Colin Crouch on Corporate Accountability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Colin Crouch on Corporate Accountability - Essay Example As the discussion declares   the bust and boom phenomena will continue because the neoliberal ideology has long time implications on the decisions made by organizations. Though there is need for the interests of organisations and the public good to be pursued, the government cannot interfere in the operations of businesses. Likewise, organisations cannot interfere with the business policies developed by the government despite the impacts it has on its operations. Therefore, in order to eliminate this dilemma, Crouch argues that a middle ground must be achieved that brings together the profits interests of businesses with the public good. The middle ground can only be achieved through corporate social responsibility as corporations have today grown into major actors in the public domain. In this paper, the position taken by Crouch that corporation must reduce their dominance with profit success and embrace corporate social accountability will be evaluated. This evaluation will be ba sed on the views adopted by other management scholars in line with the neoliberal attitude towards corporate social responsibility. In Crouch, the impacts neoliberalism and the financial turmoil on the behaviour of corporations have been addressed in the face of their accountability to the society.  

On the botton Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

On the botton - Essay Example xamples of Caesar, Genghis Khan and very recently Hitler can be used to show that the humans are a war loving people who like nothing better than a good fight. However, there are also shining examples of individuals within their history of great healers and guides such as Abraham, Mohammad and Jesus who seem to have positively influenced more people than many others. Clearly the most important time for this experiment has been the last century where tremendous upheavals were seen in political, social and economic terms (Friedman, 2006). It was the century where some people such as Malthus expected the world to run out of basic necessities such as food but progress made in terms of genetics and better crop growing methods proved him wrong. Quite frankly, the dangers facing the world in terms of food shortage are not finished but it seems that humans may be able to deal with the situation in the future (King & Elliott, 1996). There are also significant gains being made by the human race towards helping the poor of the world with increasing levels of globalisation which has helped bring wealth to many who could not dream of having such high level of resources (Bardhan, 2006). The situation may not be perfect since equality between various individuals remains an elusive goal but the improvements in the life standards for coming generations is all but assured. A large part of that is due to the improvements being made in the health of the humans due to their investments in medical research which will help them live better lives. Some of them may continue to damage themselves through cigarettes and high doses of food which may not be good for them but more and more are becoming conscious of their health and are seeking out ways to improve it (NIH, 2006). This may mean that humans continue to evolve as they have in the past and become better than what we think them to be. Given enough time, I believe that humans will understand what they are doing wrong when they see

Causes and effects of childhood obesity

Causes and effects of childhood obesity Childhood obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, and the condition is now obvious much earlier in life. Thirty years ago, less than five percent of children were considered obese. Todays figures put the number of obese American children somewhere between 12 percent and 15 percent! That translates into millions of children, preteens, and teens suffering from very adult conditions like diabetes and depression related to weight gain (Tessmer, Beecher, Hagen, 2006). Overweight and obesity in childhood are recognized to have significant impact on physical and psychological health. There are several causes that lead children to become obese. Childhood obesity is now considered a disease and is diagnosed by doctors. Not all children that watch television several hours a day or are inactive or just eat mal-nutritious foods develop obesity, many children get obese because of genes inherited from their parents. Some children become obese because of their lifestyle. For example, late-day or night eating, snacking and other behavioral behaviors have influence on the progress of obesity. Moreover, social and economic conditions are shown to have a significant relationship to nutrition and dietary intake. In addition, there are certain effects resulted from childhood obesity such as physical, mental, emotional, and social effects. Obesity in childhood is responsible of early development in girls and delayed development in boys. Its also found to be associated with numerous medical problems related to physiological, metabolic, and structural changes. What is more is that obese children are more likely to develop psychological problems. Physical, social, and mental well-being is considered health related quality of life. Low self-esteem and social discrimination can be noted in obese children due to physical limitations, feelings of isolation or loneliness, and teasing from class mates. Causes and Effects of Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity has become a worldwide epidemic, and the condition is now obvious much earlier in life. Thirty years ago, less than five percent of children were considered obese. Todays figures put the number of obese American children somewhere between 12 percent and 15 percent! That translates into millions of children, preteens, and teens suffering from very adult conditions like diabetes and depression related to weight gain (Tessmer, Beecher, Hagen, 2006). Obesity is defined as a disproportionate buildup of stored fat tissue when compared to other tissues. Childhood obesity is now considered a disease and is diagnosed by doctors. Children become overweight for a variety of reasons. The most common causes are genetic factors, lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, or a combination of these factors. Moreover, socio-economic factors have influence on children, which may cause a child to become obese. In addition, there are certain effects resulted from childhood obesity such as physical, mental, emotional, and social effects. Diagnosis of Childhood Obesity Only a doctor can diagnose children for obesity by evaluating adiposity, or how much fat a person has. Adiposity can be assessed using different ways, for example, by using an underwater scale, or by an MRI, but these methods are considered excessive and expensive. Another way of evaluating children for obesity is by measuring the distribution of body fat. Also, a chart called the body mass index (BMI) is used to optimally measure the amount of fat person carries most frequently to differentiate between just an overweight child and the one who is really obese. In addition to BMI and charting weight on the growth charts, the doctor also evaluates the familys history of obesity and weight-related health problems, such as diabetes, the childs eating habits and calorie intake, the childs activity level, and any other health conditions the child may have. Causes of Childhood Obesity After the child gets diagnosed as obese, the doctor will start investigating the causes that lead this child to become overweight. To begin with, there are several causes that lead children to become obese. First of all, many children get obese because of heredity. Because of some genes inherited from parents, those children have higher risk of becoming overweight. For example, not all children that watch television several hours a day or are inactive or just eat mal-nutritious foods develop obesity. Therefore, heredity has been found to have effect on fatness, distribution of fat on body, and response to overfeeding. It has also been suggested that heredity does not only concern the genes but also resulting dietary habits, food intake, and lifestyle, including physical activity level and spontaneous interest in exercise (Paˆ¡rà ­zkovà ¡ Hills, 2004). Moreover, mothers whom are overweight are found to born neonates that are less active and gain more weight compared to ne onates born of normal weight mothers, which suggest a preserving energy inborn drive. The information taken from genes can suggest that genetic factors can take role to determine the susceptibility of adding or losing fat in response to physical activity and diet. The life style of some children also plays a role in being obese. Some behaviors, present in certain children (late-day or night eating, snacking, etc.) ease the progress or persistence of obesity. Children spend several hours each day watching television, and eating lot of snacks that is high in calorie. Food is nothing more than easy to cook energy. The potential energy is measured by the calories that are contained in specific amount and type of food. A body needs a minimum amount of calories in order to perform its basic functions, and the recommended caloric intake for this purpose varies according to age, body frame, and activity level (Tessmer, Beecher, Hagen, 2006). Obese children do not show excessive appetite fo r sweet foods. Children and adults simply enjoy foods high in fat. Ice cream, cakes, and biscuits are all examples of high fat foods which are very popular among obese and non-obese people alike. Physical activity is important for achieving proper energy balance, which is needed to prevent or reverse obesity (Flamenbaum, 2006). Moreover, distribution of body fat is affected independently by physical activity which affects body weight. Last but not least, social and economic conditions have a significant relationship to nutrition and dietary intake. For example, as income increases, the type of the diet is going more likely to change in a persistent manner. In particular, the sugar, protein and animal fat intake increases, while the intake of vegetable fat, complex carbohydrates and protein decreases. Also, if the family has a higher income, there might be an increase in take away readymade foods intake which is high in fat content or an increase in intake of meat. The lower social s upport in low social class is associated with a high food intake and higher weight of children. Another study showed that children from low-income families who were exposed to less cognitive stimulation and who had an obese mother showed an increased risk of obesity independent of other demographic factors (Paˆ¡rà ­zkovà ¡ Hills, 2004). However, the general effect of these changes in consumption behavior with the high intake of total fat is the increase in the occurrence of obesity. Effects of Childhood Obesity As a result of the above, there are certain effects that might result in children from being obese. To start with, the physical effects in childhood obesity include, for example, the increase adult morbidity in men for gout, and in women for arthritis. Obese children are usually above average height for age (Dietz, 1993). Obesity in childhood is responsible of early development in girls and delayed development in boys. For women, menstrual problems in middle age are found to be associated with childhood. Men whom are overweight during adolescence have three times more possibility to develop gout when compared with men whom where normal weight. Furthermore, Obesity in childhood is associated with numerous medical problems related to physiological, metabolic, and structural changes. Its suggested that adult obesity developed from childhood may be more problematic than adult-onset obesity due to an increased risk of the metabolic syndrome (Vanhala, 1998). Obese children have a higher ri sk for developing hypertension, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Research shows that obesity in children, particularly during adolescence, persists into adulthood and is associated with an increased risk of many diseases including atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, cancers, respiratory disorders, gall bladder disease, infertility and several non-fatal but debilitating conditions (Flamenbaum, 2006). Obese children have approximately a threefold increased risk for hypertension compared to their normal-weight peers. The prevalence of obesity in children affected by diabetes was on average twofold from the age of 2 years onward compared to control children (Paˆ¡rà ­zkovà ¡ Hills, 2004). What is more is that obese children are more likely to develop psychological problems. Severely obese children recorded their quality of life with scores as low as children undergoing chemotherapy for cancer (Walker, 2005). Physical, social, and mental well-be ing is considered health related quality of life. Low self-esteem and social discrimination can be noted in obese children due to physical limitations, feelings of isolation or loneliness, and teasing from class mates, in example, which is frequent in young people who are obese. The age of onset of obesity, presence of emotional instability, and negative evaluation of obesity by others may predispose an obese person to a disturbed body image. These include during the formative years. Disturbances in adulthood are often commonplace in those who became obese during childhood or adolescence Depressed obese children are more likely to stay depressed all over adulthood. Prevention of Childhood Obesity The technique used to prevent childhood obesity is by keeping the weight from coming back. Such technique requires great effort as overweight is not just a hit-and-run problem, where the child can simply drop the weight and be free from obesity the rest of his life. Its always easy to get overweight than to lose weight. A child who lived a sedentary lifestyle with bad eating habits is at higher risk of getting back to such habits because such habits are just easy to follow. Its so a lot easier for children to sit at home and watch TV rather than going outside with others or alone to play. This is why parents, physicians, and nutritionists should sit together and set a plan for the child. The plan should include the restriction of fast food and soft drinks, limitation of time allocated for watching television or computer, and promotion of physical activity. However, this plan must be monitored and supervised by parents and a physician to ensure the elimination of any side effects that might occur from the prevention plan. Conclusion To summarize, childhood obesity is now considered a global epidemic. There are multiple causes that lead certain children to become obese. Genetic factors and environmental conditions play a great role in the early development of childhood obesity, but the condition varies in different countries. In addition, it appears that there are dangerous effects that result from being obese which can continue till adulthood. Therefore, parents should be aware of their children life style and the food they consume to avoid such health problems in their later adulthood. Moreover, the picture of the obese child as unhealthy, unfriendly and fat is best to prevent as early as possible. As for prevention of childhood obesity, it is also recommended that parents, physicians and nutritionists set together to set the proper plan. Nevertheless, there must be raising in alertness, consideration, and public understanding for the matter of childhood obesity

Suffering in Charles Dickens Oliver Twist and James Watsons Talking in Whispers :: English Literature

Suffering in Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist' and James Watson's 'Talking in Whispers' I am going to explore the ways in which human suffering is portrayed in Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist' and James Watson's 'Talking in Whispers'. I am also going to explore the ways in which sympathy is created for the characters Oliver Twist and Andres Larreta. With consideration of Oliver Twist's and Andres Larreta's suffering I am going to see if they can be considered as heroes. I am going to do all of this by analysing areas of the novels, 'Oliver Twist' and 'Talking in Whispers'. Oliver Twist and Andres Larreta both experience a great deal of suffering. They experience physical, emotional and mental suffering. The societies in which they are a part of also suffer. The suffering of society in both novels 'Oliver Twist' and 'Talking in Whispers' are caused by the authorities. However, the society in 'Talking in Whispers' seems to be much bigger than the society that comes across in 'Oliver Twist'. I think this is because 'Oliver Twist' is mainly about the life of Oliver Twist and how he reunites with some of his relatives, whereas 'Talking in Whispers' mainly focuses on Andres Larreta's life and Chile under dictatorship. It also has lots of information about the Chileans as a whole. Both character's Andres Larreta and Oliver Twist possess heroic qualities. I believe they are both heroes for surviving the suffering they had received. Oliver Twist and Andres Larreta both experience physical and emotional suffering. Oliver Twist is a young child, below the age of 10 years. He experiences a great deal of physical suffering. Oliver experiences abuse at the workhouse. He was very poor and had little food, which made him hungry. He had to work to stay alive. Although his work only earned him just about enough to survive. "The hungry and destitute situation of the infant orphan was duly reported by the workhouse authorities." The author Charles Dickens states that Oliver is hungry and is in a poor situation. Another instance of physical suffering Oliver experiences, is the beating he receives after he has a fight with Noah. "Oliver's clothes had been torn in the beating he had received; his face was bruised and scratched; and his hair scattered over his forehead." Dickens describes his condition and implies to the reader that his beating was rough, violent and severe. He makes the reader sympathise with Oliver. Not only is this physical suffering for Oliver, but for a child as young as Oliver it is also emotional suffering. It leads him to believe nobody cares for him and that he is

Summary of Napoleon’s Buttons Chapter 12: Molecules of Witchcraft

Introduction Between the fourteenth and eighteenth centuries, many people died by cruel and horrible deaths of buring at the stake, hanging, or being tortured. The estimates of people killed ranged up to the millions which included men, women, children, and even aristocrats as they were accused of witchcraft. Although, poor and elderly women were the ones effected the most from multitudes of paranoia and delusions in those centuries. However, certain molecules played a role in this discrimination that ultimately led millions to their demise.Toil and Trouble Witchcraft, prior to 1350, was regarded as sorcery where one controls nature in their own interest by protecting crops or people and casting spells to influence or provide. It was accepted in Europe and it was only a crime if sorcery was used to harm. Indolent accusations were avoided because people victims of maleficium were able to seek help from a witch and only become liable for penalty if they were unable to prove their case. In all, witchcraft was just part of folklore.A new attitude emerged around the fourteenth century when Christianity was opposed to magic. It only allowed magic sanctioned by the church and not the ones conducted outside since they believed that witches were in league with the devil. The crime of practicing sorcery became so terrible in the eyes of people that by the mid-fifteenth century, there were no more trials for the witches, but accusations were enough evidence to kill. The deeds that people regarded with witches transgressed rationality, but they were still fervently believed.A large percentage of women were accused as witches since it was believed that whenever disaster stuck, people would exclaimed that women have been working together with demons at a witches' gathering. The killings definitely too its toll on both Catholic and Protestant countries as the height of the witch-hunt paranoia left no women in Swiss villages, some regions in Germany had its village population burned. In England and Holland, the accused had to undergo the water test that had them thrown into a pond and if they floated, they were a true which.If they were innocent, it was a comfort to their families, but they still drowned. As the witch-hunt terror gradually faded, the economy was threatened since so many people were accused and killed. When the Age of Enlightenment came, people opposed the madness and the witch-hunts ceased. So, by the eighteenth century, executions for practicing witchcraft came to a halt for the Church and state, but the public weren't ready to give up on the fear of witchcraft that built over the centuries. Although many of the women killed were herbalists who were skilled in using local plants to cure diseases and provide pain relief.They were often relied upon for spells or removal of hexes since some of their herbs had healing powers that would seem magical. Although, using the herbal medicine and prescribing them were dangerous because different pa rts of the plant contain ranging levels of effective compounds, like how plants from different locations can vary in their ability to cure or the different times of year they're harvested would change how much does they contain. Many plants were beneficial, but there were ones that can have poison depending on their molecules.So, the molecules in these plants may yet brand a herbalist as a witch. Healing Herbs, Harmful Herbs Many plants contain were used to relieve pain and prevent illnesses, like the salicylic acid in willow trees were used for aspirin or how the root of the celery were used to prevent muscle cramps. Also, Digitalis was an extract from the common foxglove and its molecules helped in reducing the heart rate and regularize heart rhythm. It strengthens the heartbeat too. The digoxin molecule helps with cardiac glycoside or the heart.For example, in 1795, a British physician named William Withering used the foxglove extracts for treating congestive heart failure. It wa s not until more then a century after that scientists were able to identify the molecule responsible for its curable abilities with cardiac glycoside. Three sugar unitsThe steroid ring system In the Digitalis extract, there are also many other molecules that's similar to digoxin, like the digtoxin molecule. It lacks the OH and similar cardiac glycoside molecules are in other plants that are often members of the lily or ranunculus families.The molecules have the same structural features though,so they're likely resposible for the caridac effect. All have five membered lactone ring that's attached to the end of the steroid system with an extra OH in between the C and D rings of the steroid system. lactone ring extra OH between C and D rings Molecules affecting the heart are not found in plants. Toxin compounds found in animals are similar to the structures of cardiac glycosides found in plants. The molecules don't have sugar or used as heart stimulants, but they are poison and have li ttle medical value.The venom is extracted from amphibians, like the frog or toad that are used as arrow poisons and the common anima attributed with witches since in folklore, it is said that many potions made by witches contained toad parts. Bufotoxin is a molecule that's an active component of venom from the common European toad. It's one of the most toxic molecules with structures showing similarities to the steroid system ring of the digitoxin molecule with same extract OH between the C and D rings. The difference is that it has a six membered lactone ring instead of a five membered. ix-membered lactone ring extra OH between C and D rings Bufotoxin is a cardiac poison and not a cardiac restorative, but in addition to toads and foxglove, another myth about witches was that they were able to fly. Many accused as wtiches confessed to flying and the possible chemical explanation is that it had to do with a group of compounds called alkaloids. Alkaloids, plant compounds, have more th an one nitrogen atoms that's usually part of a ring of carbon atoms. They have had a large effect on human history than any other chemicals and affects the central nervous system in humans.They're highly toxic, but they have been used as medicine for thousands if years. Chemical substances play a role in protecting plants since alkaloids are natural fungicides, insecticide, and pesticides. So, humans ingest about a gram and a half of natural pesticide every day from plants and plant products. This leads to the physiological effects on humans. Although they have been used medicinally for centuries. For example, Acrecaidine, alkaloid found in betel nuts, is used as a stimulant in Africa and the East.Ephedrine, from the ma huang plant, has been used in Chinese herbal medicine and now used as a decongestant and bronchodilator in the West. Members of the vitamin B family include; thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), and niacin (B3). They're classed as alkaloids. Reserpine is used to treat hig h blood pressure and be a tranquilizer from the Indian snakeroot plant. Alkaloids don't just have toxicity, but they're also poisonous too. The hemlock plant, responsible for the death of philosopher Socrates in 399 B. C. , is the alkaloid coniine.Coniine has a simple structure, but highly poisonous than the complicated structure of strychnine from seeds of Asiatic trees. ConiineStrychnine Mandrake and henbane contains very similar alkaloids. The two main types are hyoscyamine and hyoscine, which are found in mandrakes, belladonna, and henbane in various proportions. Atropine is a form of hyoscyamine and is valued for its use in dilute solutions, like to dilate the pupil of the eye for ophthalmic examinations. Although, too much can be unsafe and the first symptom of atropine poisoning is the drying of bodily fluids.So, it is used in areas where there's hypersecretion of mucus or saliva that interferes with surgery. Scopolamine, a hyoscine, is used as an anesthetic. It has euphoric effects like atropine and prevents motion sickness. Difference between the two Scopolamine Neither atropine and scopolamine alkaloids are soluble in water. The â€Å"witches† of Europe knew that swallowing the compounds will lead to death rather than the euphoric, intoxicating sensations they wanted. So, the extracts of mandrake, belladonna, and henbane were dissolved in oils and applied to the skin.Witches also used these salves in regards with flying, although they weren't actually â€Å"flying. † The alkaloids brought on hallucinations which led to the sensations of flying among other things as the comalike sleep happens in the last stage. This temporarily escape from reality from these molecules brought confessions from those women and they were burnt at the stake. The Ergot Alkaloids There is another group of alkaloids that devasted communities with its effects. People attributed the disasters with evil spells casted by witches.They're found in the ergot fungus th at affects cereal grains such as rye. After bacteria and viruses, ergotism is the next-largest microbial killer, like how ergotamine causes blood vessels to constrict or how ergonovine induces abortions in humans. Also, large numbers of villagers most likely attained ergotism since rainy periods would envoke fungus to grow on the rye and poor storage promotes the growth. Most people thought their village was bewitched and blamed innocent women, especially if they don't have symptoms of ergotism.Even though ergotism was known for a long time, the cause being hinted around 600 B. C. from reports as the Assyrians observed â€Å"a noxious pustule in the ear of grain† and ergot alkaloids from â€Å"noxious grasses† caused miscarriages in cattle in 400 B. C. , the first recorded occurrence wasn't until A. D. 857 in Europe. There were periodic outbreaks that occurred up to the twentienth century. For example, ergotism played a role in reducing the effectiveness of Julius Caes ar's army and restricted him from his goals to enlarge the Roman Empire.Initially, ergotism seemed the answered the the Salem witch-hunts. The symptoms of ergot poisoning cannot be stopped, so victims would use that to their advantage and accuse neighbors. So, the suffering of these people and their families can be traced back to ergot molecules. Ergot alkaloids are toxic, but have a history of therapeutic use. For example, they were used to hasten birthds or help with abortions and today they are used to treat migraine headaches, postpartum bleeding, and be stimulants for uterine contractions in childbirth.Ergot alkaloids have the same common chemical feature; they're derivatives lysergic acid. The OH group of lysergic acid is replaced by a larger side group. Replaced OH group Lysergic AcidErgotamine In all, neither the atropine or ergot alkaloids caused witchcraft, but there effects were evidence against many women. In the medieval world, women were killed becaused they had knowle dge on medicinal plants, but it has proven to be helpful in the present-day world as there are many various pharmaceuticals. So, the folklore of the past can be of assistance to treating many conditions and diseases.

Letting God Flow Through You Essay

As mortal beings, we cannot be sure that we will be alive to perform the tasks we have intended to perform, regardless of whether we have planned for tomorrow or another day in future. It is for this reason that Dr. Wayne Dyer’s book, The Power of Intention, advises us to go with the divine flow that gave us life and would lead us on to perform the chores we have intended to perform. According to Dr. Dyer, there is nothing that we do without the divine energy that does not only support us in making intentions but also completes the chores for us with excellence. Thus, intention may be referred to as God. Dr. Dyer states that there are seven facets of intention, that is, creativity, kindness, love, beauty, expansion, abundance, and receptivity. We all desire to be creative, for example, just as we desire to be shown kindness to and be loved. However, according to Dr. Dyer’s advice – it is not possible to remove the obstacles from the way unless we have intended to go with the divine flow to receive these blessings from God. After all, the mulish, oft negative ego may try to get in the way. What is the solution to negativity, that is, feeling bad and unable to achieve our goals? According to Dr. Dyer, we would just have to trust God or the divine energy that flows through us in order to complete the tasks assigned us in this lifetime. Thus, in order to be happy, we would simply have to align ourselves with the feeling of happiness that is always ready to flow through us. There may be any number of things for us to feel happy about. As an example, if we are gifted with eyesight we can be grateful for that and enjoy the blessing with the awareness that some people are born blind. But, we cannot wait on achievement of our goals. We simply have to trust, and flow. Each moment we live becomes a blessing this way. And, our goals are achieved with God (Dyer). Works Cited Dyer, Wayne. The Power of Intention. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House, 200