Reality TV Essay Example for Free

Reality TV Essay Unscripted program, real people NOT actors in a specific environment Normal people with no discernible talent, no discernible insights, but who are willing, eager to be seen and heard living their own life. -â€Å"real life† television is filmed with out stoppage time, and then edited to catch the viewers eye -certifiable global pop-culture phenomenon Reality TV comes is all different forms now from daily life of real people such as Big Brother and Jersey Shore, sports shows, business shows like undercover boss and dirtiest jobs, talent shows such as American Idol and Dancing with the stars, family shows John and Kate plus 8, and motivational shows like biggest loser and survivor. This eventually led to being filmed and put on TV in 1948. â€Å"Candid Camera† (CQ researcher: Reality TV: Maryann Haggerty -In 1989 COPS came on air because of the writers guild of American strike. This show followed police during their daily activities. It began with no music or narration just a simple camera following a police. -Over on ABC, beginning in 1990, people were turning their own cameras on family and pets to make â€Å"Americas Funniest Home Videos -In 1992, reality TV was a novelty. In 2000, it was a fad. In 2010, its a way of life. Time Magazine article It wasnt until the premiere of ‘The Real World’ on MTV in 1992 that we began to witness the emergence of many of the textual characteristics that would come to define the genres current format,† -In 2008, the Emmys awarded a stature to the best host of a reality TV show for the first time, which was exciting news to all -ABC NBC Fox MTV CBS -In 2010 Reality TV is now a valid career choice. The New York Times estimated that at any given time, there are 1,000 people on air as reality TV stars. Topic 3: Addictiveness of Reality TV One reason for their popularity is financial: an hour of reality can cost a few hundred thousand dollars, compared to the one to three million for a scripted drama. But part of the reason fans become involved in the show is that they get invested in the good guys and bad guys. -Thats how people watch reality TV: you can doubt it, interrogate it, talk back to it, believe it, or not.

What Is Childhood Onset Schizophrenia Psychology Essay

What Is Childhood Onset Schizophrenia Psychology Essay The number of people with schizophrenia in Canada in 2004 was estimated at 234,305or 1% of the population. The probability of individuals developing schizophrenia is higher for those that have the illness existing in their family history. Men and women are affected equally, but among the individuals who have schizophrenia, the male population is more likely to experience the illness at an earlier age than the female population. On average, males tend to experience symptoms of schizophrenia at the age of 18, compared to females who experience the illness at the average age of 25. Furthermore schizophrenia in Canada in 2006-2007 was one in 100 Canadians suffers from schizophrenia and another one in 100 suffers from bipolar disorder, or manic depression; 8% of adults will experience major depression at some point in their lives, while 12% of the population is affected by anxiety disorders. The onset of most mental illness occurs during childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. One out of every five Canadians will have a mental health problem at some point in his or her life. What is Childhood Onset Schizophrenia? Childhood schizophrenia is the onset of triggers before full flange schizophrenia is diagnosed this usually happens between the ages of 17 to 25. Having an initial onset before age 14 or after age 30 is unusual. Childhood schizophrenia is more common in males then females. Childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS), particularly when diagnosed prior to the age of 13, is considered to be especially rare and severe (Torrey, 2001). It has been estimated that COS occurs in 1 in 10,000children. Of all schizophrenic disorders, only 0.1 to 1% manifest prior to age 10, increasing to 4% by age 15 (Dulmus Smyth, 2000). As with other schizophrenic spectrum disorders, COS is much more rare and more severe than its adult-onset counterpart. Why the onset of schizophrenia occurs in this specific age group is unknown. Schizophrenia is a chronic mental illness that affects the brain. It is a psychotic disorder which involves delusions, hallucinations and a loss of contact with reality. This makes it very d ifferent for a person who suffers from schizophrenia to differentiate between what is real and what is not real. However, it is currently believed that most cases of COS are attributable to some form of brain disease with genetic roots. The genetic roots are especially prominent, as nearly 50% of children with COS have at least one first degree relative with schizophrenia or a schizophrenic spectrum disorder (Thaler, 2000). It was initially thought that the age at which psychotic aspects of COS developed was associated with the onset of puberty. In females, the development of secondary sex characteristics has been shown to be associated with the onset of psychosis, but the same is not true for males (Jacobson Rapoport, 1998). Childhood schizophrenia symptoms are different than those associated with adult schizophrenia. Schizophrenia in children doesnt start suddenly, adults schizophrenia happens in episodes and it occurs relatively suddenly. But this almost never happens with a childs case of onset schizophrenia. Likewise in adults when they lose interests in pleasurable things children exhibi t the same symptoms they begin to lose interest in their friends or activities and they may start to display strange behavior like running out of the house in the middle of the night undressed these signs and symptoms have been reported by parents who have children diagnosed with COS. Causes Although it is unclear whether schizophrenia has a single or multiple underlying causes, evidence suggests that it is a neurodevelopmental disease likely involving a genetic predisposition, a prenatal insult to the developing brain, and stressful life events. The role of genetics has long been established; the risk of schizophrenia rises from 1 percent with no family history of the illness, to 10 percent if a first degree relative has it, to 50 percent if an identical twin has it. Prenatal insults may include viral infections, such as maternal influenza in the second trimester, starvation, lack of oxygen at birth, and untreated blood type incompatibility. Studies find that children share with adults many of the same abnormal brain structural, physiological, and neuropsychological features associated with schizophrenia. The children seem to have more severe cases than adults, with more pronounced neurological abnormalities. This makes childhood-onset schizophrenia potentially one of t he clearest windows available for research into a still obscure illness process. How Does It Affect Them? Childhood schizophrenia has a philosophical effect on a childs ability to function effectively in all aspects of life- family relationships, school, social life etc. The onset of schizophrenia in early childhood years usually leads to disruption in a childs education. Child with schizophrenia often experience difficulty maintaining focus in class. Because of their environmental factors, they may feel as if they are being targeted by other students this is a state of delusion as well as figment of the imagination. A child who suffers from the onset of schizophrenia may need to have a teachers assistant who can provide them with the positive support while they are in school in order to function. Genetic predisposition: A genetic predisposition, a prenatal insult to the developing brain, and stressful life events. The role of genetics has long been established; the risk of schizophrenia rises from 1 percent with no family history of the illness, to 10 percent if a first degree relative has it, to 50 percent if an identical twin has it. Prenatal insults may include viral infections, such as maternal influenza in the second trimester, starvation, lack of oxygen at birth, and untreated blood type incompatibility. Studies find that children share with adults many of the same abnormal brain structural, physiological, and neuropsychological features associated with schizophrenia. The children seem to have more severe cases than adults, with more pronounced neurological abnormalities (NIMH, 2009). Experts now agree that schizophrenia develops as a result of interplay between biological predisposition (for example, inheriting certain genes) and the kind of environment a person is exposed to. These lines of research are converging: brain development disruption is now known to be the result of genetic predisposition and environmental stressors early in development (during pregnancy or early childhood), leading to subtle alterations in the brain that make a person susceptible to developing schizophrenia. Environmental factors later in life (during early childhood and adolescence) can either damage the brain further and thereby increase the risk of schizophrenia, or lessen the expression of genetic or neurodevelopmental defects and decrease the risk of schizophrenia. In fact experts now say that schizophrenia (and all other mental illness) is caused by a combination of biological, psychological and social factors, and this understanding of mental illness is called the bio-psycho-so cial model (Chiko, 1995). Children who dont receive medication treatment may not have a positive support system they may possibly have a much greater chance of experiencing hardship throughout life. Because medication would help stabilize a childs triggers from becoming worst as well as strengthen their cognitive functioning for a better outcome in life. The cognitive functioning is related to the types of symptoms experienced. Individuals with higher intelligence experience more positive symptoms, while those with lower intelligence experience more negative symptoms (Gonthier Lyon, 2004). Children who dont take medication for schizophrenia will have a difficult time creating optimistic coping strategies to help them with their adversities they may be encountering. Children who have received early medication interventions have a more likelihood of developing a stronger ability to deal with COS because of the early interventions they have receive (Gonthier Lyon, 2004). Treatment: Treatments that help young patients manage their illness have improved significantly in recent decades. As in adults, antipsychotic medications are especially helpful in reducing hallucinations and delusions. The newer generation atypical antipsychotics, such as olanzapine and clozapine, may also help improve motivation and emotional expressiveness in some patients. They also have a lower likelihood of producing disorders of movement, including tardive dyskinesia, than the other antipsychotic drugs such as haloperidol. However, even with these newer medications, there are side effects, including excess weight gain that can increase risk of other health problems. Children with schizophrenia and their families can also benefit from supportive counseling, psychotherapies, and social skills training aimed at helping them cope with the illness. They likely require special education and/or other accommodations to succeed in the classroom. The medication interventions that are available for COS are treatment based. Treatment for schizophrenia through medication is pharmacological therapy. Pharmacological treatment usually takes form of neuroleptic drugs and antipsychotics. Children who are taking this medications need greater care; not only because of the side effects but because there is a negative association between the dose administered and the patients level of social functioning. The most commonly used medications that are prescribed to children are: the antipsychotics risperidone Risperdal and olanzapine (Zyprexa (Nicholson, 2000). Antipsychotic drugs, like virtually all medications, have unwanted side effects along with their beneficial effects. During the early phases of antipsychotic drug treatment, patients may be troubled by side effects such as drowsiness, restlessness, muscle spasms, tremor, dry mouth, or blurring of vision. Most of these can be corrected by lowering the dosage or can be controlled by other medications. Different patients have different treatment responses and side effects to various antipsychotic drugs. A patient may do better with one drug than another (Nimh, 2007). The long-term side effects of antipsychotic drugs may pose a considerably more serious problem. Tardive dyskinesia (TD) is a disorder characterized by involuntary movements most often affecting the mouth, lips, and tongue, and sometimes the trunk or other parts of the body such as arms and legs. It occurs in about 15 to 20 percent of patients who have been receiving the older, typical antipsychotic drugs for many years, but TD can also develop in patients who have been treated with these drugs for shorter periods of time. In most cases, the symptoms of TD are mild, and the patient may be unaware of the movements (Nimh, 2007). Antipsychotic medications developed in recent years all appear to have a much lower risk of producing TD than the older, traditional antipsychotics. The risk is not zero, however, and they can produce side effects of their own such as weight gain. In addition, if given at too high of a dose, the newer medications may lead to problems such as social withdrawal and symptoms resembling Parkinsons disease, a disorder that affects movement. Nevertheless, the newer antipsychotics are a significant advance in treatment, and their optimal use in people with schizophrenia is a subject of much current research (Nimh, 2007). However an children who has received medication treatment based interventions will have the ability to better cope with tribulations. Counter Argument: There are parents who support COS without the use of medication intervention. These caregivers believe in a more holistic approach to dealing with COS. The holistic approach includes: the childs caregivers, school as well as doctor and community; they can implement strategies to help a childs successes without the use of medications. It takes a village to raise a child this means if the child has a great support system surrounding them it can be possible for them to do well without the use of medication. From an ecological perspective if the risks in a child/youth life overpower the positive factors the child/youth are at a greater destitution of environmental events and transitions over the course of life. Some would agree with this point because a youth can build up a natural resilience to cope with their dilemmas. This in fact can be stronger than youth who have been exposed to early interventions. Because they have learned to either fight or flight when it comes to difficulties they may face. Youth are able to demonstrate the fight or flight theory when it comes to adjusting to their context without any major downfalls, they can better become accustomed when adapting to lives trials and tribulations. Many families choose to support their child who has been diagnosed with COS with cognitive therapy. Cognitive therapy with COS patients involves education about schizophrenia, including treatment options, social skills training, relapse prevention, basic life skills training, and problem solving skills and strategies (AACAP, 2001). Social skills and basic life skills training can overlap, as children learn the age-appropriate skills necessary to function in their environment. This often includes communication skills such as eye contact, assertiveness and self-advocacy training, conversation skills, coping strategies, and basic self-care skills, such as grooming and hygiene, cooking, basic money management skills, and vocational training (Dulmus Smyth, 2000). Many of these skills should be taught within an educational setting and worked into a systematic classroom curriculum (Gonthier Lyon, 2004). This continues into early school age, when impairments in attention and behavior begin to manifest, affecting school performance. Because of these impairments, it is often the childs teacher who first notices early problems (Brown, 1999). The real onset of schizophrenia consists of four phases through which children continue to cycle corrosion increases with each cycle. Nevertheless more or less 10 year after initial cycle the acute phases tend to diminish. The first phase of COS is the prodromal phase, which involves some type of functional deterioration prior to the onset of psychotic symptoms. This can include social withdrawal, isolation, bizarre preoccupations, deteriorating self-care skills, and physical complaints, such as changes in sleeping patterns or appetite. These changes can occur swiftly or the childs abilities may steadily decrease over time (DeCesare, Pellegrino, Yuhasz, 2002). Amount of time during a one-month period: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior, or negative symptoms including flat affect, deficiency of speech, or lack of resolve (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000, p. 312). Duration of these symptoms may be shorter if they respond well to treatment. Only one of the aforementioned symptoms is necessary if delusions are bizarre or hallucinations include a voice keeping up a running commentary on the persons behavior or thoughts, or two or more voices conversing with each other (p. 312). In addition, the person must show a deterioration of social, occupational, and self-care functioning. With children this can include the failure to achieve expected levels of interpersonal, academic, or occupational achievement (p. 321). Symptoms must be present for at least 6 months. There is, on average, a 2-year delay between the onset of psychotic symptoms and a diagnosis of COS (DeCesare et al., 20 02). Several studies have been completed examining the suitability of the adult DSM-IV criteria for child and adolescent onset schizophrenia (Hollis, 2000; NIMH, 2001; Schaeffer Ross, 2002). These have found that there is a high degree of consistency between the two disorders in terms of symptoms, anatomical findings, physiological changes, and genetic presentation. One commonly recognized difference between the child- and adult-onset types is that, in children, psychosis develops gradually, without the sudden psychotic break seen in adults (Rapaport, 1997). Also, it should be noted that the poor functioning found in children with COS is more a result of failure to acquire skills rather than deterioration of skills, as is found in adult schizophrenics (Gonthier Lyon, 2004). Late-onset Schizophrenia Just like there is early onset schizophrenia that begins early in childhood, there is also late onset schizophrenia. Late schizophrenia is a range of clear as beginning after the age of 40 or 45. Its accurate occurrence is unclear, but not rare. It seems possible; clinically late-onset schizophrenia is similar to the earlier onset variety except for having a predominance of females affected. Having more schizoid and paranoid delusion and more visual, tactile, and olfactory smell hallucinations, and having fewer negative symptoms or thinking disorders (Torrey, 2001). Symptoms of late schizophrenia are similar to those in early-onset schizophrenia, especially paranoid type. To diagnose LOS, the patient should meet the DSM-III-R (2) criteria for schizophrenia (including duration of at least 6 months), with the additional requirement that the onset of symptoms (including the prodrome) be at or after age 45. The prototypical patient is a middle-aged or elderly person who functioned moderately well through early adulthood (despite some premorbid schizoid or paranoid personality traits) and who exhibits persecutory delusions and auditory hallucinations and shows some improvement in positive symptoms with low-dose neuroleptic therapy, yet has a chronic course (Harris, 2000). Effects of Medication on Cognition in Late-Onset Schizophrenia It can be argued that some of the neuropsychological deficits in schizophrenic patients may be due to the effects of medication. There is evidence that anticholinergic drugs can interfere with cognitive functioning, especially learning and attention (21, 62). Typically, learning impairment is associated with higher anticholinergic dosage or acute change in anticholinergic medication regimen. In terms of the reported effects of neuroleptic drugs on cognitive and psychomotor functions in patients and normal controls, there has been some variability and inconsistency in the literature (34). In general, sedative phenothiazines have been found to depress psychomotor function and sustained attention, but higher cognitive functions are relatively unaffected. In the majority of studies of schizophrenic patients, both cognitive function and attention improved with neuroleptic treatment, in parallel with clinical recovery. In general, the studies of neuropsychological effects of neuroleptic th erapy have not been addressed specifically in older schizophrenic patients. Childhood onset schizophrenia is persistent; it affects all areas of development and functioning. The symptoms vary significantly from one person to another making it difficult to determine what symptoms are core or identifying features. Childhood psychoses such as pervasive developmental disorder is very similar to childhood onset schizophrenia it is difficult to identify the difference between the two disorders because the characteristic overlap this makes it difficult when it comes to diagnosing a child who can be potentially be suffering from one of the two disorders. Conclusion Such a disease, which disorders the senses, perverts the reason and breaks up the passions in wild confusion-which assails man in his essential nature-bring down so much misery on the head of its victims, and is productive of so much social evil-deserves investigation on its own merits, by statistical as well as other methodsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. We may discover the causes if insanity, the laws which regulate its course, the circumstances by which it is influenced, and either avert its visitations, or mitigate their severity; perhaps in a later age, save mankind from its inflictions, or if this cannot be, at any rate ensure the sufferers early treatment.

The ‘War on Terrorism’ v Civil Liberties

The ‘War on Terrorism’ v Civil Liberties Abstract The security of the State is of paramount importance to the integrity and wellbeing of a nation and to citizens whose rights and freedoms are protected by the security of the State. However, the rights of citizens may be affected by such powers and there exists the possibility for governments to disappear behind the doctrine of national security with the intention of preventing scrutiny of executive action. This raises two constitutional questions: the extent to which arrangements secure some form of balance between the competing needs of State Security and protection of the individual, and; the way in which, and the degree to which, the government is held accountable for powers exercised in the name of State Security, either through supervision of the courts or through the democratic process (Barnett, 2000). The focus of this essay is to analyse what this writer perceives as the central problem we are faced with: how to deal with the fact that as a society we cling tightly to our rights and freedoms whilst expecting to enjoy everyday life without fear of terrorist attacks. From the point of view of our government and police force, the law at present is not tight enough to deal with terrorism. How do we deal with this whilst retaining a democratic society? Is security worth having if the price is unacceptable restrictions on our hard-won freedoms? More specifically, this essay proposes to closely scrutinize the government’s proposals in order to draw informed conclusions about the perceived challenges to democracy and shed light on these before, as many fear, we find ourselves led like sheep into a dark place. Can we preserve judicial scrutiny of the restrictions on our freedoms whilst trying to forestall the types of terrorist activity the world has witnessed? To conclude this section, the final word of this controversy should perhaps be left to Mrs. Thatcher: when we talk of liberties, freedoms and rights, whose are we talking about? To answer that charge, perhaps I can refer to a letter I received from the mother of a young serviceman who was murdered by the IRA. She said and I quote: ‘Where is the freedom of the press? I hear them cry. Where is my son’s freedom? (Ewing Gearty, 1990) This writer agrees with the view expressed above and, whilst there are certain civil liberties and rights which are non-negotiable, others require compromise. It is necessary to debate the way in which these are safeguarded and secured. Introduction This section will provide a brief history of anti-terror legislation, in the United Kingdom. It will then outline the main terms of the debate. Northern Ireland- The ‘Troubles’ The Birmingham bombings in 1974 which were believed to have been carried out by the Irish Republican Army, leaving sixteen people dead and many more injured, prompted the passage of the Prevention on Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1974, and successive Acts including: the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act 1989, the Prevention of Terrorism (additional Powers) Act 1996, the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1996 and the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions Act) 1998 (Bell, 1979). Space does not permit more than a brief overview of the rich and troubled history of Northern Ireland, but it is significant in that it sparked the enactment of the first Terrorism laws. In 1968, a campaign of civil disobedience and unrest began in Ireland. The reasons for the violence concerned the discrimination which existed against Catholics and the continued union with the mainland (Disturbances in Northern Ireland, 1969). In 1969, British troops were deployed to support the police in matters which had become subject to military control; in 1970, the Provisional Sinn Fein Party was formed and, in 1971, the Reverend Ian Paisley founded the Democratic Unionist Party. Those suspected of being Irish Republican Terrorists became bound by the Civil Authorities Special Powers Act (Northern Ireland) 1922. In January 1972, thirteen Catholic civilians were shot dead by British paratroopers during a banned civil march, known as ‘Bloody Sunday,’ and by 1974, 472 deaths had taken place by Protestant murderers and the IRA. Allegations of ill treatment of detainees led to proceedings against the United Kingdom by the Republic of Ireland government under the Europe an Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter ECHR). It was ruled that the procedures amounted to inhumane and degrading treatment contrary to Article 3. Reforms were initiated in an attempt to improve relations between the Catholic community and the Unionist by the Northern Ireland Parliament. However, The Northern Ireland Parliament became prorogued and its powers transferred to a Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. It was confirmed here that there was a need for detention without trial and special courts were introduced, to sit without the jury. These became known as the ‘Diplock courts’ (Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1973). In 1973, a new system of power sharing between the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Westminster Parliament was initiated (Northern Ireland Constitutional Proposals, 1973). The Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 provided a statutory guarantee that Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom until the time at which a majority of the people, voting in a referendum, should determine otherwise. In a referendum held in 1973 on the question of the union with the Unite d Kingdom, a majority voted in favour of the continuation of the union. The breakdown of the system resulted in the Northern Ireland Act 1974, which resulted in the restoration of the direct rule by Westminster over Northern Ireland. The legislation also attempted to prevent the discrimination which existed in the fields of housing and employment, but this was to little affect (Chambers, 1987). Throughout the 1970s and 1980s a civil war existed (Gearty, 1991). From 1971 to 1977 an average of 252 persons were killed and 3,269 shootings occurred each year. Between 1978- 81, the averages fell respectively, to 82 and 2,574 (Dickson, 1993). A Constitutional Convention was elected, under the Northern Ireland Act 1974, in an attempt to devolve power to the province. This attempt failed as the Unionist insisted that they hold a majority of the new assembly. A new assembly, designed to be a debating and deliberative forum, was provided for, but dissolved in 1986. The Republic of Ireland Act and the Anglo-Irish Agreement, signed by the Ministers of the United Kingdom was the result of the New Ireland Forum, in 1983. This agreement supported the principle that no constitutional change concerning the relationship between the north and south could come about other than with the consent of the majority of people in Northern Ireland. In the absence of this consent, it was agreed that clos er co-operation in security, economic, social and cultural matters, as well as, the promotion between the two parts of Ireland would be called for, with the help of an Inter-governmental Conference, consisting of representatives from both the north and south. This was to be reviewed after three years, with the sovereignty over Northern Ireland remaining with the United Kingdom. However, in an application for judicial review it was claimed that the Agreement would fetter the powers and duties of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The application was dismissed. In 1993, a Joint Declaration was signed between the British and Irish governments. The Declaration indicated that the British government had ‘no selfish strategic or economic interest’ in Northern Ireland, giving effect to the neutrality of the government’s position. In 1994, the IRA announced ceasefire and, in response, the government announced that the ban on live sound broadcasts by members of Sinn Fein should be lifted. This ceasefire provided some realignment of judicial practice in support of the language of civil liberties. Gearty notes that, ‘for the first time,’ decisions such as DPP v Jones and Redmond-Bates v DPP showed a ‘judicial branch sensitive to the underlying importance of the exercise of civil liberties, in the context of association and assembly in the first case and assembly and expression in the second’ (Gearty, 2003). However, in 1996 the IRA bombed Canary Wharf in London, ending the ceasefire. At the end of the sam e year, the British government announced terms for including Sinn Fein in all discussions in order to reach a settlement. All of these demands were nevertheless rejected by Gerry Adams, President of Sinn Fein. 1997 resulted in the election of the labour government. Following a renewal of ceasefire by the IRA, and Sinn Fein’s rejection of the use of force, peace talks commenced between all parties. On Good Friday, 10 April 1998, agreement was finally reached. The agreement concerned the principles that: Northern Ireland would remain part of the United Kingdom, with the Republic of Ireland agreeing to amend its constitution to remove the claim to Northern Ireland; a Northern Ireland Assembly of 108 members was to be elected under a system of proportional representation; a North-South ministerial council was to be established by the Assembly in order to coordinate relations between Ireland and Ulster; a Council of the Isles was to be established, and; all participants expressed the commitment to the disarmament of parliamentary organisations, which was a condition for the devolution of power. Referendums were held in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The 1998 elections for the membership of the Northern Ireland Assembly produced an Assembly with power shared by four main political parties and five minority parties. In 1999, the devolution of power was complete, and the Assembly elected, and a power sharing executive in its place. When the IRA refused to cooperate, the Assembly was suspended and the power was returned to Westminster, under the Northern Ireland Act 2000. The Terrorism Act 2000 The Terrorism Act 2000 reformed and extended all previous legislation. The Act repealed the earlier Acts and placed the law on a permanent basis, no longer subject to the restriction of an annual renewal by Parliament. In relation to Northern Ireland, it was hoped that following the peace settlement, special provision would no longer be required. However, due to the problems implementing full devolution to Northern Ireland, special provisions were included in Part VII of the Act which are limited to five years. Under the Terrorism Act 2000, a wider definition was adopted which was intended not only to cover terrorism for political ends, as in the case of Northern Ireland, but also terrorism undertaken for religious and ideological motivations (Barnet, 2000). The Act covers the proscription of terrorist groups throughout the United Kingdom, the appeals process by which such an order may be challenged, offences relating to terrorist property, and police counter-terrorist powers. The Anti- Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 It was the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 which represented a new dimension of terrorist attack, with suicide bombers striking without warning and their motivation of causing mass casualties. In the heightened response to threat of terrorist attacks, in December 2001, Parliament passed the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act (hereinafter ATCSA). The Act incorporates measures designed to increase the effectiveness of authorities in combating those directly involved, and those supporting terrorism. Its main provisions will now be briefly discussed: the ATCSA allows the police authority to freeze assets of terrorist organisations and individuals when they pose a threat to the United Kingdom or its nationals; it permits disclosure of information to security and intelligence agencies, thus improving access to information; it includes a range of provisions, including the power to detain an aircraft for security reasons and the stopping and searching of passengers, as well as the regulation of laboratories of diseases and noxious substances, and; an increase in the range of police powers to photograph, search and examine to establish identity. However, perhaps the most notable introduction is the detainment of suspects without trial, in the basis that they cannot be deported to another country without breaching our human rights legislation, for example, if they might be subjected to torture. The Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 In the wake of the bombings which caused death and destruction, on the 7th of July 2005, there was bound to be a danger, that in response, the government would rush out ill-considered measures. It appears, at first sight, to be exactly what has happened. Speaking on the day of the bombings, Prime Minister Tony Blair stated: It is important †¦that those engaged in terrorism realize that our determination to defend our values and our ways of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people†¦Whatever they do it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and other civilized nations throughout the world (Fox News, 2005). Most would passionately agree with what we understand the government to mean here: That it must not hand the terrorists a victory by taking away long held liberties and principles of justice. Why then does Liberty, these few months later, have fundamental concerns about aspects of the new draft Terrorism Bill? Among other measures, the government wants to increase the time police can hold suspects without charge from two weeks to three months, send deportees to countries known to practise torture and introduce a new offence of ‘justifying or glorifying terrorism’. The new anti-terrorism legislation comes with Tony Blair stating the existence of ‘absolutely compelling’ justifications for the crackdown, despite the potential implications for both human rights and civil liberties (Fox News, 2005). To many, however, no justification exists for proposals which demonstrate a willingness on behalf of the government to tamper with the Human Rights Act 1998 (hereinaf ter HRA) which could jeopardize Britain’s adoption of the European Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter ECHR), as well as dangerously undermine centuries of democratic tradition. Contemporary debate on this issue thus centres around the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, which came into force on 11 March 2005. In brief, the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 gives the Home Secretary power to make Control Orders in respect of suspected terrorists, whether they are British or foreign nationals. The Control Orders include a range of possible conditions including bans on mobile phones, restrictions on associations with named individuals, and the use of tagging. On the Human Rights website, it is noted that since the government removed the detention provisions of the ATCA and replaced them with Control Orders under the 2005 Act, it is ‘once again fully complaint with its international obligations under Article 5.’ Nevertheless, the new Act has been condemned by Liberty for contravening our basic rights to freedom and liberty; saying that ‘to allow their erosion, and to give in to intolerance, would give victory to the terrorists.’ There are new measures calling for the criminalisation of speech; these vague definitions of prohibited speech raise serious concerns that the measure is overbroad and the punishment without trial provision lives on. The new Act contains the substance of which there are negative implications on our human rights. Setting the Terms of the Debate Compelling objections to several of the proposals made are not based solely on the fact that they intrude upon the human rights of every single resident and citizen of this country, but that these measures would have done nothing to stop the attack on London’s transport network on the 7th or to prevent future attacks. It is not hard to share the view that the first and best test of any legislation must remain whether or not it will work, but it is suggested alongside Martin Kettle of ‘The Guardian’(November, 2005), that whether a Bill is right in every respect can be disputed. This is crucial on a very important conceptual level which relates to the way in which debates on terrorism law are usually conducted: If one takes the view that security considerations must always triumph over those of civil liberty, anything justified by security is acceptable. If, however, one takes the converse view that no restriction of civil liberty is ever acceptable, then every such argument made on behalf of security is an attempt to betray the identity of the democratic state. The work of the European Community, the United States Supreme Court, judges elsewhere, and the United Kingdom’s human rights history to date, reveal that the enactment of a Bill of Rights can be a powerful legal and political weapon in the hands of those who are in danger of having their rights infringed. In this way, the incorporation of the Human Rights Act 1998 (hereinafter HRA), will only be as extensive as the rights which they identify and protect, as powerful as those who draft them, and as commanding as the judges who enforce them and wish to be bound by them. How will international terrorism influence Parliament’s commitment to human rights? Rights will inevitably conflict, and the limits of each will have to be established by political and legal decision. The dilemma is not new, with democratic governments in the past having to strike a balance between the state and individuals: Abraham Lincoln suspended the rights of the habeas corpus in the 19th Century civil war for example (Home Office, 2004). Although Article 5 of European Convention on Human Rights will nowadays provide more protection against unlawful detention than the habeas corpus, this has also been derogated from in light of the Terrorism Acts. Furthermore, under ‘Operation Kratos,’ an innocent man believed to be a terrorist, was shot dead by police. The basic principle is that if the police deem the lives of the public to be in jeopardy, their shooting to cause death, regardless of whether the person is in fact a terrorist, is justified (July 23, 2005). I s it right that the innocent should be deprived of their human rights, and in this case killed, due to mere suspicion? By contrast, it is worthwhile to recount Operation Flavius (Kitchin, 1989). The murders of three IRA members came before the Court of Human Rights, and in reaching its decision, the Court considered Article 2 of the Convention (McCann, Farrell and Savage v United Kingdom, 1995). The British forces killed these three terrorists in Gibraltar, as they had believed that a terrorist attack was imminent. The Court ruled that the deprivation of life under Article 2 was justified only where ‘absolutely necessary,’ and that, accordingly, the use of force was greater than absolutely necessary in defence of persons from unlawful violence within the meaning of Article 2. Where is the line attributing to ‘absolutely necessary,’ to be drawn, and what stage are we to be deprived of our human rights? How will the new legislation affect this? Chapter 2 This chapter introduces the concepts of the rule of law, civil liberties, human rights and autonomy, analysing the changing approach to these in light of our multi-level constitution. Before proceeding, it is necessary to briefly explain the concept of the United Kingdom’s constitution. In lay terms, a constitution is a set of rules which governs an organisation. The characteristics of the United Kingdom’s constitution in summary are that: it is largely unwritten in character; it is flexible in nature; it is supreme; it is unitary in structure, although there is a degree of devolution; it exhibits mainly but not completely separated powers, and; it is monarchical. In discussing terrorism and the powers of our constitution, we are referring to the concept of constitutionalism. The doctrine suggest that: the exercise of power be within legal limits conferred by Parliament on those with power and that those who exercise power are accountable by law; the exercise of power must conform to the respect for the individual and the individual citizen’s rights; the powers conferred on institutions within a State must be dispersed between the various inst itutions so as to avoid abuse of power, and; the government, in formulating policy, and the legislature, in legitimating that policy, are accountable to the electorate on whose trust the power is held. It is against these conceptual and practical requirements that the constitution of the United Kingdom should be examined. The Basic Values: Rule of Law; Civil Liberties, Human Rights, Autonomy The rule of law represents one of the most challenging concepts of the constitution. There are many rich and varied interpretations which have been given to it, and it is important to recognise that the rule of law ensures limited governmental power and the protection of individual rights and freedoms. Dicey’s view on the rule of law, although ‘not capable of precise definition,’ by his own admission, is as follows: ‘It is an attitude, an expression of liberal and democratic principles, in themselves vague when it is sought to analyse them, but clear enough in their results’ (Dicey, 1959). The spirit of the rule of law is thus the sovereignty or supremacy of law over man: irrespective of rank and status, it is prescriptive, dictating the conduct required by the law, and; protective of its citizens. It is inexplicitly linked with Western democratic liberalism (Neumann, 1986). However, the acceptance of the rule of law is not universally accepted: from a Marxist perspective, the law conceals the injustices of a capitalist system and so denotes a false idealisation of the law, and from the socialist perspective, liberalism pays too much regard to equality and protection of property interests (Lustgarten, 1988.) Despite of such criticisms, and there are many, even within the Western liberal tradition, the rule of law retains a hold on political and legal perspective: it displays ‘enduring importance as a central artefact in our legal and political culture’ (Raz, 1977). In its simplest and general meaning, liberty involves non-interference by others with one’s freedom of choice and action. It supports personal autonomy, where the person displays a degree of reflectiveness, self-awareness, and social awareness which allows him or her to form plans and understand their impact on everyone in the immediate social group (Feldman, 2002). However, Dworkin warns that this is only one of many personal and social aptitudes, and is not determinative of a person’s self respect (Dworkin, 1988). Recognising and protecting someone’s right or liberty, and tolerating their exercise of it, involves a potential cost to other individuals and to the public generally. Seeing individual choices of goods as the highest human good, and the priority of liberty over other values, are therefore highly controversial ideas. Socialist and communitarian theorists have challenged any political theory which places the individual and his or her choices somehow ou tside society. Rather, it is said that, people’s values and choices are shaped by the public good, and liberty is possible only if nurtured by society (Mulhall Swift 1996). For this reason the term ‘human rights,’ in this essay, shall refer to those rights which have been enshrined in human rights treaties to all those within a state’s jurisdiction. The analysis of what it is to be the bearer of a right is problematic in the case of terrorism where, by definition, intrusion with the freedoms of those inciting terrorism, is defective in the very characteristics that are highlighted by the autonomy theory. The regulation of matters relating to state security is therefore at risk of state interference that applies to few other human groups. The state many not need to differentiate systematically between these groups, as the traditional approach in the United Kingdom has been to treat liberty as an undifferentiated whole, so that Parliament has a very wide discretion to decide how to balance liberties against each other or against public interests (Feldman, 2002). However differentiated, at first sight the intrusion of liberties is in effect discriminatory and therefore contrary to Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights, as it permits the deprivation of liberty, and thus autonomy, on grounds that do not apply to other persons. The most general rhetoric of human rights reinforces this element this uncertainty. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, begins with the assertion that ‘all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.’ This could be taken to suggest that, in the area of human rights at least, those inciting terrorism have the same status as everyone else. However, the Declaration then goes on to state that ‘they (all human beings) are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood,’ thereby implicitly introducing an element of uncertainty about the status of those who lack the intellectual and moral reasoning ability upon which the assertion of ‘brotherhood’ is said to be founded (Hart, 1972). Indeed, the Declaration seems to harbour the basis for depriving those inciting terrorism of fundamental rights; it is often assumed in practice that those who cannot be reasoned with, and those whose deranged minds, render them incapable of making sensible decisions for themselves, and those whose irrational conduct, uninhibited by natural moral inhibitions, makes them threatening to others, must be controlled, segregated and remove d from ordinary social relations, if necessary against their express and vehement protests (Campbell, 1986). Therefore, a state which ‘arbitrary kills, imprisons or tortures its citizens so chills the political atmosphere that it cannot be described as democratic, regardless of how free speech formally is or how regularly secret votes are polled: freedom cannot be constructed on such authoritarian foundations’ (Gearty, 2003). Certainly, the word ‘civil,’ from civil liberties, is taken to refer to the way in which liberty contributes to the relationship between the individual and the state in civil society. Mrs Thatcher said the following about her conservative government’s legislative stance on the question of terrorism, which coincides with this argument, in 1988: Yes, some of those measures do restrict freedom. But those who choose to live by the bomb and gun, and those who support them, can’t in all circumstances be accorded exactly the same rights as everyone else. We do sometimes have to sacrifice a little of the freedom we cherish in order to defend ourselves from those who aim to destroy that freedom altogether- and that is a decision we should not be afraid to take. Because in the battle against terrorism we shall never give in. The only victory will be our victory; the victory of democracy and a free society. (Ewing Gearty, 1990) An opposing view is uttered by Robert Nozick. Nozick describes Mrs. Thatcher’s stance as a ‘minimal state,’ providing security from internal and external threats, but performing no other functions (Nozick, 1980). This view sees the conservative governments approach as exhibiting what is described as ‘negative liberties:’ freedoms from harm, rather than rights to goods (Berlin, 1980). This view sees the state as having no responsibility to take positive steps to ensure that people are able to take advantage of liberties, but only to prevent others from interfering with their liberties (Feldman, 2002). Therefore, the only illegitimate interference with autonomy concerns what other people do to you (Paul, 1982). The conservative government’s stance seems to be mirrored with the present governing by Labour. If Nozick is right to criticise such a perspective, how can a replacement be affective against terrorism? What would the alternative involve? Protecting Rights Liberty: What is Necessary in a Democratic Society? Thus it follows that in developed societies: persons inciting terrorism are lawfully excluded from human society and denied autonomy in terms of their personal liberty, self-determination and self-expression. This is licensed by the European Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter ECHR) which states in Article 5(1): Everyone has the right to liberty and security of person. No one shall be deprived of his liberty save in the following cases and in accordance with a procedure prescribed by law †¦ the lawful arrest or detention of a person effected for the purpose of bringing him before the competent legal authority on reasonable suspicion of having committed an offence or when is reasonably considered necessary to prevent his committing an offence or fleeing after having done so. The essence of liberty, and terrorism fuelled due to religious reasons, is also contained in Article 9 ECHR: 1. Everyone has the rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief, in worship, teaching, practice and observance. 2. Freedom to manifest one’s religion or beliefs shall be subject only to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of public safety, for the protection of public order, health and morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others. However, Article 14 warns: The enjoyment of the rights and freedoms set forth in this Convention shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, association with a national minority, property, birth or other status. Article 14 does not provide a right to non-discrimination per se but, rather, a right not to be discriminated against in relation to the other rights and freedoms protected by the Convention. Therefore, Article 14 enjoys no independent existence; it is tied to other Articles in the Convention (X v Federal Republic of Germany 1970). In assessing what is ‘necessary in a democratic society,’ the Court will operate according to the ‘rich’ model of democracy, rather than the majority rule (Feldman, 2002). By virtue of the decided case, Handyside v United Kingdom (1976), this means that in honouring the Convention rights, minorities must be protected against unfair treatment and abuse by the majority. This means that any interference with a right must be justifiable on the basis of: a response to a pressing need to act for that purpose, and; a proportionate response to that purpose (The Spycatcher cases). The definition of proportionality relates to balancing the seriousness of the threat to the interests which are protected within the purposes for which it is legitimate to interfere with that right (McBride, 1999). The margin of appreciation offers a way of arbitrating between claims to state sovereignty in international institutions and the need to universalise human rights standards under international law. These concepts will be discussed more extensively in the latter part of this essay. The conclusion thus far is that those inciting terrorism are inevitably associated with some deprivation of rights. The law which protects state security is nevertheless viewed with suspicion by democrats and civil libertarians, as the threat to state security can be asserted by those in power to justify restricting freedoms to protect the interests of the governing party, rather than the public (Feldman, 2002). Moreover, governmental demands for security will provoke scepticism.<

should the confederacy won the civil war? :: essays research papers fc

Should the Confederacy have won the civil war?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Looking at the American Civil War ones must also look at the economics of the 19th century in the U. S. Hand in hand one must also look at the politics and battle plans of the war. The slave plantation owners’ class was a minority in the Southern population but it controlled southern politics and society. Slavery being the biggest investment of the South, and the fear of slave instability ensured the allegiance of southern non-slave-owners to the economic and social system of the South. As luck would have it, slavery helped America become noticed as a world power during the 19th century. Many other factors must be looked at when discussing the successes and failures in the Civil War. Decision made and actions that were taken all played a part in the final outcome of the war. The thought that the South could have positive outcomes from the war was doomed from the beginning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Slaves produced many good and services that were provided to the benefit of most white Americans absolutely or not absolutely. (1) Slaves were not just used for agriculture. They also were used for forms of production and trade jobs. For parts of the 18th and most of the 19th century, slaves were the true work force of America. The existence of slavery was the reason that most white Americans had hobbies or did not worry about occupations concerned about farming or the need to earn an hourly wage. Because of this white Americans were able to get higher educations and (1) Schwartz, David G. â€Å"The South and Slavery† History 101. University of Nevada Las Vegas. March 30, 2004 skills to increase their generation income for themselves and their offspring. The development of a leisure class also developed the social upper classes of the Old South. (2) In other words, other than the obvious, slavery produced gargantuan benefits indirectly for white Americans. Production was not a true concern of many plantation owners; since it was being handled it would always be handled as long as there were slaves on the plantation production system. While the South became extremely wealthy by using slavery for agricultural labor, the North focused on trade, commerce, banking, shipping, and manufacturing. But the question can one survives without the other comes up? The North was able to attain such success in commerce because of the South’s cheap production of food and materials produced by slavery.

Analysis of Three Scenes in Raging Bull Essay -- Movies Film Cinematog

Analysis of the Raging Bull We analyzed two scenes in a movie called the Raging Bull. There were lots of clever techniques that were used. I was looking for five factors in those two scenes: the editing, the lighting and color, the use of the camera the sound and the mise en scene. I will analyze the scenes as much as I can and explain what they signify if possible. Scene 1 This first scene was actually the introduction of the movie. There was no editing or camera movement involved in this scene. The scene was filmed in black and white, I believe the director did this to connote to the audience that this is a piece of history. Black and white pictures also connotes the idea of something legendary and historic. This could fit in the topics of mise en scene or lighting and colour. However I believe it is more in the mise en scene topic because it creates an atmosphere that this is something historic and legendary. The intro was also filmed in slow motion with a slow song. I believe that the non-diegetic soundtrack was a parallel sound because it matched with the use of slow motion. The director uses these two together intentionally to manipulate the audience and to allow them to get into the mood of this movie. I felt like I was watching something important and historic. The soundtrack was the only sound you could here during that first scene. This scene took place in an arena, where there was a ring. The boxer was continuously jumping up and down, warming his self up on the left hand side of the ring. This was an asymmetrical piece because of how the boxer was always on the left hand side of the ring wi... ...ers. We felt like we were in the ring and part of the action. I noticed a few other things which I felt were also important. The darkening of the audience during the fight showed that they were not important and that the director wanted us to focus on the fight. I realised that the sound during the brawl in the audience was loud, and there was a use of low key lighting, which showed how intense and important this game is, that even the crowd got involved. There was silence at the start of the final round which signified how crucial and important this final round is. I realised that there was smoke behind that opponent’s head during the break, which could signify that he was the bad one. I conclude that these five important factors were used to create atmospheres and to connote to the audience what is the situation.

Complex Adaptive System

In-class Paper #3November 8, 2011 Topic: Define what a complex adaptive system is and identify the characteristics of complex adaptive systems Discuss how complex adaptive systems influence health care and subsequently nursing practice. Use examples form your practice to convey your understanding of complexity as it relates to your nursing practice. Outline: Introduction: Complex adaptive system is a collection of individual agents with freedom to act in ways that are not always totally predictable and whose actions are interconnected so that one agent’s actions changes the context for other agents. (GPlsek, P. E. & Greenhalgh, T. 2001) Characteristics of complex adaptive systems are: unpredictable interconnected, unclear boundaries, constant changing members, members also belong to other systems, each member uses internalized rules (these can, and likely are, different for each person and are not fixed). Complex system can influence health care because they can create positiv e or negative outcomes, they influence other systems and create tension and paradox that may be difficult to solve Body: Because the complex adaptive system is always changing, and interconnected with other systems so it will create many difficulty in solving the problems.In clinical settings, student nurses have to think critically and take multiple approach in order to intervene or solve the problems. Give examples from clinical settings Conclusion: Restate the significances of complex adaptive system and how it can influence clinical settings as well as health care Health care is a complex system. There’re varieties of different professions in healthcare from nurses to doctors, specialist, paramedics†¦ and even the concept of health itself is very complex as there’re many determinants that can influence one’s health.Moreover, health care matches the definition of a complex adaptive system, which is a collection of individual agents with freedom to act in ways that are not always totally predictable and whose actions are interconnected so that one agent’s actions changes the context for other agents. (GPlsek, P. E. & Greenhalgh, T. , 2001). The characteristics of the complex adaptive system are that it is unpredictable nterconnected, have unclear boundaries, constant changing members, members also belong to other systems, each member uses internalized rules (these can, and likely are, different for each person and are not fixed). Therefore, in order to work effectively in such complex system, nurses are required to have the competence to adapt to the system’s characteristics and utilize their best skills and knowledge to solve complex cases in complicated situations. The complex adaptive system is unpredictable, interconnected and usually have unclear boundaries.For example, at my clinical setting, which is a French immersion elementary school, is an example of a complex adaptive system. The school itself is a complex system because the students in the school is not only comprised of English speakers, but also the French speakers populations, and the teachers needs to know both language in order to communicate, to teach the students effectively. Students also come from different backgrounds, they have different ethnicities and different personalities.However, the school’s motto is â€Å"Better Together† which promotes the interconnectivity as they needs to work together to achieve the school goals. The interconnectivity characteristic is also demonstrated in an unwanted accident happened at the school. Grade 3 students there really like to play soccer, however, one day, there was a fist fight broke out between two students during a soccer game during recess, consequently, in order to ensure safety and that no conflicts would occur in the future because of soccer, soccer is banned at the school.The banning of soccer at recess elucidated to us as nursing students and the school staff that we need to address and improve the problem solving skills for the grade 3 students in order to prevent similar undesired occurrence to happen in the future. At this point, the boundaries in the school is not clearly drawn as teach the Health class is not nursing students’ responsibility, but the school expressed their need to us and wants us to do some interventions about it.Therefore, we devised to talk to the grade 3 teachers and ask for permission to teach the health class on days that we are at the sites to implement our intervention and address the problem solving issues among students. In Health class, we decided to act out skits of conflicting situations and have the students to come up with their ideas using appropriate problem solving skills to resolve the conflicts. By doing that, we – nursing students are not only take on the role of the student nurses, we are also the health class teacher on Tuesday to the grade 3 students.This example demonstrates tha t the context of the complex adaptive system (elementary school) really influences our nursing practice as we take on the role of Health class instructors to enhance grade 3 student conflict management skills. We exemplifie The above analysis shows that the complex adaptive system and its unique characteristics has strongly influence nursing practice in different context. As a competent nurse, we have to have the critical thinking skills, being creative and adapting to any situation in order to come up with the best possible interventions.

Workplace and Employee Motivation

In recent years, the topic of workplace and employee motivation has emerged as a significant concern for both employers and management personnel. An analysis of such strategies at a Target Retail Store provides an example of how such motivational strategies affect the company†s sales, profits, workplace morale, and future. One of the most important issues at a Target Retail Store is the timely method and manner of placing and displaying the merchandise on the sales floor before the store actually opens to the public at 8:00 a. m. This must be effectively done with limited resources and staff. As a result, management must be able to appropriately and effectively motivate all staff employees and improve performance and employees† resistance to increasing productivity. This paper will examine the organizational efforts of Target Retail Stores in this area, and identify and analyze two motivational theories not currently in practice by Target. It will also apply the chosen motivational theories to management and discuss their impact and offer possible solutions that could have been implemented before employee motivation became an issue. In order to eliminate the time it normally took to neatly present merchandise on the sales floor, Target implemented a program that would effectively eliminate unnecessary packaging (EDA†s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). The results of this was the elimination of approximately 1. 5 million pounds of waste, an estimated saved $4. 5 million through packaging reduction, and the implementation of a more efficient method of merchandise distribution (EDA†s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). This led to an easier and more efficient merchandise placement in preparation for store opening every morning. Before the program†s implementation, Target†s management team observed both the amount of waste from packaging and the time workers spent opening and unwrapping shipments (EDA†s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). The team found that a great deal of labor was expended tearing apart packaging from merchandise. For example, one typical clothing shipment contained 20 individually wrapped sweaters. The sweaters had to be unwrapped before they could be displayed in the store. The team ultimately determined that an entire shipment of 20 sweaters could be safely shipped in just one outside wrapper (EDA†s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). The total reduction in packaging for the Target merchandise resulted in an estimated $3 million savings to the vendor for the reduced packaging material used in shipments (EDA†s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). To see whether the merchandise would arrive at the store in good condition, the Target Team asked its vendors to test its packaging reduction idea. After several shipments of clothing arrived unwrinkled and presentable, the team decided to change Target's packaging specifications to the vendor (EDA†s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). Target's current goal is to ship floor-ready apparel and minimize excess packaging; floor-ready means that the merchandise requires minimal preparation before being displayed on the sales floor (EDA†s Waste Reduction Update, 2005). As a result of an easier and more effective process, employee motivation in this area has been boosted. Although this method has increased efficiency, there are other methods that can still be implemented to increase employee motivation and productivity. One such theory of employee motivation is called motivation theory, which seeks to explain all kinds of motivated behavior in different situations, including behavior in organizations. Compensation administration is an application of motivation theory (Mitchell, 1992). Since the majority of behavior is sense motivated, individuals are greatly influenced by their environment. Thus, organizations can influence people†s behavior by changing environments and rewards. The best known theory of motivation in this area is Maslow†s theory of human motivation, which centers on the theory of â€Å"physiological needs (Maslow, 1943). As related to the theory of human motivation all people have a need or desire for a stable, formally based, high evaluation of themselves, for self respect, self esteem, and respect from others (Maslow, 1943). By firmly based self-esteem, Maslow†s theory was that which is based upon real capacity, achievement and respect from others. However, motivation is not the sole determinant of behavior. Ability and knowledge of what one is supposed to do combine with motivation in determining behavior in organizations. Also, an organization†s tasks vary in their requirements. Thus motivation can make little or much difference in performance, depending on the task. Another related motivational theory that could be applied to the Target Retail Store scenario is what is termed â€Å"content theory. † Content or arousal theories center on needs or drives. Several physiological and social needs have been identified and studied. A need for competence in mastering the environment is supposedly aroused when individuals are faced with new, challenging situations; it dissipates after mastery (McLelland, 1976). Closely related are curiosity or activity needs: people need and enjoy a stimulating environment, but they differ on this need and become adapted to certain levels of stimulation. A need for power has been suggested as a requirement for success in organizations. Effective managers may have a high need for power (McLelland, 1976). One problem with predicting behavior from individual needs is that people seem to have differing degrees of needs at different times of their lives (Maslow, 1943). An evaluation of the motivation theories based on needs probably focus on their limitations. Empirical studies have provided only modest support for them, and the proportion of the variance in performance explained has been low (McGregor, 1960). If Target was to follow Maslow†s theory of motivation, the organization could influence its employees† behavior by changing environments and rewards. This means that a reward based type of program could be implemented that would encourage employees to participate as a result of the possibility to receiving a bonus or reward. Since motivation theory is based on the fact that all people have a need or desire for a stable, formally based, high evaluation of themselves, management could use evaluations and other encouraging measures to increase self esteem, and respect from others in the workplace, thus enhancing employee motivation. Following a content needs based approach, Target management could implement an incentive program based on needs or drives. The management team could study different physiological and social needs as related to customer service and retail and implement a program based on the results of their study. A content-based approach consisting of a contest could assist the employees in mastering any new, challenging situations that may arise in their workday. Since content theory is also based on the need for a stimulating environment, target could conduct stimulating team meetings and outings that would be interesting and motivate the employees that way. Finally, research indicates that employee motivation is directly related to the success of any organization. In order to be effective, the management at Target would greatly benefit from the implementation of any of the programs and theories discussed above. This implementation would further enhance their continued success in the retail industry.