Understanding Of Society s Portrayal Of The Poor

Emily,Vanessa,David Rhet 105-11am A Current Understanding of Society’s Portrayal of the Poor In this analysis we will be focusing on bell hooks’ essay, â€Å"Seeing and Making Culture: Representing the Poor.† In the essay bell hooks tackles issues about misrepresentation of poor people in today’s society and how the media can skew reality. She notes that society sees the poor as people who are sub par and unimportant, as well as possessing fruitless qualities such as laziness, shame, dishonesty, and worthlessness. She primarily uses personal anecdotes to deliver her essay’s main argument along with pop culture references and the input of expert voices. She notices this warped image of the poor trends throughout society as a whole, even through television shows and Hollywood films, such as: Harlem Nights, Boomerang, Pretty Woman, and The Jeffersons. She references outside sources to compare their takes on this issue to hers to point out the similarities and dissimilarities in their arguments. bell hooks concludes her essay with a strong call to ac tion, saying that poor people can lead meaningful lives despite what the media and the privileged classes say, but educated individuals must work with the poor to change their circumstances. She argues for society to acknowledge its misrepresentation of the poor and for people to form a movement to make real change. bell hooks effectively appeals to her readers, may they be politicians, sociologists, or collegeShow MoreRelatedMedia s Portrayal Of The Black Age Of Media Essay1393 Words   |  6 Pages(Gabrenya 3). The portrayal of the class system has always been underrepresented or over represented since the golden age of media. The question arises what kind of ideas it puts in the minds of viewers about their society? 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The American1642 Words   |  7 Pagesto segregate blacks, most prominently the Jim Crow Laws in the South. Throughout this period of black isolation, literature arose seeking to reveal African American oppression as well as to formulate an explanation for its deep roots in American society, especially works by women such as Alice Walker and Toni Morrison. Despite the severe racism and poverty Alice Walker faces as the daughter of sharecroppers in Georgia, the memory of her being forced to move to the back of a segregated bus inspiresRead MoreThe Effects of Media in Nursing Evolution1207 Words   |  5 PagesInfluence In World War II (WWII) the media portrayed nursing as one of the most respected and moral professions women could hold. These nurses were seen as angels tending to the wounded with kindness, compassion, and caring attitudes. 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How effectively do elections ensure that the ‘people’ are represented Free Essays

string(55) " important tool in influencing the voters’ decision\." Introduction This report is designed to demonstrate the specifics of the election process. Along with the increase in popularity of democracy in the world, the elections have become the integral duty of each citizen in the native country. The proclamations that each vote is counted have become the slogan for each election process. We will write a custom essay sample on How effectively do elections ensure that the ‘people’ are represented? or any similar topic only for you Order Now However there are still numerous debates about the role of people in elections, since the proportion of citizens does not consider voting to be important for them. As a result, it is important to identify what strategies are applied in order to ensure that the citizens are present for voting in elections. The report will cover the description of elections and the process of voting. Furthermore, it will look into the main reasons behind the inability to vote. Finally, the main strategies that are applied to make sure that people are present for voting will be covered. Elections Elections are seen as the most important event in any native country, in case of this report, in the UK. People are given the chance to choose how the country will be run over the next couple of years. However, it is the fairness and freedom of elections that contributes to the essence of democracy (Grant, 2000). In the UK, the elections take place in 600 locations in one day. Citizens are able to cast their votes in any of these locations for both a political party and their representatives. There are three major parties in the UK, which are always running for the place in the parliament, namely the Conservative Party, the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats (Garner and Kelly, 1998). The candidates promote their campaigns until the election day, when the citizens cast their votes. The party with the biggest amount of votes wins the elections (Garner and Kelly, 1998). The party that has collected the biggest number of votes also gets a chance to develop a government, where the repr esentative becomes the Prime Minister (Reeve and Ware, 1991). However, one of the biggest challenges nowadays is to ensure a fair and free election. This implies that there are a number of assumptions that elections are not regarded to be objective, thus adopting the bias feature within the process. Daily Mail, (2011) has reported that bias may be tracked in the recent elections in favour of theLabour Party. This suggests that the Labour Party seat is much smaller than of the Tory’s party. This demonstrates that the Labour Party may win with only 3 % more than the other parties. This suggests the disproportionality in the electoral system of the UK. This, in turn, adds to the unfairness as being perceived by the citizens (Johnston, Pattie and Dorling, 2001). This is correlated with a low voting percentage in the UK. Guardian, (2012) suggests that the voters’ count has decreased from 84 % in 1950 to 65 % in 2010. As a result, it is important to apprehend the reasons behind such a dramatic slip in the voters’ count and what is done in order to ensure that citizens are voting. One of the most common reasons is attributed to the lack of trust in the government. This suggests that people think that the government does not care about them and that voting does not play any role in the future of the country and personal citizen’s well-being (Moore, 2001). Other reasons include lack of knowledge about the voting process and lack of interest in politics. This implies that currently, with the rise in the economic recession, the citizens are more preoccupied with their own welfare rather than with the general well-being of the country. This is related to the lack of concern over their own country’s well-being (Moore, 2001). Given the recent recession, the majority of citizens see that the politicians do not affect their well-being and this, in turn, results in the lack of willingness and desire, to vote for any. Lack of trust was further intensified by the so-called strategies that aim at the facilitation of the voting process (Newton and van Deth, 2005). For instance, currently, the citizens may cast their votes via Internet, telephone and other interactive applications. This contributes to the increase of lack of trust, due to the feature of innovation attributed to this process. Kim et al., (2004) suggest that the majority of consumers tend to be reluctant to utilize the innovative technology, due to the possible rising issues in security and privacy protection. Given the importance of this one vote per citizen, this fear increases. It is especially attributed to the case of loyal voters, who have been voting since young adulthood (Moore, 2001). As the result, they are more used to the traditional voting system, contrary to the innovative solutions. This, in turn, results in the lack of trust in the voting system. Other than that, the image of the party is important along with the message that they communicate to the citizens (Coxal and Robbins, 1998). If the message does not correlate with the personal values of a voter, the voter may simply choose to refuse to cast the vote. In line with these reasons, globalization has also played a part in the decline of the voters’ count (Lane, 2008). This implies that the majority of citizens have relocated to another country and this has driven the lack of desire to cast the votes, since they no longer live in their native country. Other reasons are attributed to the inconvenience of the voting office location. In the light of the above described reasons, what is done in order to ensure that the citizens are present to cast their votes? The role of people in elections One of the main strategies is attributed to the media promotion of electoral campaigns. Druckmann, (2005) suggests that TV and Newspapers tend to have a major effect on the voters’ attitude towards the elections. This suggests that in terms of coverage, TV is an important tool in influencing the voters’ decision. You read "How effectively do elections ensure that the ‘people’ are represented?" in category "Essay examples" However, it has been further stated that in terms of the content, there are no major differences between newspaper and TV. This implies that the voters may only see one side of a story as promoted by the media. This in turn determines the perceived image of a political party and affects consumer associations in relation to this party (Druckmann, 2005). Gibson, (2008) has identified the importance of the Internet in the promotion of a political party and the importance of voting. This implies that the politics have started to utilize the Internet extensively in order to develop the favourable image. It is especially attributed to the utilization of social media. This implies that the politics have started to utilize Twitter and Facebook as the main platform for interaction with the voters. This has taken the personalization element, where the voters feel that they may personally interact with the political candidates. It has been especially visible, in the case of Barack Obama’s elections in 2008. He has maintained an e-mail communication with all the subscribed voters. The voters, in turn, have had the opportunity to forward the e-mails to their peers, thus contributing to the snowballing effect (Thinking Aloud, 2009). This campaign has been featured in top 10 internet moment in the last decade by the New York Academy of Dig ital Art and Sciences (Daily Telegraph, 2009). With regard to the social media, the campaign included the subscriptions to the major social networks, namely YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. In addition to this, these social networks were used as the basis for communication, interaction and further promotion of Obama’s campaign (Wagner, 2008). As a result of this campaign, Obama has won the elections, with high voter turn out. It has been estimated that, in 2012, some states in the USA have averaged above 60 % of voter turnout (CSMonitor, 2012). This suggests that an internet-based campaign is effective in ensuring that the citizens cast their votes. However, it has been further estimated in this report, that there have been the assumptions on the subject of voting frauds. This implies that the majority of ballots were distributed via mails, which suggest that some of them were utilized for fraudulent purposes. In the UK, fraudulent activity is quite popular, where the government integrates special strategies in fighting with it. Given the fact that 7 million voters have registered for postal voting, the fraudulent activity has been at the highest in 2010 (Daily Mail, 2010). This implies that the people were not present for casting their votes, since their votes were stolen. This has been especially intensified in the Tower Hamlets area, where around 5,000 voters registered shortly prior to the deadline. As a result, due to the time constraints, these voters have not been checked (Daily Mail, 2010). The assumptions have stated that the results of General Elections were decided by the fraudulent votes. Other events suggest the intimidation of the voters in order to give their vote to other people (Daily Mail, 2010). The assumption of bribery might also take place as part of the fraudulent activity. Therefore, the voters, may not contribute to the voting process thus stating their opinion as to how the country should be governed in the future, due to the flaws in the electoral system. This may be related to the fact that the voters have the ability to vote by post, which is regarded to be an insecure way of voting. It is therefore essential to provide the opportunity to vote at the place, where citizen’s identity may be determined. Conclusion This report has been composed in order to demonstrate the role of citizen’s presence in the process of elections. It has been identified that the majority of citizens tend to disregard their right to vote. There are a number of reasons behind that. For instance, the citizens tend to experience lack of trust in the government, in the current political system. Furthermore, the citizens are preoccupied with their own well-being, thus placing little attention to the government’s future. Another reason is attributed to the method of voting, where electronic and/or mail voting may be perceived as insecure; thus resulting in a high possibility of fraudulent activity. Media promotes the election thus covering almost all the regions by the means of TV and newspapers. However, as Obama’s case demonstrated, it is social media and the Internet that tends to play the largest role in increasing the importance of voting. This implies that the voters get the opportunity of perso nal interaction with the political candidates and this contributes to their willingness to cast their votes. The government and police are fighting against the fraudulent activity; however it is still regarded to be high in some regions. The main reasons behind that are attributed to the fact that the electoral system gives the opportunities to the individuals to perform the fraudulent activity, for instance by integration the postal service for casting the votes. References: Coxall B. and Robbins, L. (1998). Contemporary British Politics: an Introduction. Palgrave: London CS Monitor. (2012). Voter turnout: the 6 states that rank highest, and why. Available from: http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Elections/2012/1106/Voter-turnout-the-6-states-that-rank-highest-and-why/Oregon (Accessed on 27/12/12) Druckmann J. (2005). Media Matter: How Newspapers and Television News Cover Campaigns and Influence Voters. Political Communication, Vol.22, pp. 463-481 Daily Mail. (2011). Voting system is biased towards Labour because of uneven size of constituencies, warns report. Available from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1343875/British-voting-biased-Labour-constituencies-uneven-size.html (Accessed on 27/12/12) Daily Mail. (2010). Postal vote fraud: 50 criminal inquiries nationwide amid fears bogus voters could swing election. Available from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1271457/General-Election-2010-Postal-vote-fraud-amid-fears-bogus-voters-swing-election.html (Accessed on 27/12/12) Garner, R.and Kelly, R.(1998). British Political Parties Today. Manchester University Press: UK. Grant, W. (2000) Pressure Groups and Politics. Macmillan: UK Guardian. (2012). People haven’t turned to the right. They just don’t vote. Available from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jun/11/voters-have-not-turned-right (Accessed on 27/12/12) Johnston R., Pattie C., Danny Dorling, David Rossiter. (2001). From Votes To Seats: The Operation of the UK Electoral System since 1945. Manchester University Press: UK Kim S.S., Malhotra K.N., Agarwal J. (2004). Internet Users’ Information Privacy Concerns (IUIPC): The Construct, the Scale, and a Causal Model. Information Systems Research, Vol.15, Iss. 4, pp. 336 -355 Lane J. (2008). Globalization: The Juggernaut of the 21st Century. Ashgate: UK Moore S. (2001). Sociology Alive! Third Edition. 3rd ed., Nelson Thomes: UK Newton, K. van Deth, J.W. (2005). Pressure Groups and Social Movements. . Cambridge: UK Reeve, A., Ware, A. (1991). Electoral Systems. Routledge: UK How to cite How effectively do elections ensure that the ‘people’ are represented?, Essay examples

Future of Policing for Law and Society Essay

Question: Describe about Essay of The Future of Policing for Law and Society? Answer: This essay is based on criminological theory and aims at explaining how police acts as agents of social control to prevent crime. It also tends to analyse whether the role by police is effective in society or not. For this purpose, the essay is divided into three parts; Introduction, Body and Conclusion. The last part is references which provide the list of sources used to gather information for this essay. The first part of the essay is Introduction which underlines the topic and background of the topic. The second part of the essay is Body which will provide in-depth discussion of the topic along with strong arguments. The third part, conclusion is the result of the topic. This section concludes the essay with strong arguments. In order to gather data for this essay, there were many sources referred. Foremost, the researcher had to work as a police officer to identify the reasons as to how police act as agents of social control to prevent crime. The researcher also corresponded wit h police officers of other departments regarding several problems. Introduction In recent times, criminology theory is a rapidly growing field within the discipline of criminology. The criminology theory seeks to determine the potential causes of different types of crimes (Bayley, 2006). There are many criminology theories but most of them can be grouped together in academic disciplines such as economics, politics, political science etc. In general, theory is defined as the relationship between two or more phenomena. A theory is considered to serve numerous purposes such as unifying, organising and systemising knowledge, providing meaning to empirical findings, ensuring results of the theory can be put into practice, guiding and stimulating scientific inquiry and providing a base or framework for the kinds of research that can put in criminal justice system. With reference to definition of theory, criminology theory may be defined as the explanation between the characteristics of people and the possibility that they will involve themselves in criminal activities (BBC, 2012). The criminology theories that are in practice as of now have certain weaknesses. One, the theory of crime is not a theory of criminal behaviour i.e. it doesnt help us to identify why behaviour is criminal or non-criminal. Second, the theories in practice dont explain every type of criminal behaviour. In general, an ideal theory should integrate different aspects of criminal behaviour such as legal, sociological and psychological. As per many criminology theories, police act as agents of social control to prevent crime. The role of police is vital in ensuring the law order of the region and ultimately, the whole country. By definition, social control is defined as the behaviour that should be followed by all the citizens irrespective of their caste, color and creed (Crown Prosecution Service, 2010). There are different levels of social control which are required to be safeguarded by the police. The levels of social control are Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. Police of fers support many activities and take actions against them if required. They might support secondary control agent by informing a violator. Alternatively, they might support one secondary control supporter over other. Police act as conveyors between some secondary control system and non-tertiary control systems (Deflem, 2010). Body The study of criminology usually targets that why people engage in criminal activities and why they behave criminally in some situations. There are many criminology theories with distinct view-points. Some theories suggest that it is conscious choice of an individual to commit a crime or not (Innes, 2013). Alternatively, some theories do suggest that it is the responsibility of the community to ensure that individuals dont commit criminal crimes. It can be achieved by providing them secure and safe place to live. The criminology theories comprise of numerous theories such as Classical Theory, Choice Theory, Conflict Theory, Critical Theory, Labelling Theory, Positivist Theory etc (Mcdevitt, 2005). In a society, roles of people are determined by social relations that are governed by certain norms and laws. Roles dont only comprise of obligations and responsibilities but are also governed by numerous privileges and rights. These roles are important and hence, are given to those people who are well-versed with its importance and rules governing them. With reference to this, police is given an important role in society. Their key role in society is to enforce law and also maintain public order. Policemen are required to be committed to their work effectively (Stenning, 2000). Often, it is said that police acts agents of social control to prevent crime. As per Bursik and Gramsik, there are distinct types of social control. The first social control is private social control, second is parochial social control, and third is indirect social control. Private social control refers to the relationships between family and close friends (The National Archives, 2002). Parochial social control refers to the control exerted by one community on another which operates in one geographical area. Informal social control refers to the ability of individual and networks to keep the public goods and service secure. British criminologists have developed wide-variety of accounts in order to signify the importance of police as agents of social control to prevent crime. In much of their works, Police is considered to be representative of law and order, national interest and respectability (Reiner, 2012). In every country, police force is entrusted with the responsibility of safe guarding the interest of the citizens, taking strict actions against any criminal activities and to prevent and detect crimes. As per Bittner, police plays a vital role in addressing different human problems. These human problems may require use of force at times in order to address them effectively and maintain the peace (Walsh, 2011). One of the key aspects of policing is to use force in order to maintain the law and order. It is one of the unifying features of the police and a privilege or authority given to police. For instance, police may be required to use the force to bring a family dispute to an end or to resolve other issues. But the role of the police is not limited to using the forces. Their key aim remains to provide efficient and effective service to public (Gibbs, 2012). In general, public finds police intimidating so use of force is not necessary in every instance. In society, police is considered to have most authoritative and privileged post. Hence, the role of police is effective in this role (Bertus, 2010). The role of policing is continuously expanding and evolving with time. They are expected to face numerous challenges on regular basis and then safeguard the interest of citizens. In order to ensure police plays an effective role as social agents, there various types of crime prevention strategies such physical prevention, social prevention etc. Physical prevention is intended to remove physical opportunities to commit crime (Watson, 1998). In this, police officials usually get training regarding the elimination of physical opportunities regarding locks and bolts. Alternatively, social prevention strategies are adopted to strengthen communities and restore informal surveillance and social control of crime. Conclusion To conclude, it can be stated that police play an important in maintaining the law and order in society and also safeguarding the interest of the citizens. Also, police acts as agents of social control to prevent various crimes and this role has proved to be highly effective. Above arguments state that police might support secondary control agent by informing a violator (Brown, 2010). Alternatively, they might support one secondary control supporter over other. On the other hand, police may act as conveyors between some secondary control system and some non-tertiary control systems (Goldstein, 1990). Hence, they are known to support different social control levels and maintain peace law and order in society. 2- Criminology is one of the widely taken academic disciplines. In criminology, the primary aim of the study is to examine why people commit crimes and what are their behaviours while committing it. As criminologists have been finding best solutions to decrease the levels and type of crime, many theories have been developed by researchers. In general, theories are used as crucial tools to understand the world around us. However, in terms of criminology, it helps to understand the working of criminal justice system. By definition, criminology refers to as the study of the behaviour of criminals (Ankony, 1990). The primary goal of criminology theory is to help individuals get the knowledge of crimes and justice systems. There are distinct criminology theories given by British criminologists. These criminology theories can be used to assist in policy making and can be evaluated on different criteria such as clarity, scope, testability, empirical validity etc (Bobinsky, 1994). Some of the w idely used theories used by criminologists are Rational Choice Theory, Social disorganisation theory, Strain theory, Social learning theory, Social control theory, Labelling theory etc. Rational Choice Theory: As per this theory, people usually commit crimes for their personal interests and commit crimes after determining the potential risks against the rewards. For example, criminals identify getting punishment or imprisonment before committing any crimes. Social disorganisation theory: As per this theory, the social and physical environment of the person is responsible for his actions and behaviour. Strain theory: As per this theory, people who have the potential to meet goals but dont able to make it because of less resources and abilities tend to achieve them by adopting criminal ways. They turn to criminal activities in order to achieve the success. Social learning theory: As per this, people commit crime due to other criminal people associated with them. For example, if one friend is indulged in criminal activity, other will be automatically influenced to indulge in such activities due to peer pressure. Social control theory: As per this theory, people engage in criminal activities not getting influenced from individuals but from institutions such as schools, colleges, hospitals etc. Labelling theory: As per this theory, people who are in power holds the authority to call someone criminal or not. When a person is labelled criminal, society perceives him as a criminal all his life and that label never gets discarded. These are some of the theories used by criminologists to study the behaviour of the criminals and study the reasons why they commit crimes. This essay throws light on the role of police as agents of social control to prevent crime and how this role is effective for them in society. In general, social control covers different processes that prevent the deviance. Experts believe that almost every phase of social life is as an example of social control. There are two forms of social control as studied by sociologists. These are informal means of control and formal means of control. Informal means of social control: This is a form of social control which is practiced by a community or society in form of customs, norms and mores. Formal means of social control: This is a form of social control which is practiced by indivuals independently. Besides forms of social control, there are three levels of social control (Burden, 1992). These three levels include; Primary, Secondary and Tertiary social control. Primary social control is defined as the kind of social control which is provided by a person himself. For instance, if a child is punished for some form of behaviour in his institution that certain form of behaviour is tend to be prohibited. In case he is punished by everyone the he has a perception in mind that this work is wrong and shouldnt be repeated. This perception stays with him all through his life. Secondly, secondary social control is a type of social control which comes from activities in which a person engages. People with whom a person lives are crucial for the regulation of the persons behaviour (Mastrofski, 1995). If a person will maintain cordial relations with the people he will meet in course of life then he will be considered good. Otherwise, the person will be boycotted by society if he doesnt show good behaviour. If the person will show disturbing behaviour towards others then it will result in the person putting bad impression on others and community as a whole. Third type of social control is tertiary social control. This type of social control is practiced by formal social control agencies such as police, social workers, courts, hospitals etc. Police dont play much role in primary and secondary social control but the role of police in tertiary control is vital. Police have to be determine the correct behaviour that they will show to people being accused of various crimes. In general, the agent with the charge of handling tertiary social control faces a confusion to inhibit some forms of behaviour and encourage other people to inhibit good behaviour and dont commit crimes. There are various situations when police officers fall back to primary and secondary social control (More, 1992). This is due to the face that reward which police officers produce is distributed throughou t the community. For instance, a person doesnt know he may be targeted by an accused who has been arrested by police officers. Hence, the person thinks he dont have any role to play. The fact police has caught up a person who is accused with some crime is unknown to a citizen but it will definitely exert some kind of pressure on the citizen to obey traffic rules or other legislations. These three types of social control levels are distinct but can be related at sometimes. Every level has different agents holding complete control over it. However, it can have positive and negative sanctions (Bertus, 1996). The table showing different levels is represented below: Level Source Agent Sanctions Primary The source is this case is ego. Individual, person himself Negative: Shame, Guilt and Doubt Positive: Pride, Satisfaction, Peace with Self. Secondary Reciprocal Typfications and expectations from common activities. A person for whom ego is important. Negative: Hatred, Exclusion from activities Positive: Acceptance, Survival Tertiary Group processes that lead to enactment of laws The agents who are legally authorized. Negative: Death, imprisonment Positive: Awards, merits Table 1: Different Levels of Social control Source: Wilson, 1989 In this table, sources, agents, pros and cons for different levels of social control are mentioned. The source of primary level of social agent is ego within individuals, source of secondary level of social control is expectations made by people from common activities and source of tertiary level of social control is group process which leads to enactment of laws. The agent of primary level of social agent is individual himself while that of secondary level is a person for whom ego is important and for tertiary level are the agents who are legally authorised. From primary level of social agent, negative consequences include ego, shame, and guilt and doubt while positive consequences include pride, satisfaction and peace. For secondary level of social agent, negative consequences include hatred and exclusion from society while positive consequences include acceptance and survival. For tertiary level of social agent, negative consequences include death and imprisonment while positive c onsequences include awards and merits. The police maintain social control efforts and organizations by many of their activities. They work as a resulting control manager by notifying an offender, with authority, about the penalties payable in case of any major offence (Taylor, 1998). For instance, in a case the police came across a boy aged 12 years during a response action taken to a distress call, which was initially accounted as a fight. It later appeared that the "fight" was just a brawl between brothers, but, during the examination of the complaint, the officer came to know that the boy has missed school for the past 6 days and his parents has no idea how to deal with it. The officered on his part strictly addressed the boy about his responsibility of compliance to his parents, and then also instructed the mother that she should get in touch with the juvenile department if her son still refuses to go to school the next morning and a report of the current situation would be there to provide them with the backdrop of t he case. The officer had to use some effort to persuade the 12 year old that there can be stern prospective penalties of declining to comply with his parents. Thus this situation perfectly depicts the way in which the police act as agents of social control and work efficiently in preventing crime. In several other cases the police also choose one social control system over another which has been is wrong. For instance to act in response to a family distress call, where it so happened that the spouse had been hitting his wife, it was evident that the probable explanation was to facilitate the wife stay with some of his family members who ready to take care of her. On further investigation the officer concluded that the husband was intoxicated, quarrelsome, and openly aggressive but, by accompanying her out and not arresting the husband they should their efforts in social control. A case was registered against the husband which would be further handled by the lawyers thus in this way the police maintain law and order in situations and thereby hand over cases which are not in their authority to other law agencies. In many cases often there is no legal solution, thus the police can make several efforts to address the demands of people and there by maintain social control. The police also act as a link between some agencies of social control and also some legal agencies. Thus the police aid in crisis situations and in also various medical emergency situations (Berg, 1984). The police also take several efforts to make appropriate decisions and thus the control of another agency in which the wrongdoer takes part thus to regulate and control the unlawful behaviour in situations where the present authorities have established inadequate (Community Policing, 2010). The various agencies in which a police personnel is concerned usually are rather relevant to his performance in other circumstances, but when they are distant, they may not think of them in the between a case. The symbolic concern for social control is many times utterly documented by police in fewer recognized terms (King, 1995). One of the generally significant things executed by the police to maintaining law along with proper command however comes basically from the police being there. People a re usually hesitant to interfere with the law' or indulge in unlawful activities such as taking take advantage of their neighbours when they know that they will be prosecuted and punished. Thus for this reason itself it that they police are an essential important part in maintaining the social control of the society. Thus it is also very essential for the police department for survive and be in existence in order to successfully instil fear in the offenders mind. This method of community monitoring of the police adds a lot more to rule execution and universal safeguarding of the law and order because the possible offender are discourages, but also who the police personnel interacts. For example if a person, such as a wife, has made reciprocal adjustments with a possible offender thus the existence of the police may persuade her to challenge to discourage her spouse from unlawful activities because the existence of a superior level of social control act as a warning to her institutional version if her spouse is arrested. Thus a she may create dispute in opposition to her spouse stealing something, not for the reason that she considers that it is principally wrong but because she may believe the fact that the police will perhaps arrest him for his offenses she will not support him in his illegal activities (Mottaz, 1983). Thus in this way the police maintain the social control in successful avoiding the reciprocal action to several offenders by instilling fear. There have also been various cases where offenders havent succeeded when they did not receive reciprocal support. Therefore the implementation of this institution requires that the police stay a part of the social control agencies. Consecutively Social control is also disrupted when people are intoxicated, or uncommitted permanently or situational to the controls of work, family, and neighbourhood. The police have to alternate for control in personal fights. The police also take action in lieu of conformist controls for homeless person, approving and also sometimes defending them. The authorization of the police is slightly uncertain. There are several the lawfully permitted purposes and the innumerable of other roles which have associated with police (Pogrebin, 2007). To maintain the social control in society the police are provided with several legal powers to fulfil their duty. They are also allowed to extend these legal powers according to the case and situations. The police are known to successful catch serious offenders and report them to higher levels of the agencies of social control, such as the courts thereby effectively setting the closure for justice in the society. The police there by support sever al other social control agencies, or vice versa and also express deviations from other agencies in order to successfully handle the offender as well as the victim. Thus they perform social control for community and special welfare by means of several lawfully authorized tools when they are efficient and taking help from other sources whenever necessary (Community Policing Defined, 2014). The conductive conclusion is that several of the regulations of conservative community get approximate social control which is anticipated, but not always through the recognized lawfully authorized sources. Most of the social control maintained by the police is routine and biased to the distinction, and divergence of a constantly altering and mainly spontaneous set of understanding which survives in an uncomfortable language with officially endorsed set of laws (Shernock, 1988). To conclude, it can be stated that police plays an effective role in bringing relief to people who are homeless and are at greater risk of becoming victims of criminal activity than their peers due their lifestyle. Also, police has been able to act as agents of social control and adopting crime prevention strategies. The use of criminology theories have been considered effective since these provide a support to police to identify the reasons why criminal activities take and what should be potential steps to cope up with them. This paper has critically evaluated the criminology theories and role of police as agents of social control. The arguments are supported by strong evidences and examples. References Bayley, D.H., Shearing, C.D., (2006) The Future of Policing Law and Society Review, p. 30(3).(2012) Police Roles Criticized. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17246432 Accessed 17 March, 2015.Crown Prosecution Service (2010) The Death of Ian Tomlinson Decision of Prosecution, 2010, https://www.cps.gov.uk/news/articles/the_death_of_ian_tomlinson_decision_on_prosecution/. Accessed 17 March, 2015.Deflem, M. (2010). Bureaucracy and Social Control: Historical Foundations of International Policing. Law and Society Review.Innes, M., (2013) Understanding Social Control: Deviance, Crime and Social Order: GlasgowMcdevitt, D.J., Farrell, A., Andresen, W.C., (2005) Enhancing Citizen Participation in the Review Of Complaints And Use of Force in the Boston Police Department: Institute on Race and Justice North Eastern UniversityStenning, P.C., (2000) POWERS AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF PRIVATE POLICE., European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research 8: 325-352The National Archives, (2002) Police Reform Act , 2002, https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2002/30/section/39, Accessed 17 March, 2015.Reiner, R. (2012) Police accountability: principles, patterns and practices in R. Reiner and S. Spencer (Eds), Accountable Policing: Effectiveness. Empowerment and Equity, London: IPPR, 1-23.Walsh, D.P.J. and Conway, V., (2011) Police governance and accountability: overview of current issues Crime Law Soc Change 55: 61-86Gibbs, J. (2012). The Chicken or the Egg. Police Practice and Research 13.6: 513-524. Accessed on 18 March, 2015.Bertus, F. (2010). The Use and Effectiveness of Community Policing in a Democracy . Prod. National Institute of Justice. Washington, D.C.Watson, E. (1998). Strategies for Community Policing. Print. Upper Saddle River: Prentice-Hall Inc.Brown, L. (2010). Policing Houston: reducing fear and improving services. Crime and Delinquency, p. 71-89Goldstein, H. (1990). Problem Oriented Policing, McGraw-Hill Publishing, New York, NY, 1990Ankony, R. (1990). The impact of perceiv ed alienation on police officers sense of mastery and subsequent motivation for proactive enforcement. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies and Management, vol. 22, no. 2. p: 120-32.Bobinsky, R. (1994). Reflections on community-oriented policing. FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, (Mar. 1994): 15-19Burden, O. (1992). Community policing. National Fraternal Order of Police Journal, Fall/Winter (1992): 31-35Mastrofski, S. (1995). Law Enforcement in a time of community policing. Criminology, (Nov. 1995): 539-63More, W. (1992). Special Topics in Policing. Cincinnati, OH: Anderson Pub., 1992. Print.Bertus, F. (1996). The Use and Effectiveness of Community Policing in a Democracy . Prod. National Insitute of Justice. Washington, D.C.Wilson, L. (1989). Family structure and dynamics in the Caribbean," Doctoral Dissertation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbo. P: 1-187.Taylor, R. (1998), Core challenges facing community policing: the emperor has no clothes," Academy of Criminal Ju stice Sciences Today, p. 1-5.Berg, B. (1984). Police-community relations and alienation. Police Chief, p. 20-23King, B. (1995). Cops and compliance-gaining: A study of the organizational realities of two cities. Doctoral Dissertation, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, (1995): 1-294Mottaz, C. (1983). Alienation among police officers. Journal of Police Science and Administration, (Mar. 1983):23-30Pogrebin, M. (2007). Alienation among veteran police officers. Police Chief. P. 38-42Shernock, S. (1988). An empirical examination of the relationship between police solidarity and community orientation. Journal of Police Science and Administration (1988): 182-94,Community Policing Defined. (2014). Office of Community Oriented Polcing Services. Accessed 18 March, 2015.Community Policing. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Accessed 18 March, 2015

Reality tv shows free essay sample

Flavor of Love reality show has a negative impact on our society. Through out the entire show females who are contestant, to gain the love of the bachelor flavor they would do obnoxious things such as drinking, fighting and arguing. It has become very influential to the point where it is addictive. Viewers have become hypnotize and want to imitate and copy what they see in this program. Reality television has become a big part of our society today. People should not watch Flavor of love show because, It promotes sexual exploitation, victimization of women and it give false hope of finding love. The contestant on this program make it seems easy to come on television dress up and look pretty all the time. In the real world that we live in women are not wearing make up an fancy jewelery everyday. Love does not happen overnight like what we see portrait on television. We will write a custom essay sample on Reality tv shows or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It takes time to know each other and develop a strong relationship. Women go on these show with high expectation to find love. When it does not happen for them they get disappointed. Flavor of love is very demeaning to women. On this series women dress very provocative to entice the audience and the major character Flavor Flavor. In several series certain body part were been exposed and the network has to blur the imagines out to prevent viewers from seeing explicit content. These network that broadcast these shows knowing that sex sell and they promotes it in there ads leading up to each episode. These girls act this way to stay on the show. Women on this series are always trying to appease Flavor Flavor. They demean themselves to stay on the show. Some women go on there looking for fame and fortune. Several contestant after leaving the show have gain fame and fortune. Some have launch careers in acting. Tiffany Pollard also known as Miss New York have gotten acting career an started her own reality show. Another contestant got her singing and modeling career after Flavor of love show ended. Some of these girls are from poor background and they been given the opportunity of a life time to change their circumstance. With financial stability they can help their family and relatives. Thats one advantage of coming on the show. A lot of ladies try to get on television to publicize themselves. They are trying to get a jump start on certain career they want to pursue. They are trying to get famous from these reality shows. Most of the time when these shows end some girls might get picked up for a spin off and get their own show. For example Miss New York she got rewarded for her rude behavior by getting her own show. Some do it in hope of getting rich or to meet someone who is rich, they are looking for fortune. They think that been on tv will get them rich. Everyone wants to be famous thats why most of them try to get on these shows. There was one girl that came on in hope of pursuing a singing career. It did not work her intention got found out and she had to leave the show. They found out that she was not come there for the real reason of the show, but only for her own personal gain. The characters behave in a disgraceful manner on the show. In Flavor of love the women are very despicable. They do and say whatever they want. They curse and fight each other and say nasty things they use a lot of profanity and the network has to beep it out. In one episode a characters name Miss New York behave so badly they had to remove her from the rest of the girls for the night. This kind of behavior is not good for young viewers they are setting a bad example for them. Teenagers watching this might think its okay to behave in that manner. In this series there is a lot of sex ,these characters think they have to make out with, the leading star to prove a point. Flavor of Love promotes fornication, he has sex and make out with all the contestant on the show. Sleeping with all these women can spread std especially if they are not using protection. This irresponsibility can also lead to unwanted pregnancy. Young men watching this show get so fascinated and want to live the same kind of life style they see on television. They try to emulate these characters behavior . In my opinion reality television has a negative impact on our society it does not portrait anything positive. Even though some contestant got great opportunity from the show. The overall view is they have to demean themselves to get where they are. Does going on these show really worth ones morality to gain fame and fortune. Getting famous has become easy for everyone all they have to do is go on a reality television show and whoever behave the worst is the most popular. Statistic shows that they are the most watch series and they draws viewers from all different ages. Some might view these shows as been harmless and entertaining. I dont think they are harmless because young children emulate what they see on television. In their eyes its okay because some one else is doing it.

Essay about AP English

Essay about AP English Essay about AP English In society there are choices that determine whether you fit in or stand out. Challenging the status quo is both morally or appropritely right. We are slaves to society. We follow the rules, and god forbid we ask the question why? What is the problem with challenging the staus quo? The problem is the judgement and shame we get for doing so. People act so shocked if you do something that is different. Standing up for your beliefs and what’s right. "We know through painful experience that we are not free." Even when society and the government tell us we are free we know the truth. Reality sinks in and slaps us in the face telling us its a lie. â€Å"Everyday they tell us we are a free people, fighting to defend freedom... It is not true that we are free. We are prisioners...† When we speak of freedom we come to the conclusion that it comes with a price. Challenging the status quo is not simple. If you want change or to do the right thing you have to stop following the rule s and be the change you seek. The problem with doing that is you are damned if you do damned if you don’t. You can go against society, yet deal with the judgement of others or You could do what society would want you to do, but always regret it. â€Å"I was a coward. I went to war.† It was morally and acceptably right to everyone that O’Brien go to a war he didn’t understand or agree with . The regret sinks in when he realizes that it wasnt worth the praise. He should’ve done what he knew was right and go to Canada. â€Å"Women have not a word to say in politics† The women who stated that was wrong what Woolf did was morally and acceptably right. She challenged all women telling them to speak up even when it was at a time where women had no rights â€Å"Rationality will not save us.† Only we can save ourselves. â€Å"You can’t

The Most Powerful Body of the United Nations

The Most Powerful Body of the United Nations The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful body of the United Nations. The Security Council can authorize the deployment of troops from United Nations member countries, mandate cease-fire during conflict  and can impose economic penalties on countries. The United Nations Security Council is composed of representatives from fifteen countries. Five of the Security Council members are permanent members. The original five permanent members were the United States, United Kingdom, Republic of China (Taiwan), Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and France. These five countries were the primary victorious countries of World War II. In 1973, Taiwan  was replaced by the Peoples Republic of China on the Security Council and after the fall of the USSR in 1991, the USSRs spot was occupied by Russia. Thus, the current five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are United States, United Kingdom, China, Russia, and France. Each of the five permanent members of the Security Council has veto power over any matter voted upon by the Security Council. This means that all five permanent members of the Security Council must agree to endorse any measure for it to pass. Nonetheless, the Security Council has passed more than 1700 resolutions since its founding in 1946. Regional Groupings of UN Member Countries The remaining ten non-permanent members of the total membership of fifteen countries are chosen based on various regions of the world. Almost every United Nations member country is a member of a regional grouping. The regional groupings include: The Western European and Others GroupThe Eastern European GroupLatin American and Caribbean GroupThe Asian GroupThe African Group Interestingly, the United States and Kiribati are the two countries which are not members of any group. Australia, Canada, Israel, and New Zealand are all part of the Western European and Others Group. Non-Permanent Members The ten non-permanent members serve two-year terms and half are replaced each year in annual elections. Each region votes for its own representatives and the United Nations General Assembly approves the selections. The division among the ten non-permanent members is as follows: Africa – three members, Western Europe and Others – two members, Latin America and ​the  Caribbean – two members, Asia – two members, and Eastern Europe – one member. Membership Structure Current members of the United Nations Security Council can be found on this listing of Security Council Members. There has been controversy over the composition of the permanent members and the veto power for decades. Brazil, Germany, Japan and India all seek inclusion as permanent members of the Security Council and recommend enlargement of the Security Council to twenty-five members. Any proposal to modify the organization of the Security Council would require the approval of two-thirds of the United Nations General Assembly (193 UN member countries as of 2012). The presidency of the United Nations Security Council rotates on a monthly basis alphabetically among all of the members based on their English name. Since the United Nations Security Council must be able to act quickly during times of international emergency, a representative from each Security Council member country must be present at all times at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

Human Cognition and the Brain Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Cognition and the Brain - Case Study Example Phineas P. Gage was a railroad employee who went through a serious brain damage when metal pierced through his head, destroying the frontal lobe areas of his mind. This brain damage was expected to impose severe impacts on his feelings, attitudes and behaviors, transforming him in a wild and unstable level, so intense so that his friends even mentioned that he was not even the person he once was prior to the accident. At the time that this happened to the medical world, Gage's situation resulted to developments in the medical belief of the operations and portions of the human brain concerning the human feelings and behaviors. Gage's situation is mentioned as among the initial proof recommending that serious injury to the frontal lobes of the human brain could change elements of attitudes and behavior and will have an impact on the communicative abilities. Prior to this case the frontal lobes were commonly perceived to possess very minimal responsibilities in attitudes (Fleischman, 2004). With respect to current medical research, a serious injury to the brain especially in the frontal area by an object that has dimensions of more than an inch in diameter and has a weight of more than ten pounds, would definitely make living impossible for the person, since this would mean a lethal destruction to essential brain parts, which include the superior sagittal sinus. Nonetheless, Gage was able to make it through the serious accident and added miseries because of an infection developed. Gage was eventually discovered to have exhibited radical shifts in attitudes and perceptions. Gage's situation is mentioned as among the initial proof recommending that serious injury to the frontal lobes of the brain could change elements of human behavior and have an adverse impact in the proper communication between people. Prior to this situation the frontal lobes were generally perceived to have very minimal responsibilities in human attitudes. Medical expert Antonio Damasio has studied thoroughly on the case of Gage, and including other people he has devoted his time which, in his own opinion, had the same brain damages. In an idea he pertained to as the somatic marker theory, Damasio recommends a connection between the frontal lobes, human behavior and logical choices of a person. He views Gage's situation as having an essential responsibility in the field of nerve science, stating that Gage's case was the essential foundation of the field of the scientific foundations of human attitudes. While researches by Hanna Damasio and his assistants recommended a serious damage to the frontal lobes, a recent research by Ratiu and his assistants formulated on a scan of Gage's head implies that the degree of Gage's brain damage must have been not so serious at all as what is known today (Bradberry, 2005). It is normally recommended that Gage's situation hastened the improvement of a medical procedure called frontal lobotomy, currently a rare medical operation that results to an erratic behavioral response and attitude developments. Nevertheless, past research investigation does not look very positive to validate this hypothesis. It looks like that perception of Gage's brain d

Auditing Exercise for Property Plant and Equipment Assignment

Auditing Exercise for Property Plant and Equipment - Assignment Example Management must implement the internal control activities to reduce the three inherent risk factors, management must implement the following internal controls procedures. The same audit objective includes reducing the risk factors by physically determining if management recorded all assets seen and affirmed by the auditor properly and completely in the proper accounting period. The inherent risk factors for item 1 and 3 are complex accounting issues (proper recording of property plant and equipment assets and allowance for depreciation), difficult to audit transactions (collusion between management and employees to fraudulently present Enron-style financial statements), and misstatements (unintentional errors) are detected (Whittington, 2005). ADJUSTING ENTRIES The auditor found the recommended adjusting entries for item 1 item 3 and after performing the audit procedure test of details of transactions or reconciliation. This is in compliance the auditor’s meeting the audit obj ectives. The auditor must obtain sufficient audit evidence to support all management assertions shown in the financial reports. Reconciliation entails the ensuring that detailed records have the same balances as the general ledger control accounts. The following adjusting entries are necessary in order to present the true balances of the land account, buildings account, machinery and equipment account, depression expense accounts, and allowance for depreciation account (buildings) and allowance for depreciation accounts (machinery and equipment), in compliance with no. 1 item instructions (D Kieso, J Weygandt, T Warfield, 2011). Item no. 1 Assertions: 1. Completeness assertion: Management ensures the recording of all existing property, plant, equipment, allowance for depreciation and other accounts in the same accounting period. The accountant did not record the donated assets were in the books of accounts received from Crux City. Thus, the effect on the audit procedure is to increa se the building account in item no. 1by $ 400,000. Management must make an adjustment. Otherwise, item no. 1 (building account) will be understated. Likewise, the allowance for depreciation account, item 1, will be understated. 2. Existence or Occurence assertion : All recorded property, plant, equipment, allowance for depreciation and other accounts exist or are owned by the company in the same accounting period. The effect on audit procedure is to inspect the official documents that include land titles, official receipts, and donation document will prove the existence or occurrence (ownership) of the reported assets. 3. Valuation or allocation assertion: all amounts recorded in the property, plant, machinery and equipment, allowance for depreciation accounts are accurate and proper classification of the business transactions are made. The audit procedure includes analytical procedures. The effect on audit procedure is to ensure accuracy, classification, cut-off, detail tie-in of t he property, plant, equipment, depreciation allowance, and depreciation expense balances during the year under audit. In terms of effect on audit procedure, the auditor must determine the existence or occurrence assertion audit assertion are valued accurately by personally inspecting if all recorded property, plant, and equipment accounts recorded in the books exist (Whittington, 2005). The building, machinery and

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Phrenology Essay Example for Free

Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Phrenology Essay After fMRI was first introduced, it has been under criticism that it is not hard science. The most common technique, the BOLD (blood oxygen level-dependent) fMRI, measures the increase in regional cerebral blood flow in response to increased metabolism, which is to be caused from heightened activity of neuron firing (Menon Kim, 1999). Some neurologists believe that this is an indirect way of measuring brain activity, and is not sufficient to support any idea. By many scientists fMRI is often compared to phrenology, a study that once gained popularity in the 19th century. Phrenology is based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules (Fodor, 1983). This is similar to fMRI practitioners’ attempts to localize brain structure, matching the divided parts of the brain with certain functions. Judging whether fMRI is a new form of phrenology concerns two points: fMRI’s similarities to phrenology, and fMRI’s significance to be admitted as the ‘new form’. This will also lead to the question of whether fMRI scan is meaningful to be presented as evidence in court. The logic of fMRI is straight-forward. Brain parts that light up to a certain stimulus, is related to the function provoked by the stimulus. The fMRI machine measures increase in blood flow in brain regions. The regions with increased blood flow appear in brighter colors, in red or yellow (Dobbs, 2005). fMRI’s logic of relating higher blood flow and function is similar to that of phrenology, which relates size of lump to function. From this analogy we can say that fMRI can be considered some form of ‘phrenology. ’ Another reason that fMRI is compared to phrenology is for its limitations (Menon Kim, 1999). MRI’s problem rise from the fact that it does not show interactions between parts. It takes a univariate approach to the brain, implying that only one factor is considered as variable. The current fMRI shows voxels’ activity as one sum, meaning that it cannot collect relational or sequential information of brain parts (Dobbs, 2005). Many neurologists believe that brain parts’ interaction is an important aspect, and fMRI’s lack of capacity to do so results in criticism. Compared with the old phrenology, fMRI shares the same view that brains have localized functions. However, fMRI takes a more scientific approach than the old phrenology. Although it has its limitation in presenting spatial information, it does contribute in relating brains structure and the mind’s function. Although the ‘old’ phrenology is labeled ‘pseudoscience’ and no longer acknowledged in the field of science anymore, it has had its contributions. It sparked the idea that mind can be localized, such as language and memory. In the same context fMRI can contribute, only much more than the ‘old’ phrenology. Although fMRI’s blood flow measurement and the actual neural activity do not perfectly correspond with each other (Dobbs, 2005), significant correlation can be drawn from the fMRI scanning. As for the usage as court evidence, I see fMRI scan valuable as evidence, for fMRI does show some level of correlation of parts of brains and certain activity. fMRI should not be criticized and banned from court just because of its possibility of erroneous conclusion (Hughes, 2010). Even witnesses’ testimonies are bound to be wrong, but their testimonies are accepted as evidence. Thus fMRI should be allowed to be presented as evidence in court. However, the juries should be made aware that fMRI scan is an arbitrarily interpreted output, and contain risks of erroneous conclusions. I believe fMRI will gain stronger grounds in the court later in the future though, with the advance of technology as mentioned above. Some compare neurologists with fMRI to molecular biologists with light microscopes (Jaffe, 2004), for the reason that the capacity of fMRI is not sufficient for neurological study. It must be taken into account that later light microscopes evolved to electron microscopes, meaning that also fMRI will offer improved spatial and temporal information in the future. Its potential must be acknowledged, and in the meantime there should be efforts to find complementary analysis methods (Hubbard, 2003).

The Neurobiology of Mental Retardation: Fragile X Syndrome Essay

The Neurobiology of Mental Retardation: Fragile X Syndrome In my previous paper, I wrote on the topic of the nature-nurture debate and the ways it related to the brain-equals-behavior dilemma. In this paper, I will continue this investigation into the link between genes and neurobiology, but I will focus in on a particular aspect of the relationship: neurological disease caused by genetic aberration. There are many well studied and well documented (thought not necessarily well understood) disorders associated with the X chromosome, and a large number of these have neurobiological roots and behavioral manifestations. One such disease is fragile X syndrome. Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited form of learning disabilities and mental retardation known (1). The disease shows an x-linked inheritance pattern and is characterized by a host of symptoms ranging from impaired learning abilities to severe retardation and autistic behaviors (1). An understanding of the disease is vital on several levels. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) not only bea rs scientific significance for the fields of molecular genetics, transmission genetics, neurophysiology, and abnormal psychology. It also provides one with a vantage point from which to view the particular set of behaviors known as mental retardation as well as those afflicted by retardation who are too often stigmatized and marginalized in our society. Before analyzing the neurobiological basis of FXS, it is pertinent to examine the genetics underlying the disease. As stated before, FXS is known to be x-linked which means that the disease will appear roughly in twice as many male cases as female. This is because males, who have only a single copy of x-linked genes which they inherit on... ... syndrome and Downs Syndrome are also forms of mental retardation, the latter of which is not even an inborn error of metabolism- it is a chromosomal disorder. And yet the particular subset of behaviors in question is all called mental retardation. Thus, more cytological and neuro-imaging research must be conducted to fully elucidate the complexities of FXS. For the time being, I think, it is safe to assume that the link between a single gene and a complex class of behaviors is strong for fragile X syndrome. WWW Sources 1)National Fragil X Foundation http://www.fragilex.org/ 2)Neurosciences on the Internet http://www.neuroguide.com/cgi-bin/pdistoc.pl?file=fragile 3)Genetic Causes of Mental Retardation http://specialed.freeyellow.com/YAdaptUse.html 4)Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man http://www3.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/dispomim.cgi?id=309550

South Canyon Wild Fire

Luke MasieroMay 4, 2012Argumentative essayWRTG 3020 Children Shouldn’t Play With Fire The South Canyon Fire that burned Storm King Mountain for ten days during July of 1994 remains one of the most tragic fires in Colorado’s history. But what truly makes this catastrophe a great tragedy is how easily it all could have been avoided. In book Fire on the Mountain John Maclean tells the true story of the South Canyon Fire and mistakes made that caused this disaster.There are many questions surrounding the South Canyon Fire tragedy, why did it take so long for government agencies in charge of forest fire suppression to fight this fire, and how were the firefighters in South Canyon not informed of the deadly conditions that took their lives? Communication and cooperation between forest service agencies is essential to coordinate equipment and men when attempting to fight a forest fire the magnitude of The South Canyon fire. In Colorado during July of 1994 the cohesive elements were missing among the forest service agencies in western Colorado.The lack of communication and cooperation fueled by childish rivalries between the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Grand Junction District and the Western Slope Coordination Center prolonged the suppression of the South Canyon Fire causing it to grow out of control taking the lives of 14 fire fighters. These rivalries over jurisdiction, resources and reputation hindered communication efforts, and halted resources from arriving at the South Canyon Fire to attempt early suppression efforts.Both Forest Services claim that due to the great number of large forest fires burning in Colorado the summer of 1994 the BLM Grand Junction District and Western Slope Coordination Center were short on men and equipment and searched for help among other agencies who had to be certain the South Canyon Fire was an imminent threat to people or property before they could dedicate men and resource to a site. Despite multiple red flag warn ings the South Canyon Fire burned for days until it was recognized as a top priority.When 30 year fire veteran Mike Lowry arrived at the Western Slope Coordination Center to assist with this crisis of forest fires in western Colorado he was immediately concerned â€Å"Cooperation, the touchstone of modern firefighting was virtually nonexistent. Instead Lowry found competition, jealousies, and outdated thinking and policies. † increasing the difficulties of dealing with the South Canyon Fire (Maclean 24).The rivalry between the BLM’s Grand Junction District and the Western Slope Coordination Center dates all the way back to 1978 when the Western Slope Coordination Center was given responsibility for coordination of air support for 11 fire districts, the situation here was that the Western Slopes new responsibilities overlapped with jurisdictions and functions held by the BLM (Maclean 31). This friction between the BLM and the Western Slope Center stunted valuable resour ces from being deployed.Maclean noted that Lowry reported seeing fleets of air tankers under Western Slopes control sitting idle each morning when weather conditions were optimal for fighting fires, but it was the BLM’s Grand Junction District responsibility to request these tankers. In an attempt to save money and not over pay Western Slope, the BLM would hold off until the afternoon to request tankers, enhancing the risk of fire growing but reducing costs (Maclean 25). If the BML had requested the tankers from Western Slope earlier, the tankers could have doused the South Canyon Fire on July 3 when it was small and avoided death and destruction.Instead they delayed suppression efforts and a fire that would have cost only a few thousand dollars to maintain ended up costing millions of dollars destroying hundreds of acres and ending the lives 14 fire fighters. As the days passed the South Canyon Fire was growing yet â€Å"nobody at the BLM was calling for help† (Maclea n 25) without relaying this information other offices were cut out of the loop which further delayed action in South Canyon (Maclean 32). The BLM Grand Junction District’s lack of communication lead other agencies to accuse their personnel of â€Å"controlling all the shots†(Maclean 32).On July 3 time was of the essence and since the BLM was not making any calls, Lowry took the initiative to do so. Lowry needed more men and resources than the western Colorado districts could provide and the only place these necessities could be attained was from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise (Maclean 26). Since the BLM’s Grand Junction Districts communication did not travel far the South Canyon Fire crisis was not know and it would take 24 hours for the much needed reinforcements from Boise to land in Colorado, valuable time that allowed the South Canyon Fire to run wild (Maclean 26). Despite all the idiculous time wasting displayed by the BLM Grand Juncti on District and the Western Slope Coordination Center Managers from both agencies claimed they did everything in their power to fight this fire. In defense of their actions managers from the BLM Grand Junction District and Western Slope Coordination Center recall the climate and weather during the Colorado summer of 1994. Colorado was experiencing a drought along with intense heat, creating an environment very susceptible to fire so the BLM â€Å"announced an aggressive policy of attacking all fires as soon as they were spotted† a policy they intended to uphold (Maclean 4).When powerful electric storms struck western Colorado early in July 1994 the BLM reported 15 forest fires in the Grand Junction District (Maclean p. 7). According to the BLM’s new police they needed to attack these 15 fires but they did not have enough fire fighters to be every where at once. The BLM Grand Junction District would have benefitted from the use of planes on some of the smaller fires in inaccessible locations but the BLM director for Colorado, Bob Moore, stuck to an older policy â€Å"allowing no air tanker to drop retardant unless a crew was on the ground to cover it up† (Maclean 25).Moore and other upper management also claim they did not become involved in the incident until after it was evident there was a disaster on their hands, since the South Canyon fire did appear to be less wild than other fires in Colorado during this time the BLM did not mark it as a high priority fire. The BLM and Western Slope agencies required more men. In an attempt to help the BLM and Western Slope Lowry tried to order a huge quantity of fire fighters from the Rocky Mountain Coordination Center, twenty crews amounting to 400 people but they never came (Maclean 26).This was due to managements at the Rocky Mountain Coordination Center they simply did not know how to go about getting that many people together and transporting them to South Canyon (Maclean 26). Finally Lowry tur ned to the NIFC for help asking them to provide any additional crews of fire fighters or equipment so that he would be prepared when the fire did get large. NIFC is very hesitant to commit crews and equipment before an out break in the fire occurs (Maclean 29).This is a difficult decision for the NIFC because during fire season lots of fires do occur the problem is, not knowing where and when the worst fires strike, the NIFC wants to ensure that their assistance is truly need. The BLM and Western Slope Coordination claim that they made every effort to get more fire fighters and equipment to South canyon but the other districts and agencies they went to for help did not see the severity lurking beneath the smock column in South Canyon and decided to allocate their resources else where.It is only natural for the BLM Grand Junction District and the Western Slope Coordination Center to defend their actions, but there is so much evidence that points to the lack cooperation between these neighboring agencies that it is difficult not to see a correlation between the tragedy and uncooperative attitudes. The bad blood between the BLM and Western Slope created by their rivalry created a terrible dynamic one that never stood a chance against a Fire like the South Canyon blowup.A catastrophe of this magnitude was predicted in an audit conducted by BLM officials from other districts. These officials reported â€Å"differences in resource management philosophies, personalities, misconceptions about the use of prescribed fire, had an unclear understanding of the position roles and responsibilities seem to have created a difficult situation with respect to the management of fire†, they couldn’t have been more spot on (Maclean 31).Team work and cooperation are vital when fighting fires, the different crew members ranging from Hot Shots, Smoke Jumpers and members of management have to work together cohesively to have the best chance of putting out a fire quickly a nd safely. The relationship between the BLM’s Grand Junction District and the Western Slope Coordination Center was far from cooperative. Their inability to work together because of an immature rivalry prolonged their fire suppression efforts to a point that their actions or lack there of attributed to the death of the 14 fire fighters who lost there lives during the South Canyon Fire.Fighting forest fires is a dangerous and deadly occupation, it is unacceptable for such childish behavior to be present in these government agencies who are meant to protect the property and people of the United States. It’s impossible for the BLM and Western Slope Coordination Center to save anyone if the agencies are fighting amongst them selves. Something needs to be done to create a sense of unity among the BLM Grand Junction District and the Western slope because their oor relationship affects districts throughout the state. One possible solution would be to have fire fighters switch places with another fire fighter from a different district only for about two weeks. This would allow the different district to inter act and better get to know one another. Regardless of what the solution is something must be done, before another fire consumes more lives. Work Cited Page Maclean, Norman. Fire on the Mountain the True Story of the South Canyon Fire. New York: William Morrow, 1999. Print.

Informal Letter

Dear Sally, Thanks for writing such a long and funny letter. I always enjoy reading what you’ve been doing. I’ve recently been on holidays with my sister Anna. We were saving as much money as we could only for one reason: LONDON, the city of our dreams. We are absolutely fascinated by the city, it's really awesome! As you know, London is the capital city of England and it's on the River Thames. Anna and I stayed at a luxurious hotel called â€Å"London Marriot Hotel† very close to the city center. We tried to do as much things as we could, only in 5 days. We spend a fortune on the flight on the famous London Eye. In only 30 minutes we saw more that fifty London's most famous landmarks! After the flight, Anna and I went to watch Changing the Guard, which takes place inside the railings of Buckingham Palace. The Queen's Guard is always accompanied by a band and the ceremony lasts 45 minutes. It was really amazing! Also, we took some photos of the Houses of Parliament, of Big Ben and of Westminster Abbey. And we had a nice walk along the riverside. I was mesmerized by London by night. However, not all in Britain is so amazing. We've already noticed that Londoners are very busy people; they're in a hurry all the time. As for the food, I don't like English food. It's tasteless and very greasy. Fish & chips seem to be their national dish. But I must admit that I like English beer. Of course, we didn’t have enough time to visit all the places we wanted to. So I think that I must come back here next summer. Maybe you would go with me -what do you think? Write to me about it in your next letter. Best wishes, Vero Informal Letter Dear Sally, Thanks for writing such a long and funny letter. I always enjoy reading what you’ve been doing. I’ve recently been on holidays with my sister Anna. We were saving as much money as we could only for one reason: LONDON, the city of our dreams. We are absolutely fascinated by the city, it's really awesome! As you know, London is the capital city of England and it's on the River Thames. Anna and I stayed at a luxurious hotel called â€Å"London Marriot Hotel† very close to the city center. We tried to do as much things as we could, only in 5 days. We spend a fortune on the flight on the famous London Eye. In only 30 minutes we saw more that fifty London's most famous landmarks! After the flight, Anna and I went to watch Changing the Guard, which takes place inside the railings of Buckingham Palace. The Queen's Guard is always accompanied by a band and the ceremony lasts 45 minutes. It was really amazing! Also, we took some photos of the Houses of Parliament, of Big Ben and of Westminster Abbey. And we had a nice walk along the riverside. I was mesmerized by London by night. However, not all in Britain is so amazing. We've already noticed that Londoners are very busy people; they're in a hurry all the time. As for the food, I don't like English food. It's tasteless and very greasy. Fish & chips seem to be their national dish. But I must admit that I like English beer. Of course, we didn’t have enough time to visit all the places we wanted to. So I think that I must come back here next summer. Maybe you would go with me -what do you think? Write to me about it in your next letter. Best wishes, Vero

The U.S. should not determine world policy (Argumentative) essays

The U.S. should not determine world policy (Argumentative) essays THE U.S. SHOULD NOT DETERMINE WORLD POLICY The United States of America...50 states, 9 629 091 square kilometres of land, population: 280 562 489...But is that really a reason to oppress the rest of the world? Over the years, the U.S. has proven to unfairly dominate and exploit other countries. This has got to stop. How? When? Maybe never. They pretend to care about less-developed countries, pronounce a lot of meaningless speeches with serious looks on their faces, but exploit these countries in a cruel and immoral way. Most people dont realise that, because the U.S.A. are controlling our minds with the hypocritical media, which tells us what George Bush and his predecessors think you should know, hiding their dirty secrets behind misleading news and money-making schemes. The capitalistic octopuses of the U.S.A. are using their power in a negative and irresponsible fashion. They say that their goal is war against terrorism and violence, but all they really do is bring more blood and scandals to our already abused world. The scariest part is that they dont really know who or what are they bombing and for what reason. For all they know, theyre fighting against violence. But have they ever stopped to think that maybe theyre the terrorists? Of course not! Americans dont think. They kill. While the spoken universal #1 enemy is now Iraq, in many ways, it is actually the United States of America. It is inhumane to talk about how we should help less developed countries, while immorally exploiting them at the same time. All the big, successful American companies abuse of millions of workers from Africa and India, working in factories in terrible conditions and paid just enough, or not, to survive. The American governement uses the sweat and blood of the proletariat to oil their capitalistic robbing machinery.Everyone knows that, but self-absorbed we are, we pretend to care but do nothi ...

Intrusive vs. Obtrusive

Intrusive vs. Obtrusive Intrusive vs. Obtrusive Intrusive vs. Obtrusive By Mark Nichol What is the difference between intrusive and obtrusive? The distinction between these words, and those between each of them and their synonyms, are subtle but useful. To be intrusive is to involve oneself into the affairs of others, generally in an objectionable manner, tactlessly but not necessarily in a way that calls attention to oneself. To be obtrusive, by contrast, is to interfere without regard for propriety or subtlety. They therefore can apply to the same situation, but intrusive emphasizes the effect on the recipient of the attention, while obtrusive focuses how the attention is perceived from the outside. The common element in intrude and obtrude, the root words for these synonyms, is -trude, from the Latin word trudere, which means â€Å"to thrust.† Ob- means â€Å"toward,† and in- is self-explanatory; protrusive, from protrude, featuring a prefix meaning â€Å"forward,† also means â€Å"pushy† but is used less often in this context. (Yet another word featuring the stem is extrude, which means â€Å"to thrust out†; the adjectival form is extrusive.) Other synonyms for this behavior follow: Impertinent: insolent or unrestrained, though it also has an unrelated original sense of irrelevance (from the Latin word pertinere, meaning â€Å"to pertain†) Insinuating: stealthily ingratiating, though the more common definition is â€Å"to imply or covertly suggest† (from the Latin word sinuare, also the origin of sinuous and meaning â€Å"to bend, curve†) Meddlesome or meddling: interfering (from the Latin word miscere, meaning â€Å"to mix†) Officious: interfering (from the Latin word officium, meaning â€Å"service, office†) Presumptuous or presuming: going beyond the bounds of what is considered appropriate (from the Latin word praesumere, meaning â€Å"to anticipate, assume, or dare†) Informal and slang terms for intrusive or obtrusive behavior include nosy (also spelled nosey), prying, pushy, and snoopy. Related descriptive phrases include â€Å"being a busybody† and â€Å"butting in.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comparative Forms of AdjectivesAmong vs. AmongstWhile vs. Whilst

The Reasons for the Fall of the Inca Empire Essay

The Reasons for the Fall of the Inca Empire - Essay Example The people in this kingdom used assimilations to incorporate the majority of the western part of south America. They also used violence to spread their rule within the region. The kingdom was spread from the mountains in Andrea to Ecuador over to Bolivia and into the countries of Chile and Columbia. Their official language was called Quechua though many dialects of the language were spoken. The people of the kingdom worshipped the sun god and considered their king as a son of the sun god. 2 Most of the people in the kingdom were pastoralists. After the attack and occupation of the Spaniards on the capital, Cusco, the Inca people constructed other strongholds in the towns of Vilcabamba along with Vitcos. The fall of the Inca Empire came as a result of their defeat in war by the Spaniards among many other reasons. The Spaniards had already managed to conquer the Indians of Mexico in the year 1519 under the leadership of Hernan Cortes. 3 The Incas though had no information concerning th e conquest of the Indians. The Inca people only realized that the white man was around in the years between 1523 to 1525. There was an attack by the Spaniards accompanied by the Indians of central Mexico and under the leadership of Alejo Garcia, a Spaniard, on the Inca at Gran Chaco. This helped in creating awareness among the Inca of the white man’s presence.4 In the year 1527, an outbreak of small pox affected the people of the empire leaving very devastating effects on the community. The Inca’s leader known as Huayna Capac passed away in the same year leaving a very large kingdom that encountered many wrangles on his progression. The leader had 500 boys and two of them seemed the favorites to succeed their father. They were Huascar and Atahualpa who resided in Cusco.5 This culminated in the outbreak of a civil unrest that lasted for a period of five years due to the power struggles between the brothers. The war was fought between two factions each being led by eithe r of the step brothers. Atahualpa won the war but his victory did not last long enough. This is because after two weeks the Spaniard Pizzarro arrived for his second trip to the region accompanied by one hundred and seventy seven men. Among these men only sixty seven of them were soldiers and they arrived in the year 1532 at Tumbes.6 The Inca leadership under Atahualpa had precise information concerning the whereabouts of the Spaniards.7 They however made faulty interpretations of the details since they were told that the white’s guns were only thunderbolts which could fire twice. Their soldiers were also told to that the whites man horses were not appropriate at night. 8 They claimed that the horse and the man were the same thing and the survival of one depended on the other. This implied that if one of them fell, the other was completely useless. The Inca people were also led into believing that the Spanish swords would do no harm to them. The perpetrators of this propaganda claimed that their swords were just as inefficient like a woman’s plank used for weaving purposes. The Spanish people did not however attack immediately.9 They invited the Inca leader, Atahualpa, to visit in their walled city and the leader foolishly walked into their trap. He was accompanied by many of his tribesmen though they were unarmed. They came in this condition as a result of being convinced by a Christian priest and a demigod of the Inca. The Spaniards laid an ambush on the Inca’

FDA FELLOSHIP ADMISSION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FDA FELLOSHIP ADMISSION - Essay Example at provided the impetus for my application for the Fellowship Program offered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in conjunction with both personal and professional goals. I share the same mission embodied in FDA’s mission statement, to wit: â€Å"The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our Nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods to improve their health† (U.S. Food and Drug Adminisration (FDA), 2011, p. 1). The recognition for focusing my professional expertise in the field of public health was actually spurred from my previous volunteer works in HIV prevention and treatment in the city of Aneho in Lome (Togo, West Africa); in child and maternity health in the city of Tsievie in Lome (Togo, West Africa); in imm unization campaign in Aneho, Togo; and through servicing underserved segments of the population. Although sharing the same relevance in serving the needs of health compromised people in the private sector, the field of public health posed greater challenges in terms of trying to be an instrumental contributor to the betterment of the lives of a greater number of people. Likewise, I also realized that in putting my dedicated efforts in public health, I would be serving the needs, not only of my local community, but the medical breakthroughs are cumulatively applicable on a more global scale. I remember clearly that as a child, I had a fair trip in a local community in my country (Cameroon) where I witnessed poverty and need for high quality healthcare provider for the underserved population. The vivid memory nurtured my love

President Barack Obama Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

President Barack Obama - Research Paper Example There is the United States of America.† His inspiring keynote speech appealed to all American’s who longed for politics with a common goal.   Throughout his 2008 presidential campaign, Obama remained true to this premise, promising to ease the partisan divide in Washington D.C.   However, he severely miscalculated the profound division between the political parties, misunderstood the reasons for the division, and assumed, erroneously, that his persuasive powers and political mandate would be enough to overcome it. The genesis of future difficulties began during his campaign. Obama’s overly optimistic message raised expectations so high for that those who voted for him were destined for disappointment.   The enthusiasm his campaign generated proved to be both beneficial and detrimental. While his message rallied many voters,’ especially unprecedented numbers of young persons and minorities encouraging them to anticipate change of a speed and scope that the political system seldom allows.   Following the inauguration the customary checks and balances of Washington were realized along with unexpected and extraordinary opposition of the minority party became apparent the feeling of hope present during the campaign turned into uncertainty and then disillusion. The Democratic Party made tremendous gains in the election of 2008. Barack Obama beat Republican John McCain in the presidential race by an overwhelming margin. Democrats also increased their majorities in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Obama’s won the national popular vote by margin of approximately ten million. â€Å"He has won by the largest margin for a non-incumbent candidate for president since Eisenhower in 1952.† (Fernando, 2011) Essentially, the election result was a mass rejection of George W. Bush administration policies along with the Republican Party’s political platform and effectively ended almost three decades of rule by the right-wing ideology. The

Risk Management In Construction Contracts

Risk Management In Construction Contracts Risk management is vital when tendering for construction contracts. Risk is described by Atkinson (2001) as the probability of an occurrence of a hazard and the magnitude of the consequences. Consequently risk can be considered as the likelihood of an experience occurring and the resultant effect of that experience if it takes place. As defined by RICS (2009) risk management is a means of processes where risks are identified, analysed and managed. It is a constant cycle that begins at the pre-tender stage; this means that risk can be priced into the bid and continues after post contract stage. During the different phases of a project, new risks will emerge throughout the contract. Identifying in advance allows quicker mitigation; to reduce impact risk has on the project. This study has examined the inaccuracy of pre-tender risk management by using both pre-tender and post contract risk registers. As well as risks there were opportunities and these were also recognised in the processes of risk management. This subject area was chosen to be researched after discussion with line managers and work colleagues, during my 2010 placement year with Sir Robert McAlpine (SRM). This topic was considered as an ideal subject area for a research project because SRM were improving their risk management procedures. Therefore the plan of the study was to feedback findings, to further enhance the Tender risk management process. The line manager gave me risk registers for two different project types, and explained how SRM assess risk at all stages of a job. The emphasis being on highway construction, as this information was available from my placement and SRM. 1.2 Rationale The subject of what to research developed from consultations with colleagues and the line manager at SRM. The line manager was involved in risk management and was working to improve SRMs pre-tender risk process to make it replicate the post contract phase. This therefore illustrated a requirement in the business and indeed construction for research in to this topic area. The main reason for eventually electing the subject area of risk was the open access of information provided by SRM and the contact with knowledgeable personnel in my placement. This gave a better understanding of the processes currently used, which allowed me to gain a greater grasp of the subject area. Also access was gained during placement to potential data in the form of contract and tender risk registers from various Highway works undertaken by SRM. The aim, objectives and hypothesis came about from carrying out the literary research, it wasnt until that point that the information was collected, and a plan formulated of how to use it. The research aimed to understand how the pre-tender risk process may be inaccurate. After that considering how it could be improved and whether it was possible to do so. Subsequently, recording any conclusions of pre-tender process in order to develop and better it. 1.3 Aim, Objectives and Hypothesis 1.3.1 Aim To see whether the post contract risk process identifies significant additional risks that the pre-tender risk process failed to identify and thus determine how inaccurate the pre-tender risk process is. 1.3.2 Objectives Identify processes currently used to manage risks at post contract and pre tender stage in recognising and measuring risks. Analyse whether the key additional post contract risks identified were included at pre-tender stage. Compare SRMs risk management processes with other contractors and analyse to find the best solution. If possible, note any resulting conclusions and input results into the pre-tender risk process to produce a new accurate tender risk management. 1.3.3 Hypothesis The post contract risk process in Highway construction successfully identifies additional risks and as a result pre-tender appraisal is inaccurate. 1.4 Overview of work done / Methodology 1.4.1 Literature Review In order to understand the processes used to manage risk in the industry a literary review was embarked on. This meant the research would gain an appreciation of how risk is perceived by the industry, as prior to this my personal experience had only come from SRMs perspective and the processes they use. In order to gain real understanding and to funnel clearly on what my hypothesis stated, it was decided to split the literature review into two sections. One section, comprising of processes used by industry, taken from an assortment of books. The second section being that of SRMs highways process and accompanying documents. This makes it possible for an assessment to be conducted between SRM and the other contractors, so as to gain a better view of how Risk management at different stages of a contract work in Highway works. 1.4.2 SRM Projects The 3 SRM projects looked at were M1 J25-28, A19 upgrade (both Highways Agency) and M74 Glasgow council, they were all Highway maintenance contracts although they differ slightly. A19 was Term Maintenance Contract (TMC) whereas M1 J25-28 and M74 upgrade were (MAC) contracts. When examining the A19 upgrade the contract risk register was acquired but the tender risk register for this contract was not. However the contract risk register for this project was compared with a tender risk register from another contract. Not ideal but the only solution at the time. The majority of the risks are common and on most projects registers, so comparable/related risks were drawn from the tender register, and included in the A19 contract risk register. An evaluation was done involving the contract risk costs, and tender risks. This was done by incorporating the maximum, minimum, most likely costs and the probabilities from contract and tender appraisals. A total assessment for each risk occurred via averaging the maximum, minimum and most likely costs then multiplied by probability of risk occurrence. All risks types were identified, in order to distinguish trends in risks identified at pre-tender stage and found at post-contract stage or were not found at all. The M74 contract risk register was distinctive to M1 J25-28 and A19 upgrade registers as it didnt contain costs. Every risk was divided by its probability and impact, whether that was high, medium or low assessment. Having a pre-tender risk register for this project, meant risks were matched up with the contract risks. Assessing if each risk was covered was done by assigning costs and probabilities to every risk. To find the overall assessment, the probability and cost were multiplied. These costs were then evaluated against the overall pre-tender costs, as with the A19 upgrade. 1.4.3 Interviews Interviews via telephone were conducted with a few companies to really see what processes are used at post contract and pre-tender. Also to find out how precise these methods are. Companies interviewed were: Morgan EST. Vinci Balfour Beatty May Guerney 1.5 Overview of main conclusions The data and analysis carried out imply there is data to sustain in part the hypothesis. This is due to a large number of risks being identified in contract stage that were not previously seen at pre-tender. Even though assessments for any one risk were fairly inaccurate, the overall assessments for pre-tender and post-contract stage were close. Showing that the pre-tender risk process is inaccurate and needed improving if assessments and risk management is to become more reliable. 1.6 Guide to the report Chapter by Chapter overview of report: 1 Introduction An opening on risk management in relation to the project and validates the basis for choosing the subject area. It also states the aims, objectives and hypothesis which the project is established upon, as well as outlining the work done and an overview of the Conclusions. 2 Methodology Explains the methods used to investigate my hypothesis, from Literature review, approaches used data collection, analysis and interpretation of results. This describes the reasons for using the methods chosen and any research boundaries/ limitations. 3 Literature Review This chapter contains my understanding and background reading for the subject area. This was done by, studying the risk process used in management. Allowing a greater comprehension of risk in Highways work, and how its viewed and used. 4 Results and Analysis Confirms the results of the research, and the subsequent analysis for the SRM projects and other contractors interviews. It outlines the assessment made concerning the pre-tender risk register and the post contract risk registers. From this it then cross-examines the data so as to be able to test the hypothesis. 6 Conclusions and Recommendations This analyses all the results in relation to the hypothesis and whether they support it or not. It details any limitations that affected the project, while also imparting proposals for both industry and any future dissertations. 2 Methodology 2.1 Introduction The methodology was vital to the accomplishments of research and was dealt with care in order for the most appropriate research methods to be chosen (Fellows and Liu, 2008). The methodology outcome depended on the subject area, research aims and amount of literature review obtained. For data collection and analysis, the methods employed ought to be realising the aims and objectives so as to continually test the hypothesis and validate the research. The information that was obtainable and available played a huge role, as work on the dissertation could not be done if the information wasnt relevant. The information therefore can be decided by the hypothesis, as if the information is not on hand then one cant trial the hypothesis. Due to these factors, risk management was identified as an appropriate topic from the beginning, but it wasnt until the research was started that defining the hypothesis was possible, yet having an impression of the aims and objectives that were to be accomplished. From the off, the aim was to gauge how precise pre-tender risk management was, even if unsure of the data and information existing prior to consulting SRM team. Ultimately this section highlights the research methods utilised in the research, and the close association that has been made when doing so between the methods and Aim, hypothesis and objectives. 2.2 Aim Employed to help concentrate the methodology in choosing the right methods, also to clarify to the person who reads the dissertation what precisely is being investigated. So this shall be done by recalling the Aim set out: To see whether the post contract risk process identifies key additional risks that the pre-tender risk process failed to identify and thus determine how inaccurate pre-tender risk process is. 2.3 Quantitative and Qualitative methods In Data collection there are two key styles; quantitative and qualitative forms of research. Quantitative being the collection of data measured with figures and analysed with statistical trials in order to to test the hypothesis (Creswell, 1994). While Qualitative research is quite different, it is a method that uses meanings, experiences and descriptions (Naoum, 2007). Quantitative research can be easier to examine as it creates measurable/quantified outcomes that can create analytical arithmetical results. While, qualitative information from research has a tendency to be complicated as it often requires researcher input and manipulation to ensure its appropriate for investigative procedures (Fellows and Liu, 2008). The research methods depend on the information obtainable and the aim of the research. In carrying out good piece of research, its generally required and essential to use both quantitative and qualitative. A combination of methods was used, to enable the correct and more reliable conclusions; more is detailed further in this section. 2.4 Literature Review A literature review was undertaken; to provide the core subject knowledge of risk management in construction. The idea was to comprehend how risk is analysed in the construction sector, and the procedures used in controlling it. Next research was done to discover how risk is managed, by using literature in form of books and journals. Then see SRMs risk management process from their risk management documentation. Dividing the literature review in two sections meant that one of the objectives could be fulfilled by comparing SRMs risk management approach with other construction companies. Overall the literature review gave a greater understanding of the chosen topic of risk, and illustrated the problems and successes in risk management. While also showing the diverse and numerous ways in managing risk, and how the approach identified and selected can depend on many factors such as project size, contract used and size of companies involved in the managing of the project. The list literature sources below were used in delivering the dissertation: Textbooks -were very useful in gaining the relevant knowledge of risk management, and procedures used. Books were found by searching Loughborough Universitys library database. Chapters needed or thought appropriate were studied, and compared against searches that had been made on the internet. A check system, which assessed the validity of both sources of information against each other. With much of the research it became apparent that information in books available werent current especially in the older series of books. Despite this it wasnt a predicament for Risk management as texts of up to ten years old were and are significant and applicable now, with some techniques having improved. The books allowed for great comparison for up to date information on the internet. Journals were again located on the Loughborough University library database, which with the relevant buzz words located material of use. Finding journals proved difficult in comparison to textbook numbers, yet the sources were helpful. Internet supplied a platform for research of literature. Being easy to use and handy, collating information could be done at speed and with relative ease. It allowed greater understanding of what type of book would be needed from the library. Information from the internet was important but it had its limits and it was vital to know that it can be inaccurate and cause misguidance, research can be more guaranteed with text and journals. This way of thinking about limitations in using the internet was in mind when searching websites on risk in the construction. Finding various helpful websites any information was compared other websites in order to increase reliability, but most importantly against book and journals. As with all research appropriate sources of reliability were identified and used like the RICS website. Two editorials from RICS site provided constructive, and were used in the literature review. In finding books the internet was most useful as many articles on websites h ighlighted book of particular relevance and use. SRMs Risk Management Procedures document SRMs risk management procedure document was used as section two of the literature review. Reading through the document and important information was used in the literature review, particularly, on the processes used by SRM in risk management. A comparison was made between SRMs procedures and with those found in the first half of the literature review. 2.5 Data Collection When actually collecting the data for the research the collection was again split into two parts. The initial data collection was from SRM projects, other data collection was associated to other contractors. The intention was to compare the risk procedures, and attempt at analysing which was the superior one. The next section shows how all the data collection was collected and prepared. 2.5.1 SRM Projects The data for SRM projects was collected during a placement year, when working in the relevant packages and job roles. Prior to any data collection, discussions with line managers and seniors took place in order to help formulate and aid the research as what would be required in terms of data. At this stage no hypothesis had been decided, the idea was to assess the accuracy of pre-tender risk assessments. It was therefore recommended that the applicable information in the form pre-tender and post contract risk registers could be provided. The contracts that would be made available were the M1 J25-28 scheme, A19 upgrade and M74 Glasgow project. Three similar Motorway/road maintenance projects that differ from each other contractually. A19 upgrade is a TMC to maintain, operate a network of strategic roads in the North East. M1 J25-28 and M74 are both MAC contracts for similar maintenance one in the midlands and the latter in Glasgow. A19 upgrade and M1 J25-28 are HA run, while M74 is for the Glasgow city council. The HA run their contracts by splitting their contracts into 13 sections in the UK, and in these projects cases offer for the extension and maintenance of the roads within these sections. The reason that A19 upgrade was a TMC but M1 J25-28 and M74 MAC contracts is previous to the MAC HA projects were also run with the TMC contract, but now all is done under MAC style. The contracts run for 5 years with optional extensions. Different sections of maintenance start and end at different areas on the motorway in question over a 5 year cycle, meaning that when MAC contracts were first used, some sections werent using them and using TMC etc A19 upgrade was a TMCs completed in 2009, whereas M1 J25-28 scheme was a mew MAC contracts just seeing completion in late 2010. The difference in TMCs and MAC contracts is TMCs two separate companies, one as managing agent the other as main contractor. MAC contracts are one company, who runs as both the contractor and managing agent. Using the three contracts as the basis for the research the risk manager on the placement at SRM started off by providing a tender risk register for the M1 J25-28 and A19 contract, projects he had involvement on. Trying to find tender risk registers for M74 was problematic but couldnt find any. In order to have a full complete analysis, it was decided that for M74 to use another MAC contract tender risk register. This was exactly the same as M74 except the location geographically. For sure this would create limitations but it was decided, it would possible to use the risk register as SRM tend to re-use the risk register from preceding bids for specific contracts. So similarities would be high and that as long as it was noted in the dissertation as to its use and reasons why. Due to the generic nature of the risks they were deemed suitable as with what SRM do in practice. While on placement working on the M1 J25-28 contract meant developing contacts with people in the relevant field of risk management. Therefore requesting the use of the risk register on M1 job was easier than the other projects. The A19 contract risk register was also obtained contracts at work so. Finally also getting the M74 contract risk register, because although never having worked on this contract the line manager on my placement gave contact details of relevant personnel to enquire with and the registers were duly emailed. 2.5.2 Other Contractors Obtaining data via contractors in the sector of road maintenance was much more difficult than from SRM sources, as they were very protective of information they gave out. All the projects obtained so far from SRM contracts were Highways related, so the focus was on trying to collect data from Highway contractors. By doing this it would allow for a honest comparison between SRM and other contractors. Processes to manage risk are expected to be similar involving different construction projects; the data was likely to be different. The plan was to send questionnaires to the chosen contractors, but after unsuccessful returns it became apparent that another route would be needed, so interviews via telephone were deemed suitable. It seemed with written questionnaires, companies were more likely to ignore them, whereas on the phone they would respond to the questions asked immediately, with no real confusion of what the question was asking as myself in person could explain. The Highway contractors contacted were: Morgan est. Vinci Balfour Beatty May Guerney A semi-structured set of questions was planned in order to gain the information required but also allowed telephone participant to elaborate and discuss the subject in a friendly professional manner. Contractors in Highways works were contacted, the dissertation of Risk Management was explained with the aims and objectives that needed to be achieved and the following questions were asked: Do you have a pre-tender risk management method? How do you detect risks in the pre-tender phase? How do you calculate risks to arrive at a total risk pot? Do you undertake risk management post-contract phase? Could I obtain a pre-tender risk analysis and post contract risk analysis for my research use (for the Highways project you are on)? To each conversation it was explained that my aim was; compare the risks types at tender stage with contract stage as well as assessments made. The questions were supposed to identify the processes companies used in managing risks. Overall the different companies were helpful in answering these questions. The Fifth and final question was done to get registers like that gained from SRM. It was the only difficult part as many refused to hand registers over from live projects due to the sensitivity of their data and company policies. However some registers were received but didnt really contain the crucial information required just a formatted company risk register. Throughout the interviews, notes were made on the first four questions and the results put into a table at the time of the interview showing the company and their response to each question. Thus, making analysis easier when looking at the responses later in the dissertation. 2.6 Data Analysis Prior to data analysis, the research had assessed how SRM price risks because of the literature review and looking at the risk registers. It was crucial to identify this before undertaking the data analysis as it established what type of analysis would be carried out, and therefore detailed below. Upon formulating the risks that have been identified each risk will be categorised with minimum, maximum, most likely value and probability. Done for all of the risks, the information is put into a piece of simulation software called @ RISK which does hundreds to thousands of simulations, and creates a graph with a bell-shaped curve. The 75th percentile is put in the bid as the risk potential. SRM do this for all of their projects. For this dissertation we were concerned in the risks were identified and the individual costing of each risk as shown in paragraph above with min, max etc. The focal point being what was keyed in to @ RISK as opposed to what it produces. For the Data analysis the SRM contracts have been split into their individual projects and the Other Highway contractors. The reason for splitting the SRMs projects is that the analysis varied in parts by way it had been collected as mentioned earlier (some with full risk registers some in part). 2.6.1 M1 J25-28s scheme and M74 Glasgow Analysis for M1 and M74 projects were pretty much the same. The M1 contract and tender risk register could be compared with the contract and tender risk register for the M74 contract, due to them both being Macs. To evaluate the accuracy of the risk assessments, comparable risks to the contract register, were removed from the tender register, put against the matching risk in the contract register. When comparing values in matching risks, it was vital to have a total cost for risks in both the contract and pre-tender register. The best and most impartial way to do this for the pre-tender risk register was to take the average from the maximum, minimum and most likely figures and multiply the probability. The maximum, minimum and most likely values are the range of potential expenses that could be incurred by the risk, and any total cost was decided to be an average of these, as all projects had them. As its unknown as to its actually occurrence the average should be multiplied by the probability, which gives a total potential cost to the risk. While the contract risk registers should be considered by severity and possibility by scale of 1-5, and then an assessment of the risk is undertaken, figuring out the minimum, maximum and most likely values of each risk. Mitigation measures are identified for each risk, and then assessment is done again as before the mitigation. The M74 contract risk register did not have minimum cost of the risks, so all risks were assumed to be zero. Without any minimum values any overall assessments of the risk would not have been made. The reason for not using the likely value instead was so the data would use a range of values. It was decided greater accuracy would be found in setting the minimum as zero and range of values than the most likely. By setting all its risks as zero means they are an unimportant minimum value or a risk/event that doesnt happen. The M1 contract register had all the necessary values so no intervention was needed. Both contract risk registers failed to show any probability, just a likelihood scale from 1-5. Therefore it was assumed, giving the scale a percentage as would normally be done: 1 10% 2 30% 3 50% 4 70% 5 90% These percentages were used because they provided a suitable range, as risks with low likelihoods (1) are unlikely to occur but not impossible so 10% seemed a reasonable percentage. Similarly 90% seemed a reasonable percentage for high likelihoods (5) as they are likely to occur but not certain. The other values were then evenly distributed between 10% and 90%. Having made these assumptions the overall assessment for contract risks was made in the same way as the tender risks, finding the average of the maximum, minimum and most likely and multiplying this by the probability. Where the same tender risk was identified as being applicable to more than one contract risk the overall assessment was divided by the number of contract risks it was applicable to. This was because when these values were totalled there would be double counting of these tender risks if this was not done. To show this information a table was created showing; a list of contract risks, the corresponding tender risks, raw data inputted into the risk registers, and the overall assessments. I then split the contract risks into one of the following categories: Not identified but covered (No cost). Not identified and not covered should be identified. Not identified cannot be identified. Identified and covered. Identified but not covered. Each risk was grouped by colour to state which category from above it fell in. 2.6.2 A19 upgrade The analysis for the A19 contract was started off in the same way as had been done for the M1 J25-28 and M74 contracts, going through the contract risk register and identifying any similar risks from the tender risk register. The assessments for the overall cost for the tender risks were made in exactly the same way, by taking the average of the maximum, minimum and most likely values and multiplying this by the probability. This was because the tender risk registers were in exactly the same format. However the differences came when the assessments of the overall cost for the contract risks were made. This was because for this project, the contract risk register assessed the risks in a different way to the Area 6 and Area 13 contract risk registers. This difference was that there were no costs in the A19 risk register. Instead the risks identified at contract stage were assessed in terms of likelihood and impact on a scale of high, medium and low. This meant that assessing the overall cost for the contract risks were harder because there was no costs given. Therefore the only way to assess the overall cost of the risk was to give the risk a cost and a probability based on whether it was high, medium or low and then multiply these two figures together. This means that deciding what costs and probabilities to assign to each level of risk was important, as the overall assessment was dependent upon these assumptions. In terms of what costs to give for each level of impact, the risk matrix that SRM use for prioritising risks was referred to. They assess the impact and probability of each risk using a 1-5 scale and they give the parameters for impact as being: 1 under  £1,000 2  £1,000  £10,000 3  £10,000  £100,000 4  £100,000  £1,000,000 5 Over  £1,000,000 As this was a 1-5 scale and the risks and the contract risks were only divided into high medium and low, the figures for 1 and 5 was as too extreme both ways. For low risks I decided to take the high point of a risk impact of 2 ( £10,000) and for high risks I took the low point of a risk impact of 4 ( £100,000). For medium risks I took the midpoint between these two values ( £55,000). Using these figures seemed reasonable based upon this scale, as it created enough of a range without a too big range. For the probabilities, the likelihood scale they use was based on descriptions rather than probabilities. From knowledge in research the probabilities for low were set at 10%, medium risks 50% and high risks 90%. These percentages were used because they provided a suitable range, as risks with low likelihoods are unlikely to occur but not impossible, so 10% seemed a reasonable percentage. Similarly 90% seemed a reasonable percentage for high risks, as they are likely to occur but not certain. For medium risks the midpoint between these two percentages (50%) was used, because they are possible to occur. The cost was then multiplied by the probability to give an overall value for each risk. Following this, the rest of my analysis was exactly the same as the M1 J25-28 and M74 contracts 2.6.3 Further Analysis Explanation This section so far details how the risk registers were compared, which was the first step in terms of analysing the data, and these tables are included in the appendices at the end of this dissertation. However on there own, these tables did not give sufficient information to be able to test my hypothesis. Firstly, to interrogate how accurate the identification of the risks was, the risks that were identified, and were not identified and not commercially covered, were filtered out, and lists were made of these risks. As this was done, each risk was put into a category to see if there were particular categories that are, and are not identified at tender stage. To analyse this, tables were created for risks identified and not identified, detailing the categories of risks, and the number of risks in each category. From these tables, two pie charts were drawn to show this information graphically. To analyse the assessment of the risks, a summary table was firstly drawn to show the number of contract risks in the following categories, and the total assessments relating to these risks: Not identified but covered (No cost). Not identified and not covered should be identified. Not identified cannot be identified. Identified and covered.