Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics - Research Paper Example To strengthen virtue, this has to be exercised and observed at all times. In the same manner that nature nurtures the body that is rightfully nourished and trained, virtue is also strengthened by perpetual observation. This virtue or moral disposition is determined on how pain or pleasure influences an individual’s behavior. If a man is susceptible to pleasure, he is licentious. But if he is able to restrain himself and abstains from indulging in physical pleasure naturally without distressing himself, then that said man is virtuous. The ability to restraint oneself from excessive physical pleasure is necessary because it is the temptation of pleasure and its excesses that makes and induces us to behave badly. For us to endure and become virtuous, training is necessary for an individual to feel and experience joy and grief at the right time which is a requirement in the observance of the golden mean. This training has to begin in infancy for us to be educated on becoming virtu ous because joy and grief are the basic motivations that dictates our actions. If our sense of joy and grief are misplaced; that is, feeling joy and grief at the wrong time and place, it would inhibit us from becoming virtuous. We would tend to be shunning the wrong pains and we would be seeking the wrong virtues that would lead us to become licentious. Early training would predispose us to act according to the right virtues and would avoid vice. This sense of virtue which had been nurtured since infancy would also dictate on how we make choices. The good man, who had been trained since infancy to be feel joy and grief at the right time and place is likely to be right in his choices. In the same vein, the bad man will likely to decide wrong when given a choice especially when it involves pleasures. Pain and pleasure regulate our conduct and the virtuous man is he who effectively regulates his sense of pleasure and pain. And the real virtuous man is he who exercises virtue by choice and not just performs them because it is expedient. Rather, the real virtuous man effectively conducts himself and makes those choices for the sake of doing it amid difficulty and he knows what he is doing. Knowing the choices that one is making that is virtuous is different from an incidental virtuous man who only acts virtuous when it serves a particular purpose or without difficulty. The real virtuous man chooses it from a fix and steady purpose whatever the circumstance or qualification. The doctrine of the golden mean According to Aristotle, the acquisition of virtue is a result of the right habit which was nurtured by education and choice. This virtue which has been nurtured by early training and conscientious choice can be destroyed either by excesses or deficiency and it is important that the individual should hit the mean condition of virtue to remain virtuous. This â€Å"golden mean† according to Aristotle is an approximation of in-betweens between two extremes that is neither excessive nor deficient. It is to feel fear, confidence, desire, anger, pity and pleasure that is neither too much nor too little because both polarized directions are wrong. What is desired is to have â€Å"feelings at the right times on the right grounds towards the right people for the right motive and in the right way is to feel them to an intermediate, that is to the best, degree; and this is the mark of virtue. Such, there are three dispositions of virtue which are excessive, deficient and the

Theories such as Marxism Essay Example for Free

Theories such as Marxism Essay Within this essay, I will be examining the view that education re-creates the class system. Theories such as Marxism, Internationalism and feminism, would agree with each other in saying that the education system favours the working class, due to ideologies, discrimination, domination and social control. Marxists Bowles and Gintis myth of education is a complete attack on the functionalists concept of meritocracy. Bowles and Gintis (1976) argued that the meritocratic idea that education offers everybody an equal chance is in fact a myth or a story that all of us jus blindly believe. They believe that the education system works against the ideas of the working classes. In their correspondence theory they argued that there was a correspondence between social relationships in the classroom and the work place. By this, they meant that the hierarchies, certificates, and discipline systems that can be found in schools are actually very similar to the world of work. In school you are paid with certificates, where as on the other hand in work you are paid with wages. Marxists also argue that education has a cultural reproduction role. Bourdieu has argued that schools, along with the staff that work in them are generally middle-class institutions. Working class children simply do not posses the cultural capital, which are things like the ideas, tastes, values and lifestyle associated with a particular class required for success in establishments. This means that middle-class children will generally do better than working class children. This makes school an institution that ensures middle-class dominance from one generation to the next. A sociologist that illustrates this view is, Marxist, Tomlinson says that differences in class are more important than differences in ethnicity in explaining educational attainment. So it is clear that education looks at classes and allocates where each student goes in the hierarchy. It recreates the education system by teaching children what society wants them to learn through the hidden curriculum, as well as teaching them to accept their roles and place in society, this relates to the class system as it ranks the middle class on top of working class. Functionalists say the class system in education should change as they believe in the education system being meritocratic as they say that the harder you work the better off you will be. Because the curriculum is based on westernized cultures, there is conflict between classes in education. Interactionists would say that there are many other stereotypes in the education system which puts the middle class in advantage to the working class to which the education system mostly benefits the middle class rather than then the working class. So, on the whole, the education system allocates students through meritocracy, reflecting their class in society. The well off- middle-class are better off, with more resources, cultural capital etc, and so can work their way up easily, and as we know education success is rewarded with cultural capital. On the other hand, the working class dont have that many benefits, so they do not achieve a lot. Education reinforces the roles the classes have to play in society and re-creates the class system.

Minorities in Congress Essay -- Congress Racism Politics Essays

Minorities in Congress In forming a government for the people, by the people, and of the people, our Founding Fathers developed the idea a bi-cameral legislature. This Congress, composed of the House of Representatives and Senate, thus became known as the people’s branch of government. American children are taught in schools that anyone can be elected to Congress, so long as they meet the qualifications of the Constitution. So long as you meet the age and residency requirements you are indeed qualified to be a candidate for Congress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If we take a more in-depth look at the composition of Congress we see a body disproportionate with its Nation. Congress has maintained a fairly homogenous make-up since its founding even into the year 2001. This conclusion raises no eye brows as both the executive and judicial branches of government have also maintained a very white, male, Protestant resemblance. However, Congress was formed for a distinct purpose: to represent the people of the United States of America. The melting pot of America’s huddled masses has been slow in placing leaders that truly represent its demographics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are a number of simple and complex reasons as to why this under-representation of minorities has occurred. Who is the real minority in Congress? This is not a simple partisan question, though it seems partisanship is a factor. An examination of the composition of the current, 107th Congress will lend greater light on where Congress stands as a representative body. A quick laundry list of the minorities in the United States being under-represented might read as such: African-Americans, Women, Black Women, Hispanics, Gays and Lesbians, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, Indians (Native Americans). All of the above groups have a unique history in struggling for greater representation. We now examine some of those histories in trying to answer why America’s Congress does not look like America’s people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While Voting Rights legislation had a great impact on changing the composition of Congress, other factors exist as barriers to minority representation in Congress. One of these is the use of single-member districts. Of great debate as to whether it is helping or hindering minority candidates is the establishment of minority districting and the use of racial gerrymandering. The question of constitutionality and these dist... ...tion has focused attention on the problems of our current system of voting. With the disproportionate amount of minorities being represented in Congress today, a change in the voting system is inevitable unless the two parties make a concerted effort to draw larger minority support and offer up minority candidates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Political reforms other than proportional representation may prove to favor minority candidates. Those looking to narrow the gap in Congress have looked at term limits and campaign finance reform. The idea that term limits would aid minorities comes from the fact that incumbents are so much more successful in elections. While there is always a call by reformers of government to implement term limits, the probability of this occurring seems quite slim. However, campaign finance reform is making headway this year in Congress. Supporters of reform argue that it would open access to greater candidates seeking election and not just those supported by the â€Å"big money† interests or soft money backing of parties. This augmentation of viability for a candidate would enhance the chances of minorities becoming candidates, thus enabling their representation in Congress.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

The Source of Conflict between Antigone and Creon in Sophocles Antigon

The Source of Conflict between Antigone and Creon in Sophocles’ â€Å"Antigone† In the following paper, I plan to discuss the source of conflict between the title characters of Antigone and Creon in Sophocles’ â€Å"Antigone†. I also plan to discuss how each character justifies his or her actions and what arguments they give for their justifications. I will also write about the strengths and weaknesses of these arguments. The final points I try to make are about who Sophocles thinks is right and who I think is right. The main source of conflict between Antigone and Creon is the issue of the burial of Antigone’s dead brother. Both of her brothers were killed in battle, however one brother fought against their home city and was considered a traitor. Creon issued a law that whoever tries to bury this man will be put to death. Antigone is very upset because her one brother is graced with all the rites of a hero while the other is disgraced. Antigone is determined to bury her brother because of her loyalty to her family and to the gods. She believes that no mortal, such as Creon, has the right to keep her from her own. Even if Antigone must die during the burial, she will not disgrace the laws of the gods. She believes that she has to please the dead much longer than she has to please the living. Creon states, â€Å"Whoever places a friend above the good of his own country, he is nothing.† Therefore, he does not allow the burial of Antigone’s brother because he did not place the good of his country first. He was a traitor. Creon makes this law for the good of his country. The following statements that Creon makes exemplify this: â€Å"I could never make that man a friend of mine who menaces our country†, â€Å"never will the traitor be honored a... ...er of what he hears people around the town saying about the situation. Haemon says, â€Å"No woman ever deserved death less, and such a brutal death for such a glorious action†¦ Death? She deserves a glowing crown of gold.† The play seems to praise the actions of Antigone and it is never seen that she is looked down upon for what she did, except by Creon. In conclusion, the gods and the love of her family rule Antigone’s life. Creon’s life is ruled by what he thinks is good for his country and pride. Creon did not change his mind to free Antigone until a prophet told him he would suffer horribly for his actions. However, because Creon was so stubborn for so long and did not take heed to anyone’s advice sooner, he ultimately suffers in the end, as does everyone else in the play. This was all due to a man’s lack of good judgment, his selfish pride and his stubbornness.

An Unknown Hero: an Essay on Theodore Dwight Weld

An Unknown Hero An Essay on Theodore Dwight Weld From 1830 through 1844, during the formative years of the American abolitionist movement, many arose as leaders in the fight for freedom. Author, editor, and auditor, Theodore Dwight Weld, was one of the leading framers of this movement. Many historians regard Weld as the most influential figure in the abolitionist movement. Despite his great works, Weld strove for anonymity in all his endeavors. This has long made him an unknown figure in American history.Weld, born in 1803 in Hartford, Connecticut, was the son and grandson of Congregational ministers. At the age of fourteen he began earning money to attend Phillips Academy. He continued his studies here until failing eyesight caused him to drop his courses in 1822. Following his attendance at Phillips Academy, Weld began a lecture series on mnemonics. He traveled for three years throughout the United States, including the South where he saw slavery firsthand. Weld’s family mov ed to upstate New York, where he studied at Hamilton College.Here Weld became a disciple of Charles Finney. Finney was best known as an innovative revivalist, an opponent of Old School Presbyterian theology, an advocate of Christian perfectionism, a pioneer in social reforms in favor of women and blacks, a religious writer, and president at Oberlin College. Weld was drawn to Finney's system for many reasons. It left no excuse for sin; it emphasizes present responsibility; it exalted the atonement of Christ; and it magnified the work of the Holy Spirit. Weld became a member of Finney’s â€Å"holy band† and worked under Finney for several years.When Weld decided to begin lecturing again, he became a preacher and entered the Oneida Manual Labor Institute in Oneida, New York. There, he would travel in two-week intervals about New York, lecturing on the virtues of manual labor, temperance, and moral reform. In 1831, philanthropists, Lewis and Arthur Tappan, hired Weld as th e general agent for the Society for Promoting Manual Labor in Literary Institutions. The Tappan brothers devoted their time and money to causes such as temperance, the abolition of slavery, and the establishment of theological seminaries.In Weld’s report to the Tappan's, he reveals that he â€Å"traveled 4,575 miles; 2,630 miles by boat and stagecoach; 1800 miles on horseback, 145 miles on foot. En route, he made 236 public addresses. † During his time as a manual labor agent, Weld helped establish and became a student at Lane Theological Seminary in Cincinnati in 1833. Pastor, Lyman Beecher moved his family to Cincinnati to become the first president of the Lane Seminary. The Seminary was founded during a time of rising social, political and religious conflict.Beecher was well known for his fiery sermons, yet attempted to contain his students’ social activism to maintain mainline support for the Seminary. His opposition of fellow revivalist Charles Finneyâ€⠄¢s views led him also to refuse demands made by a group of students led by Weld at the Seminary in 1834. Weld was an advocate of immediate emancipation, despite the fact that the Seminary had its own colonization society, which proposed to send slaves back to Africa. Weld convinced nearly every student of his beliefs over a period of months. This led to a debate that spanned across eighteen days over the appropriate solution to slavery.This debate addressed these two main questions: 1. â€Å"Ought the people of the Slaveholding States to abolish Slavery immediately? † 2. â€Å"Are the doctrines, tendencies, and measures of the American Colonization Society, and the influence of its principal supporters, such as render it worthy of the patronage of the Christian public? † Addressing the first question, the opponents of immediate emancipation argued that slaves were too incompetent to provide for themselves, leaving unlearned freed slaves without homes. This lack of edu cation would lead to a increase in violence and criminal activity.Immediate emancipation would be â€Å"unsafe to the [white] community†. Members of the American Anti-slavery Society refuted these arguments with the first hand testimony of, the newly emancipated, James Bradley. Bradley was stolen from Africa when as a baby, and sold into slavery to his master, who lived in Arkansas. When Bradley was eighteen years old, his master died, leaving Bradley to his master’s widow. For years, he managed the plantation for his mistress. All the while, Bradley was money to buy his freedom. After five years he paid his owners $655 to he received his â€Å"free papers†.He then emigrated to a free State with more than $200 in his pocket. Every bit of the $855 he earned by labor and trading. Once free, Bradley became well-respected member of the American Anti-slavery Society. Bradley ended his testimony by saying, â€Å"They [slaves] have to take care of, and support themsel ves now, and their master, and his family into the bargain; and this being so, it would be strange if they could not provide for themselves, when disencumbered from this load. † He said the two most prominent desires of the slaves were â€Å"liberty and education. â€Å"The debate resulted in a consensus to support abolitionism. The group also pledged to help the 1500 free blacks in Cincinnati. Consequently, the board of directory at Lane Theological Seminary banned further discussion of slavery. In rebellion, eighty percent of the students left the Seminary. Many of these enrolled at the new Oberlin Collegiate Institute. Some of Weld’s converts included such well-known abolitionists as James G. Birney, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and Henry Ward Beecher. Theodore moved to New York to head the new American Anti-Slavery Society’s training session.Here he continued lecturing on the inhumanity of slavery to gain recruits into the Society. When he lost his voice in 1836, Weld became the appointed editor of all the Society’s books and pamphlets. He began working as the editor of The Emancipator in 1836. It was an abolitionist newspaper founded in 1819 by the son of a Quaker minister. Weld used pen names for the majority of his writings. This attribute has contributed to the degree of his popularity when pitted against many other notable 19th century civil rights advocates. Weld married Angelina Grimke in 1839.She and her sister, Sarah Grimke, were abolitionists and strong women’s rights advocates. In letters written to the Grimke sisters, Weld conveys his ideology on women’s rights. He wrote, â€Å"sex neither qualified nor disqualified for the discharge of any functions mental, moral or spiritual†¦ Woman in EVERY particular shares equally with man rights and responsibilities†. He furthered this by proposing that qualified women should have the right to choose their own spouse, and should be able to hold a place of a uthority in the court of law. Weld had been the first to suggest this â€Å"ultraism† of women’s rights, as he described it.Even many women had opposed the idea that a women had a right to courting a man of their choice. Such propositions had been unheard of up until these letters. Weld, with the help of his wife and her sister, wrote American Slavery As It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses in 1839. This pivotal book is regarded as the most influential work on the antislavery movement. It is composed of the testimonies of those who had witnessed the inhumane treatment of slaves. Many topics were addressed in this book, including: the housing of slaves, the treatment of the sick, the amount of labor, their food, and their clothing.On the subject of labor, a slaveholder by the name of Asa Stone testified, â€Å"Every body here knows overdriving to one of the most common occurrences. The planters do not deny it, except, perhaps, to northerners. † This and a tho usand other accounts on the treatment of slavery were compiled to create this book that would convert many to the abolitionist movement. Theodore wrote two other greatly influential works on the civil rights movement. The first was The Bible Against Slavery, written in 1837. This book compared the context of ancient Israel to the context of a 19th century America to denounce the practice of slavery.Through passages from the Bible, Weld argued the religion involved in the abolition movement. In 1838, Weld wrote the pamphlet, The Power of Congress over the District of Columbia. In this piece, Weld argued the political side of abolition, revealing Congress's power to abolish slavery in Washington, DC. Both of these works played an enormous role in recruiting followers for the abolitionist movement. Theodore Dwight Weld devoted his life to the American abolitionist movement. He remained dedicated until the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution ended slavery in 1865.From his mentors, to his lectures and writings, to the woman he chose to marry, Weld’s passion for the equality of man can be seen in every facet of his life. This undying resolve is what has earned Weld the title of the most influential figure in the abolitionist movement. Works Cited Barnes, Gilbert H. The Antislavery Impulse: 1830-1844. Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1964. Print. Debate at the Lane Seminary, Cincinnati. Boston: Garrison ; Knapp, 1834. Print. The Dickinson College Archives. â€Å"Slavery & Abolition in the US. † Slavery ; Abolition in the US.Instructional and Media Services, July 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. ;http://deila. dickinson. edu/slaveryandabolition/title/0182. html;. Johnson, Rossiter, ed. â€Å"Weld, Theodore Dwight. † Appletons' Cyclopedea of American Biography. 1st ed. New York: D. Appleton and, 1889. Print. Prince, Monique. â€Å"Theodore Dwight Weld, 1803-1895. † Documenting the American South. University of North Carolina, 2004. We b. 16 Nov. 2012. . Smikin, John. â€Å"Arthur Tappan. † Spartacus Educational. Spartacus Educational Publishers Ltd, n. d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. lt;http://www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/USAStappanA. htm>. â€Å"Theodore Dwight Weld (1803-1895). † WWHP. Worcester Women's History Project, 2010. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. ;http://www. wwhp. org/Resources/Biographies/theodoredwightweld. html;. Thomas, Benjamin P. Theodore Weld, Crusader for Freedom. New Brunswick: Rutgers UP, 1950. Print. Tikkanen, Amy, ed. â€Å"Theodore Dwight Weld (Abolitionist). † Columbia Encyclopedia. Columbia: Columbia UP, 1935. Print. Vaughn, Stephen L. , ed. â€Å"The Emancipator. † Encyclopedia of American Journalism. N. p. : Routledge, 2009. 4. Print. Weld, Theodore D.American Slavery as It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses. New York: American Anti-Slavery Society, 1839. Print. Weld, Theodore D. , Angelina Grimke, and Sarah M. Grimke. Letters of Theodore Dwight Weld, Angelina Grimke We ld and Sarah Grimke, 1822-1844. New York: Da Capo, 1970. 425-32. Print. Weld, Theodore D. The Bible Against Slavery. New York: American Anti-Slavery Society, 1838. Print. Weld, Theodore D. The Power of Congress over the District of Columbia. New: John F. Trow Printer, 1838. 27. Print. Wright, G. F. Charles Grandison Finney. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and, 1891.Print. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. â€Å"Theodore Dwight Weld (1803-1895). † WWHP. Worcester Women's History Project, 2010. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. . [ 2 ]. Wright, G. F. Charles Grandison Finney. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin and, 1891. Print. [ 3 ]. Smikin, John. â€Å"Arthur Tappan. † Spartacus Educational. Spartacus Educational Publishers Ltd, n. d. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. . [ 4 ]. ^Thomas, page 38 [ 5 ]. Debate at the Lane Seminary, Cincinnati. Boston: Garrison & Knapp, 1834. 3-4. Pamphlet. [ 6 ]. Vaughn, Stephen L. , ed. â €Å"The Emancipator. † Encyclopedia of American Journalism.N. p. : Routledge, 2009. 4. Print. [ 7 ]. Tikkanen, Amy, ed. â€Å"Theodore Dwight Weld (Abolitionist). † Columbia Encyclopedia. Columbia: Columbia UP, 1935. Print. [ 8 ]. Weld, Theodore D. , Angelina Grimke, and Sarah M. Grimke. Letters of Theodore Dwight Weld, Angelina Grimke Weld and Sarah Grimke, 1822-1844. New York: Da Capo, 1970. 425-32. Print. [ 9 ]. Prince, Monique. â€Å"Theodore Dwight Weld, 1803-1895. † Documenting the American South. University of North Carolina, 2004. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. . [ 10 ]. Weld, Theodore D. American Slavery as It Is: Testimony of a Thousand Witnesses.New York: American Anti-Slavery Society, 1839. Print. [ 11 ]. Weld, Theodore D. The Bible Against Slavery. New York: American Anti-Slavery Society, 1838. Print. [ 12 ]. The Dickinson College Archives. â€Å"Slavery & Abolition in the US. † Slavery & Abolition in the US. Instructional and Media Services, July 2010. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. . [ 13 ]. Weld, Theodore D. The Power of Congress over the District of Columbia. New: John F. Trow Printer, 1838. 27. Print. [ 14 ]. Barnes, Gilbert H. The Antislavery Impulse: 1830-1844. Gloucester, MA: Peter Smith, 1964. Print.

5 tips on how to keep employee turnover low

5 tips on  how to keep employee turnover low One core aspect of successfully running a business- regardless of its size or the industry it’s operating in- is keeping staff happy and motivated so that they continue to perform at effective levels. It also helps to reduce levels of employee turnover- something that strategic, forward-thinking management teams should always consider.Why is employee turnover so crucial to manage carefully? Simple- its potential negative effects on an organization can be profound, and can impact every aspect of a company’s ability to operate efficiently.Entrepreneur published an insightful article on the hidden costs of employee turnover  in which  Toronto-based human resources consultant Tom Armour discussed the hidden ways turnover can have a financial effect on a company, including:The cost  of  the work that isn’t getting done when an employee is missingCo-workers not being able to work to their full potential because they’re picking up the slack from missing e mployeesA loss of credibility for management when a work environment has a reputation for excessive turnover and employees grow discouraged that they will thrive thereSo, it’s clear that employee turnover is a potential problem for any business and that its potential effects are wide and deep. That said, there are some strategic steps that key management, HR teams, and hiring personnel can take in an effort to minimize its prevalence. Forbes recently published an article that highlights several key ways to reduce employee turnover.Consider using these 5 strategies in your company.hbspt.cta.load(2785852, '9e52c197-5b5b-45e6-af34-d56403f973c5', {});1. Hire the right people.Keeping employees starts with hiring the right employees. You likely  hire employees  who have strong skills that match your open position. But, how well do your employees fit in with your business’s culture?You must hire employees who are behavioral and cultural fits for the job. You can ask emplo yees  behavioral interview questions  to find out how they react in certain situations. Also, during interviews, be sure to show candidates around your business and tell them about your workplace culture. Candidates will hopefully eliminate themselves if they don’t fit in.If employees don’t fit in with your work environment, I guarantee they won’t be happy. They won’t fit in, they won’t get along with their co-workers and they’ll feel lonely. An outstanding candidate that doesn’t match the behaviors and culture of your business won’t stay around long. They’ll take their skills somewhere where they fit in.2. Offer competitive pay and benefits.People want to be compensated well. They need to cover standard expenses like housing, utilities, and food- and most people want enough money for extras, too. If you don’t pay your employees well, they’ll find a business that will.When determining compensation for y our employees, it’s good to do market research on wages. Find out what your competitors pay their employees. Research a  competitive salary range  based on similar jobs in your local area. For example, if you want to hire an IT specialist in San Francisco, you should consider what other businesses in San Francisco pay their IT specialists.And you can’t simply give employees paychecks and be done. Employees want good benefits, too. You must offer competitive benefits that your employees want. Learn about  common employee benefits. Then, find out what benefits competitors and other businesses in your area offer.3. Give praise freely and often.Your employees need encouragement and recognition. When they do something right, show your appreciation. When they finish a large, difficult project or submit a project before the deadline, congratulate them. Show them that you see their hard work.Of course, don’t feel like you have to shower employees with praise for e verything they do. You don’t have to praise employees for small, everyday tasks. But, when employees truly do something worth congratulations, give it.The goal here is to create an encouraging, positive work environment. When employees feel respected, acknowledged, desired, and motivated, they are more likely to stay. Best of all, this method to decrease employee turnover is free. You just have to use your words.4. Guide employees down a career path at your company.If employees stay stagnate in one job for too long, they might search for another job where they can advance. Most employees want to increase their skills and knowledge and move up the career ladder. Showing employees a projected career path gives them a sense of direction and purpose.You should lay out an ideal plan for your employees. Where can they go from their current position? Maybe it’s an upward or lateral move. Or, maybe your employees can earn more responsibility in their current position. Whatever it is, let your employees know how they can advance.After you’ve set up a plan with them, you can help employees advance along their career path. Provide them with coaching quarterly by recommending ways to advance. You can also offer employees training opportunities. Give them plenty of chances to learn new skills and put them into practice in their current job.5. Don’t shy away from flexibility.If it’s possible, allow  flexible work schedules that let employees adjust their work time and location. That way, employees can create a work-life balance for themselves. Your workers can pursue things beyond work, go to appointments, and take care of their families- all while getting their work done on time.Flexible work schedules might not be possible for all businesses; your employees might need to be at your business at specific times. But there still might be ways you can offer flexibility, such as the option of working from home one day a week or adjusting a s tart time for the day.There you have it- if you’re interested in minimizing the effects of employee turnover in your organization, take advantage of the tips listed here to help keep your business operating effectively.

What is Artistic Beauty essays

What is Artistic Beauty essays Dr. Marck L. Beggs, Director M.L.A. Program What is Artistic Beauty? From the beginning of time, men and women have scrutinized, categorized, and compared components of their surroundings in an attempt to better understand their world. In the Bibles Genesis account, Adam, seemingly in appreciation of Eves uniqueness and beauty, poetically proclaims her, bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman, for she was taken out of man.[Gen. 2:23 NIV] Much later, artists, writers, and philosophers have sought to understand beauty, balance, and perfection the sublime. Their struggle to define perfection and to set standards of beauty was termed aesthetics or, the science of the beautiful, in 1753 by German philosopher Alexander Gottlieb Baumgarten. Baumgarten was considered the first modern philosopher to approach the question of beauty systematically, introducing the term aesthetics and defining the experience of beauty as the sensory recognition of perfection. [Danto 1]. The works of his contemporary, Immanuel Kant, express the notion that beautiful objects are without a specific purpose and that judgments of beauty are not expressions of mere personal preference but, rather, universal. Similarly, Encarta defines aesthetics as: A branch of philosophy concerned with the essence and perception of beauty and ugliness, dealing with the question of whether such qualities are objectively present in the things they appear to qualify, or whether they exist only in the mind of the individual; hence, whether objects are perceived by a particular mode, the aesthetic mode, or whether instead the objects have, in themselves, special aesthetic qualities. Philosophy also asks if there is a difference between the beautiful and the sublime. [Danto 1] However, even with a definition at hand, arriving at a consensus on precisely what c...

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay

Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Corporate Social Responsibility Essay Corporate Social Responsibility Corporate social responsibility is a corporate incentive to assess the company’s effect on the environment and social welfare and take responsibility for the impact it makes. Corporate social responsible corporations go above the required regulations and want to improve and better the environment or world. This kind of responsibility includes possibly adding extra costs to create positive social and environmental change. Businesses that practice corporate social responsibility, are essentially making ethical decisions about how to run the business and caring about others. Not only should the business care about their consumers, but everyone that comes in contact with the business. They should care about their employees, stakeholders, and consumers alike. The benefit of adopting corporate social responsibility is standing out amongst other corporations. Showing the corporations true integrity will get positive feedback from consumers. Some consum ers demand responsible companies not just prefer them. Corporate social responsibility can definitely draw in consumers and help increase business. The corporation that stands out to me as far as social responsibility goes, is Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Company started in 1923 as Walter Disney and his brother Roy, created the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio. The first nine years, the company had its ups and downs. They went through a pitfall in distribution rights. The creation of Mickey Mouse saved the company and won over the hearts of many people. By 1932, the Disney Company started winning awards. The years 1950 through 1955, more progress was made for the Disney brothers. They created their first live-action film, Treasure Island, and began several television series. One of those series is known as The Mickey Mouse Club. They continued as far as opening the first California Disney theme park, Disneyland. Disney rose in popularity and moved into a wider market. Today, Walt Disney Company is still striving for excellence in everything that they do. They hold specific standards for the company which are not only business standards, but ethics standards as well. It’s the Company’s intent to instill knowledge and train to act ethically through the compliance training for all new employees of Disney. I believe that this company holds high expectations for everything they do and genuinely care about those they effect. This makes them a great example of a corporate social responsible company. Some of the things that I see that make them responsible are those consumers necessarily might not see just by going to the theme parks or watching the films. The ethical employee training knowledge and the above and beyond safety measures it reaches shows me that they care about their consumers and employees. Training their employees the way of ethical actions is important to make sure the right thing is always done. The safety measures that Disney promot es is internet safety for online interactive games for children and also product safety. All Disney products produced are required to go through an independent third-party safety tests to insure proper manufacture and accuracy. Disney also host extensive, original interactive content from trusted brands, and

Voting by Consensus in The World Trade Organization Essay

Voting by Consensus in The World Trade Organization - Essay Example The WTO was created in order to create enforceable and binding international trade rules which are critical in promoting international trade and cooperation. Just like many of the international organizations, WTO was created to improve the socio-economic wellbeing of the individual countries and that of the world in general. In particular, WTO was to achieve this goal through trade. The Ministerial Conference is the highest authority in WTO structure; the General Council is the second level within the WTO structure; the third level in WTO structure is the councils for each board of trade; below the third level are the subsidiary bodies of the higher level councils.3 As has been noted, WTO’s main objective is to create an enforceable and binding international trade rules. As such, it needs a decision-making system which is effective and with ability to resolve the often diverging interests. It is against the background of this necessity that the WTO adopted a decision-making pr ocess that is based on consensus voting system.4 Consensus voting system refers to the voting process that aims at identifying the best consensus opinion that is arrived at through a balanced system of voting. In this type of voting, each party (in this case each member country) is allowed to suggest a proposal for debate.5 During the debate session, representatives of these countries ask questions, suggest new ideas, and seek clarifications. In this system of voting, wide ranges of voting options that have been developed in consultation with stakeholders are presented. Thereafter, decision makers are invited to rank these options- an option with higher preference gets more points.6 The practice of consensus dominates the decision-making process of the WTO even though the WTO Agreement foresees circumstances where consensus cannot be achieved. Its predecessor (GATT) did not use consensus but instead used voting as a way of making decisions. The evolution of GATT to WTO resulted to t he shift from voting to consensus in the process of decision-making. The consensus voting system has worked comparatively well in the decision-making process of WTO.7 Nonetheless, this system of voting imputes that the deadlock risk and specifically the inability of a member state to legislatively respond where it is not agreeing with the panel’s interpretation or the legal interpretation of the Appellate Body.8 It has been argued that this system has intrinsically favors the status quo thereby making it difficult to effect changes. Besides, the consensus voting system has been said not to provide for influence and decision equality because not every participant has similar ability to maintain vetoes. While it is agreeable that consensus has numerous advantages, it is questionable whether this system is more democratic than the voting system that takes into account the majority rule.9 There are several instances when consensus voting system has been used in WTO’s decis ion-making processes. A case in point is the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) that was decided upon based on consensus. The member states negotiated the pre-WTO clothing quotas of between 1974 and 1994 which had been negotiated upon bilaterally and was governed by the Multi-Fiber- Agreement

Information Technology and Explosive Change Essay

Information Technology and Explosive Change - Essay Example Over the years, the level of innovation that technology has brought in the running of companies is unprecedented. Unlike before when the use of technology was confined to some few business set ups, today, information technology is in use in almost every company to bring about swift changes in the way companies go about their everyday activities – thus innovation. With technological innovations, information technology tools are today at the hem of affairs instead of manual application of human strength and knowledge. Such innovations have brought about speed in the delivery of work, thereby making companies have higher outputs. This means that efficiency generally go up with innovations because â€Å"many people have the tools to design new and innovative software to solve common problems and improve efficiency† (Global Guru, 2009). As information technology enhances and increases rate of production with innovative ways of getting production implemented, information technology again plays an important role of ensuring that products and services reach as many customers as possible. In times past, people living in one country barely had an idea about the kind of business that went on in other countries. Today, companies with just one branch in one country can boast of global customer base because of the power of information technology. Via the internet, companies of all kind – including individual freelancers make thousands of dollars a month because of the expanded reach of customer base that information technology offers them. To conclude, all companies who have not fully come to embrace the miracle of technology are advised to do so. Research among companies on how best they can utilize technology should not stop so that they will not lug behind in the new global trend. National Institute of Health (2011). Using Technology to Study Cellular and Molecular Biology. Retrieved October 31, 2011 from

Impact of technology automobile Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Impact of technology automobile - Research Paper Example Most of the automobiles are dependent on petrol or diesel to run. This ground breaking technology is a blessing to the human race as it is capable of covering long distances within minutes (Abernathy, 1976). The intention of this research work is to cover all the major aspects of the automobile industry from its inception till date. How has this technology facilitated human beings and in what ways transactional activities have been affected? Discussion of positive and negative impacts of this technology will be illustrated along with its role in the society. Advantages and disadvantages of automobile industry and societal horizon will be demonstrated. The role of political invasion, economic side and massive usage will be critically examined so that all the essential parts would be covered. Environmental changes that have taken place due to this technology and its impact of people’s health remains the essence of this research work which will be scrutinized. In the last alterna tives to this technology along with the conclusion will be exemplified to present a clear picture about its impacts. Inception and Progress Historically it is reported that the first automobile was designed in the year 1672 for the Chinese Emperor, which neither had seating arrangement for the driver nor for the passenger. Emperor alone had to drive it. Another mechanical automobile was built in the year 1769 which was a stream powered tricycle created by Nicolas Cugnot. He built furthermore two tractors for the French Army to have a competitive edge in wars. His technology was dependent on the supply of water and steam that is why it could not sustain for long (White, 1971). (Abernathy, 1976) demonstrates that many innovational steps were taken in the preceding years by the different inventors but a promising automobile was yet to come. A French inventor Gustave Trouve presented his three wheeled revolutionary tricycle in the International Exposition of Electricity which was powere d by electricity. This was a big step taken at that time and got huge applause from the fellow inventors. Karl Benz- a German engineer is however considered as the father of the modern automobile technology. Benz designed his first engine in 1878 and got its patent in the year 1879. He produced his first Motor wagon in 1885. He brought his automobile technology into the consumer market in 1886 under the flagship of his company; Benz & Cie. After the inception of Benz technology in the market, rapid changes were seen in the industry and many French and German engineers came up with the innovatory automobile production. Companies like DMG and Ford emerged afterwards and gain huge acceptance and accomplishment in the market. Previously automobile technology was dependent upon steam, water and electricity but in the later years this was shifted to gas, petrol and diesel. In the later years focus came into designing of the exterior and interior of the cars came so that it would appear fi ne-looking. Comfortable seats and other technological specifications were uploaded making them eminent and impressive (White, 1971). Automobile industry is a big success in the technological world and the engine designing has been improved a lot. It has been more than a century since the inception of the first modern engine and till date massive advancements

Themes of Crhistian Faith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Themes of Crhistian Faith - Essay Example For how can one fully know or predict the end when he employs mind closed at recognizing paths that wind to a triumphant outcome. As I see it with his tone of reactions on course placement, clearly, he hasn’t been properly acquainted to an in-depth assessment of theology or his limited former knowledge might have been brought across at the wrong approach so there is not a way he can be expected to entertain the course in the competitive framework of the academe. Because the formation of his argument lacks structure, rational profundity and barely sounds discerning, I am gradually convinced to disagree with his vie. I find it sufficient as well to disagree on the ground that due to reluctance, he has not at all considered looking over a few lessons which may yield to recognition of advantages other than academic. Mr. Dawkins’ position is weak, having sought no development from an educated process of arriving at a decision and I suppose that every person with similar influence is not likely to figure any relevance in a religious subject and would amount to the same set of reasons that draw support based on the common philosophic undertakings and working principle in which science, in the absence of God, lies at the core. Theology, in its basic essence or with lengthy technical definition taken off, is by terms of origin, a word (logos) of god (theos) from which to explore limitless possibilities how it may be done so to obtain answers required upon discovery of innumerable questions with rising complexities, since no physical evidence is available to testify how or what spiritual entity and faith are in form. So then accordingly, one can at least claim that theology, as a study of god, proceeds to be identified as making an abstract concept raise to the level of tangibility, or reality, which we know must take a definitive form if individual truth allows its perceived

How far can conceptual tools such as carrying capacity, limits of Assignment

How far can conceptual tools such as carrying capacity, limits of acceptable change and environmental impact assessment actually - Assignment Example The WTO, World Tourism Organization, defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four (24) hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes not related to the exercise of an activity remunerated from within the place visited"(emoiz.com). Thus, mankind’s fascination with experiencing the unknown, coupled with improvements in technology and rising standards of living around the world have ensured that tourism has percolated into every strata of society, and resulted in rapid growth of that industry. However, tourism to view and admire natural environment and natural wonders (apart from the man-made ones) has started having major negative impacts on the natural environments, even leading to sizable destructions. These destructions not only damages those natural wonders, but also wide range of flora and fauna, whose habitats get destroyed in the process. Thus, with the positi ve activity of tourism turning into a nightmarish activity, there have been calls for sustainable form of tourism. As stated by Hens and Ni (cited in Nath, 1999) no form of tourism exists that does not cause environmental stress, and so the challenge is to find a ways towards sustainable tourism development that harmonises economic benefits importantly with the protection of natural diversity. Implementing sustainability in tourism involves a series of steps that has to be taken by various stakeholders. To actualize that, few conceptual tools can be used particularly â€Å"Carrying Capacity†, limits of acceptable change and environmental impact assessment. Each of these tools can protect the environment and its habitants, even while allowing human exploration of the environment in the form of tourism. So, this paper will discuss how these conceptual tools can be optimally utilized to create sustainable forms of tourism. â€Å"Carrying Capacity† and how it can help to c reate sustainable form of tourism The term or concept â€Å"â€Å"Carrying Capacity†Ã¢â‚¬  can be used in various contexts, however it basically â€Å"refers to the number of individuals who can be supported in a given area within natural resource limits, and without degrading the natural social, cultural and economic environment for present and future generations.† (gdrc.org). Every environment including a tourist environment or spot can have a limit on how many people and how much of their activities, it can support and sustain. If that limit is breached and more people enter that particular area, it could lead to instability and could cause repercussions to the already existing people. Although, the â€Å"Carrying Capacity† for any specified area is not a fixed one, and it can be altered through various means including technology, it is not a positive step. Because any alteration or modification of the â€Å"Carrying Capacity† will always result in p roblems to both the existing people as well as the entering people. Any restriction in the resources, when the â€Å"Carrying Capacity† increases beyond limit will lead to dearth of land, shortage of food, or decline in water quality and availability, which will quickly put the brakes on both types of growth. (Chant 2011). Thus, the tourist department and the authorities can come up with a tentative â€Å"Carrying Capacit

Themes of Crhistian Faith Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Themes of Crhistian Faith - Essay Example For how can one fully know or predict the end when he employs mind closed at recognizing paths that wind to a triumphant outcome. As I see it with his tone of reactions on course placement, clearly, he hasn’t been properly acquainted to an in-depth assessment of theology or his limited former knowledge might have been brought across at the wrong approach so there is not a way he can be expected to entertain the course in the competitive framework of the academe. Because the formation of his argument lacks structure, rational profundity and barely sounds discerning, I am gradually convinced to disagree with his vie. I find it sufficient as well to disagree on the ground that due to reluctance, he has not at all considered looking over a few lessons which may yield to recognition of advantages other than academic. Mr. Dawkins’ position is weak, having sought no development from an educated process of arriving at a decision and I suppose that every person with similar influence is not likely to figure any relevance in a religious subject and would amount to the same set of reasons that draw support based on the common philosophic undertakings and working principle in which science, in the absence of God, lies at the core. Theology, in its basic essence or with lengthy technical definition taken off, is by terms of origin, a word (logos) of god (theos) from which to explore limitless possibilities how it may be done so to obtain answers required upon discovery of innumerable questions with rising complexities, since no physical evidence is available to testify how or what spiritual entity and faith are in form. So then accordingly, one can at least claim that theology, as a study of god, proceeds to be identified as making an abstract concept raise to the level of tangibility, or reality, which we know must take a definitive form if individual truth allows its perceived

ARGUMENTATIVE, COMPARE AND CONTRAST Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ARGUMENTATIVE, COMPARE AND CONTRAST - Essay Example The article is well written and presents its argument in a logical manner. First, Cloud (2008) presents the idea brought forward by John McCardell Jnr. that the drinking age should be lowered after several conditions have been met. He also presents McCardell argument that restricting alcohol to those below 18 years old raises its appeal thereby encouraging binge drinking. After presenting these views, Cloud (2008) begins his arguments using statistics. He notes that data provided shows that there has been no major shift in binge drinking since the age restrictions were put in place. He argues that binge drinking has in fact dropped from 40.7% in 1984 to 38.1% in 2006. In response to McCardell’s argument of unsupervised drinking, Cloud (2008) notes that even if the drinking age was to be lowered, there would be no one to supervise the 18-21 year olds. His final argument is that while lowering the drinking age may end infantilizing of college students, it may increase deaths on highways. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, traffic fatalities and accidents connected with drinking have improved considerably since the restrictions were put in place. Sunders (2008) holds a different view and believes that college students between the ages of 18 and 21 are mature enough to drink. She also looks at McCardell’s argument that the drinking age should be lowered and that Washington should open the debate to look at amending the minimum drinking age. Her main argument is that the law is null and void since most people do not believe that the minimum drinking age works. Her arguments are also based on statistics and she argues that half of those between 18 and 21 year old have consumed alcohol despite the prohibitions placed by the law. She presents an argument forwarded by MADD that the minimum drinking age saves lives through the reduction of traffic accidents. She also notes that this fact has been supported by

Animal abuse Essay Example for Free

Animal abuse Essay Animal abuse is when someone inflicts pain or harm upon an animal such as not giving them their basic needs (food and water) to beating them. In between 5 and 7 million animal companions enter an animal shelter nationwide, every year (www.aspca.org), and within 50 miles of Hayward, CA, there are 170 animal cruelty cases reported (www.pet-abuse.com). Imagine what these innocent beings that cannot speak out to let the human know they are in pain feel. Animals need us to speak out and help reduce their suffering instead of making their lives worse. Animal safety needs to be improved by creating more laws to protect animals from harm. Animal cruelty is shaped by two forms of abuse, different types of animal abuse, opinions on how animal cruelty happens, organizations that help fight for animal rights, and ways to report it. see more:animal abuse essay Everyday animals are being taken advantage of and being brutally abused. They are beaten, kept in cages, and enslaved just for a person’s own amusement (www.peta.org). Humans like to have freedom but yet they have no problem locking animals away because they don’t feel like dealing with them. The law sees passive and active abuse as illegal but they don’t have strict consequences that follow. Passive abuse is when the crime is less intentional and active is doing it intentionally to cause pain upon an animal (www.pet-abuse.com). Why should animals have to endure this cruel torture? What did they do to deserve this? I believe animals should be more protected under the law and not just thrown around like garbage. Furthermore, there are many three main categories of animal abuse which are slaughter houses, animal testing, and finally in-house abuse. When slaughter house workers cut the heads off of a chicken their hearts are still beating, so they are forced to suffer for to benefit humans and are not protected under the law to be slaughtered humanely. Two hundred and eighty-seven chickens, three point sixty-eight pigs, and one point two cow are  slaughtered per second (www.annimalsuffering.com). Should so many animals be put through this cruel and unusual torture? There should be a maximum number under the law that prevents them from slaughtering so many in a small amount of time. There are many forms of animal testing, but the two main animal tests are, the Eye Irritancy and Acute Toxicity. The Eye Irritancy test is also known as the Draize eye test which is performed on rabbits by inserting a fluid with a needle in one eye to see how it reacts to this fluid. The rabbits are put in a contraption that locks their heads and endure a lot of suffering such as ulcers, blindness, and usually death. Next, Acute Toxicity is a method where they determine how much of a chemical can be exposed to the mouth, skin, and inhaled with rats and mice. These rodents are poisoned and the experiment ends when at least half of the testing animals die from the trial. They suffer from excruciating pain, convulsions, loss of motor function and seizures (www.aavs.org). No laws state that animal testing cannot be performed; therefore, they can inflict pain upon the animals at any time without worry of being prosecuted. They are able to inject them with lethal chemicals but when it comes to humans everyone is against injecting humans such as in the death penalty because it is inhumane and unusual torture. Finally, in-house abuse, is abuse from human to pet. According to the U.S. Animal Abuse Classifications chart neglect/abandonment ranks 1st with 5, 365 cases, animal hoarding ranks 2nd with 2,061 cases, and shooting comes in 3rd with 1,888 cases. I believe there should be laws that require background checks on violence and brutality in order to own pets because there are connection between violence and abusing animals. Overall, the United States has a high rate of people mistreating innocent animals and it must be prevented in order to protect these voiceless beings. Since the law is not doing much to protect these animals from cruel humans, the people believe they can get away with this crime. They have insecurities and since animals are smaller than them and can’t speak out they take all their frustrations out on them. Animals are helpless creatures whom are assumed to have no feelings. Animals are put through pain and torture due to people’s anger and ignorance. When a human is murdered, the law gives consequences to the murderer, but when animals are end up dead because of being tortured, the law does not provide consequences for the crime. These  people need to take responsibility for their actions and get the same punishment that they would get if these inflictions were toward a human. Animals deserve to have the same rights and be protected under the law. Despite of all the ignorant people, there are those who believe in equality between animals and humans and choose to be up standers. If laws were created that protected animals, these organizations would have a better support system for their fight. Laws would make these groups easier to support, therefore they could make more of a difference. For example, animal shelters provide the basic necessities such as food, shelter, and water and a safe environment for them to recover from the harsh acts. Without these shelters, animals will lose hope, so in order to keep them running, donations need to be given. Besides animal shelter, there are specific organizations that help fight for animal rights and help prevent animal cruelty. Some examples of organizations are the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals). These groups believe that animals are just as equal as humans and should not be treated the way they are. People need to take responsibility for their actions, take care of their pets properly, and encourage others to do the same. In order to provide sufficient ways of life for animals, the law must support these organizations. Although there are organizations that fight to make a difference, individuals can stop animal cruelty. The Karma Dog organization stated, â€Å"What come around goes around.† Furthermore, there are many strategies you can use to report any signs of abuse or neglect. They can call 911 if the animal is being forced to fight other animals, starved, tortured, and has heavy chains around the neck, open wounds, and mutilation. Another number you can call is 311. When calling 311 the conditions are deprivation of food, water, improper vet care and shelter, untreated skin conditions, has extreme flea infestation, and extremely long nails and matted hair. When seeing animal abuse posted through the internet you must immediately contact the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) which is partnered with the FBI (http://www.belladogmagaizine.com). Finally, you can go onto change.org and sign petitions to stop animal testing and cruelty. You may not think one signature will make a difference but it does because once enough signatures  are collaborated, the government will realize something needs to be done. Never give up and keep fighting for these innocent animals. Even though animal abuse is wrong and hurtful to animals, some owners don’t purposely inflict harm upon them. For example, if the owner is having a really busy day and doesn’t have the time to walk their dog or they forget to feed them. Why should the owner be penalized for an accident? If the owner tries his best and treats the dog well any other time shouldn’t he be let off with a warning? A person should not be penalized for an accident because many things happen in life that causes distractions. Pet owners don’t intentionally neglect their pets and they deserve the chance to prove the courts otherwise. Some believe that animals are here to serve us so if so then we should not have to pamper them as we would for ourselves. In conclusion, animals and humans are no different and they should not be treated differently under the law. However, people in the United States mistreat innocent begins and laws need to be enforced to prevent it. Some think that animals cannot speak, that what happens to them will not affect them mentally, but every living animals have feeling whether they can talk or not. Treat an animal the way you would want to be treated. When using products, people should think to look if it has been tested on animals. Registering or volunteering at organizations that help prevent and heal abused animals will set a good example to others to fight for what you believe in. The bible states, â€Å"Do unto others.† This phrase is for all being not just humans so why should animals have to continue suffering. Be your own person and fight against animal abuse because this is cruel and unusual torture. Works Cited Pet Statistics. ASPCA. N.p., 2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Reporting Internet Animal Abuse | BellaDOG Magazine. Reporting Internet Animal Abuse | BellaDOG Magazine. N.p., 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . The Issues. PETA. N.p., 2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Types of Animal Testing. -The American Anti-Vivisection Society (AAVS). N.p., 2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Corp., Petabuse. Animal Cruelty. Animal Cruelty | Pet-Abuse.Com Animal Cruelty Database. N.p., 2001-2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Corp., Petabuse. Local Animal Cruelty Case Search | Pet-Abuse.Com Animal Cruelty Database. Local Animal Cruelty Case Search | Pet-Abuse.Com Animal Cruelty Database. N.p., 2001-2012. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. . Hugo, Victor. Animal Slaughter, Abuse and Cruelty. Behind the Screens. AnimalSuffering. Animals Rights Concerns, 2003,2009. Web. 22 Nov. 2012. .

The European powers

The European powers Abstract Being unified late in the 19th century it was difficult for Italy to establish itself amongst the other European powers. Therefore, one can view the indecisiveness of the Italians on where their national interests lie, as an act of opportunism because since its unification Italy had no particular loyalty to any group of powers except that group from which it could benefit most. This assignment gives prominence to this factor and also delves into detail in Italys policy during the Cold War (mainly resting on two main pillars: NATO and the EU). The Post Cold War period is also covered with special emphasis on the governments of Berlusconi and Romano Prodi. Introduction In 1858-9 the Kingdom of Piedmont was allied with France against Austria in order to achieve Lombardy. Seven years later it fought side by side with Bismarcks Prussia in the Austro-Prussian War. Four years later it stayed neutral in the Franco-Prussian War which was eventually won by Prussia. The road to Italian Unification in itself shows that the Italians had no particular loyalty to any power. The shifts in alliances were quite common for Italians as long as they were sure that they were getting the maximum benefit from them[1]. In the course of the Risorgimento the keystone of Piedmontese foreign policy had been friendship with France and Britain. When France was defeated by Prussia after 1870 it was not useful anymore. In fact, the Italians started even regarding it as a hostile country especially after the French conquered Tunisia in 1881 (a country which the Italians had been aiming to conquer themselves)[2]. Although they had claims on Austrian Territories such as South Tyrol, Istria and Dalmatia; the Italians still joined the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria in 1882. Joining an arch-rival like Austria-Hungary was certainly a piece of real politick. In fact this move wasnt really popular with many Italian nationalists who preferred having France rather than Austria-Hungary in an alliance. In fact, after the fall of the anti-French Crispi, Italian foreign policy started moving closer towards France[3]. In WW1, Italy did a remarkable piece of political opportunism when it first concluded an agreement with France in 1914, and then joined France and Britain in the war, thus betraying the Triple Alliance of which it had been part of for more than a generation[4]. The end of WW1 brought a lot of dissatisfaction amongst the Italians. The Versailles Settlement barely gave any territory which the Italians had hoped for. This was one of the main factors which led to the rise of Mussolini who advocated a revisionist policy towards this settlement. Mussolinis active foreign policy proved to be a headache for France and Britain which had their own empires to take care of. Mussolini regarded the Mediterranean as Mare Nostrum (while both France and Britain had interest in it) and was for expansion in the Balkans and Africa, despite Woodrow Wilsons insistence on self-determination[5]. Mussolinis ambitions did not stop France, Britain and Italy to sign the Stresa Pact mainly aimed against Germany (1935). Yet, when in the Abyssinian crisis France and Britain imposed sanctions on Italy, Mussolini immediately made a U-turn in Italian foreign policy and joined Hitler in what is famously known as the Pact of Steel (1939)[6]. This eventually led to Italy joining Germany in WW2. The Years of the Cold War In the immediate aftermath of the Second World War it was clear that the allied forces presence in Italy would have a great effect on Italian Politics; they would not think twice to intervene in cases of serious civil disorder[7]. The uninterrupted predominance of the Christian Democratic Party after the war made Italy an original and unquestioned member of NATO and the EC[8]. Another important field of interest on the international scene were those areas involving a geopolitical and economic interest; like the Balkans, the Mediterranean and certain Arab countries. Yet, Italy was in a very difficult position in this period of time because it was regarded as a defeated state. Its foreign policy had to practically start from scratch[9]. Italy was one of the first countries to ask and benefit from Marshall Aid to avoid the rising power of the communists. In fact, when the government formed in 1947, the Socialists and the Communists were excluded. Marshall Aid was one step forward towards a completely original aspect in Italys foreign policy history: a closer relationship to America. This relationship was sealed in 1949 when Italy joined NATO, therefore achieving an international warranty for De Gasperis government leadership[10]. According to Sergio Romano: LItalia non era nella NATO per prepararsi con gli alleati alleventualita` di una Guerra possible, ma per due obiettivi con cui aveva dimestichezza sin dagli anni della Triplice Alleanza: evitare i rischi dellisolamento e sfruttare lo stallo per intrattenere con lavversario i migliori rapport possible[11]. For Paolo Tripodi, the first pillar of Italian foreign policy during the cold war was the USA[12]. In fact, till late 1980s Italy always followed NATO faithfully. However, one must not forget the other fundamental aspect of Italian international affairs: Europe. In fact, Italy had a shared vision internationally which pointed to a mutual reinforcement of the two guidelines: The more the Atlantic link was emphasized, the more European integration would have progressed and vice-versa[13]. The Marshall Aid was not enough to sustain Italy; it needed a wider market to consolidate its economy. Here one can also mention the federalism of Altiero Spinelli, whose figure was an indicator of the great Europeanism fervour that existed in the Peninsula at the time[14]. At this point the left wing parties too accepted NATO and EEC membership. Being part of the EEC (and later the EU) undoubtedly helped to transform the country from peasant backwardness into industrial dynamism, a transformation in which it overtook Britain in terms of income per person and could proudly take its seat at the G7 table of rich economies[15]. Until the beginning of the 1980s the membership of the EC was considered as complimentary to the alliance with the USA and to NATO. This perception wasnt always accurate and in the 1960s, Italy moved away from Gaullist France as it regarded a breach of harmony in the Transatlantic Relationship as a threat to the foundation of Italian foreign policy[16]. After 1945, Italy kept a low profile foreign policy in the Mediterranean since they didnt want to cause tension with the other powers in the region (including the USA which had the biggest fleet in the sea). It only started making its first real moves after the 1973 oil crisis where it established relations with Libya and Algeria. In the 1980s, Italy also established relations with the PLO and other 3rd World Countries[17]. This section of the assignment showed that Italy had a new dilemma in its foreign policy. USA and the EU might have been allied, but their interests didnt always intertwine and this became very evident in the post Cold War period. In my opinion, although it had quite a fundamental role in European affairs, Italy tended to give its relationship with USA more importance than Europe. This scenario comes out more clearly in recent years under the Berlusconi leadership and even to a certain extent under Romano Prodi. The Post Cold War Policy The end of the Cold War meant that the geopolitical importance of Italy was now limited in NATO. The new international situation required a greater Italian engagement especially in the military department. However, Italy needed stability within its domestic affairs to carry out a more active foreign policy. The 1990s were far from stable; it was only in the beginning of the 21st century that domestic stability was achieved under Berlusconi[18]. The term continuity was used for the foreign policy of Italy during the Cold War because it rarely took independent bold action and usually followed the EU and NATO faithfully. Since the end of the Cold War, Italy began to take a more active approach in its foreign and security policy which it conceptualised and upheld in terms of pursuit of national interests[19]. This indicates that during the Cold War Italy gave more importance to NATO sometimes even above its national interests. This can be due to fear of offending the U.S. which was its main ally against a hostile communist east. The end of the Cold War meant that Italy had to reconsider its role within NATO. This is because first of all NATOs role automatically weakened with the fall of the USSR. Another factor was that disagreements within the alliance would be more likely to arise; and the third factor was that in case of major disagreement between USA and the EU Allies, the latter wouldnt have the ability to act on its own[20]. Professor Osvaldo Croci explains how Italy revised its traditional role as a security consuming country and embarked on an effort to become a security producing country as well[21]. Italian governments in the 1990s and even in 2000s pursued a number of policies aimed at reinforcing and functionally linking the different multilateral organizations of which the country was member of: primarily the UN, the EU and NATO[22]. For example Italy fully supported the development of a European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) but, unlike France, it regarded its development as complimentary and not as an alternative to NATO. The victory of the centre-right coalition (Casa Della Liberta`) in 2001 made EU members apprehensive about the foreign policy this government was expected to adopt. This political faction was known for the lukewarm attitude it had towards the EU. In fact, as The Economist rightly pointed out, the EU still had plenty to offer to Italy but both the EU and Italy had changed and what was good for the EU was not always good for Italy. That was what the new centre-right coalition set out to do in 2001: to question some EU policies and to assert Italys national interest more forcefully[23]. Nevertheless, the two main pillars in Italys foreign policy remained NATO and the EU. The accusations that Italy had embarked on a Europe-sceptic path were exaggerated because Berlusconi only brought change in the tone and style of Italys foreign policy but not in its substance[24]. It was the resignation of foreign minister Mr Ruggiero, who was known for his pro-EU agenda that worried most EU Countries. Lega Nord leader Umberto Bossi showed no particular enthusiasm to the EU. He even referred to it as the new Soviet Union. The EURO was even greeted with indifference by the Italian government[25]. As a successful tycoon, Berlusconi was both European and Internationalist in his outlook[26]. In his electoral victory speech he claimed: We are proud to be part of Europe. We are proud of the special relationship we have with the United States. We will work attentively in the next few months and years to develop those relations even more[27]. Berlusconi was practically stressing continuity in Italys foreign policy. According to Ignazi, the only announced change was a more assertive international presence flanked by a new modus operandi centred round personal and direct contacts[28]. One such contact was certainly Russias Vladimir Putin. A meeting was carried out by the Italian government in Practica di Mare. The aim was to celebrate the partnership between NATO and Russia. This meeting showed the great respect Berlusconi had towards Russia. Berlusconi even went to the extent of defending Putins policy in Chechnya[29] (a policy which had raised international concern). Under Berlusconi, the transatlantic relationship became the focal point of Italian foreign policy. The proof of this were the number of statements in support of the U.S. foreign policy, especially in Afghanistan and the Iraqi crisis[30]. Despite the domestic opposition to the Iraqi War, Berlusconi made sure that Italy participated actively even militarily. Sergio Romano points out that lopposozione e una parte della opinion pubblica hanno accusato il governo Berlusconi di essere succube degli americani[31]. Though in official declarations Italy always followed the Europhile line; when war in Iraq broke out and created a division between USA with UK against France and Germany. Berlusconi supported the U.S. Even though as pointed above the war was opposed by many influential groups including the Catholic Church, when war was formally declared Berlusconi sent troops, even if they marched under a humanitarian disguise[32]. Therefore America was preferred over maintaining the preferential channel with Arab countries and also over the EU (keeping in mind the Franco-German opposition to the war)[33]. The newly elected Prodi Government in 2006 hoped to bring the country back onto the centre stage of EU politics. Berlusconi had never considered the EU a high priority and he preferred flirting with other top international leaders instead. In his few years in office Prodi worked for a more balanced transatlantic relationship coupled with a transformation of the EU into a fully autonomous international actor. This idea resembled Chiracs idea of multipolarism[34]. Berlusconi was certainly in favour of enlargement; in fact, he went as far as to pronounce himself in favour of the accession of both Israel and Russia. This reflected his vision of the EU more as a common economic space than as a political entity. On the other hand Prodi sought to strengthen the EU institutions before the actual enlargement[35]. President Bush lost a great ally when Berlusconi lost the election in 2006. In fact, before the election Bush had made certain statements that came very close to an open endorsement of Berlusconis re-election. These statements were regarded by a commentator as a blatant interference in Italys domestic affairs[36]. Yet, in reality Bush had little to worry from Prodi, as, once elected, Il Professore made it clear that he wished to enter into close dialogue and consultation with USA concerning Italys military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prodi even defended Italys military presence in Afghanistan: The goal of our presence in Afghanistan is to consolidate the countrys young democratic institutions our soldiers bring a culture of dialogue and help, not of clashes.[37] In 2008, Berlusconi was at Italys helm again. This time accusations of corruption and his attempts to silence criticism from the press, cast new doubts over Italys international credentials. Berlusconi is currently accused of taking a personal approach to Italys foreign relations. He strengthened certain aspects of Italian relations but weakened Italys EU credentials; even though Italy supported both the EU Constitutional Treaty and the Lisbon Treaty vigorously. Berlusconis friendship with Russia and understanding with Libya can be regarded as a structural realist approach to Italys foreign relations[38]. Conclusion In a book he wrote, Italian foreign minister Frattini argued that the present Italian foreign policy is grafted into a long tradition of continuity and that its only novelty is its activism[39]. In my opinion he couldnt have hit the mark more accurately than that. Since 1861 Italian governments endeavoured to win recognition at the table of the Great Powers, searching for legitimization through various international coalitions and alliances. Since the end of the Cold War Italys international profile has been raised considerably; but do the Italians know where their national interests really lie? For years this question has echoed the Italian international policy. History shows that Italy tends to support anything that it thinks will benefit her (like it did in both World Wars). In recent times the dilemma has been more between the EU and the U.S. And in my opinion, the last decade has consolidated the factor that Italy tends to be closer to the U.S. than to the EU in its foreign poli cy. References Absalom Roger, Italy since 1800: A Nation in the Balance?, London, Longman Group Ltd, 1995. Calvocoressi Peter, World Politics since 1945, England, Pearson Education Ltd, 2009 Croci Osvaldo (2002), The Second Berlusconi Government and Italian Foreign Policy, The International Spectator, available: www.iai.it/pdf/articles/croci.pdf (accessed: 20th December 2009). Greco Ettore (2006), The Foreign Policy of the New Prodi Government, The Brookings Institution, available: http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2006/08europe_greco.aspx (accessed 23rd December 2009). Ignazi Piero , Italian foreign policy since 2001: a preliminary assessment, available: foreignpolicy.it/file_adon/ignazi_edit_2.doc (accessed 20th December 2009). Kissinger Henry, Diplomacy, New York, Simon Schuster Paperbacks, 1994. Miller Stuart T., Mastering Modern European History, New York, Palgrave Master Series, 1997. Morris Terry and Murphy Derrick, Europe 1870-1991, London, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, 2006, p. 262 Romano Sergio, Guida alla Politica Estera Italiana: Da Badoglio a Berlusconi, Milan, BUR Saggi, 2004. Ratti Luca (2009), Italian Foreign Policy in the Second Republic: new wine in old bottles?, available: www.e-ir.info/?p=2523article2pdf=1 (accessed 20th December 2009). The Economist (2002), Berlusconi strikes out, available: http://www.economist.com/opinion/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=930034 (accessed 20th December 2009). Sanminiatelli Maria (2007), Prodi Defends Italys Foreign Policies, The Washington Post, available: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/27/AR2007022700884.html (accessed 23rd December 2009). Tripodi Paolo (1996), A half-century of Italian foreign policy, available: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_n1568_v269/ai_18826921/ (accessed 13th December 2009) Stuart T Miller, Mastering Modern European History, New York, Palgrave Master Series, 1997, p. 50 Terry Morris and Derrick Murphy, Europe 1870-1991, London, Harper Collins Publishers Ltd, 2006, p. 262 Miller, op.cit., pp. 214-217 Morris, op.cit., p. 263 Ibid., p. 276 Henry Kissinger, Diplomacy, New York, Simon Schuster Paperbacks, 1994, p. 299 Roger Absalom, Italy since 1800: A Nation in the Balance?, London, Longman Group Ltd, 1995, pp. 161-165 Peter Calvocoressi, World Politics since 1945, England, Pearson Education Ltd, 2009, p. 206 Paolo Tripodi (1996), A half-century of Italian foreign policy, available: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2242/is_n1568_v269/ai_18826921/ (accessed 13th December 2009) Ibid. Sergio Romano, Guida alla Politica Estera Italiana: Da Badoglio a Berlusconi, Milan, BUR Saggi, 2004, p. 240 Tripodi, op.cit. Piero Ignazi, Italian foreign policy since 2001: a preliminary assessment, available: foreignpolicy.it/file_adon/ignazi_edit_2.doc (accessed 20th December 2009) Tripodi, op.cit The Economist (2002), Berlusconi strikes out, available: http://www.economist.com/opinion/PrinterFriendly.cfm?story_id=930034 (accessed 20th December 2009). Ignazi, op.cit. Tripodi, op.cit. Ibid. Osvaldo Croci (2002), The Second Berlusconi Government and Italian Foreign Policy, The International Spectator, available: www.iai.it/pdf/articles/croci.pdf (accessed: 20th December 2009). Ibid. Ibid. Ibid. The Economist, op.cit. Croci, op.cit. Ignazi, op.cit. Calvocoressi, op.cit., p. 211 Croci, op.cit. Ignazi, op.cit. Ibid. Ibid. Romano, op.cit., p. 4 Ignazi, op.cit. Ibid. Ettore Greco (2006), The Foreign Policy of the New Prodi Government, The Brookings Institution, available: http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2006/08europe_greco.aspx (accessed 23rd December 2009). Ibid. Ibid. Maria Sanminiatelli (2007), Prodi Defends Italys Foreign Policies, The Washington Post, available: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/27/AR2007022700884.html (accessed 23rd December 2009). Luca Ratti (2009), Italian Foreign Policy in the Second Republic: new wine in old bottles?, available: www.e-ir.info/?p=2523article2pdf=1 (accessed 20th December 2009). Ignazi, op.cit.

Getting Those Sensuous Lips :: Plastic Surgery Beauty Essays

Getting Those Sensuous Lips Plastic surgery has become a leading business in America and is venturing in to all parts of the body. First there was the liposuction of the thighs and butt then the face-lifts, the beast implants and now the injections of the lips. The volume of the lips can be thick and prominent, as in certain races, or else thin and retracted as in other races. A full, fresh prominent mouth, which invites a kiss, is the latest object of cosmetic surgery. There have been many types of materials that have been injected and several techniques that have been used. Materials such as collagen, silicone, Gore-Tex, fat or dermis has been used for the injections. The surgeon should choose his technique carefully and according to the patient’s wants. The procedure is very simple. Lip procedures are usually carried out under local anesthesia with intravenous conscious sedation. The surgeon and patient decide which material to use for the injections. Some of the other materials that are used are Collagen: A molecule that makes up the body’s connective tissue; usually taken from cow skin. Three percent of patients have hypersensitivity problems, and some develop allergic reactions as long as three to four years later. Alloderm: A collagen created with tissue taken from human cadavers. The results last four to six months, then must be repeated. Can carry the risk of becoming infected and may feel slightly hard and unnatural. Gore-Tex: A hollow, tube-shaped implant made from synthetic material. Procedure requires a fine incision made along the edge of the lips; the tubing is inserted and the area stitched up. New tissue grows into and around the tube. Results are permanent, but may feel slightly less natural. Autologen: Skin ta ken from a patient is sent to a lab that makes collagen from it, so the chances of allergic reaction are eliminated. Results are permanent. The marking of the lips is done intraorally creating a set of W’s on the interior of the lips. The incision is made along the marking and extends deep to the submucosa and dissection is carried above the muscle to the vermilion (Samiian162). A suture stitch is transfixed to the center of the lip; pressing over rubber patches until the tissue at the center are slightly pinched. Some cases a catheter is used and a needle threaded with a steel wire is passed through the center of the lip and then perforated by the catheter.

El Nino and La Nina :: essays research papers

What are El Nino and La Nina? El Nino and La Nina are unusual weather patterns that form in the period of 10 months. El Nino and La Nina both impact climates all around the world, each different in countries and regions. Normal weather patterns are when low atmospheric pressure is over northern Australia and Indonesia, and when high atmospheric pressure is over the Pacific Ocean. Winds move east to west over the Pacific. The east flows of the trade winds carries the warm surface waters to the west, and bring rainstorms to Indonesia and northern Australia. To the coast of Ecuador and Peru, warm surface water is pulled west, and the cold water beneath pulls up to replace it. This is called an upwelling. An El Nino happens in intervals of 3-7 years. The formation of this is related to the Pacific Southern Oscillation which is also the cycling of the Pacific Ocean circulation. The Pacific Southern Oscillation (the change of atmospheric pressures) happens when the easterly trade winds collapse, weaken, or even reverse. As this happens, the upwelling stops. The slight weakening of the winds cause a small change in sea surface temperatures, and the wind and pressure changes increase. The warm water of the western Pacific Ocean flow eastward and sea surface temperatures increase on the western coast of South America. When this occurs, the wet weather conditions (originally in the western Pacific) move east, and dry conditions (normally in the east) appear in the west. During El Nià ±o?s in the Pacific Northwest, the amount of precipitation greatly decreases, the winter temperatures get milder, and winter has below-average precipitation. Some economical and environmental impacts are that erosion is increasing due to severe storm surges, concerns that property built on low-lying areas or on top of unstable bluffs possibly be flooded or threatened by landslides due to regional climate changes, and various salmon species potentially endangered. In California, during El Nino?s they get extreme precipitation and snowfalls. Economical and environmental impacts are heavy precipitation, damage from debris flows or mudslides, and floods from the rain. El Nino seasons in Peru bring so much rainfall that there is now a lake made from the rain, compared to the desert it once was. Several economical and environmental impacts from El Nino include massive floods or mudslides, and since Peru lives in a cold-water zone, it carries many fish that are caught and so ld commercially, but during El Nino, a layer of warm water covers the nutrient-rich east coast waters, abruptly stopping the upwelling and the nutrients fail to come up.

Beauty Pageants and Our Children Essay

Alost 3 million children, most of them girls, from the ages of 6 months and 17 years compete in beauty pageants annually in America. Competition can be local and national and they compete in categories such as swimwear, talent, costume of your choice, and eveningwear. This is an industry where mothers give her daughter energy drinks for a boost before pageants, 3-year-olds don fake fingernails, and parents regularly spend five thousand dollars on a child’s pageant outfit (O’Neill 1). Beauty pageants have negative consequences on America’s youth contestants through the pressure to be â€Å"perfect,† media influences, and child sexualization, which results in exhaustion, eating disorders, and body image issues in their future. In recent years, the child beauty pageant industry has exponentially grown in size and popularity. This growth is mainly due to television shows, such as Toddlers & Tiaras and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo that may be entertaining but exploit little girls in the process. These reality shows expose the behind-the-scenes horrors of beauty pageants that most people were oblivious too before. These shows have also revealed the use of energy supplements to improve the contestants performance, age-inappropriate costumes, intense and painful beauty regimens. Alana Thompson, featured on TLC’s Toddlers & Tiaras, is a seven-year-old beauty queen, nicknamed Honey Boo Boo, whose mother frequently gives her the infamous â€Å"Go-Go Juice†, a mix of Red Bull and Mountain Dew, before pageants. It is common knowledge that energy drinks are bad for one’s health, but every nutritionist in the world would agree that Red Bull for a seven-year-old is tremendously dangerous. Alana now has her own reality television show Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Parents are not only harming their children’s health but also their moral. On one Toddlers & Tiaras episode, Paisley, merely 3-years-old, sported a costume based on the prostitute in Pretty Woman. In a 2011 episode, Madiysyn â€Å"Mady† Verst‘s mother filled out the then-4-year-old’s chest with fake breasts and an impossibly round behind for a Dolly Parton routine. Experts in child development argue the difference between playing dress-up and making a profession out of it. â€Å"Little girls are supposed to play with dolls, not be dolls,† says Mark Sichel, a New York-based licensed clinical social worker, who calls the extreme grooming common at pageants â€Å"a form of child abuse.† Playing dress-up â€Å"is normal and healthy, but when it’s demanded, it leaves the child not knowing what they want,† he says. Accentuating their appearance with such accoutrements as fake hair, teeth, spray tans and breast padding â€Å"causes the children tremendous confusion, wondering why they are not okay without those things† (Triggs 1). All of this confusion and body image problems is instilled in child beauty pageant contestants at a very young age. Ultimately, this leads to eating disorders, psychological issues, and relationship problems in the contestants’ later years. A study conducted at the University of Minnesota by Anna Wonderlich, Diann Ackard, and Judith Henderson showed the correlation between childhood beauty pageants and adult disordered eating, body dissatisfaction, depression, and self-esteem (Wonderlich 1). The results of this scientific experiment proved that for all the tests that assessed characteristics of anorexia and bulimia nervosa scores for those who had participated in beauty pageants were higher than scores for those who had not participated (Wonderlich 5). These results indicate a significant association between childhood beauty pageant participation and increased body dissatisfaction, difficulty trusting interpersonal relationships, and greater impulsive behaviors, and indicate a trend toward increased feelings of ineffectiveness (Wonderlich 6). Another example of the destructive effects of childhood beauty pageant is Brooke Breedwell, now nineteen, who was a child pageant contestant and a star of the television documentary, â€Å"Painted Babies.† â€Å"As a girl, [Breedwell] suffered from stress and anxiety while striving for an unrealistic standard of perfection. [In various interviews], she explains that her mother’s ambition, coupled with her own obsessive drive to win, resulted in severe social and psychological consequences† (Ahrens 86). Another negative consequence of childhood beauty pageants is the disturbing sexualization of young girls that steals away their treasured innocence–as if eating disorders and body image problems were not enough. Former child beauty queen Nicole Hunter confirms this theory by explaining that â€Å"dressing and acting like a woman at a young age compelled her to prematurely confront her sexuality, which in turn lowered her self-esteem† (Liberman 741). The child pageant circuit concentrates on the ideals of perfection and beauty, with an accompanying focus on sexuality. Innocent girls dressed in skimpy costumes parade and dance, remove pieces of their outfits and wink at judges. Basically, young beauty queens are taught to flirt and manipulate their early sexuality in order to win. Though frequently condemned for such eccentric and damaging practices, the child pageant industry has been gaining success and extensive popularity (Liberman 745). Additionally, reporter Richard Goldstein investigated the JonBenet Ramsey, a child beauty queen, murder case and brought to the surface both our horror at how effectively a child can be constructed as a sexual being and our guilt at the please we take in such a sight (Giroux 50). Her dynamic role in pageants was vastly examined by media after the murder. After JonBenet’s highly publicized murder, the problems of child beauty pageants, especially the degradation of young girls, are first brought to society’s attention. Although many pageant parents argue that the press unfairly focused on the connection of beauty pageants to Jon Benet’s murder, these defenders rarely address the concerns of robbing a child of her virtue by depicting young girls as â€Å"sexualized nymphets.† They have little to say about what adolescents actually gain in pageants. Those in favor of the pageants overlook how a child might see herself and her ability to form relationships with society when her feelings of self-worth is defined solely through a belief that beauty is one-dimensional and patronizing (Giroux 54-55). No five-year-old child enjoys getting her hair ripped out and teased, spending hours each day practicing exhausting dance routines, or devoting every weekend traveling to pageants rather than playing with friends. It is the beauty pageant contestant’s mother who forces them to endure these strenuous and sometimes painful rituals in order to achieve their own satisfaction. When feminist writer-performer, StaceyAnn Chin first saw Toddlers & Tiaras she was â€Å"flabbergasted by the parents who were so invested in these contests they got angry if their girls showed any signs of flagging.† In regards to the infamous pageant moms, Chin states that, † the pageant reminded me a little of dog shows–tiny, powerless competitors trained to do as they are told, with trainers who exploit their charges to gain fame and fortune and live out some archaic dream they once had for themselves† (Chin 1). The vast majority of pageant moms deny the harmful effects beauty pageants have own their child. Pageant mothers often â€Å"neutralize† their deviant behavior of enrolling their daughter in pageants by claiming pageants help their daughter rather than hurt. Also, mothers deny their own responsibility as the accountable parent by claiming that her daughter chooses to participate in beauty pageants (Pannell 68). Every single pageant mom asked in a study about childhood beauty pageants talked about competitors winning prize money, crowns, trophies and gifts in child beauty pageants (Mosel-Talavera 81). Some mothers deceptively sign their children up for pageants to exploit their daughters financially. One pageant mother says that there is a very infamous pageant child that always wins a large sum of money, ‘There is one little girl down South – she’s the daughter of one of the biggest known photographers. In six weeks’ time she went from pageant to pageant and won like $40,000.’ In the summer of 2005, there was another child, whose mother also owns a pageant business, who won three cars at pageants (Levey 204-205). These examples clearly reveal the evils of parents exploiting their children in pageants for their own selfish rewards. In childhood beauty pageants, the pressure from parents, influence from the media, and the desire to win all lead to disastrous consequences for the participants, which will stay with them for the rest of their life. Eating disorders, body image issues, and an early loss of innocence are just a few of the consequences these precious girls will have to deal with in their lifetime. No child should have to struggle with these problems at such a young age. Although little girls dressed up in frilly dresses and tiaras may be cute, there is a fine line between a fun beauty pageant and ruining a young girls life.