Ethical Public Speaking Paper Essay

The Speaker was Emma Watson introducing the campaign called He for She. The campaign is about political, economic, and social gender equality and not just for females, but for males as well. To often the word femanism has an underlying meaning to people as â€Å"man hating†. Emma Watson came to speak about just that and other issues that often go by unseen. The issues of the glass ceiling, equal wages for same work between genders, women involvement in poilicies and laws that will effect all womens lives, and socially having equal respect. There is no country in our world that have completely achieved gender equality that should be viewed as human rights. There has been significant improvement in many countries but many women today still do not have the opportunity to have secondary schooling. Men should be just as much involved in gender equality because there are also issues that they have to deal with. The role as a father is being valued less and less in society, and young men do not ask for help for fear they will be less of a man. Men and women should feel free to be sentative and strong. As Emma Watson said, â€Å"Gender should be on one spectrum and not two sets of opposing ideals†. Ms. Watson upheld most of the responsibilities for ethical public speaking. The topic of gender equality promotes positive values and she did not shy away or back down from what hse believed in. Multiple times in the speech she talked about in her research she has found many startling facts and presented them well. When her language was not inclusive, it was to show the conflict and differences between genders. The time in total for the speech was about 13 minutes long and was respectful to her listeners. Some things that were not fufilled was sometimes with the statistics she used whole numbers instead of percentages and did not credit her sources for any of her information. Some of the responsibilities that a listener would have to this speech would be clappinging at certain points. When the listeners clapped it communicated their agreement to Emma Watson, and she in turn, paused and waited for them to finish. While Ms. Watson was speaking, she invited all people to join her in the movement He for She and as a listener, we can choose to either join her movement or not. Emma Watson’s speech was an excellent example of an ethical speech discussing a controversial topic.

Antony and Cleopatra: Heroic Act, Post Heroic Age

Q: Describe Antony and Cleopatra as a heroic act written in a post-heroic age. Antony and Cleopatra is a tragic play written by William Shakespeare; embodying the basic notions of most of the Jacobean tragedies that occurred during the reign of King James the first of England. The story follows a historical imitation of the events that occurred during the reign of the Egyptian and Roman Empire under the power of Cleopatra of Alexandria and the Triumvirs i. e. Ceaser, Antony and Lepidus of Athens.Antony, one of the main Triumvirs of Rome, falls in love with the Queen of Egypt, Cleopatra, stirring up an affair seeped in political turmoil and war. Antony, torn apart between his duties to his kingdom and his love for Cleopatra, finds himself in the midst of the tragic remembrance of many of Shakespeare’s leading male characters like Othello, Kind Lear, and Macbeth etc. A man, destined towards an impregnable end due to one characteristic drawback, one fatal flaw. To understand the topic of â€Å"Heroism† and â€Å"Post Heroism† one must go back to the origin of the â€Å"Tragic Play†.The idea of tragedy comes from the Aristotelian school of thought. Tragedy as an art form, from the earliest works of Western play writes like Homer and Sophocles; derives itself from a materialist mind, choosing to harness the problems of the inevitable in heroic, noble, aristocratic individuals. It is a matter of ‘masculinity’, noble warriors, fighting for a single minded, subjective socio political motive, devoid of the scepticism, sensibility and democratic ideologies that exist today.It is also associated with myth, sacrifice and rituals, adhering to the rules and predestined location of the individual on a higher, transcendental platform. Adherence to a religious, or god like following. Examples of puritan ideas of tragedy are: Antigone, Agamemnon, Oedipus etc. Antony and Cleopatra was written in the late 16th century AD, during the reign o f King James the first, making it a generalised Jacobean drama. Yet, the play is vastly different than any of its contemporaries, be it from other play writes of the time, as well as Shakespeare’s own tragedies.It is different from its contemporaries by taking characters from a historical, heroic phase of the world and giving it the characteristics of an Aristotelian tragedy, not showing the situations in their respective time periods. Most of the other Jacobean dramas follow only the already existing notion of socio political norms in their timely reality. It surpasses the law of time and space continuum as scenes bounce back and forth between different places (Alexandria, Pompey, and Athens) and different time spheres not rendering to the Aristotelian idea of drama.Also, it is only in Antony and Cleopatra, does Shakespeare have characters that encompass an ideology themselves, defining their identity. Cleopatra, as a character, embodies an alternative idea, the idea of the â€Å"other†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ the exotic, sexual, over feminised view of the Orient. Antony, the idea of the tragic hero, the fallen lover. Octavius Ceaser, the idea of duty, power, discipline. The mere fact that, the political ideologies of the racial other is significant in the play, when strategies and affairs go beyond the Eurocentric notion of duty and order is in itself a marvel.The challenges met by the masculine, western order of the world goes beyond borders to the exotic orient, ruled by a powerful woman who dominates the entire play ; makes many critics treat Antony and Cleopatra as a transgressive play of the time. Yet, it cannot fit the pure idea of the classical tragedy either. It lacks the divine authority of Aristotelian tragedy, not condemning itself too much to predestination. It is devoid of rituals and noble sacrifices etc. The sacrifices made, for example, by Antony and Cleopatra was not for ascetic duties to anyone else, but fuelled by their passion for one anoth er.Cleopatra, as a character, is pivotal to the play. She is either being spoken of, or to in the venture and holds the most power amongst any of the other characters. A woman, being the centre of conversation and drive, is not befitting to a classical tragedy. Hence, Antony and Cleopatra lies somewhere in between, making many critics reassess the idea of the Jacobean drama itself as well as comparing and contrasting the play with its contemporaries to reach a higher understanding of why it was written as such.From this difference is raised the question of the difference in era and time with relation to the notion of honour, heroism and post heroism. Heroism is described as a type of war; the strategy of which is based on a single man’s â€Å"heroic† socio-political motives. Hence, heroism in a literary sense, translates to a drama based upon the wanting’s of one or few men. The Iliad, by Homer is an excellent example of heroism in dramatic form. The war against troy, instigated by personal ambitions of a few men. Achilles’s want of â€Å"glory† (another heroic notion), Menelaus’s revenge against Paris, and Agamemnon’s quest for power.Heroism is found to be the rock base of almost all the tragedies of the ancient western world. Homeric and Aristotelian tragedies base their motives upon the hands of a single person’s personal agenda. A war is caused, thousands is people are sent to their deaths over decades, to win a fight for one man’s honour. Based on myth and sacrifice, adhering to knowledge of ancient civilisations. Antony and Cleopatra, based on the history of civilisations, dating back to around 69 BC, written by William Shakespeare born during the renaissance, Elizabethean age dating to 14th century AD, provides a complex mechanism of thinking.C. L. Barber quotes: â€Å"There was a decline in honour amongst aristocracy due to professionalism of warfare. â€Å"Heroism† no longer existe d by the end of the 17th century. â€Å" Thus comes the question of why a play such as Antony and Cleopatra, full of nobility, honour and the notion of â€Å"Heroism† was written during a post-heroic age. The content, befitting to an Aristotelian drama, is written in a subversive, moralistic fashion provided by the inevitable destruction of the essence to which it is formed.The character of Antony is described as an autonomous figure, with personal drive and passions. Octavius Ceaser on the other hand, performs his duties towards his empire without tangling himself in personal dilemmas. And the character of Cleopatra, of course, renders to the main problem. That is; Cleopatra encompasses the political and personal problem, Antony the fallen lover entangled in the problem, and Ceaser, and the authorial figure who in the end, stamps his values as the winner and survivor of the situation.Ironically, it is the very base of ancient heroism that becomes Antony’s fatal flaw. By the second half of the drama, Antony is trapped within his own ego, whilst Ceaser dissuades his honour. In Act 3, scene 12, Ceaser even foretells Antony’s self-destruction, in a conversation with Thidias upon the news of Antony returning to Egypt fleeing from his duties; â€Å"Observe how Antony becomes his flaw, And what thou think’st his very action speaks, In every power that moves. Shakespeare, reveals the strategy of the play from Ceasers perspective; the perspective of the post heroic age of duty and civilian authority against that of personal glory and ambition. This biasness shows the context with which the play was written; from a Eurocentric, masculine objectivity. Right before Ceaser and Antony go to war with their respective armed forces, Antony challenges Ceaser to a one on one, swordfight to determine their fates. This â€Å"heroic† gesture is then verturned with Ceaser refusing to accept the challenge. In Act 4, scene 1, Ceaser seems to laugh off his Antony’s proposal. â€Å"He calls me boy, and chides as he had power to beat me out of Egypt. My messenger He hath whipped with rods; dares me to personal combat, Ceaser to Antony. I have many other ways to die, meanwhile laugh at his challenge. † Ironically, the Antony seems to be a heroic character driven by his â€Å"honour†, his â€Å"virtus†, yet it is this characteristic itself, that Shakespeare has twisted into a fatal flaw.The character of Antony is destroyed because Shakespeare makes his personal heroism, his only drawback. Odd, as personal glory and passion, two man dual ship, etc. , was revered in the heroic stage of Aristotelian drama, in which historically, the play is located. Perhaps, abiding by the rule of King James the first, Shakespeare needed to adhere to social norms, by exoticising the east, and by condemning Antony’s heroism to death abiding by the Jacobean age which was devoid of such fantasy.By taking the subject o f Antony and Cleopatra, Shakespeare seemingly reverses the whole idea of the myth, and transforms it to please and tutor the masses of 14th century England. Antony and Cleopatra hence becomes one of the most interesting pieces of Shakespeare as well as Jacobean drama, by transgressing itself completely from a heroic, materialistic, world to the dawn of the new age of political stability, democracy and sensibility.

Avoiding Alignment Trap Essay

This case analysis discusses the findings in the article ‘Avoiding the Alignment Trap’, where even though most companies are aware that IT must be aligned with business strategy in terms of aligning IT expenses with revenue growth, over 11% of companies that align IT with business strategy spend more than 13% on average on IT expenses with a resulting of less than 14% average in revenue growth. The objective of this case analysis is to recommend a governance arrangement that will lead most companies that are currently have less effective IT alignment with business alignment to IT-enabled growth where the cost of IT more than compensates with the revenue growth of the company. The recommendation is to adopt a Duopoly governance arrangement where both the CEO and CIO make decisions, form a committee to oversee IT decisions and business strategy decisions made by these leaders, and ensure adequate decision making and monitoring of performance based on IT and business-relate d decisions. The ISO 38500 can be used as a framework to monitor these decisions and evaluate IT decisions based on their effectiveness, alignment with overall strategy and the value they bring to the organization. CURRENT SITUATION According to the article, almost every company is aware that IT and business strategies must be aligned in order to gain competitive advantage in their industry. This means their IT spending must be matched with their growth strategies. To test this notion, the authors of this article surveyed 452 companies and received 504 responses. The survey determined the companies IT spending and 3-year sales compounding to determine annual growth rate. In their survey, they have found the following: 1.74% of these companies do not align IT to their business strategies. Companies allocate enough funds to their IT necessary to keep the systems running. It is not meant to add value to the business. As a result, their growth rate is 2% below on average on a three-year span 2.11% of these companies have highly aligned IT with business strategy, but not highly effective. Their IT spending was 13% higher than average and their revenue growth rate was 14% below average  3.8% of these companies spent 15% lower than average on IT that resulted in an 11% above average revenue growth rate. 4.7% of these companies spent 6% lower than average on IT that resulted in more than 35% above average revenue growth rate. To apply these findings against the different governance models, the 74% of companies that do not align IT to their business strategies have a Federal Model of Governance Arrangements. Federal Models are decisions made by leaders from different functional departments and in this type of Governance Model, they mostly pay more attention on Business Application Needs and less on IT Principles, IT Architecture & Infrastructure Strategies. 11% of companies that are highly aligned and yet incur more spending than revenue growth fall to the Business Monarchy Governance Model. In this type of governance arrangements, decisions are made by senior business leader. In the Charles Schwab example in the article, their governance arrangement is IT Monarchy. Their decisions were made by IS leader and put more emphasis on IT Architecture, Infrastructure strategies and have resulted in worst business application needs. CRITERIA To put an organization in an IT-enabled growth quadrant, an organization should adopt a Duopoly Model of governance arrangement where senior business leaders and IS leaders make decisions jointly. In other words, the CEO and CIO must work closely together to formulate the best IT principles and align it with the firm’s business strategy as a whole. Also, they must implement information technology that is less complex. In the words of Leonardo Da Vinci per the article ‘simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’ By reducing complexity, the company builds simplified, standardized infrastructure rather than extensive customizing of information technology. With these 2 put together, it can result in effective IT governance which will enable growth in revenue in the future. Alternatives and Recommendations With respect to the article, the 85% of the companies that fall to the less effective quadrant in IT governance can start adopting a Duopoly Governance Arrangement where both the CEO and CIO work together and make decisions  jointly. With Duopoly, a committee can be formed to oversee IT decisions, rate the IT leadership by the CIOs & continuous monitoring managers within the organization in their decision making & oversight. However, some organizations do not adopt a duopoly governance arrangement due to its size. Therefore, the next governance arrangement that can be adopted by the organizations is the Business Monarchy where decisions are made by senior business leader. With this model, the business leader can ask for the financial manager’s help to identify the kinds of information and system the organization needs, perform cost-benefit analysis, evaluate options based on priority setting and needs assessment and determine what’s important and upgrade as benefit. Most of all, there must be adequate communication throughout the organization of the decision. The article suggests that to achieve an effective IT governance, companies must keep their IT environment simple. Although achieving a simple IT environment and standardizing it within the organization requires investment of time and money, in the future this can lead to lower costs. Even though complexity can still creep in, it is suggested that the company have an early-warning indicator that will keep track of IT spending with product development. If this ratio starts to increase, it is a sign that it’s time for another simplification. Down the road, companies can reach th e IT-enabled quadrant where costs are less and revenue growth is more. RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN To avoid the alignment trap, the best governance arrangement that can help an organization change its status from being trapped in aligning IT with business strategy to IT-enabled growth is to adapt a Duopoly governance arrangement where senior business leaders and IS leaders make decisions jointly-meaning the CEO and the CIO work closely together. Both these decision makers can form a committee to oversee IT decisions and ensure managers are monitored in their decision-making and oversight. They must also adapt a simple IT application; eliminate add-ons and replacing legacy systems. For guidance in decision making by the committee, the organizations can adopt ISO 38500 where the following 6 principles focuses on 3 main tasks. These 6 principles are: 1.Responsibility – everyone involved in the  committee should understand responsibilities and have the authority to meet those responsibilities 2.Strategy – aligning IT Strategy & Organizational Strategy and analysing the current and future situations of the organization and consider both the needs of organization and those that can be done within its own IS department 3.Acquisitions – can be made after both careful and rational analysis. The acquisition decision must be transparent and justified 4.Performance – information systems are implemented such that service levels and quality levels meet the organization’s needs both now and in the future 5.Conformance – compliance with regulations & legislations 6.Human Behaviour – ensures respect for current and evolving needs of all individuals involved The 3 main tasks are: 1.Evaluate current and future needs on a continual basis – focuses on continual improvement & incorporates the principles above both now and in the future 2.Preparation and Implementation of investment plans – the committee needs to make sure that responsibilities for plans and policies are clearly being assigned 3.Monitor performance and conformance to policies against the plans – crucial in monitoring expected service levels being met. If this is not done properly, then there won’t be appropriate information for decision making. Reaching the IT-enabled quadrant is not easy and it involves a big investment in simplifying the IT used within the organization. This is why most organizations focuses temporarily on effectiveness of IT implementations within the organization more than alignment of IT with organizational strategy. This means giving up specific applications customized on a particular division in order to achieve its desired performance and centralizing and simplifying a good part of the IT function.

Caring for the Populations Part 2 ( Community Health Nursing ) Research Paper

Caring for the Populations Part 2 ( Community Health Nursing ) - Research Paper Example 3), thus the essence of this focus group. The Florida state university is an appropriate location for the focus group, since most of these youths are students. The youths need to intermingle and share their experiences, in order to, fully appreciate the purpose of the group. The university is easy to get to by road, and there are numerous learning institutions, whose youths will be attracted to the group. These flyers will be distributed in learning institutions, churches, residential areas, and social places to ensure that every youth in the community learns about the focus group. This is because; these are the areas that are mostly frequented by the youth and word will spread quickly. This focus group seeks to learn from the youth; the reasons why they engage in risky behaviors, what problems the youth face, how much they know about HIV/AIDS and how it has implicated their well being in many ways. The attendees will benefit from the focus group through being educated on how to prot ect themselves against HIV/AIDS. The focus group will also give incentives such as iPods and tickets to social events to the attendees, as a way of motivating them to join and stay in the group. References Underage Drinking in Florida: The Facts, (2009). ... at the Florida State University for an eye-opening session on youths and HIV/AIDS awareness issues. Free tickets to the Florida Strawberry Festival for the first 50 people!!! HOSTED BY TAMRA CARLEY: SCHOOL

Japan Having Some of the Lowest Birthrates in the World Essay

Japan Having Some of the Lowest Birthrates in the World - Essay Example LeBlanc, while making her observations on the political world of the Japanese housewives, addresses the issue of the low birthrate in Japan from a female point of view. While the taxi-bicycle contrast characterizes the male-female involvement in Japan’s political scenario, the author purports that women in Japan have clear cut political perspectives on such issues as the nation’s low birthrates. The author conducted an extensive ethnographic fieldwork study among housewives, volunteer groups, and consumer cooperative movements in suburban Tokyo; the results of the study throw light on the various underlying reasons behind the declining birthrates in Japan. LeBlanc rightly identifies that the â€Å"high cost of living, the declining birth rate, and a possible labor shortage combined with the high standard of education among young Japanese women today† determine women-related issues in the Japanese society (LeBlanc 200). The high cost of living and the difficulty i n child-rearing prompt many Japanese women to remain in their workplaces rather than getting married during their fertile productive period. Consequently, many of them marry late, whereas the number of never-married women is also at an increasing rate. LeBlanc’s interactions with the housewives underline certain environmental and healthcare practices that adversely affect the fertility rates of Japanese women. In the Ono campaign, Ono makes it clear that global environment has affected the health and that the Japanese disposal system itself is defective. She also mentions the growing pollution of water and purports that women can help the environment through proper disposal of cooking grease, use of non-polluting detergents, and proper disposal of water for washing dishes (LeBlanc 173). She also realizes that most of the environmental problems are related to people’s lifestyles and shares how her daughter wastes a lot of water in her morning showers. Ono also expresses her views on the problem of the aged and enumerates on the various reasons that have contributed to low birthrate in Japan. For her, birthrate in Japan is declining to almost one child per couple and she reasons: â€Å"What if this is your daughter? She wants to work so she marries late; she has children late. And the cost of bearing children is high† (LeBlanc 173). LeBlanc, thus, throws light on the three major reasons for the low birthrate among the Japanese women: marrying late, not giving birth to children in their most fertile period and the high cost of child rearing. Ono also refers to the average Japanese family’s difficulty of paying new day-care bill. Similarly, Schoppa in his seminal book argues that Japan as a nation lacks far reaching reforms that would better enable Japanese women to balance both their work and family roles. The author also observes that it is imperative for the policy framers to adequately address such issues as leave for child rearing, child care services, labor standards, child allowances, and tax and benefit rules.

Liabilities In Post Contractual Benefit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Liabilities In Post Contractual Benefit - Essay Example Jack Horner on July,  23rd 2005, from the date of conclusion of a separate and altogether different contract between Mr. Jack Horner and Amanda/ Patrick. The latter contract was concluded as early as on June,  15th 2005. Besides, the ‘offer’ of 20% deduction, was a means of luring the general public who had still not availed of the benefits of Avoca Haven till then and hence by logic excluded from its purview all those who had already availed of Avoca Haven under its earlier terms and conditions. Even if it were accepted that the ‘offer’ of 20% deduction extended to Patrick/Amanda, it is highlighted that it was only an â€Å"invitation to treat† and not an â€Å"offer† in its legal connotation.2 â€Å"Offer† in this case has to be made by Amanda and Patrick to Mr. Jack Horner, and acceptance of the same is within Mr. Horner’s sole discretion---he may or may not accept it and cannot be forced to accept the same.3 The deposit of $ 500 that Amanda/Patrick paid to Mr. Horner, was in lieu of a contract to avail of Avoca Haven as per its earlier terms and conditions, which was in itself a separate contract clearly distinguishable from the latter invitation of 20% deduction. Since no ‘consideration’ was paid to avail the 20% deduction, no valid contract affecting the same can be concluded. This is so because consideration is a formal necessity, which serves to distinguish those promises by which the promisor intends to be legally bound from those which are not seriously meant.4 The contract that was concluded on June, 15th 2005 did not contain any clause relating to a 20% discount on the total cost of reserving Avoca Haven. Hence a question regarding the enforceability of the â€Å"20% discount† offer does not arise at all.

Restaurant Industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Restaurant Industry - Research Paper Example gross domestic product. The overall economic impact of the restaurant industry is expected to exceed $1.5 trillion in 2008, including sales in related industries such as agriculture, transportation and manufacturing. In addition to being highly competitive, the restaurant industry is often affected by changes in consumer tastes and discretionary spending patterns; changes in general economic conditions; public safety conditions; demographic trends; weather conditions; the cost and availability of raw materials, labor and energy; purchasing power; and government regulations. The restaurant industry faced several economic challenges in 2007, including rising food and labor costs and escalating gasoline prices that caused the revenue growth to remain sluggish. The cost of food and beverages account for approximately 33 cents of every dollar of restaurant sales and is one of the most critical items on their income statements (along with labor costs, which also represent about one-third of restaurant sales). Rising corn prices are a matter of concern as it serves as a primary ingredient in most food items and its steady increase sets off a rippling effect that tends to affect all food prices. The rising gas prices remain the biggest concern for the industry which threatens to strike the budget conscious consumers and their dining preferences. The dining-out i The dining-out industry has also fallen prey to the flood of merger and acquisition activities that creates an instability within the industry. The industry is forecast to under perform the broader market over the next several months and hence potential investors are hesitant and may focus on other sectors. However, long term prospects are excellent with increasing exposure to international markets and the mounting popularity of dining out. The Cheesecake Factory The Cheesecake Factory was the realization of a dream for Oscar and Evelyn Overton who started their business with baking and selling cheesecakes in Los Angeles. The company began operations in 1972 as a baker and distributor of cheesecakes and other bakery products. They opened the first restaurant in 1978 in Beverly Hills, California and thus started the growth of a global chain of restaurants. Currently the company operates 139 dining restaurants under The Cheesecake Factory mark in 34 states and the District of Columbia and 13 under the Grand Lux Caf mark in nine states. The Cheesecake Factory is an upscale dining restaurant that offers over 200 menu items including pizza, seafood, steaks, burgers, salads, sandwiches and desserts, and over 40 varieties of cheesecake and other baked desserts. The restaurant concept strives to provide a distinctive, high quality dining experience at moderate prices by offering an extensive, creative and evolving menu in an upscale, high-energy casu al setting with efficient, attentive and friendly service. Some of their popular cheesecakes include the Original Cheesecake, Godiva Chocolate, Key Lime Cheesecake, Carmel Pecan Turtle, White Chocolate Caramel Macademia Nut and Fresh Strawberry. Corporate Growth Strategies The business strategy is focused on a prudent allocation of capital intended to enhance overall earnings per share growth and increase returns on invested capital. Operationally, the company strives to improve productivity and efficiency through the use of technology and a

Ethics & the War on Terror Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethics & the War on Terror - Assignment Example Basing on this it would be inappropriate to accord them the rights stipulated in the Geneva meeting as they are a threat to the society. Secret prisons such as the Guantanamo Bay are important in curbing terrorism. Terrorists are often scared by the thought of being taken to such prisons which have negative qualities and where only high profile law breakers are taken (North Atlantic Treaty Organization, 2014). The chances of escaping such harsh conditions alive are negligible and so that acts as a negative motivation to discourage the acts of terrorism. On the other hand such prisons may not be the best as the United States may not be so certain that the criminals will be accorded the right punishment as per their actions. Chances of escape are also increased. Responding to the student’s post on the Patriot Act that allows the government to access one’s texts, emails and chat messages, I concur with the argument that is presented that this is right since only the criminals have anything to hide in such conversations. This trend should therefore be upheld to address the cases of terrorisms and discourage it. The conversations often contain leading information to the criminals hide outs and their ill

Causes and Effects of Water Pollution in Lake Huron Essay

Causes and Effects of Water Pollution in Lake Huron - Essay Example Its drainage region is large in comparison to other Great Lakes since it covers parts of Ontario and Michigan lakes. Its waters are useful to several people who bound it especially the farmers. However, the Lake has been facing some water pollution challenges that make its waters disastrous. The ultimate aim of this context is to examine the sources that lead to pollution of Lake Huron and the Great lakes. It then looks at the effects of this pollution and winds up by providing recommendations on what can be done to save Lake Huron (Buchsbaum, 2009). Causes of Water Pollution on Lake Huron Several pollutants caused by human activities around the region have affected Lake Huron. Some of the most common pollutants are as mentioned below. Chemical Contamination Lake Huron is fed by contaminants, which initiate from several sources among them being spills, municipal discharges, industrial discharges, landfills, agricultural runoff and storm sewers (Krantz & Kifferstein, 2010). These cont aminants get into Lake Huron through several trails including atmospheric deposition, direct liberation and river discharge. In comparison to Lakes Ontario, Michigan and Erie, pollutant concentrations are comparatively low in Lake Huron. However, public health consultative exists concerning utilization of trout and all Areas of Concern (AOCs). Atmospheric Deposition Besides, its massive surface area, like the other Great Lakes, has made it susceptible to atmospheric deposition of pollutants. It has a large surface area and comparatively few regional pollutant point sources (Mahler, Metre & Callender, 2006). Loading to Lake Huron from water basis are stumpy of all the Great Lakes, but air basis are highest. Bio-accumulative Substances From the late 1970s to around 1990s, the concentrations of bio-accumulative matters like DDT, PCBs, dioxins, dieldrin, and furans turned down considerably in Lake Huron lake trout. Nevertheless, whereas the concentrations of DDT have persistently deteri orated, PCB concentrations have not fallen off considerably since the mid-1980s. DDE inclinations in Lake Huron herring gull eggs display a marked reduction in concentration since 1970s. According to other inclinations, concentrations decreased considerably in the late 1970s but continued to be comparatively stable (Mahler, Metre & Callender, 2006). Continuing basis of pollutants is mainly from sediments polluted by historic liberation, airborne deposition industrial and municipal librations and land runoff. Initially, there were six main Great Lakes regions of considerable environmental pollution or Areas of Concern (AOCs) on Lake Huron. The St. Mary River is named as an Area of Concern since it contains pollutants from municipal discharges and non point source contamination sources (Buchsbaum, 2009). Management of industrial point sources is developing, and pollution consignments are being minimized. The St. Clair River is named as an AOC because of the contamination difficulties on the eastern side of the river. Severn Sound and Spanish are the two other Canadian Areas of Concern that are reacting positively to the remedial activities and displaying recovery (Mahler, Metre & Callender, 2006). The only Area of Concern exclusively in Michigan, Saginaw Bay or river, is modeled as an AOC mainly because of polluted deposits and non point contamination sou

Andrew Jackson Essay Example for Free

Andrew Jackson Essay Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, deserves to have his picture engraved on the twenty-dollar bill. Jacksons perilous military achievement and leadership as well as democratic principles demonstrated during his presidency have made a significant contribution to American history and political life. Andrew Jackson led his troops to decisive victories against the Creeks in Alabama and against the British in New Orleans. In the war of 1812 the Creek Indians, British allies, had threatened the southwestern borders of the United States. A major general in the Tennessee militia, Jackson with the help of his troops successfully defeated the Creek Indians in 1814 at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. He was able to overcome shortages of supplies and food. In addition, he was able to curb two potential mutinies and lead a successful campaign against the Creeks. A second major battle that brought recognition to Jackson was the Battle of New Orleans. An impressive aspect of this battle was that in spite of Jackson being greatly outnumbered with his army of 5,000 men against the British army of 8,000, Jackson was able to win with minimal casualties to his troops compared to the British who suffered greater losses. These two military triumphs earned Jackson acclaimed national military fame. After the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, Jacksons men acknowledged his toughness by calling him Old Hickory because he was as tough as Hickory Wood. His stunning victory at New Orleans gave Jackson status as a national hero because he gave Americans confidence in their ability to defend their new liberty. As a strong president, Andrew Jackson led reforms for the common man and created a more balanced central government. Jackson believed that the common man should have a place in society. He governed with the principle to let the people rule. Under his leadership, he and his followers issued reforms to reduce the long workdays and allow the average man to earn a greater share of the nations wealth. Wanting economic opportunity for all men, Jackson acted on his leadership skills to protect the rights of farmers, artisans, and small shopkeepers from the selfish interests of large  businesses and monopolies. Jackson wanted to help common Americans by letting them have a say in politics. He allowed many people to vote than ever before, therefore making the government more directly responsible to the people. He believed that the president should use full power as granted by the constitution. In that capacity, he made the most presidential vetoes than all the presidents before him. Jacksons use of the presidential veto was an effective measure to create a more balanced central government by decentralizing power in both the executive and legislative branch making them equal to each other. This set an effective standard for presidential procedure. Never hesitant, Jackson argued with the Supreme Court or Congress when their positions conflicted with the best interests of all the people. Jacksons efforts to make reforms for the common man and his ability to balance the power of the federal government made a lasting impression on American democracy. Jacksons achievements, as a military general as well as his leadership as the seventh president of the United States, give him the rightful recognition to have his image on the twenty dollar bill. As a general, Jackson was able to make quick and wise decisions to lead his troops to prevail through challenging military operations. As president, he left a lasting legacy to improve the conditions of the common man and to strengthen the office of the presidency. He shall always be remembered for granting people a greater voice in government by giving voting rights to non-land owners and replacing an aristocratic cabinet with people of more humble means. Jackson is regarded with respect for strengthening the office of the president through the use of veto, and rendering equality in power to both the executive and legislative branches. These aspects of his presidential administration have become a standard for todays modern presidency.

Ethical Arguments Of Electronic Surveillance Information Technology Essay

Ethical Arguments Of Electronic Surveillance Information Technology Essay 1.1 Introduction In his dystopian masterpiece, 1984, George Orwell portrays a society in which government surveillance has become all too pervasive with nightmarish consequences. Even though Orwell never envisioned the advent of the internet and how it has become part of our daily lives, he understood the dangers of a culture of surveillance and much of what he wrote has become startlingly true. Indeed governments have moved on from traditional spying to electronic surveillance, thanks to the internet and other electronic forms of communication. Corporations too have jumped on the surveillance bandwagon, though for different purposes. This has led to ethical concerns, as illustrated in the case of the research firm Phorm. 1.2 Ethical Concerns that Could Arise Phorm is a company in the United Kingdom that developed software that allows it to monitor users online activities without their consent. This has legal ramifications as allowing such activities has caused the European Commission to investigate the UK for breaching rules pertaining to consent to interception of online transactions. However, the issue has an ethical dimension as well. Phorm has tried to justify its actions citing the benefits to customers and the companies involved. However, is it morally and ethically right for a corporation, no matter how innocent its purpose, to secretly monitor the activities of internet users without their consent? Do the advantages, both in financial and non- financial terms warrant this seeming violation of basic human rights? These are some of the ethical dilemmas posed by this case and they will be critically examined in this report. 1.3 Ethical Arguments in Support of Electronic Surveillance Corporate surveillance is a new form of surveillance by companies of people and groups. The aim is to collect data for marketing purpose which is used by the corporation itself or as in the case of Phorm, sold to third party corporations or the government (Brooks and Dunn, 2010). From the companys perspective, this is an excellent form of business intelligence as the data collected can be used to refine marketing strategies to reach the target audience. Direct marketing also employs online corporate surveillance as evidenced by Google and Yahoo (New York Times, 2007). Governments also make use of corporate surveillance data to monitor the activities of users and collect information to do profiling. The U.S. government has used this approach more often in recent years to track down terrorists, and this may be good in a sense. The ethical argument in support of this type of initiative is that it benefits various stakeholders. Electronic surveillance can improve marketing activities and this leads to more revenue which in turn benefit shareholders and the employees of the corporation that uses the services of electronic surveillance company data. Supposedly, when shareholder and employee wealth is maximized, it elevates the standard of living and thus, benefits society as a whole. True, customers are literally spied on but there is no physical damage done. Most customers are oblivious and what they do not know would not harm them. In fact, such improved marketing could even help them make better decisions when buying products and services since they will receive advertisements on things that interest them. These are some of the arguments that are used to support electronic surveillance by corporations. 1.4 Ethical Arguments Against this Type of Initiative To answer why corporate electronic surveillance is unethical and unjustifiable, we need to frame it in ethical terms. Let us look at it from the theory of consequentialism. Consequentialists are intent on maximizing the utility produced by a decision (Ermann et al, 1990). For them, the rightness of an act depends on its consequences. Consequentialism holds that an act is morally right if and only if that act maximizes the net good. In other words, an act and therefore a decision is ethical if its favourable consequences outweigh its negative consequences. Moreover, some believe that only the act that maximizes the net benefit of favourable minus the negative consequences is morally right or ethical. Philosophers also debate what consequences should be counted, how they should be counted and who deserves to be included in the set of affected stakeholders that should be considered (Brooks and Dunn, 2010). Therefore, corporate electronic surveillance is morally wrong because it does not maximize the net good. True, it may improve sales slightly if done in secret but if customers are aware that they are being spied on, they will feel violated and alienate the company altogether. Other potential customers may shy away from the company as well. In the end, such a move could seriously backfire and negatively impact shareholders. The net disadvantages dramatically outweigh the advantages. It is also illegal since such activities constitute a breach of international laws on internet privacy. Deontology is different from consequentialism in that deontologists focus on the obligations or duties motivating a decision or actions that on the consequences of the action (MacKinnon, 1998). Deontological ethics takes the position that rightness depends on the respect shown for duty, and the rights and fairness that those duties reflect. Consequently, a deontological approach raises issues relating to duties, rights and justice considerations and teaches students to use moral standards, principles and rules as a guide to making the best ethical decisions (Caroll, 1991). Deontological reasoning is largely based on the thinking of Immanuel Kant. He argued that a rational person making a decision about what would be good to do, would consider what action would be good for all members of society to do. Such an act would improve the well-being of the decision maker and the well-being of society as well. Kant began to search for an overriding principle that would guide all action an imperative that everybody should follow without exception, which could therefore be considered universal or categorical (Brooks and Dunn, 2010). His search led to what is known as Kants Categorical Imperative, which is a dominant principle or rule for deontologists. Kants principal indicates that there is a duty or imperative to always act in such a way that you can also will the maxim of your action should become a universal law (MacKinnon, 1998). This means that if you cannot will that everyone follow the same decision rule, your rule is not a moral one. As a universal principle, everyone should follow it. Moreover, the Golden Rule do unto others as you would have them do unto you would readily qualify as a universal principal (Forrester and Morrision, 1990). Using the same approach could yield a universal respect for human rights and for fair treatment of all. This can be best achieved by adopting the position that one must fulfil obligations or duties that respect moral or human rights and legal or contract rights (Flaherty, 1989). Furthermore, it can only he achieved if individuals act with enlightened self-interest rather than pure self-interest. Under enlightened self-interest, the interests of individuals are taken into account in decisions (Verschoor, 1988). They are not simply ignored or overridden. Individuals are considered ends rather than used as means to achieve an end or objective. Actions based on duty, rights and justice considerations are particularly important to professionals, directors and executives who are exp ected to fulfil the obligations of a fiduciary (Wartick and Cochran, 1985). In classical management, it has been repeatedly argued that the only fiduciary duty management owes is to the shareholders of a corporation. Thus, if activities are disadvantageous to customers, it does not matter. However, such thinking has gradually gone out of favour as corporations now realize the importance of embracing all their stakeholders (Freeman, 1984). Hence, electronic surveillance would be deemed enlightened self-interest in the old way of thinking but it is now regarded as pure self-interest. Companies that spy on customers are violating their privacy and show them no respect, which is a breach of duty of care . Electronic surveillance also goes against the Golden Rule so there is no deontological basis in support of electronic surveillance. From the above discussion, it is obvious that the arguments against electronic surveillance far outweigh those in support of it. For every argument in support, there are a few against it. Hence, corporations should stop it and use other methods that are more respectable, ethical and legal to gather marketing data. 1.5 Conclusion The ethical arguments in support of corporate electronic surveillance are scant and specious. At best, it leads to improved sales and happy shareholders but it severely undermines the basic principle of respecting the privacy of others. The right to privacy is a right to be free from certain intrusions. It is highly intrusive to have all of ones online activities monitored and used to create a database about the users likes and preferences, especially when the user is an unwilling party. From all ethical perspectives, whether utilitarian, deontological consequentialism, there is little or no basis in support of such activities. Task Two 2.1 Introduction To Phorm, its monitoring software may be a legitimate form of business. However, as a software developer, it must abide by the professional code of conduct regarding professional responsibility. The question here is whether there is a conflict of interest between its business activities and its professional responsibilities. 2.2 Conflicts with software developers professional responsibilities Software developing and engineering is a profession. As such, it has professional associations which like all other professional associations have their own code of conduct regarding professional responsibility. This is done to safeguard the reputation of the profession and to maintain the highest standards of ethics. Among the professional associations for software developers are AMC, IEEE, APEGBC and the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP). To be a member of these associations, one must abide by the respective code of ethics and professional responsibility. Failure to do so would result in suspension or revocation of license to practice the profession. The Software Engineering Code of Ethics and Professional Practice states that software developers should be committed to making the design, analysis, development, testing and maintenance of software a respected and beneficial profession and that all engineers should adhere to eight basic principles. Principle 6 relates to professional responsibility. This clearly stipulates that software developers shall advance the integrity and reputation of the profession that is consistent with the public interest. Among other things, a software developer should not promote their own interest at the expense of the profession, client or employer (6.05), obey all laws governing their work, unless in exceptional circumstances, compliance is inconsistent with the public interest (6.06) and avoid associations with businesses and organizations which are in conflict with this code (6.10). Based on this principle alone, Phorm has made many breaches of professional ethics. Monitoring software such as the one developed by Phorm goes against this professional responsibility code. In fact, this action goes against the interest of customers since it monitors their online activities without their knowledge. Similarly, such an action is inconsistent with public interest as it is morally, ethically and legally wrong for companies to do surveillance on the public without their knowledge (Flaherty, 1989). Phorm should know better than to conduct business that is in conflict with a professional code of conduct. Even though its software developers may not be members of this specific professional organization, they are sure to be members of other organizations which would have similar guidelines. Phorms actions also conflict with principle one of this code which concerns the public. It states that software engineers should act consistently with the public interest. According to paragraph 1.03, software developers should approve software only if they have a well-founded belief that it is safe, meets specifications, passes appropriate tests and does not diminish the quality of life, diminish privacy or harm the environment. Phorms monitoring software diminishes individual privacy. According to Warren and Brandies (1890), privacy can be defined as a right to be left alone. It is widely regarded that privacy is a basic human right. Phorms case is a good illustration of the problems concerning internet privacy. This is because while most agree that internet privacy must be protected, there is debate on the extent it should be protected. Should privacy protection be accorded to email usage or to websites visited as well? Privacy protection is a vital part of democracy but many countries in the world, most noticeably China, are not democracies and therefore have no qualms about seriously undermining internet privacy. Nevertheless, such arguments are mainly about the rights of governments to monitor the activities of citizens for the greater good, for instance protection against terrorism. However, in terms of corporate surveillance, laws and professional codes explicitly prohibit it. 2.3 Suitability of an established code of computer ethics or an ethical decision making model There are many professional codes of ethics such as the one mentioned in the previous section that helps professionals make ethical decisions. The problem is that they are general and not company specific. Also, some employees in a corporation are not members of a professional organization and therefore do not feel obliged to follow the guidelines stipulated by these organizations. For example, software developers may be against developing monitoring software, but if the CEO compels them to do so, they have little choice but to follow orders or leave the organization. To overcome this problem, each corporation should have its own code of ethics and ethical decision making model to make the right choice. A decision making model must be designed to enhance ethical reasoning by providing insights into the identification and analysis of key issues to be considered and questions or challenges to be raised and approaches to combining and applying decision relevant factors into practical action (Brook and Dunn, 2010). A decision or action is considered ethical or right if it conforms to certain standards. One standard alone is insufficient to ensure an ethical decision. Consequently, an ethical decision making framework should be designed so that decisions or actions are compared against four standards for a comprehensive assessment of ethical behaviour. The ethical decision making model assesses the ethicality of a decision or action by examining the consequences or well-offness created in terms of net benefits or costs, rights and duties affected, fairness involved and motivation or virtues expected (Paine, 1994). The first three of these considerations consequentialism, deontology and justice are examined by focusing on the impacts of a decision on shareholders and other affected stakeholders, an approach known as stakeholder impact analysis (Caroll, 1991). The fourth consideration, the motivation of the decision maker is known as virtue ethics (Pastin, 1986). It provides insights likely to be helpful when assessing current and future governance problems as part of a normal risk management exercise. All four considerations must be examined thoroughly and appropriate ethical values must be applied in the decision and its implementation if a decision or action is to be defensible ethically. There are three steps for making an ethical decision (Velasquez, 1992). Step one is identifying the facts and all stakeholder groups and interests likely to be affected. Step two is to rank the stakeholders and their interest, identifying the most important and weighing them more than other issues in the analysis. The final step is to assess the impact of the proposed action on each stakeholder group interests with regard to their well-being, fairness of treatment and other rights, including virtue expectations, using a comprehensive framework of questions and making sure that the common pitfalls do not enter into the analysis. These pitfalls include conforming to an unethical corporate culture, misinterpreting public expectations and focusing on short term profits and shareholder only impacts (Paine, 1994). It may be helpful to organize an ethical decision analysis using the seven steps outlined by the American Accounting Association (1993) (Cited in Brooke and Dunn, 2010). One, determine the facts such as what, who, when, where and how. Two, define the ethical issues. Three, identify major principles, rules and values. Four, specify the alternatives. Five, compare values and alternatives and see if a clear decision emerges. Six, asses the consequences and finally make the decision. 2.4 Conclusion The development and implementation of involuntary electronic monitoring, such as done by Phorm conflicts with software developers professional responsibilities. This is because no professional association of software developers would ever sanction the creation of software that violates the privacy of users and goes against the best interest of society. To overcome such a situation, each IT organization must have its own corporate code of ethics. This should compliment the professional code of ethics of software developers and serve to ensure the highest ethical standards. Yet it is not enough for a company to create a good ethics policy. Implementation is the hard part and high ethical conduct must flow from top to bottom and there must be zero tolerance for breach of professional ethics. It is only by instituting such strict policies that activities like monitoring users internet usage can be curbed.

The Nature Of Crime And Criminality

The Nature Of Crime And Criminality The concept of crime is not a new term especially even in laymens word. It is an act committed in violation of the law. Indeed, it is an omission forbidden by criminal law. And in the commission of a crime, it can be punishable through imprisonment or by a fine. In some cases, there are also other forms of punishment imposed by the government or other governing bodies which aims not only in reprimanding the violator but as well as in their reformation. However, this is not the case for defining the word crime. It has been perceived that by giving definitions, one significantly outs or assigns limitations to the concept. According to Savage and Brearly (2007, p. 23), it is quite common to define crime as an act that contravenes the criminal law and is therefore punishable in law. But this should not be the case because crime is a concept that should be treated with caution and not taken for granted. The focus on crime is more evident in the study of criminology. In the definition of criminology, it has been described as the systematic study of the nature, extent, etiology and control of law-breaking behavior (Henry, n.d.). The focus on the assessment of the concept of crime is dealt by the aspect of criminology. The concept of criminology is considered to be a broad science that involves various kinds of crimes as well as societies and cultures in which the crime takes place. In addition, criminology covers the aspect of law that is made by the society in order to address the various crimes that have been committed in a given area (Info Boulevard, 2008). Thus, in the science of exploring the interaction of crime and society, there has been a range of theories formulate in an attempt to explicate what causes such reactions from individuals. Similarly, theories have been created as a reaction to the judicial or social challenges which have been created (Info Boulevard, 2008). With this, one can say that concept of crime is a very complex matter such that, it cannot be explained in a single theory alone. There have been a remarkably high number of theories which attempt to explain the concept of crime in relation to people and the society. Indeed, the nature of crime is increasingly changing largely because of the changes in the society and the environment. Today, a crime cannot be viewed on a single perspective alone. The concept of crime is explained on the basis of different contending perspectives or theories. Two of the most popular perspective that explains the nature of crime is its condition as being a social construct and being an individual criminality. In the concept of crime as a social construct, it has been believed that criminality could have been avoided if there are only prerequisites. Among these prerequisites include presence of very good living conditions, real free will, not maltreatment from the direct and indirect environment, family with principles and a job which can be considered as dignified. In the absence of the noted prerequisites, it is likely that problematic or troubled individuals can be lured into becoming criminals. On the other hand, there is also the perspective that the individuals criminality is not a question. Scholars and the researchers alike argue that genetic factories such as the wrong genes and chromosomes can drive the individuals to absence of self-control, aggressive attitudes as well as generally criminal behavior. Because of this, there is a need for the society to all the members the favorable living conditions. If not, it would be almost unavoidable for the individuals to commit criminal acts. In this paper, it will look into the theories that explain these two most argued perspectives on the concept of crime. Primarily, it will provide a separate discussion on the two perspectives. After elucidating on these perspectives, this paper will present an analysis by comparing and contrasting it. In this way, one can critically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the two perspectives thereby helping in the decision-making process as to whether the concept of crime is a social construct or just plainly an individual criminality. Crime as a Social Construct Generally, the basis for explaining crime as a social construct is the social environment. While crime is committed by an individual, it is still highly relevant to the society such that, the society is attributed to the actual realization of the crime. Through the environment, it is believed that it can influence the tendency of an individual to commit or engage in crime. This perspective is highly related to the aspect of knowledge as a social construct also. in the context of different dominant values or perspectives, it is believed that the values that come to be accepted are contingent upon the knowledge that is privileged. Undeniably, knowledge in itself is believed to be subject to being socially constructed and even subject to various forms of politically motivated construction (Savage and Brearly (2007, p. 9). Throughout the history, one can see that in the beginning, it is perceived that criminality is a result of the choice on the part of the offender. However, this belief was replaced by positivism wherein it suggests that rather than crime being a matter of choice, it was a matter of pathology or some kind. In short, crime is a result not of the individuals choice of the offender but of something being wrong with them. Indeed, they were bound to commit crime and not able to exercise choice in the matter (Garland, 2002, pp. 10-11). The Role of the Laws and the Government The development of crime as a social construct can largely be attributed to the role of laws and the government itself in the society. In fact, the punishment on the commitment of crime is left on the hands of the government. This governing is being guided by the policies and rules that have been promulgated to protect the welfare of the majority or the greater good. Welsh (2005) is highly critical of the formation of crime in relation to the nature of the government and its policies. He said that majority of the crimes are created by the government by choosing to outlaw something. For instance, the non-violent drug offenses are considered as crimes because it declared by the government. Indeed, it would have not been a crime if the government did not categorize drugs as something illegal. In this context, people are considered as moral entrepreneurs. By believing that drugs are evil, or adultery is bad or even sodomy is evil, they try to convince their societys authority to make violating their mores a crime. Indeed, in this form of government construction of crime, the public play an important role in the prohibition or in the process of making something illegal. For example, in the process of prohibiting gay marriage or alcohol drinking, the coalition of the public is necessary. Another aspect of the construction of crime is when crime is constructed for its own interest such as the case of tax evasion and money tracking laws. On the third, a crime is constructed by the government when it acts to enforce the privilege of an oligopoly or even monopoly. It has been a long standing practice that can be observed in the government the enforcement of state monopoly whether it is in the form of labor, good or service (Welsh, 2005). As such, taking into considerations the only few exceptions, it can already be generalized that crime is what the society chooses it to be and the crime rate is what the society chooses it to be. This phenomenon explains why the U.S. has the highest prison population in the contemporary world. Indeed, they are the highest because they chose to be so. Until now, they still continue to dictate how their people should live their lives, when their actions are either harming only themselves or are harming those who have consensually agreed to be harmed or because it is enforcing a monopoly for those who have power or who kick back into the system Labeling It is in this context where the aspect of labeling comes to fore. Sutherland (1999) avows that it is derived from the sociological dimension of symbolic interactionism. Further, it is explained that in the labeling theory, the human actions are understood in the light of the meaning of those actions. It is believed that it is the people who provide the meaning for the different situations. Consequently, the definitions given to situations are derived from various particular situations. In other words, an image is constructed in the process. Through their interaction with other people, they are able to create an image which in turn is necessary in the giving of meaning to situations. In the case of criminality, the concept of image is deemed to be indispensable. Sutherland (1999) explains that it is the people and the society that creates the image of a criminal. As a matter of fact, criminals do not perceive themselves as criminals. Through the criminal justice system, it utilizes the stigma as a way of controlling behavior. It then notifies other people in order to enhance the image. Undeniably, there is a great distinction between the black and the white races. There is higher likelihood that the blacks will be convicted for crimes than the whites. Welsh (2005) reveals that in the United States, being black or Hispanic means that there is chance of being charged or convicted with the same crime as a white individual. In addition, being poor situates an individual to a greater chance of being convicted that being rich or middle class. Thus, there is a tangible manifestation of the concept of labeling is the US social environment setting. There are severe consequences when one has acquired a criminal record in the United States. Holding a criminal conviction on ones record means that there is little or no chance of getting a decent job. As a result, they are absorbed by the black or gray economy, wherein there is a greater chance of committing a crime. The likelihood of committing further crime can be attributed to ones economic necessity since being marked means that the unmarked will not associate with him or her. In other words, it is expected that one will fall into bad company (Welsh, 2005). The Conflict Perspective The conflict perspective was the basis of explaining the differences of society and culture in perceiving behaviors. It elucidates on the way societies perceive and define what is to be an unacceptable behavior. This perspective is highly important in explaining the social construction of crimes because it presents that the nature and definition given to the concept of crime is relative to cultures and societies. According to Lundberg (n.d.), in the nature of crime as a social construct, it involves not only of the end result (defined crime), but also of the component forces from inside and outside a society which result in that definition. In line with this, the conflict perspective declares that the definitions of unacceptable behavior differ according to whether or not the definition is in the interests of the ruling class. With this, the focus of this structural perspective is on the organization of the society as well as its effect on behavior. A concrete example of the statement given above is the opposing attributes of what is considered to be acceptable and unacceptable behaviors between the European cultures and the aboriginal cultures of Canada. Indeed, the fundamental difference that can be found on European and aboriginal cultures is a reflection on their differing philosophies on the justice system. In the aspect of cultural ethics, the European culture is governed by the concept of guilty and not guilty while in the aboriginal cultures, these words are not to be found in their language. The North American aboriginal societies stress on the role of the elders in the formation of the standards of justice. With this, the basis of their cultural norms is the holistic perspective. Being holistic is true not only on the individual context but as well as in the world in general. The assessment of the physical and mental state of an individual takes into consideration the body, mind and spirit. Moreover, the aboriginal cultures stress on the near-equality of humans and animals (Hamilton and Sinclair, 1991). Overall, the culture of the aboriginal people in North America is developed in such a way that it can adapt constantly to meet the changing circumstances. For instance, this adaptability on the case of aboriginal culture is evident on the commitment of murder. In the culture of Europe, it is not a question that murder is a crime. But in the culture of the Aboriginal societies, it is not always the case. In their culture, the nature of crime is measured based on the severity of the living conditions of the people. This means sanctions may vary depending on the situation. For example, the living conditions which can be considered as unsurviveable, infanticide or abandonment of the sick or elderly is not considered a crime in times of food shortage. In this context, the most valuable member of the group or even in the family would be the hunters wherein they are the last to starve (Hamilton and Sinclair, 1991). Countries Crime Rates To further consolidate the perspective of crime as a social construct, there is a need to look into empirical data such as the condition of living among various countries and the rate of their crimes. Through the living condition of the people and the society, one can point into the necessary elements of the social environment that help shape the development of crime and criminality. Based on the findings of the net industries (2008), the pattern on crime rates among various regions differs. Specifically, it is in Africa and Latin America where there is a high rate of crimes. On the other hands, the Western Europe and the New World are considered to have a relatively low crime rates. In the aspect of victimization, it is found put that the areas in Asia have the lowest and Latin America and Africa incurred the highest. Meanwhile, the New World and the Western Europe are considered to be close to the mean. With this finding, it is asserted that there is a decline on the victimization rates in the most industrialized countries. On the other hand, this decline is not evident on the other parts of the world. What has been observed is the simple division of the world into developed and developing countries (Net Industries, 2008). The developed countries tend to have a lower rate of crimes while the developing ones are higher. Crimes as an Individual Criminality In general, human individuals as considered as the basis of explaining crime as an individual criminality. As compared to the theory of crime as a social construct, the focus of the concept of crime as an individual criminality is already on the individual. Rooting from the person, it looks into the innate or inherent factors that can significantly influence the making of a criminal. In the perspective of individual criminality, it can be asserted that a criminal is born or can be made. In the claim that a criminal is born, it can be traced on the studies regarding the importance of heredity. On the other hand, the claim that a criminal is made, it is traced on an individuals environment- ones diet and even the environment. While, the aspect of environment is still included in the theory of individual criminality, it is still geared towards the study of the individual. On one hand, the concept of a born criminal can be traced with the studies that show the importance and power of oneself in the development of ones criminality. Being a born criminal is also equated to being hereditary. A person is more likely to become criminal is it is already in their blood to become one. In heredity, it includes the elements like physical appearance, modern genetics theory as well as learning theory. Researchers argue that criminality is a genetic trait. Or at some point, criminality is also deemed that it is a result of the individual innate psychological make-up (Savage and Brearly, 2007, p. 77). On being a born criminal, it was Cesare Lambroso who emphasized on this concept. It was said that the born criminal is the one who was pre-destined for criminal behavior due to his physical configuration. People were categorised on the basis of five dimensions: skull shape; jaw and nose shape; head size; and the degree of sensitivity to pain. The category to which a person was assigned depended on the goodness of a match to predetermined characteristics of those dimensions (Crime Library, 2007). One the other hand, a criminal is made through his/her environment. In this case, the claim suggests that a criminal is made instead of being born. It is a consequence of the environmental factors which have negative effect on the people. According to Rutter and Giller (1993), the family is an important environmental which shapes the criminality of an individuality. Various scientists like Bowlby and Fry (1953) and Rutter and Giller (1993) have elucidated on the significant role of the family. There is a place in the Philippines where it has a minimal or even zero crime rate yet the living conditions are not that high or good (Malej, 2004). The people practice honesty, non-violence and other form of positive attitudes at all times. This is in spite of their very poor living conditions. As a matter of fact, their society is very backward. Almost no modern technologies are present in the said province yet they are able to live a life with dignity and harmony. The situation described above is a reflection of the theory that individual criminality is not at question. The government may not provide even the basic needs of the people yet they are able to avoid criminality. Indeed, the commitment of crime is largely dependent on the part of the individual. Ultimately, he/she is the one who makes decisions. In other words, he is the one in control of his/her life. Crime as a Social Construct and Individual Criminality While the two perspectives are considered to be at both ends, it can also be reconciled in order to come up with a better explanation on the concept and nature of criminality. In other words, it the two perspectives will be integrated so as to provide a holistic explanation about crime. It is perceived that when one utilizes only a single perspective, it can never suffice to explain the nature of crime. Hence with the combination of the two, crime can be said to be rooting on the individual make-up as well as the social construct. Undoubtedly, there is a wide array of factors that can explain criminality and thus predict crime. Jones and Connelly (2002) categorized the different factors that influence criminality based on the different spectrums. On one end of the spectrum, criminality is explained through the biological and psychological point of view. The biological theorists claim that due to the genetic composition or even heredity, some people are more predisposed to engage in criminal activity as compared to others. On the perspective of the psychological theorists, criminality can be attributed to the personality characteristics of a person. It is believed that criminality can be traced on the personalities of the offenders rather than on biology. Meanwhile, on the middle of the spectrum, the criminal behavior is explained through the point of view of theorists who are developmental, age-graded, engaged in the concept of social control and even social disorganizations. Toward the end of the spectrum, crime is explained by radical, structural and conflict criminologists. These scholars assert that crime is a result of the inequalities among class and race. In addition, the conflicting values as well as interests significantly affect the engagement into criminal activities (Jones and Connelly, 2002). On the table below, it presents the different risk factors on the commitment or involvement on crime. It asserts here that the factors affecting as well as shaping an individual transcends the personal level. It even goes further to the community or its external environment. Table 1: Risk Factors (Jones and Connelly, 2002) Family Parental criminality Parental supervision/Management practices Income Parent-Child involvement Conflict/Separation Maltreatment Delinquent siblings School Commitment Behavior Achievement Disorganization Peer Association Alienation Early involvement in problem behavior Peer involvement in problem behavior High proportion of unsupervised time with peers Early adulthood Lack of skills Unemployment or low income Homelessness Community Disorganization Drug availability Opportunity for crime Attachment High percentage of children and/or single-parent families Indeed, the causes of crime cannot be attributed to one factor alone. The different factors play a significant part in the development of the individual of a person, especially his/her tendency to commit crime. The idea that a criminal is born into crime can also be linked to the sociological causes of crime. In short, while it is possible the certain persons a born to become criminal, the realization of this fate can also be dependent on the role of its society. For instance, a born criminal can be suppressed of his/her nature as a criminal is he/she has been raised in the right environment. Hence, it is possible to say that explanations which emphasize environmental factors, in other words that crime is linked to things that happened after birth, have become more prevalent. However, such approaches can still be based on emphasis on the human individual (Savage and Brearly, 2007, p. 63). Indeed, it is evident here that there is a link between the two perspectives. To say, these two theories are interdependent with each other. Analysis The development of the two perspectives in explaining can be traced in the history of crime and the formation of criminal laws and punishment. The development of the concept of crime throughout time is largely shaped by different factors. More importantly the disparities on the perception of crime on different societies are a reflection of the relativity of the criminality. When one talks about modern concept of crime, it is usually associated with the western ideas and notion of criminal justice. Indeed, majority of the criminal justice system today is shaped towards the western ideas of criminality. As a result, majority of the societies are western-oriented. With this increasing trend is an implication of the need to examine the nature of criminality as a social construct. On the other hand, the theory that individual criminality is not a question can be considered as a traditional form of looking into the nature and meaning of crime. Since the individual is the focus of this criminological endeavor, one can say that the influence of the society in this perspective is not as pervasive as the scholars perceive to be. Indeed, in the traditional sense, the society would not be of highly influence to individual criminality. But today, there are so many intricacies in social interactions such that the individuality of a person is highly shaped by its society or the environment. Overall, the bottom line of determining the nature of crime is to attempt in reducing or eliminating its occurrence. One can only stop the prevalence of crimes by looking into the deeper context of the concept of crime. Through the opposing perspective that crime is a social construct and that individual criminality is not at question, this paper was able to examine crime on a greater vista. On the social construction of crime perspective, it suggests that the easiest as well as the simplest manner of lessening the rate of crime is eliminate or reduce the criminalization of victimless crimes. The crime rate is considered to be a choice made by the society except in case of an anarchic situation. More importantly, the people in the prisons tell a lot about what kind of society one has (Welsh, 2005). In other words, there is a need to redefine the word and crime thus to give a new meaning or image to it. The society and the government need to explore the deeper context of crime and see where criminality can be situated. Conclusion The commitment of crime is almost an inevitable activity nowadays. Only few places are now considered to have a zero crime rate. In almost any place, the existence of crime can be observed. Its prevalence can be attributed to the kind of judicial system or the kind of government laws and policies that the place has. It can also be that the society per se is the main culprit on the existence of crime. Lastly, the role of individuals in the making of crime is inevitable. Being the main instrument in the realization of any crime, ones individuality cannot be set aside in the examination of criminality. Overall, the concern of this paper has been addressed through the critical reflection of the concept of criminology. Particularly, it emphasized on the idea that crime is a social construct as well as the individual criminality being not in question. The scope of this reflection includes the examination of the state practices, the society and the individuals. By looking into the different perspectives based on this scope of reflection, one is able to conclude that all perspectives tend to seek the liberation of those people whose lives have been affected by injustice. In the personal perspective or point of view of the author of this paper, it is believed that the nature of crime can be highly considered as a social construct. Indeed, the contemporary society has presented the people with the phenomenon of interconnectedness. Human beings are now closely connected with each other in one way or another. As such, they can be highly influenced by his/her fellow human beings as well as its surroundings. It is believed that there is a complex web of connections or interactions between men and its surroundings. Especially in the modern days, the study of ones individuality or personality cannot be complete without looking into the external factors or the society. The same is true with the case of criminality. It is not enough to study the meaning and concept of crime if it is on the context of the individual only. Especially in the modern world, the role of the environment is highly critical in the conduct of lives of every individual.

The Hierarchical Social Structure in Velasquezs The Water Seller, Picassos Acrobats Family with :: Seller Acrobat Family Gothic Third May Essays

The Hierarchical Social Structure in Velasquez's The Water Seller, Picasso's Acrobat's Family with a Monkey,Wood's American Gothic, and Goyez's The Third of May The pyramidal structures in Velasquez's The Water Seller, Picasso's Acrobat's Family with a Monkey, Wood's American Gothic, Goyez's The Third of May reflects the components of society. At the top of the pyramid is the single individual, as presented by Diego Velasquez in "The Waterseller of Seville," which portrays the three images of a boy and old man in the foreground and the shadowy figure in the background, whom stand in a circle. A clear cup filled with water, like the water of life that quenched the dying man’s thirst in a hot desert, is suspended in the center. The young boy, in his school uniform of a black jacket and white dress shirt, looks at the glass as would a child at a chocolate chip cookie, craving and yearning for that bit of sweet chocolate encased by a soft sugary dough. The old man on his right is wearing a very bright red cloak that reflects off onto his hands and face, giving them a red glow as well, while his other hand rests on a large water jug. Behind the two men is a more mysterious figure, like a spirit from the netherworld whose face is transparent. He, too, holds a glass in his hand, but unlike the other two, he is actually dri nking from it.The centralized cup and its movement a circular pattern represents the completion of a life cycle. It begins with the boy, who is transformed, by the knowledge gained in life that is symbolized by the water, to an older man before entering his final stage of death. The large water jug in the forefront, however, is a reminder that the amount of knowledge that can be found in life is infinitely larger than people can possibly consume in their lifetime. On the middle tier of the structure is the basic family unit that can be divided into the intermediate, as portrayed by Grant Wood's American Gothic, and the extended, as in Picasso's The Acrobat's Family with a Monkey. In the former, the immediate family is portrayed as the "old family", since the couple present in the picture are elderly. The old man, holding a pitch fork, and his sister, who stands behind him, share the same grave look as parents would give their children while scolding them.

Persepolis: Changing Western Perceptions of Muslim Women Essay

Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel, Persepolis, makes important strides toward altering how Western audiences perceive Iranian women. Satrapi endeavors to display the intersection of the lives of some Westerners with her life as an Iranian, who spent some time in the West. Satrapi, dissatisfied with representations she saw of Iranian women in France, decided to challenge them. In her words, â€Å"From the time I came to France in 1994, I was always telling stories about life in Iran to my friends. We’d see pieces about Iran on television, but they didn’t represent my experience at all. I had to keep saying, ‘No, it’s not like that there.’ I’ve been justifying why it isn’t negative to be an Iranian for almost twenty years. How strange when it isn’t something I did or chose to be?† (Satrapi, â€Å"Why I Wrote Persepolis† 10). In acknowledging both Eastern and Western feminism, Satrapi’s novel humanizes the female Iranian perspective in a way that can easily digested by Western audiences. This novel acts as an autoethnographic text, a term coined by Mary Louise Pratt, in which Persepolis acts as â€Å"a text in which people undertake to describe themselves in ways that engage with representations others have made of them† (Pratt 35). This novel, which depicts her life so far, demonstrates a mastery of the spaces of representation. As one theorist has argued, â€Å"In discussing Persepolis in relation to the theme of women and space, we will draw upon a framework suggested by Pollock for reading the work of women artists†¦Pollock refers to three spatial registers: first, the locations represented by the work (and, in particular, the division between public and private space); second, the spatial order within the work itself (concerning, for example, angl... ... and changed Western perceptions in doing so. Works Cited Gà ¶karÄ ±ksel, Banu and Anna Secor. The Veil, Desire, and the Gaze: Turning the Inside Out. Signs, 40, 1 (Autumn 2014): 177-200. Miller, Ann. â€Å"Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis: Eluding the Frames.† Johns Hopkins University Press: L’Espirit Createur, Vol. 51, No. 1, Spring 2011: 38-52. Nnaemeka, Obioma. â€Å"Nego†Feminism: Theorizing, Practicing, and Pruning Africa’s Way.† Signs, Vol. 29, No. 2, Winter 2004, 357-385. Online. Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Perspolis. New York: Pantheon Books, 2004. Print Satrapi, Marjane. â€Å"Why I wrote Persepolis: a graphical novel memoir: writer Marjane Satrapi faced the challenges of life in post-revolutionary Iran. She used the graphic novel format to tell her unique story.† Marjane Satrapi. Writing!, Nov-Dec, 2003, Vol.. 26(3), p. 9(5) Cengage Learning Inc.

A Survey of Engineering Education in Nigeria Essay

Sustainable development at local, regional and global scales is perhaps the most daunting challenge that humanity has ever faced. Knowledge and its application are two elements common and central to each of the economic, social and environmental pillars of sustainable development and the many approaches aimed at achieving sustainability. Solutions to the major sustainability problems of the 21st century including poverty alleviation, decoupling of economic growth and environmental impact, renewable energy sources, desertification, diminishing ecosystem services, biodiversity maintenance and use, climate change, and the risk of megacities – all critically require knowledge from scientific research and appropriate technologies. Those solutions are available to any society which invests adequately in the optimum education and training of its engineers. The role of educational outcomes in the promotion of economic growth has long been recognized by economists and other people. Early researchers like Smith are cited by Okoye (1989) to have noted the acquisition and use of the abilities of all inhabitants or members of a society through education as part of its economic fortune. Engineering education has been an integral part of national development strategies in many societies because of its impact on productivity and economic development. Galloway cited by Eze (2008) made a serious case about engineering education reform for the American Society in particular and for the global arena in general. She argued that if engineers are to compete successfully in the global world in the 21st century and establish the profession as a leader in solving most of the world’s problem of infrastructural development, engineering education must embrace the need for professional innovation and do so very quickly. Central to this innovation, the presentation explained that the institutional understanding for the long established methods of practicing engineering and educating future engineers are in critical need of reforms, if the profession must remain relevant. If United States that have almost finished public infrastructure can be invited to any engineering education improvement summit, then Nigeria who is in search of technological and economic transformation that could rival that of the 1st world countries come the year 2020 needs total overhaul in engineering administration and training. Nigerian institutions turn out large number of engineering graduates every year. Yet, not many of our engineers are involved in many of the engineering activities going on in most parts of the country. Why?  We shall examine briefly the making of the Nigerian engineer as a basis for determining his relevance and proper placement in committee of global professionals. THE EDUCATION OF THE NIGERIAN ENGINEER Ideally, an engineer has to be trained in a broad sense so as to be able to synthesize ideas, design new systems, plants and machinery and manage a complex mixture of resources including men, materials, machinery and money. In pursuance of this, the Nigerian engineer begins his introduction to formal learning much like any other person from the very basic forms i. e. the nursery and primary schools. He then proceeds to the secondary school which is where some diversification begins. Here, the student gets his first introduction to basic science and technology ideas and concepts. This also marks the beginning of the process where the individual attains cognition, acquires process skills and develops scientific attitudes which will enable him think critically. After the secondary level, he then progresses to the tertiary stage. The entry qualification to an engineering program had been reviewed by Oluka et al. This involves a minimum of five credits in ordinary level subjects which must include mathematics and the basic sciences. With this qualification, candidates apply through the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) who conducts a national examination for applicants. Final admission is given by JAMB on recommendation by the Universities based on certain policies which include merit, educationally disadvantaged states and discretion. For direct entry students, admission is given without any examination. However, the candidates must have the higher school certificate or GCE advanced level in three subjects-Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Candidates must undergo at least 6 months of Industrial Attachment under the SIWES program sponsored by the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), Oluka et al (1999). It is in the Universities that the engineer gets properly acquainted with engineering theories and practical via the regular forms of formal training (lectures, seminars, projects etc) and interactions with experienced people in the field of study. The selection and organization of curriculum content, curriculum implementation and evaluation, the development, distribution and use of teaching materials,  standard of examinations among other things go a long way in determining the effectiveness of this process and how the workforce of engineers being produced through it is able to meet the demands and yearnings of a fast changing world. ROBLEMS OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION IN NIGERIA THE CURRICULUM OF ENGINEERING EDUCATION AND ENGINEERING STUDENTS EVALUATION As discussed above, some factors such as the curriculum and how it is implemented, facilities available, prevailing government policies regarding education, general standard of education in Nigeria affect the quality of the engineers that are produced by the system. While the domain of education in Nigeria has been growing largely because of the need to have adequate manpower to meet the challenges of making the country great and to meet the demands of the 21 century, unfortunately, there is no sustained efforts to use education to prepare the Nigerian engineer to meet the on-the-job requirements of entrepreneurs in blue chip companies in the country or to fend for himself and also create job for others given the supposed wealth of knowledge. This simply means that the dydx in the classroom require some modifications so as to translate to putting food on the Nigerian engineer’s table in the event of job unavailability upon graduation. What obtains now is as dangerous as it is disheartening. An average Nigerian graduate engineer is considered â€Å"half baked† or †unemployable† because they have been claimed not to possess adequate competencies required by their end users. This has thrown a big challenge to tertiary education and training of future engineers in Nigeria. It is noteworthy that the problems related to curricula became noticeable soon after Nigeria’s independence from colonial rule in 1960. By the mid-1960s, educators and educational planners were rethinking Nigeria’s education system and in particular, the curriculum being taught in the schools. The question is; has Nigeria educational policy been capable of providing the needed manpower development to stir the nation’s socio-economic exigencies left by the colonial masters? Eze (2008) affirms that an independent survey by an indigenous project managing firm put the contribution of engineering construction of all categories and dimensions to Nigeria’s GDP at only 1. 5%. This is compared with 6% which the sector contributes to GDP in most developed and developing economies. For example, engineering related activities account for about 8% of the UK’s GDP, 16% in Republic of Ireland’s, 11% of the United Arab Emirates, 6% GDP in India and South Africa respectively. The slow pace of industrialization and technological growth in Nigeria can be attributed to the widening gap between science and technology as a result of inability of engineering education programme to adequately utilize the scientific ideas to promote technology. Science Teachers’ Association of Nigeria (STAN) is a body that have worked hard to translate national and educational objectives into curricula and teaching objectives through the development of curricula designed to help individuals attain cognition, acquire process skills and develop scientific attitudes which will enable them to think critically, manage and use available resources, to effectively adapt to their environment, assume responsibilities and fulfill domestic, economic, social, and political roles. The council for the regulation of engineering in Nigeria (COREN) can as a matter of urgency seek any needed support from government and institute an active machinery to give a critical appraisal of the engineering education curriculum with a view to identifying defects and devising original solutions. Today, there are many institutions made up of eighty nine universities owned by government and private organizations, several colleges of education and agriculture and mono/polytechnic that produce graduates for the few job situations that are available in the country. The graduate engineer is therefore faced with the difficulty of readily gaining jobs immediately after school due to the deficiencies in the curriculum and evaluation pattern in which he was molded. Some of the problems associated with the current curricular and evaluation methods include but not limited to the following: * They are based on a foreign model involving ideal conditions (staff, equipment, infrastructure, training opportunities, etc) that are not easily duplicated in developing countries. * There is a shortage of highly competent indigenous teaching and support staff with h sufficient wide practical experience of technological intricacies. * The curricular seems to exhibit some imbalance between pure and applied sciences and the practical engineering and technology realities, project/business management and innovation concepts and entrepreneurship skills development. * The duration of the sectional semesters for the teaching of engineering courses is very short to allow for good comprehension and application by the students. * The student evaluation and grading is almost dependent on his performance on theoretical examinations devoid of consolidating practical orientation. SELECTION OF ENGINEERING STUDENTS Given a very good curriculum, engineering education administration must be free from mediocrity. My participation in teaching and invigilating engineering students’ examinations raised issues which have continued to agitate my mind as a lecturer, and as one who is expected to make inputs to the production of good engineers. A good percentage of the students find it very difficult to understand the basic principles of engineering courses and hence put a very poor performance in the examinations. This is a pointer that they are not supposed to have been admitted into the engineering school in the first place. In event of escaping a dependable and credible admission scrutiny, COREN in conjunction with the engineering school administration should device a process of pruning the engineering misfits and placing them in other disciplines where they would perform better and later contribute to nation building. The problem recognition, formulation and solution task of an engineer really calls for a little above average students who will later consider societal repercussions and constraints within a complex landscape of old and new ideas. With this, Nigerian engineering graduates will be dissociated from the report of Okadara (1984) and Oladeji (1994) who variously showed that of the initial years of tertiary education, majority of graduates (86. 6%) found work within two months of searching, but as their institution grew older, the length of time they needed to find employment increased. I strongly believe that institutions remain the same but the quality of students that pass through it experience gradual degeneration due to unwarranted compromise. INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT Suppose the right students are admitted into the engineering schools and their training is guided by a well structured and societal problem-responsive curriculum, the problem of poor or absence of state-of-the-art laboratories, instructional materials and a conducive engineering academic environment must also be arrested. The situation why engineering graduates find it difficult to secure adequate job after their graduation is not unconnected with infrastructural handicaps in their institutions which is no fault of theirs. Consequently, many engineering graduates do not possess appropriate job competencies required by employers. Some could not develop their personality traits due to the absence of suitable infrastructure to spur creative and innovative strategies that could promote the engineer’s qualities and enhance his proficiency. Unfortunately, several end users of engineering graduates’ skills have had to spend huge sums of money to retrain these graduates to suit their business after the completion of their programmes of study, even though they were selected at the background of excellent and imposing certificates. This certainly calls for engineering curriculum innovation and renewal, better monitoring and evaluation of engineering students, as well as immediate overhaul of engineering schools infrastructure in Nigeria. Such action must be in line with every factor needed by engineering students to confidently secure or create employment easily for themselves and the several others who are waiting on the unending employment queues outside the tertiary institutions. Our universities, polytechnics and technical colleges that are supposed to train proficient engineers, technologists, and technicians are now filled with obsolete and in most cases nonfunctional equipment. This affects the quality of products from these technological institutions. India, it is claimed, ranks third to the United States and the former USSR in scientific and technical manpower (The Nigerian Engineer, December 2003). It has over four million scientists and engineers. In 1985, Indian universities have 750,000 Engineering students registered. There were five elite institutions called India Institutes of Technology, funded and equipped to the highest standards, to provide high quality university graduates in electronics, computer science and other high technology disciplines. Their products emigrate in large number to the University States and other countries to apply their skills where they are also valued and in demand, like the Republic of Ireland and Philippines. It is however not a surprise to see engineering graduates in our Nigerian Universities who cannot differentiate between a bolt and a nut. Some other problems associated with engineering education and technology development in Nigeria includes but not limited to the following: * Lack of innovation and motivation. * Graduates are produced in older discipline at the expense of new or emerging discipline. * Poor funding * Graduates of Science and Technology exodus to other professional areas * Dilapidated and obsolete state and quality of laboratories in engineering schools and departments * Very astronomical student increase and lecturers decline TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT AND SELF-EMPLOYMENT The technological development of any nation is critical to the economic survival and vibrancy of that nation. This holds particularly true for developing nations like Nigeria, who is still grappling with chronic problems of public infrastructure, total unemployment and underemployment, which have retained them in the class of 3rd world countries with dismal economic frustration. A country is said to be technologically backward when * It cannot produce capital goods such as tractors, lathe machines, drilling machines, cars, trains, and other very important equipment. * It is unable to exploit her natural resources except with the help of foreigners who will normally provide the technology and expertise to undertake the exploitation of her resources. * It is unable to mechanize her agriculture i. e. crude implements are still used for agricultural production activities by a large percentage of those who are involved in agricultural production. * It depends on other countries for the supply of its spare parts for industrial machinery etc. Nigeria can be adjudged a technologically underdeveloped/poor country going by their possession of all the characteristics itemized above. The greatest contributor to her qualification as such is the inadequacy of the indispensable trio of science, engineering technology and innovation (SETI) for any economy that is serious about technology development. SELF-EMPLOYMENT Self employment can be defined as earning a living by working independently or running a gainful business for the satisfaction of one’s needs. Having realized this, many industrialized and newly industrialized countries have committed resources and time to the promotion of entrepreneurship through various means including specific emphasis on the educational sector  reorientation, especially at the tertiary level. As stated earlier in this paper, many Nigerian engineering graduates have been branded â€Å"unemployable†. It is the duty of engineering educators to rebrand our future engineers. Suffice it to observe that the present problem accumulated over the years. The compartmentalization of educational, industrial, employment and labour policies in Nigeria seem not to have encouraged self employment right from the colonial era. Many of the educational policies centered on primary, secondary and adult education. The colonial educational policy centered on the production of literate nationals who were required to man positions, which would strengthen the colonial administration. Thus our educational institutions, few as they were remained factories for producing clerks, interpreters, forest guards and sanitary inspectors as no special professional or entrepreneurial skill was envisaged in the educational system, (Akinyemi, 1987). Unfortunately, the trend affected the foundation of engineering education in Nigeria. The complete absence of enterprise education in the educational policy had continued till now. The industrial policy which came on board only after the Nigerian independence in 1960 initially concentrated on the establishment of big industries with utter neglect for small scale business. By so doing entrepreneurship which is the bedrock of small scale business was unwittingly de-emphasized. The combination of apathy to ‘education for self-employment’ in the engineering schools system and the long term apathy to the development of entrepreneurial skill through a robust and all encompassing engineering curriculum has contributed in no small way to the serious unemployment problem facing the engineering graduates. There needs to be an urgent link between engineering education, enterprise and self employment through an integrated national policy on engineering education. This would serve as a panacea for solving the massive unemployment problem, diminish rural poverty and empower a larger percentage of the citizens economically. NEED FOR REFORM It is obvious that Nigeria is grappling with myriads of economic, social and political problems. Even, the structures and practice of democratic governance reintroduced in 1999 needs a structural reform to sustain it. Faced as it is with so many short term issues, the government should be aware that she should also address long term issues, which posses the greater potential to shape the countries future. In today’s world in which markets are increasingly globalizing and technological changes are recognized as a leading indices of economic growth and dynamism, Nigeria cannot afford to neglect the need to an active Engineering and Technological infrastructure operating in a policy environment, which encourages and rewards research and development, as well as meritocracy. Much as Nigeria has conveyed a curriculum conference to restore the direction of our National education objectives in 1969, and have experienced some technological growths, we are yet to see technological development. Our economic life has refused to improve in an era when many nations of the world have entered the phase of industrial revolution in which computers, robots, microelectronics, biotechnology and nuclear technology are in common use, Nigeria is yet to grasp the first phase of industrial revolution which began in Europe in the eighteenth century. We must henceforth seek to create the much needed technological culture in which the general public is made aware of the need to use scientific methodologies in their daily operation. Many graduates of our institutions are unemployed or unemployable. This ultimately poses questions to the nature of training given to them in our institutions. Do they have enough specialized skills that would make them job seekers or job creators in the area of Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation? Meanwhile, the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) demonstrated that so much has been put into paper to grow the economy. This has not translated to the much expected transformation, technology development and self employment capability in the citizenry. Something really has to be done and very quikly especially with reference to the Millenium Development Goals (MGGs) which is focused on poverty eradication and the Vision 20-20-20 national development plan. REMEDIES AND CONCLUSION STAFF TRAINING AND RETENTION Continuous training of the trainers is very important in engineering education. To obtain a grounded knowledge and detailed experience in real world aspects of engineering theories, policies and global best practices, with emphasis on current status and further studies of various engineering fields, the engineering educators must be subjected to continuous sponsored training courses. Making efforts to prevent the fully trained engineering educators from resignation of their duty is equally essential. Engineering is a professional course. Their practitioners must be well taken care of by government. If not, the experts would be tempted to move to other spheres where they get better pay for their services. Poor conditions of service also explains why engineering lecturers leave the country to acquire more knowledge and skill but either refuse to return or leave teaching entirely for the industry. There is also some cases where skilled and intelligent engineering teachers remain in their teaching and research objectives, but do not devote their full attention to the work in their bid to supplement their economy through other activities. The engineering lecturers’ remuneration ought to be adjusted to come at par with that of other professionals in the country. This will not only arouse the needed interest in the job but also prevent brain drain in engineering education and provide for more efficient teaching and research exercise. A number of recommendations for the successful administration of science and engineering education in Nigeria are given below with respect to self-employment and technology development in the nation: * Strengthening University-Industry Interaction Programme * Periodic Accreditation Exercises by Regulatory and Professional bodies such as National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), COREN, MDCN, NIA, etc. * Introduction of Supervised Graduate Training Scheme in Engineering (SGTSE) * Curriculum Review in Institutions to address the current unemployment in the country * Establishment of Nigeria Institute of Engineering Technology with the aim of providing practical drills to graduate engineers of all discipline. * Provision modern engineering infrastructure. * Establishment of Technology Innovation Fund. * Launching and Development of Mobile Internet Unit for easy access to current trends in engineering practice. There is also the need to bridge the gap between the Nigeria Entrepreneur and the University. Very few entrepreneurs have been stimulated to have meaningful interaction with the Universities and Polytechnics. There is a lot to be learnt by the Universities from the experiences of entrepreneurs who have toiled, failed and succeeded, and failed again and succeeded (Olufokunbi, 1995). Similarly the entrepreneurs can achieve this inter-relationship by: * Inviting academics to spend some time in their establishment e.g. Sabbatical leave; * Sending some of their staff for in-service training in tertiary institution * Visiting higher institutions on invitation to share experiences with students and staff * Financing research and consultancy especially those related to their businesses. CONCLUSION A survey of the administration of engineering education in Nigeria has been made in relation to technology development and self employment. Its advantages and drawbacks have been reviewed. It is now known that for any nation especially developing ones like Nigeria to grow and develop, proper attention has to be paid to the environment, condition and manner in which engineering education is taught in her institutions, as it is the backbone of all technology development. Qualitative mastery of the tenets of engineering by lectures and students will aid self-employment and inadvertently effect the actualization of the federal government of Nigeria’s vision 20-20-20 development goal. REFERENCES Oluka, S. I. Onwualu, A. P, Eneh, I. I. (1999). Engineer – In- Society. SNAAP printers and publishers, Enugu Eze, E. M, (2008). Infrastructural Development in Nigeria: Need for Engineering Edducation Reforms. On the occasion of 12th Herbert Macauly Memorial Lecture, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, june 7, 2008 Bassi, S. Y, (2004), The role of the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa (DTCA) in Technology Transfer and Acquisition in African Countries. 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