Sociology 1006E Working Poor in Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Sociology 1006E Working Poor in Canada - Essay Example no particular poverty lines, which makes hinders the efforts to identify the appropriate interventions to reduce poverty among the most vulnerable groups (McQuillan & Ravanera, 66). Lee observes that poverty rose by 28.6% between 1990 and 1995 when there was a notable increase (6.1%) in the country’s total population (57). This increase was far more than economic growth in the country within that period. The metropolitan urban areas such as Montreal and Vancouver among others are inhabited by majority of the poor. Poverty among children and the youth, the aged and women is high which is indicator of the impact of poverty in the country due to the fact that children and the youth are the majority in the nation’s population. Majority of people with low levels of education such as below secondary are poor, even though there are more than 8% of poor people in cities who have attained post secondary education. The level of skills is also a major determinant of the poverty prevalence in the country, with the people with low skills being vulnerable to poverty (Beaujot & Kerr, 78). The country is faced with extensive layoffs as well as a reduction in permanent employment, downsizing in companies and declining social assistance rates. These have contributed to the rising levels of poverty. Globalization has significantly contributed to these occurrences especially with the improvements in communication, transport network as well as liberalization of trade, which has led to increased competition for the Canadian industries. Investors shifted their investment to the third world countries that apart from the low competition provide cheap labor compared to the Canadian labor force. This led to the closure of most companies in the country, thereby reducing employment opportunities especially for the unskilled labor (Liu & Kerr, 116). Moreover, there is an increasing trend towards computerization of most operations in many organizations, which is another major factor that

Private prisons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Private prisons - Research Paper Example Governments do consider the benefits and drawbacks of Private Prisons and pros and cons are always analyzed all the time. The arguments in favor and against the case of private prisons revolve around money matters. Some advocates believe that it diminishes the overhead cost for federal and state agencies. Opponents are of the idea that private prisons will not have quality staff or security, lack of excellent maintenance and building, and also probable delays of letting the community know of the convict’s flight (Moore). When a state transfers convicts to private prison, there are many rooms inside the state prisons for more prisoners or right space for prisoners who were already present there. This state prison saves the money which is spent on supplies bought for the current convicts living there and also can diminish potential violence because whole living tension is reduced. When a private company goes bankrupt, all the doors are shut down. This results in possible prematu re release of violent prisoners. The whole amount of money that federal government gives to private firm to run the operations of a prison can be reduced if government can carry on the activities of prison by itself. Lower labor costs which are an aftermath of public prisons are also a factor. Most public service employees receive more in wages that is salary and the benefits in comparison to private employees. These wages are almost more than half of the overall operating expenses that a prison bears. Most private organizations still give the same salary as do the federal governments. But the health care, overtime payments and claims for compensation are usually lower for private prisons (Bledsoe, 2013). Private firms are better when it comes down to performance as compared to publicly owned prisons. They bear the claim that as the contracts they make with governments can be canceled any time, so they work on their best to provide better service than the public prisons. This usuall y means that privately owned prisons are mostly safer as compared to publicly owned prisons, and living conditions in them are better as well. Mostly, it is the prisoners’ rehabilitation that is the most noticeable quality of private prisons. Budget Predictions are much easier when it comes to publicly owned prisons. Federal governments, when working with private enterprises, have a good prediction of right cost to bolster each prisoner each day. This also assists in analysis when grant is requested. The challenge that privately owned prisons pose is that they increase their fees or allow raise expenditures for other activities and create a strain for the state financially. Private prisons pose a threat to the state in the sense that governments become too much reliant on the private organizations for a prison. This leads to high costs of operating such prison because private firms sometimes tend to work with lesser efficiency as they promised before. When governments become too much reliant on private enterprises, the cost increases a lot (Michael, 2013). All the prison services do not have money to increase the size of the building as the population of convicts grows. The amenities offered by private prison have the capacity to increase the size of their buildings so that they can arrange the building parts so that they can be utilized for different purposes. For instance, a huge room with a closed room can be used as a gym or a dormitory. This is easily achieved in

PERSONAL ETHICAL DILEMMA ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PERSONAL ETHICAL DILEMMA ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example So, if the item was $ 18.00, she would provide the change for a $ 20.00 bill from the cash register, and then just replace the $ 2.00 from her own money. That is, so the register would add-up properly at the end of the work day. So, she would pocket the $ 18.00 and this was unquestionably stealing. My personal values were such that I would not have done what she did. I was in the same position as her, but never took advantage of the advice that she gave me about stealing. However, there was conflict with these feelings because I never told on her or turned her in to management. We were not close friends, or did not socialize outside of the workplace, but did get to know each other pretty well. We spent enough time together on the job such that I got to know and like her. Conversely, we both worked for an organization and a manager which we had little regard for. The wages were low, the working conditions were often strained, and the manager was often verbally abusive and generally un likable. So, the conflict in question was defined by my ethical belief that stealing was wrong, and yet, I did not act as a whistle blower or act dutifully as an employee and inform the organization that they were being stolen from. Consequentialism looks at the outcomes of behaviors rather than the intentions. Socially, we very often evaluate individual actions on how their intentions were. So, for example, while lying is generally wrong, if your grandmother asks you what you think about her hideous looking dress, and you tell her she looks nice, your intentions are good even though the result is an immoral act. A consquentialist position looks at only the outcome or the consequence of the act. In terms of my own personal ethical dilemma, the consequence of my co-workers actions were unquestionably immoral. In terms of the other stakeholders, the organization was being stolen from as a consequence. And, knowing that she was doing this makes me complicit to some extent. My obligatio ns in an employee/employer relationship are directed toward the organization and not the employees. Generally, utilitarianism is associated with consequentialism. It argues that the aim of individuals is happiness, and an action or behavior therefore, either maximizes or diminishes the greater goal of happiness. Further, we should maximize the greater happiness for the greatest number of individuals [Perry, 1993, p. 531]. In this instance, while the employee was maximizing their own happiness, they were doing so at the expense of someone else – namely, the employer. However, as a dilemma, it raises the question as to whose happiness I ought to consider? While I had little regard for the organization, I should have turned in the employee on this ethical model because the consequence was that one agents happiness came at the expense of an others. In terms of the greater good for the greater number, there were only two goods to consider – the individual stealing and the o rganization that was incurring the loss. If the business had gone bankrupt because of the theft, obviously a greater number would be effected, however, it was not a substantial amount of money so that it can't be said that a greater than two stakeholders were to be considered. Under a deontological framework, one should not will an act that

Secondary study on any current public health issue - Obesity Statistics Project

Secondary study on any current public health issue - Obesity - Statistics Project Example If found at the beginning, one should take care of his/health by reducing the weight by taking less calorific food and doing aerobic exercises / yoga regularly. From all the above tables and chart, it is concluded that the White non-hispanic youths are less obese (Mean BMI=23.49) compared to Hispanic group youths (Mean BMI=27.56) or black non-hispanic group youths (Mean=34.95). The black non-hispanic groups are over obese compared to their counterparts in Hispanic or white non-hispanic groups. The ANOVA is also showing highly significant F value which indicates that there is a very highly significant difference in BMI between the three ethnic groups. The correlation coefficient between white non Hispanic and black non Hispanic is positive and significant at 1% and 5% levels, the correlation coefficients between Hispanic and white non-hispanic is positive and significant at 5% level only where as there is no correlation between black non-hispanic and Hispanic

PERSONAL ETHICAL DILEMMA ASSIGNMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PERSONAL ETHICAL DILEMMA ASSIGNMENT - Essay Example So, if the item was $ 18.00, she would provide the change for a $ 20.00 bill from the cash register, and then just replace the $ 2.00 from her own money. That is, so the register would add-up properly at the end of the work day. So, she would pocket the $ 18.00 and this was unquestionably stealing. My personal values were such that I would not have done what she did. I was in the same position as her, but never took advantage of the advice that she gave me about stealing. However, there was conflict with these feelings because I never told on her or turned her in to management. We were not close friends, or did not socialize outside of the workplace, but did get to know each other pretty well. We spent enough time together on the job such that I got to know and like her. Conversely, we both worked for an organization and a manager which we had little regard for. The wages were low, the working conditions were often strained, and the manager was often verbally abusive and generally un likable. So, the conflict in question was defined by my ethical belief that stealing was wrong, and yet, I did not act as a whistle blower or act dutifully as an employee and inform the organization that they were being stolen from. Consequentialism looks at the outcomes of behaviors rather than the intentions. Socially, we very often evaluate individual actions on how their intentions were. So, for example, while lying is generally wrong, if your grandmother asks you what you think about her hideous looking dress, and you tell her she looks nice, your intentions are good even though the result is an immoral act. A consquentialist position looks at only the outcome or the consequence of the act. In terms of my own personal ethical dilemma, the consequence of my co-workers actions were unquestionably immoral. In terms of the other stakeholders, the organization was being stolen from as a consequence. And, knowing that she was doing this makes me complicit to some extent. My obligatio ns in an employee/employer relationship are directed toward the organization and not the employees. Generally, utilitarianism is associated with consequentialism. It argues that the aim of individuals is happiness, and an action or behavior therefore, either maximizes or diminishes the greater goal of happiness. Further, we should maximize the greater happiness for the greatest number of individuals [Perry, 1993, p. 531]. In this instance, while the employee was maximizing their own happiness, they were doing so at the expense of someone else – namely, the employer. However, as a dilemma, it raises the question as to whose happiness I ought to consider? While I had little regard for the organization, I should have turned in the employee on this ethical model because the consequence was that one agents happiness came at the expense of an others. In terms of the greater good for the greater number, there were only two goods to consider – the individual stealing and the o rganization that was incurring the loss. If the business had gone bankrupt because of the theft, obviously a greater number would be effected, however, it was not a substantial amount of money so that it can't be said that a greater than two stakeholders were to be considered. Under a deontological framework, one should not will an act that

Should We Drink Our Milk Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Should We Drink Our Milk - Essay Example We are speaking of lactose intolerance in which a person is unable to digest milk and milk products because the body stops producing the milk digesting enzyme called lactase which is essential to break down the lactose in milk. People who retain the ability to drink milk are said to exhibit lactase persistence. Lactase persistence is hereditary. It is therefore evident that to really have a choice of whether to drink milk or not, one has to be lucky enough by birth! The history and pattern of milk drinking also brings many interesting facts to light on the extent of choice in the matter. Lactose tolerance is not a capability that human beings have had all along. In fact, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University College London (UCL), human beings developed this ability only about 7,500 years ago (Vieru, 2009). So, human beings started drinking milk only very recently in the timescale of their origin and evolution. The first population or communities to have been able to drink milk and digest have been located somewhere between the central Balkans and central Europe. Before that it was generally believed that milk was first drunk about 5,000 years ago northern Europe in a culture known as the Funnel Beaker Culture because of the funnel-shaped pottery with flared rims that they used (Halloway, 2007). That would obviously lead to the question whether their pottery was funnel shaped because it was more convenient to dri nk milk out of them. Whatever be the case, there is no doubt in the fact that it is not culture but genetics that overwhelmingly determines the practice of consuming milk in any community. Accordingly, the annual consumption of milk varies from country to country. In China and Japan in which the lactose tolerant population is very small, the consumption is only about 3.6 kg per person per year; whereas in Ireland and many other countries which fall within the funnel beaker

The Diary Of Anne Frank

The Diary Of Anne Frank Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl takes place between June 12, 1942 and August 1, 1944 in Amsterdam, Holland. Specifically, it takes place in their Secret Annex which is hidden behind a bookcase in Mr. Van Daan and Mr. Franks office. The place is cramped with many people, and they must be very quiet so they do not blow their cover. There are workers working in the building where they are so any noise they make is a risk. The book is written in two moods. Anne writes in a depressing and scary mood but also in an optimistic mood. At any point, the Secret Annex could be discovered and those in hiding could be found. They have to be very quiet and cannot go outside. Therefore, she writes in a dark, depressing mood. She also writes in an optimistic mood. She is happy she is still alive and has faith in humankind. She believes she will be set free someday and is hopeful of this event. Characters Anne Frank is the narrator of the book. She is a young, teenage girl of the Jewish faith. The story takes place during the holocaust, so Anne and her family are hiding in a Secret Annex. Anne was a very popular girl in school with both boys and girls. Wanting to be a writer when she grows up, Anne loves to read and write. Margot Frank is Annes sister and three years older. She is quieter and more serious than Anne. Margot gets along better with their parents and becomes closer with Anne throughout the book. Otto Frank is Anne and Margots dad. He is the one who arranges their hiding spot in the Secret Annex. Mr. Frank is modest and quiet with a very close relationship with Anne. He teaches her most of her subjects including Algebra and English. Edith Frank, Anne and Margots mother, has a horrible relationship with Anne. She does not fit the image of what a mother should be according to Anne. It seems as though she always takes Margots side which really ticks Anne off. Peter Van Daan is the son of another family hiding with the Franks. He appears to be boring at first to Anne, but soon enough they fall in love. Peter is a bit older than Anne, but that doesnt stop them from having a relationship. He starts to cling to her and Anne finds out he does not like religion. Both of these are reasons why Anne eventually dumps him. He does not even make the smallest attempt to change his ways which disgusts Anne. Petronella Van Daan is Peters mom. She does not get along with Anne at all. In fact, she criticizes Anne constantly and flirts with Mr. Frank which really gets Anne mad. However, Anne finds her easier to talk to than her own mother. Hans Van Daan is Peters dad and Mrs. Van Daans wife. He often criticizes Anne like most of the adults. Albert Dussel shares a room with Anne and is the last one to arrive in the Secret Annex. He was a dentist before he went into hiding. Anne likes him at first, but soon she discovers his true personality and has an opposite opinion of him. Occasionally, she would do things to annoy him on purpose. A secondary character in the book is Peter Wessel, a young man who Anne crushes on. Anne often dreams of Peter and once dreamt of him touching her cheek. She hopes that they can be together when it is safe to come out of hiding. Plot Anne Frank is a normal teenage girl living a perfectly normal life until she finds out that the dictator of Germany, Adolph Hitler, is executing all Jews for no good reason. Her and her family are forced to go into hiding so the Nazis dont take them away to concentration camps. They hide in an attic behind a bookcase in Mr. Franks office. They call it the Secret Annex. The three members of the Van Daan family (Petronella, Hans, and Peter) and Mr. Dussel, a former dentist, also hide with the Franks for their own safety. The rising action is when the family is sitting around the radio listening to the news about the ongoing war. They hear that things are getting better and the war is on the verge of ending. However, unknown to the Franks, Van Daans, and Mr. Dussel, things really arent getting better. The climax of the story is when Hitler was informed that there are Jews hiding in an annex. Hitler sends Nazis to go and find them. The eight of them are discovered and they are no longer safe. The falling action is when the characters were taken off to concentration camp. They knew they were probably going to die, but tried to look on the bright side. They all were separated except for Margot and Anne who stayed together. The resolution is when Miep finds Annes diary left in the annex. She was looking around in the room after they had been taken away. Miep saw a plaid cloth and went to pick it up. The diary, she soon learned, was under the cloth and an inspirational diary at that. Theme(s) I believe the main theme is isolation in two different ways. The first is physical because the Franks, Van Daans, and Mr. Dussel are physically cut-off from the rest of the world. It is just the eight of them cramped inside a small annex. They cannot go outside, they can barely even make noise, and they lived on the same foods for a while. They are isolated from the outside world. The isolation theme of this book is also mental because Anne feels isolated from her family and friends hiding in the secret annex. Even while all eight of them are in the same room, Anne feels cut-off from most of the people there, especially her mother. Inside Anne, she is as far away from her mother as she can be, even if theyre sharing a chair. Anne feels the same way about Mrs. Van Daan and others hiding with her: isolated. Conflicts The conflict of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl involves the Germans and the Jews. The story takes place in the middle of World War II and the Holocaust. The Germans, or Nazis, are executing all Jews under Adolph Hitlers command. Jews were sent to concentration camps, which is the same as saying death row. A lot of Jews were sent into hiding, but most were discovered by the German army. The Franks, Van Daans, and Mr. Dussel are hiding from the Nazis in this book. Those hiding in the Secret Annex were avoiding concentration camp, extreme torture, and death. They did not have a choice to hide unless they wanted to die, and would not have a choice to go to the camp if they were found. The Franks, Van Daans, and Mr. Dussel must keep their cover, stay quiet, and wait in hiding until the war is over and it is safe for a Jew to walk the streets in Holland. Important Passages Anne says, I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I think this is a very inspirational quote. Anne is facing death at an unknown time, yet she is still very positive. This should instigate use to stay positive. The next time we are faced with a difficult situation and are down with pessimism, we can think of Anne Frank. This innocent girls problem was probably ten times as worse as what we are facing; nevertheless she still looks on the bright side as should we when facing an obstacle. Anne also say, Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a persons character lies in their own hands. I think this is a good passage from the book because it explains that you should be your own person and you are in the drivers seat of your life. You can be whatever you want to be no matter what others tell you. I think this is good advice for a lot of kids. Even though others can guide you through life, ultimately you make your own decisions about your life. You control your life, use it wisely, do what you love, and have fun doing it! Vocabulary Florin: a cupronickel coin of Great Britain, formerly equal to two shillings or the tenth part of a pound and retained in circulation equal to 10 new pence after decimalization in 1971 Palpitation: an unusually or abnormally rapid or violent beating of the heart Gibe: to utter mocking or scoffing words Opklap: Dutch type of bed, which folds against the wall to look like a bookcase with curtains before it Wangle: to bring about, accomplish, or obtain by scheming or underhand methods Faze: to cause to be disturbed or disconcerted Calligraphy: highly decorative handwriting Finicky: excessively particular or fastidious Saboteur: a person who commits or practices sabotage Paragon: a model or pattern of excellence or of a particular excellence Universal Connection Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl is about an entire race of Jews being executed just because they are Jewish. Racism in the world today is comparable to the Holocaust because they were both discrimination against a race for no good reason. Now in most cases racism today is not as extreme, but it is still racial discrimination. It was wrong back then and it is wrong now. This is a connection between the book and the world today. I can make a personal connection to this book because I sometimes feel as if adults are out to get me when they criticize me. All kids hate being criticized by adults and find at least one adult annoying, including me. Anne had bad relationships with the adults there and I know how she feels because Ive been there before. Sometimes, you just want to talk back to a teacher or scream at a coach, but what makes it worse is you know you cant. Anne felt this way in the book and Ive felt this way before in life. This is how I connect to this book personally. Reflective Questioning I would ask Anne Frank so many questions if I had the chance when she was alive. I would ask things like what was it like hiding for years, did you ever think you would be found, and what went through your mind when you were found. However, I think the first questions I would ask are, Did you ever think your diary would be published and have millions of copies sold? If you knew you did, would you have added anything or taken anything out before its publishing? I would ask that because a lot of what she wrote was personal and I would hate to share all of my personal feelings and thoughts with millions of strangers all around the world. I would like to know if she felt the same. I would rate this book a five of ten. It wasnt one of the worst books I have ever read, but it was clearly not one of the best. I do not like stories that date that far back; I like books that are more modern. Also, I found it boring that it was the same thing every day: they ate the same foods, she writes her adoration for Peter, she complains about the adults, and she writes that she will one day be free. Another reason I did not like it is that it was too slow and took too long to read. I understand it is a classic, and the fact it is a true story is unbelievable. However, it is just not my kind of book. I prefer a book easier to relate to, or a book about a subject I am interested in.