeks to increase more funds towards promotion and research and development (R&D) (De and Meyer 2014). We plan to use positioning strategies, price discrimination and use of social media to create product awareness among the consumers. UK has majority of its population being above the ages of 35. This provides a potential market for the product. They also have a culture that consumes products that have been locally produced. This provides great potential for AQC to access more consumers, who are no longer loyal to carbonated soft drinks and are seeking for products that can add the value by offering more suitable, healthier beverages. Similarly, the countries have a steady growth rate thus providing for a steady market (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington 2005). 7 With the increasing levels of globalization resulting from liberalization of markets, efficient flow of information and integration of economies, the level of competition in the local and international market has increased tremendously. This has resulted from the entry of multinational companies which have a huge financial base to segment the market, attract the loyalty of the customers, and position the products strategically in the market. This has made it hard for the other companies to penetrate the market. The report by the Mintel indicates

Nursery School Teachers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursery School Teachers - Essay Example The two observations were based in a nursery in East London; the setting provides a safe learning environment for over 200 children. The observation was done on children aged from 4 years upwards, three boys, three girls from different backgrounds and culture. The activities were based on drawing, writing, painting and finding insects in the school garden. One activity was done inside the premises and the other activity was done both outside and indoors. Each of these two activities had to link emergent literacy. According to Sulzby, (1989) that emergent literacy is the reading and writing behaviours.. According to Sulzby & Teale (1996, p.728) that, "Emergent literacy is concerned with the earliest phases of literacy development, the period between birth and the time when children read and write conventionally. The term emergent literacy signals a belief that, in a literate society, young children even 1 and 2 year-olds is in the process of becoming literate." The observations The re ception class had been working on a topic about mini beasts which had involved searching for wildlife in the school garden and examining the animals closely in order to help the students identify and name them. The purpose of the session was to develop the children’s observation, social and reporting skills. ... Once the children placed the woodlice, snails and spiders in their bug boxes, the children they took out their microscopes and then started to put them against their eyes while they looked through it to see their bugs. Some children counted the number of legs on the insects, the eyes, colour, size and shape of the insects. While the children were sitting outside, they started talking about how some insects live in the dirty and how cold the insects must feel. The children responded to this with a wry and why do not they live in a house. After the session in the garden with the microscopes and the bug boxes, the children were encouraged to write about their investigations. Identifying and developing the different skills She implemented strategies for both the mini beast and painting activity to encourage independent writing from the pupils, this was done by valuing children’s emergent writing. This strategy valuing children’s work and theory is called a Humanistic Approa ch. According to Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, John Holt, Malcolm Knowles and Kolb all believed in this approach to learning. According to Bill Huitt, it is the approach upon the development of the child’s self concept; if children feel good within themselves then this is a positive start for progression to self development, which Maslow, recognised this as the â€Å"self actualisation†. She explained to the children before allowing them to start the two activities, what they both consisted of and then read out the task instructions. This was read out clearly, stimulus and from that it allowed children to be able to follow it easier. Freud’s, psychoanalytical theory states that emotional stimulation is the important aspect that

Regional Economic Integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Regional Economic Integration - Essay Example Indonesian economy is rapidly developing; it is the largest economy of South Asia nowadays. The country’s GDP is 14, 4% in agricultural sector, 48, 1% - industry, and service sector is 37, 5% (according to 2009 data). All the countries mentioned above appear to be competing as they produce and export similar goods. At the given time period these Asian countries’ economy is attractive for foreign investors. Still, the business in tourism and oil refining branch remain the most profitable and prosperous nowadays, thus this fact makes these branches interesting to the potential investors. As for Taiwan economy, financial sector is also worth to invest in. Key words: regional economic integration, the GDP, economic sector, competition, foreign investment. The Asian countries keep their economic development. The economic miracle known as â€Å"the leap of Asian tigers†, unfortunately, affected not all Asian countries. Though the economy of these countries is rapidly d eveloping, according to the experts’ assessments, 16, 3 per cent of people still remain below poverty line. The Philippine economy is a combination of agriculture (24, 9%), light industry (29, 1%) and the sector of related services (51, 1%).

Elements of Religious Traditions Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Elements of Religious Traditions - Research Paper Example The paper would discuss its relationship with various elements of social interaction. Identifying critical issues God is a supreme being in different religions vis-a-vis Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhaism etc. The varying traditions and their interpretations therefore become critical issues to define human behavior and actions, especially with regard to various socio economic and political paradigms which have catalytic effect on all people cutting across nationality, race, culture and color. The racial prejudices, gender inequality, capitalistic structure of society and even national boundaries are seen as going against the basic posit of religions’ core beliefs. This also raises the need to examine religion in various perspectives to gauge its responses amongst the people who practice it in different format and expressions. Relationship with divine God’s supremacy is recognized within all religious scriptures and exemplifies its relationship with the Di vine in terms of behavior that is morally and ethically correct. The Bible teaches to be God fearing and stresses the need to repent by the sinners. It believes that God has endowed man with free will so he can follow his course of actions that would lead him towards the God. The sinful acts would lead him to purgatory and therefore repentance becomes intrinsic part of Christianity. Hinduism also reveres God as Creator and inculcates God fearing tendencies for fear of going to hell rather than heaven. Thus, in all religions, good actions are encouraged because they bring men closer to God. Relationship with sacred time Religious traditions and scriptures are abound with the notion of eternity and the scientific theory of evolution of man which has faced tremendous pressure from the Church and other religions. The theory of creation and orthodox Jews beliefs that ‘our history had been preceded by untold cosmic cycles of millions and billions of years’ (N.d, 2010, reading 1). The Hinduism’s concept of rebirth delineates the concept of time to surreal realities which are but the imagery of our physical self. In religious traditions, sins and purgatory would invite wrath of God, resulting in ultimate destruction of the world. The sacred time, therefore is important aspect where events occur in cyclic order irrespective of the fact whether it is desired or not. Thus, prayers become important part of religious traditions. Relationship with sacred space or natural world World is created by God and Human beings are called to work as God's stewards. The created order is entrusted to humanity, not as individuals, but as a community. The private property right is therefore embedded in an inclusive concept of common property of all people and is never allowed to become an absolute right that excludes others completely (Graafland, 2008, reading 3) Religious conceptualization of space and natural world delimits the manmade boundaries of nations. Everythin g belongs to God and respect and healthy regard for all elements of the earth become intrinsic to religious philosophy. Merleau-Ponty (reading2, 1965) says that there are two world, one external that needs space or territory and the internal one or ‘agora’ that resides within oneself. Agora continuously provokes people to move and thereby ‘

SBTV - Company History and Key Executives Speech or Presentation

SBTV - Company History and Key Executives - Speech or Presentation Example It has a working connection with musicians from the United States with more and more people-taking note of them. Its headquarters is 145-157 St John Street, London, United Kingdom (Solovic, 2011, 204). Jamal Edwards who was a fifteen year old at the time founded SBTV in 2006. He started filming amateur videos of underground rappers then proceeded to post them on YouTube. He shared the videos with friends and within a short time, it became the go-to channel for up and coming musicians and rappers. Majority of musicians in the United Kingdom can attribute their entry and subsequent success to the company because it propelled them to stardom (Kerr, 2012, 16). The company aired its first video in February of 2007 and from then on, it became a huge success and after some time, it started to offer lifestyle interviews and events coverage. Following the success of the company within such a short time, it was decided that, to make it more successful, they had to incorporate other genres of music to attract more followers Such as, acoustic and jazz music. The company offers three main services. They include production, production and editorial services. Since the company is internet based, this makes its work easier because it has a platform to reach as many people as possible. The company broadcasts its content be it interviews, music or videos on its YouTube channel while the increased interest in social media platforms such as facebook and twitter have enabled it connect with many people across the world. The company prints several urban publications that have penetrated the market due to their knowledge on how to relate to a younger audience. The company also boasts of experienced staff equipped with the knowledge concerning the latest news in the entertainment industry. For example, the new releases of new music, movies and

Education and its Influence on Different Socio-economic Spheres Essay

Education and its Influence on Different Socio-economic Spheres - Essay Example In many societies, education is defined as a pillar of strength, alleviating the masses from ignorance and paving the way toward a bigger and brighter future. Education systems perform a fundamental role in the development of human attitudes and behavior. It directly affects several spheres of day-to-day living from health, gender and democracy to interpersonal relationships, environmentalism and nationality. Education and Health There is considerable evidence that education is strongly linked to health and to determinants of health such as healthy behaviour, risky contexts and preventative service use (Partnership for Child Development, 2013). However, education does not act in seclusion from other factors, such as income. Income is a notably significant factor that interacts in many essential ways with education, as an influencing factor on health. This makes it hard to assess their independent effects. However, empirical investigations often find the effect of education on health is at least as great as the effect of income. Education impacts on health in two ways; firstly through teaching that enables children to learn specifically about health (often known as skills-based health education) and secondly through the educational process as a whole which provides skills such as critical thinking and making choices that enable children to opt for healthy lifestyles (Partnership for Child Development, 2013). ... Certain differences between the two genders are biological; they arise from physical and other differences that are linked to the different genders. In most societies, men and women have different roles and statuses. It’s easy to draw connections between the behaviour of men and women, and the physical differences that we can observe. The conclusion can then be drawn that differences in behaviour can be attributed to physical differences between the two genders and that the differences in their social roles and positions grow out of their different patterns of behaviour, their abilities and limitations (Teachers Talking about Learning, 2002). However, upon review of biology, psychology, anthropology and education, we find that it’s very difficult to prove which behaviours in men and women arise from physical differences. Many differences, we find, could be produced by the different ways that men and women are brought up as children and arguably the education they receiv e. In relation to thinking and learning processes, and consequently the ability to learn, males and females are more alike than different. Education and Sex Evaluations of comprehensive sex education programs show that these programs can help youth delay onset of sexual activity, reduce the frequency of sexual activity, reduce number of sexual partners, and increase condom and contraceptive use. Importantly, the evidence shows youth who receive comprehensive sex education are not more likely to become sexually active, increase sexual activity, or experience negative sexual health outcomes. Effective programs exist for youth from a variety of racial, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Researchers studied the National Survey of

Article # 3 (due 9-28) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Article # 3 (due 9-28) - Essay Example the onset of accounting leases rule, the financial management department has been able to prepare the balance sheet and maintain financial records without including the lease assets. The financial lease is efficient for health care providers who are still developing and cannot afford sophisticated equipment. The leasing process requires that an outside party undertakes in the process. With the current rule, the health care providers can finance the project without involving a third party. The financial lease has a positive impact on the organization since the health care provider according to James and Aaron (2012) can grow technologically by leasing medical equipments and machinery which are costly. The lease is also advantageous since it helps health care providers to gain geographically efficient developers, and through the program, finance and get ownership of medical facilities. The leasing program assists the health care providers reduces the pressure in the operation of the organization. On a negative perspective, the lease program may negatively impact on the leasing process in regard to geographical print and the financial activities (James and Aaron, 2012). This is because the health care executives scrutinize and over- analyzes the operations of the

The Evolution of Industrialization, from the Putting Out System to the Essay

The Evolution of Industrialization, from the Putting Out System to the Factory System - Essay Example Through this method of working, the owner of the industry would assign a particular contractor and make him chief. After hiring the chief contractor, the new contractor would in turn focus on the group and pick out several other junior contractors each with a particular task that they would later on combine to see to the completion of the project (Meyer, 2012). Through this method, the junior contractors and their team members were free to hold their meetings anywhere even if it meant leaving the site. This is why this system was referred to as â€Å"putting out† because the rich employers would just putting out commodities to the workers who worked in their homes and these would putting out to other junior workers. Through this system, the customer had a very large role to play as the chief contractor would not commence work without ensuring that he had everything he needed from the customer. It was the customer’s duty to purchase some of the important stuff for the contractor to engage his men and come up with a desirable product. The putting out system was very effective during the beginning of the industrial revolution. Through this putting out system, British soldiers got their firearms by contacting various contractors in the London area. These contractors would consequently seek people that new internal areas in the city where they would get firearms. Through this, every person in the chain got some commission. However, there are cases that the contractors sent showed greed and could even attempt escaping with the money. The soldiers were bright and they would eventually catch up to them. The cottage industry is another one that prevailed effectively during this period. This was a less complicated section of the industry in that the customers knew the exact residence of the spinners. With this information, they would go, leave details and then visit after several weeks or days depending on the

In the 15th Century the idea of schooling began Essay Example for Free

In the 15th Century the idea of schooling began Essay It is used during the process of streaming within school subjects. For example pupils who the teacher feels is good or poor at a certain subject, will be taught in a high or low ability group, this has criticisms at it encourages pupils to think of themselves as having fixed educational ability. A pupil can also be given a label from their behaviour, such as trouble maker or thick, either at home or school. This can damage a childs self esteem or make them rebel, which leads to them believing the label they have been given, this is called the Self-fulfilling prophecy. For what ever reason they were given the label, they find it hard to be looked at without the label, so end up behaving in a way that fits to their given label. Working class not only have had inequalities in the past but also still do today. Although there are more opportunities in the education system, home life also plays large impact on how well a child does achidemically at school. Douglas (1964) conducted a study on middle and working class children through primary and secondary school. He found that children of a similar measured ability at age 7 varied a great deal in their educational achievement by the time they were 11. He claimed that the greatest influence on attainment was parental attitudes in the working class. He measured this by the number of times these parents visited the school, family size, early child-rearing practises, health and the quality of the childs school. Working class children are more likely to have a part time job whilst at school and likely to leave education at 16. The Plowden Report (1967) noticed in working class households there was an absence of books, educational toys, lack of finance, lack of motivation, no parent support of due to own experiences or as a need to work long hours. This has been described as Material and Cultural deprivation. Jackson and Marsden (1962) published a study, Education and the working class. It showed that working class children tend to be slower in learning how to read and write, they start school at a disadvantage and this normal continues throughout. Marxists would say that this is because there are less opportunities for some classes and that the education system just helps to reproduce the existing class structure, e. g. , the ruling class (upper and middle class) and the workers (the working class), thus conflict and inequalities will continue. Success at school depends heavily on language, for reading, writing, speaking and understanding. Bernstein argues that there is a relationship between language use and social class, and that the language used by the middle class is a better instrument for success at school than the language used by the working class, (Browne 2005). In his view there are two different language codes: Â  The restricted code- This language is used by both classes, but is more characteristic of the working-class people. It is used everyday amongst friends and family, which is informal and simple (such as slang). Bernstein argues that lower-class-working people are mainly limited to this form of language use. Â  The elaborated code- This is mainly used by the middle-class, and is spoken in a formal context, with explanation if required. It has a much wider vocabulary than the restricted code, and is the language that would be found in textbooks, essays and examinations. Bernstein has argued that as the language used in schools by teachers and in textbooks is the elaborated code, working class children are disadvantaged. They may find it hard to understand the elaborate language used in school, therefore their work will suffer. Unlike middle class children who are used to the language so will find the work easier. Differences have been found amongst the achievements of people from different ethnic backgrounds, possible reasons for this could be the differences in their cultural backgrounds, language barriers and understanding or suffering from racism. If English were not the first language for someone this would give him or her a large disadvantage in the understanding of the language, which would affect their work in most areas. Suffering from racism in or out of school would cause the pupil upset, which could affect their schoolwork. Many Pakistani, Bangladeshi and African Caribbean children have large families and are working class, so are likely so have deprived social conditions. These groups mentioned appear to have a below average reading ability and tend to get fewer and poorer GCSE results than white or Indian pupils. It can be seen on the below table they are the overall lowest achieving ethnic groups. Students that achieved 5 or more GCSE grades A*-C (%) Race Group 1989 1998 2002 Indian N/a 54 60 White 30 47 52 Bangladeshi N/a 33 41 Pakistani N/a 29 40 Black 18 29 36. (Department for Education and skills, 2004: in Livesley et al, 2005) From the data above it is clear that black children are the lowest achievers. In the past racist remarks have been made claiming that problem was they had lower levels of inherited intelligence. Which is untrue, in 1985 the Swann Report found that there was no significant difference between the IQs of black and white children, (Thompson et al, 1982). Black boys are often given labels such as unruly and difficult to control, due to how the teacher has interpreted them by their dress, manner or speech, and find them challenging. They are more often to be given detention than other pupils, and often feel unfairly treated, then respond in accordance with their label, self-fulfilling prophecy. Although they do not achieve well at school, the number of black women staying in education past the age of 16 is increasing, which may be influenced by the many future career opportunities available today. Kamala Nehaul (Parenting, Schooling and Caribbean Heritage Pupils 1999) has noted how black parents valued education for the enhanced life chances it offered. She also mentioned the encouragement and commitment from parents, talking about the school day and providing provisions needed for their child to study. Indian children do well within the education system, there is a strong emphasis on self-improvement through education within this culture. Many of these children have professional backgrounds, so have good role models and supportive parents and they also have material advantages. Differences in the achievement between gender, race and class will continue to be compared, though surely the person should be treated as an individual. Post-modern thinkers such as Elkind (1998), suggest a key characteristic here is the idea of difference and, in a sense, the fragment of identities. In other words, students want to be recognised and treated as unique individuals rather than as groups, (Livesey et al, 2005). Although a students background may effect their achievement, as evidence suggests, it must be remembered that everyone is an individual with their own abilities, no matter what race, class or gender they are, have the potential to achieve in education. A girl, black or white from a working class background may not have had any opportunities for a good career after education 50 years ago, due to inequalities in the system, but this is not the case today. Overall the educational achievements for all groups of people have improved. There will always be some people in all of the groups mentioned previously, that fail in education, as a result of self-gratification and now culture, they are more focused on living for the moment, and not thinking about how their actions during their education can effect their future life.

The kidneys structure, functions, and what controls these functions Essay Example for Free

The kidneys structure, functions, and what controls these functions Essay The kidney is made up of nephrons, which are a kidneys functional units. These nephrons collect fluid filtered from the blood. The kidney connects to the renal artery, renal, vein, and ureter. Purified blood leaves the kidney using the renal vein, urine leaves using a ureter and the renal artery carries blood from the aorta to the kidney. The nephron has a cup-shaped nephric capsule that surrounds a cluster of capillaries called the glomerulus. A good deal of fluid from the blood filters into the capsule. Large proteins and whole blood cells are left behind due to the fact that their too big to pass through the filters along with the plasma or blood fluid. There are four main parts of the nephron tubule: the proximal convoluted tubule, the U-shaped loop of Henle, the distal convoluted tubule, and the collecting duct. A substantial amount of resorption takes place in the proximal convoluted tubule. The small proteins, glucose, and ions are returned to the blood by active transport. If the glucose in the filtrate, or filtered fluid, exceeds the kidney threshold level, some glucose will remain and appear in the urine. The loops of Henle permit the production of rather concentrated urine. The collecting duct, together with the loop of the Henle, plays a vital role in water balance. The concentration of urine takes place in the collecting ducts although the process depends on the activities in the loops of Henle. The loops of Henle and the collecting ducts are in the medulla of the kidney. The other parts of the nephron are outside the medulla in the outer region, the cortex. Theres a fluid in the medulla that contains an osmotic gradient in which solutes are steadily more concentrated in the direction away from the cortex. There are two kinds of solutes in the gradient: salt and urea. The loops of Henle create a salt gradient which actively transport salt ions out of the filtrate. The actual concentration of the urine takes place in the collecting duct after the urine passes through the distal convoluted tubule from the loop of Henle. The urine leaves the collecting duct through the pelvis of the kidney  and down the ureter to the urinary bladder. Urine composition and rate of urine formation is regulated by the hormones vasopressin, aldosterone, and angiotensin, and the enzyme renin. The posterior pituitary gland in the brain releases vasopressin. Vasopressin increases resorption of water from the urine. When the body is losing water the body stimulates vasopressin secretion in result slowing down the loss of water through urine. The body detects water decrease either by lower blood volume (i.e. bleeding) or an increase in concentration of blood plasma (i.e. sweating). Very little water is resorbed from urine when there is an absence of vasopressin. Water volume depends on the amount of salt; therefore the amount of salt in the body directly affects the volume and concentration of the blood. When the salt levels in the blood increase the adrenal gland in the kidney secretes a hormone called aldosterone. Aldosterone causes the body to resorb sodium by the distal tubule. The rate is determined by blood salt content. Since less salt is resorbed by the kidney the urines salt content increases therefore increasing urinary volume. When the sodium levels in the blood decrease the kidneys secrete and enzyme called renin. Renin converts the plasma protein angiotensinogen into the hormone angiotensin. Angiotensin causes the constriction of blood vessels to increase the aldosterone secretion. Then the aldosterone promotes the resorption of sodium by the kidney and the urines salt content decreasing urinary volume.

Judicial Reasoning And Decisions

Judicial Reasoning And Decisions Judges often couch their judgements in language which would suggest that their role is merely to declare the law (declaratory theory). It is obvious that judges in fact use a variety of reasoning techniques. Different judges may use different techniques at different times. Inconsistencies generated as a result of different judges adopting different reasoning provides source for critique and evaluation by identifying reasoning used by a particular tribunal and to contrast this with the reasoning adopted by other judges. From this we can mark out: Where there is a consistency in the approach taken by different judges and different courts. Similarly, where there are inconsistent approaches. How judges adopt a particular form of reasoning to avoid reaching a decision, or to reach a decision that appears more just or acceptable. An understanding of how judges arrive at decisions and the reasoning employed helps with an appreciation of how law develops over time: alternatively to recognise why it is that law fails to develop in response to changing social conditions. Aspects of Reasoning Deductive reasoning: moving from a general proposition to a particular conclusion. Moving from a general observation to a particular conclusion in a particular case: All men are mortal Brian is a man Brian is mortal General observation is about man and mortality. Knowing that Brian is a man, allows the conclusion about Brians mortality. The reasoning relies on a premise, in this case that all men are mortal. Need for certainty about this general premise. Assessment is entirely dependent on the truth or accuracy of what is said about mortality and Brians gender. The utility of deductive reasoning, or reasoning based on general statements, is that it has the capacity to allow us to make predictions, for example: If it rains you will get wet major premise/observation It is raining minor premise You will get wet conclusion Facts may be inaccurate, there is the possibility of conditionality (use an umbrella), but the logic of the reasoning process which remains valid. Where a conclusion is based on a process of deductive reasoning it is important to: Assess the strength or weakness (reliability) of the premise (or premises) relied upon). Consider whether the major premise is itself true. Consider whether the major premise may be undermined by exceptions. In law a particular conclusion may be based upon an assumption that some premise is true, that it is a fact. This assumption may be derived from an assessment of the law (statute/case authority). This assumption of the law is used to make predictions based on known similar facts. There may be doubt about the law. The premises upon which judges rely may be challenged. Inductive reasoning: a particular observation induces a particular conclusion. Example: It has rained every year in October for the last five years therefore it will rain in October. Accuracy of the statement may be confirmed. But there remains some doubt about the prediction. With inductive reasoning there is never absolute certainty. Reasoning by Analogy From a given set of factual circumstances, using analogy with other circumtsnces, to a prediction about what might be the significance of those circumstances. E.g. from a set of facts in a legal case to a prediction of what might be the outcome of the case by reference to other similar cases. , At its simplest reasoning by analogy may be described by example: A has characteristic X B shares that characteristic A also has characteristic Y B must have characteristic Y The example is simplistic but illustrative. Case A is similar to Case B so similar things must be true of Case B as they are of Case A. Subjective element involved in deciding about similarities and differences, example: Wood floats on water. Stone is like wood in that it an inanimate object, it does not move. Stone will float on water. Stone possess a characteristic that is identified for wood, i.e. that it is inanimate. On the basis of the analogical method this might result in an inaccurate prediction. The selected similarity, i.e. that the fact that both are inanimate objects, is not a relevant characteristic. The selection of relevant characteristics for comparison is vital to the efficiency of the analogical method. Cases will often have similar facts but there will always be differences. Even in the most straightforward of cases, e.g., a common assault by punching, or a minor road traffic accident, precise facts actors, conditions will differ. But these differences may not always be relevant. E.g. in most cases the fact that the actors are different (age, sex etc.) when it comes to application of the criminal law is irrelevant, but even here there are exceptions. There may not be any liability in the case of a child or a person under a disability. In applying the analogical method to cases be aware of: Relevant similarities. Relevant differences. In legal context some precedent or legal authority may prevent or rules out particular similarities or differences being relied upon. A description of analogical reasoning in the law is given by Emily Sherwin: Emily Sherwin, A Defence of Analogical Reasoning in Law, (1999) 66 Uni. Chicago LR 1179. Sherwin describes the analogical method in relation to its application in law. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ confronted with an unsettled question, the judge surveys past decisions, identifies the ways in which these decisions are similar to or different from each other and the question before her, and develops a principle that captures the similarities and differences she considers important. This principle in turn provides the basis for the judges own decision. Whatever one may think about the merits of analogical decision-making, there is little question that judges à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and lawyers addressing judges often cast their analysis in this form. p.1179 Sherwins refers to: An unsettled question a question of dispute which the judge has to decide. A survey of past decisions a review of authority, Similarity and difference relevant factors for analogy or distinction. Need to capture some principle which provides the basis of his or her decision. Returning to similarity and difference. Similarity allows cases with similar facts to be decided based on the authority of previous decisions on basis of established legal rules. Similarity and the analogical method provide a foundation on which to build a critique of judicial reasoning (comparing outcomes in similar cases, focussing on similarities selected or overlooked). The importance of difference is that it allows cases to be distinguished one from the other. This is significant as: It allows legal rules to develop for different factual situations. It allows a judge to reach a different decision from that decided in a previous case even where this appears similar to the case which he or she is required to decide. This means it allows the law to develop. Like similarity, the identification of difference facilitates criticism of judicial decision making (cases should be distinguished so that different legal rules should apply, facts were not sufficiently different for a case to be distinguished). Critique of the analogical method may include whether or not higher principle ought to be applied. Sunstein uses the example of free speech in American states. Cass R. Sunstein, On Analogical Reasoning, 106 Harvard Law Review (1993) 741. Sunstein discusses the prohibition on banning free speech (Brandenburg v Ohio 395 US (1969)), and the possibility that some states might try to ban particular forms of free speech. Argues this is without principle unless differences in types of free speech can be identified as principled. Sunstein compares a march by the Nazi party and a speech by member of the Klu Klux Klan. She points out that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ one difference between the Nazi March and the [Klu Klux] Klan speech is that the Nazi Party is associated with the holocaust. This is indeed a difference, but American law currently deems it irrelevant. It appears unprincipled or excessively ad hoc for the states to ban prohibitions on political speech except where the speaker is associated with the Holocaust. p.745 Sunstein argues that to distinguish between the KKK and the Nazi party on the basis of an association with the Holocaust is unprincipled in the context of regulating of free speech. The principle of free speech is what informs the law in the United States. The identification of difference, even though this may be valid, cannot justify departure from the higher principle of free speech. Analogical Reasoning: Advantages and Disadvantages For many analogical reasoning is relatively unsophisticated and lacks depth or detail. But there are advantages: It does not require actors to develop their own theories to account for convictions as decisions are based on previous decisions. Actors are free to simply refer to developed principles arising from past cases. It promotes gradual evolution of the law over time giving stability. This is because where there are similarities with past cases the outcome is likely to be similar, but where there are some relevant differences this will account for change. It fits with stare decisis. You will be aware of this principle, that judges should follow the decisions of previous cases where these represent an authoritative precedent. It allows convergence on outcomes. Put more simply the law becomes predictable. It requires strong justification to depart from authority. This means that where there is departure form a particular line of authority convincing and principled reasons will support such a departure. It requires constant vigilance to ensure consistency. Judges and lawyers are always looking and checking to ensure that a particular cases falls within a line of precedent, or for other more suitable precedent. Disadvantages. The law remains static as judges are reluctant to depart from past decisions. The pace of change is slow as the law changes only incrementally as judges are able to identify differences between cases. The law fails to respond to social change which takes place at a more rapid pace than change in the common law. It maintains decisions which may be base don judicial preferences or prejudices. Is it true that the analogical method and precedent acts as a restraint on judges? Decisions and reasoning by analogy depend very much on the validity of the analogy selected, which is a matter for the judge to determine. A judge seeking to avoid a particular conclusion may determine the ratio of a particular case, the principle which it espouses, by a process of inductive reasoning from the facts of earlier cases this introduces uncertainty. A judge may formulate the ratio influenced by his or her opinion on what the law should be, it then follows that a judge may select a case which best fits his or her interpretation of the law. As lawyers we may often feel that judges in the common law system make the law. As Postema comments: We expect judges to follow rules, but it appears in common law practice rules follow judges à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it was Bentham who first used the term judge made law hurling against English law as a term of contempt and abuse Gerald J. Postema, Philosophy of the Common Law, The Oxford Handbook of Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law (Oxford, OUP, 2002), 588-621, p.589 The possibility that judges will influence the content of law even in a system of analogical reasoning, or perhaps because of the system, is a valid criticism of judicial decision making. Judges may be criticised for failing to reflect normative or social values. Where the judge decides in accordance with established principle the process of reasoning by analogy begins with prior decisions rather than a judges own observations and intuitions. It is arguable that this: Fails to reflect changing attitudes because past decision are, by definition, taken under a different set of social conditions. And that it maintains bad decisions where these do not fit with present day values. As Sunstein points out: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ analogical reasoning usually does have a backward-looking, conservative, incremental character à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ it should be acknowledged that insofar as analogical reasoning takes current legal materials as the basis for reasoning, it can indeed be an obstacle to justified change through law. Cass R. Sunstein, On Analogical Reasoning, 106 Harvard Law Review (1993) 741. p.768 Would it be better to allow a judge to act on his or her intuition and employ ordinary moral reasoning? Lack of Theory A key criticism of analogical reasoning is that decisions are arrived at without reference to an overarching theory which provides moral content or principles. Judges are unlikely to justify particular outcomes based on a theory of law. Instead abstraction is from particular cases. Path Dependency Path dependence theory tells us that an outcome or decision, whether it be a decision taken by policy-makers such as politicians, or by judges, is shaped in a very particular way by decisions and outcomes which led up to it by the path leading to it (history matters). Legal context: decisions taken by judges in the course of interpreting and applying statute or in the course of developing the common law will be influenced by decisions taken and the outcomes of cases which have taken place in the past. Statement of the obvious: But important question is why are past decisions so influential? Why is precedent and past decisions so compelling? Can path dependency explain the non-prescriptive nature of precedent within the common law? System of precedent allows the law to remain relatively stable but processes of change do take place. Law develops. Path dependency theory can explain change as well as continuity. Path Dependency Literature One of most influential writers on path dependency theory has been Paul David (economics). Work on dominance of the QWERTY keyboard system in word processing and computer technologies. David argues dominance of the QWERTY system due to processes of path dependency taking place in the manufacture of keyboards. Paul A. David, Clio and the Economics of QWERTY, American Economic Review, 1985, 75(2), Papers and Proceedings of the Ninety-seventh Annual meeting of the American Economic Association, pp.332-337. A path dependent sequence of economic change is one of which important influences upon the eventual outcome can be exerted by temporally remote events (332). Events taking place earlier in time have an important influence on the outcome of sequences of events. Statement on its own is empty and unhelpful. Path dependency theory does not stop here. Paul Pierson, Increasing Returns, Path Dependence, and the Study of Politics, American Political Science Review, 2000, 94(2), pp.251-267. Broad conception: history matters. Pierson is critical claiming this is unhelpful. Narrower definition (as suggested by Margaret Levi). Levi argues (in the context of political decision-making) that once a once a state has adopted a particular path (policies), costs of reversal are high. Different choices can be made but entrenchments of institutional arrangements will obstruct easy reversal of initial choice. Pierson, notes that once particular courses of action are adopted they can be virtually impossible to reverse. Political development punctuated by critical moments or junctures that shape basic contours of policy and therefore social life. Increasing returns: Pierson uses to explain path dependency. Steps taken in one direction induce movement in the same direction. Benefits of continuing down a particular path increase more likely that that path will be selected in the future (even in case of inefficient outcomes). Features of increasing returns: Large set-up or fixed costs. Learning effects. Coordination effects. Adaptive expectations. Pierson applies path dependency to politics. Useful in analysis of law as Pierson refers to social institution, politics, political activity and social policy. Refers to: institutional constraints; policies and constraint on behaviour, and coercive powers signal to actors what has to be done. How are these concepts relevant to the law? Paul Pierson, Not Just What, but When: Timing and Sequence in Political Process, Studies in American Political Development, 2000, 14, pp.72-92. Process of increasing returns induces self-reinforcement or positive feedback. Initial moves in a particular direction encourage further movement along the same path. The road not chosen becomes increasingly unreachable as an alternative. Pierson notes that a critical feature of path dependent processes is the relative openness or permissiveness of early stages in a sequence compared with the relatively closed or coercive nature of later stages. James Mahoney, Path dependence in sociological history, Theory and Society, 2000, 29, pp.507-548 Mahoney argues that path dependence characterizes specifically those historical sequences in which contingent events set into motion institutional patterns or event chains that have deterministic properties (507). Also refers to self-re-enforcing mechanisms (increasing returns), and power and legitimation mechanisms (509). Discusses reactive sequences temporally ordered and causally connected events. For a series of events to be path dependent they must be contingent rather than simply causally linked, and must possess a quality of inherent sequentiality (509). Mahoney seeks to conceptualize path dependence: broad conceptualization that essentially entails the argument that past events influence future events. Refers Sewells influential definition, path dependence means that what has happened at an earlier point in time will affect the possible outcomes of a sequence of events occurring at a later point in time. Most historical sociologists employ a more specific under-standing of path dependence past choices affect future processes. Path-dependent analyses minimally have three features: [1] path-dependent analysis involves the study of causal processes where early decisions are highly influential; [2] early historical events are contingent occurrences that cannot be explained on the basis of prior events; [3] path-dependent sequences are marked by relatively deterministic causal patterns. Self-reinforcing sequences: initial steps in a particular direction induce further movement in the same direction such that over time it becomes difficult or impossible to reverse direction. With self-reinforcing sequences, periods of institutional genesis correspond to critical junctures. Critical junctures are characterized by the adoption of a particular institutional arrangement from among two or more alternatives. Critical because once a particular option is selected it becomes progressively more difficult to return to the initial point when multiple alternatives were still available. Power explanation: actors make decisions by weighing costs and benefits. (refers to power of elites and is not directly relevant to analysis within the law). Legitimation explanation: grounded in actors subjective orientations and beliefs about what is appropriate or morally correct (moral approval to acquiescence with status quo). Reactive sequences: follow a different logic from that of self-reinforcing sequences. Reactive sequences are marked by backlash perhaps to reverse early events. Early events trigger subsequent development not by reproduction but through reaction and counter-reaction. Adrian Kay, A Critique of the Use of Path Dependency in Policy Studies, Public Administration, 2005, 83(3), pp.553-571. Process is path dependent if initial moves in one direction elicit further moves in that same direction. Path dependency is a process that constrains future choice sets. It is not a story of inevitability in which the past neatly predicts the future.'(554) Path dependency is about stability: observations of change challenge this notion. Critique of path dependency is that it is rather better at explaining stability than change. Picking up on argument by Thelen (1999) who argues that path dependency is too deterministic. Taylor C. Boas, Conceptualizing Continuity and Change: The Composite-standard Model of Path Dependency, Journal of Theoretical Politics, 2007, 19(1), pp.33-54. Analysis of institutional development needs to account for both continuity and change over time. Problem with path dependence which emphasizes lock-in is that political institutions change over time, exhibiting flexibility rather than rigidity (35). Suggests a composite-standard model of path dependency to account for change to illustrates how incremental changes in political institutions can translate into fundamental transformation over time (35). Distinguishes inflexibility (limiting deviation within a path) from lock-in (difficulty in switching paths). Law and Path Dependency Mark J. Roe, Chaos and Evolution in Law and Economics, Harvard Law Review, 1996, 109(3), pp.641-668 Roe notes that the evolutionary paradigm (evolution to efficiency) has a strong grip on law scholarship. Uses road metaphor. Occasionally path dependent road becomes so costly that society rips it up and builds a new road. Where inefficiencies are built into a system path dependency helps us understand why they remain (646). Weak form path dependence two options (or more), both equally efficient. Path dependence explains why society perseveres with one but says nothing about relative efficiencies. Semi-strong form path dependence saved costs are outweighed by costs of change. Once society has established its path the costs of change might outweigh advantages that accrue. Strong form path dependence costs of change would be worthwhile but there is still resistance to change. Notes that path dependence supposes slow change through time (punctuated equilibrium). Where path dependence is strong-form change is desirable but society is stuck due to lock-in effects. Oona A. Hathaway, Path Dependence in the Law: The Course and Pattern of Legal Change in a Common Law System, Iowa Law Review, 2001, 86(2), 601-665. Despite recognition of role of history in legal development little is known about the specific ways in which it matter path dependency provides analytical tool. Outcome or decision is shaped in a very particular way by decisions and outcomes which led up to it (path leading to it). In the common law each legal decision increases the probability that the next will take a particular form. Early decisions can lead to lock-in (resistance to change). Inflexibility can lead to inefficiency. Opportunities for change arise at critical junctures (guides practitioners to concentrate their resources on altering the path of the law at given instances). The past forms the point of departure for the present. The present, in turn, forms the point of departure for the future. Therefore, the historical path leading to each new outcome or decision directly shapes that outcome in specific and systematic ways (663). Several variants to path dependency. Increasing returns path dependence growing out of the economics literature. In law it is less costly to continue down a particular path than it is to change to a different path. Identifies four characteristics of increasing returns: large set-up costs; learning effects; coordination effects; and self-reinforcing or adaptive expectations. Features of increasing returns are the indeterminacy of outcome at the outset, the increasing prospect of lock-in or inflexibility. The initially selected technology will become locked-in even if there is an equally developed alternative which could have been superior. Evolutionary path dependence based on a Dawrwinian notion of gradual and progressive evolution, or an alternative conception based on new evolutionary theory where periods of stasis are followed by sudden change or punctuated equilibria. As in increasing returns path dependence it is difficult to predict outcomes of change in advance. This is because punctuated equilibria are marked by contingency. This is because the variables are not necessarily known in advance. Because of this it is not possible to predict the arrival of rapid change in advance. But once change has occurred the theory does predict a period of stability. Both forms of evolutionary theory agree that changes in the past directly determine the possibilities for the future. Describes the system of precedent within the common law. Most striking feature of path dependence affecting the common law is increasing returns due to the reliance on precedent. Process of judging generates learning effects. Common law generates significant reinforcing effects and adaptive expectations. This includes amongst litigants who will select their cases to fit with particular precedents to avoid becoming losers. This pushes the law further in the same direction and discourages litigants form bringing cases in case they lose. Judges act on incomplete information about future outcomes of their decisions, this is bounded rationality. Small early changes in the law can have significant future ramifications. Early cases on a legal issue become important because the path of the common law is locked in at an early stage. A consequence of path dependency in the law is that of lock-in or inflexibility. A further feature of path dependence is indeterminacy of outcome. Early cases are unpredictable but not inexplicable. This does not mean that there is not one correct rule, but rather that at the outset it cannot be predicted in which direction the law will move. Evolutionary theory of path dependence invoked most frequently in legal literature. In a common law system the decision in each case draws on the stock of existing precedent. Economics scholars draw on the evolutionary theory to claim that competition leads to the best results (the evolution to efficiency rule). But evolution to efficiency paradigm ignores the path-dependent nature of legal change in the common law system. Each choice is made within a constrained set of circumstances. Evolution to efficiency theory of law fails to recognize reality but is also a misunderstanding of evolutionary theory. Argues that there is an inbuilt tendency toward resistance in the common law. Also discusses new evolutionary theory and punctuated equilibrium or periods of rapid change. This can correspond with change in the law when, for example, a line of authority is developed by the lower courts and is then appealed to the higher courts. This moment may be seen as a punctuation of the biological model. In this sense new evolutionary theory bears some resemblance to critical junctures or critical moments in path dependence. Critical junctures arise as moments of rapid change followed by a period of stability, the legacy of each critical juncture remains intact until some later critical juncture arrives to change and shape the political and institutional arrangements. History constrains critical junctures but each provides an opportunity for sweeping change . Sequencing path dependency. Litigants seeking a significant impact on the law should seek out (or attempt to create) punctuations, for it is only during punctuations that major change is possible (650). Marital Rape At one time the common law provided that a man could not commit the crime of rape on his wife. Rape was not possible within the confines of a lawful marriage. The rule stems from a statement attributed to the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Justice Hale, in the middle of the 18th century. Lord Hale described that law as being that: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the husband cannot be guilty of a rape committed by himself upon his lawful wife, for by their mutual matrimonial consent and contract the wife hath given up herself in this kind unto her husband which she cannot retract. This extract is attributed to Lord Justice Hale in History of Common Pleas, (1736) or The History of the Pleas of the Crown. It was later repeated in other sources, for example: Archbolds Pleadings and Evidence in Criminal Cases (1822). This is not the law today. The process of change was slow. R v Clarence (1888) 22 QBD 23. In this case a wife made allegations of assault against her husband. This is not a case where rape was alleged. Instead the wife claimed that the husband had carried out an assault under s.20 and s.47 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861). Justice Wills said: If intercourse under the circumstances now in question constitute an assault on the part of the man, it must constitute rape, unless, indeed, as between married persons rape is impossible, a proposition to which I certainly am not prepared to assent, and for which there seems to me to be no sufficient authority. The decision in Clarence was that the husband was not guilty of assault was based on the Courts assessment of the law which included an acceptance of the rule that a woman gives implied consent to the act of sexual intercourse. R v Clarke (1949) 2 All ER 448, [1949] 33 Crim App R 216. In this case a man was charged with the rape of his wife at a time when the couple were still married but there was separation order in place. The separation order had been based on the ground of the husbands persistent cruelty. The separation order contained a clause that the wife was no longer bound to cohabit with the husband. At the time of the alleged offence she in fact was not cohabiting with her husband. Defence counsel applied to the court to quash the charge of rape on the ground that it did not disclose any offence known to the law. Justice Byrne held that there was a general proposition of law that a husband cannot be guilty of the rape of his wife. No doubt, the reason is that on marriage the wife consents to the husbands exercise of the marital right of intercourse during such time as the ordinary relations created by the marriage contract subsist between them. The consent to marital intercourse which was implied and given by the wife at the time of the marriage was revoked by the separation order. R v Miller (1954) 2 QB 282. In this case a wife left her husband and filed a petition for divorce on the ground of adultery. The hearing of the petition for divorce was adjourned for the husband to attend. After this adjournment of the divorce case the husband met with the wife and had intercourse with her against her will.

The Sun Also Rises :: essays research papers

July's People is a story of a white family who experience life as black people would in South Africa at the time. They leave their home and their jobs in the United States and follow their servant, July, to live in an African tribe. The whole time that they are living in Africa they depend on July for survival yet they still treat him as a servant. July wishes that he would be treated more as an equal but besides that he does not mind being their servant as long as he gets paid. The reversal of roles, in this book, does not really change people. It is as though they know where they stand with each other and that could never change. The Smales would always be above July, who would always be destined to be their servant no matter how much their lives depended on him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the United States the Smales were probably a little more well off than an average family. The father worked as an architect and made good money, that is evident because they can afford a servant. They decide to leave their home and to move to a new and unfamiliar place. July leads them to his tribe in Africa. The change occurs right there, to the Smales United States is home but to July it is a foreign place, whereas Africa is where July feels at home and the Smales feel like they are on another planet. Being strangers to this new place Smales depend on July for survival. Their inability to Goldenberg 2 communicate with the natives and the fact that they are the only whites in a tribe complicates things. They depend on July to get tools, find shelter, and get food among other things. At the same time they don't trust him. They are always suspecting that he is stealing from them, they get upset when he takes the truck with out their permission, they feel like he is trying to cheat them in some way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Smales were never thought of as being part of the tribe, they stood out, not only because they were white but also because they came from a different culture. July remains their servant through out the whole book. Neither of them, July nor the Smales, attempted becoming good friends and working together through the hardships of war. July demands money for everything he does and the Smales expect for him to take care of things.

Ethics in The Criminal Justice Profession Essay example -- Morality/Et

Ethics or being ethical is simply based on a person’s capability to choose what is right or wrong or good or bad. Ethics can be defined as the body of moral principles or values governing or distinctive of a particular culture or group. (Banks C. , 2009). Ethics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the study of questions of right and wrong and how we ought to live our lives; A system of moral principles (Banks C. , 2009). Over all, morality rests squarely on the shoulders one’s early social environment. Ethics or being ethical in any business is very important. Business ethics, especially in retail, usually means three things, avoid breaking criminal law and labor laws, avoid action that may result in civil law suits against the company and avoid actions that are bad for the company image. Businesses are especially concerned with these three things given that it involves loss of money and company reputation. In theory, a business could address these concerns by assigning corporate attorneys and public relations experts to supervise employees on their daily activities. Because at anytime an employee might stray from acceptable conduct, the experts would be there to guide them back. Obviously, this solution would be a financial disaster if practiced. Given that it would cost a company more in attorney and public relations fees, companies save more by having preventative procedures in place. Consequently, companies have established special task forces or special departments to combat company from losses that it more cost effective. Such as, loss prevention agents or specialists, security guards and or special police, etc., to help prevent â€Å"shrinkage†. There are many major issues concerning criminal justice. These major issues ... ...ears, it is has come to light that some criminal justice professionals (decision makers) have sometimes fell short of making the â€Å"right† choices, or have deliberately acted unethically in carrying out their duties (Banks, 2009). Being ethical whether it’s in criminal justice or loss prevention it all has to do with making the right decisions to better the company or job. Works Cited Banks, C. (2009). Criminal Justice; Theory and Practice, 2nd edition. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications Inc.,. Grant, K. J. (2002, December). Ethics and Law Enforcement. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin , pp. 11-14. Kleinig, J. (2008). Ethics and Criminal Justice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Less, R. D. (2008). Corperate Governance . Retrieved 03 15, 2012, from Code of Business Conduct and Ethics: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=64847&p=irol-govHighlights

Definition of Science Fiction Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps one of the most versatile genres in films, television, books, artwork and any number of things today is science fiction. Many times I have seen a sci-fi movie filed under comedy or drama. That is one of the major things that has led to my love for science fiction, the simple fact that it can be so much more than just science fiction. I would like to present a definition of what science fiction is in this paper. My definition will not be exact, because so many people have a different idea of what counts as sci-fi and, not only that, but we may have found yet another venue for science fiction by the time this paper is complete. In order to define what science fiction is and to support my definition, I am going to give some examples of stories that I think fall into this genre first and then give a semi-solid definition of what I think science fiction is. The first example of science fiction I’d like to take a look at is Alien. A prime example of straightforward science fiction would be this movie. Space miners (or merchants†¦something like that) are awakened from their cryogenic sleep-state much earlier than was originally planned. A distress/warning beacon on an unfamiliar planet caused their ship to awaken them so that help could be dispatched. Of course, it turns out to be a ship that was taken over by the Aliens and the Earthlings’ ship was soon to be infested. No questions about this one; it is most definitely science fiction. Humans meeting up with aliens and, of course, space travel, instantly places this film into the science fiction category. Another example of science fiction, and one that proves science-fiction’s elusive nature, is Tarzan. This is a fantastic example of a popular story that nobody would normally think of as being sci-fi. Everyone knows the story: A baby is lost in the jungle, raised by apes, and then is discovered years later by some jungle-adventurers. It sounds sort of questionable as to whether this should be considered science fiction, but it remains a fact that this story takes place on Earth and involves a character that has adopted ape-like qualities. One could argue that this is just a fictional story or even fantasy, but it still retains an element of science and, therefore, falls into the category of science fiction. Time travel: is it really science fiction? Some people would not agre... ... is. Science fiction (adj.) [sy-ens fik-shun]: †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some fictional event that was brought about using logical, scientific methods or caused by logical, scientific events. †¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sentence use: I watched this science fiction movie the other day that scared the heebie-jeebies out of me! Needless to say, science fiction is a wonderful genre that encompasses a vast number of stories, even ones that we don’t really think of as sci-fi at first. As I have illustrated in these examples, science fiction can be the major genre of a story or it can be merely a piece within a story. Such a debatable concept as this one can be extremely difficult to completely define. For now, we’ll have to settle for a general definition such as the one I have written above, but perhaps in the future someone will define science fiction more clearly. Of course, if we limit the term science fiction to a clear-cut definition, will science fiction have such wonderful stories as it does now or will they end up being bland, repetitive stories? I believe that science fiction will never have a single definition because that just happens to be the nature of the genre.

Destructive Force: Reality Television Essay

Reality television shows are shows based on real people in real time. Individuals are put, as a group, in a particular environment where each person, or team, experiences roughly the same things. The fan base for realty shows is extensive and the number of shows has been rapidly increasing in recent years. Reality television has become very popular and, for some, even addicting. These shows, overall, have become detrimental to the public. The negative effects these shows have on the public at large far outweigh the entertainment value or positive effects. While there are shows that are beneficial, reality television can have negative effects on the public because it can become an addiction, it raises the standard of beauty for women, and it can prematurely advance the development of sexuality in teenagers. Reality television makes a huge impact on teen and pre-teen audiences. Increased sexual awareness and insecurity are the two most prominent. Some of the most popular reality shows for these groups are romance based shows like The Bachelor. The Bachelor is a show where a single man is presented with a group of attractive single women of which he must choose one to be a potential wife. The man goes on dates with each woman individually and sometimes in groups. Weekly, he must decide which candidates he does not wish to go on another date with. During the first few weeks of the show, multiple women are eliminated at the same time. Later on, however, they are eliminated one by one. The same is true for the show Joe Millionaire. Yet another show that is romantically based is Temptation Island, where a couple tests the strength of their relationship by each living in a separate residence with a group of attractive individuals of the opposite sex. The goal is to resist the temptation of getting romantically involved with any of the individuals living with them. It is thought that the reason teens and pre-teens watch romantically themed reality shows is that they are viewed almost as a game show. â€Å"Temptation Island and similar programs usually feature a competition-based format, elements of game shows, sensationalism, a lighthearted, lively tone, and teasing and/or romantic storylines† (Vandenbosch & Eggermont 2011). Watching these shows has the possibility of increasing teen and pre-teen sexual awareness as well as changing the perceived normal sexual attitude. Vandenbosch and Eggermont hypothesize that â€Å"Watching RTRT is positively associated with (a) increased stereotyping of male and female sexuality (referring to men’s sexual obsession and women as sexual objects), with (b) stronger endorsement of a positive attitude toward steady, long-term relationships, and with (c) an increased importance attached to romantic characteristics of the perfect partner. Using The Bachelor as an example, this means that by watching the show, it is possible that the teen and pre-teen audiences will believe that a man is supposed to be able to â€Å"shop around† and a woman should be competing for a man’s attention, long term relationships are something to avoid until the â€Å"right one† is found, and that there are certain qualities the perfect partner have to possess. The viewing of these shows also leads to increased peer to peer conversation about sexual relationships. For young people, their peers are one of their most trusted sources of information; therefore, speaking with each other about sexual relations can easily lead to actually performing the act itself. Viewing the fact that there are a large number of pre-teen viewers, it can be hypothesized that this can lead to premature sexual activity. Viewing RTRT is positively related to increased estimates of the sexual experiences of peers. † ( Vandenbosch & Eggermont 2011). A study was taken on teens and pre-teens versus specific shows. The purpose of this study was to see how many of these young people watched 5 of the most popular reality shows on the air. The youths were broken into two age groups, 8-12 and 13-18. For the 8-12 age group, the percentages ranged from 40%-70% depending on the show. The 13-18 age group had a slightly larger percentage range of 27%-70%. Reality television creates a huge impact on women’s views of themselves. Shows such as Extreme Makeover raise the bar on the standard of beauty for women. Extreme Makeover is a show where women who are unhappy with their appearance and the romantic aspect of their lives. The show performs cosmetic surgeries and sends the client to high end shops for makeup and wardrobe. Shows like this make many women insecure about their looks. It portrays the image that if a woman’s physical appearance is not equivalent to the standards depicted on the show, then the woman cannot be happy. A study was conducted on a controlled group of both male and female subjects from multiple ethnic groups. The individuals were exposed to the Extreme Makeover show and then given a survey afterwards in which they answered a controlled group of questions and then were allowed to make their own judgment of the show at the end. This study concluded that there was really no difference in the response to the presentation of the standard of female beauty. â€Å"In contrast to our hypothesis, we did not find a gender difference in emerging adult men and women’s responses to the media presentation of idealized female beauty. (Markey & Markey 2012) The study did show, however, that while the majority of men were indifferent to the idea of pursuing plastic surgery after watching the show, a large portion of women, mainly composed of individuals that enjoyed reality shows, had an increased desire to pursue plastic surgery. These types of shows can have a deeper impact than just raising the standard of female beauty and increasing the desire for cosmetic surgery. These shows can also lead to an increase in the severity of emotional disorders among women. Another show that has an impact on the standard of females was discussed earlier, which is The Bachelor. The Bachelor portrays beautiful women as emotional and attention seeking. The show does not focus on the remaining women throughout the show. They focus on the man and the women who have been eliminated. â€Å"The action of the series is propelled by a drawn-out process of eliminating women until one remains, with the narrative focus on how and why women are not selected by the bachelor. † (Dubrofsky 2009) This includes the borrowed term,†money shot. This refers to the clip of an eliminated contestant being overly emotional. The show indicates that if a woman cannot control her emotions completely, she is undeserving of love. By focusing on this, the show gives the impression that most women are uncontrollably emotional and there are only a few who have the composure it takes to be loved by a man. Men and women take different things from this, but still arrive at the same conclusion. Men see women as highly emotional and not worth their time, while women see themselves as not worth a man’s time if they show emotion. This ultimately leads to shorter relationships and low self esteem for women. A third problem that reality television can incur is addiction. People have a tendency to become addicted to these shows and feel the need to watch them every week. While this does not seem like it would be an issue, it becomes one when an individual watches multiple shows. The addiction can take priority over other aspects of daily life, especially for youths. School work gets neglected in favor of seeing what will happen on the weekly episode of their favorite reality shows. Reality television can become an addiction from the empathy and relation the audience can have to the individuals on the show. From the women on The Bachelor to the people on The Biggest Loser, almost anyone can relate to one or more of the individuals on these reality shows. There are some positive effects and a few reality shows that are beneficial to the public. Shows like Supernanny and The Biggest Loser promote wellness to the public. Supernanny is a show where the supernanny goes to homes in which the children have gotten out of control and the parents have no idea how to handle them. The supernanny coaches the parents and the children in ways to communicate and be closer as a family. Videos are taken around the clock to see how the parents and children respond to each other in typical home situations. These videos allow the audience to view the right and wrong way to approach things and what the consequences are. â€Å"Reality TV parenting programmes, such as Supernanny, Little Angels, and The House of Tiny Tearaways, all use embedded video as a prominent element, not only of the audiovisual spectacle of reality television but also of the therapy, counselling, coaching and instruction intrinsic to these programmes. (McIlvenny 2011) While watching someone like the supernanny coach families, the at home audience also receives advice on how to deal with issues at home. The Biggest Loser is a show where severely overweight people are selected to compete for a large sum of money. These people are put through exercise routines, challenges, and dieting. The team or individual that loses the largest percentage of weight wins the week and the individual that loses the smallest percentage of weight is eliminated and sent home. The show also reaches out to the community and sends the finalists home for a eek to test their resolve, but also to lead their community in an exercise day. In the most recent season of The Biggest Loser, not only did the network select overweight adults, they also selected 3 overweight youths for a special program. By doing this, they showed the at home audience that children are having weight problems as well, and that it can be dealt with. Throughout the season, references are made to the families of the people on the show, with the main focus on the family members that were also overweight but had been inspired to lose weight due to their relative losing weight on the show. The participants in the show are put through rigorous exercise routines by 3 fitness experts, taught how to eat healthy and what foods are acceptable, given competitive challenges for special rewards. There are other benefits to reality television besides the show specific benefits to health and welfare. The wide range of viewing audiences allows for watching reality shows to be a family event, bringing families closer together. Another benefit is using reality TV as a way to wind down from daily life and activities. Come home from a long day at work and watch your favorite show. Though there are benefits to reality television, the premature advancement of sexuality in youths, the addiction that can occur from watching reality shows, and the forming of idealized female beauty make reality television a negative influence on society. If only reality shows that were beneficial to the public were to be allowed on the air, these issues would be avoidable. Another option would be to make more reality shows similar to the few current beneficial shows.