Gun Control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Gun Control - Research Paper Example When one observes the recent political scenario in America with regard to this issue, one can see that the Democrats stand for the gun control measures and the Republicans oppose it. Many are of the opinion that the issues related with handgun by civilians and students have now become a severe issue and a real threat to the day to day life of the Americans. Even the sniper shootings are capable of providing the civilians sleepless nights. Some of the recent studies have identified that different states of America are in two layers regarding this issue. The sect that protests strongly against the gun control is the gun lobby which has gripped American society like an octopus. NRA (National Rifle Association), the most prominent gun lobby in America, upholds the Second Amendment of the American Constitution that protects individual’s right to use firearms for self defense, in order to hide their secret desires. In addition to this, they also resort to the verdict of the Supreme Court in the year 2001 that protected the right of the individuals to use fire arms. As it is the current state pertaining to the use of guns in America, there arise a notable question concerning the abuse of guns by the criminals, mentally ill persons and children. When people are protected by law with regard to the use of guns, one can certainly say that there is more probability for its abuse. The recent shooting at Chardon High School in Ohio and many other incidents invite one’s attention to the hazard of bearing weapons among the citizens. In the United States, gun related violence among the criminals; mentally ill persons and children show a gradual growth in recent years. Therefore, there should be strong regulations on when and how these weapons are practiced. Analyzing the cause and effects of increasing gun related violence, one can find the fact that gun ownership has become widespread and easier in the United States in recent years. Nowadays gun related deaths an d injuries among the public became a serious trouble in the United States. Existing mandatory laws in the United States permits lawful use of guns for personal defense among the public. Unfortunately, many people use their hand guns illegally and produce harmful effects. Persons who protest the gun control laws strongly argue that there are nominal evidences which prove that gun control reduce the crime rate. Increasing gun related crimes in the United States create relevant challenges against national security and individual freedom. However, an effective law or strict regulation is essential against the use of guns in the hands of criminals, mentally ill persons and children. The issue of gun related violence among the criminals, mentally ill persons and children in the United States Persons from criminal backgrounds often practice guns for their criminal activities and it causes for number of deaths, gun related injuries and heavy violence. Dissimilar from ordinary people, crimin als have the tendency to misuse gun in their daily life. In other words, people who engaged in criminal actions create their own law and social system. Therefore, gun uses among these criminal groups covey a negative message to society. In addition, the increase of gun related violence is a serious issue that reveals the failure of judiciary and legal system in the country. James K. Stewart, Director, National Institute of Justice, rightly observes that â€Å"

Dorian Gray- the uncanny Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dorian Gray- the uncanny - Essay Example it is only possible for the cynical modern man, in all his busy activity, to learn from directly experiencing the consequences of acting without thought or presuming too much thought into what should instead be an action. This is spelled out in the essay and then acted out in personified form in the novel. In relating these concepts to the world of art, it is important to remember that Wilde’s concept of art was that it should be something experienced thoughtfully as an object of pure beauty rather than an interpretation of the artist’s values – an artistic instinct fed by spiritual inspiration. â€Å"Emotion for the sake of emotion is the aim of art, and emotion for the sake of action is the aim of life, and of that practical organization of life that we call society† (Gilbert). These ideas regarding the artistic ideal are clearly spelled out through the words of Gilbert in â€Å"The Critic as Artist† and are personified in the characters of Lord H enry Wotton (instinct), Basil Hallward (conscience) and Dorian Gray (object) in The Picture of Dorian Gray. In â€Å"The Artist as Critic,† Gilbert quickly illustrates why consciously imbuing art with symbolism and other purposeful value judgments is not the most desirable action to take; that the only true art must come into existence as the result of a perfect meld between instinct and conscience. He tells Ernest that those with the best intentions may end up being proven to have instead the worst effects while those who have intended to do great harm may similarly have enormously positive results. â€Å"[Men] rage against Materialism, as they call it, forgetting that there has been no material improvement that has not spiritualized the world, and that there have been few, if any, spiritual awakenings that have not wasted the world’s faculties in barren hopes, and fruitless aspirations, and empty of trammeling creeds† (Gilbert). In making this statement, Gilbert indicates that materialism, the lifestyle

Effect of Interventions on Mental Health of Offshore Workers

Effect of Interventions on Mental Health of Offshore Workers 5.3 Study 2 – Qualitative Insights Research Question: what is the effect of Intervention policies, from the perspective of the offshore industry, on the mental health of offshore workers? Based on the views of the offshore representatives who participated in this study, this research identified five themes which aim to explain the effect of intervention policies on the mental health of offshore workers. 5.3.1 Theme One: Mental Health Awareness Upon reflection of the quotes associated with theme one, it can be seen that P1 is able to expand on how mental health problems can arise, not only from personal experiences but from the workplace itself. According to Mind (2011), employer awareness of mental health at work in the UK is poor, with most senior representatives vastly underestimating the scale of the problem and how it can affect companies worldwide. Awareness of mental health conditions amongst management and their employees, through education, training and communication can reduce negative attitudes and stigma attached to the adjustments being put in place (Department of Health 2012). Educating people on mental health conditions is seen to be an effective method to fight stigma. A study conducted by Pinfold et al (2005) used mental health awareness programmes in schools in UK and Canada to combat stigmatism and to educate young people on misinformation surrounding mental health conditions. The study provided evidence to suggest that short educational workshops can produce positive change in young people’s views of mental illness. Whilst, this cannot be applied directly to the Oil and Gas industry, it highlights the benefits of ‘awareness raising’ sessions. However, on the contrary OECD (2012) suggests that increased perceptions of mental health problems i.e. increasing rates of disability benefit, has changed the view of the work capacity of people with mental disorders. This implies that better awareness has led to further exclusion from the workforce. These findings are similar to those discussed in the literature review; whereby Stuart (2006) suggests prejudicial attitudes from employers remain a barrier for those suffering from mental health. 5.3.2 Theme Two: Macho Culture Organisational culture has been defined as the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization† (Hill and Jones 2001 p?). According to Wright (1994) (cited in Lindoe et al 2014 p. 65) the oil industry in western society has always been dominated by a macho culture, meaning that macho type values, beliefs have governed the way in which offshore workers think and behave. This supports the secondary findings, as Ely Meyerson (2008) identified ‘Macho culture’ to be significant barrier when getting males to admit to their mistakes which may have caused or had the potential to cause an accident. However, the present study highlights that this macho culture and masculinity ideals from an organisational perspective are a significant barrier to their psychological help seeking. Deal and Kennedy (1982) identified four distinct culture types, determined by a combination of two parameters: feedback (praise, rewards) and risk (uncertainty). One of the cultures identified is the Tough Guy Macho Culture. They believe that this culture involves an organisation of risk takers that receive quick feedback on whether their actions were right or wrong. Culture is learned and reinforced (refer to learning theory) – the Oil and Gas industry has existed for decades, for this culture to remain prevalent in contemporary society speaks volumes. It is important for the industry to ignite a cultural change, because this macho culture no longer fits the ever changing environment. Cummings Worley (2005) have conducted research which suggests the following guidelines are effective for introducing cultural change. This first is to formulate a clear strategic vision, display Top-management commitment, model culture change at the highest level, modify the organisation to support organisational change, select and socialize newcomers and terminate deviants and finally to develop ethical and legal sensitivity. 5.3.3 Theme Three: Environmental Downfalls The participants acknowledge that mental health problems amongst offshore personnel can be linked to the environment, which as discussed in the literature review is isolating and environmentally challenging (Gardner 2003). Several sources of stress and anxiety identified in relation to the isolated location of several North Sea Installations are; sleeping patterns, shared living, lack of privacy, financial insecurity etc. However, Cooper and Sutherland (1987) stated that the key contributor to lower mental well- being was the stress associated with being away from one’s spouse or partner, a factor which was identified within the transcript. http://www.hse.gov.uk/research/othpdf/500-599/oth523.pdf 5.3.4 Theme Four: Reliance Reluctance It is clear from the findings in Chapter 4, that both participants are in agreement that in order for interventions and support mechanisms to be put in place the employee needs to disclose their mental health condition. However, it was highlighted by Stuart (2006) that prejudicial attitudes from employers remain a barrier for those suffering from mental health, hence the reason why employees are reluctant to disclose their psychiatric history. According to Haslam et al’s (2005) study, the reason for employee reluctance is because they feel they may be judged by their employer because the stigma attached to mental illness. Moreover, lack of promotional to show they are encouraging people to seek help? This was supported in the qualitative researcher findings by P1? However, there appears to be a dissension between P1 and P2 in regards to their organisational reluctance to promote the existing interventions methods to the workforce. 5.3.5 Theme Five: Promotional Shortcomings The results of the present study suggests that the aim of health promotion in the Oil and Gas industry should be focused on: (1) communicate the intervention methods that currently exist i.e. EAP (2) promote cultural change and encourage a culture whereby offshore workers did not feel ashamed to disclose their mental health condition (3) change the beliefs employees have about their employers regards for their well-being. Communicating mental health intervention methods shows the workforce that as an organisation they are not afraid to broach the subject, this in turn will encourage employees to come forward and seek the help available to them. Eisenberger et al (1986) stated that employees develop beliefs about the extent to which their organisation cares about their well-being. These beliefs help create an employees’ assessment of whether their employer will reward greater effort and help them to complete their jobs and cope with stressful situations. Taking a social exchange perspective, such beliefs will be reciprocated through employee behaviours and deference. Evidence suggests that beliefs about an organisation’s concern for employee well-being have a positive impact on an individual’s workforce performance, which, in turn, influences organizational performance (Podsakoff et al., 2000). 5.4 Limitations There were a number of notable methodological limitations in this research and it is important that these are highlighted before going on to make any conclusions or future recommendations. Firstly, the lack of time and money accessible for the study hindered the amount of research that could be carried out. For example, the researcher would have liked to have used other participants such as OIM’s or Counsellors to collect more detailed data. Furthermore, another possible improvement that could have been implemented is that rather than giving a questionnaire to participants, personal interviews would have elicited greater information regarding their knowledge and attitudes towards mental health and their organisations current intervention methods. However, the researcher would not have been able to capture as many responses if this qualitative method was used. Chapter 6 – Conclusion and Recommendations 6.1 Recommendations 6.1.1 Recommendations for the Oil and Gas Industry From the study it is clear that stigma continues to influence the ways in which offshore personnel deal with their mental health condition. The results convey that levels of depression, anxiety and stress are experienced amongst offshore workers, with high levels of stress being associated with the negative opinions of the current intervention methods in place. Therefore, to maximise support and to ensure the duty of care is being directly adhered to, Oil and Gas companies worldwide should promote and educate offshore workers, onshore staff, and management about mental well-being. To do this, Management or those in a supervisory role should be provided with an opportunity to attend a two day Mental Health Training courses which are available across the UK, some of which are free and some cost up to  £100. This course covers a range of areas surrounding mental health, but most importantly it helps teach individuals to spot the signs and how to approach and intervene if necessary. Furthermore, prevention and early interventions should be the key focus when improving mental health within the workplace. There are three different types of prevention including; Primary prevention (prevent the onset of the disorder), Secondary prevention (Detect early signs and intervene early) and finally, Tertiary prevention (Early effective treatment to prevent disability) (Martel 2009). Martel (2009) suggests that the above prevention strategies are essential when preventing work-related mental health problems. However, in order to undertake any preventative program, it is essential that management are committed to change factors within their control and to implement action plans continuously. 6.1.2 Future Research Recommendations The data set obtained in the present study provides opportunities for future research, which could throw further light on how mental health is experienced in the offshore environment and how the oil and gas industry as a whole reacts to these psychological mishaps. Combining the present data with medical history records of offshore personnel and formally reported mental health conditions to employers would be valuable to see whether or not appropriate actions were taken. Furthermore, the present study did not attempt to identify the specific aspects of the offshore environment which may account for high levels of depression, anxiety and stress. If future research was to be conducted it may beneficial to investigate the key causes of psychological distress in an offshore working environment, so that employers are able to tackle the issues at the forefront with appropriate interventions.

David Gutersons Snow Falling on Cedars Essay -- Snow Falling on Cedar

David Guterson's Snow Falling on Cedars Snow Falling on Cedars, a novel written by David Guterson, depicts the struggles that many Japanese-Americans faced in our country throughout World War II. Though the events and characters in this novel are fictional, the manor in which they were treated was not. Ever since the tragedy of December 7, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Japanese people throughout the United States were seen as traitors through the eyes of Americans. Every Japanese, whether or not they were a natural born citizen or an illegal alien, were all treated as a possible threat to the safety and well being of the United States. Kabuo Miyamoto, the Japanese American put on trial for murder, had endure this harsh reality of racism that plagued his town and saturated the court system giving him no chance for a fair and just trial. On the morning of December 7, 1941, the surprise bombing of Pearle Harbor violently awoke America causing great uproar throughout its nation. With all of America hating the then called, â€Å"Japs,† it made certain that no other Japanese person either from Japan or from our own soil, got a chance to do any further damage to our already crippled country. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Executive Order in February of 1942, which gave De Witt the power to round up over 112,000 Japanese Americans, over half of whom where U.S. citizens by birth (Manzanar 2). These Americans were forced to leave everything behind taking only what they could carry. They were sent to one of the ten concentration camps established throughout the United States. They were constructed in remote areas between the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Mississippi River (Relocation 1). The United States governme... ...treated as enemies in their own country just because of their family background. Just as these Japanese Americans were considered guilty by race, so was Kabuo Miyamoto. His Japanese background alone was enough to convince the island of San Piedro of his guilt. Kabuo Miyamoto had to endure this harsh reality of racism that plagued his town and saturated the court system giving him no chance for a fair and just trial. Work Cited Guterson, David. Snow Falling On Cedars. New York: Vintage Books, 1995. Manzanar. â€Å"America’s Concentration Camp.† February 1942. http://members.aol.com/EARTHSUN/Manzanar.html. P.B.S. â€Å"Conscience and Constitution.† July 2000. http://www.pbs.org/conscience/the_story/characters/akutsu_jim.html. Relocation of Japanese Americans. â€Å"War Relocation Authority.† May 1943. http://www.sfmuseum.otg/hist10/relocbook.html.

Why Relationships Fail

Why Relationships Fail Why is it that when we think we have the perfect person we lose them? It’s something that everyone has to experience in their lives, and it’s one of the hardest concepts to understand why this happens to us. When I look at relationships I think about Stephen R. Covey who once said, â€Å"Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships. † I believe the three keys to why relationships do or don’t always work are excepting others differences, trust and jealousy, and lack of communication. When you meet someone and have the certain click you do not always see the real them at first. In relationships you have to take time to learn about each other. When one is in a relationship they are forced to accept each other’s differences. This is only a small part of why some perfect relationships fail. It is sometimes hard for us to takes these differences and just accept them instead of trying to change them. We always want the other person to just change for us, and majority of the time that isn’t what they want to do. We need to look past each other’s faults and just accept them for who they are. After acceptance you have to be able trust the person you are with. I always remember that trust is the easiest to gain, but the hardest to gain back. If we are always honest in our relationship there is less tension. Having a confident attitude in one another has a great deal to do with successful relationships. If we are only worrying about what they could be doing wrong we will never be content. Jealousy is largest part of what we are experiencing when we don’t trust. Trust, honesty, and confidence; these all tie together to make a happy couple. Communication; it is a part of life that many struggle with today. It is something we do every day but can also be one of the hardest things to express at the same time. Communication in a relationship is what I believe the most important key to a working relationship. If we cannot communicate with someone that we should be close to with then it is going to be a ifficult struggle understanding what they are thinking. When you were little and your mom or dad asked you what was wrong you were always open to tell them, well this works the same way. We cannot make everyone happy but we are always trying to. If they are the right one for you they will be able to listen to you and understand the best of their ability. The feeling of not knowing what is running through the other person’s head is confusing to us. To work throug h problems together, communication is the only way to conquer this. Relationships are not always as simple as they seem. They are hard work and are something that we cannot try and fix on our own. Each person in a relationship is an equal part. Working together to accept each other for who we are, this is just one key to happiness. Also having confidence in one another can make or break a relationship. We need to remember that we should not be afraid to tell each other what we are thinking. We should act as an open book; showing the torn pages even if they are too mangled to read.

Marketing Management and Philosophies Essay

Marketing Management is a business discipline which is focused on the practical application of marketing techniques and the management of a firm’s marketing resources and activities. Rapidly emerging forces of globalization have compelled firms to market beyond the borders of their home country making International marketing highly significant and an integral part of a firm’s marketing strategy. Marketing managers are often responsible for influencing the level, timing, and composition of customer demand accepted definition of the term Various Management Philosophies Production Concept: The production concept holds that customers will favor products that are available and highly affordable and that management should therefore focus on improving production and distribution efficiency. Product Concept: The production concept holds that customers will favor products that are available and highly affordable and that management should therefore focus on improving production and distribution efficiency. Selling Concept: Many organizations follow the selling concept. The selling concept is the idea that consumers will not buy enough of the organization’s products unless the organization undertakes a large-scale selling and promotion effort. Marketing Concept: The marketing concept holds that achieving organizational goals depends on determining the needs and wants of target markets and delivering the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors do. Societal Marketing Concept: The societal marketing concept holds that the organization should determine the needs, wants, and interests of target markets. It should then deliver the desired satisfactions more effectively and efficiently than competitors in a way that maintains or improves the consumer’s and the society’s well-being. Contrast between Marketing Concept and Selling Concept The Selling Concept and the Marketing Concept are two different concepts of Marketing that related to the evolution of marketing in the world. The Selling Concept holds that in order for the firm to be profitable, it must focus on sales of the product regardless of the orientation of the product itself. This concept became popular after World War 2 demands of the consumer. Explains The Societal Marketing Concept 1) The societal marketing concept is the newest of the marketing philosophies. 2) It questions whether the pure marketing concept is adequate given the wide variety of societal problems and ills. 3) According to the societal marketing concept, the pure marketing concept overlooks possible conflicts between short-run consumer wants and long-run consumer welfare. 4) The societal concept calls upon marketers to balance three considerations in setting their marketing policies: a) Company profits. b) Customer wants. c) Society’s interests.