Ethical judgements Essay Example for Free

Ethical judgements Essay Our entire life is a continuous process of gaining and retaining information, expanding our knowledge as individuals. Most people spend quite a bit of time in their childhood years in school learning, taking in knowledge that has been produced. As a species humans have produced a wealth of knowledge in a variety of ways. However there comes a time where you have to wonder what extent people would go to, to produce knowledge. Where is the line? When are we doing something ethically wrong? All of these questions bring up another question, do ethics get in the way of producing knowledge? The arts and natural sciences are two areas of knowledge that deal a lot with ethics. The arts are a very free area of knowledge in with people are allowed to express themselves, the natural sciences require a lot of experimentation. In my opinion, knowledge is very valuable, and the production of it should be a priority if the sacrifice is reasonable. The arts are a valuable source of knowledge, producers of art tend to try to convey a message through their artwork. Art comes in many different forms, ranging from visual arts to music and even literary arts. Throughout all forms most of art there are lessons embedded in the art piece, or at least messages conveyed through the art. Similarly, most art contains some form of censorship, artists are not allowed to touch on certain topics. Even if artists decide to make art that touches on controversial or different topics, their art is typically not accepted in society and does not receive any publicity. Again, this is the case with almost all art, however for the purpose of this essay I am going to focus on literary art. An example that is very prevalent in my mind is the ban of _The Book of Negroes_ by Lawrence Hill. A dutchman named Roy Groenberg wrote a letter to Lawrence Hill. In the letter he wrote that a group of people in the Netherlands were going to burn Hills book because in contained the word negro in the title (Hopper). _The Book of Negroes_ is an award winning book that is about the life of an 11 year-old girl who is kidnapped in a village near Segu in Africa, and sent to North Carolina to be a slave. The book continues to tell the reader about her life as a slave (Hill). _The Book of Negroes_ is widely considered as very moving and a book that conveys important messages (Hopper). Unfortunately, because of the title it was misconceived as a book that was critical of African-Americans. Groenberg was the only person to act on his feelings, however that does not mean he was the only person to see this book as negatively directed at African-Americans. _The Book of Negroes_ was likely misconceived by many more people just because of the inclusion of the word negro in the title. Unfortunately, society has made many ethical judgements about the word negro which are usually justified but in this case prevent people expanding their knowledge (Hopper). This one of many examples, in which an ethical judgement limited methods available in the production of knowledge. This brings up the question in my mind, why do people shy away from certain words? An attempt to find the answer lead me to the Theory of Knowledge diagram, more specifically the ways of knowing. One way of knowing that intrigues me is language, this seems to answer my question. Language is a very powerful way of knowing, as words can be very powerful. There are handful of words in the english language that are not spoken because of how powerful they are. It seems to me that because of this some words are not tolerated even if the context is appropriate. Which sort of explains why The Book of Negroes received some criticism. It almost makes the criticism understandable, and I can begin to justify Groenbergs actions. Like I said before, almost all art forms have artwork that is not socially  accepted, and up to this point Ive only discussed literary art. However in my personal life I have learned about art not being accepted, when it comes to hip-hop music. I regularly listen to hip-hop music and it is a very important part of my life. In the eighth grade for a social studies class I had the opportunity to play a song in class as part of a project. This for me was especially difficult because a lot of hip-hop music is not completely suitable for a eighth grade class setting. Even though I had found a couple of songs that were perfect for what I needed, but had a little too much profanity. I completely understand that there are some inappropriate elements to hip-hop music that are not the best thing for a class room environment. However, I believe by the eighth grade students have developed a level of maturity, and should be able to listen to hip-hop music. All that needed to happen was for my classmates to disregard any profanity and see the song for what it truly is. Similarly, people should have looked past the title The Book of Negroes and read the book to see it for its value. Ethical judgments are as prevalent in the arts as they are in the natural sciences. From stem cell research to animal testing, there are a plethora of examples for natural sciences. The arts are as much about entertainment as they are gaining knowledge, or maybe even more. On the other hand the natural sciences is almost entirely about gaining new knowledge and improving what is already known. In this age, developments in natural sciences are nearly only about human advancement. Whether is medically or discovering new things. I am going to mainly focus on how various countries, such as Argentina, the United States, Russia, Iran and France, tested their space equipment. From the mid 1940s all the way to 2013, the mentioned countries have sent monkeys into space (Gray). Before leaders were confident enough to send humans into space, they sent monkeys into space to see how their equipment fared. As expected, most of these monkeys died horrible deaths in flight with no way of knowing what is happening or any way to help themselves (Gray). The most notable instances were the first few monkeys in space. In 1948 NASA sent a  rhesus monkey named Albert 39 miles into the air in a rocket. Albert died of suffocation mid flight, however NASA sent another monkey in the air named Albert II. Albert II survived the flight but died due to a parachute malfunction (Gray). When I discussed the Book of Negroes I reached a conclusion that gaining knowledge is more important than ethical issues. However, when discussing NASA monkeys it is much harder to decide. This is because lives are at stake, although they are not human lives it is still hard to think about something dying for space research. Majority of people agree that sending monkeys into space is wrong. How is it that NASA can design equipment to go into space, but can not create a machine that can detect air pressure and oxygen levels. Again, understanding this point of view is much easier but the theory of knowledge diagram came to my mind again. In the ways of knowing there is emotion, and that is likely the main way of knowing affecting people when they imagine monkeys dying for space research. It is easy to create an emotional bond with an animal as cute as a monkey, and most people can agree monkeys are cute. When reacting on emotions people reach rash conclusions. Which I think can be applied here, I am curious what the reaction would be if NASA tested with uglier or at least less cute animals. What if NASA sent warthogs into space? This is a situation when I personally hate to play devils advocate, however if I was an astronaut in the 1940s I would certainly not go into a space rocket. I have absolutely nothing against monkeys, but if I were forced to make a decision between a monkey dying and a human dying I would choose the monkey, without hesitation. In conclusion, knowledge is very valuable and has been something humans have cherished through the ages. The production of knowledge has been vital to the advancement of the human race. Under most circumstances in the arts and natural sciences, the production of knowledge does not require a major sacrifice, just a small loss or temporary discomfort. There are times in which it is not worth the sacrifice to learn something. However the vast majority of circumstances provide a reasonable loss for the production of  knowledge. Overall, I believe knowledge and the production of knowledge is extremely valuable and should be a priority when it comes to he arts and natural sciences. Works Cited Gray, Tara. A Brief History of Animals In Space. NASA. NASA HQ, 02 Aug 2004. Web. 16 Sep 2013. Hill, Lawrence. The Book of Negroes. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: HarperCollins, 2007. Print. Hopper, Tristin. Dutchman threatens to burn The Book of Negroes. National Post. National Post, 10 Jun 2011. Web. 16 Sep 2013. .

Motivation Theories Application in Construction

Motivation Theories Application in Construction Most concepts of motivation that apply to the workforce begin with the assumption that behaviour, at least in part, is directed towards the satisfaction of needs or motives. Definitions of motivation include: Willingness to exert effort to achieve the organizations goals, conditioned by this efforts ability to satisfy individual needs (Robbins Coulter, 1996). An employees motivation to work consists of all the drives, forces and influenced- conscious or unconscious- that cause the employee to want to achieve certain aims (Graham and Bennett, 1998 p60) Processes that account for an individuals intensity, direction and persistence of effort towards attaining a goal. Robbins and Judge (2009, p.209) There are many definitions of motivation, however the underlying concept appears to be that, some driving force within individuals by which they attempt to achieve some goal in order to fulfil some need or expectation (Mullins, 2002, p418). Rudolph and Kleiner (1989) and Armstrong (1999) suggest that it can be divided in to two categories, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is related to tangible benefits such as salary, fringe benefits, security, contract of service, promotion, the work environment and conditions of work. Whereas intrinsic motivation relates to psychological rewards such as the opportunity to use ones ability, a sense of challenge and achievement, receiving appreciation, positive recognition, and being treated in a caring and considerate manner. The importance of the construction industry in relation to the general economy The building and construction industry is essential to welfare and prosperity in the UK. In 2011 the Gross Value Added of the construction industry in the UK was  £89.5 billion, 6.7% of total GVA (Gross value added). There were 2.04 million workforce jobs in the UK construction industry in March 2012, 6.4% of all workforce jobs. The GVA of the industry fell in 2008, 2009 and 2010 both in terms of  £billions but also its share of the total economy, 2011 saw a slight recovery but the GVA of the construction industry remained below pre-recession levels. (http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN01432) The importance of motivation Motivation is extremely important to organisations and companies of all sizes; in a competitive market place such as the construction industry it is vital that staff members are motivated in order to convert physical and financial resources into useful products, ultimately helping to reduce the cost of operations. According to Sabah Karimi (2010) Motivation is important in order to be able to attain the organizations goals and to accomplish long and short term objectives. Managers strive to motivate people in organisations to perform at high levels. This means getting them to work hard, to come to work regularly and to make positive contributions to the organisations goals. However job performance not only depends on motivation but also ability and environmental factors. The relationship of Performance can be stated as follows: P = M + A + E With, P = performance, M = motivation, A= ability, and E = environment To generate high levels of performance an employee must be motivated to do the job, must have the ability to complete the job effectively and must be provided with the necessary equipment/information to do so. Mullins (2002) refers to work by Krietner et al. who proposes that although motivation is a necessary contributor for job performance, it is not the only one. Alongside ability, motivation is also a combination of level of skill, knowledge about how to complete the task, feelings and emotions, and facilitating/inhibiting conditions not under the individuals control. Performance and satisfaction are areas commonly discussed when talking about motivation. Organisations not only want operatives that are productive, but they also want to ensure that their workforce is satisfied in order to reduce employee turnover. Boredom and frustration at work is often the result of an employees lack of involvement with the companys goals and a feeling that their ideas are not wanted or listened to. For the employer, staff turnover increases as employees walk out of the door for more interesting jobs. (Management today) Despite being discussed, there has been little scientific research in to the relationship between satisfaction and productivity and whether operatives are motivated so they are satisfied, productive or both. The importance of motivation is clear and can be summarised in the following quotation: Motivation may be defined as the degree to which individuals commit effort to achieve goals that they perceive as being meaningful and worthwhile Johnson, Johnson, 2003 However, it is slightly unclear are the factors that motivate operatives, if the techniques applied by management are successful, and what the relationship is between satisfaction and productivity. Therefore the aims for this research are to: Understand what motivates construction operatives, by ranking their needs, motivators and de-motivators. Establish what site managers perceive motivates operatives, and compare whether they are of the same opinion as the operatives. Compare the findings of this study with previous research, and establish any differences in opinion Discuss the issue of satisfaction and productivity and establish if there is a relationship between the two MOTIVATIONAL THEORIES THEIR APPLICATION IN CONSTRUCTION There are various theories which endeavour to quantify what motivation is, all which are partially true. However a generalised theory that applies to all individuals in different circumstances has not yet been theorised. It is not essential to discuss all motivational theories but it is however important to identify that each one is different. This project will be expanding on data analysed from previous research which was collected in relation to Maslows hierarchy of needs theory. It also raises key points in regards to issues with satisfaction and productivity, this in which is linked to the work of Herzberg. This chapter will subsequently focus on the work of Maslow and Herzberg; other theories will be outlined briefly. History of motivation Motivation theories can be traced back over two centuries ago to the works of innovative theorists such as Robert Owen, Jeremy Bentham, and Elton Mayo who began to research and implement principles of motivational theories, there be it different models. Robert Owen believed that by caring and looking after the needs of his employees they would be more reliable, efficient and longer lasting. He demonstrated pioneering management and ethical business policies which are now widely recognised and implemented within human resources today. His strategies inspired infant education, the need for safer working practices, the co-operative movement, trade unionism, and garden cities. Jeremy Bentham views are widely known as the carrot and stick approach, a metaphor relating to reward and penalties. Bentham believed that everyone is self-interested, motivated by either a desirable outcome or avoiding an unpleasant one. Although theories of motivation have been explored extensively since, reward and punishment is still considered strong motivators in our society today. Elton Mayo conducted various behavioural experiments to explore methods of motivating staff, from the research he conducted he concluded that staff were not only motivated by pay, work conditions and moral but also psychological and social factors. He also found that recognition and a sense of belonging are very important and that an individuals attitude towards work is strongly influenced by those around them. Outline of theories It is now possible to divide motivation theories into two categories, content theories and process theories. Content theories may also be referred to as need theories as they focus on the importance of establishing what motivates us, trying to identify the needs of individuals and thus relating motivation to the fulfilling of these needs. These theories are concerned with identifying peoples needs, their relative strengths and the goals they pursue in order to satisfy these needs (Mullins 2002). They include: Maslow hierarchy of needs model Herzbergs two-factor theory Alderfers modified need hierarchy model McClellands achievement motivation theory McGregors X and Y theory Maslows Hierarchy of Needs Abraham Maslow introduced a hierarchy of needs in a paper written in 1943, called A Theory of Human Motivation. The hierarchy attempts to explain/propose factors that motivate an individual, Maslow suggested that people are motivated to fulfil basic needs before moving on to other, more advanced needs. The hierarchy is most commonly displayed in a pyramid format show in figure 1. Maslow believes that we must first achieve physiological needs as they are vital for our survival. They include the need for water, air, food and sleep; these are classed as primary needs as all other steps in the tier are secondary until these needs are met. Safety needs may also include factors that improve security; they are not as demanding as the physiological needs. Once we can sustain ourselves (tier 1) it then becomes essential to ensure our safety/security, examples of this may be protection from weather, health insurance, machinery, vehicles etc. Social needs include our natural urge to feel accepted; examples of this may be with family, relationships or colleagues at work. Esteem needs include feelings such as self-worth, accomplishment and social recognition. Self-actualisation needs represent the highest tier of the hierarchy and are needs concerned with self-fulfilment or personal growth. Maslow believed that each tier must be fairly well satisfied before the needs of the next tier become important to the individual, however Oldcorn (1989) advocates that individuals may not satisfy the first need to move on to the next until they reach the top of the hierarchy. He implies that in reality we try to satisfy a mixture of various needs at any one time. This can often be seen when individuals are put under pressure, sleep and food (physiological needs) may be deprived in order to complete an objective or goal (esteem needs). This argument coincides with Wahba and Bridwell (1976) who reported that there was diminutive evidence to support the ranking of the needs or the hierarchical order, as his theory was difficult to test empirically; furthermore this meant that there are various interpretations of his theory and the clarity of his work has faded over time due to more recent publications by authors with more current views. Nevertheless the values of the tiers remain, regardless of the overlapping of needs. Herzbergs two-factor theory Dr Frederick Herzberg conducted research in order to gain an understanding of what creates job satisfaction. Herzbergs to-factor theory states there are certain factors in the workplace that cause satisfaction, and in turn different factors that create dissatisfaction. Herzberg divided these factors into two categories, hygiene and motivator factors. Principally hygiene factors are crucial in ensuring that workers are not dissatisfied, whereas motivators are needed to increase performance. Motivators are regarded as factors such as challenging work, recognition, responsibility and personal growth; elements Maslow describes as esteem needs. Hygiene factors are extrinsic, these include; job security, salary, fringe benefits and company policies; elements of Maslows higher level needs. They do not provide positive satisfaction, however if they are not present this will create dissatisfaction. There has since been criticism regarding the accuracy of the results concluded in Herzbergs theory, NEED TO INCLUDE POINT THAT DISPOVES, THEN EVIDENCE OF VALIDITIY. Alderfers modified need hierarchy model (ERG Theory) Clayton Alderfer redefined Maslows hierarchy and re-categorised it into three broader classes of needs. These include: Existence Needs Relatedness Needs Growth needs McClellands achievement motivation theory David McClelland was an American psychologist who conducted research to further the work of Abraham Maslows hierarchy of needs theory. McClelland carried out research and experiments to identify the varying needs and motivators in a variety of people. His research suggested that these needs can be categorised into affiliation, power and achievement. Each of these needs influence motivation within an individual, McClelland suggested that these needs or motivators are acquired over time and vary from person to person dependent on their life experiences. Achievement can be defined as a recurrent concern to excel, to do better for its own sake, for the intrinsic satisfaction of doing better. (McClelland, 1961). The power motive can be defined as a recurrent preference or readiness for experiences of having impact, control, or influence over others and the world (McClelland, 1975; Winter, 1973). The affiliative motive has been defined as the preference for establishing, maintaining, and restoring a positive affective relationship with another person or persons (Atkinson et al, 1954, p406). McGregors X and Y Theory Theory X and Theory Y are theories of human motivation, developed by Douglas McGregor in the 1960s. The theories describe two opposing models of employee motivation; X theory proposes that employees are fundamentally idle and have no interest in meeting the organisations objectives, therefore management and direction is necessary in ensuring that the workforce operates productively. Y theory still suggests that management are responsible, however McGregor proposes that management should show confidence in their workforce; giving employees the opportunity to exercise creativity, imagination and ingenuity in order to create a work environment where both management and subordinates share co-operative objectives. Weinbach, 2008 states that Most people can handle responsibility, because creativity and ingenuity are common in the population

Siddhartha - symbolism of the river :: essays research papers

Throughout the pilgrimage of Siddhartha’s life, he went through many different stages. In the beginning, we meet Siddhartha, The Brahmin’s Son. Siddhartha was very intelligent, but wanted to learn more. His mind was not full, and his soul was not at peace. He decided to become a Samana in order to fill his mind and set his soul at peace. He had a goal to become completely empty of thirst, desire, dreams, pleasure and sorrow. He had the idea that if he could completely lose Self, he would be content. During his time with the Samanas, Siddhartha heard about Gotama, the Buddha, and became distrustful of teachings and decided to leave the Samanas with the belief that what they could teach him was not good enough. He had to learn things for himself by experiencing them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After listening to Gotama’s teachings, Siddhartha had an awakening. He thought, â€Å"The reason why I do not know anythng about myself, the reason why Siddhartha has remained alien and unknown to myself is due to one thing, to one single thing—I was afraid of myself, I was fleeing from myself.† He realized that he was seeking Brahman and wished to destroy himself rather than finding and getting to know himself. This awakening set Siddhartha onto another stage in his journey. During the beginning of this stage, Siddhartha saw things in a completely new way. He saw the sun rise and the stars for the first time. Siddhartha came upon a beautiful young woman, who very much helped lead him into the next step of his life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Siddhartha believed that he loved her and that she loved him. She led him into thinking that he would be happy if he had money, nice clothes, and her. Siddhartha became a successful merchant and loved money. He believed that with money, he could have what he wanted. After all, was it not money that got him Kamala in the first place? The money that had gotten Siddhartha what he wanted began to destroy him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Siddhartha began to think that this world of the riches he had become accustomed to was nothing but a game, as was the love he felt for Kamala. This belief led him into the next stage of his pilgrimage. Siddhartha believed that there was nothing left for him in life, and he wanted to end it, but from somewhere in his soul he heard the holy word Om and his soul suddenly, once again, was awakened.

Defining One Country, Two System :: China Chinese Government Papers

Defining One Country, Two System Hong Kong is a very special city. It has a very interesting history. In 1842, Hong Kong Island of Hong Kong was ceded by China to Great Britain. In 1860, Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong was ceded to England. In 1898, the rest of Hong Kong, the New Territories and 235 outlying islands were leased to England for 99 years. In the early 1980’s, the British and Chinese government began to have negotiations about Hong Kong’s future since the lease would expire on July 1st, 1997. The leader of China, Deng XiaoPing, introduced the â€Å"One Country, Two System†. The â€Å"One Country, Two System† was intended by China to give Hong Kong’s citizen a promise that communism wouldn’t prevail over capitalism in Hong Kong. This way, China would gain trusts from Hong Kong’s citizens that the conditions would be the same when the Great Britain returned the sovereignty of Hong Kong back to China. British and Chinese representatives signed the British-Sino Joint Declaration in 1984, authorizing the transition of Hong Kong’s sovereignty in the midnight of July 1st, 1997. Hong Kong citizens were excited that Hong Kong would finally return to its motherland. China wanted to show the world that the â€Å"One Country, Two System† would be unique and successful so that China could attract Macau and Taiwan to return to China. In the early 1990’s, the Basic Law was published in order to make the practice of â€Å"One Country, Two System† a legal procedure. In the Basic Law, it stated that Hong Kong would become an inalienable part of the People’s Republic of China (1). China would authorize Hong Kong to practice a high degree of autonomy, and enjoy executive, legislative, and independent judicial power (2). The executive authorities and legislative of Hong Kong shall be composed of permanent residents of Hong Kong (3). Hong Kong residents would have their rights and freedoms (4). The socialist system and policies wouldn’t be practiced in Hong Kong, and the previous capitalist system and way of life would remain unchanged for 50 years (5). Hong Kong would protect the right of private ownership of property in accordance with law (6). The laws previously enforced in Hong Kong, the common law, rules of equity, ordinances, subordinate legislation and customary laws, would be maintained (8).

Veronica Guerin-the One Who Stood Up

Veronica Guerin-The one who stood up Veronica Guerin (5 July 1958 – 26 June 1996) was an Irish journalist who was murdered on the 26th June 1996, on the Naas Road, Dublin, as a result of her work as a crime journalist specialising in the drug world of Dublin. Guerin was born and brought up in Artane where she lived with her four siblings and her parents, Christopher and Bernadette. She acquired the nickname â€Å"Ronnie† during her childhood and she received her education in the Catholic schools of Dublin's north side. She became an accomplished athlete in camogie, soccer and basketball.Soccer, in fact, remained a lifelong passion of Guerin's; she was a fanatic supporter of England's Manchester United professional soccer team. One of her most prised possessions was a picture of her and the famous United player Eric Cantona, which was taken on a trip to Old Trafford. Guerin married Graham Turley who she had a son Cathal with. She studied accountancy at Trinity College Du blin and on her graduation she was hired by her father at his company. After her father passed away three years after her appointment at the company she left and started a new career in public relations.She started a new firm in 1983 which was run by her for seven years. After leaving the firm she took up journalism, first as a business writer for Dublin's Sunday Business Post and then as a news reporter for the city's Sunday Tribune. Then in 1994, Guerin became an investigative reporter for the Sunday Independent, the largest-circulation weekend newspaper in Ireland. This move signalled not only Guerin’s subsequent rise to somewhat fame in Ireland but also led to the sequence of events that ended in her eventually been murdered.Her murder along with detective Jerry Mc Cabe’s murder three weeks earlier sparked the Irish government and the Irish people into life on tackling the war on drugs head on and without fear. For years she had mounted a high-profile war against I reland's drug barons on the pages of the Sunday Independent. Guerin tackled, without fear and without regard for her own safety, the drug kings of Dublin. The work she was involved in was obviously extremely dangerous and her life was put in danger on a number of occasions In October 1994, Guerin was subjected to her first incident of violence to stem from one of her stories.Two bullets where shot through her house window as she was playing with her son at home. This incident came a month after she had written a newspaper article on the drug baron â€Å"the general† after he was shot dead in his car. The second major incident to arise out of her news reporting was a very serious and life treating one, in January 1995, a masked gunman burst into her home when she answered the door and pointed a handgun at her head but lowered it and shot her in the thigh. Guerin suspected that the gunman was hired to â€Å"hit† her because of an article that she had written about the th eft of ? . 4 million from a supposedly secure depot near Dublin airport. This was the largest cash robbery in Irish history. (Encyclopedia. com) When Guerin was released from hospital after been shot she went along with her husband to every crime boss in Dublin she knew and handed them a letter letting them know that she was unafraid and unwilling to give up the fight on drugs. It was a statement of intent. A security system was installed at her home after the attack and the guards gave her 24 hour escort.They accompanied her where ever she went but Guerin, after a few days, stopped the guards accompanying her, as she felt it hindered her work as she was unable to talk to people and get the information she needed for her articles. (Film: Veronica Guerin) Then in September 1995, Guerin paid a visit to a horse farm owned by the notorious John Gilligan, a known leading player in Dublin’s underworld. She confronted him about how he had amassed such a fortune and good lifestyle wi thout been able to show where he had obtained all the money from.He reacted in a brutal, cowardly and savage way to these allegations by tearing open her shirt while looking for a wire and beating her senseless. Sometime after Gilligan phoned her and threatened her and her son Cathal. He told her he would kill her and harm Cathal if his name was ever mentioned in any news article that she wrote. (Freemedia. com) Guerin was never scared or would never let the drug baron’s sees that she was scared. She insisted that she would not be intimidated by any of them but friends of Guerin did admit after her death that she was fearful of Gilligan for the fact that he had threatened to harm her son.She didn’t let this phase her and she continued her tireless and fearful work and she continued to try and get closer to these drug kingpins. As she once said â€Å"they would find it harder to kill someone they knew†. That statement I feel summarised how she basically felt abou t reporting on such a dangerous topic she knew the danger not only to her life but also to her families lives but she knew she had some sort of protection in the fact that she knew the people she was mostly reporting on and her statement is entirely true they would find it harder to kill someone they knew.In December 1995, Guerin received the International Press Freedom Award from the Committee to Protect Journalists. On June 26, 1996, Guerin was in court in Dublin on a road traffic offence she travelled onto the Naas road and stopped at a set of traffic lights when the court was finished. She was alone in her car when she stopped at the traffic lights and made a call to friend and college, Chris Mulligan, on her phone having previously rung her mother to let her know she had been let off with the traffic offence in court. Then two men pulled up along the right hand side of the car and one of them opened fire.Guerin was shot five times in the neck and chest, killing her instantly. T he men then took off at speed before anyone could react. Her funeral, near Dublin airport was full with mourners, that included Ireland's president, and head of the armed forces; while thousands of others watched the service on television. On July 4, there was a moment of silence in her memory, people everywhere across the country stood quietly and bowed their heads in tribute. People just wanting to pay their respects gathered in front of the offices of the Sunday Independent to leave flowers and sign a condolence book. Encyclopedia. com) As soon as Guerin had been shot dead the guards launched an investigation into her murder. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that she had been the victim of a â€Å"hit† ordered either by someone she had already written about in her articles or someone she had planned to report on in the near future. It was unsure at the time weather her culprits would be brought to justice as the guards knew it would be a long and pain staking inv estigation. However in October 1996, a man by the name of Paul Ward was charged with the conspiracy to murder Veronica Guerin.He was the first person arrested and charged over the murder but the guards were hopeful he wouldn’t be the last. Most people including the guards believed that Gilligan was behind the â€Å"hit† although this proved very hard to prove. Gilligan left Ireland for Amsterdam the day before Guerin was murdered. Sometime after, Gilligan was caught with half a million in cash trying to board a flight he was unable to explain where the cash had legitimately come from. He claimed he won the vast amount of money gambling but was arrested on charges of trying to launder profits from selling illegal drugs. Encyclopedia. com) Since she was murdered, a number of things have happened that showed she did not die in vain and die for no reason. Since her death journalists who report on dangerous topics have been given better protection. Also after she was murder ed the Irish government held a special meeting to come up with and discuss a way which they would be able to create anti-crime legislation in order to put a huge crack down on drug crime and also to make it easier for the guards to create and implement cases against crime bosses.These new measures forced many of Dublin’s crime bosses to flee the country before the guards had the chance or opportunity to arrest them. Veronica Guerin not only changed the level of drugs on Dublin’s streets, she changed how people reacted to drugs on their streets residents in some of Dublin’s poorest areas demanded change and set up groups that marched the streets and kicked the drug dealers out. After her death the drug crime rate in Ireland fell by 50% the following year. (Freemedia. om) As a result of her murder the government established the Proceeds of Crime Act 1996 and the Criminal Assets Bureau Act 1996, so that assets purchased with money obtained through crime could be se ized by them. This led to the formation of the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB). Veronica’s murder was seen as an outrage and as then Taoiseach, John Bruton, described it, â€Å"it was an attack on democracy†. (Encyclopedia. com) Charles Bowden, a member of Gilligan’s gang, was arrested along with the other members of the gang that where still in the country following the murder.In an agreement with the Attorney General of Ireland, he agreed to turn state's witness. In doing this he became the first person in history to enter the Republic of Ireland's witness protection programme. A programme that is now very prominent in the Irish legal system. (Encyclopedia. com) Her life and death signalled change in many institutions in Ireland mainly Social and Political. From a social point of view obviously the effect the fall in drug taking and drug crime would of having would have been very positive.A fall of 50% in drug related crime the year after her death symbolised jus t how much of an impact her death had on Dublin’s drug run underworld. Her actions obviously had a symbolic effect on drug users. From a political point of view this is the institution that Guerin’s life and death had the biggest impact on. Her actions as a journalist ultimately led the Irish government to change the Irish constitution they introduced two new acts which led to the formation of CAB. This was a historic moment in Irish history a moment that has played a major role in the way criminals are treated in this country.The fact that one woman’s life could change the Irish constitution through her actions is undoubtedly remarkable it’s just a shame it took her murder to spark the government into action. Her death obviously had a huge effect on a lot of people most notably her husband and son. She was admired by a lot of people for her tireless work on bringing the drugs problem in Dublin onto a national level. A piece from an article written by her work college, Kelly Fincham, summarises her mindset on the problem of drugs in Dublin. Like all mothers, she worried about her child’s future but she also worried that her son would grow up in a crime-infested city as the authorities appeared to be ignoring the drug epidemic. Unlike many people in journalism and indeed Dublin, Veronica felt it was a foolish choice to avoid the problem by isolating yourself from it†. (Irishabroad. com) Guerin’s actions and fearless reporting changed the view on drugs in Ireland forever. Her murder signalled a social change that will forever be prominent in our country.With the establishment of the above acts not only was the criminal justice system changed in this country but the Irish constitution was also changed. Guerin wanted to change people’s lives through her reporting. She had met with young drug addicts and it’s for this reason that she strived to expose the main drug dealers in Dublin. She saw that these à ¢â‚¬Å"drug addicts† didn’t have to live the life they where currently living and that they could change themselves along with other things. Everyone in the Republic of Ireland remembers where they were when they heard Veronica Guerin had been murdered on the Naas Road. Film: Veronica Guerin) Referencing Film: Veronica Guerin. (2003). Directed by Joel Schumacher. Dublin Ireland, (DVD). Website: Encyclopedia. com. (2004) Veronica Guerin. Available at http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1G2-3404707176. html Accessed on 5/12/2011 Freemedia. com (2000) Veronica Guerin Ireland, World Press Freedom hero. Available at http://www. freemedia. at/awards/veronica-guerin/ Accessed on 11/12/2011 Irishabroad. com (2009) Remembering the real Veronica Guerin. Available at http://www. irishabroad. com/news/irishinamerica/news/guerin. asp Accessed on 11/12/2011

Inner city redevelopment and regeneration – London’s Dockland case study

* During nineteenth century, London was the busiest port of the world. But due to changes such as better technology, they became abandoned and derelict. * Larger ships could not reach the port and containerization did away with the need of large number of dockers. * By that time the area had very few jobs, the docks had closed and over half of the land was derelict, many of the houses needed urgent repair, transport was poor and there was a lack of basic services, leisure amenities and open space. * The London Dockland's Development Corporation (LDDC) tried to improve the economic, social and environmental conditions of the area. Changes ; Physical: derelict land reclaimed, trees planted, open space created and conservation areas created. ; Economic: improved transport systems means faster journey. Improvements in roads. Employment and businesses increased e.g. The Guardian and Daily Telegraph. High tech firms came due to the low rates of the enterprise zone. These were followed by firms wishing to relocate in new office blocks. ; Social: more than 20 000 homes created. Former docks converted into luxury flats. Large, modern shopping complexes built. Other activities such as marina for water sports and indoor sports centre built. Several areas cleared and converted into parks and area of open space. Almost 100 million pounds has also been spent of health, education, training and community programmes. Reasons for success You can read also Costco Case Study * Extremely high prices of land for new offices and residential development. * The potential of leisure activities and scenic views along the riverside. * Funding of some of the infrastructure by the government. * Initiatives taken by entrepreneurs like John Mowlem, whose company built the London City Airport. * The development of the Dockland Light Railway. * The setting up of the Isle of Dogs Enterprise zone to attract industry. * The development of the airport bringing easy journeys. Groups involved in this * Local housing societies helped by gaining home improving grants. * The local Newham council built affordable houses and improved local services. * The LDDC were responsible for planning and redeveloping dockland. * The national government created enterprise zone with its reduced rate. It encouraged private investment and improved transport systems. * Property developers were responsible for building large office blocks and converting derelict warehouses into luxury flats. * Conservation groups supported tree planting and other schemes. Opinions ? School leaver: happy because there are more new jobs available. ? Local shopkeepers: happy because they will have wealthier customers. ? Local retired people: bad, because the prices in the area rise sharply. ? Former docker: bad because no appropriate manual jobs created. ? Social worker: bad because local community is broken by newcomers. ? Elderly: bad because there is no sufficient services such as hospitals. ? Local people: bad, they wanted jobs and affordable houses. ? People living in Birmingham: happy as their houses were improved along with new facilities provided with them. Nupur Jain 5F Geography case study

Progressing Through Life

Progressing in life could be one of the most difficult things that a person will have to face during their lifetime. The troubles and problems that they encounter helps them to develop as a person, but also puts them through extraordinary pain. Denis Waitley a man known globally for counselling some of the world's most famous athletes, said a quote that could relate back to developing in life. He said â€Å"Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.†In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, developing as a person is portrayed in several different ways through the main character Amir. As a child Amir faced conflict between his father and himself mostly because he was trying to find a way to learn and connect with his father to help him figure out how he wants to live. As he enters his teenage years he experiences evil in this world first hand, something some people will never see. Le arning to control himself and realize how to handle it is a major step for most people.Later when he enters adulthood he begins to take responsibility and puts others ahead of himself. Helping those who cannot help themselves is a considerate and remarkable thing to accomplish in life. During a human’s childhood they face a lot of self realization and this causes most kids to be confused as they are proceeding through the early stages of their lives. Amir's father makes it very challenging for Amir to develop as a child because he does not have very much respect for Amir and does not acknowledge him enough. â€Å"This is grown-ups time.Why don't you go read one of thosebooks of yours? † (Hosseini 3). This quote shows how Amir’s father ignored him like he did not exist. This caused Amir to get very frustrated with his father because all he ever wanted was to be accepted by him. Another point that relates back Baba not loving loving Amir as much as he should, is w hen Baba is talking to Rahim Kahn. They are talking about how Amir never sticks up for himself and Hassan has to do it for him. â€Å"Self defence has nothing to do with meanness. You know what always happens when the neighbourhood boys tease him?Hassan steps in and fends them off. I've seen it with my own eyes. And when they come home, I say to him, † How did Hassan get that scrape on his face? â€Å"†¦ † he fell down† I'm telling you, Rahim, there is something missing in that boy. â€Å"( Hosseini 18). This quote shows us how Baba has very little respect for Amir because he believes that he does not know how to stick up for himself and this causes Baba to ignore him more than he already does. This is not completely Amir’s fault because he has never been taught how to stand up for himself.This is Baba’s job, as a father and role model, to make sure he knows this. There is also a time when Baba tries to reach out to Amir and give him the chanc e to impress Baba but Amir fails to impress him. When Baba puts Amir into soccer, he is hoping that Amir will take an interest in it. Amir likes the idea so he tries it out, but when he does he finds out that he is not good at playing soccer and he cannot get through this athletic challenge. He is unable to keep up and his dad gets frustrated so he takes him out of it and tries to see if watching the soccer will be better for him.For the first few weeks Amir fakes being interested in it and his dad soon catches on that he has no interest in it and wants to give up on him. (Hosseini 15). Amir feels as if he has not inherited any athletic ability from Baba and this makes him feel even more discouraged than he already is. All Amir ever wanted was to get his father’s approval and he fails to do it in almost every situation as a child. As Amir entered his teenage years he faced the evil in the world first hand. Amir witnessed an event that could scar any person for their entire li fe.When Amir saw Hassan get sexually assaulted he did not engage in the situation to try and help his friend Hassan. Amir stood by and watched his best friend surrender to the boys who sexually assaulted him. This situation relates back to the first point in this paragraph because if Baba would have taught Amir how to stick up for himself and his friends, he could have tried to stop or prevent this horrible circumstance. This situation relates to the point because if Amir would have prevented the sexual assault then he would not have felt so guilty and lost his best friend.If this situation never happened it could have change his life completely. After Amir watched his best friend get sexually assaulted, this stalled his growth as a child because he was feeling very guilty and did not know what to do with himself. (Hosseini 61). This is demonstrated during the fight between Amir and Hassan at the pomegranate tree. Amir throws a pomegranate at Hassan trying to get him to throw one ba ck at him because he wants to feel like he is even with Hassan again but Hassan does not react.Instead Hassan smashes one on his forehead to show that he is loyal to Amir and does not want to hurt him like Amir hurt him. (Hosseini 78). These last two examples shows how Amir is developing and maturing as a person because he now knows what he should do in a situation like that if it ever happens again and it also teaches him how he should be loyal to every person you are close to in life. In Amir’s later teenager years his father decides to move to America to get away from all the evil that was starting to happen in Kabul.He thinks that this is a good choice for him and Amir because it will give them the chance to start a new life in a different country. ( Hosseini 93) This is a turning point in Amir's life because he gets a chance to live in a different environment and take all of the knowledge he has gained and apply it to his new life. When Amir enters his adulthood he conti nues to mature and starts to apply everything he has learned through his experiences while growing up as a child and teenager. After Amir finds out that Hassan has passed away, his first instinct is to go and save his son Sohrab.Amir returns back to Kabul and finds out that Sohrab is under the control of the Taliban. As Amir finally finds Sohrab he is faced with the leader of the Taliban which is the man who sexually assaulted Hassan as a child. Amir then sacrifices himself for Sohrab and takes a beating from the leader and escapes with Sohrab later on. (Hosseini 247). This is showing that Amir has figured out that he has to put others before himself sometimes in order to make them happy and do what is right. It is a major step for Amir because he has not done this before.After Amir rescues Sorhab from the Taliban he brings him to a hotel so they can stay together until he brings him back to America. The morning after they settle at the hotel, Sohrab runs away to a Mosque and Amir h ad no idea where he went. Amir then started to panic because he knew that Sohrab was now his responsibility. Amir then asks the man at the front desk several questions until he mentions the Mosque and Amir immediately ran there hoping to find Sohrab. He finds Sohrab there and has a huge weight lifted off of his shoulders because he has found him, and knows that he is okay. (Hosseini 271).As Amir stays with Sohrab he is trying to get the papers which allows him to enter America. When Amir first meets the man trying to help him get Sohrab into America he faces a major issue that becomes an obstacle. The man tells Amir that Sohrab will not be able to leave Kabul until Amir gets proof that he is the uncle of Sohrab. (Hosseini 290). This brave challenge would have been extremely difficult for Amir to handle previously but since he is now very responsible and mentally stronger, he now works hard and does what is necessary to make it possible for Sohrab to come back to America with Amir.Am ir has grown and developed significantly since his childhood and now realizes how he can have in impact on other people’s lives if he really puts his mind to it. Mary Engelbreit once said, â€Å"If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. † Developing in life is a very difficult challenge for most people, but for some it is something that they can do overnight. In this novel it is close to impossible for Amir to develop in the main stages of his life because of the type of person he is.In his childhood he tries to get his fathers approval, but later finds out that it will be a lot more challenging than it may seem. As he enters his teenage years Amir exposed to the worlds evil first hand. He witness' an event that he could have changed but fails to do so because of his lack of knowledge. Then when Amir becomes an adult he finally starts to figure out how to take the responsibility for others and put ot hers in front of himself in order to make them happy. Amir finally develops in life and puts everything that he has learned to the test. Amir has come a long way and now can say that he is a fully developed man.