Sociology Revision Guide free essay sample

Broad definition which covers a wide range of beliefs -Does not necessarily include beliefs in a supra-human, supernatural being Focuses on the function of beliefs in society, and the way in which things that people regard as sacred can bind societies together, through shared values. Looks at the ways in which unconventional beliefs can be seen as sacred, i. e football. Substantiate and exclusivist-Bruce: religion is â€Å"beliefs, actions and institutions which assume the existence of supernatural entities with powers of moral purpose† Berger: Religion is a â€Å"sacred canopy† or shield providing supernatural protection against random and apparently meaningless events. Focuses on what religion actually is, involving supernatural, supra-human beliefs of some kind -Fits with what most people would regard as religion, i. Islam, Christianity etc, Though includes unconventional beliefs such as Wicca and paganism also. A definition adopted by most sociologists. Features of religion – Beliefs – in the supernatural, incomprehensible powers, or in symbols which are regarded as sacred. We will write a custom essay sample on Sociology Revision Guide or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Theology – a set of teaching and beliefs based on holy scripture Practice – Rituals and ceremonies which are either public or privately i. e praying or fasting Institutions – provide an organisation of the worshippers/believers, usually buildings like churches. Consequences – A set of moral or ethical values that are meant to guide or influence the everyday behaviour of believers. IDEOLOGIES PLURALIST -Sees the exercise of power in society as reflecting a broad range of social interest. -No-one has a single monopoly of power, a wide range of interest groups and individuals that live alongside each other compete for it. There is no single dominant ideology that reflects the interests of a group, which is something to be approved of and welcomed. -It denies that there may be an unequal distribution of power in society, and not all social roups are equally able to influence those with power, or get their views accepted – something which the pluralist ideology tries to conceal. MARXIST- The ideas that people hold are formed by their position in society. -Ideology is the ideas of particular social groups reflecting their interests. -Dominant ideology – In this case the ruling class. Mannheim – the ruling class deliberately obscure facts in order to conceal the inequalities of capitalist society, thus preserving existing patterns of inequality, the privileged position of the ruling class, and preventing any social change which may threaten them. Althusser –The ideology is spread through ideological state apparatuses -Gramsci – hegemony – the ruling class, through dominant ideology, maintains power by persuading the working class to adopt ruling class ideology as part of their own beliefs and values, thus consenting to the idea, and not being forced. FEMINIST Patriarchal ideology Supports and tries to justify the power of men in a patriarchal society. Ideas are mainly concerned with protecting and promoting the interests of men. RELIGION – Like ideology, offers a vision and means of understanding and explaining the world. Ideas are not necessarily tied to the interests of one social group. -Giddens – Religion is â€Å"shared beliefs and rituals that provide a sense of ultimate meaning and purpose by creating an idea of reality that is sacred, all-encompassing, and supernatural†. -There are three main aspects to religion: 1) Belief in the supernatural and spiritual 2) Faith on the p art of believers – a strong sense of trust and conviction in theories not based on testable evidence 3) A body of unchanging truth – i. e Christ. All new discovers are fitted into these existing frameworks. Religion can be part of an ideology – a social group may seek to use religion for its own ends i. e Marx religion is the opium of the people. SCIENCE -Science and religion are often seen as competing ways of explaining the world -Science aspires to objectivity and value-freedom based on research methods producing explanations based on empirical evidence. -Science may in some respects be an ideology as it is subjective to social pressures and prejudices Popper- Scientific method involves: 1)Hypothesis formation – capable of being tested against evidence derived from systematic observation 2) Falsification ) Prediction – through establishing cause and effect relationships rooted in evidence. Theory formation – If the hypothesis is capable of being tested against evidence and cannot be shown to be false, there is confidence that it is probably true, and a â€Å"scientific truth†. 5) Scrutiny – by other scientists, will only stand until evidence is discovered to prove it false. This means that ideas and theories in science are not unquestionably accepted as in religion, but are subject to constant challenge. Researchers should aim not to prove their hypotheses true, but false, as no hypothesis can ever be proven true, there is always the possibility of a future exception. Swans. -If Popper’s approach is accepted, science may displace religion as there is no evidence to disprove that god exists, or does not exist, thus preventing the chance of these stages. Kuhn – Challenges whether scientists actually set out to falsify their theories in practice. Scientists work within a paradigm which colours their views of their research, i. e how to approach it. When scientists test their hypotheses they try to fit their findings into their existing paradigm, rather than attempt to falsify, dismissing evidence which contradicts them as experimental errors or freak conditions. Thus, what passes for scientific truth may be more often an act of faith in scientific values. Bruce – It is the scientific method, rather than scientific discoveries that has provided the greatest challenge to religion as a belief system, thus moving society towards modernity due to the growing concern with evidence-based causes and effects, rather than the search for meanings. In modern society, religious explanations and superstitions are replaced by scientific explanations as scientific ones re shown to be wrong. I. e evolution V creation. -When phenomena occur we are now much more likely to look for scientific explanations, rather than blaming the devil. I . e. Mother Teresa’s TB cure. Comte – Society went through 3 stages to get to modernity, changing human understanding from a religious to scientific explanation of the world 1) Theological – where phenomena are explained through the supernatural i. e gods. ) Metaphysical – supernatural is diminished, more emphasis on entities and forces i. e nature. 3) Positive/scientific – stages 1 and 2 are displaced by rational scientific explanations based on evidence, logical thought, and reasoning. From this Weber spoke about a growing ‘disenchantment of the world’ Postmodernity – Society is changing so rapidly that it is marked by chaos and uncertainty Lyotard’s metanarratives can no longer be applied or held up as truth, and each one is now just one story among others, claiming different versions of the truth. Science can no longer claim superiority as it has failed to find cures i. e cancer, and has created issues like MRSA, global warming and climate change. Many scientists have shown themselves to be serving the interests of wealthy corporations, thus influencing research and stopping it from being value free. Science has lost its authority in society – a belief in science is akin to the faith of religion. Science may not be objective as: -the values and beliefs of researchers will determine what they study Career aspirations lead to scientists wanting to prove hypotheses right -Funding, and location may influence what and how research is carried out Science has not displaced religion as of yet, many millions identify themselves with the major religions of the world, and show loyalty in extremes such as People’s Temple, where 913 committed suicide, and terrorist attacks in the name of their God. ALSO – Many still hold some sort of faith, i. e superstition, ghosts, good luck charms. Conservative force- Building and maintaining social solidarity and social stability -Protecting traditional values and the existing state of affairs in society -Maintaining the status quo in society which COULD include supporting social change in order to return to traditional values and ways of life that are at risk of disappearing. Force for change- Concerned with how religious beliefs and organisations can change society and move it forward. There is a danger of overstating the importance of religion in either context, as there are often a number of other social, political and economic factors which influence the nature and extent of religion’s role in society. McGuire and Robinson There are four major interrelated factors which influence whether religion acts as a conservative force or force for social change: 1. The nature and extent of religious beliefs – if most in society hold religious beliefs, and these beliefs have strong moral codes which conflict with feat ures of existing society, religion is more likely to lead to criticism of society, and attempts to change it 2. The significance of religion in society’s culture – if religion is a central part of culture I. E. Ireland’s Catholicism, religion is more likely to be used as a means of justifying behaviour and change. 3. The extent of social involvement of religion – in societies in which religious organisations and religious figures are close to and involved with the people, and play important roles in the political and economic lifestyle of societies I. E. Iran, religion is more likely to influence social change. The aspect of social involvement of religious organisations in affecting social change is likely to become of even greater importance in societies which lack democracy, as protest and change have to be fed through religion. 4. The degree of central authority in religious organisations – in societies where religious organisations have strong central authority, religion is in a much better position to promote change or prevent it I. E. Saudi Arabia or Ir an where Islam has a very strong central authority, effectively used to influence the extent of changes in society. CONSERVATIVE FORCE – Functionalism -Religion promotes social harmony, integration and solidarity, through the reinforcement of the value consensus. Concerned with analysing the role of religion in meeting the functional prerequisites i. e. society can only survive if people share at least some common beliefs about right and wrong behaviour Religion is part of the way of life of society, and it helps to maintain cultural traditions and establish the basic rules of social life. Durkheim- social order and stability can only exist if people are integrated into society by a value consensus. Religion is an important element in achieving this, as it provides a set of beliefs and practices which unite people together. -All societies divide the world into the â€Å"sacred† and the â€Å"profane† – religion relates to the sacred aspect of society, though not necessarily the supernatural. -Totenism- Durkheim found this when studying Australian aborigines, and thought that it represents religion in its most basic form. The totem is created by society, and is so sacred because it is a symbol of the group or society When worshipping the totem, people are really worshipping society. Religious beliefs such as totenism, and the ceremonies and rituals that go with them, act as a kind of social glue, binding people together and building bonds By sharing beliefs, giving themselves a sacred quality, people develop moral ties between themselves, thus a collective conscience that exists outside of individuals, but controls individual behaviour, and how members of a community relate to each other, i. . in ethnicity. Though religion builds collective conscience, the supernatural dimensions will eventually disappear, and other civil religions might take on this role. HOWEVER this might make it questionable whether we are still talking about religion, or just other ways people are integrated into society. Malinowski – Religion reinforces social norms and values, promoting social solidarity. Provides explanations for events that are hard to explain and gives security in the face of uncertainty. Fulfils a need for emotional security and relieves situations of emotional stress which threaten social solidarity and stability, such as times of suffering, death, or illness that produce anxiety and tension, or even disillusionment, uncertainty and loss of meaning as people encounter events they cannot explain or understand. Provides a source of comfort, explanation and meaning for individuals when faced by such circumstances i. e. funeral services, both in terms of beliefs in life and death, and the support of family and friends around them. Evidence such as church attendance soaring during wartime supports this. Parsons – The role of religion is providing and underpinning the core values of any culture, and the social norms which regulate peoples’ behaviour. The set of moral beliefs and values in religion may become so deeply ingrained through socialisation that it has an effect on the lives of believers and non-believers alike. i. e. if social rules such as killing, stealing, and adultery are broken, people feel a guilty conscience, thus making it a powerful socialising and controlling influence over the individual. Religion gives meanings and explanations, thereby enabling people to make sense of otherwise inexplicable and uncontrollable life crises which might threaten order and stability in society. Religion provides a mechanism of adjustment, thus providing a means of returning to some sense of normality -Functionalists downplay the role religion can play in social change -Religion can only fulfil the roles which functionalists state it does it people actually hold religious beliefs and practices. Religiosity is diminishing and there is growing secularisation in many Western countries, shown by dramatic declines in church attendance; less than half of the population now believe in God. -In contemporary society, it is hard for a common religion to bring people together as there is now a wide diversity in faith -More often than not religion tears people apart: religious based wars conflict in the same religion – sunni and shia muslims in Iraq conflicts between religions – the Indian warfare between Muslims . nd Hindus. .It seems that the stronger the religious belief, the stronger the sense . that other religious beliefs are wrong, heretical, or evil. CONSERVATIVE FORCE –Marxism According to Marx, religion is â€Å"the sign of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions† -Religion is part of the dominant ideology -Althusser: religion is an ideological state apparatus, which spreads Gramsci’s view of hegemony -Religion has two main functions: 1. Religion as the â€Å"opium of the people†- Religion acts like a hallucinatory, pain-relieving drug, creating illusions among the oppressed which helps to maintain the power of the working class. -Religion eases the pain produced by poverty, exploitation and oppression in unequal class societies and help to overcome the effects of the alienation of individuals in capitalist society by providing some control, purpose and meaning in their lives. -Religion promises an eventual escape from suffering and oppression in this life with promises of an ecstatic future in life after death, making a virtue of poverty and suffering. If people believe that what happens to them is God’s will, and a test of faith to be rewarded in the afterlife, they are more likely to accept, or even welcome, their fate, not trying to change or improve their circumstances. Religion sometimes provides hope of supernatural intervention to solve problems on earth. I. E. Jehova’s witnesses believe that God will intervene and destroy the wicked on earth in the battle of Armageddon, and survivors will form a new paradise on earth. The promise for the future encourages people to not try and change things. 2. Religion legitimises and maintains the power of the ruling class – Religion is an instrument of social control and oppression used by the ruling class to justify their power and material wealth. -Religion provides a religious explanation and justification for inequality i. e. the Indian Hindu caste system – providing strict rules about how to behave in order for their body to be reincarnated to a higher level. If they don’t obey, their caste will be reborn onto a lower level. Inequalities are presented as being God-given and therefore legitimised and inevitable. The inequalities between rich and poor can’t be challenged or changed without questioning the authority of religion or God itself. In the past, religion has justified the power of kings – the ‘divine right of kings’. -religion can only act like opium if people actually take it – if people believe and if religion has an institutional power, which cannot be true as religiosity in contemporary Western society is declining. -Religion can act as a form of resistance to the powerful, and thus as an agent of social change I. E. Islamic fundamentalism- a vehicle for resisting Western cultural imperialism in their country by the Ayatollahs against the shah in the 1970s CONSERVATIVE FORCE – Interpretivist -Generally studies the meanings and interpretations of people in order to understand their behaviour -Religion is used by individuals to create meaning and interpretations of the world and of symbols. Thus religion can be used to manipulate peoples thoughts I. E. the shroud of turin, which in itself is an old piece of cloth with no meaning, value, or importance. – People have placed meaning on it for it to be special. Berger – Religion provides a universe of meaning that gives individuals a sense of meaning and explanation in the face of a chaotic world. -Religion provides a theodicy that gives meaning to and makes sense of seemingly inexplicable and fundamental questions about human existence I. E. the meaning of life, why poverty and suffering exist in the world. -Religion is a ‘sacred canopy’ that provides a shield for an individual and protects them from uncertainties, meaningless and pointlessness of life by helping them to interpret and make sense of the world and their position in it. By providing things that help make sense of the world such as Universes of meaning and theodicies, religion is contributing to the maintenance of social stability. -Berger argues that in modern society religion is losing its role for most people as the provider of a universe of meaning, being replaced by reason, logic, and science, thus creating growing secularisation and disenchantment with the world In the media saturated, globalised, post-modern society there is an increasing diversity and fragmentation of beliefs and lifestyles, thus meaning religion is losing its validity as a universe of meaning and theodicy. Thus, as Berger argues, the sacred canopy of religion has been lost, and religion no longer provides this source of meaning and morality. CONSERVATIVE FORCE – Religion as a compensator Stark and Bainbridge – examine the meaning and the functions of religion for individuals in society Religion meets the needs of individuals when their sense of social order i s disrupted by economic hardship, loneliness or grief Belief in God, religion and religious organisations provides a means for individuals to make sense of and come to terms with such events as well as answering fundamental questions. Religion acts as a general compensator, providing hope after death. Religion in some form or another will never disappear, as it provides answers to universal questions and offers general compensators meeting human needs FORCE FOR CHANGE –Weberism -To understand human behaviour it is necessary to examine the meanings people give to events and ideas, which can have important consequences for the way they think and act – religion is an important component of this. The evolution of new religious idea can stimulate social and economic change as people act in terms of their beliefs religion could be an important force in social change, including economic change. Calvinism Weber sought to explain why capitalist industrialisation developed first in Western Europe rather than in other parts of the world so studied Calvinism -Calvinist beliefs had an important influence on the development of an industrial capitalist economy and class. -Weber argued hat for capitalism to develop, both the normative conditions and material conditions were needed, and saw C17th Calvinism as producing the normative conditions which made the protestant work ethic which provided the ‘spirit of capitalism’ that encourage capitalist development According to Weber, Calvinism alone provided the rationality and religious ideology and ethics which encouraged the development of capitalist industry. Features of Calvinism and the Protestant work ethic 1. Predestination – their fate is already decided by God, but there is no way of knowing if you are a chosen one. The solution to this is to become involved in ‘intense worldly activity’. 2. The Protestant ethic emphasised values and virtues like hard work, thrift and modesty and the avoidance of idleness, time wasting, excessive sleep and self-indulgence. 3. Hard work and material success were seen as religious virtues and a likely sign of being one of God’s chosen, as was living life to these values. 4. Valued the pursuit of wealth and making money, and promoted the virtues of reinvesting profits back into the business rather than spending them on luxuries and self-indulgent consumption -Thus, a major reason why capitalist industrialisation developed first in Western Europe, as hard work, self-discipline and making money to re-invest and expand a business were not just part of a good capitalist business practice, they were also good religious morality according to the Calvinists. SOCIAL CHANGE – Evidence Bruce and Islamic Fundamentalism – consists of ideas based on the literal meanings of the words in the Qur’an and literal interpretations. Also a belief in and a return to the true form of religion, such as C7th Mecca. -Islam is a major international force for change late C20th and early C21st – American Twin Towers bombing London transport bombing Wars in Afghanistan/Iraq RELIGIOUS ORGANISATIONS -Various attempts have been made to categorise the different types of organisation through which people express and practice their religious beliefs. The typology is based on factors like structure, relationship with the state, and commitment required from members, based on the work of Weber, Niebuhr, Troeltsch, and Wallis. -The typologies are really ideal types, and no religious group will conform exactly to the categories outlined, and may infact combine aspects of each type, or develop or change over time. Much of the work is based on Western Christian religions, and therefore do not necessarily apply to other faiths. World-rejecting: in opposition to the world, reject many of the dominant norms and values of society, and replace them with alternative beliefs and practices. Members are likely to live their lives in different ways to other members of society World-accommodating: generally accept the dominant norms and values of society, and members will live similar lifestyles to other members of society World-affirming: accept society as it is, and offer individuals the opportunity for self-improvement within it. Members are likely to live similar lives to other members of society, apart from their interest in what many regard as deviant, bizarre, esoteric or obscure matters. Churches and Denominations –relatively minor differences, other than size, influence, and relationship to state. -both have a bureaucratic structure – a hierarchy of officials -Religious pluralism and growing secularisation means that many churches and . denominations do not expect or get a high degree of commitment. Churches and denominations are becoming more alike, more tolerant of other groups and . , and co-exist happily alongside eachother – thus, the idea of a ‘church’ may now be . obsolete, with the term ‘denomination’ more accurately describing religious organisations. Sects and Cults – tend to be seen as more deviant as they involve beliefs and behaviour that are seen as odd, weird . or bizarre, or a threat to existing society The terms can be used interchangeably, with the same group sometimes being classified as both. Barker- the terms sects and cults have such a stigma and pejorative attached to them that they .. have been abandoned altogether the mass media’s treatment of sects and cults means that they are associated in the popular . imagination with groups that are evil, controlling and manipulative, perhaps harmful and . rainwashing their members.

American Housing Market Crisis before 1990s and After 2000

American Housing Market Crisis before 1990s and After 2000 Housing crisis before 1990s and after 2000 The oil crisis The United States economy was hit hard by the oil crisis which occurred in 1973 as a result of Middle East countries curtailing their oil supply to the US. This led to oil shortages culminating into price hikes. The ultimate result was accelerated economic downturn. According to Fox (para. 10), the economic downturn affected the housing industry negatively.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on American Housing Market Crisis before 1990s and After 2000 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, decline in consumer purchasing power led to a decline in demand for homes. In addition, a large number of home buyers cancelled their home purchasing agreements. This led to a massive slump in the price of homes and hence a decline in home sales. Increase in consumer demand According to Wright (38), post war America was characterized by a large number of poor citi zens who were competing for affordable houses. The post war period was characterized by a significant number of Americans were living below poverty level. According to Wright (38), the rate was 13% during 1980s. On the other hand, the housing industry did not have sufficient number of units to cater for the rising demand. The rise in demand and the subsequent decline in housing unit led to a rise in the cost of housing as illustrated in the graph below. In 1970s the average price of a single unit was $23,000. As a result of rising demand, the price increased to $ 62,200 and $70, 300 in 1980 and 1983 respectively. The median monthly rent for a unit increased from $108 in 1970 to $ 243 in 1980 and $ 343 in 1983. This represents a significant rise in housing price within one decade. Subprime mortgages and increase in home supply In the 21st century, United States experienced a rampant growth of the housing industry. Until 2006, price in the housing industry was on an upward trend. The lucrative nature of the industry led to a large number of investors venturing the industry.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In an effort to increase their profit, financial institutions issued undertook financial engineering by incorporating adjusted rate mortgages (ARMS) to individuals whose credit worthiness was relatively low (Reinhart 1). This means that they increased their lending capacity making it possible for individuals with low creditworthiness to own homes. The ARMS had a relatively high rate of interest compared to conventional mortgages. This arises from the fact that the rate was fixed for certain duration. Upon adjusting the rate, the rate was increased making it costly for individuals to refinance their mortgages. As a measure to avert losses, financial institutions issued foreclosures to home owners who defaulted paying their mortgages. According to BBC (para. 19), the repossessions led to a dramatic decline in house prices similar to that witnessed in 1930s. This arose from an increase in unsold homes. It is estimated that there were approximately 4 million unsold homes in US by November 2007 which depressed prices. As a result of rise in home supply, firms in the real estate industry were forced to lower their prices in an effort to dispose unsold properties. According to Maximus (1), an increase in supply of a commodity leads to a decline in its price. By the third quarter of 2007, it was estimated that house prices were declining with a margin of 4.5% annually which was expected to increase to 10% in 2008. The chart below illustrated the trend in housing prices from 1998 to 2007. Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7073131.stm Work Cited BBC. The downturn in facts and figures. BBC News. 21 Nov. 2007. 24 Jan. 2011. Web.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on American Housing Market Crisis before 1990s and After 2000 specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Fox, Richard. Understanding the housing crisis. Washington: The Jewish Policy Center. 2008. Web. Maximus, Fabius. The housing crisis allows America to look in the mirror. What do we  see? Word Press. 9 March 2009. 24 Jan. 2011. Web. Reinhart, Carmen. Reflections on the international dimensions and policy lesions of the  US subprime crisis. VOX. 15 March 2008. 24 Jan. 2011. Web. Wright, James. Address unknown: the homeless in America. New York: Aldine Transaction, 2009. Print.

Admission to the Masters of Accounting Program

I have faced a number of knotty situations in life. On one occasion, I was working with the ADA or the American Diabetes Association. We worked as two groups and our principal task was to count and reconcile the checks, cash and credit card donations, which used to arrive in large quantities. One day an older man joined our team. Then our troubles started. Till that time we had worked without any mutual misgivings or bickering. With the advent of this person, our time schedules and procedures went haywire. I studied the situation and realized that all this was due to his reluctance to follow the established procedure. Every one, in both the groups, was compelled to go home late, due to this person’s obduracy. All felt that he should be suitably reprimanded, but no one was willing to undertake this unpleasant task. The question that was foremost on every one’s mind was ‘who would bell the cat?’ I jumped into the fray and gently but firmly convinced him that what he was doing was unacceptable. He was happy with this way of communication, because I had talked to him in private, so that his pride was not hurt. This had the desired effect and we were able to complete the work in time. In addition, I was also the secretary of the African Cultural Society. I was instrumental in planning and implementing the IREP Africa program at the College of William Mary. This task entailed coordination between and interaction with a number of fellow students, faculty and departments. I emerged much stronger as a coordinator, facilitator and administrator after this novel experience. The professed objective of this program was to unite African student organizations in Virginia and to improve their relations with each other.   I actively participated in several campaigns to raise funds for the underprivileged in Africa and one of them was in respect of poverty stricken women of Uganda. A successful and efficient accountant is one who is reliable, thorough, ingenious, a seeker of solutions, well organized and performance oriented. Of these the most important is trustworthiness, because accountants, in addition to their usual work, have to offer reliable advice regarding the conduct of business in the present day economic and legal context. Moreover, if accounting standards are not adhered to, then the company stands the risk of having to close down. The Sarbanes Oxley Act was enacted in the year 2002, in order to deal with such eventualities. Another important trait of an accountant is attention to detail. I possess this in ample measure. This fact was disclosed in my tenure as the treasurer of the African Cultural Society, between the years 2006 to 2007; and as the Vice President of the Syndicate. In these tasks, I maintained authentic and comprehensive financial records. I reviewed the internal financial controls and ensured that the organization’s moneys were safe. This club has a number of advantages and I took up aggressive marketing to ensure that its membership increased. The lack of ethical and moral accounting practices in business organizations results in financial frauds. This was clearly established in the following cases.In the year 2001, Enron announced a net loss of $ 618 million for its third quarter and that it would reduce the shareholders’ equity by $ 1.2 billion. The SEC immediately stepped in and demanded financial information from Enron. The Enron team of Auditor’s lead by their leader Anderson systematically destroyed a large number of financial documents. Subsequently, the Enron officials and its auditors were charged and convicted of fraud. This company had engaged in malpractices relating to financial accounting, with the result that the company became bankrupt. To conceal its malafide practices, this company indulged in complicated accounting practices. This illustrates the fact that accounting has to be ethical, transparent and morally upright. The consequence of the Enron case was that the law relating to accountancy was made more stringent. However, more than even legislation; personal attitude, morality and ethical behavior should have greater influence. WorldCom was another company, which also attempted to camouflage its fraudulent activities by resorting to fudging of figures and falsification of financial reports. The procedure adopted by its accountants was less sophisticated than that of the Enron team; nevertheless, it committed a much greater fraud than Enron. However, these cases were not isolated incidents and proved to be merely the tip of the iceberg. Several more such fraudulent corporations were investigated by the Federal and state regulators. The principal among these are Adelphia, HealthSouth and Tyco, to name a few. I have a flair for leadership and I often volunteer to lead in various academic projects. Recently, I took over the reins of project, involving the formulation of a business plan to be presented to the board of directors. This project emerged as a huge success, despite the difficulties encountered, due to having to lead a team of peers. The team comprised of persons with different temperaments and it required a lot of innovativeness and ingenuity to extract the best from them. I have tremendous patience, as can be attested to by the students of the second grade, whom I teach as a volunteer teacher in the Waller Mill Elementary school, in Williamsburg. The foregoing incidents from my life reveal that I possess a high level of integrity, reliability, planning and implementing capacity, motivational skills, inspiration, ability to work in a team and patience. 2.   What are you hoping to achieve during your studies in the MAcc Program? I will complete my Bachelor’s degree in accounting by the month of May, 2008. Subsequently, I intend to pursue the Masters of Accounting Program at the College of William and Mary’s School of Business. This course is truly outstanding and the faculty is the third best in the nation. Classes are typically small and informal. The emphasis is on acquiring expertise. The faculty is easily accessible, if one wants to clarify doubts. In conjunction with my considerable management and leadership skills, this knowledge in accountancy will render me highly suitable for obtaining the Certified Public Accountant license. My principal objective is to become a CPA. Admission to the Masters of Accounting Program I have faced a number of knotty situations in life. On one occasion, I was working with the ADA or the American Diabetes Association. We worked as two groups and our principal task was to count and reconcile the checks, cash and credit card donations, which used to arrive in large quantities. One day an older man joined our team. Then our troubles started. Till that time we had worked without any mutual misgivings or bickering. With the advent of this person, our time schedules and procedures went haywire. I studied the situation and realized that all this was due to his reluctance to follow the established procedure. Every one, in both the groups, was compelled to go home late, due to this person’s obduracy. All felt that he should be suitably reprimanded, but no one was willing to undertake this unpleasant task. The question that was foremost on every one’s mind was ‘who would bell the cat?’ I jumped into the fray and gently but firmly convinced him that what he was doing was unacceptable. He was happy with this way of communication, because I had talked to him in private, so that his pride was not hurt. This had the desired effect and we were able to complete the work in time. In addition, I was also the secretary of the African Cultural Society. I was instrumental in planning and implementing the IREP Africa program at the College of William Mary. This task entailed coordination between and interaction with a number of fellow students, faculty and departments. I emerged much stronger as a coordinator, facilitator and administrator after this novel experience. The professed objective of this program was to unite African student organizations in Virginia and to improve their relations with each other.   I actively participated in several campaigns to raise funds for the underprivileged in Africa and one of them was in respect of poverty stricken women of Uganda. A successful and efficient accountant is one who is reliable, thorough, ingenious, a seeker of solutions, well organized and performance oriented. Of these the most important is trustworthiness, because accountants, in addition to their usual work, have to offer reliable advice regarding the conduct of business in the present day economic and legal context. Moreover, if accounting standards are not adhered to, then the company stands the risk of having to close down. The Sarbanes Oxley Act was enacted in the year 2002, in order to deal with such eventualities. Another important trait of an accountant is attention to detail. I possess this in ample measure. This fact was disclosed in my tenure as the treasurer of the African Cultural Society, between the years 2006 to 2007; and as the Vice President of the Syndicate. In these tasks, I maintained authentic and comprehensive financial records. I reviewed the internal financial controls and ensured that the organization’s moneys were safe. This club has a number of advantages and I took up aggressive marketing to ensure that its membership increased. The lack of ethical and moral accounting practices in business organizations results in financial frauds. This was clearly established in the following cases.In the year 2001, Enron announced a net loss of $ 618 million for its third quarter and that it would reduce the shareholders’ equity by $ 1.2 billion. The SEC immediately stepped in and demanded financial information from Enron. The Enron team of Auditor’s lead by their leader Anderson systematically destroyed a large number of financial documents. Subsequently, the Enron officials and its auditors were charged and convicted of fraud. This company had engaged in malpractices relating to financial accounting, with the result that the company became bankrupt. To conceal its malafide practices, this company indulged in complicated accounting practices. This illustrates the fact that accounting has to be ethical, transparent and morally upright. The consequence of the Enron case was that the law relating to accountancy was made more stringent. However, more than even legislation; personal attitude, morality and ethical behavior should have greater influence. WorldCom was another company, which also attempted to camouflage its fraudulent activities by resorting to fudging of figures and falsification of financial reports. The procedure adopted by its accountants was less sophisticated than that of the Enron team; nevertheless, it committed a much greater fraud than Enron. However, these cases were not isolated incidents and proved to be merely the tip of the iceberg. Several more such fraudulent corporations were investigated by the Federal and state regulators. The principal among these are Adelphia, HealthSouth and Tyco, to name a few. I have a flair for leadership and I often volunteer to lead in various academic projects. Recently, I took over the reins of project, involving the formulation of a business plan to be presented to the board of directors. This project emerged as a huge success, despite the difficulties encountered, due to having to lead a team of peers. The team comprised of persons with different temperaments and it required a lot of innovativeness and ingenuity to extract the best from them. I have tremendous patience, as can be attested to by the students of the second grade, whom I teach as a volunteer teacher in the Waller Mill Elementary school, in Williamsburg. The foregoing incidents from my life reveal that I possess a high level of integrity, reliability, planning and implementing capacity, motivational skills, inspiration, ability to work in a team and patience. 2.   What are you hoping to achieve during your studies in the MAcc Program? I will complete my Bachelor’s degree in accounting by the month of May, 2008. Subsequently, I intend to pursue the Masters of Accounting Program at the College of William and Mary’s School of Business. This course is truly outstanding and the faculty is the third best in the nation. Classes are typically small and informal. The emphasis is on acquiring expertise. The faculty is easily accessible, if one wants to clarify doubts. In conjunction with my considerable management and leadership skills, this knowledge in accountancy will render me highly suitable for obtaining the Certified Public Accountant license. My principal objective is to become a CPA.

Free Speech Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Free Speech - Term Paper Example sidered as spreading hate and ridiculing the homosexuals, this decision was based on the isolation of specific content from each of the flyers that were distributed. The tribunal then charged Mr.Whattcott and the Christian truth activists for distribution of the flyers and also because this promoted hatred against homosexuals. It was also decided that Mr. Whatcott will pay $2,500 to one of the complainant and $5,000 to the rest of the three (Canlii.org). However, when the case was appealed again, it was over turned in the year 2010 because it was decided that most of the contents of the flyers were within the constitution and that although it did break the laws of free speech and religion, but it was within the limits of the constitution. According to the court, the two anti-gay flyers were actually a representation of the hate speech and hence it reestablished the Saskatcewan’s tribunal finding and the fines that were decided by the court previously. However, the court decided that the other two flyers did not contain any expressions or speech that could expose or hurt the homosexuals (CBC News Canada). This case serves as one of the few examples that help differentiate between the thin line that exists between freedom of speech and hate crime. The decision made by the Supreme Court was actually justified and correct as the act lies in accordance with Canada’s hate crime law. Talking about the hate crime, According to the criminal code of Canada, hate crime is any act that inflicts harm, terror or threatens a group of people who practice a certain religion or follow certain beliefs or customs. Hate crime law is generally used when the victims are subjected to violence because of who they are and this may include any acts of physical or mental harassment or the application of physical force or threat to that specific group of people, an individual or even a property (CBC News Canada). The section 14(1)b of Saskatchewan human rights code also states that no

Policy and Assurance Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Policy and Assurance - Term Paper Example An Information Assurance (IA) policy is one of the mechanisms that an organization could use in order to achieve this. This paper will examine the issues in formulating such policy, including an overview of what IA is, the threats it aims to address, the ethics of developing certain rules that concerns rights issues, among other related variables. The United States Department of Defense defined Information Assurance as â€Å"the information operations that protect and defend information and information systems by ensuring the availability, integrity, authentication, confidentiality and nonrepudiation† including the provision for â€Å"restoration of information systems by incorporating protection, detection, and reaction capabilities.† (Boyce and Jennings 2002, p. xii)) This comprehensive definition underscores the breadth of the IA’s coverage. But the most important among its functions concern the treats to security which could come from many different areas including – but not limited to – intentional attacks and also from unintended acts that result from technical, organizational and individual mistakes. It is the human beings who use the information system – those who make decisions, who exploit it and use it – usually cause uncertainty and risks. According to a study Bidgoli (2006), attacks and threats to information systems within an organization are almost evenly split between those originating from the outside and those from the inside. (p. 4) This fact underscores how an Information Assurance policy must aim its operations towards both the outsider and insider attacks of all forms. In developing an organizational information assurance, the fundamental rule in Oliva’s mind, is to start within the enterprise architecture. (p. 32) The reason for this is that all organizations are founded in this framework - from the mission of the organization, how

A Reflection of Faith Essay Example for Free

A Reflection of Faith Essay A Reflection of Faith As I reflect upon my faith journey, I realize that like so many other â€Å"cradle Catholics,† I had become complacent. I was raised in a predominantly Catholic nation, by an Anglican mother and Catholic father. After being dutifully baptized into the church, I was set upon my path as any ‘good Catholic† should. Even though I attended Catholic girls’ school, my early days of catechesis consisted of Mass and Sunday school more as a ritual than an integral part of living my faith. I performed the rites of First Holy Communion and confession with no real understanding of my commitment and responsibilities. Confirmation was a spiritual fiasco, from which I almost did not recover. My parents did their best to provide a religious foundation for my siblings and me. In retrospect, they were probably ill-equipped to do so. My higher education and pursuit of my vocation have sometimes made it difficult for me to accept and conform to some simple dogmas of the church. I hold many strong personal views on many issues and have had considerable challenges applying the dogma to my personal life. I have always believed that God has a purpose for us all; my purpose was rather hazy until about seven or eight years ago. The illness and death of my mother at age 56, was a tremendous catalyst in my faith journey. I realized that in my vocational quest, I was not following Christ’s plan, moreover, I was trying to fit Christ into my plans. Consequently, my fervent observation of the Holy Days, abstinence form meat of Fridays in the early days, and unending serviced to my parish in the form of Eucharistic minister, Sacristan, and Catechist, were spiritually void. Once I truly succumbed to Christ and sought His path, my commitment to discipleship was fortified. When God provided me the privilege to serve at St. John, He facilitated a means for me to further enhance my own faith, and to impact that of students on a daily basis. This quote from 1 Timothy 4:12 â€Å"Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe;† allowed me to embrace my vocation and truly see its gifts. I am called to live out my vocation in the classroom and positively communicate the doctrines of our faith. This, as well as additional Catechesis has taken my understanding of the â€Å"universal† church to new levels. I love each and every one of my students for his or her uniqueness and ability to motivate me to be the best example of Christ that I am able. I no longer focus on my personal flaws or on the â€Å"flaws† I once perceived in the dogma; but on each minor success I gain in the Christian values of my students. Now that my role in Catholic education has come full circle, I feel very blessed to be part of such a rich tradition of faith and discipleship. I passionately believe in my purpose as a Catechist and I know that God will continue to strengthen me as I continue to walk His path.

Formatting Requirements for Publications :: Publishing Papers

Formatting Requirements for Publications Abstract. In this paper, we describe the formatting requirements for CSCL 2005 publications, and we offer a number of suggestions on writing style for the worldwide CSCL readership. These instructions pertain to the published component of submissions only. Some submissions may require other documentation in addition to the published paper. Keywords: Guidelines, formatting instructions, author's kit, conference publications INTRODUCTION The CSCL 2005 Proceedings will provide a persistent record of the conference, published in both CD-ROM and paper formats. We hope to give the proceedings a uniform, high-quality appearance. To do this, we ask that authors follow some simple guidelines. In essence, we ask you to make your paper look exactly like this document. The easiest way to do this is simply to download this template and replace the content with your own text and graphics, being careful not to add any new styles or redefine the template styles. You may want to open this document in Word and then Save As â€Å"CSCL 2005 Template.dot† by saving the Change As Type pull-down list to Document Template. PAGE SIZE All material on each page should be centered on an A4 (8.26 x 11.69 inch) page with 2.5cm (or 1 inch) margins all around. It is important to check these margins even if you use this Word template, because they might have been overwritten by your local settings. TOTAL NUMBER OF PAGES Long papers should be 8-10 pages. Short papers should be 4-5 pages. All other published material, including doctoral consortium abstracts and descriptions of interactive events and workshops, should be 2-3 pages. This includes everything: from the title to the references. FORMATTED TEXT Carefully format your submission using the following styles: Title and Authors The title (Helvetica 18-point bold), authors' names (Times New Roman 12-point bold) and affiliations (Times New Roman 12-point not-bold) run across the full width of the page. We also recommend that you add your e-mail address using the affiliations style. If only one address is needed, center all address text. For two addresses, use two centered tabs or a table (as in this paper), and so on. For more than three authors, you may have to improvise. There should be one blank Normal (10 pt.) line between the title and authors. Abstract and Keywords Place two blank Normal (10 pt.) lines after the title, followed by an abstract of about 100 words. The abstract should begin with the word â€Å"Abstract.† in bold, and should be formatted in the â€Å"Abstract† style provided in this template (like Normal, but indented 1cm each side).

Legal issues

Are Deed. Charlie and Bella also liable for the lawsuit against the firm by their client Mr.. Laurent.? 2. If so how far responsible are the other partners for Jakes mistake? 3. If no other partner liable, what excludes them? 4. Are there any defenses to any of the members of the firm from being liable to the lawsuit? Law: Partnerships partnership Act 1891 (SLD) Nature of Partnership Determination of existence of partnership Joint venture partnership Liability of Incoming partner Dissolution of partnershipsCompany Law Khan v Amah [2000] ‘Nature of partnership' Cox v Carlson [1916] ‘Joint venture and partnership' – ‘how the partnerships are created and what sustains them' Hammerer Pity Ltd v Egg [1996] ‘Liability of retiring partner' – does a recently retired partner have any liability to the losses or profits of the firm? ‘ Application â€Å"The rule s that persons who agree to carry on a business activity as a joint venture d not become p artners until they actually embark on the activity in question† (text, 328).This Is In regards to Bella who claimed she had no liability towards the lawsuit against the firm as she had only been working there a short while and was not at work the time the accident happened. Bella had however been working there with a â€Å"view for profit† (Text, 328) which happened to be the activity in question. With this same question in mind t has been stated that † It is possible for a person to be a partner even though they do not have a claim to the share of the profit† (text,328).Bella had not contributed any capital upon joining the firm but still took on the Job of a partner at the firm through assistance. Unlike the case of â€Å"Cox† (text,331 ) whereby ACH party was found with different liabilities for their parts of the Joint venture â€Å"Magic Zillions† Is a deferent case as they were continuing with the business In an effort to get a profit. â €Å"Where there is profit sharing and a more integrated business structure† (text. 30) as n the case of Magic Zillions it means that there was an aim for profit which is what considers the determination of existence of a Partnership amongst all four persons. In order for a ‘partner' to have been qualified as retired there has to be written confirmation that Charlie had actually been excluded from his entity and all its business, but the case does not well specify this. The implied 1 OFF partner it means that they â€Å"must contribute equally towards losses† (text,335) and in this case the loss is the lawsuit which is aimed at everyone a part of ‘Magic Zillions'. A partner who retires from a firm does not thereby cease to be liable for the partnership debts incurred before their retirement† (text,343), this case of the Liability of retiring partner falls on Charlie. † Charlie has since retired from the business due to stress and ill-health and h as limited personal funds† ( facts), although Charlie had been retired but still part of the entity during the accident it disqualifies him from not being liable for the lawsuit against ‘Magic Zillions' as he was a partner then when the accident happened.Conclusion On the balance of Probabilities the Magistrates court would find that Deed, Charlie, Jake as well as Bella are all partners of ‘Magic Zillions' due to the evidence and supporting cases mentioned above and all would have to contribute to the $30,000 to the plaintiff, Mr.. Laurent to cover the injures he faced upon entering the premises of the defendants, ‘Magic Zillions† Legal Issues Security Awareness and Training Program (for Nancy Johnson and other similarly situated employees) Nancy Johnson and other employees were terminated from their jobs by the administrator of the company, US Bancorp Comprehensive Welfare Benefit Plan Committee. The â€Å"Cause† of Johnson’s termination of employment is â€Å"willful and gross misconduct†; when Johnson accessed the files of her supervisor containing the 2002 performance level of the company’s employees. When Johnson was denied the severance payment (she was able to access a file that contains the proposed merging of US Bancorp with another company – some employees would be terminated with severance payment, except those who were involved in gross misconduct), she requested for a summary judgment to the district court. The district court favored Johnson arguing that the company did not establish a security information system that would prevent employees from accessing the files of the company. The committee though wrote an appeal to the circuit court arguing that the court erred in its interpretation of the provisions of the plan. The circuit court agreed to the arguments of the committee, arguing that since no official interpretation as to the use of the terms â€Å"willful and gross misconduct†, the administrator of the plan can apply these terms to similar situations. The severance payment to Johnson was therefore denied. Information security awareness and training programs then should be designed based on the so-called Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1984. The statute â€Å"criminalizes unauthorized access to a ‘protected computer’ with the intent to obtain information, defraud, obtain anything of value or cause damage to a computer† (Security Awareness Laws, http://www.massachusetts.edu/lawsfaq/faq.cfm#7).   The so-called ‘protected computer’ is a computer used for foreign or communication purposes (as in the case of the plaintiff) and for interstate interaction. Without authorization from the Department of Defense or the Foreign Affairs, accessing information from said institutions is deemed illegal. Also read: Explain Legal Issues, Policies and Procedures Relevant to Assessment Sharing of passwords, computer fraud, and damage of essential federal information are also deemed illegal. The law was extended to include private computers. In the case of the defendant (the corporation), it must institute narrower definitions as to the terms â€Å"willful and gross misconduct.† This will definitely also narrow the options for employees who are accessing important information from the company’s database. The employees must be first acquainted ( by memorandum) of the sites allowed to use during office work. Security Awareness and Training Program (for Scott Moulton) The plaintiff, Scott Moulton accused the defendant of probing the former’s network of clients. Defendant claims statements from Moulton concerning the defendant were defamatory. First is the statement made by Moulton to C.J. Johns, information systems manager for the Cherokee County’s Sheriff’s Office (December 19, 1999) that defendant had created security risks and that defendants network employees were stupid. The second is the statements made by Moulton that the way defendant planned to connect the Police Department to two systems created a security risk from the internet. Lastly, statements from the plaintiff said that defendant’s network had created a security risk. The plaintiff though argued that these statements were merely opinions. People may agree or disagree with the statements made. The court though granted the defendant summary judgment for the failure of the plaintiff to run a put test in the project. The plaintiff was also granted a summary judgment for the failure of the defendant to reduce the security risks. The US Congress passed a bill on July 2004, stating that internet probing of contractors to government websites (contractors duly approved to negotiate for the construction of website connections between government offices) can only be legal on three counts: 1) probing does not in any way create security risks for the government office involved, 2) the probing would not result to malversation of any public information, and 3) such probing must be requested by the client government office, with approval from its head office. Though the case was a posteriori since the bill was passed before the case was filed, it would be good for government offices to follow the guidelines of the law on internet probing of intergovernmental offices. Hence, law analysts saw the law as the â€Å"most Balearic† safeguard of the government from hackers. Security Awareness and Training Program (for Dewey Watkins) The plaintiff, Dewey Watkins requested the district court to cancel a computer access code that had been assigned to him and was being used (with the supervisor’s approval) by another authorized employee. The code provided access to confidential records maintained for Tennessee’s Medicaid Program. The plaintiff argued that the action of the supervisor violated the confidentiality provision of the state law. The plaintiff also accused EDS of terminating his employment when the former refused to participate in the â€Å"illegal† conduct.   The circuit court however affirmed the decision of the district court to grant summary judgment in favor of EDS, for the reason that Tennessee law does not conflict with the general provision of the Confidentiality Law. There was no proof that other employees also use the computer access code, and if there was such a case, it would be legal. It is noteworthy that the same law discussed in case 1 also applies in this case. Sharing of passwords to access public documents is clearly prohibited by law. Nonetheless, although the terms â€Å"public information† was the focus of the case, it should be noted that public information are information that have direct link to the public in general. This constitutes government programs, strategic social and economic planning, and of course interstate activities. Security awareness programs must be based on the definition of public information in order to vindicate any instances of sharing passwords or revealing information from government-locked and secured database. References Nancy J. Johnson v. US Bancorp †¦ United States Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit. Appeal from the United States District Court of the District of Minnesota. September 9, 2005. Security Awareness Laws. 2006. University of Massachusetts. URL http://www.massachusetts.edu/lawsfaq/faq.cfm#7. Retrieved September 14, 2007. Scott Allen Moulton and Network Installation Computer Services, Inc., Plaintiffs v. VC3, Defendant. United States District Court, Atlanta Division. Watkins v. EDS. NO. 1:00-CV-434-TWT. United States Court of Appeals No. 03-6353. United states Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. November 2, 2004.    Legal Issues Security Awareness and Training Program (for Nancy Johnson and other similarly situated employees) Nancy Johnson and other employees were terminated from their jobs by the administrator of the company, US Bancorp Comprehensive Welfare Benefit Plan Committee. The â€Å"Cause† of Johnson’s termination of employment is â€Å"willful and gross misconduct†; when Johnson accessed the files of her supervisor containing the 2002 performance level of the company’s employees. When Johnson was denied the severance payment (she was able to access a file that contains the proposed merging of US Bancorp with another company – some employees would be terminated with severance payment, except those who were involved in gross misconduct), she requested for a summary judgment to the district court. The district court favored Johnson arguing that the company did not establish a security information system that would prevent employees from accessing the files of the company. The committee though wrote an appeal to the circuit court arguing that the court erred in its interpretation of the provisions of the plan. The circuit court agreed to the arguments of the committee, arguing that since no official interpretation as to the use of the terms â€Å"willful and gross misconduct†, the administrator of the plan can apply these terms to similar situations. The severance payment to Johnson was therefore denied. Information security awareness and training programs then should be designed based on the so-called Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1984. The statute â€Å"criminalizes unauthorized access to a ‘protected computer’ with the intent to obtain information, defraud, obtain anything of value or cause damage to a computer† (Security Awareness Laws, http://www.massachusetts.edu/lawsfaq/faq.cfm#7).   The so-called ‘protected computer’ is a computer used for foreign or communication purposes (as in the case of the plaintiff) and for interstate interaction. Without authorization from the Department of Defense or the Foreign Affairs, accessing information from said institutions is deemed illegal. Also read: Explain Legal Issues, Policies and Procedures Relevant to Assessment Sharing of passwords, computer fraud, and damage of essential federal information are also deemed illegal. The law was extended to include private computers. In the case of the defendant (the corporation), it must institute narrower definitions as to the terms â€Å"willful and gross misconduct.† This will definitely also narrow the options for employees who are accessing important information from the company’s database. The employees must be first acquainted ( by memorandum) of the sites allowed to use during office work. Security Awareness and Training Program (for Scott Moulton) The plaintiff, Scott Moulton accused the defendant of probing the former’s network of clients. Defendant claims statements from Moulton concerning the defendant were defamatory. First is the statement made by Moulton to C.J. Johns, information systems manager for the Cherokee County’s Sheriff’s Office (December 19, 1999) that defendant had created security risks and that defendants network employees were stupid. The second is the statements made by Moulton that the way defendant planned to connect the Police Department to two systems created a security risk from the internet. Lastly, statements from the plaintiff said that defendant’s network had created a security risk. The plaintiff though argued that these statements were merely opinions. People may agree or disagree with the statements made. The court though granted the defendant summary judgment for the failure of the plaintiff to run a put test in the project. The plaintiff was also granted a summary judgment for the failure of the defendant to reduce the security risks. The US Congress passed a bill on July 2004, stating that internet probing of contractors to government websites (contractors duly approved to negotiate for the construction of website connections between government offices) can only be legal on three counts: 1) probing does not in any way create security risks for the government office involved, 2) the probing would not result to malversation of any public information, and 3) such probing must be requested by the client government office, with approval from its head office. Though the case was a posteriori since the bill was passed before the case was filed, it would be good for government offices to follow the guidelines of the law on internet probing of intergovernmental offices. Hence, law analysts saw the law as the â€Å"most Balearic† safeguard of the government from hackers. Security Awareness and Training Program (for Dewey Watkins) The plaintiff, Dewey Watkins requested the district court to cancel a computer access code that had been assigned to him and was being used (with the supervisor’s approval) by another authorized employee. The code provided access to confidential records maintained for Tennessee’s Medicaid Program. The plaintiff argued that the action of the supervisor violated the confidentiality provision of the state law. The plaintiff also accused EDS of terminating his employment when the former refused to participate in the â€Å"illegal† conduct.   The circuit court however affirmed the decision of the district court to grant summary judgment in favor of EDS, for the reason that Tennessee law does not conflict with the general provision of the Confidentiality Law. There was no proof that other employees also use the computer access code, and if there was such a case, it would be legal. It is noteworthy that the same law discussed in case 1 also applies in this case. Sharing of passwords to access public documents is clearly prohibited by law. Nonetheless, although the terms â€Å"public information† was the focus of the case, it should be noted that public information are information that have direct link to the public in general. This constitutes government programs, strategic social and economic planning, and of course interstate activities. Security awareness programs must be based on the definition of public information in order to vindicate any instances of sharing passwords or revealing information from government-locked and secured database. References Nancy J. Johnson v. US Bancorp †¦ United States Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit. Appeal from the United States District Court of the District of Minnesota. September 9, 2005. Security Awareness Laws. 2006. University of Massachusetts. URL http://www.massachusetts.edu/lawsfaq/faq.cfm#7. Retrieved September 14, 2007. Scott Allen Moulton and Network Installation Computer Services, Inc., Plaintiffs v. VC3, Defendant. United States District Court, Atlanta Division. Watkins v. EDS. NO. 1:00-CV-434-TWT. United States Court of Appeals No. 03-6353. United states Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. November 2, 2004.   

Persian Wars: Cause of the 499-404 B.C.E

The Persian wars are often compared to the Trojan wars due to the effects they had on Greek history. Athenians who were cultural and politically superior to the Greek considered the wars against Persia as some of the defining and greatest moments in their history (McKay, Hill, Buckler, Buckley, & Wiesner-Hanks, 2008a). Despite the defining effects that the Persian wars had on the history of the Athenian and the Greek, their beginning was nothing big. In mid sixth century BCE, Croesus who was the king of the Lydians took control of all Greek cities along the Asian Minor coast (McKay, Bennett, Beck, Crowston, & Wiesner-Hanks, 2008a). When the Persians conquered the Lydians around 545 BCE all states that were under the Lydians came under the rule of the Persians (McKay, Bennett, Beck, Crowston, & Wiesner-Hanks, 2008b). The Persian approach to leadership was defined by close control and they appointed officials who ruled states under a system that can only be defined as tyrannical. Citizens under the system implemented by the Persians were required to pay extremely high taxes and serve in the Persian army (McKay, Bennett, & Buckler, 2003a). Many revolution in history have generally been caused by oppressions and system that are degenerate in terms of social development. The Persian approach to government bore all the classical signs of tyranny and close governance. Under such system the mechanism that will worst affect the weak are made as effective as possible and in the Persian case this was not different. Their most effective system was the tax collection system which collected taxes in a manner that had no bearing on the earning made by individuals and the failure to submit returns could even result in hanging (McKay, Bennett, & Buckler, 2003b). The rulers were imposed on the Greeks, Lydians and Athenian and the kind of rule that such leaders used was oppressive. The rulers kept close contact with the events that happened on the ground which is a characteristic of an approach to leadership that is either oppressive or concerned with the welfare of its members; in this case the former was more relevant. The pressure placed by the Persian government led to underground revolution which were propagated by the opportunism of Aristagoras. Aristagoras sought help from the Spartans and Athenians (McKay, Hill, Buckler, Buckley, & Wiesner-Hanks, 2008a). The later helped him in though by 495 BCE all rebellious Greek cities has been restored under the Persian government. This did not spell the end of war due to the attention than the Athenians had gotten from Persia for the role they played in the destruction of Ardis. The revenge mission and the expertise that the Athenians had in Hippias who had been a member of the Persian army led to what is referred to as the battle marathon (McKay, Hill, Buckler, Buckley, & Wiesner-Hanks, 2008b). By the end of the marathon Greece began an ambitious navy building project due to the influence of Themistocles which propagated the war into a war for supremacy. In summary, the war started by the need for freedom and independence catalyzed by a leaders who was out to fulfill his personal agenda. By gaining support from other states the Persians were defeated due to their lack of commitment to the war. The marathon which served to propagate the Persian war was mainly out of the need for revenge by the Persians and its ‘marathon' stature is resultant of the resistance the Persians got from the well prepared Athenians and Persians. Towards the end of the war the objective was more about gain of supremacy. In the end, the Athenians got all the glory though the role played by the Spartans in the Persian wars can never be underestimated.

The Aspects of Power through Machiavellis Eyes essays

The Aspects of Power through Machiavellis Eyes essays In 1517 Niccolo Machiavelli wrote one of the most famous dissertations on power to date, entitled The Prince. His insights on the elements of power include the struggles for every level of power, from strategies performed by world leaders to the executive struggling in the corporate world. The ideas he set forth in The Prince, known of as Machiavellianism, have been seen as evil throughout the ages; but as most business leaders and politicians would agree, Machiavelli has merely defined the aspects of power in a logical fashion. In fact The Prince was written as a guidebook for his own prince, Lorenzo De Medici, for the sole purpose of advancing him into Italys political arena. He analyzed power and the way that Italy could gain enough to become independent and then how to maintain that control. His elaborate explanations were inspired by his own fascination with power and his desire for Italy to become its own state. But Machiavelli was only interested in directly discussing the ele ments of power, and not necessarily power itself. "...Since it is my intention to write something of use, I deem it is best to stick to the practical truth of things rather than to fancies. Many men have imagined republics and principalities that never existed at all. Yet the way men live is so far removed from the way they ought to live that anyone who abandons what is for what should be pursues his downfall rather than his preservation."(Machiavelli) When Machiavelli mentions "fancies", he is referring to theories that were set prior to his own; those theories that viewed men as good, and could thus be achieved and maintained by good works. But Machiavelli points out the logical fact that that men do not and cannot live in such a fashion. Thus, those acts which are "other than good", are necessary to acquire and preserve power in society. Machiavellis ideas set the model for the cold and calculated in every century regardless of the dif...

Android vs. iPhone OS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Android vs. iPhone OS - Essay Example Taking cue from Blackberry manufactures, RIM, Apple has adopted the closed operating system for its smartphones. The main advantage in doing so remains the compatibility of the software with the corresponding hardware. Knowing the hardware specifications, Apple’s engineers have the facility to modify the OS for getting maximum efficiency, in running the iPhone applications. With Blackberry manufactures being the only company that requires iPhones with closed OS, Apple does not need making extra efforts for meeting requirements from varied companies. However, the disadvantage for the closed system lies in the fact that the input is limited, which results in built-in memory card slots, leaving no option for a memory card slot available on the smartphone. Google has left an open option for collaborating with different companies and associates for making a smart phone, based on Android open OS. As the source is accessible to all, any one can make a smartphone, based on Android, without having to pay for any license fee. The software can also be modified to suit the need for making a particular type of smartphone. However, the open system involves extra effort and time, as it tries to meet varied requirements for samrtphones, with different screen sizes, processors, input methods and even the RAM. Hence, modification of the generic version of such OS will always remain a challenge. (Hardy, 2008) Android has an advantage of being closely linked to Google web services. Hence, Google contacts, emails and other services are synchronized with the phone applications. The web search applications are far better with Android than iPhone ‘iPhone’ OS has the interface that gives it advantage of having wide notification area, which is quite dynamic and has a better design. On the other hand, the first time user of Android may not be able to get to the phone ‘Apps’ easily. The widgets in Android give access to user for looking

Strategic Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Project - Essay Example Finally, after analyzing the necessary secondary information, we have concluded that the company should go for value added prompt service offerings and globalization strategy through strategic alliance with foreign company. In case of any organization it is very important to follow a good strategy as the success of any organization depends upon how effectively the management works on that. Now there are few parameters on the basis of which analysis has to be conducted and then the strategies of the managements are to be determined. Those are discussed below- The first and the foremost factor that is needed to be analyzed is the analysis of the industry environment. The industry in which the business lays it is very important to analyze its core factors and its changes what are happening in current time. S.W.O.T analysis is that type of environmental analysis which helps in determining the strategies of any company by analyzing the internal strengths and weaknesses as well as the external factors like opportunities in the industry and the threat existing in the form of competitors. According to the given guidance for analyzing any particular company’s management strategy the oil industry has been selected of UAE. The reason why this particular industry has been considered is Oilindustry is counted as the most lucrative industry in the present scenario of the business world. The few items which have the power to influence the economy of the entire world among them the crude oil comes first. Among this industry The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has been selected for analyzing the management strategies of it. The company was started in 1971 and since then till now ithas established itself in the top ten positions in the industry. At present the company manages to produce more than 2.7 barrels of oil per day. In the last three decades this particular company has expanded its business so