A Current Look at Japans Financial and Political Risk essays

A Current Look at Japans Financial and Political Risk essays A Current Look at Japans Financial and Political Risk A global company faces a number of different types of risks-economic, legal, political, and competitive. The nature and severity of such risks are not the same for all countries. A global company is in a position to manage such risks effectively by planning and implementing strategies aimed at diffusing risk. By keeping a breast of news-breaking developments, and not easily forgetting the past, an international company will have the ability to achieve successful use of strategic risk management in the global business environment. In the past five years, much to their disgrace, Japan has fell victim to numerous financial scandals. In addition, within the past month of April their devoted leader, Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, suffered a life-threatening stroke. These significant events disturbed the global economy to a great extent and brought a newfound appreciation for global strategic risk management. For those International companies, with operations in Japan, that were able to effectively manage their assets amongst the arising developments were then able to avoid, or limit, risk exposure. For those who were unable to strategically manage their risk exposure the consequences were severe. In October of 1995 the details of the Japanese banking scandal began to unravel as Toshihide Iguchis, an employee of Daiwa Bank, testified to U.S. District Judge Michael Mukasey. Not only did Toshihide Iguchi pleading guilty to covering up $1.1 billion in losses he had incurred Daiwa Banks New York operations, he also told of how he had received more than $500,000 in compensation for such a scandalous task. This development astonished the entire world and would prove to almost destroy the once strong reputation of the Japanese banking industry. He went further in his testimony to implicate that senior executives, at the worlds 13th largest bank, were involved in a c...

Claiming Social Security Disability and Veterans Disability

Claiming Social Security Disability and Veterans Disability Claiming SSDI VA Disability Some disabled veterans are eligible to receive both Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) through the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Disability Benefits through the Veterans Administration (VA) at the same time. A detailed article on the process appears here.About VA SSDIThe VA provides disability benefits to military veterans who were disabled during active duty. They examine military service medical records, and base determinations only on illnesses and injuries which occurred during active duty. Benefits are based on a disability rating of 0-100%.The SSA provides SSDI to workers with medical issues who are unable to work. To receive SSDI, applicants must be totally disabled. While the SSA considers a range of conditions, applicants must prove they will be out of work for over one year, or that their condition is terminal.Claiming Both Veterans who receive VA benefits for disability can also apply for SSDI, provided they are unable to work at all, without interfere nce. The SSA considers all qualifying conditions, including those already addressed under the VA rating, when deciding.Expedited ClaimsVeterans meeting specific criteria, including a 100% permanent, total disability rating, qualify for expedited processing of SSDI claims. Through a service provided by the Wounded Warrior program, veterans who became disabled on active duty on or after October 1, 2001 can request expedited processing in writing on their application.We Can HelpIf you are disabled and unable to work, call Disability Attorneys of Michigan for a free confidential consultation. We’ll let you know if we can help you get a monthly check and help you determine if any money or assets you receive could impact your eligibility for disability benefits.Disability Attorneys of Michigan works hard every day helping the disabled of Michigan seek the Social Security Disability and Veterans Disability benefits they need. If you are unable to work due to a physical, mental, or c ognitive impairment; call Disability Attorneys of Michigan now for a free consultation at 800-949- 2900.Let Michigan’s experienced disability law firm help you get the benefits you deserve.Disability Attorneys of Michigan, Compassionate Excellence. Michigan Disability Attorney, Michigan Social Security Disability Lawyer, Michigan Veterans Disability Lawyer

Final Thoughts on Argument ( 8 ) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Thoughts on Argument ( 8 ) - Essay Example One could claim that marketing cigarette products to the youth is simply too much to handle. First let us examine what prompted cigarette companies to come up with this decision. â€Å"Younger adults are the only source of replacement smokers† (RJ Reynolds). This means to say that as people age – while smoking – signs and consequences of this decision will begin to show. As a result, they wouldn’t be as enthusiastic as they were when they started smoking. This is what many cigarette companies try to avoid. If they want to keep their business thriving and prospering, they need younger adults which will require brand new form of marketing. True – from the industry’s point of view, this may just be the right thing to do. After all, they just mean business and this is nothing personal for them. Without overanalyzing and putting things under simple perspective, cigarette companies are just doing what they need to do to keep up with the current market. But nothing justifies the consequences that will happen in the future. On the surface, this may be an acceptable proposition for many cigarette companies though on second thought they are just taking advantage of our youth – the hope of the future. Why do teens smoke? "Kids are vulnerable to smoking because the transition to adulthood is fraught with stress, insecurity, and the need to be accepted by peers. If kids see smokers who they think are cool or look grown-up, they may strive for that image, too† (Lang and Marks). Judging from this, kids are innocent victims of the adult driven world. Cigarette companies know this vulnerability and weakness and this is the reason why they target this specific market. They know they can earn money from them more than they can from adults who know what they are doing and have other priorities in life already. However, kids don’t realize they are vulnerable and weak. They often have these overly positive views about

Psychology in the development of the society and the human Essay

Psychology in the development of the society and the human civilization - Essay Example Humans move, act and live according to their instincts and these are guiding by the wants and needs of the person but sometimes, the rate of the person's reactions are either accelerated or slowed down according to their psychological judgment. This is actually the influence of motivation to the person's psychological state. Thus, human motivation is the psychological factor that guides the judgment and reaction of the person's towards his or her aim. According to Abraham Maslow, human motivation is usually focused on the benefit that the person can achieved by the acquisition of it and these are actually directed towards the needs and the wants of the person. The benefits are regarded in the psychological aspect as the pleasure achieved by satisfying a specific need. This idea is usually regarded with the term arousal meaning the excitement or sensation acquired through satisfaction. Effects of motivation with regard to the role of arousal can be observed in the daily actions of the people. For example, take a case of a certain teenage boy who is motivated to develop his physique to acquire a muscular build. He endures the challenges enticed with his decision because he is focused on the benefits that his desire will provide on his esteem. Thus, he is motivated to satisfy his needs for personal esteem. Another is a case of a teenage girl who is firmly decided to have a diet. Her case is actually the opposite of the previous case because she is one the side of motivated procrastination to achieved personal satisfaction on the aspect of her personal esteem, which her slim and sexy physique will boost. Accordingly, she her actions will also gratify her safety needs regarding her company because her desires expressed her need for acceptance to her desired social group. In addition, her procrastination will limit her satisfaction regarding food consumption aspect but on the other hand, it will fulfill her physiological need for a healthy lifestyle. Thus, the fulfillment of her psychological needs will give her satisfaction, which is actually the aspect that motivates her. Thus, it is viewed that people's actions and decision are actually products of their desires and needs and the satisfaction that they will achieve by fulfilling that needs that actually motivates them to pursue that their aims. This is a classic example on how outside sources of "social push" actually affects people's personal decisions. Hence, to be able to prove the real essence of the mentioned matter herein, this research shall try to utilize a survey-interview procedure to check on how human individuals actually handle the different elements in the society that makes it certain for their personality to change every now and then. To handle the collection of data for this particular research project of human personality development and social interaction, the researcher decides to utilize the results of a survey report that would be given out to at least 80 participants. On the part of the researcher, the said number of participants is already reasonable enough to make the entire research more accurate in terms of research results. The said 80 students would be

Prestige plastics (PP) pricing problem Case Study

Prestige plastics (PP) pricing problem - Case Study Example Major Facts Sue, being a graduate majored in materials management, discovered a pricing problem while working at a manufacturing firm named Prestige Plastics (PP) operating as a supply manager. Her job description consisted of purchasing chemicals for the firm’s plastic productions. The problematic chemical purchase for Sue was that of a chemical called X-pane made specifically for PP. A bid for this chemical was forwarded to six suppliers with an annual requirement of 10,000 drums. The Chicago Chemical Company bid the lowest. Greater Sandusky Chemical said it was impossible to bid that low based on approximate production costs of $750,000 amortized over the one-year contract to reduce loss. Other bidders agreed with this statement. Sue assessed that over the years bidding prices did increase reflecting cost growth. She knew something was wrong but also wanted to maintain the competitive bidding process. Major Problems The major problem consists of the cost growth required to produce the chemical X-pane increasing each year adversely affecting the competitive bidding process. The approximate setup cost of 750,000 for producing x-pane seems to be an issue with buyers in seeing this return over a one-year contract. Possible Solutions/Alternatives A. One alternative would be for Sue to work with the engineering department and assess if there is a better cost efficient chemical that gives the same product results as X-pane that is already on the market for purchase. B. Another alternative would be to reduce the estimated annual requirement of purchase and expand it over a longer period of time. Instead of the required purchase of 10,000 drums a year it can be pushed back to 10,000 drums in 19 months. C. Finding a more cost efficient product that produces the same result and expanding the purchase contract to 10,000 drums within a 19 month period would produce the best results. D. The advantage of finding a cost friendly chemical would decrease costs for the manufacturing firm and increase production from eager buyers. The disadvantage of this would be that the new chemical would not meet the standards set by X-pane. The advantages of increasing the contracts purchase period would allow for buyers to make a greater profit which would be pleasing for them and increase production for the company in the long run. The disadvantage of this would be that PP would not make as much money as it would if it kept the original contract in place. Choice and Rationale I chose choice B. Expanding the purchase contract would be more cost efficient than taking time to search for a new product and gambling on those results. Questions 1. Usually when five prerequisites are satisfied the buying manager can be assured of obtaining the lowest price. 2. According to the case a buying firm may fall into the â€Å"competitive bidding trap† when one company bids lower but increases its bid over time to produce an appearance of a demand but then the hidden fluctuated production costs over time decreases the demands for other competitors. This can create a blind spot in thinking that production is going well and not considering extra costs as time procures. Sue saw the fact that the Chicago Chemical Company placed a low bid for five years straight but failed to realize that the competitive market was decreasing which essentially decreases production. 3. During the first contract at Prestige Plastics Chicago Chemical’s bid was $202 per barrel which was $3 lower than the second lowest price. Each year Chicago Chemical’s prices were $3 to $15 lower than the lowest bid. This could be a strategic move played by the bidders making it seem like a competitive market while reflecting cost growth in materials required to get Prestige Plastics to offer a better deal in order to keep competitive bidding active. 4. During the current buy things seemed good for Prestige Plastics with Chicago Chemical giving the lowest bid but the othe r competitors were not satisfied with growing production costs. They felt the competition was unfair to them

Sociology Of Health And Illness Assignment Social Work Essay

Sociology Of Health And Illness Assignment Social Work Essay The aim of this assignment is to discuss the strengths and limitations of the social model of disability and how nurses can promote anti-discriminatory practice in relation to people with disabilities. Defining disability is said to be very difficult due to the fact that disability is a complicated, multidimensional concept (Altman 2001). Furthermore Slater et al (1974) has gone as far as stating that constructing a definition that would fit all circumstances is in reality nearly impossible. However attempts have been made by various different people, legislation and models in different ways. According to Altman (2001) these attempts are the reason why there has been a lot of confusion and misuse of disability terms and definitions. The Disability Discrimination Act defines a disabled person as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day to day activities. (DDA 2005) However the medical model of disability sees disability as the individuals problem and that it should not concern anyone other than the disabled person, for example, if a student who is in a wheelchair is unable to get into the building due to the steps, the medical model would assume that it is due to the wheelchair rather than the steps. Whereas on the other hand the social model would say that the steps are acting as a barrier to the student, therefore the barrier should be removed. The social model of disability was brought about by activists in the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation (UPIAS) during the 1970s. This model is seen as the main theory which tests disability politics in Britain (Shakespeare et al 2002). The UPIAS argued that there is a major difference between impairment and disability. They defined impairment as lacking part or all of a limb, or having a defective limb, organ or mechanism of the body. They have also defined disability as the disadvantage or restriction of activity caused by a contemporary social organization which takes no or little account of people who have physical impairments and thus excludes them from participation in the mainstream of social activities (Giddens 2006). The social model of disability can be defined as an idea that it is society that disables an individual with the way everything is constructed to meet the needs of the majority who are not disabled (Shakespeare et al 2002). Whereas, the social model can be compared with the medical model of disability which tends to focus purely on finding a cure and that to be able to fully participate in society they need to treat their impairment (Crow 1996). The model has several key points. First it describes disabled people as an oppressed social group (Shakespeare et al. 2002) meaning that on top of their impairment, disability is something more deep that excludes and isolates them from participating in society (Oliver 1996). The difference between the impairments that people have to deal with and the oppression which they experience is fundamental to the British social model. Finally, the model defines disability as a form of social oppression, not a form of impairment (Shakespeare et al. 2002). Therefore the aim of the model is to empower disabled people so that they dont feel as though their condition is the problem, but that society is the problem due to the number of barriers it places on disabled people (Giddens 2006). For example, everywhere you go there will be steps, steps to get into a building, steps to climb floors and it is this barrier which causes problems for disabled people therefore the social model provides a soluti on saying that ramps and lifts should be fitted in all buildings, the problem of not being able to stand for too long should be tackled by placing more seats in public places. It is barriers like these that the social model aims to find solutions to. The British disability movement has found great importance in the social model in various different ways. Hasler (1993) describes it as the big idea of the British disability movement. For example, identifying a political strategy to remove barriers in society that played a large role in disabled peoples lives, which was also the main strength of the social model (Shakespeare et al. 2002). Examples of barriers that disabled people faced in all areas of life were the inability to access public transport systems due to the fact that a person was in a wheelchair or had visual or hearing impairment, their inability to find work because employers felt that the disabled person was incapable of doing the job, housing problems and so forth (Thomas 2004). The removal of such barriers would mean that if those people with impairments felt disabled by society then by taking away these barriers would help to empower and promote the inclusion of people with impairments (Shakespeare et al. (2002). The model tries to bring about change in society to suit the individuals need rather than taking up a medical view where you try and look for a cure, or rehabilitation (Shakespeare et al.2002). For example, people who have schizophrenia have to take medication in order to live normal lives. However it is argued that the social models complete view of changing society has become too simplistic or rather an over- socialised explanation. Furthermore, Vic Finkelstein (2004) argues that the social model looks at enabling people to be human in a society rather than having access to their rights. However the medical model of disability has a different perspective. They believe that people with disabilities need to be assessed, that they are incapable of making their own decisions, that they are the problem and that people with disabilities have to be adapted to fit into the world, but if this is not possible then they are placed in specialised institutions or isolated at home where only basic needs are met (Rieser, 2009). A second strength seen from the model was the actual impact on the disabled people themselves. The social model made disabled people feel free as they lifted the view of a medical approach, where the problem was the individual and placed it on society saying that social oppression was the root of the problem. This as a result made people feel liberated and empowered as they were made to believe they were not at fault: society was, that society was in need of the change: not the individual (Shakespeare et al. 2002). The social model helped to bring disabled people to come out like raising feminist consciousness in the seventies, or lesbians and gays coming out (Shakespeare et al. 2002). The social model has played a very important part in many disabled peoples lives, however, despite these strengths to the model there are a number of limitations. Firstly, the social model has been criticised for being unable to deal with the realities of impairment (Oliver, 2004), meaning that the model is not about peoples personal experience of impairment (Oliver, 1996) but about peoples collective experiences of disablement in society (Oliver, 1990). Another point criticised is that other social divisions such as race, gender, ageing, sexuality and so on are not incorporated in to the social model (Oliver, 2004). However Oliver (2004) that just because the social model hasnt incorporated these divisions does not mean that they are unable to. Oliver (2004) states that those who criticise the model are the ones who should try and forge the social model into action when dealing with issues such as race and gender and age and sexuality. Cultural values have also been pointed out to be ignored by the social model. There is an argument about the issue of otherness, meaning that it is the cultural views that people hold which place disabled people as others, not the physical and environmental barriers (Oliver, 2004). Furthermore, another limitation of the social model is that it clearly neglects and ignores the experiences of impairments and disability which are the main cause of problems in most disabled peoples lives (Giddens, 2006). Shakespeare and Watson (2002) argue that we are not just disabled people, we are also people with impairments, and to pretend otherwise is to ignore a major part of our biographies. Against this accusation, Oliver (2004) finds it difficult to accept that disabled peoples experiences are not considered because it is after all the main reason why the model emerged to begin with-due to a number of disabled activists in the 1970s. Furthermore defenders of the model argue that the social model merely focuses on social barriers that disabled people face rather than denying them of everyday experiences due to their impairment (Giddens, 2006). The social model has been criticised as being inadequate as a social theory of disablement (Oliver 2004). Corker and French (1998) talk about social model theorists and then conclude that the social model is not a theory, however Oliver (2004) argues that how can people criticise the social model for something it has never claimed to be? Oliver (2004) states that most people who have developed the social model have claimed that they have said the social model of disability is not a theory of disability. Leading on from the strengths and limitations, there is a substantial amount that nurses can do to promote anti-discriminatory practice in relation to people with disabilities by maintaining a positive attitude towards people with disabilities as they are constantly involved with the treatment and care of people with physical or intellectual disabilities (Klooster et al. 2009). Nursing schools as like other professions, tend to be based around the medical model of care where they aim to diagnose and treat diseases (Klooster et al. 2009). However as Byron et al (2000) has stated that not all disabled people are unwell and may not have a disease. Nurses have an important role, like other health professionals, in influencing a disabled persons response to treatment (Oermann Lindgren, 1995). Therefore Carter et al (2001) has stated that inappropriate attitudes and behaviours from staff are the biggest barriers which disabled people face, which has led to further research indicating that nursing students should move away from the medical model of care when working with people with disabilities and should focus on a more social model perspective (Scullion, 1999). Further research has indicated that nursing students attitudes towards disabled people may be improved by educational programmes which can help nurses to be in direct contact and to work with disabled people (Oermann Lindgren, 1995). However, the research literature suggests that this is currently not happening in nursing practice (Klooster et al 2009). For example, Brillhart et al (1990) found that nursing students had more negative attitudes then the person with the disabilities themselves. Nurses can help to provide clear information as Hammel (2003) states that professionals need to listen to what people are telling them and that actions and non-verbal messages can speak very loudly. Nurses can form strategies to communicate with disabled people in order to make their life easier (Hammel, 2003). However it is common that fewer health care professionals are reluctant to provide services for disabled people as they age (Hammel, 2003). By providing clear information nurses also involve other people who are important in the disabled persons life and ensuring that they are informed about options and benefits for the disabled person as well as themselves. Nurses can also act as advocates for disabled people so that they have equal use of services or even provide information of advocacy groups for the disabled person for example Centres for Independent Living (Hammel, 2003). Furthermore, where young people are concerned nurse can give advice to families about possibilities for independence and can also refer them to community resources that may help young people pursue further education, find a job and live independently (Blomquist et al. 1998) Lastly the Disability Discrimination Act is a guide for nurses to help them provide better care for people with disabilities and also how they can develop their practice (Aylott, 2004). There are many aspects with which nurses can help promote anti-discriminatory practice in relation to people with disabilities however, nurses need to keep a positive attitude towards people with disabilities in order for the anti-discriminatory practice to work. In conclusion for there to be equal rights for people with disabilities, Oliver (2004), states that people spend too much time discussing the strengths and limitations of each model therefore he suggests that both models should be integrated, ideas of both models should be put together and used in concordance so as to actually help people with disabilities. Oliver (2004) claims that if we imagine that throughout history carpenters and builders of the world had spent their time talking about whether the hammer was an adequate tool for the purpose of building houses, we would still be living in caves. Therefore there is a hammer in the disability movement and if it was used properly then the social model of disability can become the hammer of justice and freedom for disabled people (Oliver 2004). References Altman, B.M., (2001). Disability definitions, models, classification schemes and applications. In G.L. Albrecht. K.D. Seelman, M. Bury, (eds.) (2001). Handbook of Disability Studies. Sage, California. Ch.3. Aylott, J., (2004). Learning disabilities. Autism: developing a strategy for nursing to prevent discrimination. British Journal of Nursing, 13(14), 828-833. Blomquist, K.B., Brown, G., Peersen, A., and Presler, E.P., (1998). Transitioning to independence: challenges for young people with disabilities and their caregivers. Orthopaedic Nursing, 17(3), 27-35. Brillhart B.A., Jay H. Wyers M.E. (1990) Attitudes toward people with disabilities. Rehabilitation Nursing. 15(2), 80-82. 85. Byron M. Dieppe P. (2000) Educating health professionals about disability: attitudes, attitudes, attitudes. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 93(8), 397-398. Carter J.M. Markham N. (2001) Disability discrimination. British Medical Journal, 323(7306), 178-179. Crow, L., (1996). Including all of our lives: Renewing the social model of disability. In C. Barnes. Geof Mercer, (eds.) Exploring the divide. Leeds: The Disability Press, pp.55-72. Finkelstein, V., (2004). Representing Disability. In J. Swain., S. French., C. Barnes., and C. Thomas, (eds.) Disabling Barriers- Enabling Environments. 2nd edition. Sage, London. Ch.2. Giddens, A. (2006). Sociology. 5th edition. Polity Press, Cambridge. Hammel, J., (2003). Technology and the environment: supportive resource or barrier for people with developmental disabilities. The Nursing Clinics of North America, 38(2), 331-349. Klooster, P.M.ten., Dannenberg, J.W., Taal, E., Burger, G., and Rasker, J.J. (2009). Attitudes towards people with physical or intellectual disabilities: nursing students and non-nursing peers. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 65(12), 2562-2573. Oermann M.H. Lindgren C.L. (1995) An educational programmes effects on students attitudes toward people with disabilities: a 1-year follow-up. Rehabilitation Nursing 20(1), 6-10. Oliver, M. (1990). The Politics of Disablement. Macmillan Press, Basingstoke. Oliver, M. (1996). Understanding Disability: From Theory to Practice. Macmillan Press, Basingstoke. Oliver, M. (2004). If I had a hammer: The social model. In J. Swain., S. French., C. Barnes., and C. Thomas, (eds.) Disabling Barriers- Enabling Environments. 2nd edition. Sage, London. Ch.1. Rieser, R. (2009) The Social Model of Disability [online article]. Available from [accessed 6th January 2010]. Scullion P.A. (1999) Conceptualizing disability in nursing: some evidence from students and their teachers. Journal of Advanced Nursing. 29(3), 648-657. Shakespeare, T., Watson, N. (2002). The Social model of disability: an outdated ideology?. Research in Social Science and Disability, 2, 9-28. Thomas, C., (2004.) Disability and Impairment. In J. Swain., S. French., C. Barnes., and C. Thomas, (eds.) Disabling Barriers- Enabling Environments. 2nd edition. Sage, London. Ch.3.

Essay --

‘Some years ago everyone lived perfectly fine without a smart phone or tablet, but now people suddenly ‘need’ to have one!’ Most people will have heard someone say this or something similar before. And it seems to be true at first sight, smart phones and tablet are now more a normal good than a luxury good. The implication is that marketing artificially creates needs. In this essay we will discuss the question if marketing really does. We will discuss this question from the point of view of a producer or product designer. It will appear there is another side to the story. But what exactly are needs? ‘Needs are the basic human requirements for air, good, water, clothing and shelter. Humans also have strong needs for recreation, education, and entertainment.’ (Kotler & Keller, 2012) Since needs are basic human requirements, they are in the nature of mankind. Therefore they cannot be created by marketers. But why do people think marketing does create needs? Because they confuse needs with wants. Needs are not specific objects. The specific objects are wants, and they can satisfy the need. (Kotler & Keller, 2012) The needs already exist, marketing develops products that fulfill those needs. (Meredith, 2008) But people may not be aware of their needs, and therefore think that marketing has created a new need, but what marketing has actually done, is uncovering the need, by providing a product that satisfied the need. The need already existed, and marketers found a product that responds to it. Identifying needs and providing a product that sat isfies the needs is the main business of marketing, that is why marketing is used. Business is basically identifying and serving customer’s needs at a profit. (Meredith, When Leaders Don't Lead, ... ...d society do. So if you ever hear someone complain about needs that are created by marketers, those people just didn’t know they had that need. Bibliography (n.d.). Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2012). A framework form marketing management (5th ed.). Essex: Pearson Education Limited. Meredith, B. (2002, February). Awesomely Disquieting. NZ Business, 16(1), 47. Meredith, B. (2005, December). When Leaders Don't Lead. NZ Business, 19(11), 70. Meredith, B. (2008, September). (How) marketing has changed. NZ Business, 22(8), 102. Pereira Heat, M. T., & Chatzidakis, A. (2012). 'Blame it on marketing': consumer's views on unsustainable competition. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 36, 661. Vidal Diaz, d. R. (1998). A single consumer or different types of consumers: An analysis of social types according to their customer habits. Brithish Food Journal, 100(7), 326.

Assess the usefulness of official statistics Essay

Official statistics are a source of secondary data. The government produces them. There are both hard and soft statistics. Hard statistics include birth, death and marriage rates. These are registered when they occur by law, so these statistics are entirely objective. Another type of official statistic is called soft statistics, e. g. crime statistics & unemployment figures. These might not seem as objective as they first seem. They are open to manipulation for political ends, and can be considered to have a political use. For example, the methods used to measure unemployment have been changed over 20 times, because not everyone without a job counts as unemployed. Official statistics are mainly used for the study of demography, inflation, crime and deviance, unemployment, poverty and suicide. For an example Emile Durkheim, regarded as the founding father of sociology, used official suicide statistics for his suicide study. He used them to find correlations and casual relations and identified four different types of suicide, egoistic suicide, anomic suicide, altruistic suicide and fatalistic suicide. Durkheim used positivist’s methods to conduct his study. Positivists believe that quantitative data is the most reliable method to gather information as the data is compiled in a standardised way. Douglas, an Interpretivist, would disagree with Durkheim’s positivist methods. He says that official statistics are not valid. To determine a death it is up to the ‘interpretations and decisions’ of the coroner and that statistics are nothing more than a ‘social construct’. Atkinson, also and Interpretivists says that it is impossible for coroners to objectively classify suicides because their decision is based on a ‘commonsense theory of suicide’ which is based on whether there is a suicide note, the method of death, the location and the deceased’s life history etc. When adapting quantitative methodological procedures to derive specific data, official statistics is often used as a source of sociological evidence to simply enhance or complement practical research methods. However when looking at what is gained from the use of official statistics, it is important to recognize the limitations, which serve as a major downside to developing and attaining an unquestionable and flawless research. In addition, not all documents are easily available e. g. the Black Report (1980) which identified inequalities in healthcare, was released in very select circumstances. Not all secondary data give us a valid, true and detailed picture of what is being measured, not just official statistics. Diaries/e-mails, it could be possible that the author lied or exaggerated about their activities Also, a document may not be reliable. Public documents are likely to be higher in terms of reliability than private documents like letters and personal documents such as diaries and e-mails data may be fake or unrepresentative. In conclusion, official statistics can be very useful in sociological research. Nearly all secondary data can’t be trusted and official statistics might be the only appropriate form of research for your topic.

JFK History essays

JFK History essays John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was the 35th president of the United States. He was the youngest man and the first Roman Catholic ever elected to the presidency. Rich, handsome, elegant, and articulate, he aroused great admiration at home and abroad. His term of office as president was too short, however, to say what his place in history might have been Kennedy was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917. His father, Joseph P. Kennedy was a businessman who became a multimillionaire, head of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and ambassador to Great Britain. Kennedy graduated from Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut. He then briefly attended Princeton University, and then entered Harvard University in 1936. At Harvard he wrote an honors thesis on British foreign policies in the 1930s. It was published in 1940, the year he graduated, under the title Why In 1941, shortly before the United States entered World War II, Kennedy joined the U.S. Navy. He attended a school to learn about the Patrol Torpedo boat. Kennedy was sent to the islands of the South Pacific Ocean where he was in charge of a Torpedo boat, everybody called him Skipper John Kennedy, the boat was called PT 109. The boat had been in battle and and it was dirty. The engines were in need of repair. J.F.K went to work, and soon the PT 109 was ready for war. J.F.K said, "the torpedos would sink any ship on the sea". Near an old pier the PT boats waited every day. When night came, they were ready for war. They drifted out into the ocean and listened for the sound of engines of enemy ships, for three or more nights they did that but they didn't find anything. One night in early autumm four enemy ships had been spotted near an island. The PT boats waited for dark so they wouldn't be seen. Slowly the PT 109 rode the black waves and every man of the crew listened. The crew could here the sou ...

Free Essays on Psychosomatics

The word " psychosomatics " is new. It was first used in German medical literature in 1922 but it didn't come to America until the 1930's. Phychosomatics is a term that studies emotions and bodily change. Huang Ti, from China, observed that frustration can make people physically ill. Many people have believed that the body could not be cured without the mind, while others still overlook phychosomatic principles despite the growing evidence that links emotions to physical illness. Studies have shown, and analyzed human behavior and by knowing the function of cells and tissues it helps in maintaining health. Phychosomatics is an approach of reforming medicine and this suggests new treatment in medicine, psychiatry, and psychology. Many psychosomatic conditions arrive under fear or anxiety. When you have a strong emotional reaction hormones are secreted and bodily chemistry is altered, when this reaction is strong a physical reaction will be equally the same. Emotions alter endocrine balance, blood supply, and pressure, inhibit digestion, and change breathing patterns, along with the temperature of the skin, a constant state of emotional imbalance may lead to a disease because of the over reaction of hormones. The body tries to be in a constant state of equilibrium, it has to maintain a balance of not to much nor too little, so if a factor upsets this the body adapts by altering its chemistry. This damages the rest of the organism causing a disease of adaptation. All illness has emotional components, except for inherited conditions such as sickle cell and disease caused by the environment such as food poisoning, though even with these diseases the emotional state often determines the course of the illness. Symptoms arrive through the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and when phychosomatic disorders are individually examined ANS is found in each of them. Examples of ANS are in the sweat glands, which are enervated only by the sy... Free Essays on Psychosomatics Free Essays on Psychosomatics The word " psychosomatics " is new. It was first used in German medical literature in 1922 but it didn't come to America until the 1930's. Phychosomatics is a term that studies emotions and bodily change. Huang Ti, from China, observed that frustration can make people physically ill. Many people have believed that the body could not be cured without the mind, while others still overlook phychosomatic principles despite the growing evidence that links emotions to physical illness. Studies have shown, and analyzed human behavior and by knowing the function of cells and tissues it helps in maintaining health. Phychosomatics is an approach of reforming medicine and this suggests new treatment in medicine, psychiatry, and psychology. Many psychosomatic conditions arrive under fear or anxiety. When you have a strong emotional reaction hormones are secreted and bodily chemistry is altered, when this reaction is strong a physical reaction will be equally the same. Emotions alter endocrine balance, blood supply, and pressure, inhibit digestion, and change breathing patterns, along with the temperature of the skin, a constant state of emotional imbalance may lead to a disease because of the over reaction of hormones. The body tries to be in a constant state of equilibrium, it has to maintain a balance of not to much nor too little, so if a factor upsets this the body adapts by altering its chemistry. This damages the rest of the organism causing a disease of adaptation. All illness has emotional components, except for inherited conditions such as sickle cell and disease caused by the environment such as food poisoning, though even with these diseases the emotional state often determines the course of the illness. Symptoms arrive through the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and when phychosomatic disorders are individually examined ANS is found in each of them. Examples of ANS are in the sweat glands, which are enervated only by the sy...

Chinese and Comparative Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chinese and Comparative Company Law - Essay Example Nevertheless, some generally accepted knowledge includes that of constitutional document sometimes referred to as charter or agreement which is a certificate characterizing the existence of the entity which the law recognizes and allows acting as natural persons and regulating the structure and control of the entity and its members. It was generally accepted that the specific form of the constitutional documents depends upon the type of entity (Djankov, et al, 2002). On one side of the fence, common law is a system of law whose sources are the decisions in cases by judges. Besides, every system will have a legislature that passes new laws and statutes, nevertheless, these do not modify a collected and codified body of law. Common law comes from England and was passed on to Commonwealth countries, and almost every former colony of the British Empire (except for Malta and Scotland ). Furthermore, it is currently observed in, United Kingdom (excluding Scotland), United States (excluding Louisiana) Canada (excluding Quebec), Ireland, Australia, India, South Africa, and Hong Kong and in some other countries. In addition to these countries, several others have adapted the common law system into a mixed system. For instance, India, Pakistan, and Nigeria function largely on a common law system, however, incorporate religious law (Coffee, 2001). Likewise, company refer to a separate legal entity, as in English law, or may simply refer to a business, as i s the common use in the United States. In addition, a company may or may not be a separate legal entity. Any business or commercial economic activity may be referred to as a company; examples of this include "my company", "our company", "the company", and "their company". A corporation may accurately be called a company; nonetheless, a company should not necessarily be called a corporation, which has discrete characteristics. According to Black's Law Dictionary, in the U.S. a company could be a corporation, less commonly, an association, partnership or union, carrying industrial enterprise. Contract is a legally required trade of promises or an accord between parties that the law will implement. Contract law is based on the Latin phrase "pacta sunt servanda" literally, promises must be held in reserve. Breach of a contract is acknowledged by the law and remedies can be provided as many people make contracts everyday. Most of the times, written contracts are mandatory such as when buying a house. On the other hand, the enormous majority of contracts can be and are made orally, like the process where a vendor guarantees the material bought by a customer. Contract law is classified as part of a general law of obligations under civil law systems (La Porta et al, 1998). Therefore, it may be acceptable in China that constitutional documents in common law country may be seen as a contract between the company and the directors, but not in exact acceptable practices. This is so because one of the more prevalent reasons enterprises has second thoughts about doing business in China had been legal in context as there are no established laws that actually guard and protect the interests of investors (Ahlstrom, Nair, Young, 2003). While some countries adopt common law legal systems, judges have the authority and

Duress Is Not a Defence to Murder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Duress Is Not a Defence to Murder - Essay Example The word ‘duress’ can be explained as a compulsion on an accused by a third party to carry out a murder, or else , he might have witnessed a cruel harm, including death from such a third party.This research essay will analyse how duress cannot be claimed as a defence to murder as held in R v Howe with decided other case laws on the subject.Analysis In Attorney-General v Whelan, 2 it was held that duress is a threat with an instant death or grave body injury to the defendant, and if he refuses to carry out the order of a third party and it should be acknowledged as a validation for action, which would else be regarded as a criminal offense.3 In the earlier times, if duress is claimed as a defence, then the prosecution has the duty to prove beyond doubt that the defendant was not indulged in a crime under duress. However, now, the onus to prove the duress defence claims rests with an accused. Duress cannot be successful in case where there is a claim of peril of lesser har m such as damage to assets or false imprisonment. As held in R v Howe, if there is an instant threat of a serious body injury or death, then defence under duress can be claimed for crimes other than murder and treason.4 Under English law, duress as a defence is not available to attempted murder, murder, or any kind of treason. Hence, the crucial issue was whether duress was a valid defence in murder cases. A defendant may claim duress as an excuse that connotes the defendant had been compelled to act under such a harsh danger that precluding from the crime could not rationally be expected.6 Duress by circumstances and duress by threat are differentiated as to the basis of the threat. Duress per minas (by a threat) starts from a human peril while duress by circumstances involves a peril of natural origin. Both threats can qualify as a valid excuse. In DPP for Northern Ireland v Lynch, 7 Lord Simon observed that duress is just a specific usage of the canon of necessity. In this case, it was held by the Lords that defence of duress was available to a collaborator. In this case, the lords observed that where a defendant is left with two alternatives, which are between the peril of death or grave injury, and if he wantonly put an end to life of an innocent, an ordinary individual should think that one naive human life is as precious as that of his family members and in such event, the defendant cannot argue that he is preferring the least significant of the two evils. Likewise, in R v Gotts,8 it was held that duress is not a justification to an attempted slaughter.9 In normal parlance, the courts would not acknowledge a defence of duress when an abnormal injury is made by the defendant .This is known as a test of proportionality as held in R v Howe.10 Likewise, the duress shield can fail if the prosecution is able to demonstrate that the defendant had a chance to avert the threat from the third party by taking timely help from the police, and if the defendant negle cted to do so, the defence of duress would not be successful as held in R v Hasan.11 Lord Bingham in the R v Hasan case viewed that the peril may be to the defendant or to his family or to a known person of the defendant. Hence, peril against the welfare of the defendant’s family, or to his life or to the life of the person known to the defendant, will be an adequate proof of duress.12 In R v Fitzpatrick,13 it was held that a gang member who had been compelled to indulge in murder could not raise a defence of dur