Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean Essay

Climate Change in Latin America and the Caribbean - Essay Example The glaciers in Columbia are vanishing and there are hurricanes not only in Central America but even in southern Brazil. The result of these phenomena will have debilitating effects on fisheries, coral reefs, water availability and agriculture. It will also result in an imbalance as the fragile ecosystem will not be in position to tolerate the increasing carbon level in the atmosphere as also the degrading effects of deforestation (Climate change threatens Latin America and the Caribbean). One may wish to turn the clock back and work on an agenda that may trigger the momentum to restore the ecological balance. The good news is that attempts are made in the direction of this restoration. The outcome of these attempts may take decades or even centuries to realize the desired effects. Nevertheless, the issue is survival of mankind with the rest of the plants and animals. Hence, every little contribution towards revival of the original environment has exponential effects in the improvement of the entire region. The increase in the amount of carbon in the air poses dire problems. It will raise sea level by 15 to 95 cm by 2100 AD. Heavy rains, floods, drought, desertification could result in colossal unsettlement and disease such as malaria and cholera. Poor countries such as Cuba and Guatemala will be particularly affected as they will not have the means to sustain elongated period of disease and drought (Future Climate Change in Cuba and Guatemala). The Contributions The steps for restoration of the ecological balance are worked out by ensuring clean energy technology and sustainable land use and forestry. Promotion of clean energy technology in Latin America is taking place as joint ventures with multinational corporations. The change from fossil fuel to clean energy will ensure better atmosphere with less carbon in the air. Reduction of carbon emissions from factories and automobiles will mean cleaner atmosphere. The solution towards cleaner energy is ensured through agencies like the Kyoto protocol, ecological footprints, global bio-capacity, sustainable development, etc. The Kyoto Protocol The Kyoto protocol makes it mandatory for industrialized nations to cut down on the greenhouse gas (GHG). It is an international agreement linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Thirty seven industrialized countries and the European community have the responsibility of reducing GHG by 5% against 1990 levels over the five year period 2008-2012. The Kyoto protocol was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, on 11 December 1997 and came into force on 16 February 2005. The countries meet their protocol target under three market-based mechanisms which are: Emissions trading also known as the carbon market, Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), and Joint Implementation (JI) (Kyoto

The poems you have studied Essay Example for Free

The poems you have studied Essay Education for leisure; in this poem the first line suggests that there will be something to do with death as the first line is Today I am going to kill something, ,anything this suggests the person is a murderer for some kind of animal or possibly a human, in this poem that person that is talking has no feeling, I can tell its talking about them self because in the poem every single line it refers to him/her self like in line nine I am a genius. I could be anything at all there he/she refers to there self as a genius and saying that they could be anything saying they have the power, the person is acting like this because they are sick and tired of being ignored as they say at the beginning of the poem, this person has no feeling at all to go and just kill someone face to face looking in there eyes to see there pain, in the poem the person starts off killing little gold fish, then a budgie, he thinks he can do anything he wants as he said in line two to three . And today I am going to play |GOD| as he has killed a fish and a budgie he says in line seventeen there is nothing left to kill so he calls the radio and tells the man he is talking to a superstar, he says this as a last try to get attention, a despite struggle to get people to notice him, but the radio cuts him off, they he looses it, he gets a bread knife out of the draw, as the pavements glitter then he grabs someones arm. Grabbing some ones arm that is the next step, to kill a human, he is gone mental, has no emotional feelings for any one because they have no feelings for him, he doesnt get noticed, and he finally has had enough for it. Havisham by carol Ann Duffy Havisham; you can tell she loved him, but also at the same time hated him more then you possibly could because she states on the first line beloved sweetheart. That shows that she loves him for him being a sweetheart but straight after that she shouts basted this shows that he really hates him, also in the first line it says that she has ropes on the back of her hand that she could strangle with, and this is a metaphor for the tendents for the back of her hands so she wants her hand round his neck, this says to me that she will do anything to kill this one man no matter what way it is. He stood her up years ago and she wants to kill him for what he has done, in the 4th paragraph it says I stabbed a wedding cake, now give me a male corps this implies to me that she doesnt like any men for what her husband did to her years and years ago , she cant trust any men anymore, so she wants to kill most men for what one person had done to her years ago, in this poem by Duffy. Is like the first one they want to kill something because in this one she wants to kill her husband for standing her up and leaving her but she still had emotion for him she still loves him ,and in education for leisure by Duffy the person just wants to kill something kill anything in fact, just because he is being ignored, he wanted to be noticed and people to know his name but they didnt so he started to kill animals then he went to kill humans. The man he killed In the man he killed, is about two men meeting in an inn and they sit down and stare at each other, in this poem there is a line where he says I shot him dead because .. that says to me that there wasnt really a reason to shoot him dead and that he took a mans life because he said he was his foe. In comparison to education for leisure in this one the man shoots the other man, he kills him because he had to, it was either his life or his own. So he shot him dead as in education for leisure.

Pressure on Development Land in the South East of England

Pressure on Development Land in the South East of England The need for sustainable architecture. Abstract The purpose of this dissertation is to discuss and evaluate the pressure on development land in the South- East of England, and how that pressure relates to the need for sustainable architecture. The reasons for there being pressure on development land in the South-East of England will be described and analysed, as will any differences with the other regions of Britain. The reasons for setting aside or using the available development land and why sustainable architecture should be adopted in the South-East of England will be fully evaluated. As will be demonstrated there are various and competing factors that apparently increase the pressure to make full use of all available development land in the South-East of England. The available development land in the South-East of England is in high demand to be used for the construction of domestic housing, as well as for commercial, leisure, and industrial building programmes. To a large extent central government and local authorities have attempted to control the construction of such new building programmes through systems of urban planning, as well as building regulations that have applied across the whole of Britain. The reasons why the South-East of England should have a need for sustainable architecture will also be examined in depth. The case for making all the new construction projects designed around the concepts of sustainable architecture shall also be examined, to discuss whether more environmentally focused building designs will lessen the impact of new construction programmes, as well as reducing long-term pollution. Introduction Sustainable architecture and the use of development land are closely linked with the practices and theories of what form the basis of urban and rural planning, as well as ideas concerning the necessity for long-term environmental sustainability. Urban, and to a lesser extent rural planning, became more widespread in their application throughout Britain after 1945, when increased levels of central government intervention were experienced in many social and economic fields. Planning was deemed to be the best way of solving Britains housing problems (Taylor, 1998 p. 3). Increased levels of urban and rural planning were justified at the end of the Second World War due to the need for extensive post-war reconstruction. The South-East of England in general, and London in particular had suffered from widespread bomb damage, which meant that fully or partially destroyed houses, factories, and retail units had to be replaced by well planned buildings which would be an improvement upon the pre vious buildings. In the immediate post-war period it was believed that a systematic use of town and country planning would be essential for the reconstruction of Britain, with a much higher standard of building to match higher employment, the welfare state, and the National Health Service. The purpose of these policies and institutions was to prolong life and promote good health throughout the whole population (Meller, 1997 p67). The increased use of urban and rural planning was not intended to protect the environment in an ecological way, or indeed to promote sustainable architecture, rather it was greatly expanded in scope to make the most rational use of scarce development land. However, there would be measures adopted which would conserve large areas of countryside, and give protection despite the need to re-house millions of families in 1945 (Southall, 2000 p. 336). There were groups that wished to conserve specific areas that supported rare forms of animal and plant life, and even groups that wished to preserve old historical buildings, as well as buildings distinguished by their architectural styles (Meller, 1997 p67). When added together such groups did not equate to an ecological lobby that intended to change agricultural, architectural, or industrial practices to protect the environment. These groups however, were able to heavily influence the decision to restrict urbanisation taking over the countr yside. Post-war reconstruction was the catalyst for the largest programmes of publicly funded construction in Britain. Public expenditure was needed due to the sheer scale of reconstruction required, with London and the South-East of England being a major beneficiary of those programmes. Architecture and planning were used for these large-scale programmes rather than just for individual buildings. The involvement of central government in the promoting and funding of large-scale public building programmes and the use of development land was high until the early part of the 1970s (Greed, 1996 p. 35). Such wide-ranging building programmes were not only intended to replace the buildings destroyed during the Second World War. The post-war building programmes were also intended to replace the slums in the inner cities of London, Birmingham, Liverpool, as well as elsewhere. The construction programmes were intended to make the South-East of England a much more hospitable place to live in, just as the rest of Britain was also intended to be like (Sheail, 2002 p. 62). New construction and renovation of existing houses was an imperative, as ‘2 million of them condemned and another 3 million lacking in essentials (Southall, 2000 p. 337). The South-East of England also benefited from the construction of new towns such as Milton Keynes and Stevenage that were planned as entire towns with purpose built domestic housing and business premises. The Atlee government was so keen upon the creation of new towns to solve the post-war housing shortages that it regulated such construction throug h the New Town Act of 1946 (Sheail, 2002 p. 62). The construction of the New Towns was considered to be essential for both high economic growth and for solving the national post-war housing shortage. The Atlee government regarded the new towns as being highly beneficial to peoples health as they moved away from major cities and industrial areas to places with cleaner air (Meller, 1997 p67). In ecological terms such construction was harmful to the environment as more land was built upon and it meant a greater amount of pollution from traffic emissions, though of course nobody understood such implications at that time. Improvements in transport infrastructure and increasing levels of car ownership meant that the new towns were economically viable, as well as allowing their inhabitants to commute to the major cities to work in them (Daniels, Bradshaw, Shaw, Sidaway, 2005 p. 147). Urban planning was thus considered to be very useful for the progress and development of London and the South-East of England, which traditionally has been the most populous and prosperous region of Britain. Urban planning was also intended to increase the prosperity levels of the other regions in Britain to be as high as possible to match the levels achieved in the South-East of England (Southall, 2000 p. 337). Controlled expansion of urban areas into the new towns was intended to solve the imme diate post-war housing shortage and revive the British economy, whilst leaving the great bulk of the countryside untouched by new housing construction (Taylor, 1998 p.3). Previous improvements in agricultural techniques meant that farming became more efficient nationally which had quickened the pace of urbanisation in Britain as a whole. Urbanisation in Britain had already had a strong impact upon the environment that went beyond the replacement of the countryside with polluting factories and unhealthy slum housing (Southall, 2000, p. 335). Higher crop yields from less land had the consequence that more land in rural areas became available to be used as development land. The greater availability of former agricultural land meant that is was easier to find enough land to construct new towns or expand existing cities across Britain. Urbanisation was a process that was accelerated by the need of industrial towns and cities to find workers to continue their expansion (Goudie Viles, 1997 p. 5). To begin with, the majority of new homes were traditional style houses that formed large council house estates right across the country, in architectural terms there was very little innovation or thought given to making the new housing stock architecturally sustainable or environmentally friendly. More attention was instead devoted to making all new houses comfortable, clean, and ensuring they were being built to last (Greed, 1996 p. 35). The new homes were intended to be better and larger than the ones that they had replaced. The majority of large cities and the new towns in Britain had millions of council houses built in their areas between 1945 and the early 1970s. However, it was much harder to find adequate amounts of development land in inner city areas which led to the building of high rise tower blocks which allowed a greater number of people to be housed without increasing the total area of the development land required (Sheail, 2002 p. 62). Unfortunately, high rise tower bl ocks constructed during the 1960s and the 1970s in the South-East of England, as well as nationally failed to be an adequate form of long- term and sustainable architecture that allowed people to be housed in safety or comfort. The failure of many high rise tower blocks to be sustainable forms of housing had the affect of increasing the pressure on development land. It has also meant that tower blocks have had to be refurbished or more frequently demolished (Meller, 1997 p. 63). As the picture below shows the 1950s and the 1960s also witnessed the construction of low-rise apartment blocks which have proved to be longer lasting than tower blocks built during the same period of time. The picture is of apartment flats constructed in Ham Common in Richmond between 1955 and 1958 (Frampton,1997 p. 266). Although the amount of new housing construction was considerable not all the available land had been developed or built upon. Land remained set aside for agricultural purposes, whilst other land was left un-built upon and not always used for farming. The land that was left alone and was set aside and thus not allowed to be used for domestic housing or industrial sites were referred to as the green belt. The green belt was created to act as a buffer zone between urban and rural areas as a means to limit urbanisation (Greed, 1996 p. 82). Central government set aside areas that were designated as green belt zones to preserve the countryside nationally as well as solely in the South-East of England. Although, it was possible to build on green belt land the process of gaining planning permission from central government and the relevant local authority was a long drawn out one which deterred most property developers and construction firms from doing so. Local interest groups have often bei ng highly vocal in their opposition to any schemes that have been suggested (Clapp, 1994 p. 138). Clapp estimated that with national parks and designated green belt zones that in England and Wales ‘more than a fifth of the countryside now has stringent protection against development (Clapp, 1994 p. 140). Therefore, the bulk of available development land was concentrated in urban areas, often referred to as brown field sites (Greed, 1996 p. 82). For central government there are advantages for using brown field sites (Kim Rigdon, December 1998 p. 5). For instance, using such sites allows for economic regeneration, employment creation as well as less pressure to build on green belt land. Recycling land on brown field sites is a method of preserving rural areas being used as development land (Clapp, 1994 p.139). The pressure to use greater amounts of development land has arguably increased significantly in recent years throughout Britain as a whole. The pressure to use development land has risen due to a combination of social, economic, and political factors. For instance, in social terms the demographic changes to the British population have had significant, and it could even be argued,profound effects upon the demand for development for new construction programmes. These demographic changes have occurred as a consequence of the British population ageing, the increasing number of adults who live on their own, as well as the major increase in the number of immigrants who have settled in Britain in the past decade or so. These changes have meant that more people within Britain are seeking a higher number of places to live in. Another reason for the raised levels of pressure upon development land is caused by the potential financial gains from building new houses, as well as new retail or indu strial complexes. The level of financial gains that could be made has been boosted since 1979 by the shifting away from the publicly funded housing programmes to a market led approach to determining the rates of new housing construction and the ownership of existing housing (Allmendinger and Thomas, 1998 p. 5). Of course even greater numbers of domestic homes and retail premises has a knock on effect on the amount of infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and roads which are required in Britain as a whole. The building of new forms of infrastructure will only increase the environmental impact of new construction programmes (Kim Rigdon, December 1998 p. 5). A fuller explanation and a more comprehensive examination of the increased pressures on the development land in Britain in general will be presented in the specific chapter on development land. The more detailed evaluation of the pressures upon development in the South-East of England will be presented in the specific chapter about the South-East of England. Not only has there been pressure to use more development land in Britain generally and in the South-East of England in particular, there has been more pressure for new construction programmes to use building techniques and technology linked with sustainable architecture. Sustainable architecture may have been a concept, which started in the United States, yet it could be very important to put its ideas into action across the globe (Kim Rigdon, December 1998 p. 5). The notion of sustainable architecture is in itself influenced by ideas about making or enabling architecture maximise the utility and the subsequent life span of all new construction, whilst minimising the amount of resources needed in the initial construction and the maintenance of buildings. Sustainable architecture, when possible, uses resources that is renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable. There are various motivations for adopting sustainable architecture when it comes down to the construction and the completion of all new building programmes. Motivations that include the minimising of development land used, as well as making use of new technology to conserve energy, the conservation or recycling of finite resources, as well as reducing the levels of water consumption. Reducing the level of pollution and attempting to slow down the consequences of global warming are also factors in the promotion and implementation of sustainable architecture (Kim, Rigdon, Graves, Augus t 1998 p. 5). Of course, there is the influence of legislation upon the use of sustainable architecture techniques to reduce the environmental and ecological impact of new construction programmes. Property developers and construction firms have to comply with measures to protect theenvironment introduced by the British government and the European Union (Hough, 2004 p. 190). As will be shown in the specific chapter about sustainable architecture the majority of methods used to improve environmental sustainability are relatively straightforward to incorporate into the designs of new building programmes, and in some cases into existing buildings. Sustainable architecture could be achieved by using construction materials that are less damaging to the environment, or materials that have been obtained from recycled and renewable resources. Making buildings as environmentally sustainable as possible during new construction projects (as will be examined in greater depth) will achieve the over all objectives of those that practice and argue for the implementation of sustainable architecture. It is most practical to install features or equipment which enhances environmental sustainability during new construction projects rather than afterwards. The pressures to adopt sustainable architecture in many ways are contradictory, yet are also connected with the pressure s to raise the levels of development land used up for new building programmes. Other motivations for adopting sustainable architecture include applying measures that are requirements for gaining planning permission, as well as ensuring that all new buildings comply with all the minimum standards for safeguarding the environment set by the British government and also by the European Union. The British government has set standards for domestic and retail buildings since the 1950s. For instance, to rid London of its previously renowned smog and fog by reducing smoke emissions from domestic homes and factories alike under the auspices of the Clean Air Act. The European Union has taken a greater interest in promoting environmental sustainability since the 1980s, believing that such actions to protect the natural environment on a regional rather than a national basis would be far more effective in doing so (Hough, 2004 p. 190). Chapter One Literature Review ‘Urban Planning and the British New Right, by Allmendinger and Thomas was primarily used as a source of reference for the ways in which the Conservative governments between 1979 and 1997 altered housing and economic policies in Britain. This book also contained information about the introduction of more extensive government environmental protection policies, which were started during that period of Conservative administration. The book demonstrates the contradictions between the strong Conservative support for free market economics and the increasing understanding that central government needed to act to protect the environment. Brian Clapps ‘An Environmental History of Britain from the Industrial Revolution is a good source of information with regard to development land and the impact of the green belt zones on limiting building programmes to already urbanised areas. The book provides a useful insight into the establishment and the continued maintenance of green belt zon es in modern Britain. ‘An introduction to Human Geography – Issues for the 21st century by Daniels, Bradshaw, Shaw, and Sidaway proved a useful source of information about development and the environmental impacts of human activity such as constructing buildings and using fossil fuel in buildings. The book assists in explaining why such impacts on the environment would provide a catalyst for sustainable architecture. ‘Modern architecture – a critical history by Kenneth Frampton was used as a source of pictures and reference for information about architectural styles and building materials. There was also a brief section concerning the planning of the new town constructed at Milton Keynes during the early 1970s. ‘The Earth Transformed – an introduction to Human Impacts on the Environment by Goudie and Viles was used to obtain information about development land and the impact of unsustainable architecture and building techniques upon pollution levels and global warming. The book contained information about the harmful consequences of global urbanisation and industrialisation. ‘Cities Natural Process – A basis for sustainability, by Michael Hough was a useful reference book for discussing development land and issues that relate to enhancing environmental sustainability. This book was also useful because there was a greater focus upon Britain within it. The book contained suggestions and examples of how sustainability could be achieved with the help of sustainable architecture. ‘Sustainable Architecture: Introduction to Sustainable Design by Kim and Rigdon is an article which explores the theoretical and practical background to sustainable architecture. It was used to gain information for the chapter, which dealt with sustainable architecture specifically. That information was also for the chapter concerning the need for any new construction programmes in the South-East of England to embrace sustainable architecture. ‘Pollution Prevention in Architecture – Introductory Module by Kim, Rigdon, and Graves provides further theoretical and practical insights into the ideas contained within the notion of sustainable architecture. This article contained strong arguments as to why sustainable architecture should be implemented across the world and not just in a single specific region of one particular country. This article proved a sound reference for the chapters concerning sustainable architecture and the necessity of its use in the South-East of England. ‘Towns, plans, and society in modern Britain by Helen Meller was used to gain background knowledge of the establishment of a more vigorous and restrictive planning regulatory framework brought into operation after the end of the Second World War. That information was then included within the introduction and the specific chapter dealing with the pressures upon the use of development land. ‘Urban and Environmental Planning in the UK, by Yvonne Rydin provides useful information concerning the protection of the environment through planning regulations and restrictions. Provides good reference material as to how the British government and the European Union have attempted to reduce environmental damage through restrictions on development land and building or other regulations to cut pollution and enhance sustainability. ‘A History of Britain 3, End of Empire 1776 – 2000, by Simon Schama was used to gain information as to why the Conservative party did not overturn the extended provision of council houses introduced by the Atlee government until after 1979. The book also had information about the ideological changes that Margaret Thatcher brought into Britain and the consequences of such changes. ‘An Environmental History of Twentieth Century Britain by John Sheail was a book, which discussed the developments within the environment of Britain between 1900 and 2000. Sheail examines how the understanding of environmental issues in Britain developed in the latter part of the twentieth century. The book was informative in relation to the development of policies that were intended to protect the environment and promote sustainability. ‘The City – In time and space by Aidan Southall was a book used to assist with the description and evaluation of the use as well as the restrictions placed upon the availability of development land within Britain. Southalls account in particular provided information concerning the effective regeneration of brown field sites within the immediate vicinity of London besides providing an insight into the construction of the new towns in the aftermath of the Second World War. ‘Ecological Architecture: A critical history by Steele provided some useful practical and theoretical information about the concepts and the designs of sustainable architecture. ‘Life Cycle Analysis for Automobiles, by Sulivan and Hu was used solely for the data concerning the amount of energy needed to produce aluminium, polyethene, PVC and steel, comparing the consumption to produce the materials new with when those products are recycled. ‘Urban Planning Since 1945 by Nigel Taylor was a highly useful source of information with regard to the development and the continuation of planning restrictions as well as building regulations. The information about the uses of town and country planning besides the motivations for the establishment and the continuation of green belt land areas was of great use. Taylor also included some succinct information about environmental sustainability within this book. Brenda Vales ‘Green Architecture: Design for a Sustainable Future is a good introduction to the concepts and the designs most strongly linked with sustainable development. Chapter Two Development Land Prior to the start of the twentieth century there was very little formal or legal regulation or planning undertaken when it came down to the use of development land. There was in effect little to prevent the construction of new building programmes, let alone notions about limiting the size and the scope of such programmes to protect the environment or promote ecological sustainability (Taylor, 1998 p. 3). Central government by and large did not intervene to prevent individuals, businesses of various sizes, or indeed local authorities from using development land in any way that they wished to do so. The central government was willing to permit any parties to construct new buildings upon such development land, especially if the party responsible for constructing such buildings already owned the land, which was been built upon (Greed, 1996 p. 2). The freedom with which new buildings could be built was demonstrated by the ability of the majority of landowners to choose the style of architecture in the construction of their homes, factories, or shops. Landowners had the option of making their buildings as grand as possible or as cheap to construct as possible (Kim Rigdon, December 1998 p. 5). They did not have to consider that their right to build on their land would be restricted by the location of that land in relation to the nearest city or its place in the countryside. Landowners and their architects did not believe that there was any profound need to change what they built or how they built it in order to protect the environment and promote sustainability (Sheail, 2003 p. 2). Those building regulations that did exist were generally very minimalist in their actual nature, and were usually introduced on an ad hoc basis. Architecture and the development of land were more likely to be influenced by changes in technology or improvements in economic development, as well as change in fashion and styles (Meller, 1997 p. 63). For instance, these houses started to have gas, electricity, and water supplies installed. These supplies of utility services were regulated by the central government (Daniels, Bradshaw, Shaw, Sidaway, 2005 p.115). Those services were also supplied to factories and shops, which were increasingly subject to health, and safety standards that were intended to prevent accidents, yet paid no attention to the land that they happened to be constructed on (Sheail, 2003 p. 2). The nineteenth century witnessed a quantum leap forward in the amount of land, which was built upon due to a raising population as well as increased levels of industrialisation . These factors happened to coincide with the development of improved infrastructure such as roads, railways, sewage systems, public hospitals, and schools. The development of such infrastructure required large quantities of land, labour, and resources to be successfully completed, whilst in turn promoting higher levels of industrialisation and the migration of people from the countryside to the expanding cities. Some cities and regions benefited economically from such industrialisation more than others did. In Britain, industrialisation benefited the regions surrounding Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, and Glasgow. Over all though London and the South-East of England retained their position as the most prosperous region within Britain. Industrialisationcame at a cost, namely pollution and greater levels of social inequality (Southall, 2000 p. 335) . The development of gas, electricity, and water supplies alongside sewage systems made domestic houses more comfortable to live in and factories more productive due to having greater efficiency (Daniels, Bradshaw, Shaw, Sidaway, 2005 p.115). Before a system of urban and rural planning were introduced there was no specifically set aside development land. Market forces determined the use of land and what if anything was built upon it. If landowners found that their land was most profitably used for agricultural purposes then it would remain as agricultural land (Taylor, 1998 p. 3). If, however more money could be made from building houses, shops, or factories on their land, then that is what usually happened to that land. Landowners could also be tempted to sell their land to property developers, construction firms, or industrial enterprises if they were lucky enough to own land that those other parties felt in urgent need of developing (Meller, 1997 p. 62). It was market forces that drove the industrial revolution in Britain as well as also promoting the process of urbanisation. The processes of industrialisation and urbanisation meant that cities such as London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Glasgow greatly expanded in ter ms of both their geographical areas and their total population levels, which led to shrinkage in the size of rural areas in Britain as a whole (Southall, 2000 p. 335). It was also market forces that determined the location, size, and scope of housing, factories, and commercial buildings. There were no limitations to the size, location or scope of such buildings, and absolutely no attention was given to the environmental consequences of these building programmes (Sheail, 2003 p 2). The absence of building regulations and restrictions on the use of land meant that there was a great deal of unhealthy and substandard slum housing, which caused widespread illness. Illness occurred besides reflecting the poverty of those people that were unfortunate enough to have to live in such areas (Daniels, Bradshaw, Shaw, Sidaway, 2005 p.115). Planning regulations would have undoubtedly improved conditions, for instance introducing proper sanitation into the slums or having substandard housing replaced by higher quality houses for people to move into (Southall, 2000 p. 335). In rural areas fears that heavy industry and unsightly slums would eventually over take all the land within their close proximity prompted the foundation of organisations dedicated to the physical preservation of the countryside, the rural way of life, and its wildlife (Clapp, 1994 p. 138). The countryside preservation organisations would eventually have a strong influence on the establishment of the gree n belt zones and the restricted availability of development land in the more predominantly rural areas of Britain (Allmendinger and Thomas, 1998 p. 55). It was after the end of the First World War that the central government and local authorities took a greater interest in the construction of housing and how land was actually being used in domestic housing and industrial or commercial construction programmes. The role of the market in deciding how many houses were built and the location of where those houses were constructed was reduced with the development of council houses (Taylor, 1998 p. 3). The provision of affordable housing built by local authorities and subsidised by central government funding meant that there was increased public involvement in the determination of land usage. The use, abuse, or the non-use of land was no longer solely determined by market forces. The involvement of central government and local authorities was intended to reduce poverty, ill health, and social exclusion. At no point in the inter-war period were measures taken to introduce town and country planning with the intention of protecting the environ ment or promoting sustainability as nobody considered such steps were necessary. The First World War had only witnessed very minimal levels of property damage caused by German naval attacks and bombing raids on Britain, so there was no widespread need for urgent reconstruction programmes as there would be at the end of the Second World War (Clapp, 1994 p. 138). The central government first took legislative measures to restrict the use of development land within the remit of the Town and Country Planning Act of 1925, although planning decisions were usually left to individual local authorities to be e

The Symbolism of Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodma

The Symbolism of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† shows the reader the author’s power as a symbolist.    Frederick C. Crews in â€Å"The Logic of Compulsion in ‘Roger Malvin’s Burial’† explores the symbology that prevails in Hawthorne’s best short stories:    . . . I chose this one tale to analyze because it illustrates the indispensability, and I should even say the priority, of understanding the literal psychological dramas in Hawthorne’s fiction. Like all of his best tales, this one is packed with symbolic suggestions and invite a moralistic reading. . . . (111).    Peter Conn in â€Å"Finding a Voice in an New Nation† states his evaluation of Hawthorne as a symbolist:    He was a secularized Puritan symbolist, who recovered the dramas enacted in cases of conscience by tracing the lines that bound men and women to their motives. Concerned with individuals as specimens or types, he endowed his characters with solemnly stylized features and then studied their anxiety, or doubt, or guilt. He placed them amid settings and objects that gave symbolic expression to their inward states (84).    Hugo McPherson in â€Å"Hawthorne’s Use of Mythology† explains how the author’s â€Å"inner drama† may be expressed in his symbolism:    The imaginative foundation of a writer’s work may well be an inner drama or ‘hidden life’ in which his deepest interests and conflicts are transformed into images or characters; and through the symbolic play of these creations, he comes to ‘know’ the meaning of his experience; the imaginative structure becomes a means of reaching truth. . . . he lives ‘a life of allegory,’ and each of his works expresses one facet or another ... ...ick in â€Å"Stories Derived from New England Living.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Hale, John K.   â€Å"The Serpentine Staff in ‘Young Goodman Brown.’†Ã‚   Nathaniel   Hawthorne Review   19   (Fall 1993):   17-18.    James, Henry. Hawthorne. http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/nhhj1.html, no pag.    Leavis, Q. D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Levy, Leo B.   â€Å"The Problem of Faith in ‘Young Goodman Brown.’† Modern Critcial   Views:   Nathaniel Hawthorne.   Ed. Harold Bloom.   New York:   Chelsea House, 1986.   115-126.    McPherson, Hugo. â€Å"Hawthorne’s Use of Mythology.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    The Symbolism of Hawthorne's Young Goodman Brown Essay -- Young Goodma The Symbolism of â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚   Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, â€Å"Young Goodman Brown,† shows the reader the author’s power as a symbolist.    Frederick C. Crews in â€Å"The Logic of Compulsion in ‘Roger Malvin’s Burial’† explores the symbology that prevails in Hawthorne’s best short stories:    . . . I chose this one tale to analyze because it illustrates the indispensability, and I should even say the priority, of understanding the literal psychological dramas in Hawthorne’s fiction. Like all of his best tales, this one is packed with symbolic suggestions and invite a moralistic reading. . . . (111).    Peter Conn in â€Å"Finding a Voice in an New Nation† states his evaluation of Hawthorne as a symbolist:    He was a secularized Puritan symbolist, who recovered the dramas enacted in cases of conscience by tracing the lines that bound men and women to their motives. Concerned with individuals as specimens or types, he endowed his characters with solemnly stylized features and then studied their anxiety, or doubt, or guilt. He placed them amid settings and objects that gave symbolic expression to their inward states (84).    Hugo McPherson in â€Å"Hawthorne’s Use of Mythology† explains how the author’s â€Å"inner drama† may be expressed in his symbolism:    The imaginative foundation of a writer’s work may well be an inner drama or ‘hidden life’ in which his deepest interests and conflicts are transformed into images or characters; and through the symbolic play of these creations, he comes to ‘know’ the meaning of his experience; the imaginative structure becomes a means of reaching truth. . . . he lives ‘a life of allegory,’ and each of his works expresses one facet or another ... ...ick in â€Å"Stories Derived from New England Living.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.    Hale, John K.   â€Å"The Serpentine Staff in ‘Young Goodman Brown.’†Ã‚   Nathaniel   Hawthorne Review   19   (Fall 1993):   17-18.    James, Henry. Hawthorne. http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/nhhj1.html, no pag.    Leavis, Q. D. â€Å"Hawthorne as Poet.† In Hawthorne – A Collection of Critical Essays, edited by A.N. Kaul. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1966.    Levy, Leo B.   â€Å"The Problem of Faith in ‘Young Goodman Brown.’† Modern Critcial   Views:   Nathaniel Hawthorne.   Ed. Harold Bloom.   New York:   Chelsea House, 1986.   115-126.    McPherson, Hugo. â€Å"Hawthorne’s Use of Mythology.† In Readings on Nathaniel Hawthorne, edited by Clarice Swisher. San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 1996.   

Bill Recommendation Essay

Is it a good idea for those individuals convicted of armed robbery to receive double the sentence that it is now? In my opinion the answer is no. Policy making in the field of criminal justice is extremely vital to society. Punishments can be very confusing in the fact of what is appropriate. What is too much and what is too little? There have been many studies that show that there is little or no deterrent of crime such as armed robbery when the punishment is a long sentence to prison. The reason for this lack of deterrent is because the person who is committing the crime or crimes knows what is at stake, yet he or she chooses to commit the robbery anyway. This is because the gains of that robbery outweigh the prison sentence. The main purpose of this bill is to stop or at least lessen the amount of armed robbery that is being committed by putting those who commit the crime behind bars for a longer period of time. This seems like a good idea at first glance. However there is more to this proposition. Lengthening the prison sentence is being used as a deterrent or to simply take the bad guys off the street for longer. This has not worked in the past and will not work now. Facing a long sentence has not deterred robbery from happening. If prison sentencing was enough robbery would not be around in society especially not as frequent as it is today. According to a study done by the FBI in 2006 447,403 robberies were reported to the police, which equals out to a rate of one robbery per minute in the United States (McGoey, 2014). The punishment for robbery can be up to 25 years in the United States. Doubling that and making the sentence 50 years will hardly make any change in the robbery rate. If anything it would just cause the jails and prisons to  become overpopulated quicker, costing taxpayers more money. Bill Recommendation There are more effective ways to address a crime than make the punishments more intense or longer. The classic school of criminology is what I base my recommendation on. In the late 1700’s, which are the time that the classical school came about, the punishment for crimes was extremely cruel and would be seen today as barbaric. Cesare de Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham played a tremendous role in the theory of criminology and criminal justice today would not be where it is without them. Their main focus was to lessen the harsh punishments implemented by the judicial system at the time (Schmalleger, 2012). Cesare de Baccaria believed that preventing crimes would benefit a society more than punishing someone who committed a crime. This belief was the driving force of the classic school of criminology. He believed the punishment should fit the crime for instance theft should be punished through the use of fines and crimes that cause personal injury to be punished by corporal punishment. This would, in turn he believed, prevent these crimes from happening. Jeremy Bentham viewed crime a little differently than Beccaria. Bentham was viewed as a utilitarian. He believed that the punishment for any crime must be that of the greater good for the community. Basically stating that any pain being used as a punishment towards an offender must be justified to benefit the good of the society. Modern criminal justice still holds its foundation in that of the classic school of criminology. Having said that, long prison sentences do act as a major deterrent for many criminals, but poses a major conflict of ideas to that of the classic school of thought due to the fact that crimes are committed based on free will and rational thinking. There are Bill Recommendation many factors such as emotional instability in s sudden moment, and mental and physical disorders that a longer prison sentence simply would not abolish. There is also the very likely chance that drugs and or alcohol is involved.  If the offender is being driven by an addiction nothing, surely not a longer prison sentence is going to persuade his or her decision (Schmalleger, 2012) With all of that being said, the answer to decreasing crime, more specifically armed robbery, a longer prison sentence is not the answer. The question at hand is: what is the answer? This is a question that is going to be debated as long as crime is resent in the population. Juvenile criminals usually mature into adult criminals, so perhaps putting more criminal emphasis on juvenile crime must be done. In addition to everything, it is well known that drugs are the foundation of many crimes. Drugs are responsible for many thefts and robberies, and more time behind bars is not going to make a drug addict think twice before robbing someone. More emphasis needs to be put on the war on drugs and alcohol addiction. Put the taxpayers money to good use by stopping the spread of drugs, not on paying for more people inside if jails. Lets stop the robberies from happening. References McGoey, C.E. (2014). Robbery Facts: Violent Crime Against Persons. Retrieved from http://www.crimedoctor Schmalleger, F. (2012). Criminology Today: An Integrative Introduction (6th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.

Essay about Finicial Effect

Essay about Finicial Effect Essay about Finicial Effect Cause/Effect Topic: Financial Crisis As the recovery from the financial crisis seems fragile; now, with sequestration taking effect will this drive the national debt higher or will this force our government to play nice and get this country back on its feet. As the recovery from the financial crisis seems fragile, now with sequestration taking effect will this drive the national debt higher or will this force our government to take steps to get this country back on its feet. With mandatory budgets cuts going into effect on March 1, a vast range of government services and millions of people, are going to feel these effects. The Defense Dept. faces up to 46 billion dollar loss in funding, which could open this country up to terriost attacks. Naval ships maybe delayed on their deployments which could result in less attack forces patrolling the waterways. Our troops will not lose any of their pay furthermore up to 800,000 military civilian employees could be laid off in April. Servicemen and women who have lost their lives during combat could see burial delays at Arlington National Cemetery. With the looming budget cuts, 9 percent of unemployed workers collecting unemployment benefits will not receive them. More than 100,000 formerly homeless people would lose their current housing. About 125,000 low income families would be at risk of losing their housing due to cuts in rental assistance. 373,000 seriously mental ill people would lose care with these cuts. Less food would be tested by the FDA. Thousands of people who need HIV medication would not receive this medication under the current budgets cuts, over 400,000 HIV test would be on the chopping block as well. These cuts will also have major impacts on state funding from Public Health, Law Enforcement grants, Child care reduction. National Parks will see several campgrounds and picnic areas closed, which could result in over 300,000 visitor reduction and loss of revenue for those states. Several states have already made cuts to sustain and keep programs in place; with these looming cuts states are going

Setting up a Private Business Optometry Business

Setting up a Private Business Optometry Business The optometry center project entails the development of a total eye care centre. The optometrist store will carry out activities such as clinical assessment of eyes and prescribing to customers the right products. The store will offer glasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Setting up a Private Business: Optometry Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The project is viable in that almost 480,000 Australians are visually impaired. This makes the Optometry and Optical Dispensing industry a target for many investors. The industry could generate revenue of $1.57 billion, indicating an increase of almost 0.8% from 2010. In terms of total spending in the health care sector, Optometry and Optical Dispensing industry takes 0.8% of the total expenditure. Thus, prior to commencement of the business, the entrepreneur needs to source viable suppliers, medical staff, and the right equipment an d also find the right channels to market the products (Zurn et al., 2004; Sullivan Steven, 2003). The project intends to provide the community with health requirements and consequently fill the gaps in the market. After developing the project, we have inculcated the requirements needed in any optometry business. Most of these are competitors and development of SMART objectives (Sekaran, 2005). For instance, initially we thought the project had very few competitors but having been located in an affluent neighborhood; competition from other private businesses was likely to crop up. Thus, to beat this, we had to develop strategies such as the 40 minutes free consultation time. Additionally, the event was a complete learning experience for the members as sources of money were not real. This became a real constraint on our part, coupled with the sourcing of products for the project. Thus in future, prior to any business venture, one needs to plan ahead and have other sources of money ot her than completely relying on the allocation of funds, perhaps, from the health care industry. Further, employee satisfaction is also important in such a business as it avoids unpleasant surprises such as employee resignation and ensuring that turnover is maintained over the years (O’Brien Dowling, 2000; Freeman, 2000). This is especially vital in a competitive industry as well as an income generating industry in the sense that most of the populations have eye care problems. A notable significance of the venture in the learning process was the few constraints we identified, while completely ignoring other vital aspects such as maintenance of the right stock. In such a business, however, bulk buying is vital as economies of scale would mostly apply (Armstrong, 2006).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Further, the creation of customer-tailored products is very vital as this makes the customer develop a one on one relationship with the retailer. In future developments, customer satisfaction, product quality, the need to consider reigning competition and development of the most current products are among the key factors to consider prior to engaging in any business. Product sourcing was realized to be hectic in the sense that in the optometry industry, many people would like to keep abreast with the latest fashions. Thus it is vital to maintain the same especially for an affluent neighborhood (Meng, 2000). In future endeavors, entrepreneurs need to think of more than a single source of capital, various suppliers and the competition they are bound to face. This was a limitation to our project. Reference List Armstrong, M. 2006. A handbook of human resource management practice. London; Kogan Page Publishers Freeman, R. 2000. ‘Job satisfaction as an economic variable’. American Economic Review, 68: 135-141. Meng, R. 2000. ‘ The relationship between unions and job satisfaction. Applied Economics, 22:1635-1648. O’Brien, G. E. P. Dowling. 2000. ‘Age and job satisfaction.’ Australian Psychologist, 16, 49-61. Sekaran, U. 2005. Research methods for business: A skill-building approach (4th Ed.). New York: John Wiley Sons.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Setting up a Private Business: Optometry Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Sullivan, A. Steven, M. S. 2003. Economics: Principles in action. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Zurn, P., Dal Poz, M. R., Stillwell, B., Adams, O. 2004. ‘Imbalance in the health workforce’. Human Resources for Health, 2 (13), 45- 69

Negative Effects of Becoming Too Dependent on Technology Essays

Negative Effects of Becoming Too Dependent on Technology Essays Negative Effects of Becoming Too Dependent on Technology Paper Negative Effects of Becoming Too Dependent on Technology Paper NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF BECOMING TOO DEPENDENT ON TECHNOLOGY Special Purpose: To inform my audience of the negative effects by becoming too dependent on technology. Central Idea: By becoming too dependent on technology will give negative effects to our education, behavior and economic. Introduction I According to study conducted by a company called McCan Worldgroup, young people are obsessed with their technology until the point that they would rather lose one of their most important sense than to lose Facebook, the internet and their cell phones. A. â€Å"To them, losing the ability to explore and communicate via technology would be like a blind man losing his stick†. II According to Oxford dictionary, technology means machinery or equipment developed from scientific knowledge. III Do you realized how much we depend on technology? IV By becoming too dependent on technology will give negative effects to our education, behavior and economic. Body I Dependent on technology will give negative effect to education. A. Addiction 1. People start feeling anxious when hand phone and laptop are not with them. . According to study conducted in America, from 500 American college students, 73% of them claimed they would not be able to study without some form of technology while 38% of them said they could not continue to study for more than ten minutes without checking their smart phone or laptop. 3. How many hours do we spend to study compared to surf the internet in a day? 4. Addiction is a waste of time. 5. The consequence is it affects exam result. II Dependent on technology gives negative effect to behavior. A. Laziness . Lazy behavior can be in term of lazy physically and lazy mentally. 2. Lazy physically is when we lazy to move. 3. Lazy mentally is when our brain becomes lazy to think and less the ability of critical thinking. 4. â€Å"Information at your fingertips† is one of causes of lazy mentally. 5. The consequence is people cannot solve a simple and basic mathematics which have learnt for years. III Dependent on technology gives negative effect to economic. A. Financial fraud 1. One of internet purpose is to do online transaction. . Online transaction increases the risk of people to become victim of financial fraud. 3. In the United States, where the internet was invented, the financial sector losses $10 Billion each year and in other major developed countries, they also suffer losses $10 Million to several Billion dollars due to internet fraud. 4. It is done by people who posses high exper tise on computer. 5. â€Å"Get rich quick scheme† is one of method to cheat the computer users. 6. The possibility to get the money back is low. Conclusion I In a nutshell, although depend on technology gives all these negative effects, but it still has its own advantages to human live. II Since technology has becomes necessary to us and will be more advanced in the future, therefore it totally depend on us on how to control and use it in a proper way. III Always ensures that the usage of technology benefits to us and not to ruin our lives. OUTLINE BEL â€Å"NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF BECOMING TOO DEPENDENT ON TECHNOLOGY† NAME: CHE WAN NORFADIANA BT C W MOHD ZALANI METRIC NUMBER: 2010663602 GROUP: BACC4A PREPARED FOR: MADAM SUJATHA MENON

The importance and influence of James Lovelock in geography Essay

The importance and influence of James Lovelock in geography - Essay Example James Lovelock represents a new breed of scientists who are working to change the way that science in general and geography in particular is perceived. Lovelock operates independently as a scientist, an environmentalist and as a futurologist. Though Lovelock has postulated numerous ideas over time but he is most famously recognised for his Gaia hypothesis. This hypothesis postulates that the biosphere surrounding the Earth regulates itself independently and possesses the capacity to keep the planet’s environment in a healthy state. This regulation is carried out in the biosphere using several chemical and physical processes that tend to regulate the balance of nature repeatedly. However, Lovelock’s work has been met with scepticism in some circles around the world and there have been attempts at postulating ideas that stand in opposition to Lovelock’s ideas. 2. Life History James Lovelock was born to working class parents in Letchworth Garden City located in Hert fordshire, England. His parents had an overbearing stress for education given their own backgrounds as illiterate and semi-literate workers in manufacturing establishments. After the birth of Lovelock the family migrated to London where he developed a certain distaste for authority given his treatment at Strand School (Lovelock, 2001). After completing school Lovelock worked for a photography firm during the day and took evening classes at Birkbeck College. Following this he enrolled at Manchester University for a chemistry programme and received his degree in 1941. After a chemistry degree Lovelock took up medicine and received his Ph.D. in 1948 from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Lovelock’s education did not end here, instead, he travelled over to the United States in order to pursue a degree in medicine. After being awarded the prestigious Rockefeller Travelling Fellowship in Medicine in 1954, Lovelock chose to spend the period first at Harvard Univers ity and then at Yale University. This was followed by a D.Sc. degree in biophysics from London University in 1959 after which he joined the National Institute in London. However, Lovelock resigned only two years later in 1961 and took up teaching as a full time profession at Baylor University College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. While he was at Baylor, Lovelock worked in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on Lunar and Planetary Research. Three years later in 1964 Lovelock resigned his academic position in order to pursue independent scientific practice. Lovelock has contributions to the fields of geo-physiology and medical research as well as numerous investigative inventions to his name such as gas chromatography, electron capture detector, palladium trans-modulator and a tracer method for mass transport measurements in air and water masses (Ecolo, 2010). This paper will attempt to discuss the contributions of James Lovelock to science in general and to geography in particular. 3. Scientific Contributions 3.1. Electron Capture Detector and CFCs The electron capture detector is one of Lovelock’s most esteemed inventions. This device has enabled scientists to investigate the phenomenon of ozone depletion particularly the role played by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Lovelock was the first scientist to find that CFCs were pervasively present in the stratosphere although they were not a natural constituent (Lovelock, 1971). In an effort to quantify his findings Lovelock set out to measure the concentration levels of CFCs in the atmosphere on two different self funded expeditions. The first expedition took Lovelock to

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 17

Human Resource Management - Essay Example Labour relations is an important aspect of managing people. Basically, it is a process that involves understanding people and their values, norms, needs and understanding the generation and handling of conflicts. It also involves the understanding of power and trust underpinning the tripartite relationship between the state, employer and employee (Amos et al 2008). All the organisations operate in a dynamic environment during the contemporary period and reforms in the labour relations are indispensable given that they affect the overall performance of the whole organisation in different ways. There are various technological, political, social and economic changes that are taking place in the environment in which organisations operate. This makes change inevitable and LR cannot be an exception since there will be need to take into consideration the actual situation obtaining on the ground. For instance, an employee who fails to perform to the expectations of the organisation is not only costly to it but can affect its overall performance while bad labour laws can also negatively impact on the organisations (Grobler et al 2006). The needs and interests of the employees in particular are constantly changing in response to the changing environment in which the organisations operate. There is need to strike a fine balance among the factors that affect the labour relations such as the state, employees as well as the employers. More importantly, the LR is meant to minimise the chances of conflicts in the workplace. Conflicts are counter-productive since the disgruntled workers will not put optimal effort in their performance. Each particular country has got labour laws that are meant to guide the operations of organisations in a fair manner. To a greater extent, the system of governance obtaining in a given country is responsible for shaping labour laws and this is subject to change. For instance, the

1. Discuss why human rights emerged as an important issue in Essay

1. Discuss why human rights emerged as an important issue in international relations Explain the impact of major cases in international politics - Essay Example Essentially, this tome defined human dignity, as against honor, which according to Berger, Berger and Kellner, always relates to the intrinsic humanity divested of all socially imposed roles or norms and that it pertains to the self as such, to the individual regardless of his position in society (Berger, Berger and Kellner 1974, 89-90). To demonstrate how the Declaration impacted international relations, there is the fact that it is often cited in UN resolutions of the General Assembly as well as the other agencies of the world body. More importantly, the Declaration has also been often used as the foundation of the constitution, laws and judicial decisions of numerous states, making the declaration some form of a standard measuring the progress of states and peoples toward realizing the full respect for human freedom. Further on, there is also the power of technology and the integrating nature of communication and globalization that made it impossible for atrocities committed against individuals to be hidden from international scrutiny. An excellent example was when in 1983, peasants from Uchuraccay, Peru killed visiting journalists mistaking them as members of Sendero Lumino (SL), the most notorious terrorist group in Latin America. Because of this, Peru came to the attention of world and human rights became part of the Peruvians’ ordinary language (Cleary 91). Non-governmental organizations have also been formed, with hundreds of thousands of volunteers, experts and civil servants pledging to pursue and protect international human rights. The negative dimension to the human rights discourse in the context of international relations is demonstrated in the US-Latin American relations. A specific reference to the American policy towards human rights was contained in the inaugural address of US President Carter wherein he declared: â€Å"Because we are free, we can never be

Perspectives on Operation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Perspectives on Operation Management - Essay Example This paper intends to advise the independent retail outlets situated in Hartwell in Essex on some potential operations strategies in response to the recent opening of Asda/Walmart on the edge of town. Operations strategies While planning operations strategy redesign in response to the recent opening of Asda, the retail outlets must consider the position of the Asda in the UK market and its strengths. Statistical data indicate that Asda is the second largest chain in the UK in terms of market share (BBC News, 2011). The company’s UK grocery market share was 16.5% in 2010. Furthermore, it must be noted that Asda is the subsidiary of retail market giant Walmart, the largest retailer in the world. Low price offer is one of the major core competencies of the Walmart that assisted the corporation to grow up to the top of the world’s retail market. In addition, the company has good reputation across the UK market. Low inventory levels and short flow times are the major operati ons strategies of Walmart. This assists the corporation to maintain adequate levels of inventory all times and thereby keep more working capital with the firm. Hence, the operations strategies developed by the retail outlets must be comprehensive enough to confront with the Asda’s powerful marketing policies. ... Thirdly, each retail outlet has to clearly identify order winners and order qualifiers. More precisely, they have to recognise which elements are necessary to win an order and what makes an item attractive to customers. Finally, each retailer must evaluate its position in the Hartwell retail market. It is advisable for the retail outlets in Hartwell to adapt to the internet based operations strategies because Walmart is still at its early stages of researching internet opportunities. Internet can be effectively employed to strengthen the existing core competencies and by integrating recently developed and traditional supply chain activities. Market analysis reports show that retail firms nowadays raise major portion of their revenues from online sales. The Web based operations strategies aid retailers to significantly reduce operational costs and increase their efficiency in order processing, product delivery, and customer service. However, the retailers must be more innovative while deploying web based operations strategies since customers may be pulled towards the companies that present product displays more attractively to site visitors. It is also recommendable for the retail outlets to develop customised operations strategies as such a policy would better fit the needs and requirement of these retailers. Customised operations strategies may assist retailers to effectively meet the changing tastes and specifications of customers on time (Lowson, 2003). ‘Make to order and assemble to order’ would be the most recommendable production related operations strategies for the retail outlets. In the words of Dickersbach (2005, p. 27), under the make to order strategy, retailers can add customer specifications to a particular product after

Bryan Forbes The Stepford Wives Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Bryan Forbes The Stepford Wives - Movie Review Example The TV show Desperate Housewives clearly references the film in its depiction of one of the main characters, Bree Van De Kamp, due to her 1970s-era standard of wifely and motherly perfection. But while the novelty of the concept of wives being turned into robotic versions of themselves may be exactly what is needed to affirm the 1970s genre of horror cinema-as evidenced by Carrie, The Exorcist, The Omen, and many others-the social implications of the film were not always welcomed by concerned parties. In particular, the undeniable strengthening of the feminist movement in America in the 1980s that gave women even louder voices in societal issues did not find much significance in The Stepford Wives, despite the clear commentary on the prevalent patriarchal norms being followed by general American societies. The analysis then would be centered on this issue, from the communication of female-related concepts and the subsequent interpretation made; the statement about women, after all, is much more pronounced in this text than in the author's previous work, Rosemary's Baby. The film is quite curious from the very beginning, with the ominous perfection of a scene showing a young couple, Joanna and Walter, moving their family from busy, noisy New York City to the peaceful suburb of Stepford. As many horror stories would have it, the idyllic situation slowly starts changing, mainly due to the peculiar behavior of some of the wives in the community. They were strange in their demeanor and ideals, akin to TV portrayals of perfect mothers and wives who spent all their time cooking and cleaning with nary a hair out of place. Subsequently, the transformation of Joanna's friend Bobbie and Joanna herself reveals how the community is controlled by the men, who apparently discard their wives for mechanical look-alikes that would function exactly as expected. But the image created by the film with regard to the epitome of womanhood-specifically in women's roles in the home, such as cooking, cleaning, and maintaining an appearance that conforms to standards promoted by media-is largely within the stereotype of the Caucasian female married to a Caucasian man of stable economic means, enough to provide for a home equipped with the necessary elements that would allow for the keeping up of the image. Children would not be more than two, and are well-dressed and well-behaved. Husbands would leave home and return at very specific times, during which the wife must be ready to attend to his every wish. As this cannot be possible in the frenetic environment of cities and urban addresses, it essentially finds its setting in the suburbs of America, taking from the afterthought to the phenomenon of urbanization, which is the contrary suburbanization. Joanne and Walter's move from New York to Stepford is typical of this occurrence, as more and more problems become associated with living in cities. The growing concern for less substantial economic costs and adhering to a lifestyle denoted by family and community time is at the core of suburbanization, which led many to move back to the suburbs. One of the major influences of this change is "the preference for

A discussion on Health Related Issues and Interventions for School Age Research Paper

A discussion on Health Related Issues and Interventions for School Age Children - Research Paper Example A number of health related issues arise at this age and their successful mitigation helps children develop normally into adolescent and adulthood. Without proper measure in place to address these health related issues, developmental problems may arise ranging from behavioural problems to physical and mental problems. This paper is going to look at a number of child health related problems such as childhood obesity and overweight issues, bullying, accidents and injuries, social network and the media, child abuse and neglect and the various interventions that could be employed to either prevent or lessen the impacts of these issues on school age children. Childhood obesity and overweight Last year, the Australia bureau of statistics reported the continued rise of childhood obesity over the last 40 years. The report indicated that the level of childhood obesity has increased substantially and is even projected to approach adult rates within 30 years. The report showed that 26.1% of chil dren between the ages of 5-15 were overweight or obese in 2007-08. In 2009 the same was 26.5% making a 0.4% increase in one year (ABS, 2011). The report attributed this rise to sedentary pursuits which include watching television and playing computer games. In 2005 the world health organization reported that 20 million children under 5 years were overweight. Latest statistics by the World health organization also indicate that 40 million children under the age of five years are overweight or suffer from obesity in 2010. These statistics are quite alarming making the issue a global concern (WHO, 2012). Scholars argue that overweight and obesity in childhood especially in older children can lead to serious and severe obesity and weight issues in adulthood. They also say that childhood and adolescent obesity poses a higher risk of premature death and disability later on in life (Kumanyika & Brownson, 2007, p. 51). Literature also suggests children who are obese or overweight normally e ncounter several physical risks and are at a greater risk of social isolation. Such children also are at the risk of developing psychological disorders than those who are in a healthy weight range (Vichuda L Mathews, 2011, pp. 4-6: Justin, 2005, p.84). Research also indicates other consequences of overweight and obesity and these include the development of chronic conditions such as chronic respiratory problems such as sleep apnoea and breathlessness; chronic musculoskeletal problems such as lower back pains and osteoarthritis; gall bladder disease and impaired fertility and well as chronic cardiovascular problems (Dehghan, Akhtar-Danesh, & Merchant, 2005, p. 24). Scholars have proposed a number of strategies in which childhood obesity could be reduced. Such intervention measures have been in existence for quite some time now. Their application is case specific and some could still be applied to solve the problem generally. Telford et al. (2012, 371 )in their study found out that an appropriately designed and administered physical education program (PE) is capable of producing benefits for elementary school children by reducing the percentage increase of body fat but also led to significant enhancement of numeracy development. Other studies have also supported the idea of physical education in helping in the primary prevention of overweight and obesity. Davis et al. (2012, p. 243) in their study propose school based initiatives that include physical activity and also provide opportunities for physical education and recess programs as very important in the prevention of obesity. It is argued that physical activity helps reduce adiposity in

Perspectives on Operation Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Perspectives on Operation Management - Essay Example This paper intends to advise the independent retail outlets situated in Hartwell in Essex on some potential operations strategies in response to the recent opening of Asda/Walmart on the edge of town. Operations strategies While planning operations strategy redesign in response to the recent opening of Asda, the retail outlets must consider the position of the Asda in the UK market and its strengths. Statistical data indicate that Asda is the second largest chain in the UK in terms of market share (BBC News, 2011). The company’s UK grocery market share was 16.5% in 2010. Furthermore, it must be noted that Asda is the subsidiary of retail market giant Walmart, the largest retailer in the world. Low price offer is one of the major core competencies of the Walmart that assisted the corporation to grow up to the top of the world’s retail market. In addition, the company has good reputation across the UK market. Low inventory levels and short flow times are the major operati ons strategies of Walmart. This assists the corporation to maintain adequate levels of inventory all times and thereby keep more working capital with the firm. Hence, the operations strategies developed by the retail outlets must be comprehensive enough to confront with the Asda’s powerful marketing policies. ... Thirdly, each retail outlet has to clearly identify order winners and order qualifiers. More precisely, they have to recognise which elements are necessary to win an order and what makes an item attractive to customers. Finally, each retailer must evaluate its position in the Hartwell retail market. It is advisable for the retail outlets in Hartwell to adapt to the internet based operations strategies because Walmart is still at its early stages of researching internet opportunities. Internet can be effectively employed to strengthen the existing core competencies and by integrating recently developed and traditional supply chain activities. Market analysis reports show that retail firms nowadays raise major portion of their revenues from online sales. The Web based operations strategies aid retailers to significantly reduce operational costs and increase their efficiency in order processing, product delivery, and customer service. However, the retailers must be more innovative while deploying web based operations strategies since customers may be pulled towards the companies that present product displays more attractively to site visitors. It is also recommendable for the retail outlets to develop customised operations strategies as such a policy would better fit the needs and requirement of these retailers. Customised operations strategies may assist retailers to effectively meet the changing tastes and specifications of customers on time (Lowson, 2003). ‘Make to order and assemble to order’ would be the most recommendable production related operations strategies for the retail outlets. In the words of Dickersbach (2005, p. 27), under the make to order strategy, retailers can add customer specifications to a particular product after

A discussion on Health Related Issues and Interventions for School Age Research Paper

A discussion on Health Related Issues and Interventions for School Age Children - Research Paper Example A number of health related issues arise at this age and their successful mitigation helps children develop normally into adolescent and adulthood. Without proper measure in place to address these health related issues, developmental problems may arise ranging from behavioural problems to physical and mental problems. This paper is going to look at a number of child health related problems such as childhood obesity and overweight issues, bullying, accidents and injuries, social network and the media, child abuse and neglect and the various interventions that could be employed to either prevent or lessen the impacts of these issues on school age children. Childhood obesity and overweight Last year, the Australia bureau of statistics reported the continued rise of childhood obesity over the last 40 years. The report indicated that the level of childhood obesity has increased substantially and is even projected to approach adult rates within 30 years. The report showed that 26.1% of chil dren between the ages of 5-15 were overweight or obese in 2007-08. In 2009 the same was 26.5% making a 0.4% increase in one year (ABS, 2011). The report attributed this rise to sedentary pursuits which include watching television and playing computer games. In 2005 the world health organization reported that 20 million children under 5 years were overweight. Latest statistics by the World health organization also indicate that 40 million children under the age of five years are overweight or suffer from obesity in 2010. These statistics are quite alarming making the issue a global concern (WHO, 2012). Scholars argue that overweight and obesity in childhood especially in older children can lead to serious and severe obesity and weight issues in adulthood. They also say that childhood and adolescent obesity poses a higher risk of premature death and disability later on in life (Kumanyika & Brownson, 2007, p. 51). Literature also suggests children who are obese or overweight normally e ncounter several physical risks and are at a greater risk of social isolation. Such children also are at the risk of developing psychological disorders than those who are in a healthy weight range (Vichuda L Mathews, 2011, pp. 4-6: Justin, 2005, p.84). Research also indicates other consequences of overweight and obesity and these include the development of chronic conditions such as chronic respiratory problems such as sleep apnoea and breathlessness; chronic musculoskeletal problems such as lower back pains and osteoarthritis; gall bladder disease and impaired fertility and well as chronic cardiovascular problems (Dehghan, Akhtar-Danesh, & Merchant, 2005, p. 24). Scholars have proposed a number of strategies in which childhood obesity could be reduced. Such intervention measures have been in existence for quite some time now. Their application is case specific and some could still be applied to solve the problem generally. Telford et al. (2012, 371 )in their study found out that an appropriately designed and administered physical education program (PE) is capable of producing benefits for elementary school children by reducing the percentage increase of body fat but also led to significant enhancement of numeracy development. Other studies have also supported the idea of physical education in helping in the primary prevention of overweight and obesity. Davis et al. (2012, p. 243) in their study propose school based initiatives that include physical activity and also provide opportunities for physical education and recess programs as very important in the prevention of obesity. It is argued that physical activity helps reduce adiposity in

Social Order Essay Example for Free

Social Order Essay Discuss the role of primary and secondary groups in the maintenance of social order and the emergence of deviance in Caribbean societies. Through the evolution of sociology as a discipline, several ‘big questions’ have dominated discourse in the subject. Such questions surround how social order is obtained and maintained in society as well as the factors that account for a movement away from the social order and engage in behaviour thought to be deviant. This discussion will seek to give an account of the treatment various sociologists have given to the issue of social order in society; and the role primary and secondary groups play in the maintenance of order. In the wake of such major revolutions as the French Revolution of 1789 as well as the Industrial Revolution that was also in progress in Europe, society as was conceived at the time experienced massive transformations. Questions arose that needed to be answered. â€Å"The types of questions these nineteenth-century thinkers sought to answer – what is human nature? Why is society structured like it is? How and why do societies change? – are the same questions sociologists try to answer today† (Giddens 1997). This statement further elucidates the central notion of this essay; that the problem of social order has always been at the forefront of the minds of sociologists. O’Donnell (1997) describes social order simply as â€Å"†¦a state in which social life – actions and interactions – can be conducted without major interruptions†. While there are breaches of the social order by and large collective life is able to happen without chaos. It is this relative uniformity in social action, on a macro level, that has pre-occupied the minds of sociologists for some time. A defining fact of human social life is that people will gravitate to each other in various ways. Macionis and Plummer (2008) defines a social group as â€Å"†¦two or more people who identify and interact with one another.† Social Groups range from married couples to friendship groups, to gangs, to churches, to multi- national corporations. Macionis Plummer (2008) go on to define a primary group as â€Å"†¦a small group whose members share personal and enduring relationships.† They argue that â€Å"†¦individuals in primary groups typically spend a great deal of time together, engage in a wide range of common activities and feel they know one another well.† Essentially, primary groups are small and – due to their size – they are able to allow members a considerable measure of familiarity. The opposite is true of secondary groups. These may be defined as â€Å"†¦large and impersonal social group[s] whose members pursue a specific interest or activity†¦Secondary relationships usually involve weak emotional ties and little personal knowledge of one another† (Macionis Plummer, 2008). Weaker social ties allow secondary groups to facilitate a much larger membership that would obtain in a primary group setting. By this token, we are able understand that membership in primary and secondary groups, serves to facilitate different needs. They achieve different ends in completely different ways. In primary groups, members define themselves in relation to who they are, while in secondary groups persons are defined in relation to what they offer and what the others receive in return. Before we can understand sources of deviance, we must understand order. Order becomes manifest when people conform to social norms and values. The social order is maintained through the presence and implementation of sanctions. A sanction is â€Å"†¦any response to a behaviour that serves to reinforce the norms of a society or social group.† Sanctions may be positive or negative. Positive sanctions or rewards, are implemented to encourage a desired behaviour, whereas negative sanctions are implemented to deter or discourage undesired behaviour. Social order is maintained by the work of the agents of social control. These include such social institutions as the family and the peer group, as well as the education system, religious institutions, the mass media as well as such institutions as the security forces and the justice system. As we become exposed to these institutions, we become aware of what our social group expects of us. We gradually learn what appropriate behaviour is and get an idea of the consequences of each. In this regard, we can better understand the practical framework within which properly ordered collective order happens. This question of how it is that humans are able to cooperate and engaged in structured behaviour is taken by this writer to be central to sociology, largely due to the fact that it manifests itself in the work of such writers as Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons, Karl Marx, Max Weber and even W.E.B. Dubois. Emile Durkheim postulated that the basis of social order was, in fact, wide scale agreement and shared morality. Bilton et al (1981) states that Durkheim and fellow functionalist, Talcott Parsons, were talking about the same idea when they used the terms â€Å"collective conscience† and â€Å"value consensus† respectively. Essentially they were both suggesting that human beings submit to a set of social rules because they believe in their validity to a greater or lesser extent. The difference between them was that â€Å"†¦in Durkheim the source of this belief was society itself but in†¦Parsons, society is described as a social system† (Bilton et al, 19 81). Haralambos et al (2002) states that â€Å"†¦Durkheim assumes that society has certain functional prerequisites, the most important of which is the need for social order.† Haralmbos et al (2002) go on to further explain that, â€Å"without this consensus or agreement on fundamental moral issues, social solidarity would be impossible and individuals could not be bound together to form a social unit.† Parsons’ treatment of society as a social system has been seen as foundational to his other ideas, but the fact importance he placed on society as a social system was crucial to his broader understanding of social order and cannot be understated. This treatment of social order became central to functionalist writing, since common values produce common goals. This is largely because writers in the functionalist school posit that since society is a system of interrelated parts, there is a need for there to a certain amount of agreement in society in order to make the system work. Thus, from a functionalist perspective, social groups and institutions are effective in shaping social order by virtue of the ways in which they ensure conformity to the consensus on values that exists in society. The challenge with this functionalist analysis of order is that it presents a very idealistic and almost utopic picture of how society works. It suggests that we all come together because we happily agree upon a certain set of values there is no element of coercion or exploitation involved. Another perspective that gives a different treatment to the issue is that of the Marist school of thought. The work of Karl Marx presents a sharply contrasting picture of the order problem in society. Rather than seeing social order as the result of collective agreement and harmony in society, Marxist sociology presents a radical alternative to this view. Jessop (1999) highlights the importance of seeing Marx in a material determinist framework. He did not see society and its institutions as emerging from the wide scale on a set of values, beliefs and ideas. Rather, he saw the society as emerging from economic forces. Primacy was given to the economic system of society rather than the value system. A major argument postulated by Marx is that conflict emerges in society with the emergence of private ownership (Jessop 1998). For Marx, the bottom line behaviour of man is the pursuit of subsistence. Thus, in order to survive one must engage in some form of work. By working, we engage in different types of relationships with each other. Marx highlights two basic states of being; owners of the means of their production and owners of their labour. Essentially there are the haves and the have nots, the bourgeoisie and the proletariats. These, according to him, are the two basic classes of society. Marx postulates that it is the bourgeoisie who – by virtue of having control of the means of production – have ideological control over the society. They can therefore exert their idea of values, norms, etc on the wider society, seeing that the superstructure of society is biased in their favour. Although there is conflict in society, the effect of that conflict is sublimated as a result of ruling class dominance. Charon (1999) summarizes Marx’s take on the issue as suggesting that social order is maintained through force and manipulation of a subordinate class of people. From this perspective, we see that in society, it is possible for social groups to work to conspire to hold masses of people in check. The agents of social control represent the ruling class agenda and ideology. In this regard, some persons fall into deviance, because the ruling class agenda, which dictates what is acceptable or not, conspires against them. As such, it is the capitalist system that creates deviants, rather than the deviants themselves. Thus far, the writers examined have subscribed to a macro or structuralist approach to society and the individuals in it. They postulate ideas that suggest that the society creates the individuals and therefore emphasis is placed on understanding the work of social structures in maintaining social order. However, a large body of sociological work subscribes to a micro or interpretive approach. They suggest that the structuralist stance underestimates the abilities of the individual and treats them as less than autonomous beings. Conversely, interpretive theorists seek to understand structured, relatively uniform behaviour against the backdrop of humans being purposeful and rational beings. They do not merely seek to know that a behaviour has been committed, but more so, the interpretations of the meanings behind the behaviours in question. Max Weber, though influenced by Marx, was highly critical of his approach to understanding society. He did not subscribe to the one-sided idealism of functionalism, but at the same time, rejected the one-sided materialism of Marx. For him, both of these forces worked in tandem and were crucial in shaping social cohesion and change (Jessop 1998). He drew his analysis from his research into The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism† (1904) which explored the ways in which religious beliefs shaped the development of capitalist system while, at the same time emphasizing that the capitalist system could shape the course of religious beliefs. In rejecting the more structuralist approach, Weber presents the idea that society and the social order does not exist in isolation of the purposeful actions of the individuals in it. He suggests that it is individuals in interaction who give rise to a social structure. The social action approach to understanding behaviour relies heavily on the concept of rationality. He identified different types of rationality, namely: traditional, affective and value-free rationality and emphasized that societies progressed towards deeper more rational behaviour with development. According to Jessop, Weber saw social change as the rationalization of social life. This rationalization became culminated in the creation the bureaucracy in modern society. Thus far, the perspectives that have presented have been colour-blind in the examination of society. They have either presented a vision of society that is either too harmonious to fathom any idea of conflict and division or examined a conflict that emphasizes wealth-based conflict so far that it understates the presence of any other form of conflict that might be abundant in society. It can be argued no perspective best explains the dynamics of Caribbean social order on its own. As such, a more Caribbean perspective must be sought. M.G. Smith, in his seminal work, The Plural Society in the West Indies advanced the argument that the Caribbean societies are several cultures co-existing without blending to form one. Smith (1955) begins his analysis with the basic functionalist premise that society begins with shared values and common social institutions. As a functionalist, he sought to apply this basic principle to a diverse Caribbean cultural landscape with slaves, mulattoes and whites living alongside each-other. When Smith (1955) examined such social institutions as Family, Religion, Education and Economy, he concluded that there is no single collective value system among the three major cultural groups. Rather, he argued that each group had a value system of its own and that the Colonial system was responsible for holding the societies together. This idea of ‘cultural pluralism’ as he described it was quite popular in Caribbean thought for some time, as it helped to explain the divided and divisive of Caribbean social relations. Hence, through the work of M.G. Smith, we are better able to see how social order is in the Caribbean is achieved. On the other hand, other Caribbean writers in the structural functionalist tradition have disagreed with Smith. Edward Braithwaite (in Barrow and Reddock, 2002) argues that the Caribbean does indeed have a common value system. He posits that there has emerged in the region a common ascriptive base, upon which values are built. For instance, he believes that over time, blacks came to accept white dominance, as did the whites and, hence, the argument that there were absolutely no common values does not hold. He suggests that, while stark differences exist in the way cultural institutions are practiced by different sections of the society, it cannot be denied that underlying commonalities abound. Hence, from this perspective, we are again able to appreciate, another perspective of Caribbean order. Yet another Caribbean sociologist worth examining is Edward Kamau Brathwaite (1971). In his work, Creolisation in Jamaica, Brathwaite advances the argument that the cultures which were flung together and helped to shape Caribbean culture have indeed mixed, blended and fused to form one. In providing a working definition, Edward Kamau Brathwaite in, Creolisation in Jamaica (1971) states that creolisation is â€Å"†¦a cultural action – material, psychological, and spiritual – based upon the stimulus/response of individuals within the society to their environment and – as white/black †¦to each other.† As such, creolisation theory posits that when the Africans were thrown together in social arrangement with the Europeans, there was a cultural fusion and this fusion of cultural elements came to form something new. The assumption is that the two cultures were flung together but one was the ‘dominant’ culture (Europe) and the other was subo rdinate (Africa). Simple exposure to linguistics will explain that a ‘creole’ is a fusion of two or more languages to form a new one. In this way, the new language – though influenced by both – is neither of the pre-existent languages. For example, Haitian creole is heavily influenced by French, but is by no means understood by a native French speaker living in France. The point is that, when the process of creolisation takes place, a new social order is formed. Ken Pryce in Barrow Reddock (2004) questions whether or not ‘mainstream approaches’ to understanding order and deviance be readily applied to the Caribbean. As post-plantation societies, the Caribbean region has been shaped by the complex dynamics of its cultural experience. In his piece entitled, Towards a Caribbean Criminology he posits that Caribbean experience is complicated and hence, scholars must examine the peculiarities of the region and the ways in which social groups contribute to deviance in the culture. Pryce (in Barrow Reddock 2004) suggests that more attention must be placed on the lumpen proletariat class (as described by Karl Marx) and the ways in which they’ve been exploited by the capitalist class; resulting in a certain level of deviance. He also discusses the ways in which modernization of Caribbean societies has contributed to the modernization of deviance and crime in the locality. For his part, Anthony Harriot (in Barrow Reddock, 2004) critically analyzes the changing trends of crime and deviance in Jamaica. He highlights the trending down of property related crimes which have happened alongside a rise in violent crime. He also notes that the gun has increased in prominence in violent crimes over the last three decades. Harriot (in Barrow Reddock, 2004) focuses attention at two major sources of violent crime in Jamaica. These are ‘domestic violence’ and ‘gang violence’. These two categories have accounted for the overwhelming majority of violent crimes (particularly murders) in Jamaica. What this reveals is that, membership in primary groups, in which persons are familiar with each other, does not exclude one from perpetuating and being the victims of violence. Domestic violence takes place among persons who share familial bonds. Couples and wider family members are often the perpetrators as well as the victims of deviant activity. Similarly, gang violence in has been cited in annual statistics are the largest contributor to violent crime statistics. In the final analysis, it is beyond doubt that groups – both small and large – are fundamental to human social experience. We turn to them for a sense of collective identity and belonging. Because of this reality, social groups help to promote social cohesion, solidarity and facilitate social order. However, while group life is instrumental in preserving order in society, it is also a fact that social groups do contribute to deviant behaviour in societies everywhere. References †¢ †¢ Barrow, C. and Reddock, R. Caribbean Sociology  © 2002 Bilton, T., Bonnet, K.,Jones, P., Stanworth, M., Introduction to Sociology,  © 1981 Macmillan Publishers, Londin †¢ †¢ †¢ Coser, Lewis, Key Sociological Thinkers,  © 1977 Chevannes, B. Rastafari: Roots and Ideology,  © 1995 Giddens, Anthony, Sociology (3rd Ed.)  © 1999 Blackwell Publishers, Cambridge †¢ Giddens, Anthony, What is Sociology? A Definition and Some Preliminary Considerations,  © 1986 Macmillan Publishers, London. †¢ Haralambos, M. and Holborn, M. Sociology: Themes and Perspectives  © 2004. †¢ Macionis, J. and Plummer, K., Sociology: A Global Introduction,  © 2008 Prentice Hall.