Teachers' stages of concern Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Teachers' stages of concern - Research Paper Example Globalization compels all countries to undertake substantial changes in their education agenda to be able to cope with such changes. Among these is the need to cope with technology. The demands placed upon the workforce, in terms of technology competencies, have made nations conscious of the need to integrate technology into school curricula, to prepare the youth for the demands of the future (Hord, Rutherford, Huling-Austin, & Hall, 1987; Hishamuddin, 2005). Tinio (2003) succinctly puts that the justification for the promotion of ICT in curricula worldwide is to equip students for the future requirements of the work setting. The latter strongly required the use of ICT, specifically computers and other online resources. This makes computer literacy a requisite for success in a technology-driven world (Tinio, 2003). The move to integrate technology into education entails the use of technological tools in pedagogy, including the Internet, blogs, digital cameras, other electronic and di gital tools to enhance the teaching process. Moreover, Pierson (2001) notes that educational reform will only be authentic if it goes beyond the acquisition of hardware supportive of technology, but a real, open adoption of strategies that will enable such integration into the school curriculum. Pierson (2001) adds that the requirement for computer literacy is apparent in daily tasks required of students both in their homes and within the educational institution. This demand entails teachers to gain knowhow of content, instruction, and technology that are apt for student progress. It is thus critical for teachers to know how to integrate technology into their teaching approaches (Pierson, 2001). The differences between the conventional and novel uses of technology emphasize the idea that teachers can utilize technology to enhance pedagogical approaches towards the enhancement of student learning (Cognition and Technology Group at

The Proliferation of Corruption through Transnational Crime Essay Example for Free

The Proliferation of Corruption through Transnational Crime Essay The international struggle against terrorism has caused policy analysts globally to review the repercussions of such policies on the preponderance of corruption. Corruption has been acknowledged as a perennial, global phenomenon; however, it is only in contemporary times that the gravity of its impact on peace and security have been scrutinized (Thachuk, 2005). Transnational organized crime groups have effectively corrupted those in authority to â€Å"selling their sovereignty so as to create states of convenience from which to conduct international operations.† Thus, in carrying this our, they have caused grave disturbance of financial market movements, destructions of aspiring democratic governments and have engaged in callous practices just to achieve their villainous ends (Beare, 1997). The Transparency International Newsletter has stated that these global perpetrators have established implicit agreements with corrupt government officials who virtually steal from their own citizens. The vastness and profundity of the corruption of transnational crime groups ceases to just being bothersome for commerce; nor is it a simple mechanism for fast tracking requests from government authority, or of being a financier for elections. This global problem represents a significant threat to state sovereignty, destroying both local and global transactions. Of more crucial importance is the fact that official corruption of transnational crime groups â€Å"threaten international stability and security with relative impunity† (Transparency International Newsletter, 2001 in Thachuk, 2005). Acknowledging the grave nature of the use of official corruption, this paper proceeds with the following objectives: 1) In the context of the relationship between officialdom and transnational organized crime groups what is a satisfactory definition of official corruption that suits the purposes of research into what corrupt practices actually facilitate the activities of such groups; 2) identify which branches or units of government are most susceptible to corruption in this context (for example: police, customs, immigration departments) and why; and 3) through an extensive review of related literature, cite concrete examples from a global scale of the corrupt practices that facilitate the activities of organized crime groups. International Response to Organized Crime and Corruption International operations such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) have provided a means for scrutinizing various aspects of organized crime regulation through the study of specific factors in organized crime operations like money laundering. By ensuring that such processes are carried out while still respecting the sovereignty of involved countries, the knowledge regarding organized crime has immensely benefited (Beare, 1997). At present, most international efforts against organized crime have highlighted the importance of examining organized crime with respect to the location of its operations. Illegal markets initiate the proliferation of criminal activities. These are influenced by the presence of risk factors as well as the level of demand. The current approach being utilized is a joint international effort, instead of the traditional ranking systems (Beare, 1997; Thachuk, 2005). This collaborative method which is a recent development differs widely from the other approaches being utilized for the reduction of corruption. Similar to the 1960’s view on organized crime, the dominant outlook is that corruption is a threat located in foreign shores which can be remedied by identifying those nations which are the top violators (Transparency International Global Report, 2001). With such a set-up, people may fail to see that some corrupt and legitimate practices may be inextricably intertwined. Also the nature of corruption from this viewpoint would be explained without the needed historical, political and social contexts. Lastly, such an approach works on an assumption that there is a uniform definition of corruption, which may not be the same across boundaries (Transparency International Global Report, 2001). â€Å"Corruption† is currently being viewed as if its definition was the same across nations. In a similar sense, â€Å"organized crime† had previously been used as an umbrella term for all types of criminal activities. However, the issue of corruption across different jurisdictions would inevitably involve encountering different definitions and other factors. Although the usual analyses of corruption would readily acknowledge historical factors behind the development of corrupt behavior, they would still fail in recognizing that the definition of corruption varies from place to place. Some forms of behavior may be more widely accepted as corrupt when compared to others depending on the locality. Four arbitrary categories from a western perspective may be used to demonstrate the wide scope of this concept (Beare, 1997): Bribes/kick-backs. Payments are demanded or expected in return for being allowed to do legitimate business. The payment becomes the license to do business. Those who make the payments are allowed to compete or to win contracts; Election/Campaign Corruption. Illegal payments are made at the time of elections to secure continuing influence; Protection. Officials accept payments (or privilege) from criminal organizations in exchange for permitted them to engage in illegitimate businesses; Systemic top-down corruption. A nations wealth is systematically syphoned off or exploited by the ruling elites (Beare, 1997, p. 157). The aforementioned categories are neither complete nor exclusionary. They are only listed for the purpose of comparing the differences between the ill effects arising from each. Bribes or Kick-backs Bribes or kick-backs are the small or large payments which are made to facilitate the acquisition of permits, licenses and contracts. Businesses which are legal participate in this transaction in order to hasten processes or to gain an advantage over other competitors. According to Ernesto Savona (1995), being â€Å"sly† (furbo) in this case utilizing bribery would mean that a person is simply taking advantage of opportunities. However, this should still be within acceptable limits, as those charged and eventually convicted with corruption in Italy had exceeded the acceptable boundaries (Savona, 1995). There seems to be a culture of acceptance in some areas such as Latin America, where individuals in power are still expected to patronize and support people with whom they have relationships with such as their family and party (Savona, 1995). This can be seen with police demand â€Å"bites† (mordidas) instead of issuing tickets for violations, undisclosed donations being accepted by political parties, bidding for out-of-court â€Å"settlements† and the use of â€Å"speed money† to steer clear of bureaucracy (Savona, 1995). Although a uniform definition is yet to be agreed upon for this form of corruption, it nevertheless receives the most media attention. The past few years have seen how countries are openly ranked in this form of corruption based on their â€Å"reputation† in engaging in this sort of act. One organization engaging in the elimination of corruption in business practices is Transparency International (TI) (e.g. Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption sponsored 1983 in Wash. DC., 1985 NY City, 1987 Hong Kong, 1989 Sydney Australia, 1992 Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 1993 Cancun Mexico, 1995 Beijing, China). This organization had sponsored several surveys which rated the â€Å"perceived level† of corruption in different countries. The 1995 TI Corruption Index tried to assess just how much corruption has affected businesses. In a similar study, Huberts (1996) interviewed delegates from different countries regarding public corruption, service and ethics. He goes on to say how his study is not well received among academicians, but aside from the sensitive nature of the data, this reception of the study may simply be due to the wide range or types of corruption. These surveys are limited to the fact that they may very well just be measuring corruption in its most blatant forms (Criminal Justice International, 1996; Companies and their Consciences, 1996). Election Corruption Providing the needed funding as well as â€Å"other forms† of support during the election period is part of this form of corruption. This is accomplished to obtain needed â€Å"influence†.   Even with international observers, many voters in countries such as Thailand and India continue to expect that their votes would be bought. Corruption continues to be an issue even after elections as the heads of state of Venezuela, Brazil, Spain and Italy serve as specific cases (Beare, 1997; Wright, 1997). In the United States, the issue of campaign costs which can run up to the hundreds of millions of dollars for candidates cannot be overlooked. MacArthur (1997) did not want to place the blame solely on the backers and businessmen alone. He cited how politicians would tend to sell different items such including an intangible commodity called â€Å"access†, which is occasionally translate to a vote for a certain bill (MacArthur, 1997). The public was exposed to stories which involved White House bedrooms being rented out for sleepovers and of Clinton being associated with Indonesian campaign funds. The purchasing of â€Å"access† and influence in political Action Committees was also readily seen. MacArthur (1997) continues to say that a candidate clamoring for reforms backed by three billionaires is no more bought than a party hack that has spent his career in obtaining money from millionaires in several occasions. Sometimes, cultural factors may affect how society would react to this form of corruption. Savona (1995) cited how a focus on corruption enabled Italy to discredit or oust old ruling class and expedited the change towards a new political system. He continued to state his fear on how new corrupters could be produced who would be able to escape the eyes of law enforcers, having learned their lesson from those who had been caught earlier. Those politicians who appear to be greatly opposed towards corruption in Latin America at times may very well have been the primary violators themselves.   The Wall Street Journal (1996) continues by citing a particular news-weekly which stated how everyone is â€Å"an accuser and accused†. Protection Another type of corruption involves allowing criminal acts to pervade in exchange for money, which is an activity aided by the presence of corrupt officials. Activities which involve the importation and exportation of goods such as drug trafficking and smuggling operations as well as illegal gambling are some probable activities (Beare, 1997). Aside from an environment provided by government which may be conducive, organized crime continues to persist because of corrupt relations existing between violators and regulatory or enforcement agencies. Through the use of violent and intimidating acts, criminal organizations may be able to influence any dispute settlement activities that are raised to control agencies. Thus, these very control agencies may be the same ones allowing the criminal operations (MacArthur, 1997). Within formerly communist and dictator-led countries, newly-granted freedoms have resulted in varying forms of social disorganization. The existence of illegal activities such as black markets under former regimes coupled with new freedoms has ensured that corruption would be rampant (MacArthur, 1997).  Ã‚  Ã‚   New laws and regulations may have the same effect as changes in government and political alignments. Approximately 800 million pounds was lost through fraudulent means in the 1996 European Union budget. Some transnational operations involve complicit government officials. Various opportunities for corruption are presented during the determination of when taxes are applicable and reimbursable. Corruption has also been traced in countries receiving aid for their transition governments or which has experienced an environmental disaster (Leiken, 1996). One case has at its center two professors from Harvard embezzling a government funds amounting to 57 million dollars for a project in Russia. One journalist stated: â€Å"The case is certain to run and run, doubtless spawning lawsuits as it goes. But for the Russians it is, at the very least, a reminder that all is not always as rosy as it sounds either in the cradle of democracy or in the stratosphere of its academia† (Harvard Caught Up in Moscow Row, 1997). Another incident in 1996 involved the arrest of a United States immigration agent by Hong Kongs Independent Commission Against Corruption. The very same agent who had cracked down on smuggling operations realized that the profits to be made were too tempting. By negotiating with various Honduran and Hong Kong officials, he was able to organize a smuggling operation for himself (Beare, 1997). Corrupt individuals may also be found in the implementation of environmental laws. Bonanno and Constance (1996) have cited how corporations, specifically those involved in the tuna-dolphin issue, are constantly in search of countries with more lenient environmental laws as well as cheaper labor and taxes. They had delved on how purse-seine tuna fishing yielded greater catches of tuna while also capturing dolphins at the same time. Prohibitions were implemented by the United States against this particular from of fishing (Bonanno Constance, 1996). Some strategies which have been employed by corporations involve changing the flags of fishing boats into those of foreign nations as well as the shipment of tuna from third-party countries. In a similar case, there is believed to be an underground garlic smuggling operation resulting from the protective tariffs on garlic in the state of California. Corrupt officials have become the beneficiaries of these illegal activities (Myers in Beare, 1997). Corruption in the ranks of police officials has also been an issue of concern for many countries such as Canada. Although these cases may be uncommon, police corruption cases tend to be highly-publicized (Myers in Beare, 1997). One possible explanation could be the development of legislation which benefits those individuals participating in money laundering investigations and sting operations. Coupled with the confiscation of huge volumes of money and drugs, the police can become especially prone to taking part in corruption (Mollen Commission Report, 1994). Different places have earned their own notorious reputations for corruption in their respective police organizations. However, the task of making approximate comparisons regarding the corruption among these different areas would prove to be seemingly impossible. This is because corruption that has not yet been caught or identified in some districts would never be accounted for (Mollen Commission Report, 1994). Systemic Corruption In 1992, an ironic sequence of events had unfolded in Brazil starting from the impeachment of then President Fernando Collor de Mello for graft and influence peddling after he had won the election through an anti-corruption platform. Following this, many of those who had accused him in Congress were also charged with embezzlement involving the committees which they had headed. A poll in 1993 had cited corruption and a weak government as the reason behind the dwindling support for democracy (Beare, 1997). This systemic category of corruption has been the most highly publicized and is characterized by the vulnerability of the whole society to different forms of corruption. At times this may even involve the illegal transfer of wealth from the country to its leadership. An illegal activity of this nature would usually be accomplished over a lengthy period of time before the voluntary exit or forced ouster of the leader. Corruption of this type is a combination of the first three types of corruption and usually implicates the elite (Beare, 1997). Countering Corruption Following the September 11, 2001 terrorism attack in New York and Washington, the chief of Interpol, Ronald Noble (2001) expressed that the struggle to combat terrorism cannot be won over through the military’s efforts alone. He further cites, [the most sophisticated security systems, the best structures, or trained and dedicated security personnel are useless, if they are undermined from the inside by a single act of corruption (Noble, 2001). The fight against transnational crime groups’ corrupt and terroristic activities is effectively staged through the democracy strongly practiced within the states they use.   While this is being said, many of the states involved are experiencing the grave repercussions of corruption by transnational crime groups. An outcome is more stringent efforts towards its resolution, including conferences, agreements and pledges made by global and regional entities collaborating to solve the issue (Noble, 2001). The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have established a partnership aiming to control if not totally eradicate bribery, especially among foreign officers. These parties concur that by addressing corruption as a mere crime may not adequate; it may be more practical to delve into the root causes of the problem and its role in the promotion of transnational crime.   Other entities which have pledged their commitment in combating corruption is the African Union and the Organization of American States (Introductory Proceedings ADB/OECD Conference on Combating Corruption in Asian and Pacific Economies, 1999).   An overarching strategy for the encouragement of effective governance is by implementing â€Å"structural, legal, and administrative† foolproof policy changes that will discourage corrupt activities among citizens as well as those in authority. In addition, being able to develop a country economically and strengthening its institutions will weaken the hold of transnational crime groups over these nations. Other measures to counter corruption practices is to beef up the military and security agencies of the country. For instance, the provision of financial assistance of the International Monetary Fund of the World Bank partly anchors its lending decision to the country’s initiatives to counter corruption. They have put exceptional premium on the practice of effective governance spelled out in terms of fiscal responsibility and the honesty and morality with which they undertake their transactions within the government, as attested to by the statutes stated in the IMF Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency (2001). The IMF Code of Good Practices on Fiscal Transparency (2001) specifies goals for principles and practices, culled from the IMP’s prescription of good governance among its affiliate nations. Transparency International is a non-governmental organization that offers comprehensive hand-holding to those nations which aim to counter corruption and financial maneuvering of transnational crime groups (Transparency International Global Report, 2001). To carry this out, it disseminates a bulletin on â€Å"corruption-in essence using publicity and peer pressure† to encourage administrations into supporting similar programs intended to battle corruption. The group has emphasized the revelation of terrorism-related money laundering acts (Transparency International Global Report, 2001). Such a profound perspective on battling corruption is better than superficial initiatives. Numerous agreements which have been drafted since time immemorial have not made a difference in resolving this issue while transnational crime groups continue to steal â€Å"officially† from these nations (Transparency International Global Corruption Report, 2001). Instead, the most effective vehicle for countering prevalent corruption in any number of nations is the media. The â€Å"name and shame† lobbying of the media has had the most potent impact, and has made the public keenly informed about corruption. The pubilcity has emphasized the accusations wrought on the corrupt political leaders, including Guilio Andreotti, Noboru Takeshita, Alberto Fujimori, and Carlos Salinas, to mention a few (Tranparency International Global Corruption Report, 2001). More alarming is the fact that politicians use information on corrupt acitivities to launch smear campaigns against their adversaries. These have worked effectively in nations including Italy, France, Mexico, Costa Rica, Thailand, Japan, and Nigeria, among others. This strongly signifies the negativity raised among the public on corrupt officials, and those that benefit from breaching the trust of the voting public (Transparency International Global Corruption Report, 2001). Once they have been legally appointed as government officials, the honesty which they have once professed gives out and they are eaten by the corrupt system. I There have been global agreements put in place to resolve various human rights issues that have been inflicted by transnational crime groups. The metrics against   transnational crime ought to be taken in on the national, regional and global scales to attain authentic effectiveness. A handful of these initiatives have been established; for instance, in 1988 the UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances or the UN Drug Convention, it has been necessary to ask for the legal help of all nations participating in the conference (Savona Defeo, year). Another initiative at the regional level is the formation of the Financial Action Task Force at the Economic Summit of Industrialized Countries in 1989. The group aims to draft a global perspective in the resolution of money laundering. In the latter part of 1988, the Group of Ten countries established the Basel Committee on Banking Regulations and Supervisory Practices, and the Council of Europe has a draft convention on money laundering (Savona Defeo, year). Two years after in 1990, the European Plan to Fight Drugs has been instituted by the Europeran Community. The program has been further developed in 1992 (Labrouse Wallon, year). These initiatives at all levels will contribute significantly to the resolution of the corruption traced from transnational crime which have inflicted harm to global governments and their economies.The cooperation among law enforcement forces must also be encouraged to allow the sharing of information related to the movements of these crime groups.   There has been a conference among law enforcement agencies from more than 100 countries – this Naples confrence intended to share data on transnational crime. Global protocol for such information exchange must also be crafted (National legislation and its adequacy to deal with the various forms of organized transnational crime: Appropriate guidelines for legislative and other measures to be taken on the national level, 1994). However, the constraints of such initiatives are apparent at both national and global levels. For instance, in the US, they are presently very gullible to transnational crime since â€Å"federal law prohibits the CIA from sharing with the FBI intelligence that it collects abroad.† Numerous legal protections of its citizens, specifically addressing the rights of the accused, have been taken advtantaged of by high level criminals. The other loopholes between information and law enforcement are also leveraged on by these crime groups and ought to be addressed in global crime conferences (National legislation and its adequacy to deal with the various forms of organized transnational crime: Appropriate guidelines for legislative and other measures to be taken on the national level, 1994). The UN has indicated that the struggle against corruption inflicted by transnational crime groups could be imporoved if there is greater collaboration among countries in taking on laws that criminalize participation or engagement with such group activities, conspiracy, laundering and asset forfeiture. This was specified in their policy proposals for the 1994 Ministerial Conference on Organized Transnational Crime (National legislation and its adequacy to deal with the various forms of organized transnational crime: Appropriate guidelines for legislative and other measures to be taken on the national level, 1994). Moreover, these documents have also uphled the implementation of measures for addressing transnational crime (The feasibility of elaborating international instruments, including conventions, against organized transnational crime, 1994). The participation of more countries has been encouraging; however, there will remain nations whose officials have been hopelessly corrupted and whose legal systems are too backward or obsolete – precluding participation into such collaboration. There will still be loopholes in these countries, and official corruption shall surely take its toll in their law enforcement capabilities. International Response to Organized Crime and Corruption International operations such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) have provided a means for scrutinizing various aspects of organized crime regulation through the study of specific factors in organized crime operations like money laundering. By ensuring that such processes are carried out while still respecting the sovereignty of involved countries, the knowledge regarding organized crime has immensely benefited (Beare, 1997). At present, most international efforts against organized crime have highlighted the importance of examining organized crime with respect to the location of its operations. Illegal markets initiate the proliferation of criminal activities. These are influenced by the presence of risk factors as well as the level of demand. The current approach being utilized is a joint international effort, instead of the traditional ranking systems (Beare, 1997; Thachuk, 2005). This collaborative method which is a recent development differs widely from the other approaches being utilized for the reduction of corruption. Similar to the 1960’s view on organized crime, the dominant outlook is that corruption is a threat located in foreign shores which can be remedied by identifying those nations which are the top violators (Transparency International Global Report, 2001). With such a set-up, people may fail to see that some corrupt and legitimate practices may be inextricably intertwined. Also the nature of corruption from this viewpoint would be explained without the needed historical, political and social contexts. Lastly, such an approach works on an assumption that there is a uniform definition of corruption, which may not be the same across boundaries (Transparency International Global Report, 2001). Conclusion From the review of related literature, it may be clearly gleaned that transnational crime groups aim for states which have implicit acceptance of corruption. Upon establishment in these havens, they seek corrupt officials and security personnel who will expedite their financial dealings and routine. Among the benefits they yield from this network is access to plans of the government and eventual protection of their illegal activities (Thachuk, 2005). In cleverly setting up their operations this way, they effectively allow individuals to run governments – with the latter ceasing to be an acknowledged institution. Moreover, they disrespect the law and rid it of any legitimacy. Because of their corrupt activities, these nations are deprived of opportunities to participate in international agenda. On a more encompassing scale, the use of official corruption of transnational crime groups ceases to be a problem of the concerned republics but more of a global security issue (Beare, 1997; Thachuk, 2005). The alarmingly quick development of transnational crime is an international occurrence that merits attention. The phenomenon has successfully been integrated into political channels, corrupting them to gain legitimacy for their illegal transactions. The grave outcomes of this include the deterrment of economic growth, disrespect and threat against democracy, corruption for the law and   for some nations, ethnic violations. The loopholes posed by weakness of the states, including Africa, Latin America, and Asia make them incapable of controlling their own boundaries or to form apt internal legal groups.These borders have become webs of netting through whose holes passes the business of organized crime through corruption. The impending danger posed on countries by corruption of transnational crime groups is not caused by a single criminal entity. Instead, this is composed of a vast criminal network that has potent political and economic networks. They have effectively used corruption to deter law enforcement institutions to undertake what is just to curb criminal activity. In various countries, organized crime have substituted for the various roles of the state, serving as an obstacle to economic growth and to the development of budding democracies. Corruption as a social phenomenon and problem is not constrained by geographic borders. Each nation does have its own share of clientelism, patronage and selfish government officials. While certain nations only have a handful of common denominators in the historical, political and economic spheres, this does not imply they may not share the same corruption issues (Thachuk, 1995). While this may be the daunting case, majority of these nations have expressed their willingness to participate, share their competence, undertake training and work collaboratively with non-government organizations to solve the problem. These NGOs are hopeful that there may be mechanisms ingrained in government structure that may be utilized for detecting corrupt activities, reprimanding those involved and to attempt to foolproof the system (well nearly). In the long haul, countries are bound to feel the tension exerted on them to comply with anti-corruption measures. Democracy shall cease to be a faà §ade in promoting corrupt activities of transnational crime groups, conspiring with government officials, security and police personnel, and customs officers. Simultaneously, the pressure for governments to increase honesty and integrity in their dealings will also be focused on. The driver for these changes shall be sourced from â€Å"grassroots movements† fueled by media support. The documentation and critique of the corrupt activities of public officials is a crucial obstacle to curb immoral use of power (Thachuk, 2005). Some strategies being employed for reducing corruption may actually yield adverse results. Focus on business-related corruption is primarily motivated by Western interests which are usually detrimental to the less developed countries. An undesirable consequence arising from the labeling of nations as corrupt includes the realization of such labels through self-fulfilling prophecy. By garnering high ratings for corruption in Huberts or TI surveys, corrupt practices may actually become normalized or socially accepted in those communities (Beare, 1997). The Council of Europe utilizes a FATF-type evaluation procedure which allows member states to evaluate each other in terms of their anti-money laundering and corruption conventions. Through the meticulous review of anti-corruption legislation and policies from the different countries, corruption could then be placed in its proper context and positive results might then be achieved. However, the characteristic of corruption being deeply ingrained within the culture of different societies and thus taking various forms, may prove to be quite a hindrance (Beare, 1997). Corruption can be quite enticing for certain governments, high-ranking officials, corporations and sectors of the public. Then, it would not be advisable to think along the line that one can corruption-proof an area. On the other hand, a system should be put in place which constantly strives to create and maintain a culture of intolerance towards corruption. A possible means for combating corruption would be through changes in the personnel or other conditions such as the economic and social climate. By focusing on certain aspects of corruption, these can then be specifically identified and consequently addressed. References Beare, M. (1997). Corruption and organized crime: Lessons from history. Crime, Law Social Change, 28, 155-172. Beare, M.E. (1996). Criminal conspiracies: organized crime in canada. Toronto: Nelson Canada. Bonanno, A. Constance, D. (1996). Caught in the net: The global tuna industry. In   Environmentalism and the state. Lawrence Kansas: University of Kansas Press. Companies and their consciences. In the Economist, 1996 July 20, 15. Criminal Justice International. (1996). 1995 TI Corruption Index, 12(4), July-August. Global Corruption Report 2001. (2001). Politics and patronage: Democratic ideals compromised. Transparency International. Harvard caught up in Moscow row.(1997). The Independent, 22 May. Huberts, L. (1996). Expert views on public corruption around the globe. PSPA Publications, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam Boelelaan, The Netherlands. Introductory Proceedings ADB/OECD Conference on Combating Corruption in Asian and Pacific Economies. (1999). Asian Development Bank. Labrouse, A. Wallon, A. (eds.) (1993). La Planete des drogues: organisations criminelles, guerres el blanchiment. Paris: Editions du Seuil. Leiken, R.S. (1996). Controlling the global corruption epidemic. Foreign Policy, 55-73. MacArthur, J.R. (1997). The real corrupters of the US electoral system. Globe and Mail, 21 March, Al7. Mollen Commission Report. (1994). Commission to investigate allegations of police corruption and the anti-corruption procedures of the police department, 7 July. Myers, W. (1997). Interview with Director of the Centerfor the Study of Asian Organized Crime. In Beare, M. Corruption and organized crime: Lessons from history. Crime, Law Social Change, 28, 155-172. National legislation and its adequacy to deal with the various forms of organized transnational crime: appropriate guidelines for legislative and other measures to be taken on the national level. Background document for the World Ministerial Conference on Organized Transnational Crime (Naples, 21-23 November 1994), 23. Noble, R. (2001). Interpol Press Release, Oct. 8. Savona, E. Defeo, M. (1994). Money trails: International money laundering trends and prevention/control policies, Helsinki Institute for Crime Prevention and Control (HEUNI) Report prepared for the International Conference on Preventing and Controlling Money Laundering and the Use of Proceeds of Crime: A Global Approach. Courmayeur: June. Savona, E.U. (1995). Beyond criminal law in devising anticorruption policies: lessonsfrom the italian experience. Research Group on Transnational Crime, School of Law, University of Trento, Italy. Thachuk, K. (2005). Corruption and international security. SAIS Review, 25(1), Academic Research Library, 143. Transparency International. (2001). Transparency International Newsletter. (2001). December 2001. Wright, R. (1997). Democracies in peril: Freedoms excesses reduce democracys life span. Special report to the Los Angeles Times, 17   February.

Ecological Systems Theory, Urie Brofenbrenner

Ecological Systems Theory, Urie Brofenbrenner The ecological systems theory of human development is proposed by Urie Brofenbrenner, a Russian American psychologist. In this theory, he stated that everything in a child and also the surrounding environment can affect the child development (Oswalt, 2008). He also developed this theory to comprehend the relationship between the child, the family, teachers, and the society (Growth and Development Theory, 2013). This ecological systems theory is divided into few different levels which are micro system, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem. The first level is micro system which is the small immediate environment that is directly connected to the child (Sincero, 2012). As an example, a child has the closest relationship with his parents and family which also can influence the childs development mentally or physically. The relationship between the child and the teachers, friends or also neighbours is also considered to be in the micro system. Next, mesosystem includes the interaction between two microsystems such as the relation between the childs home and the school (Growth and Development Theory, 2013). Exosystem is the level which includes other people and also places that may have no direct interaction with the child but still affects the childs development like his parents workplace, the neighbourhood or even the extended family members (Oswalt, 2008). Macrosystem is a larger level consists of the cultural contexts like ethnicity or other influences such as economic influences and cultural influences (Sincero, 2012). Every environmental event and transitions occur in an individuals life is included in the chronosystem (Sincero, 2012). The events such as marriage, divorce or others that can affect someones life are the examples of this system. 1.2 How does Urie Brofenbrenners ecological systems theory affect the child development? As I have already explained before about this ecological systems theory by Brofenbrenner in the previous page, this theory can actually affect the child development. According to Doll-Yogerst (2011), this model of the ecological systems recognizes that a childs development is affected by the settings and also affects the surrounding in which he spends his time every day. The relationship of the child and the microsystem can also give impact in both directions which is being called as bi-directional influences (Doll-Yogerst, 2011). For example, a childs parents may affect his behaviour or belief but he can also affect his parents behaviour or belief. Particularly, his family is the most essential setting because he spends his time mainly with the family and it has the most influence on him especially the emotion (Doll-Yogerst, 2011). This situation shows that a childs development is influenced the most by his family, if one of his parents is working as a doctor and he understands it a s doctors are good people since they help others, it may gives him the idea to be just like his parent in the future. There are also other important settings that may influence the childs development such as his extended family, teachers, peers, child care centre, school, and preschool or kindergarten (Doll-Yogerst, 2011). These settings are directly interacting with the child because he will encounter his teachers when he is at the school, or playing with his peers in the neighbourhood. The childs development is based on how he experiences while spending time in all these settings (Doll-Yogerst, 2011). It is can be seen in the situation where the child may have stumbled upon a bad experience while playing at the playground that will probably make him to avoid playing at the playground anymore or even good experiences he has that will affect his development. Other than that, a child involves in many microsystems (Bronfenbrenners Microsystems, n.d.). Each of the microsystem interacts with each other which also can be called as mesosystem. The number of quality interactions between settings also has important implications for a childs development (Doll-Yogerst, 2011). For instance, the parents and the teachers at school are both considered as microsystem from the childs point of view. These two microsystems will interact with each other in such situation like parents-teachers conference that usually being held in school. The child probably acts differently in school than at home since he is surrounded by his peers. If the child is having any difficulties or problems at school, the teacher will tell the problems to his parents so that they will acknowledge how their child is doing at school. This interaction between both parties is important that will reflect on the childs development. The other external environments that may have indirect connection with the child but still give huge impacts on him are included in the exosystem level (Doll-Yogerst, 2011). This exosystem level is when the settings that may be unknown to the child for example the parents workplace or colleagues will affect his growth. It can be exemplified in the situation when the parents coming back home with the stress that they get at their workplaces that will influence the childs thoughts (Doll-Yogerst, 2011). Besides that, the government, the economical factors, the mass media can also affect the childs development. For instance, the child is influenced by the animation series on television that leads him to follow what the characters are doing. The largest system in this theory is the macrosystem which consists of the most remote of people and things to a child nevertheless still has a great influence for the child (Oswalt, 2008). This includes cultural values, customs and laws (Ecological S ystems Theory, n.d.). As an example, the child has been raised by following the national laws that drugs are illegal or murder is a crime that will make him obey and acknowledge which is wrong and which is right. The events that happen during the transitions over a lifetime are called chronosytem, which means everything happens in a childs life while he is growing up that may changes his perception. 1.3 How does Urie Brofenbrenners ecological systems theory apply children in preschool and early primary levels. The ecological systems theory is somehow applied to the children in preschool and early primary levels. Horowitz-Degan claims that the childs behaviour can be analyzed by using the environmental influences, as well as the cognitive factors (as cited in Bronfenbrenners Ecological, n.d.). This situation can be seen in preschool or primary school, where the class acts as the microsystem that will give influences to the child. As an example, if a teacher walks into a classroom brightly, it will automatically sets up the mood of the classroom to be warm and friendly which will positively affect the childs cognitive sphere of influence then next encourage the process of learning (Van-Petegem, Creemers, Rossel, and Aelterman, 2005). For instance, a teacher teaches the students excitedly and happily in the classroom, the students will have more interest to listen to the teacher because they have been influenced by the positive vibes from their teacher. In addition, Van-Petegem defines that t he teachers behaviour can also affect the students and can be a model for the consideration of the feelings of others and the value of interactions (as cited in Bronfenbrenners Ecological, n.d.). This shows that this ecological systems theory gives effect on the childs social development in mircosystem which also can be increased through the encouragement given by the teacher. Furthermore, in the preschool centres or primary schools, there will be a playtime provided that will develop the motor skills development in the children (Brofenbrenners Ecological, n.d.). Activities such as creating craft, indoor arts like drawing, colouring or painting can also help in the growth of the students motor skills. While in the classroom, the students will be given the opportunity to speak up their opinions that may give influence to the other students who are listening to the opinions and it will help them in the intellectual development. This is because the students will start thinking about the opinions and try to relate to the knowledge that they already have. If there is an argument happen in the class, the students will try to convey their thoughts to the teacher that will also give a huge impact to them intellectually since they use their minds to counter the argument. Besides, the issues associated with the adults who are involved in the effect of the childs mic rosystem despite of the child have no direct connection to the exosystem (Brofenbrenners Ecological, n.d.). If the parents are having problems at the workplace, it will influence the child at home. Parents may be spend more time on solving their work issues that probably make the child feels that he is being ignored which affects his emotional development. The development of children will also be affected in the macrosystem even though it is the largest layer of ecological systems theory (Brofenbrenners Ecological, n.d.). In this level, the child is influenced by the cultural values that give impact on the social development. 1.4 Summary of Urie Brofenbrenners ecological systems theory. To sum up, the ecological systems theory by Urie Brofenbrenner does apply to child development including the children in preschool and early primary levels. This theory helps the children in intellectual development, emotional development and especially, the social development. Each of the levels in the ecological systems model, microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem and chronosystem, interact with each other to help the childs development. As adults, we need to observe how the child is growing and we need to bear in mind that everything in a childs surrounding has the probability to influence their growth. Parents should be more concern about their childs microsystem in school and spare more time communication with them and not only focusing on work or career.

The Cult Of True Womanhood Essay examples -- essays research papers

The Cult of True Womanhood The "Cult of True Womanhood" has greatly influenced society throughout all of America's history. This set of standards was first accepted and practiced by all of the European colonies. They were then passed through the generations and, in many cases, still exist. I'll describe the essay, "The Cult of True Womanhood," and discuss my views on it. I'll then illustrate how these standards are still present in today's society. First, I'll discuss the essay. It's easiest to describe this essay if I begin by defining "The Cult of True Womanhood." As I stated the introduction, it is a set of standards. These principles create and have created a strong division between the genders, and therefore, caused tension. Basically, it states that men are to work and make money for the family. A woman's goal was to find a husband and have children. Women were also expected to have four main cardinal virtues - piety, purity, submissiveness, and domestication. Piety is, basically, grace. Women were to expected to always be dainty and lovely. Purity speaks for itself. Women were expected to stay abstinent until marriage. Submissiveness means that the woman should, once married to a man, completely devote herself to him, carrying out his every wish within her power. One very powerful sentence in the essay well represents the woman's goals and values well according to "The Cul...

Six Dimension Worksheet

Associate Level Material Six Dimensions of Health Worksheet Part 1 For each of the following six dimensions of health, list at least one characteristic, activity, belief, or attitude that reflects that dimension in your life. Provide a brief explanation with each example. Refer to Ch. 1 in the text for explanations of these dimensions. Physical health: Exercising daily is an activity that helps Social health: An activity that reflects social health would have to be interactions with other people. If you are an antisocial person then you will end up being depressed.Intellectual health: An activity that reflects intellectual health is thinking clearly. If you can’t think clearly then you will not be able to make decisions in life. Environmental health: The way that you treat your environment around you. When you recycle you are making a decision to help the environment. Emotional health: An activity that reflects ones emotional health would be expressing your feelings. If I†™m angry I keep my thoughts to myself so I won’t hurt anybody’s feelings. Spiritual health: Spiritual health involves your belief. Praying regularly is an activity that you do daily to strengthen your spiritual health.Part 2 In approximately 125 to 200 words, describe health and wellness in your own words using the ideas and concepts for each of the six dimensions of health. Your overall health is a reflection on your physical, intellectual, environmental, social, spiritual, and emotional health. If you maintain all six dimension of health then you are creating a healthy life for yourself. Taking care of yourself physically will increase your longevity. You can do this by eating healthy, exercising daily and regular doctor visits. You can be very social if you communicate with people on a daily basis.

Hampton Machine Tools Company

Hampton Machine Tools Company Executive SummaryStatement of the ProblemSomebody Loan Me a DimeAs the vice president of the St. Louis National Bank (SLNB), Jerry Eckwood needs to decide on whether or not to approve Hampton Machine Tool Company's (Hampton) request to extend payment on an outstanding loan. Benjamin Cowins, president of Hampton, has requested until December 31st, 1979 to pay off their existing note of $1,000,000 ($1M) and also requested an additional loan for equipment of $350,000 ($350K). Given the situation, there are three decision alternatives that must be considered as outcomes. One, Mr. Eckwood declines both the extension and the additional loan and forces the default of Hampton. Two, Mr. Eckwood accepts Mr. Cowins' full proposal and grants the extension as well as the additional loan. Three, Mr. Eckwood uses an alternative solution. The alternative solution can mean granting the extension on the $1M loan but not the $350K extension, or even extending the maturity date. Mr. Eckwood's decision o n whether or not to accept the extension on the $1M loan, as well as the additional $350K equipment loan (or one or the other) will be solely based on Hampton's ability to repay the loans upon the maturity date. This must be ascertained from thorough financial analysis of the company using a pro-forma financial statement, cash budgets, and profitability ratios.DiscussionBoth loans are both at given at an 18% annual interest rate. Mr. Cowins has provided sufficient documentation that indicates the loan will be paid back, as Hampton has many backlogged orders and shipments. However, Hampton has also historically over-projected its sales and shipments.Option 1 should be a last resort due to Mr. Cowins' good and long-standing relationship with St. Louis Bank. If option 1 were taken, SLNB would lose a large, long-term client that has consistently brought in business for...