Enrons Impact On Enron - 1417 Words

Many questioned how Enron made its money as no one could verify their revenue that they continually raised each quarter. Even with these questions in the back of people s minds, they continued to believe Enron s executives. Enron was an U.S. energy-trading and utilities company that housed one of the biggest accounting frauds in history. Enron s executives employed accounting practices that falsely inflated the company s revenues, which, at the height of the scandal, made the firm become the seventh largest corporation in the United States. Once the fraud was detected, the company quickly unraveled and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Dec. 2, 2001. (Investopedia, 2014) The first real shock came when then newly elected CEO Jeff Skilling, unexpectedly resigned, bewildering investors. â€Å"After the close of markets on Aug. 14, Jeffrey K. Skilling, the company s hard-charging president and CEO, shocked the investment community by unexpectedly resigning. In a conference call with investors, Skilling, said he was leaving for personal reasons, which would remain private. Prior to taking over the CEO post in February, Skilling had been chief operating officer.† (Stephanie Anderson Forest, 2001) After filing for bankruptcy, it became clear to the SEC that Enron fixed the prices of their stock, while hiding massive debt in special purpose accounts. It was also quite clear that the auditors for Enron, Arthur Anderson Consulting, were also deeply entrenched in thisShow MoreRelatedEnron s Ethics Code Of Enron Essay943 Words   |  4 PagesAbstracts Enron was once one of the largest companies in the world. After many years of using diverse accounting tricks, they finally had to file bankruptcy in December 2001 due to not being able to hide billions in debt. The top 140 executives got paid 680 million in 2001. (CNN Library, 2015). Kenneth Lay as the founder of Enron and Jeffrey Skilling as the chief executive were both convicted in 2006. (Weiss, 2009, p.28). Thousands of workers were left with valueless stock in their pensions whichRead MoreKey Stakeholders Affected By The Collapse Of Enron1065 Words   |  5 Pagesstakeholders affected by the collapse of Enron? Explain briefly how each stakeholder was affected. a. Stockholders at first reaped tremendous gains from their investments in Enron stock, because the company’s value rose a lot of quicker than market averages throughout the late Nineteen Nineties. In 2001, because the stock value folded, investors lost $70 billion in value. Each individual and institutional shareholders were hurt. Significantly blasted were Enron workers whose 401(k) retirement plansRead MoreEnron Scandal And Its Ethical Implications1744 Words   |  7 PagesEnron Scandal and Its Ethical Implications Introduction Enron’s collapse in 2002 was perhaps the most shocking and widely publicized ethical violations of all times. Once one of the world’s largest energy company, Enron’s downfall and the demise of its accounting firm Arthur Andersen, highlight corporate America’s moral failings. Enron was charged with substantial accounting frauds by manipulating its major accounts and by masking its massive debts. The company stock that once peaked at $90 was downRead MoreThe Ethics Code Of Enron1586 Words   |  7 PagesEnron’s ethics code Respect, integrity, communication and excellence are the ethics code of Enron. These four aspects have a crucial impact on business ethics. â€Å"Ethics requires respect. One cannot exist without the other. Ethical success depends on understanding the profound impact that respect has on your ethics and character.† As Mark S. Putnam said in his article â€Å"Respect: The Starting Point for Good Ethics†(2003), we need to make respect our obligation and show everyone a certain degree of respectRead MoreThe Ethical Dilemma Of Enron Essay1404 Words   |  6 PagesEnron was formed in 1985 following the merger of Houston Natural Gas Co. and InterNorth Co. The Chairman Kenneth Lay, CEO Jeffrey Skilling, and CFO Andrew Fastow were the backbone of Enron during its growth period. These executives exercised their power and expertise to unethically â€Å"increase† Enron’s profits by hiding the company’s debt. The ethical dilemma that Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Ski lling faced was whether to let their stakeholders know how poorly the company was doing, or to hide the debtRead MoreEnron : The Leading Factor That Had Enron Into Its Demise Essay1608 Words   |  7 Pagesleading factor that had Enron into its demise revolves around the notion that, â€Å"companies are often so concerned with appearance and damage control that they are unwilling to engage in the degree of examination required to root out the entrenched causes of trust violations† (Hurley, Gillespie, Ferrin Dietz, 2013). The historical performance of Enron’s rising share prices, coupled to the constant positive media attentions, only added fuel to the fire in terms of Enron’s competitive culture. As aRead MoreAgency Theory : Relationship Between Agents And The Business Essay1550 Words   |  7 Pageslevels of risk. Enron, was the world’s largest energy company in 2001. Enron forerunner, Northern Gas Company was incorporated in Delaware on April 25, 1930. From this date through July 1985, Enron had hundreds of purchases and new sub-entity constructions when they acquired Houston Natural Gas Inc. (Kastantin, 2005). On April 10, 1986, the company changed its name to Enron Corporation. Enron was an interstate and intrastate natural gas pipeline company, then later in 1989 Enron started trading naturalRead MoreEnron Was Formed In 1986 By Ken Lay (â€Å"Enron Case Study†,1439 Words   |  6 PagesEnron was formed in 1986 by Ken Lay (â€Å"Enron Case Study†, n.d). It was an energy and service company based in Houston. â€Å"The early years of Enron were modest, and despite suffering financial woes and tremendous debt for several years, Enron survived.† (Rafraf Haug, 2013). Enron was the 7th largest company on the Fortune 500 in the year 2000 with assets of $65 billion an d revenue of over $100 billion (â€Å"Enron: Quality Assurance†, 2016, p 17). Despite of revenues in 2000, Enron filed for bankruptcyRead MoreCorporate Social Responsibility Of The Enron Corporation1124 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction We will look at the Enron Corporation and discuss its application of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or in actuality its irresponsible behavior as related to social responsibility. We will revisit what CSR is and discuss Enron’s philosophy regarding its use and function within the corporation. We will discuss the consequences of Enron’s irresponsible behavior and the far reaching effects it had on society. Corporate Social Responsibility are actions taken by a corporationRead MoreEnrons Ethics Code Of Enron1552 Words   |  7 PagesAbstracts Enron was once one of the largest companies in the world. After many years of using diverse accounting tricks, they finally had to file bankruptcy in December 2001 due to not being able to hide billions in debt. The top 140 executives got paid 680 million in 2001. (CNN Library, 2015). Kenneth Lay as the founder of Enron and Jeffrey Skilling as the chief executive were both convicted in 2006. (Weiss, 2009, p.28). Thousands of workers were left with valueless stock in their pensions which

Was Alexander Really Great Free Essays

Greatness is an umbrella term that can hold several different meanings and interpretations. In the case of Alexander the Great, it has a very specific meaning that reflects upon the achievements and success of his life time, despite the many character flaws and failings he undoubtedly possessed. Alexander the Great definitely deserves this appellation for three main reasons. We will write a custom essay sample on Was Alexander Really Great? or any similar topic only for you Order Now Firstly, he conquered an incredibly vast area for his young age and lack of experience; secondly he left his mark on society which has lasted till contemporary day; and thirdly he completely revolutionized military techniques and styles. Firstly, Alexander the Great fought in horrific battles that rewarded him with a huge amount of land, resources and prosperity. He engaged in conflicts including the Battle of Granicus, Battle of Isus and the Battle of Tyre, leading him to conquer nations now known as Turkey,Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and a large portion of India. His ambition certainly paid off, and as Arrian, an historian living at the time of Alexander wrote, †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦He would always have searched beyond for something unknown, and if there had been no other competition, he would have competed against himself. This source is quite reliable, as it reinforces other accounts of his attitude correctly, however Arrian basically recorded all the conquests of Alexander the Great, so it may be influenced or recorded with a certain bias that Alexander himself imposed. Secondly, Alexander the Great helped to establish Greek society and spread it over the world. He single handedly created a culture that has maintained itsel f till this very day. It truly is a great feat to form a society, including language, etiquette, customs and traditions that will last thousands and thousands of years. Historian Professor Paul Cartledge stated in his manuscript Hunting for a New Past â€Å"the great leader’s achievements – both in his lifetime and posthumously are simply staggering, as they have lasted the generations to still be evident today. † Cartledge’s opinion, although we must keep in mind it is only his opinion, is certainly reliable as he is a modern day expert on Greek culture and greek history, quoting in an edited and published official manuscript. Lastly, the military wisdom and knowledge that Alexander the Great not only possessed, but created himself, is astounding. The number of battles and wars he planned and executed is truly great, and especially in such a successful manner. This is one of his greatest attributes, and the skill he is most remembered for. A tapestry called Alexander the Great in Battle, discovered in 1661 by archaeologist Charles le Brun, reflects upon this concept. It depicts Alexander riding into battle and slaying his enemy with strategy and premeditated decision. Although it may be not completely reliable as it seems to portray the romantic myth of Alexander as a ferocious and fearless warrior, it does hold a concise example of his skill in military prowess. Overall, Alexander the Great deserves his namesake because despite having many character flaws, he was an exceptional man who achieved some astounding feats. The vast land he conquered at such a young age, as well as his long lasting impacts on Greek society, and finally his military intelligence and success prove that Alexander truly was a great individual. How to cite Was Alexander Really Great?, Papers

Trapped free essay sample

In the society today, more often than not, it is the men who has control over things. This doesn’t necessarily mean that they are better than the women but this has just been the case for the longest time that it has already become a tradition or part of the culture. When a man likes a woman, for example, he has the option to show this to her or initiate something for their relationship to develop. On the other hand, when it is the woman who likes a man, she has to wait for the man to like her also before she can show her affection to him. This control of men over certain things doesn’t just apply to love or relationships. It also applies in a lot of other situations like in the family etc. In the story â€Å"The Corral† by Edith Tiempo, we see a woman named Pilar who struggles in her life because her decisions are bounded by the people around her and this culture of being conservative for the women in her society. We will write a custom essay sample on Trapped or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In the story, it doesn’t directly say that Pilar is attracted to Gregorio, a man who is introduced as a relatively handsome and hardworking guy, an alpha male, but it is quite obvious that she is interested in him on the basis of her actions towards the man. After their first meeting, she asks Elmo, their servant child, some questions about the man and also talks about him in some instances. â€Å"That man Gregorio, where is he taking all that firewood? † (Tiempo). She also watched closely as Gregorio stretched after eating and left him additional water before she went on in their second meeting in the grove. However, even though Pilar is interested in Gregorio, she is unable to show him much about this affection. In their second meeting. he tries her best to conceal her liking of the man by not throwing herself at him and keeping her silence until Gregorio starts talking because a woman who is too showy is badly looked upon in her society. In their second meeting also, it is noticeable that it is Gregorio, the man, and not Pilar who starts up the conversation this shows the norm in the society that in this kind of situation, it is the man who is more accepted to make the first move and not the woman. Thus, it is also the man who has the control over the situation. As the story goes on, it is seen that Pilar is not only repressed by the norms in the society but also by the people around her. Looking now at her relationship with her father, we see that Pilar is unhappy about some of her father’s actions but she is unable to confront him about these things. â€Å"She didnt want to be irritated at her father because there has already been to much politeness between them lately, and it was a strain. † (Tiempo) This shows that Pilar sometimes feels bad about how she is treated by her father but she holds back her emotions so as not to ruin the courtesy between them. Also, because of her father’s authority, she is pushed around to do things according to her father’s desires. â€Å"You rather enjoy being my reason, Father, don’t you? You rather like it. †Ã‚   (Tiempo). This was Pilar’s follow up when she said that she told Mr. Perfecto that she quit her job because she had to take care of her father which shows that what she is doing, quitting her job and taking care of the household is all for her father’s satisfaction. This authority of his father is what leads her to pursue her father’s wants rather than her own.

Smoking and Nice Warm Cigarette free essay sample

I have brought you here today to discuss a basic human right that has been suppressed. A right that we once had, but that has been extinguished by the pessimists. By those who put their faith in numbers and facts and realities, and who have no respect for human addiction when it conflicts with health standards. Our constitutional right has been violated. Our freedom revoked. We cannot smoke cigarettes in public. There was a time – a wonderful time – when I could enter a restaurant and be offered both smoking and non-smoking sections. While I did not approve of the discriminatory segregation, I allowed it to go on. Now I wonder if I had taken a stand, way back when, maybe I could have prevented the oppression. But now, now I’ve been stripped of my right completely. Is it so wrong to want not a bowl of breadsticks before my meal, but a nice warm cigarette? Is it so wrong to refuse that fattening chocolate cake, replacing it with a much lower-calorie cigarette? I think not. We will write a custom essay sample on Smoking and Nice Warm Cigarette or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There was a time when while I could sit in my car, waiting to pick my son up from his elementary school, and I could take a quick drag from a cigarette and no one would look twice. But now I cannot even bring one onto the campus, let alone light one. Is this not a violation of my rights? Why, when I am in my own car, can I not do as I please? While I do admit that it is necessary for me to roll the windows down, thereby releasing the byproduct of my only source of happiness into the lungs of young children, I must simply say that I do not believe that second-hand smoke really is toxic, even if every single scientist in the entire world says otherwise. There was a time when I could smoke a cigarette when the preacher’s sermon went on for too long, or he discussed a sin I myself had committed, thus putting me on edge. I could relieve myself of the stresses of the lord and have not a problem with those around me but occasional annoyed and rarely angry glare. Now I am fairly certain that if I even lifted a cigarette more than an inch or two out of my pack my mates would all but jump on me, creating a much larger distraction than the smoking would have been in the first place. I know how stressful public speaking can be; I would have no problem with the preacher smoking during his sermon, but for some unfathomable reason our society has deemed this type of behavior unacceptable. I propose the smoking ban be lifted! I propose that smoking be permitted, nay, encouraged! That the carcinogens be allowed to permeate our air! Let the tar, benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia, acetone, carbon monoxide, nicotine, arsenic, vinyl chloride, beryllium, cadmium, ethylene oxide, toluene and hydrogen cyanide swirl freely through our vast atmosphere. Let the children breathe it! Only 440,000 people die prematurely each and every year in the United States of smoking-related causes. So I know that smoking is the leading cause of premature, preventable death in this country, but honestly, I don’t see the problem.

The decline of the Ottoman Mughal, and Safavid empires essays

The decline of the Ottoman Mughal, and Safavid empires essays The Ottoman, Mughal, and Safavid Empires were all very powerful empires for several centuries, but all of them declined and broke apart. But what led to this outcome? All three empires had their unique troubles, but some of the causes were similar. From the 17th through the 19th century, the Ottomans were at constant wars with Russia and Europe. The continuous warfare took its toll on its resources. There was also enormous corruption among Ottoman state officials. They forced the peasantry to pay unfair taxes, which led to serious peasant revolts. Succession was also a problem; in order to avoid civil war Sultans often killed or imprisoned their brothers. When the Portuguese reached Asia by a water route, they were able to control the trade routes, seriously undermining the revenue of the Ottoman Turks. The Empire failed to keep up with European technology, and often underestimated the Europeans, which led to its defeat at the Battle of Lepanto. After that, the Ottomans slowly declined and no longer held major power. The Empire was known as Europes sick man until it finally tumbled at the end of 19th century. The Safavid Empire in Persia fared no better. Abbas I became paranoid. He was fearful that his sons would seize the throne, so he either killed or blinded them. After he died, his weak grandson took over and the dynasty steadily went into decline. The following rulers just wanted lavishness and luxury, but did not rule their Empire well. Civil wars became more frequent, further weakening the dynasty. The Safavids fought exhausting wars on the East with the Mughals and on the West with the Ottomans. Finally the Afghans invaded Persia in 1722, and by 1736, the Safavid dynasty was finished. The Mughal army became technologically inferior. The bureaucracy became corrupt, and peoples living standard declined substantially. The Mughals had one last moment of glory with the reign of Aurangzeb, who ex...

Basketball Match That Crazes You And Others English Literature Essay

Basketball Match That Crazes You And Others English Literature Essay Growing up in New York City is never complete without a touch of basketball which is one of the most famous sports in that community. Kids from all over the neighborhood would gather up at the upper east park. We would all stand there and pick the two most controversial teams in the NBA and play with their names. The joy of a basketball match for a player is to win as it is for the supporters, and to do so convincingly. Imagine entering in to the match as underdogs and coming out as the victors. My mind goes crazy when the fans go on chanting slogans in praise of a team that is performing extra ordinarily. A great feeling of self esteem and feeling like jumping out of my skin accompany the continuous overwhelming celebrations. To best illustrate the feelings of going crazy, I am compelled to describe one of my most exciting experience. There are no feelings of such high spirit as described in an indeed crazy match I participated in. Basketball has always been one of Americas exiting sport. It is a sport that not only provided thrilling excitement, but also true team spirit full of satisfaction. In addition, the motivation which superstar basketball players gave us when making the high basket of 7 to 8 feet high was so immense. This sport has shown me how important it is to keep doing what I love. Throughout junior and high school I played for my school. My high school matches were so memorable to me because I enjoyed them to the fullest. I was just so crazy to know how much power and energy a simple guy like me could get, in one small gym court. Just the thought of it made me crazy. In the locker room I heard the murmuring of the guys talking about their day and the rustling of them getting their jerseys and shoes on. Coach walked in, the room silenced. He gave his preamble speech, his voice echoing off the lockers, everyone listening to him as if he was public speaker. The speech of the coach was full of energy and it made all players more energetic as well a s it made me crazy and excited to play the game in more aggressive manner compared to opposing team for the purpose to win with flying colors. I was feeling more energetic and trying to relax from all personal worries and issues of daily life. The purpose would be to concentrate on the game and play it with absolute focus. Most of the audiences of this basketball match were becoming crazy to watch the exiting game, as well as me. It is very essential in the basketball to co-ordinate in effective and efficient manner. Therefore after the coach’s speech we all spend a few minutes to make some strategies in our minds individually. When we all young boys had made their personal strategies basketball team huddle, we talk game strategy and who’s going to have a big game. Outside the locker room we could hear the crowd roaring â€Å"let’s go, let’s go tigers!† that made all of us and the audience go crazy with excitement.

Decisison Making Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Decisison Making - Assignment Example In tactical operations, MIS helps in organizing information that pertains to resource levels and production capacities of an organization (Bagad, V.S.2009, 39). This may help in instilling efficiency in a supply chain. In operational strategies, the MIS may help in gathering data for items such as attendance, schedules, and types of equipment. This may help in organizing employee trainings (Sousa, K., & Oz, E. 2014, 89). The network can follow three paths. To begin with, the A activity may occur first, followed by the B activity, and finally the F activity. Alternatively, the activities may occur in the A, B, D, and G sequence. Lastly, the activities may occur in the B, E, and G sequence. All these three paths qualify as critical paths. Following the three paths saves on time that would be spent on following the seven activities sequentially. ARR (Average Rate of Return) and NPV (Net Present Value) are measures of appraisal that accords the value of a project before it commences. These measures deal with projections rather than real-time recording of data. ARR is a measure of profitability that relates income to investments. In this sense, both income and investments are measured in accounting terms (Harris, E. 2012, 78). ARR occurs by dividing average income, after depreciation, by the initial investment. NPV is a time-adjusted appraisal measure that discounts the present value of future cash flows (Rogers, M., & Duffy, A. 2012, 102). NPV equals the sum of the present value of future returns associated with a

How does the artwork associated with the band Radiohead challenge Essay

How does the artwork associated with the band Radiohead challenge common ideologies in today's society - Essay Example ther fields, to the existence of propaganda and publicity; further, many sociologists have been able to show -- without specific reference to socio-musical society -- that there is less tendency for the public to become a crowd than to be swallowed up by the mass’. In other words, the music offered to the public can cause severe damages to the social framework of a particular society. At a next level, the above relationship is being used in order to justify the close relationship between music and media particularly in the modern society. From another point of view, the assumption that music can influence the public regarding a particular issue can lead to the hypothesis that media have the power to control the music presenting through them ensuring the protection of the consumers especially of the teenagers from possible severe psychological consequences – although such an result can be differentiated in accordance with the character and the personal thoughts of the pe rson involved. In this way, it has been regarded as justifiable to think that ‘the public and the mass are intermingled, a consequence of mass communication media; these media must not be overlooked in any modern study of music, and have, in fact, led to considerably increased difficulty in the observation of contemporary collective behaviour with regard to music’ (Silbermann, 1963, 192). Current paper examines the relationship between the music and the media regarding a particular band, Radiohead, one of the most known rock bands in the international music industry. More specifically, the issue under examination is the challenge set by Radiohead (by their artwork) towards the common ideologies as they have been recognized and applied in all states around the world. In accordance with the views of Freeden (1996, 87) ideologies are ‘groupings of decontested political concepts; the mutual influence of these concepts is paramountly affected by the specific morphologi cal arrangements that

Boys don’t play with dolls’ Essay Example for Free

Boys don’t play with dolls’ Essay The Vietnam War is still the United States’ most famous (or infamous) war even if new conflicts have risen over the years. The numerous films made about the Vietnam War are a testament to its fame (or infamy). This paper would be a review of two internet sites reviewing the cause of conflict, social stratification, type of conflict, and how the war ended. According to vietnampix. com the war on Vietnam started because of the splitting of the country. The French used to dominate Vietnam but when they were defeated, the country was divided into two. Sometime between 1955 and 1960, the communist occupied North Vietnam tried to invade the Democratic South. Aided by two other communist countries China and Russia, the North was determined to conquer the whole country. Fearing the spread of communism, the US had to interfere. (The Vietnam War Background). Social Stratification had a big role in the war; in fact, it is part of the cause. Communism is based on a form of society where everybody else is equal, except for the officials. Democracy on the other hand believes in open opportunities for all. Not being able to agree on this divided the country which would eventually lead to the Vietnam War. The type of conflict of the Vietnam War is a mixture of different types. It was first a revolution against France which has ruled the country for a long time. And then it became a Civil War as the country was divided into two halves—the communist North and the democratic South led by Ngo Dinh Diem. (Vietnam. vassar. edu). It quickly became a feud of all sorts when America decided to take part in the war in order to stop the spread of communism in the world. On paper, the conflict was ended through the Paris Peace Agreement in January 1973 but hostilities between opposing forces were still happening. (Vietnam. vassar. edu). The result of the conflict were, a rare US loss, millions of lives gone, and a country devastated. References Vietnampix. com (n. d). The Vietnam War: Background. Retrieved June 25, 2009. from: http://www. vietnampix. com/intro. htm Vassar College (n. d). The Wars of Vietnam. Retrieved June 25, 2009. from: http://vietnam. vassar. edu/overview. html

Tips on Writing :: Literature

Tips on Writing There are many different aspects to consider when writing a paper. In order to get the reader's attention, the topic or thesis has to be of interest. Choosing a title appropriate for the essay is also important. Detail and proper structure are also important. These things combine together to make a good essay. The title of an essay is important to the way a reader views the essay. Some titles turn the reader off to the article. In the definition essay we chose, "The Value of Honesty," the title explains that the article is about honesty and that honesty is being valued. Our second essay, "Unlikely Learning," lets the reader know what the essay is about. It talks about the learning a student experiences in unexpected places. "Athenian Adventure" is a good title because the essay is full of the adventures of a day in Athens. The fourth essay we chose was a narrative, "Blue Band Emotional High." This was a good title because it explained the feeling of being chosen as a band member. We think the titles of the essays we chose were good indicators of what the essays were about. Along with capturing the reader's attention, coming up with an appropriate title and adding plenty of detail, a well-written essay has to have the proper structure. Structure consists of an introduction paragraph, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Examples of strong structure can be seen in "Blue Band Emotional High." In this essay, the writer uses a strong thesis sentence to build her body paragraphs upon. she writes, "The proudest moment of my life was when I became a member." The following body paragraphs go on to describe the rigorous practice, the suspense of waiting in the trampled field waiting for her name to be called, and then finally hearing it over the megaphone declaring her a member of the band. Without this kind of structure the essay wouldn't even be worth reading. All in all, structure is an extremely important element, if not the most important to good essay writing. A good piece of writing has to keep the audience interested and entertained. If it's hard to keep one's attention on writing, the reader won't fully comprehend it. It would be hard to have every reader interested in one's writing, so one should appeal to a certain audience.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Official Statistics In Sociological Research Essay

Official statistics are quantitative data produced by local and national government bodies, and can cover a wide range of behaviour including births, deaths, marriages and divorce, income, crime, and work and leisure. Official statistics can be produced as a by-product of the normal workings of a government department, but they can also result from research designed specifically to produce them. Two main sources of official statistics are the government and its departments, and surveys. For example, government departments such as the Home Office and Education and Skills request; process and then publish information from organisations such as local tax offices, social services and hospitals. An example of a source of surveys that produce official statistics is The Office for National Statistics, which is a government agency and is responsible for compiling and analysing statistics. Every ten years this agency carries out the Census of the Population, which covers every household in the UK. By law each head of household must complete a questionnaire that includes family composition, housing occupation, transport and leisure. Official statistics are used by sociologists because of their many advantages. A main plus is that official statistics are often compiled from data which has been gathered from a large sample size. The majority of sociologists could probably not afford to carry out such vast research. The size of the sample also tends to increase the representivity of the statistics. They also tend to be well organised and planned when researched, so the standards of sociological research can be met. Official statistics are usually readily available and relatively inexpensive, so sociologists can spend more time and money analysing data than collecting it. Statistics can also sometimes be the only source available for a specific topic, such as unemployment figures. Another advantage is that statistics allow sociologists to make comparisons over time, as they are usually produced regularly, for example the Population Census, which is carried out every ten years. This is similar to longitudinal studies, however the sample size of official statistical data is usually much larger. Looking at the above advantages, it would be easy to draw a conclusion that official statistics are in fact very useful as a source of data, however there are also important disadvantages to official statistics. Official statistics are not always produced in a useful form, making them harder for a sociologist to analyse and draw any trends and patterns from. Another disadvantage is that statistics do not always measure what they intend to measure. For example the Home Office Crime Rates Statistics do not take into account the fact that not all crime is reported. This can decrease the representivity of the data. Another factor which must be considered when interpreting official statistics is that because official statistics are usually produced by the government, they may be politically biased, for example to show that their policies are having the predicted effect. A well-known example of this is that the method of collecting unemployment statistics has changed many times, which gives the appearance that the unemployment rate it falling. From these disadvantages it would appear that although statistics can be very enlightening and useful, there are several pitfalls, which cannot always be avoided. Positivists view official statistics as a potentially valuable source of quantitative data; however they do recognise that statistics have several faults. They generally agree that statistics can provide measures of behaviour that can be used to investigate possible ’cause and effect’ relationships. However Interpretivists, in particular ethnomethodologists and phenomethodologists, reject the use of official statistics for measuring or determining certain behaviour of which they refer to. Cicourel and Atkinson believe that statistics are the products of meanings, which are assumptions of those who construct them. However, although they think that official statistics are not social facts, but social constructs, this does not mean they are not of sociological interest. Phenomenologists believe that they can be studied in order to discover how they are produced. Cicourel said that this is the only use of official statistics, partly because all statistics involve classifyin g things, when such decisions are really subjective. When assessing this view, it seems it cannot be applied to all types of official statistics, especially those concerning data on age and gender. Although there may well be considerable room for interpretation when considering whether, for example, a sudden death is suicide, there is less room for interpretation when deciding whether someone is male or female. Conflict theories such as marxist and feminist theory, argue that official statistics are neither hard facts or subjective meanings. Instead they believe they consist of information which is systematically distorted by the powerful institutions in society. Although the statistics are not complete distortions, they are manipulated through the definitions and procedures used to collect the data, so that they tend to favour the interests of the rich and powerful. One example of this is the claim by Anne and Robin Oakley that official statistics are sexist. They have pointed out that in eighty-percent of cases a man is defined as the head of the household, and that women engaged in housework or unpaid domestic labour are defined as economically inactive, despite the contribution which housework makes to the economy. These theories suggest that official statistics aren’t particularly useful in presenting a valid picture of an area of society. Compared to other methods of collecting data, official statistics can seem both superior and inferior. As a secondary source of data official statistics come ready coded and presented, which can be hard to do with some data, particularly qualitative. However this categorised data may not be categorised in the exact way a sociologist might prefer it, so this is a definite disadvantage. Like questionnaires and social surveys, official statistics produce quantitative data, can generally cover a fairly large sample size, and are pre-coded. Again, like questionnaires and social surveys, the data can be manipulated to support or reject a hypothesis; for example by the way the data is collected and categorised. Official statistics are generally not an in-depth profile of the sample being researched, unlike methods such as participant observation and longitudinal studies. However because these studies are more in-depth, they also tend to have a smaller sample size than statistical data. To conclude, it seems that although there are many benefits to using official statistics as a source of data, they must be treated with caution, bearing in mind the social processes involved in their collection. Although some see statistics as social constructions rather than social facts, official statistics do often provide a unique opportunity for sociologists to obtain data the whole population. This would otherwise be far too expensive and time-consuming for a sociologist to collect themselves.

Marilyn Manson and His Impact on Sub-culture Essay

Marilyn Manson has been pushing the envelope of the right to freedom of expression since his controversial â€Å"shock rock† antics began in the early 1990’s. His methods are strange and rejected by most of society, as it cannot understand what he is trying to achieve. Many people believe that Marilyn Manson is bizarre, seeing him wearing women’s clothing, applying heavy facial makeup, and covering himself with jewelry. His success can be attributed not only to his entertainment abilities, but even more so to the incredible marketing campaign organized to promote himself and his crazy actions. His actions give the media a scapegoat to fall back on and a figure which they can blame all of society’s problems. He has amassed a large following throughout the 1990’s and even today as the self-proclaimed Anti-Christ Marilyn Manson. His fans understand where he has come from, what he has been through and are familiar with rejection from society. The Marilyn Manson’s following is normally associated with the Gothic or â€Å"Goth† subculture. At first examination, this seems to be the case as Manson followers and those of the Goth community share remarkable similarities; although true Goths label Manson follows as merely â€Å"Spooks† or â€Å"Mall Goths†, and not real members of the Gothic following. The similarities have been exploited by the media and have linked his music to violent acts against society. â€Å"It was following the Columbine incident that the media began routinely tagging Marilyn Manson as ‘goth rock’ despite the fact that Manson’s music had little relation to gothic music or sub-culture.† (Marilyn, Wikipedia) This essay will explore the reasons why Marilyn Manson is who he is today, why he has such an influence over a particular subculture, and if these followers are actually part of the Gothic community. Who Is Marilyn Manson? Marilyn Manson, the alias and alter-ego of Brian Warner, was created using Marilyn Monroe and serial killer Charles Manson – two opposites in society. (Marilyn, MTVe.com) â€Å"Brian Warner, who formed the band in 1989 and whose apparent business savvy and flair for controversy turned them into a success. Using androgyny, satanic images and themes of rebellion and death, Manson irked bystanders and proved that outrageous rock was still a viable form of entertainment.† (Marilyn, Answers.com) The band originally started in South Florida as a small industrial Goth band, and by 1990, Marilyn Manson, along with four other musicians became Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids. They opened for Nine Inch Nails (NIN), and Trent Reznor was very impressed with them and would help them in the future in many different ways. They got a contract from Trent Reznor’s new label â€Å"Nothing† and got a spot on Nine Inch Nails’ 94 tours. Manson got to meet Dr. Anton Szandor LaVey. He is the founder of the Church of Satan. Dr. LaVey named Manson as a priest of the Church of Satan. Hence, the title Reverend was given to Manson. (Stanton, Bizarre) Manson’s interest in Satanism began when he as a young boy. He spent most of his childhood at his grandparent’s home. Manson and his friend didn’t have anything to do except explore his grandfather’s (Jack Warner) basement. They find out that his grandfather is a cross-dresser and a user of explicit pornographic material such as bestiality. This is where Manson was first introduced to perversity. He attended a Christian school and had Christian beliefs forced upon him even though he was Episcopalian. He was teased and ridiculed because of this. This aside, he always knew that their was something different about him. After being detested by his peers, he gradually began to hate his school and take exception to everything that he was told. He turned to music to free him of the troubles that exist in his life, and instead finds out who he really is. He becomes the exact kind of person that he was once scared of as a youth. (Long, Manson and Strauss) Manson began his teenage years in public school where sex, drugs, rock, and the occult were laid in front of him and he began embrace them. Here he meets many people with the same interests as he has. Manson also begins to experience his sexuality with women. From his school experiences to his  involvement with sexuality, Manson begins terrorizing the people who have mistreated him. He started to experiment with black magic, began an enduring drug habit, and displayed his disgust for mainstream citizens by stealing from stores. All of this is what Brian Warner was, and who Marilyn Manson was to become. (Long, Manson and Strauss) As Manson’s reputation developed, so did the disturbance surrounding him and his actions. His concerts were regularly protested by civil rights groups, and his music was the target attacks from religious and more specifically, Christian groups. This image was created using Manson’s genius for marketing. At the peak of this controversy, Manson had a cover story in Rolling Stone Magazine as well as a best selling autobiography: The Long Hard Road Out of Hell. Why Does He Have Such A Following? â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.† (Bill of Rights) Manson, along with many other artists, fully embraces their first amendment right to free speech to get their message across. This message mainly appeals to younger generations who can relate to Manson’s songs. Younger audiences are more accepting of his attitude and beliefs, partly due to the fact that teens are more susceptible to mass influence and are easily confused. His communication and identification through music allowed him to amass a loyal following of discontented teens, also know as â€Å"Mansonites.† â€Å"Mansonite can also be used to refer to anyone who has chosen to identify with the Goth subculture without having any idea of its actual nature or composition. Generally, an overnight Goth, or Spooky Kid, will adopt certain aspects of the Goth aesthetic (predominantly black clothing, copious amounts of eyeliner) and loudly proclaim themselves Goth.† (Mansonite, Wikipedia.com) Older generations are quick to assume that it is Manson’s antics which appeals to his followers. But, if no attention was paid to Manson, and his songs and actions didn’t receive the attention that they do, there wouldn’t be such controversy over his religious beliefs or whether he is actually influencing delinquent teens. Teens that are labeled as outcasts can identify with Manson because the media portrays him as an outcast. He dresses differently, often in women’s clothing and he pretends to be a homosexual – something which is a hot topic of acceptance in today’s society. Teenagers these days have very short attention spans and turn to someone like Manson to entertain them by doing extreme things. The Emergence of â€Å"Spooky Kids† goth (g th) n. A style of rock music that often evokes bleak, lugubrious imagery. A performer or follower of this style of music – Courtesy of Dictionary.com â€Å"Mall Goth or Spooky Kid is a disparaging term for someone not supposed to be a real Goth, whose commitment to the Gothic is seen as shallow, pretentious, or dependent on shopping mall-purchased Goth clothes. Their taste is narrowly subjective to mallcore/nu-metal. There have been accusations that (some of, at least) those who listen to the music of Marilyn Manson, Korn, and Slipknot are mall goths. Many mall goths shop at the popular clothing store Hot Topic.† (Mall Goths, Wikipedia.com) Real Gothists would refer to Mansonites as â€Å"posers†, who pretend to know about a particular subculture, but in reality only know a few choice buzz-words and what style of clothes to wear. The Real Goth Subculture How do you define Goth? Goth is short for Gothic, and we typically associate Goth with people that wear black or blood-red coloured clothing . These clothes are often made of leather, lace, and fishnet, and are adorned with spikes, studs, or other shiny metal objects. Sometimes metallic, black, or dark makeup is worn by both the male and females. Some go so far as  permanent body modifications such as full body tattoos, tongue splitting, or vampire teeth implants. â€Å"Those in the Goth scene tend to view the Goth concept rather as an expression of individuality, something they take part in because it seems comfortable and natural for them to do so, rather than because it’s something they want to be. And as such, Goth is a state of mind. Goth is not about being cool-hip, up-to-date. Goth is more about being cool-chilly as in unemotional, detached, unmoved†¦ at least on the surface. There’s an inner calmness, tranquility to it. A need for being given and giving the others space to be at one with themselves. Respect towards the individual – at least as long as it is a fellow Goth.† (Goth, BBC) After conducting a thorough research of the particular subculture, it really is difficult to define Goth. It is ambiguous and open for interpretation. If Marilyn Manson followers acts or dresses a certain way because of their expression for individuality, then they could be considered Goth. If a Marilyn Manson follower acts or dresses a certain way just to follow the crowd or fit in with this subculture, then, based on the quote above, they would not be considered Goth. Works Cited: The Long Hard Road Out of Hell: Marilyn Manson & Neil Strauss Regan Books (April 1, 1999) Goth – A Lifestyle, BBC Available via HTTP: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A473924 Marilyn Manson, Wikipedia.com, the free encyclopedia. Available via HTTP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Manson Mall Goth Wikipedia.com, the free encyclopedia. Available via HTTP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mall_Goth Mansonite, Wikipedia.com, the free encyclopedia. Available via HTTP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mansonite Marilyn Manson, MTVe.com Available via HTTP: http://www.mtve.com/artist.php?ArtistId=276 Marilyn Manson, Answers.com Available via HTTP: http://www.answers.com/topic/marilyn-manson Stanton Lavey, Bizarre Magazine Available via HTTP: http://www.bizarremag.com/bizarre_lives.php?id=1809 The Bill of Rights, US Department of State Available via HTTP: http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/facts/funddocs/billeng.htm

Free Essays on Power In Hobbes Leviathan

, peace would arise only out of our ‘natural’ tendency to do the action most advantageous to ourselves. The most advantageous action, however, might be war, in which case there would be no peace (Chapter XIV, paragraph 1). This concept is known as egois! m, and it is the opposite of altruism. This seems like somewhat of a paradox or a breakdown in Hobbe’s theory, since war would definitely be hazardous to one’s health, and yet it is supposedly our natural condition. Hobbes describes his view of human nature as â€Å"†¦a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death†(Chapter XI, paragraph 2). When analyzing why Hobbes believes that man constantly wants an ever increasing amount of power,... Free Essays on Power In Hobbe's Leviathan Free Essays on Power In Hobbe's Leviathan An analysis of power in Hobbes’ Leviathan In Leviathan, one of the main themes that Hobbes discusses is the pursuit of power. It is this pursuit of power that makes people do the things that they do, according to Hobbes. Hobbes writes about the reasons why we crave power, how we do it, and the only way he sees to control it. In a few of his arguments there seem to be paradoxes in his philosophy. It is the purpose of this paper to briefly explore these ideas. We will be analyzing two different aspects of power which Hobbes discussed: the search for power by all human beings (he refers to them as â€Å"men†; important?) and the power held by the government, which Hobbes called the Sovereign. According to Hobbes, it is the natural tendency of humans to provide for oneself above all others and to not do anything, â€Å"†¦that is destructive of his life or taketh away the means of preserving the same†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Chapter XIV, paragraph 3). He also writes that war is the natural condition of humans. â€Å"The passions that incline men to peace are fear of death, desire of such things as are necessary to commodious living, and a hope by their industry to obtain them†(Chapter XIII, paragraph 14). In other words, peace would arise only out of our ‘natural’ tendency to do the action most advantageous to ourselves. The most advantageous action, however, might be war, in which case there would be no peace (Chap ter XIV, paragraph 1). This concept is known as egois! m, and it is the opposite of altruism. This seems like somewhat of a paradox or a breakdown in Hobbe’s theory, since war would definitely be hazardous to one’s health, and yet it is supposedly our natural condition. Hobbes describes his view of human nature as â€Å"†¦a perpetual and restless desire of power after power, that ceaseth only in death†(Chapter XI, paragraph 2). When analyzing why Hobbes believes that man constantly wants an ever increasing amount of power,...

What are the psychological and developmental differences between Essay

What are the psychological and developmental differences between learning a first and second language - Essay Example Learning a second language is a similar method to learning a first language in that one undergoes developmental phases and depend on native speakers to give good comprehensible models of the language. This extraordinarily fast progress appears to ‘fly in the face’ of several acknowledged facts regarding the nature of language - so much so that it has turn out to be commonly recognized within the scientific society to consider language as well as learning as one of various totally unexplainable ambiguities that overwhelmed people in their lives on a daily basis. Even the cleverest of scientists in the present day do not know where to start with attempting to unravel the variety of intricacies that all of language carries. Nevertheless, the child moves forward, apparently with little regard to this alleged anonymity and continues with little effort to break the ‘revered system’. To begin with, parents give very little in the way of language training to the chi ld; opposite to what some might accept as true, parents do not instruct their children to talk. The majority of parents would not even have the means in which to explain language clearly to a child even if they would like to do so. Actually, parents use the majority of time correcting falsehoods instead of correcting incorrect grammars. If someone is a casual observer, he would believe children grow-up being little lawyers trying to find out facts instead of little linguists trying to find out proper assumptions to their language. ... By the time a child is 5 years old he has developed an intricate verbal language structure and can communicate his requirements, wants, feelings and emotions. However, there is still a long way to go. From the ages of 6 to 12 years, children carry on to make their verbal language more refined and become skilled at reading and writing for a range of contexts. Even as grown-ups, people carry on to develop the first language - including fresh expressions, developing more intricate reading, and writing expertise. Learning a second language is as well a continuing procedure. One can never actually declare that he is completely familiar with a language. Learning a second language is a similar method to learning a first language in that one undergoes developmental phases and depend on native speakers to give good comprehensible models of the language. However, several other factors have an effect on it, including what the first language is, how educated the individual is in his first langua ge and the child’s approach to the new language and culture (O’Malley & Chamot, p. 129, 1990). Proficiency in the first language is very critical in developing proficiency in a second language. If the child can shift abilities from the first to the second language learning, the new language will be a lot simpler. These not just incorporate literacy abilities but also educational proficiencies, thinking skills, subject understanding and learning approach (Bhatia & Ritchie, p. 236, 2009). A lot of individuals believe that young children are the most excellent language learners. One of the huge benefits of younger language learners is that they develop outstanding accent skills; however, younger language learners run the threat of learning a

Computer Sciences and Information Technology Essay - 5

Computer Sciences and Information Technology - Essay Example The recent years have been marked by a shift of resources to more secure designs now that the implementation bags have proved to be scarce courtesy of SDL (Viega and McGraw, 2002, p. 67) Threat models are SDL’s cornerstone as they make it possible for the development team to figure out secure designs in a way that is structured. To achieve this effectively, threat model has been simplified into several tasks; coming up with pictures of data flows software, the application of the â€Å"stride per element† method in an effort to identify threats applicable to the desired design, taking a look at each threat and verification to ensure that the software has been modeled enough by putting into consideration each threat and addressing all the discovered threats (Pfleeger, 1997, p. 78) The basic element of a threat model is in its delineation of the entry points in its application. The threat model is in such a way that it is able to capture the entry points in form of trust b oundaries during the phase commonly referred to as the â€Å"picture-drawing†. Good examples of this include; registry and files entry points and networking entry points. A threat model that is good enough should also be in a position to capture the authorization as well as the authentication requirements and the network accessibility of the interfaces. This process involves network accessibility via the IP address including the remote and local, local-only access and local subnet. The process also includes the authorization and authentication levels, user access, administrator-only access and anonymous access. When it comes to Windows access control lists (ACLs), the authorization levels come as finer-grained (Pfleeger, 1997, p. 56). The process identity is another critical data piece that is always captured by this model. In this case, the running code’s interference is what is taken to be the entry point and the resulting process which is high-privilege is considere d to be very dangerous if it is compromised. In the case of Windows, the administrator or the system process are regarded as being the highest privilege. In Mac OS X or Linux situation, the running process happens to be the most privileged (Viega and McGraw, 2002, p. 108). References List Pfleeger, C. 1997. Security in Computing. Prentice Hall: New Jersey Viega, J & McGraw, G. 2002. Building Secure Software. Addison-Wesley: New York DQ: RBAC The Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is an essential access management approach. It offers a provision method that is straight forward and in the right access level and to the correct users every time it is being applied. Despite RBAC applications, most of the security teams are still facing difficulties when it comes to account implementation and the process of access management on RBAC. The reason for the above scenario is that most of the internal developer’s teams and vendors are not coming up with capabilities based on the expected r ole into the solutions at hand. RBAC has been applicable in major overhaul in the last two years resulting to its application being assigned to more than 20, 000 users on each product. Many vendors tend to be attracted to such products. This indicates how RBAC has value to the management and its users. The latest RBAC model is designed in such a way that it enforces the least segregation and