Being Rebellious Gains Nothing: Romeo and Juliet Essay

In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, there are occurrences that cause the two lovers to rebel against various things which can prove disastrous in the end. Romeo and Juliet is a play where two lovers are caught in the middle of family feuds and even though they have to sneak around, they will stop at nothing to be together. They both go against basic rules that are set by their families, the law, and their own judgment. They will do anything to be together and do not realize the consequences of their actions. Although Romeo and Juliet believe they should do whatever they have to do in order to be together, their rebellion against family, laws and rules, and personal judgment proves foolish in the end because it causes their tragic deaths. Throughout their lives, Romeo and Juliet have been controlled by their families and in order to be together, they end up rebelling against their families wishes which contributes to their deaths. Juliet’s parents only want what is best for her. While they want her to get married to a nice man, she wants no part in the marriage because she wants to be with Romeo. Her parents do not know that she wants to be with Romeo; all they know is that she is being obstinate about marrying the nice man they have picked for her. Juliet says, â€Å"He shall not make me there a joyful bride! †(3. 5. 122). She is talking to her parents about how she refuses to get married to Paris, the man they want her to marry, but she will not tell them why all she says is that she does not want to be married. Once her father hears this, he is beyond furious and tells Juliet that if she does not agree to get married he will kick her out and even if she is homeless on the streets he will just walk past her. Even after her father says this, Juliet is still persistent about being with Romeo when she says, â€Å"I’ll to the Friar to know his remedy/ if all else fail, myself have power to die† (3. 5. 254-255). She would rather die to be with Romeo and give up everything she has ever had in her life, than just go along with her parents’ wishes. Juliet betrays her parents when she fakes her own death, and she does all of this because she wants to run away with Romeo. If Juliet had not of rebelled against her families’ wishes, she would have most likely been married to Paris, not dead. Romeo and Juliet are willing to do anything to be together, even though in the end some of the choices made to rebel against the law cause their tragic deaths. The Capulet and Montague families are continually involved in fights and recently the Prince told them if they were even in another fight, whoever is involved will be killed. After this proposition is made, Tybalt starts a fight where Romeo ends up killing Tybalt. This fight violates the Prince’s rule and Romeo did not want to kill family even though he could not tell anyone he was family. The Prince’s rule is clearly stated when he says, â€Å"Three civil brawls bred of an airy word/ by thee, old Capulet, and Montague,/†¦if ever you disturb out streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace†( 1. 1. 91-99). Over the past weeks there have been three fights between the Montagues and Capulets and the Prince says whoever is in the next fight will pay; Romeo is ironically trying to stop a fight because of the rule and ends up breaking the law and betraying Juliet by killing a member of her family. Killing Tybalt not only breaks the law, but also means that he will be on the run and unable to see Juliet. Romeo goes on the run because Benvolio says, â€Å"Romeo, away, begone! / the citizens are up, and Tybalt slain/ stand not amazed. The Prince will doom thee death/ if thou art taken. Hence, be gone, away†(3. 1. 138-141). Benvolio is single handedly telling his friend to break the law and flee the scene, which just encourages Romeo to sneak around and see Juliet. No one wants Romeo to get hurt or get in trouble because he is just trying to break up a fight, but what no one knows is that if he is on the run he cannot see Juliet either. Because of Romeo being banished, he can no longer see Juliet unless they sneak around, lie, and try to run away; if they had followed the rules in the first place they might not have been in this debacle. Romeo and Juliet thought they were in love and would do anything to be together; ultimately trying to be together leads to their unfortunate deaths. The biggest thing Romeo and Juliet rebel against, which leads to their deaths, is their own judgment. They both know in their minds that what they are doing is not right, but the feeling of love, true or not, overrides their personal judgment. Romeo and Juliet make comments on how rash and quick their decisions are, but often contradict themselves later. They know the risks of their relationship, but they think they are in love and nothing can stop them. Romeo says, â€Å"Then love-devouring death do what he dare,/ it is enough I may but call her mine†2. 6. 7-8, but Friar Lawrence replies, â€Å"these violent delights have violent ends†(2. 6. 9). Romeo does not care what happens to him and even though he knows in the back of his mind the results will probably not be good he still just wants Juliet. All he cares about is making Juliet his no matter what the costs are or no matter what he thinks. Even though Friar Lawrence says this ambition to make Juliet his may have a terrible end, Romeo does not care at all. He does not care what happens and his carelessness may have ended up killing him and Juliet. Juliet is the same as Romeo and does not listen to herself. She says, â€Å"It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden†2. 2. 125 but several lines later, Juliet says, â€Å"if that thy bend of love be honourable/ thy purpose marriage, send me word to-morrow† (2. . 151-152). She knows that she does not want or need to get married, yet somehow Romeo convinces Juliet that they need each other with his poetic way of speaking and even though she clearly knows this is an immediate and unreasonable decision she still says she will marry him. In the back of their minds they know what is right, but choose to do what they want to do instead. Throughout their relationship, Romeo and Juliet make many quick decisions that go against their personal judgment and most likely cause their terrible deaths. Romeo and Juliet rebel against many things in their relationship that include families, laws and rules, and personal judgment which cause their deaths. Even though Romeo and Juliet are kids and may have actually been in love, they made poor decisions regarding how to deal with their relationship. Juliet completely rebelled against her parents’ wishes of her getting married to Paris and would rather die than marry Paris. Romeo and his friends ignore and blatantly disregard laws and rules put in place to keep order in their town. Finally, Romeo and Juliet both go against their own personal judgment; they both know what the right thing to do is, they just choose to do what they want. Romeo and Juliet both die stupidly in the end of the play all because they were trying to sneak around, rebel, and disregard other people and their wishes or rules. In the end of the play all it took for two teenagers to die is sneaking around and trying to rebel against others; so in the end, everyone knows what the right thing to do is whether they like it or not and not doing the right thing can cause even worse events to happen.

The Creation of Heavy Metal and Its Effect on Society

â€Å"Heavy Metal music's influence on society is really profound. Most people don't realize this, but Heavy Metal has spawned an entire subculture, with millions worldwide who can call themselves Heavy Metal fans. It is more than just aggressive music; it is an obsession and a way of life for a staggering amount of people† (Dunn 2008). Anthropologist, Sam Dunn documented how Heavy Metal has changed lives and societies across the globe. Heavy Metal music is a way of art, and how humans show what they see in society and translate it through a very artistic and creative way, which is the music itself†(Dunn 2008). â€Å"Human nature would argue for this scenario. Humans are influenced by conditions in their environment and react, whether physically, emotionally, or in this case, creatively† says sociologist of DePaul University (Deena Weinstein). This does not rule out the fact that artistic output created by humans can go back and in turn be an influence on society. By looking at some examples both historic and current, you can observe this process and how it has affected our world. (Weinstein 2005) Metal Music affects the world and Teen society in many diverse ways, whether it be by fashion, politics, religion, lyrical aspirations, and simply bringing people together. John Lennon was one of those people to bring peace by music, he went on a hunger strike for a week to promote piece all around the world with music, and he was not just recognized for doing this but many other inspirational acts with music. Through music, artists, bands and so on, speak of things going on in the society around you. Origin of Heavy Metal In the gritty streets of Birmingham, UK 1970, where Black Sabbath, took music too a more darker and sinister place, there was a man named Tony Iommi, who together with the well known Ozzy Ozbourne, formed a band and started the era of Heavy Metal. The first album they produced was self titled – Black Sabbath. Research shows that the Tri-Tone (Blue scale) is the devils note, which was used in the also self titled track â€Å"Black Sabbath†, claimed by Cannibal Corpse guitarist Alex Webster in â€Å"Metal, A Headbangers Journey (2008) â€Å"This note, in the Middle Ages, was forbidden because if its thought up relationship with the devil, towns folk believed that this â€Å"Tri-Tone† summoned the devil, thus explaining why it was forbidden†(Ezrin 2008). In the middle Ages, sorcerers used this Tri-Tone to summon the beast and cause havoc amongst the villagers who were ignorant and scared of heavy sounds. As Black Sabbath’s music spread through out the U. K, people from all over the world started to react to this new heavier style of music and became influenced, such as Led Zepplin, Deep Purple, Rainbow, and many more bands all over the world became interested and incorporated Heavy Metal to their personas and musical ways. Anthropologist Sam Dunn: Metal, A Headbangers Journey (2008) and also past Heavy Metal band member says that â€Å"There’s an on going battle in heavy metal to be more heavier and evil than the band that came before you, this has kept me into metal all these years† Competition plays a great part in Heavy Metal, which is also a great factor that spread Heavy Metal world wide and turned it into many now known Heavy Metal sub genres per say. As Heavy Metal started to grow in the 70’s, band after band tried to sound heavier than the last band which is how these â€Å"sub genres† of metal, like I stated earlier, came to be. The teens in that era, noticed this, â€Å"competition† and many teens started and incorporated, Heavy Metal to their own bands and were so influenced by this music, that it made teens in this society more hardworking and also up for a challenge. Musical Roots The classical roots of heavy metal were fairly obvious (Ezrin 2008), most of the really good practitioners were fans of dark powerful music, and for example Beethoven was one of them. Beethoven had created great classical music that incorporated heavy bass music and powerful orchestral sound waves, which are great assets to Heavy Metal that traced Classical music to Heavy Metal roots. Heavy Metal has another musical ancestor which is The Blues. (Morton, Blythe, from Lamb of God 2001), stated that the guitar is an African instrument, and the Guitar was used in slave music, and influenced the Blues and Heavy Metal now in today’s music. In the movie: Metal, A Headbangers Journey, The director and producer/ anthropologist Sam Dunn, interviews many Heavy Metal Pioneers such as Toni Iommi, Ozzy Ozborne, Ronnie James Dio, Rob Zombie, and they all claim to say that The Blues and Jazz classical type music were influential in their music. Environment and the Effect Towards Teen Society â€Å"It comes down to growing up in a rundown place, full of poverty, hopelessness, scumbags and assholes, that make your life hell and get you bottled up inside, then that’s when the music comes in and sets you free. † states (Taylor, of Slipknot2005). Music takes a maximum effect in everyone’s lives, Heavy Metal for many, claims that this musical genre sets them free and sets them in a straight forward positive mind set due to the message that some Heavy Metal artists send. James â€Å"Munky† Shaffer bassist for the band â€Å"Korn† says in an interview, that as a teenager, the environment he grew up in was based on drug abuse, violence, problems at home and death. â€Å"I found salvation through Heavy Metal, it influenced me to stay positive, grab an instrument and just jam out and let all the negativity out and let the positive and creative stuff flow in you know? Ha-ha, look at me now, I am in my mid 20’s and part of a great well known band selling out everywhere and loving it, all thanks to Metal! †(Shaffer2008). Rob Zombie, (White Zombie, Movie Director), – Revolver magazine, June 2009 said that â€Å"Metal is a life style, it’s your life style, people listen to what they listen too but in the end, what you listen too defines who you are. † Heavy Metal is like mine and any other metal heads own world. The music tells you to stick to your guns and stay strong and positive, (Dickinson 2008). Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden was one of the worlds most influential Heavy Metal band of the late 70’s- 80’s that helped pioneer this musical genre. Heavy Metal Archive (2001-20011) stated that â€Å"It gives them an alternate universe, it gives them a life of imagination through which they can view music and be influenced by many things the world and their society has to offer them. † Metal does impact children nowadays in this young society, and makes them aware of what’s going on in the world such as, wars, politics, corruption and genocide and inequality. The Message through Different Methods & Styles Politically Impacting the Media/Society Dee Snider of the Heavy Metal band Twisted Sister- was attacked by many parental groups and the (P. M. R. C) also known as the Parents Music Resource Center (1984) about censorship in Heavy Metal bands (Music in general). Sam Dunn, stated in his Documentary; Metal: A Headbangers Journey, that in 1984, Heavy Metal met its first organized attack and many bands were put in â€Å"The Filthy Fifteen†. Twisted Sister were not the only band censored and put on â€Å"The Filthy Fifteen† but Many Heavy Metal bands such as W. A. S. P, Judas Preist, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Venom, and Heavy Metal Pioneers Black Sabbath were amongst those â€Å"Filthy Fifteen† These bands were put in â€Å"The Filthy Fifteen† by the â€Å"Parents Music Resource Center (1984)† because their music was deemed offensive and violent. The P. M. R. C rated songs according to the following: 1. X= Profane or sexually explicit, 2. O= Occult, 3. D/A= Drugs or Alcohol, 4. V= Violence and 5. Sac= Sacrilegious. Although the lyrics in Twisted Sister’s song â€Å"Were Not Gonna Take It† talked about standing up for your rights and never giving up, the video was censored as violent which led them into â€Å"The Filthy Fifteen† by the P. M. R. C. It must have been upsetting to the band members that their music is being prohibited to teens that in society look for he lp and sanctuary in music. Music that is inspirational should not be banned to teens because it can affect their social mental lives. Due to the fact that the P. M. R. C censored Twisted Sister’s enthusiastic, stand up for your self, keep going on music, children were unable to buy their music and listen to what they wanted to hear. Music is a way of life, as I always say and everyone needs it in their daily personal lives to get by, whether they are down, lonely, happy, and or just out of mind and ready to loose it. You can not help to imagine how many youths rebelled against parents because of this cause and made them unable to listen to music that appealed their ears, and helped them get by in life’s daily struggles and challenges. Religion and Satanism Many Metal artists used religious symbolism in their music. For example when up and rising band Venom (1983) came out on stage with satanic pentagrams, gory live performances, and brutal satanic lyrics, many people were scared. In that era, Satanism was well known but only in secluded parts of Norway. As venom and many other bands such as Slayer(1983-present) went on stage and vulgarly scared the non-metal community, people and many other religious groups as well, started to ban there shows, and music all over the world. The media started to engage in a non stop attack of releasing ideas that these bands were satanic, insane, and inappropriate content for teens, and that they should be socially declined to the public. (Dunn2008) This however did not stop the bands from releasing their music, being less graphic, and selling out shows. Nor did it stop teens from tuning in to their music and impacting their religious views and life’s. Slayer, created masterpiece after masterpiece of brutal Satanic, Anti-Christian, war related, lyrics and album covers that there were literally protests at their shows by religious groups because teens were so xcited and appealed at this new style of musical art, and parents thought their children were being manipulated and brainwashed to do bad and in the end hurt and destroy their life’s and their social backgrounds. They also manifested an idea that Slayer (1983) were Satanists, when in fact they were just trying to shock the audience and gain more fans. H aving the mindset of Slayer being Satanists, they also thought up the idea that Metal Music was the doing of the devil. And that those teens were heading towards a path of destruction and anti- religious acts in their society, like burning churches down. Slayer, to defend themselves stated, â€Å"We consider what we do art, and art can be a reflection of society, and we are simply just picking up the dark reflections, and manifesting them to the world† (Araya2008) Norwegian Black Metal bands certainly do live up to Satanism, (Dunn2008). Norway is an isolated country in northern Europe in which 87% of Norway’s population belongs to The Lutheran State Church, and yet strangely their most cultural export is Satanic Black Metal (Rasmussen 2008). Because many Satanists in Norway have a grudge against the Christian religion, due to conflicts and clashes between Vikings thousands of years ago (Rasmussen2008), there was a series of arsons. A man by the name of Varg Vekernes, and along side of him to help was a man named Jorn Tunsberg, set out a quite discrete plan to burn down some of the oldest churches in Oslo, Norway. They were convicted of arson on multiple counts and both were sentenced to prison. Because of these satanic acts in Norway due to Black Metal and what it symbolized for these men, people of all over the world started to react in an eruptive way towards the Metal community. The parents now have reason to believe that children’s musical interests could indeed affect the society in which their kids lived in and cause harmful behavior for generations to come. Death and Violence Death has played a major role in Metal Music. Since Metal Music spawned from dark imagery and horrific violence and brutal lyrics, a sub genre emerged known as Death Metal. Death Metal was built up on Thrash Metal and Black Metal, which consisted of machine gun guitars and fast passed drumming, with guttural vocals, also with a little twist of bloody gore and violence, Death Metal was created. Cannibal Corpse, along with Death, were the first bands among many Death Metal bands to use gory imagery. Cannibal Corpse was known for producing horrific album art. Cannibal corpse(1985) 3 first albums are banned in Germany, New Zealand, and Korea due to very gory and graphic album art also horrific lyrics related to murder. (Slagel2008). Rose Dyson(2008) states that there is evidence to state that the average person these days sees more violence through popular culture that would occur in real life, and this also has been marketed in many essences, particularly in teenage society and disrupts the teenage mind into murder, suicide, corruption and drug abuse as a conflict resolution. Manny bands have been set for trial over the past 20 years, such as Judas Preist, Slayer, Slipknot, Cannibal Corpse and Marilyn Manson, due to suicides and murders all because Metal Music has been stereotyped as devil music and everything else you have read thus far in this research paper. A main reason, as to why Metal Music and these bands have been blamed as the cause to many teen deaths, is because of their lyrics. Most Metal bands have an image they portray whether it is evil, Blasphemy related, or just simply vulgar. It is crazy to argue that there is a relationship between the imagery in Metal and some teen suicides and acts of violence. (Klosterman2008). The most powerful predictor of whether someone will commit suicide is the feeling of helplessness (Kahn2008). No one listens to Heavy Metal in order to feel helpless, they listen to Heavy Metal in order to feel empowered and connected with other people, and that may be empowered through a song that’s about suicide that makes you realize your not alone. And your not helpless and other people are going through the same thing; you don’t need to kill yourself! Human society should realize this because blaming such horrific incidents other people cause to themselves should not be blamed on people who are merely making art in their own personal ways, such as these bands. As the media and such sources uproar and release these serious issues about teen suicide and their causes, all over the world, parents should focus on Teen Society and how teens learning and hearing these issues of teen suicide may affect them personally. Teen youth does get affected by seeing this media provided information because it somewhat brainwashes them into thinking that music of such sorts leads them into suicide and disruptive mayhem. When they grow older they judge other teenagers amongst their societies and start labeling them.

Single Mothers in Poverty

Single Mothers in Poverty Midterm Essay 1 After doing the exercise of creating a budget for a single mother with two kids who is trying to â€Å"make ends meet† on a minimum-wage job, I have come to have so much compassion for those struggling with this dilemma. The odds are highly against a poor woman trying to do her best raising her children on a low-income job, some might even say that it would be impossible to do alone.The hurdles of expensive daycare, the rising cost of housing, the low-availability of welfare for women already working, the demanding natures of jobs which don’t allow for paid medical leave, and the skyrocketing costs of health care, all contribute to the poverty of single mothers. While I was taking a deeper look into this problem, it became abundantly clear to me that this is definitely a big â€Å"public issue† that needs to be addressed from a social policy standpoint. One of the biggest issues facing America today is poverty.One of the single most contributing factors of poverty is single-parent (namely single mother) households. Certainly it’s easy to look at individual families like these and see a string of individual choices. Yet, it goes far beyond â€Å"personal trouble† and is definitely considered to be a â€Å"public issue† (a â€Å"public crisis† one might say). As Mills sates in The Sociological Imagination, â€Å"Perhaps the most fruitful distinction with which the sociological imagination works is between ‘the personal troubles of milieu' and ‘the public issues of social structure’† (Mills, pg. 2).Let’s zoom out and look at the bigger picture here. â€Å"The poverty rate among children is higher in the United States than in most other major Western industrialized nations† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 44). When looking at the single mothers who raise these children, the poverty rate in the U. S. for these women is far above the average in other high income countries, even though the single mother employment rate in the U. S. is also above the average. Less generous income support programs in the U. S. help explain the exceptionally high poverty rate for single mother families in the U.S (forbes. com). This clearly demonstrates the legitimacy of this being a public issue. It’s true that more and more children are growing up in single parent households, and many of these families struggle to get by. In fact, â€Å"†¦children are more likely to live in poverty than Americans in any other age group† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 44). But that’s not an accident of poor choices: while single parenthood has been skyrocketing, we’ve also been paring back the supports that could help these families stay afloat. Single mothers have an especially hard time getting out of poverty.Households headed by single mothers are four times as likely to be poor as are families headed by married couples (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 46). Not only that, but, â€Å"Single-parent families are more vulnerable to poverty because there is only one adult income earner, and female heads of household are disadvantaged even further because women in general make less money than men do† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 46). In fact, â€Å"Families with a female householder and no spouse present were more likely to be poor than families with a male householder and no spouse present, 28. % versus 13. 8%† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 45). And because the majority of single-parent households are headed by single-mothers, this inevitably increases the rate of poverty nationwide. Most of these mothers live in relative poverty, which refers to, â€Å"†¦a situation in which some people fail to achieve the average income or lifestyle enjoyed by the rest of society† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 40). Take childcare for instance; the high cost of taking care of one’s child is crippling to a single mother making minimum wage and alm ost immediately plummets her into relative poverty.On average, a poor mother spends 32 percent of her total weekly income on child care. This percentage nearly doubles when more than one child needs care (forbes. com). When a family is faced with relative poverty, the affects spread wide. Income loss appears to affect the well-being of children indirectly through negative impact on family relations and parenting. Single parents experience a variety of stressors related to poverty (i. e. , financial, emotional, social). Single mothers must obtain sufficient money to cover the most basic needs, such as food, shelter, and clothing. Wealth is a particularly important indicator of the individual and family access to life chances. Wealth is a special form of money not used to purchase milk and shoes and other life necessities. More often it is used to create opportunities, secure desired stature and standard of living, or pass class status along to one’s children† (Leon-Guerr ero, pg. 39). So, what about solutions? â€Å"The sociological imagination will also help us make a second connection: the one between social problems and social solutions† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 23).When looking at public issues, the textbook makes it clear that, â€Å"Solutions require social action – in the form of social policy, advocacy, and innovation – to address problems at their structural or individual levels† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 20). It is essential that we take a fresh look at our national policies — and their dismal results. Not only are U. S. poverty rates extremely high, with one out of five children living in poverty (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 40); crime rates are also high, with all the resulting costs not only to crime victims, but to taxpayers in court, prison and other attendant public expenses.Even more costly is the enormous price our nation is paying, and will pay, if we continue not to invest in a remedy to this poverty crisis. So, if single parenthood and poverty are so closely related, some people say, we should spend hundreds of millions of dollars promoting marriage to help children avoid poverty (and other problems). That’s what the government has done, with money from the welfare budget. Even if it worked (which it apparently doesn’t) it’s only one approach. What about reducing poverty?And, more specifically, what about reducing the relative likelihood of poverty in single-parent families versus those with married parents? That is, address the poverty gap between the two groups, rather than the size of the two groups. This has the added advantage of not singling out one group — single mothers — for social stigmatization. And, because it defines the problem as economic rather than moral, may make it easier to build public support for helping the poor. Although, â€Å"Helping our nation’s poor has been an administrative priority of many U. S. presidents† (Leon -Guerrero, pg. 0), the poverty problem does not seem to be getting much better. Maybe we need to change the conversation about we’re facing here. The conversation about single mothers should focus on how the extreme poverty of U. S. woman-headed families is a symptom of failed U. S. policies. And the conversation about the U. S. economy should focus on the urgent need for a caring economy. We are clearly lacking a â€Å"caring economy† when we are compared to other wealthy nations, â€Å"U. S. wage and welfare programs are much smaller than similar programs in other countries† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 46). Issues have to do with matters that transcend these local environments of the individual and the range of his inner life. They have to do with the organization of many such milieux into the institutions of an historical society as a whole, with the ways in which various milieux overlap and interpenetrate to form the larger structure of social and historical lifeâ⠂¬  (Mills, pg 2). The issue of poverty clearly stems from the larger structure of social and historical life. It is sad to know that our efforts as a wealthy society are not effectively healing this tragic situation.The poverty level of single mothers affects so many areas of our society as a whole, and our nation’s children get the brunt of it. Not only are they raised poor and impoverished, but their quality of education is compromised, the food they eat is low-quality and unhealthful, and most of them never find their way out of poverty. Writing this paper has truly touched my heart and I long to reach out to single mothers and their children who are desperately in need of compassion and support. More importantly, I would like to reach out this election year and see what I can do to promote the well-being of these mothers who are struggling so hard.Budget Summary for Single Mother in Delta County, Colorado The most recent report for minimum wage in Delta County, Colorado is $7. 25 an hour. The total monthly income for a person working full-time at minimum wage is: $1198 (after taxes). Explanation of calculation: 7. 25 * 40 = 290 (a week) 290 * 52 (weeks in a year) = 15,080 15,080 / 12 (months) = 1256 1256 * . 0463 (income tax rate in Delta County 4. 63%) = 58 1256 – 58 = 1198 Housing Costs| $616| Food Costs| $536| Other Necessities:| | Medical| $412| Clothing| $35| Transportation| $439|Childcare| $996| Phone| $40| Laundry/toiletries/cleaning supplies| $52| School supplies and fees| $20| Appliance and furniture| $17| Miscellaneous| $47| Nonessentials| | Entertainment| $20| Cable| $0| Cigarettes and alcohol| $0| Eat out| $25| Lottery| $5| TOTAL| $3260| *This budget reflects the fact that there is absolutely no public transportation in or around Delta County, so the transportation costs include car payment, insurance, and gas costs. This budget also reflects that I would not invest any money in cable, cigarettes, or alcohol.Also, the cost of ch ildcare for two children in Delta County is exorbitant! At any expense, I couldn’t have my 7 year-old child be a latchkey kid so young. The entertainment and costs of eating out are kept to a minimum. I would (just in case) spend $5 a month on the lottery. Clearly, this mother (hypothetically, me) would be nowhere near making ends meet. I would be living in relative poverty, scraping by every day, living hand-to-mouth, and I would have to be very creative with my time and resources. I would have to make almost TRIPLE what I am currently making in order to live comfortably.Most likely, I would reach out to neighbors, church members, community support groups, food banks, and any other possible resource to keep my head above water. Works Cited Covert, Bryce. â€Å"The Rise and Downfall Of The American Single Mother. † Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 16 July 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. ;http://www. forbes. com/sites/brycecovert/2012/07/16/the-rise-and-downf all-of-single-mothers/;. Leon-Guerrero, Anna. Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge, 2011. Print. Mills, C. Wright. The Sociological Imagination. New York: Oxford UP, 1959. Print.

Unit 8 Application 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Unit 8 Application 1 - Essay Example es in recruitment, include Medical/Healthcare, Engineering/Technical services, Information Technology, Professional positions, Executive positions and international Recruitment. However, clients who come up with staffing needs that the organization does not serve are not turned away, but it recruits specialists in that field on contract to undertake the recruitment for that specific organization. Being one of the leading recruitment agencies in US, the organization’s size comes with a total number of 28 staff members, who are involved in different functions in the organization. The organization also takes recruiters on contract during hiring, whenever the organization has inadequate recruiters (Heneman, Judge and Kammeyer-Mueller, 2012). Most of the employees in the organization are recruited directly by the organization from its large database of job seekers, which greatly minimizes recruitment costs for the organization. Most of the internal recruiters in the organization have different recruitment expertise and specializations to serve different client needs (Gully and Phillips, 2010). In this paper, the focus will be on the Senior Recruiter Job position at the USA Staffing Network, Inc. In order to get the right information and as much detailed as possible, it was important to take up a middle level or senior position in recruitment organization, which would provide the desired information in this study. Consequently, the Senior Recruiter Job position was a favorite choice. The choice of this job position is informed by the fact that it has a high responsibility at the organization and hence the person in-charge is very knowledgeable of the various function of the organization (Gully and Phillips, 2010). Further, the person has a wide experience working as a recruiter and hence will give a more detailed insight in to how recruitment and staffing organizations functions. The Senior Recruiter in a staffing organization is a crucial person in the core

Addiction can self discipline help Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Addiction can self discipline help - Essay Example The human being primarily desires relationships. In the absence of wholesome relationships the heart remains unfulfilled. We are created to receive satisfaction and joy through interaction and attachment with others.When we are denied these an emotional hole remains which we endeavour to fulfil through other non-relational or relational means, which could be dysfunctional. Sometimes these coping mechanisms could remain harmless and not cause substantial damage to the person's lifestyle. When these coping mechanisms become dangerous and beyond control, they turn into addiction.Experts differ on the use of the term 'addiction'. Some would like to limit the use to apply only to cases of drug or alcohol use which have gone beyond acceptable levels. Nevertheless the term 'addiction' is also used to describe out of control behaviour in areas like eating, gambling or sex.This is because it is recognised that in all the above cases the 'addict' engages in behaviour that is directly or indire ctly detrimental to his well being. Often the addict is well aware of the adverse effect of his addictive behaviour, but is unable to stop the behaviour. Addiction is often characterized by a craving for more of the drug or behavior, increased physiological tolerance to exposure, and withdrawal symptoms in the absence of the stimulus. Many drugs and behaviours that provide either pleasure or relief from pain pose a risk of addiction or dependency (Wikipedia). It is normal to expect the immediate reaction to addiction as one that is judgmental where one tends to lose respect for the person having the problem. This is understandable because a lay person who is confronted with an addict cannot understand the justification for the addict to continue with the addiction. Everyone has heard of alcoholics, but even in an informed age very few sympathize with one. The more natural response is to hold the addict responsible for his addiction and put it down to failure in self discipline. The question that needs to be asked is why is it that certain people have certain addictions while others don't. On the outset it may seem that an alcoholic (for example) has a greater affinity to alcohol than other normal people. The truth is that this greater affinity for alcohol came about because this person has been denied other needs which he is trying to fulfill through his consumption of alcohol. As another example we may take a woman who has a string of disruptive relationships with men. The reason for this could be a dysfunctional relationship with her father where she does not get adequate love from him. She attempts to fulfill this unmet need through her other relationships. Sadly, she can never fulfill that need in the method she adopts because no one can substitute for her father. So she is embroiled in a vicious cycle of search and disappointment, and we have an addict to the search for love (Hart). Unless a focused attempt is made by the person with or without help professional or otherwise to expose the unmet need that is causing the addiction, the relationship between the addiction and its cause remains unknown. In fact most of the time the addict is in denial about his/her pain. This pattern of denial appears to be a response of the mind to the pain or the need in order to make the solution more effective. And this pattern only makes the addiction stronger because the person slips into dependency without being conscious of the need which the addiction is meeting. The more unconscious this relationship the more powerful the addiction (Hart). When we talk about self discipline we are saying that following a practice of abstinence from the addictive behavior will help in reducing the behaviour. There have been cases of men and women with great amount of will power who have successfully abstained and eventually

Comparison of Music Genres Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Comparison of Music Genres - Essay Example There are a number of disparities between jazz music and classical music. However, there are also some similarities that exist in the two music genres. One common aspect of jazz and classical music is the use of musical beat and regular rhythm. In jazz, music drums play a constant a rhythmic groove which is usually 4/4 and stresses on the backbeat of 2 and 4. In classical music, there is also a steady rhythm which highlights the musical motions. The rhythm emphasizes the downbeat of one rhythmic count (Livingston). Another similarity that exists between the two music genre is the instrumentation. Jazz and classical music at times use common instruments. For instance, classical used saxophone from the 19th century and has modernized to a symphony orchestra. The saxophone is an implement that is mostly used in jazz music by the most famous jazz artists such as Sidney Bechet. Another significant similarity is the improvisation. Improvisation is one of the ways in which classical and jazz music has remained discrete in their respective approaches and attitudes. Improvisation is an essential part of jazz, in cases of small additions and variations to a melody or the entire improvised free solo. Similarly, in classic, there is some use of improvisation or aleatoric elements (Livingston). The differences between jazz and classical music are seen in the choice of the instrument, how the music is played and the style of the music. As much improvisation is in jazz and classical music, it also helps in distinguishing the two types of music.  Ã‚  

Diagnosis human Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diagnosis human - Essay Example The medication of 11 percent of school age children including Ted’s own son is fascinating especially considering that the psychiatrists prescribe such kind of medication even before examining the patients. Human problems and sufferings have become part of pathology and monetized in pursuit of shortcuts to the solution instead of advancing our survival ability. As far as I am concerned, medication is only meant to ill some conditions that may need repair and this does not apply to broken heart. Indeed, enduring the intolerable is at times part of life hence should not be treated as an illness that require medication. It is impractical and irresponsible if medication is prescribed for patients who have not been physically examined. It is certainly unfortunate because every kind of medication under normal circumstances would require thorough examination of the patient. It makes it hard to find out the kind of problem a patient suffers from and this inflicts more pain to the pati ent. What if a wrong medication is done? Perhaps it will be blamed on whoever administered the drugs. There are numerous drugs that have been prescribed and recommended by psychiatrists but their effectiveness is questionable. The truth is whether attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has exact cure or it purely trial and error. ... It is a problem within us which cannot be solved by overdosing but by understanding the challenge. Ted Gup posits that he had unintentionally conspired with a system that undervalues discussion remedy by believing in medication that unconsciously does not even offer the best therapy. He admits that self medication is vital and very much adequate in dealing with some disorders. It is actually important to address challenges as they come instead of assuming them because they may later affect our lives or one another’s life in a way that although we will regret, it will be too late. Ted admits that he did not tackle his son’s problems from the onset: No one made him take the heroin and alcohol, and yet I cannot help but hold myself and others to account. I had unknowingly colluded with a system that devalues talking therapy and rushes to medicate, inadvertently sending a message that self-medication, too, is perfectly acceptable (Ted Web). Parents and guardians should take absolute responsibility in taking care of their children as well as closely watching their steps and actions. Children are influenced by their peers’ behaviors. Closer look and advice of children should be properly addressed and dealt with by the society too. Earlier observation of children’s conditions may make the people responsible to understand the conditions. Understanding the culture in which young people grow is fundamental as far as children’s behaviors are concerned. Some of the conditions and challenges affecting children and even the grownups in the society is some of the old dangerous culture that promotes the use of unapproved drugs. The culture of using off label drugs which are not tested and approved should be left out. The environment in

Factors affecting the salary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Factors affecting the salary - Essay Example Executives receive a variable compensation that is known as executive bonus that is based on attainment of organisational goals and objectives. Managers also get long-term incentives that are based on the firms’ goals and objectives. Executive perquisites and benefits are different than those that are offered to subordinates. This means that they receive higher levels of pension plans, fringe benefits, life insurance and health insurance. The website states that the pay rates for executive compensation in the US are higher as compared to the situation in other countries. The situation is similar in other nations including Asia and Europe. It is also clear that managers have the option to increase their levels of compensation. This has attracted numerous ethical concerns over the years. The book starts by stating that the issue of executive remuneration has attracted increasing attention over the years especially following the 2008/2009 banking crisis. This leads to the important question on the factors influencing executive remuneration. The recent discussion has shifted from how much the executives make in a month to how much they can make from their firms. The book notes that executive remuneration has spawn out of control in the recent past. In fact, it has become clear that the bonuses available to executive are approximately seventy percent of their basic salary. The High Pay Commission found verification that high pay for executives has negative impacts for society and the economy at large. The same commission found that while executives’ salaries increased dramatically over the years, the share prices have been observed to have declined significantly. Generally speaking, the main factors influencing executive remuneration include the decisions by remuneration committees, inherent values of executives, competitive forces in the market. There are two main theories that can further explain this

Arbitration and Adjudication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Arbitration and Adjudication - Essay Example These three sets of circumstances demand specific considerations and pose their own set of problems. I would like to begin, however, by briefly outlining some important qualifications for a study of these two methods of conflict resolution. One of the most problematic issues that arise when considering the efficacy of arbitration, as compared to adjudication, is the comparative lack of detailed information regarding the involved parties. In fact, as Walter Matti remarks, "the study of the practice of international commercial arbitration is like peering into the dark" (2001, p 919). Such cases by nature tend to be far less publicised than those settled through litigation, and indeed, many of the parties - be they individuals or companies - who seek private arbitration do so precisely because they wish to avoid the risk of having private information made public. The information used to argue either for or against the inherent superiority of arbitration cannot, therefore, be considered exhaustive. At the same time, however, Matti points out that the popularity of arbitration, particularly as a means of resolving international disputes, has increased exponentially over the past thirty years (2001, p 920). Since it may be assumed that the number of cases settled through arbitration would not have increased were arbitration not an effective method of resolution, it can be reasonably concluded that an increasing number of parties find arbitration to be more appealing than adjudication as a means of resolving disputes. In addition, arbitration possesses an inherent degree of flexibility that is not present when going through the legal system: "Unlike judges in public courts, who must follow fixed rules of procedure and apply the laws of the land, arbitrators can dispense with legal formalities and may apply whatever procedural rules and substantive law best fit a case" (Matti 2001, p 920). On the other, this flexibility carries with it considerable risks. Since arbitrators are not bound by legal formalities, they may of course exploit this flexibility, to the unfair advantage a party that cannot appeal to a court for clarification or support (Bonn 1972, p 257). Although this risk is always present, there are nevertheless significant benefits to pursing arbitration. In the case of arbitration as a means of conflict resolution between private individuals, the arguments in favour of arbitration appear to be quite strong. The emotional and financial demands on both the plaintiff and the defendant are considerably reduced, the overall resolution process is conducted in a less stressful environment, and decisions are often rendered more quickly. Arbitration is routinely used as a means of settling disputes between landlords and tenants, divorcing spouses, and accident victims suing for damages (Bonn 1972, p 256). In additional the arbitration process holds additional appeal because, although it is an alternative to the court system, is not entirely cut off from the it - rather, the two systems are complementary since "the provisions of an arbitrator's award can be enforced judicially under common or statutory law" (Bonn 1972, p 256). In addition, Plaintiffs therefore have the additional security of knowing

Proof reading in UK style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 8000 words

Proof reading in UK style - Essay Example At my organisation, we normally have a large meeting once a month (everyone) and a small meeting once a week (in each department). Normally, the company ´s boss or the company’s manager is the person who speaks the most in the large meetings. They want to review what is going on in the company: if there are any problems, seek solutions to the problems, make sure every department head is in the right direction, including the budget. These meetings are quite formal. Every staff member has to wear the company’s uniform and cannot be late. There is an agenda to follow, and the information has to be written to announce in the small meetings and an email has to be sent to every staff member. In the small meetings, the manager informs the staff members the topics covered, regarding their duties and makes sure that every staff member understands their duties and is on the right track. This meeting is not a formal meeting. Figure 1 shows a diagram of the number of layers in the organisational culture. An organisation’s written statement may try to express its beliefs and values that the personnel within the organisation may not actually follow. There are items that are not related to behaviour that can clearly be seen and are symbolic, such as: a dress code, rituals, policies, and procedures [KTP Handbook]. The executives are required by law to fulfil certain duties and act in an ethical manner. Legislation is enacted by a legislative body. In the United Kingdom (UK) legislation is passed by Parliament and in some occasions by the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Relevant European Union legislation is also enacted through the UK legislation [KTP Handbook]. Regulations are drawn up to support legislation and in certain industries specific bodies, such as, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) is given powers to regulate that sector [KTP Handbook]. Executives also have to

Newspaper article Essay Example for Free

Newspaper article Essay The Pirates put out an amazing playoff season, this year having been the first year in the playoffs since 1992, but on October 9, 2013 they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals ending their amazing playoff season. In their last playoff game in St. Louis the Pirates lost 6-1 to the Cardinals, ending the season. In the second inning the Cardinals scored two runs taking the lead over the pirates. There was no more scoring until the sixth inning when the Cardinals scored yet another run, now having a three point lead over the Pirates. In the next inning the Pirates scored their first run. And sadly, the Cardinals scored three more runs in the eighth inning ending the game at a score of 6-1. The Pirates played the best theyve played since 1992, which wasnt enough this time. There was some amazing plays in the game, but I believe an incredible one was in the fourth inning when Starling Marte covered about twenty feet to catch a fly ball and get the second out with his incredible dive catch. An articles read about their season said that they played everything right, it was a amazing season but it wasnt enough this year, they needed a little more. This year the Pirates MVP player is Andrew McCutchen, he put up an OPS+ of 158, and swiped 27 bags this season. The teams LVP was Barmes, who plays shortstop, he hit a measly . 211/. 249/. 309, which is considered quite weak. The Pirates gameplan for next season is to keep the team mostly intact, and to hopefully make it farther into the playoffs next season. According to Christian Hartman The teams MVP should definitely be McCutchen, he hits well, plays amazing center field, and hes just overall great. He is everything a player should be. The Pirates put out an amazing playoff season, this year being their first playoff season since 1992.

Analysis of the Bill No. AB 29 Essay Example for Free

Analysis of the Bill No. AB 29 Essay The bill considered for this paper is Bill No. AB 29, authored by Price and Swanson, with subject â€Å"Healthcare Coverage†. The bill was introduced in 1st December 2008 and amended on the 24th of March 2010. 1. Overview of the health problem Based from the analyses provided for the bill, this bill has been proposed and argued for on the grounds that it has the ability to curve statistics for the largest uninsured segment of the population in California which is comprised of teenagers aged 19-23 (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). This age range, consisting the 27. 3% of the uninsured individuals in California, has been excluded from eligibility to received healthcare benefits under their parent’s insurance coverage, on the basis of age (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). This then, according to the research presented by the proponents of the bill, disposes these individuals of this age to seek their insurance coverage somewhere and shoulder the costs themselves (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). The costs of which may be considered expensive for these people to handle and thus, they prefer to skip making applications (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). This is the current situation in California, and one which the bill specifically targets to address. The bill seeks to extend the dependent coverage for medical insurance of children up to 27 years of age. While the existing legal provisions- also those apparent in Knox and Keene Health Service Care Plan of 1975- do not impose any restrictions to the current conditions imposed by employers on matters concerning the medical insurance coverage for dependent children, the statistics for insured population belonging to the young adult group remains to be high and these statistics cause an alarming reality of the current status of accessibility to quality health care by the young adult population. The bill seeks to extend the medical insurance coverage of children who have been considered as dependents of their parents. For parents whose insurance coverage is paid for by the employer, the bill provides them the opportunity to maintain the dependent coverage for their children by making payments of the additional premiums (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4) Presently, children who reach the age of 21 or after they graduate high school or college are disabled from further being enrolled as dependents of their parents for premium coverage or health care insurance. This scenario reveals that this particular group of individuals will remain to get neglected, as far as matters about fair and equal accessibility to heath care insurance policies are concerned if no actions are done now to at lest protect them from being excluded from necessary accesses. This bill will affect the almost 30% uninsured population of California, as well as the number of insurance companies and employers whoa re currently providing health care insurance overage for parents whose children or who have any children that belong to this particular age-group. 2. Severity of the health problem As there are no existing legal provisions that would discourage the current situation, this business culture presents a serious problem for any society who puts high importance to the accessibility of quality healthcare to its citizens, regardless of age. The current practices regarding the admission of young adults for medical coverage under their parents’ insurance accounts have very stringent rules. The background research provided in the Bill Analysis identify that most parents who cover their children as listed beneficiaries of medical coverage that is under their insurance account are working parents whom medical coverage was obtained though the employers’ provisions. However, the existing agreement between the employer and most insurance providers revoke young adults’ eligibility to remain beneficiaries under their parents’ insurance account on two grounds: (1) if they are not enrolled in college for full-time; or (2) after the children turn 19, graduate from high school, or graduate from college (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). The gravity of the reality of the situation is compounded by the fact that, according to the research background provided in the Bill Analysis, young adults encounter difficulty applying for medical insurance coverage and getting accepted with their applications (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). This reality is based on several reasons. According to the research background provided in the bill analysis, statistics show that these particular age range, the young adult population, often end up with low paying jobs and hold temporary positions (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 3). Thus, they receive meager salaries and are excluded from receiving health insurance benefits provided for by the company as one of the incentives employees get (Bill Analysis, 2009, pp. 3-4). Existing legal provisions also support exclusion of this particular age range from being eligible to receive benefits from public programs if they are considered healthy and childless (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4). According to the presented report on public programs in the Bill Analysis, children are only included in the Medi-Cal program before they reach the age of 21, after which, they are pretty much on their own. Only young adults with children, pregnant, or with disability are qualified to receive the benefits of the program of the Medi-Cal (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4). The risks associated with the present circumstances are high. Generally, it curves down the access of this particular population to quality health care (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4). This leaves serious implications to the young adult and his or her family. The most obvious is that, in case of medical emergencies, a large-out of the pocket expenses would be required from the family if the young adult patient happens to be not covered by any health care insurance policy (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4). 3. Overview of the bill The bill has undergone two Assembly Committee Analyses and one Senate Committee Analysis on the 28th and 14th of April 2008 and on the 26th of March 2009, respectively. This bill inserts some additional conditions and requirements to the existing Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Knox-Keene Act). Essentially, the bill requires the lifting of the existing age limit implemented by employers and health care insurance providers upon dependent coverage; and provide the conditions under which these additional requirements can be fulfilled without necessarily passing the costs of which to employers health care insurance firms. Specifically, it targets to impose these four conditions: First, the bill â€Å"would prohibit, with a specified exception, the limiting age for dependent children covered by these health care service plan contracts and group health insurance policies from being less than 27 years of age† (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, par. 2). Secondly, the â€Å"bill would also provide that no employer is required to pay the cost of coverage for dependents who are at least 23 years of age, but less than 27 years of age. The bill instead would authorize subscribers and insureds to elect to provide coverage tot hose dependents by contributing the premium for that coverage† (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, par. 2). Thirdly, while the constitution of California requires the reimbursements of costs to local agencies and school districts based in the mandate of the state, the bill â€Å"would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason† (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, pars. 4-5). Lastly, the bill imposes that any violations of the additional requirements it has on the Know-Keene Act is to be considered a crime (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, par. 3). Section 1 of the bill stipulates conditions requiring the deletion of age limit to criteria eligibility and changing the age limit of the child into twenty-seven. This section also provides that the plan contract should not specify any conditions leading to the individual’s exemption from Medi-Cal’s benefits; automatic inclusion to benefits entitlement of children and spouses to medical coverage upon moment of birth, or in case of adopted child, from the moment that the legal documents for adoption have been signed or any document stating that the responsibility for health care for the adopted is admitted by the individual adopting; and no plan contract shall be entered upon if there exist conditions in the plan that waive or disclaim or state any other terms of limitation that apply to newborn infants or to adopted children, and allowing the firms to either offer or not mental health and eye health services (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 1, A-G). The section 2 of the bill stipulates the conditions that plan holders have the freedom to choose the medical professional they prefer and that this selection would not be under the discretion of the health insurance firm provider, except for mental and vision health care professionals (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 2, A-D). The Section 3 of the bill reinforces that none of the provisions included in the bill supports or tolerates the performance of any medical activity by any licensed someone who does not have the capacity to do so,; the chosen medical or licensed professional should perform on that which is within the field of his or her specialization. The Section 4 of the Bill stipulates the definition of ‘marriage and family therapist’. The section states that the person should be a licensed professional who has received specific instructions that are equivalent with the instructions or learning required for the January 1, 1981 licensure test (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 4). This section 5 of the Bill requires that the vision and/ or mental health care professional to be chosen by the plan holder should be one that is affiliated with the health insurance provider (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 5). This section also suggests ready availability of psychologists provided by health insurance firms that offer mental services; however, the failure to comply does not constitute a crime (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 5). The Section 6 of the Bill states that the definition for ‘individual practice association’ adopted in the Bill is consistent with the definition used in the Sec. 1307 of the Federal Public health service Act (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 6). The rest of the bill also talks about that a child, 18 years of age and enrolled fulltime in secondary or post secondary school, and enrolled in a medical coverage remains to be eligible during break from schools (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 7); any child who takes medical leave from school and whose conditions render him physically incapable of maintaining self-employment, the provisions stipulated in (D) applies if the child is primarily dependent on the policy holder (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 6); requires that the health insurance firm informs about the termination of coverage if the child reaches appropriate age (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 7); submission of certification of the medical necessity for leave of absence is necessary to be made to the health care insurance firm within thirty days after the first day of the leave of absence (Legislative Counsel’s Digest, 2009, Sec. 7). 4. Promises/ Expected Outcome The promises and expected outcome of the bill would definitely be evident in the statistics concerning the number of young adults without insurance coverage. With the outright provision that lifts the age-limit and substitute it with longer age, the population of young adults without any insurance coverage will be decreased. The Bill also allows better access to health care options for this particular segment of people (young adults). It also relieves the parents the worries that in case of serious medical emergencies involving a young adult of their family, very high of the pocket costs would be required for medication. 5. Supporters of the bill This bill, with its current status of being ‘proposed’, receives a great deal of support from concerned individuals and different organizations. According to the Bill Analysis report, supporters of the proposal include â€Å"the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the California Commission on the Status of Women, the California Medical Association, and Health Access California †¦ American Federation of State, and County ad Municipal Employees† (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4). These groups supporting the bill agree in two major points. Firstly, it is pointed out that the bill provides a very good channel for young adults who still rely upon their parents for financial assistance to remain covered by adequate health insurance coverage, especially at the current time when there is difficulty securing and maintaining health care coverage for this particular age group (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 4). Secondly, it is argued that the proposed provision that allows employees to shoulder premiums for the health care insurance coverage of their children who belong in this particular age range can be translated into additional revenues for the state, aside from the fact that there will be a peace of mind for parents that comes with the awareness that every member of their family is being adequately covered (Bill Analysis, 2009, pp. 4-5). 6. Opponents of the bill Not everyone welcomes the proposal of the bill though. According to the Bill Analysis Report, the opponents of the proposed bill include the representatives of health plans, health insurance firms, as well as employers. The arguments are always associated with financial risks and additional costs that the firms may incur once the bill is passed and implemented. These groups argue that the inclusions of this particular age group for eligibility to receive coverage under premiums paid for by their parents, until the age of 27, would only result to the conflict between the premiums and the existing federal tax rules referring to deductibility of taxes imposed on health insurance premiums (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 5). More than that, however, the proposed bill does not give enough allowance of time and opportunity for the concerned parties (insurance provider firms and employers) to calculate and predict the risk and costs that they might incur when the extension for the eligibility for insurance coverage, under premiums paid for by the parents, for this particular age group is finally implemented (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 5). These opponents that such drastic a change might result to employers totally waiving off the coverage for dependents completely due to increased costs and risks the bill can cause them to incur (Bill Analysis, 2009, p. 5). 7. Recommendation This bill contains provisions that, in my view, bring only positive contributions in improving the health care access to young adults. However, I need to agree with the insurance firms and employers that it does not seem to tackle the other side of the coin to make the arguments well-balanced. In other words, no attention has been given yet, neither is there any detail in the bill that indicates research has been done to ensure that risks and costs would not cause serious problems with insurance firms and companies in the future. References http://www. leginfo. ca. gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_29_bill_20090324_amended_asm_v98. html http://www. leginfo. ca. gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_29_cfa_20090326_100055_sen_comm. html http://www. leginfo. ca. gov/pub/09-10/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_29_cfa_20090413_093510_asm_comm. html http://www. leginfo. ca. gov/cgi-bin/postquery? bill_number=ab_29sess=CURhouse=Bauthor=price

The influence of culture on accounting

The influence of culture on accounting Introduction Many studies have demonstrated that culture diversity had influenced accounting practice within national and international borders. Accounting can therefore be said to have been influenced by its environment, which includes the culture of the country in which it is being operated (Nobes Parker, 2008) Mueller et al. (1994), cited in Alexander.et al, also stipulate that each accounting system is a product of its specific culture and environment, and that different patterns of accounting are associated with a range of cultural factors such as societal values, religion, political systems and historical values. It is however no thought that those countries with same or similar cultural values or background are practicing accounting similarly. The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the extent to which these cultural values influence the practice of accounting and how the understanding of the role of culture in accounting can help us understand international accounting standards. The work of Hofstedes cultural value differences and Grays accounting values will be the major focal point of this paper. The relationship that exists between cultural values, accounting values and financial reporting will be examined as well. Key words: Cultural values; Accounting Values; Financial Reporting DIFFERENCES IN CULTURAL VALUES Culture is a way of life of a group of people, which includes the behaviours, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and that are passed along by communication and imitation from one generation to the next. The position that the ideas, meanings, beliefs and values people learn as members of society determine human nature. To support this definition, Hofstede, one of the greatest researchers of culture differences, defined culture as the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes members of one human group from another,( cited in Nobes parker 2008. p 25) For the purpose of comparability, this paper will base its analysis on Hofstedes work on cultural value difference and grays work on accounting values to see their impact on accounting practice and reporting. (Hofstede, 1984 p. 83, 84) defined and summarized four Cultural dimensions as, individualism and Collectivism, Large versus small power distance, Strong versus weak uncertainty avoidance, masculinity versus femininity. He also stipulates that there exist specific relationship in these cultural dimensions. Individualism versus collectivism is how in a society one group will prefer a much closed family system while the other group prefer belonging to an expanded family system. This cultural dimension looks at how society handles interdependence among individuals. The second cultural dimension, large versus small power distance seeks to divide a society between those few powerful groups of people who prefer power to be distributed unequally through institutions and organizations and those who feel that power should be distributed equally. This dimension addressed how a society handles inequalities amongst a people when they occur. The third cultural dimension by Hofstede, is the strong versus weak uncertainty avoidance which is, the extent to which members of a society feel uncomfortable with uncertainty and ambiguity .This feelings leads them to believing in promising certainty and to maintain institutions protecting conformity. He explained that a society with strong uncertainty avoidance maintained rigid codes of belief and behaviour and are intolerant of deviant people and ideas. The weak uncertainty maintain a more relaxed atmosphere in which practice counts more than principles and deviance is more tolerated. Masculinity and femininity, which is the last but not the least of the four cultural dimensions, describes masculinity as the preference, in a Society for achievements, heroism, assertiveness, and material success. Femininity on the other hand was said to represent a society where preference for relationships, modesty, caring for the weak and the quality of life is high. ACCOUNTING VALUES AND CULTURAL VALUES It is based on these Hofstedes classification of cultural dimensional differences that Gray (1988) also proposed a connection between those cultural dimensions and accounting values by specifically identifying four accounting values which includes; professionalism(implies self-regulation by the accounting profession itself) versus statutory (implies control by the government), uniformity (adherence to consistency and detailed regulations) versus flexibility (implies able to amend or adjust to suite a situation), conservatism (implies the tendency to under state profit and assets) versus optimism and secrecy (implies a preference for confidentiality) versus transparency ( implies disclosure of true state of affairs). The first two relates to authority and enforcement of accounting practice at a country level while the second two relates to the measurement and disclosure of accounting information at a country level as (cited in Nobes and Parker, 2008). Grays accounting values and Hofstedes cultural difference can be group into two categories. This paper will like to refer to these two groups as the collectivism category and the individualism category. The individualism category is made up of Professionalism, flexibility, transparency, optimism, individualism, small power distance, weak uncertainty avoidance and femininity. This category has the characteristic of self-reliance or self-interest and therefore in a society where individualism, small power distance, weak uncertainty and femininity dominate, accounting practice and financial reporting is likely to be professional, flexible, transparent and optimistic. Secondly the individuals quest for information to make decision on investments to satisfy his/her personal needs will prefer detailed report of a financial statement. This paper will like to associate this category to that of a capitalist society where the accounting regulations are not part of the common law but rather are in the hands of professional organisations of the private sector as stipulated in Alexander et al. (2009 p. 28). For instance in the UK, accounting laws and regulations are control by professional bodies such as the ACCA, CA, CIMA, and IASB. It can again be said that countries that practice the common law are also likely to practice accounting the same way. They are considered to be capitalism countries since they raises funds from the capital. They include, United Kingdom, Ireland Canada, Australia and the United States of America The second category of Hofstede cultural value difference and that of grays accounting values The collectivism category is made up of collectivism, large power distance, strong uncertainty avoidance masculinity and grays accounting values of statutory control, uniformity, conservatism and secrecy. This category has the characteristics of being control from a common source or being centrally planned. Countries or societies found to be dominant with these cultural and accounting values are more likely to practice accounting in the same way. The practice of accounting in this society or country is control by statutory institutions with detailed rules and regulations. The practice of accounting and reporting in these societies or countries will be geared towards the dictates of those in powers or in control. No detailed accounting is required and secrecy and conservatism dominates in the financial reporting (Kosmala-Maclullich, 2003). Here again this paper will associate this category of a society or a country to that of a socialist country where accounting laws and regulations are enshrine in the coded laws of the country. Governments in these countries use financial reports for their own purpose. The Democratic Republic of Germany adopted the Soviet Unions socialist ideologies after the Second World War. This adaptation included a methodological guidance in designing accounting information systems (Berry, 1982: 1890). Bailey (1990) also stipulates that the Marxism Theoreticians view the western-style accounting as an instrument for the exploitation of workers by the capitalists, accounting and financial reporting was therefore geared towards the dictates of those in authority. Young and David (1999) argued that Accounting activities at the enterprise level were focused exclusively on the preparation of reports required by the planning bureaucracy, and during this period, accounting was only seen as a primary source of information for the provision of financial statistics for the use in the preparation of budget; it was therefore a list of quantities instead of values. Accounting was more or less reduced to a clerical job; there was no professionalism in the practice. Judgemen t of reports (true and fair) was not entertained; standardisation was non-existence and so was the concept of profit, in short accounting standards and procedures were not in existence. Accounting in China Another country worth looking at is china which has a long history of cultural value which is characterise with collectivism, high in power distance, strong uncertainty avoidance and femininity. The Chinese will not mind sacrificing himself for the good collectivism or country (Yao F. 2007). The practice of accounting and reporting is control by the state under the auspices of the ministry of finance and the aim of this control is to gear the practice towards the general benefit of the planned economy. The user of accounting information is mainly the government, because most enterprises in china are owed by the state. The few individual who try to do some investments do not know much about accounting and finance. (Yao F. 2007). Although the state had accounting standards for Business Enterprises, they were just mere basic rules which were issued in conjunction with basic standards, as argued by Lin et al. (2001). There where however restrictions on some important accounting principles such as making provision for bad debts and obsolete inventories, recognition of impairments of assets, disclosure of financial information and many more. Secrecy and conservatism was dominant in financial reporting. Professionalism, transparency and flexibility were non-existence. Accountin g profession was reduced to a very low status. The dynamics of cultural values brought about a change in financial reporting by these countries with strong cultural values. As a result of the world becoming a small village and the growing of Multinational companies across the world, there is the need for comparability of financial Reports since its purpose is to help investors make informed and sound decisions. Based on the fact that the world is becoming a small place and countries need each other for their survival, most of the socialists countries like the East Germany, Portugal, Poland, Italy, and France have all adopted the capitalism system of financial reporting. The Chinese government, also have realise the need for adopting the international financial reporting standard (IFRS) which is being champion by the International Accounting Standard Board (IASB), but yet it only talked about the convergence of the accounting standard and not a totally acceptance. (Yao F. 2001) Conclusion It is quite obvious that cultural values have influenced the practice and reporting of accounting and countries with similar cultural values practicing accounting similarly. With the world becoming a global village and the fast cultural changes across the world, the need for harmonization and convergence of accounting standards was given a serious consideration by centrally planned countries, but a country like China, although have made efforts to embrace international financial reporting system, is still holding on to some of its cultural accounting practices. This is an indication that so far as cultural values remain different, accounting practice will be affected and the only way out is the harmonization and convergence of accounting standards.

The Character of Lucie Manette in A Tale of Two Cities Essay -- Tale T

The Character of Lucie Manette in A Tale of Two Cities    Literature takes a single sentence and turns it into a powerful story with sorrow, humor, and mystery. Combined with literary elements, the reader experiences the power of extreme emotions and is taken past the boundaries of reality. In reading, a reader takes on the role of a character through characterization. They experience problems they would not usually encounter and the complications people endure to overcome obstacles. Charles Dickens proves how strong a golden thread is and the lengths by which a man will go to restore it through the light bringing character of Lucie Manette in A Tale of Two Cities.    Lucie Manette is a breathless mermaid attracting men with her magnetic traits. Following Lucie's rescue of her father, after being in prison for 18 years, she settles down with him in a quiet home in Soho. But the silence does not last long and the house becomes full with the footsteps of hundreds of suitors looking for the heart of an angel. In a conversation between Miss Pross and Jar...

Nuclear Energy: Uranium Fission :: essays research papers

Nuclear Energy: Uranium Fission Thousands of years ago human beings learned to make fire. By collecting and burning wood they were able to warm themselves, cook food, and manufacture primitive tools. Later, the Egyptians discovered the principal of the sail. Even more recent was the invention of the water wheel. All of these activities utilize various forms of energy-biological, chemical, solar, and hydraulic. Energy, the ability to do work, is essential for meeting basic human needs, extending the life expectancy, and providing a rising living standard. This is where the need for nuclear power comes in. Uranium fission is about a million times more efficient than the common practice of burning coal or oil. For comparison, coal combustion produces about 20-30 MJ/kg of heat energy while uranium, in a fast breeder reactor, produces more than 24,000,000 MJ/kg (Energy 27). Those numbers alone are astounding. Uranium is also abundant, thanks to recent discoveries of large reserves. At present, uranium is only being mined and separated from ore. However, a huge untapped source is our oceans. Sea water contains 3.3x10^(-9) (3.3 parts per billion) of uranium, so the 1.4x10^18 tons of sea water contains 4.6x10^9 tons of uranium. All the world's electricity usage, 650GWe could therefore be supplied by the uranium in sea water for 7 million years(Energy 25). This is a only a theoretical number because it is not possible to get all of the uranium out of our vast oceans. Also, it does not include the fact that in that many years, half of the uranium will no longer exist due to radioactive decay. So, at worst, we would get about 2 million years of power from it. Thorium is another element than can be used in nuclear reactors. Thorium is approximately four times more abundant than uranium. It is obvious that we are in no danger of exhausting these sources of energy. We need to exploit these resources an d use them to our advantage. God has given us the knowledge to use uranium for power, so why shouldn't use it? There are many benefits to using nuclear generated power over our other common sources. A big advantage of nuclear power plants is that they do not burn anything, they are non-polluting, and they are kind to the environment. Unlike coal-, gas-, and oil-fired power plants, nuclear power plants do not emit carbon dioxide and other harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is not to say that no waste is produced in a nuclear reaction. An average size nuclear reactor produces 1000 MWe and leaves behind about 25 tons of spent fuel.

The Age Of Reason Essay -- Romanticism Essays

The eighteenth century saw unprecedented growth of literature and the arts in Europe and America. Britain during this time period also enjoyed prolonged periods of civil peace that stood in sharp contrast to the bloody and protracted civil and international conflicts that lasted throughout the 17th century. Furthermore, as the rising middle classes increasingly sought both education and leisure entertainment, the marketplace for artistic production swelled dramatically. One of the most critical elements of the 18th century was the increasing availability of printed material, both for readers and authors. The period was markedly more generally educated than the centuries before. Education was less confined to the upper classes than it had been in centuries, and consequently contributions to science, philosophy, economics, and literature came from all parts of the newly United Kingdom. It was the first time when literacy and a library were all that stood between a person and education . The first half of the century has often been aptly described as the Age of Reason, the Augustan Age and the Neo-classical Age. The very description of this period as Augustan throws light on the prosperity and growth of this period, drawing a direct parallel to the affluent era of Latin literature during the reign of Augustus and in the process, claiming a similar Golden Age of English literature and arts. It was an "age of reason" in that it was an age that accepted clear, rational methods as superior to tradition. The period saw the development and growth of a new attitude towards life and more importantly towards the role of nature around us. Rationalism, as an ideology, gained importance and influenced literary works to a large extent. Rationalism as a philosophical doctrine, asserts that reason and factual analysis, rather than faith, dogma or religious teaching should determine the truth. Such a philosophy provided stability and order to the society and was hence considered as a welcoming change from the chaos that Europe had recently experienced. The Age of Reason, hence, emphasized on the importance to perceive life in a scientific and detached manner. It rejected emotion or fashionable belief and stressed on a more rational, logical and scientific attitude towards life. The discoveries of Isaac Newton, the rationalism of Rà ©nà © Descartes, the skepticism of Pierre Bay... ...ight be taken to include the rise of individualism, as seen by the cult of the artistic genius that was a prominent feature in the Romantic worship of Shakespeare and in the poetry of Wordsworth, to take only two examples; a new emphasis on common language and the depiction of apparently everyday experiences; and experimentation with new, non-classical artistic forms. Romanticism also strongly valued the past. Old forms were valued, ruins were sentimentalized as iconic of the action of Nature on the works of man, and mythic and legendary material which would previously have been seen as "low" culture became a common basis for works of "high" art and literature. Romanticism played an essential role in the national awakening of many Central European peoples lacking their own national states, particularly in Poland, which had recently lost its independence. Revival of ancient myths, customs and traditions by Romanticist poets and painters helped to distinguish their indigenous cultures from those of the dominant nations (Russians, Germans, Austrians, Turks, etc.). Patriotism, revolution and armed struggle for independence also became popular themes in the arts of this period.

Plato and Mill on the relationship between individual and society Essay

Plato was born around 428-7 BC, he lived for the most part of his life in Athens, and had much to say about Athenian democracy. Mill was born much later in London in 1806, but although over two thousand years of political philosophy divide the two, much of the same issues and concerns arise in both their work though often with very different outlooks. Despite their differing opinions Plato and Mill are both antithetical, or in other words believe that the â€Å"tyranny of the majority† is to be feared. Plato believes that individuals are selfish and pursue their own self-interests at the expense of the rest of the population, and follow their own moral path. The philosopher individual is epitomised by the â€Å"Gadfly†. The gadfly is referred to by Plato in the Apology, to describe Socrates’ relationship with the Athenian political scene. Socrates believed he irritated for the purpose of leading people closer to the truth ‘to sting people and whip them into a fury, all in the service of truth’. The gadfly describes a person who upsets the status quo by posing lots of questions. Plato states that while the gadfly is easy to swat, the cost to society of silencing an individual simply because of his irritancy could be extremely high. This seems to contradict some of what he has to say on his republic, as he stifles the lower class citizens in the Kallipolis, counting their opinions as obsolete in comparison to the philosophers. The gadfly is also mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Jeremiah also relating to political influence ‘Egypt is a very fair heifer; the gadfly cometh, it cometh from the North’. Plato believes that Democracy fosters the wrong kind of individual, hence the Kallipolis, which is the inverse of Democracy, designed to bring about the ‘right way of living’. In Plato’s view, an individual is fulfilled by the contribution that he or she makes to the overall functioning of the community, and the Kallipolis is designed to make this possible for everyone. Plato’s state also respects the individuality of its members and treats them equally. In Plato’s republic, the state limits the freedom of its individuals, but only to ensure that all the members receive the same amount of freedom. In effect, Plato believes that the repression of individual freedom results in equal freedom for the society as a whole. This is contrasted to Mill, whose view is that, excluding children, the individual is sovereign over himself, his body and his mind. Interference in an individual’s beliefs or actions is wrong. Unless it is known that one is inflicting harm upon another, interference is not justified. Mill has three liberties that are the hallmark of a free society- the first is the freedom of thoughts and sentiment on all subjects, including freedom of expression and publication. The second liberty is the freedom of taste; the fact that others may disapprove of an individual’s actions or beliefs, is not justified by Mill as the basis of interference, for example homosexuality. The third and final liberty necessary for a free society is the freedom of individuals to unite as long as the resulting union does not lead to others being harmed as a result. Mill forbids coercion and deception within the union, as he believes it is unjustified to have a direct negative impact on the utility of others (this does not involve doing something which someone else does not agree with). Mill encourages individualism and self-development or ‘human flourishing’ as he believes that it will only benefit society, as the individuals will be able to contribute more if they reach their full potential and are allowed to develop their own ideals and opinions. Mill has concerns over the limits of which power can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual. Safeguards are necessary to ensure that the majority does not suppress the minority. ‘Mankind would be no more justified in silencing one person, than that one person; if he had the power would be justified in silencing mankind’. Plato believes that false opinions could be dangerous to society, whereas Mill would say they were necessary in order to help obtain the truth, something that we as humans so desperately strive to obtain. Plato believes that satisfying our desires is something scarcely worth caring about, whereas Mill would encourage us to do so as long as it brings utility rather than harm. Free discussion in Mill’s opinion will only aid us in getting closer to the truth, as who is to decide what is true if there is no proof? A combination of views, questions and opinions are better than one view or opinion that is decided to be true, and not questioned. There are always people who will disagree with something that others agree with, so who is ‘right’? Plato believes that in order to have a productive and harmonious society, conditioning or training is necessary to ensure that the members’ actual desires coincide as far as possible with their real desires, thus reducing conflict. Mill would argue that this is in a sense brainwashing the individuals to believe that they are happy and that they are fulfilling desires, when in fact they are only fulfilling what the Philosopher Kings have told them they desire. Plato believes in critical freedom, which the Kallipolis is intended to provide to its members as much as their nature permits, Mill however believes in actual freedom in which all is permitted but harm (The Harm Principle). Mill’s rejection of social contracts is accompanied with the acceptance of certain rules of conduct in our dealing with others in return for the protection we receive from society. For example, we are bound to observe and respect the rights of others and according to him â€Å"As soon as any part of a person’s conduct affects prejudicially the interests of others, society has jurisdiction over it†. Otherwise Mill states that foolish actions do not deserve penalties, and that mature individuals should be left to develop and coagulate their own views and act on their own impulses. All society can do is help educate its members as to what is moral and immoral before they reach the state of maturity and therefore the freedom they have a right to. Plato’s similes are used to demonstrate the negative aspects of democracy and Athenian politicians. The simile of the cave is used to show how politicians will conceal the truth from the people (represented by the prisoners). The people are ignorant and do not possess the knowledge that they deserve. The prisoners are bound and only have a view of the wall in front of them, there is a fire behind them, between them and the wall is nothing. All that the prisoners can see are shadows of themselves, and of the objects behind them. The prisoners naively believe that the shadows are real as they have nothing else upon which to base their knowledge. One of the prisoners manages to escape from the cave, and in the light of the sun sees the real world for the first time. He realises that all this time he was deceived by shadows. This man, if according to Plato is in possession of the capacity for knowledge and wisdom will feel it is his duty to go back to the cave, release his fellow prisoners and enlighten them. The other prisoners are hard to persuade however, as his exposure to the sunlight renders him unable to see the shadows as clearly as before, and so the prisoners just think that he is less intelligent than when he was trapped. Plato justifies the Philosopher Kings lying to the people in order to protect them. Plato argues the necessity of a structured organised society separate from the outside world in which every individual reaches their maximum potential and has a fundamental part to play in contributing all they can to their community as a whole. Education is available to all members of the Kallipolis regardless of gender. Mill states in his introductory chapter to On Liberty that the ‘struggle between liberty and authority is the most conspicuous feature’. Mill developed a principle to counteract what he calls the ‘interference of collective opinion’ on an individuals’ independence, this principle was called the Liberty principle. Mill and Plato have different styles of communicating their points, Mill expresses his ideas in the form of discursive arguments, Plato however expresses his ideas in the form of dialogue, something which Mill praises Plato for regardless of their conflicting conclusions. Plato’s Kallipolis, or utopia is designed as a hierarchical state consisting of three different classes, the Producers, the Auxiliaries, and the Guardians. These three different classes will have very different experiences of life, and which one they will lead depends on their capacity for knowledge. The three classes experience different upbringings, and receive different levels of education. Plato contradicts himself, he says that all people in the Kallipolis should be ‘friends’ and ‘equals’ yet he also unashamedly states that the Producers will not be able to choose how they wish to live their lives, and that their opinions are the least worthy. The Producers are in effect not free, but rather slaves to their senior ranking class, the Guardians. The Producers are thought to be the least intelligent mass of the population, and they are therefore expected to trust and believe their rulers. This is justified by Plato because it is better for them to be under the control of ‘divine wisdom’ something that the minority of the population possess, and what makes those that do worthy to rule over all others. Plato’s belief is that if these less intelligent people are allowed to think freely, then they will make the wrong choices, and an individual is only worth what they contribute to their community as a whole. This means that personal desires are not as important as the overall functioning of the community, which is immaculately ruled by the Philosopher Kings who have the ability to learn and retain the knowledge leaded to rule and guide the citizens of the Kallipolis. Mill’s views contradict these of Plato’s; his liberalist view is that the individual is important in creating the desired environment within the state and is worthy of reaching their full potential in all areas. Mill considers freedoms of opinion and of actions necessary, and his Harm Principle was made to help protect other individuals from being hurt. Mill believes that individuals have a fundamental right to discover and develop their knowledge to their maximum capacity with the absence of ‘a priori’ constraints. Plato’s view on the freedom of individual development of knowledge is that it is the â€Å"despotism of custom†. Mill prioritises the freedom of thought and expression; he believes that unless we push an argument to its absolute limit, then we cannot claim to fully understand it. Mill says that we must listen to everyone, even those that offend us, or those who we believe to be irrelevant. Mill’s justification for this is that if one person speaks out against an otherwise unanimous society about a certain topic, and they are right, then they could enlighten the mass to the truth. If they speak out and are found to be wrong, then they have simply helped the mass come closer to the truth by falsely opposing it. Plato’s analogy of the Beast shows how politicians will keep society happy in the short term, while not regarding what is best for them in the long term. It works on the basis of keeping the people satisfied rather than truly doing what is best for them (according to Plato). The keeper of the Beast manipulates it with what is wants at the time by giving it treats, with no regards for its health. It is made clear however that the Beast is manipulating the keeper too, by getting what it currently desires out of him. For this reason Plato says that freedom to do what one wants when ignoring the absolute truth, or the long term real effects of certain action or decision can be damaging to the â€Å"inward domain of consciousness†. Similarly, his analogy of the Ship of State depicts his attitude on Athenian democracy. The captain of the ship is stronger than any of the crew, but he lacks the skill of working on and handling the boat. The crew argue over who should be in control, and beg the captain to allow them to take control of the ship. Those who succeed turn the voyage into a â€Å"drunken pleasure cruise†. The true navigator or â€Å"star-gazer† is overlooked by his fellow men although he is the only one skilled enough to actually guide the ship, he possesses the â€Å"art of navigation†, and seamanship. He is unable to gain the control needed to steer the ship to safety. The captain represents Athenian citizens responsive only to the rhetoric of the crew, the crew represent the politicians, they are manipulative and are not concerned with the truth, but rather power. Plato says that eventually the crew will ask the navigator for help, sacrificing their freedom and control for their safety and social benefit. The navigator is capable of using his knowledge of astronomy (knowledge of Being) to help guide the ship and those on it through a world of constantly changing and sometimes-dangerous weather conditions (the world of Becoming). The crew must surrender to the navigator, as he possesses not opinions or beliefs, but facts. The crew have to recognise his superior knowledge and therefore his authority, although they would fail to do so if it did not ultimately benefit them. Mill would argue that this analogy is incomplete, for the crew are able to be taught the skill of navigation themselves and do not need to rely solely on the â€Å"star-gazer†, wouldn’t a crew of capable navigators be better than just one? Mill would argue that it is vital for the well being of the state to be able to argue against the truth. He argues the positive value of blasphemy as it challenges assumptions that are established as being right or wrong. We can criticise Mill for assuming that all individuals are capable of being rational and having rational thoughts and discussions. Equally, Plato fails to recognise the need for questioning and testing and assumes that people will accept sacrificing their freedom because he tells them too. If the â€Å"tyranny of the majority† is to be feared then why would Plato put the minority in power, and deprive the majority of control over their lives and the lives of their children? Mill and Plato hold the same or similar views on the issue of gender. Plato says that all citizens of the Republic, male or female will have access to equal education, as gender is obsolete when knowledge is the main focus, although a woman could never become a Philosopher Ruler. In 1869 Mill wrote â€Å"The Subjection of Women†, in which he encouraged and supported equal rights for both genders. Mill encouraged the equal rights for women on the basis of utility. He argued that we could not criticise women for being less skilled than men if we did not give them equal opportunity to try. He also said that society could not be at its best when half the population could contribute nothing to society outside of the home. Plato had a number of conditions that he says will help maximise the usefulness of all members of society, the stories which children are told must be authorised, and there is the censorship of music and the restriction of meat and fish unless it is roasted. Children are to be removed from their parents and are not to know who their parents are and visa versa. They are to call all males old enough ‘father’ and all females ‘mother’, the purpose of this was to minimise private possessive emotions therefore reinforcing their focus on their relationship with their community. Deformed children and children of inferior breeding will be ‘put away in some mysterious unknown place as they ought to be’. The works of Homer and Hesiod, two of the earliest Greek poets are banned, as they encourage their readers to fear death, and depict the heavens as being filled with the ‘inextinguishable laughter of the blessed Gods’. Plato on the other hand banned loud laughter. Mill would argue that this repression is an infringement of basic human rights, and the suppression of individual development and human flourishing will do nothing but hinder the development and progression of mankind. How can society benefit if most individuals are at a disadvantage as to developing their own unique skills? Plato classifies people in three groups, as gold, the best members of society fit to be guardians, as silver members fit to be soldiers, and the common herd of brass and iron, fit only to be the producers. This is what Plato describes as the ‘one royal lie’ used to deceive both the rulers, and the rest of the city, if he can justify lying about God’s creation of the three differing classes of people then why is he justified in choosing which one they belong to? Breeding is organised with the strongest members of society used simply to keep the population ‘constant’ and as best bred as they can be. The strongest of sires are allowed to have the most children and the weaker ones less. The fundamental difference between Mill and Plato is that while Plato wished to radically change the structure of society in order to condition and force the people to behave and think in a certain way, Mill would leave the people to develop naturally, yet offer them all the education and teaching needed to steer them away from negative things and intervene only when one is inflicting harm upon another. Mill’s two main criticisms of Plato’s republic are that the proper function of the state is to regulate behaviour, not to encourage one or another’s set of belief or values. The second is that tolerance should be restricted to cases where it does not undermine the moral foundations of the community. He would argue that social bigotry should be restrained for the sake of encouraging freedom of thought and expression. Mill endorses Grote’s admiration of Athenian tolerance, as tolerance is a necessity and encourages genius as a society ‘may have persons of talent†¦but genius in such a soil is fatally stunted in it’s growth’. Plato on the other hand criticises Athenian tolerance on the basis that the maintenance of public emotions requires repression by both law and by non-legal sanctions. He held the belief that Athenian tolerance undermines civic spirit required for the furtherance of the tolerant society itself. Aristotle, a student of Plato’s born in 384BC stated that it is ‘the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it’. It is interesting that somebody taught by Plato would recognise the need for the self-development of opinion, something that Mill believes to be essential for a progressive society. Mill states that his father taught him to value Plato and his contributions to philosophy, and he says that he does just that. He called himself a pioneer when he began his translations of Plato’s work. Perhaps this was because he believed that the time that separated the two philosophers had made way for changes albeit dramatic, to Plato’s ideas that would concur with the modern world. Mill criticised Plato for trying to show that virtue is in the individuals’ interest, but also for attempting to give justification that virtue should be preferred at all. Neither Plato nor Mill’s work is flawless, so criticisms can be made on their errors and self-contradictions, yet both of these men helped advance philosophy immensely, and provided the basis of much discussion and debate. For Mill, freedom is necessary and desirable by both the individual and society. For Plato however freedom is not of fundamental concern; it is far more important to live according to the eternal and immutable truths. Herein lays the biggest contrast in the works of these two influential philosophers as regards the relationship between the individual and society.