Modern Virtue Ethics Essay Example for Free

Modern Virtue Ethics Essay To what extent do modern virtue ethics address the weaknesses of Aristotle’s teaching on virtues? (35) Virtue Ethics looks at a person’s good traits, known as ‘virtues’ and negative traits, known as ‘vices’; a person is considered to be a good person if they are virtuous and a morally bad person if they have developed lots of vices. Deontological and teleological ethicists argue that good or bad behaviour is far more important than a person’s good or bad characteristics whereas Virtue Theory argues it is only by becoming a better person that we will engage in the ‘right’ behaviour; Virtue Theory looks at the agent in itself and rather than the action. The key concepts of Virtue Ethics were first penned by the ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle and in more recent times have been adapted and added to by Alasdair MacIntyre. Aristotle’s theory is made up of many key features, including Moral Virtues, The Doctrine of the Mean, Eudaimonia, and Friendship and the Community. According to Aristotle, everything has a purpose, for example, pens, their purpose is to write, if the pen fulfils its purpose and writes well, it is a good pen. In the same way, if we equate Eudaimonia to the pen, Eudaimonia is the supreme goal of human life, if a person reaches Eudaimonia, they are a considered a good person as the purpose was to be happy, therefore they have reached their purpose, just as the pen reaches its own. He also argued that every action comes down to this aim, every human being desires to be as happy as possible. An example of this is to ask a Doctor or a Lawyer why they chose such professions, the majority would answer that they chose this profession because it pays well and they believed that being paid well would lead to an easier and happy life, or Eudaimonia. Aristotle’s theory also says that relationships and friendships play a very important role in how we behave as people and how our actions are determined; we should all aim to individually achieve Eudaimonia, which would therefore achieve the greatest good for society as a whole as everyone would be happier; Aristotle sees our communal friendships and relationships as a vital part of our moral code and flourishing as a virtuous being. As previously mentioned, a good life involves developing a good character and these are known as moral virtues which are cultivated by habit; one must practice these good virtues in order to adopt them. Some of the key virtues Aristotle spoke of include modesty, generosity, patience, truthfulness and friendliness. Aristotle also spoke of Intellectual Virtues and Cardinal Virtues. Aristotle believed that we should aim to be virtuous people and avoid vices. Aristotle’s theory is centered around the concept of The Doctrine of the Mean; this states that there are two different vices that accompany every virtue- the Vice of Deficiency and the Vice of Excess. The Vice of Deficiency refers to a distinct lack of virtues, whereas the Vice of Excess refers to too much of the virtue being present. For example, modesty, if there is a distinct lack of this virtue, it may result in shamelessness and if there is too much of this virtue, it may result in shyness. Aristotle argued that the ‘Golden (or Virtuous) Mean’ is the middle of these to extremes and that is what people should aim to have. Aristotle’s theory is very logical and encourages people to adopt good characteristics which in an ideal world would result in every individual being as happy as possible; however there are many criticisms of this theory. For example, it is somewhat unclear of what is considered a virtue and what is considered a vice and it is also unclear of who is responsible for deciding these; as well as this, it could be argued that it is not possible to measure these virtues. It could also be argued that if every individual had exactly the same characteristics, everyone would be the same and the world be become mundane and monotonous. Virtue Ethics also does not provide clear guidelines or rules of how to act in specific circumstances and is vague and subjective. Alasdair Macintyre is a Scottish philosopher, whose writing dates to the 20th Century CE. He made an attempt to alter Aristotle’s theory in order to make it more relative and contexualise the ideas. Macintyre felt that morality had become lax and felt that they had become far hypothetical. He felt that people focused more on how an ethical theory would hold up under uncommon and unrealistic circumstances rather than situations where morality counts. He believed that we should understand the context of ethics before attempting to fix modern moral dilemmas. Macintyre’s belief in context as the central part to ethical decision making shows us that he is relative in his ideology. He believed that virtues would change over time naturally, for example, bravery for us is a person that confronts a gang of youths, throwing rocks at windows, or a police tackling a burglar, however 2000 years ago, bravery was considered as a man dying in battle, for his country. This is an attempt at addressing a weakness of Aristotelian Virtue Ethics, as it would encourage the person to look at the time and place before deciding whether the character traits are good or not. It has to be said that what may be considered good in the Congo may not necessarily be considered good in Brixton, London. Finally Macintyre addresses the issue of External and Internal goods. Internal Goods are what he calls, the qualities of a person’s character. The External Goods are the things that a person relies on, for example,food or a decent living arrangement. He states that although these are valuable to the human nature, they can be considered good or bad. However the Internal Goods are the most important. This gives more relativism than Aristotelian Virtue Ethics which can be considered an improvement. In conclusion I feel that Alasdair Macintyre has made a good attempt to improve and change Aristotle’s version of Virtue Ethics, however we can still see some weaknesses. For example, it is even more relative than Aristotle’s version and this can lead to ambiguity when facing a moral dilemma. This has not been addressed, in the modern version by Macintyre. It also does not eliminate the idea of universal virtues to achieve Eudaimonia. This is problematic. So, I feel that his attempt must be congratulated but I do not feel that it has been entirely successful as there are still elements which could be improved further.

Personal Reflection On Infection Control In United Kingdom Nursing Essay

Personal Reflection On Infection Control In United Kingdom Nursing Essay It is highly believed within the health care industry that Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI) are a grave worry and concern for the public of the United Kingdom (Nunkoo and Pickles 2008). When it is considered that Clostridium Difficile, commonly referred to as C-diff, is a HCAI it is made apparent that the public are greatly aware of this problem due to the fact that a high percentage of people are aware of this infection (Bosanquet 2009). The Healthcare Commission (2005) have also noted their concerns over this problem both the actual problem clinical areas have at the moment and also the potential problems that C-diff actually poses within hospitals a concern that the Department of Health (2009) also holds. These problems are also acknowledged by numerous additional sources who suggest that infection control in itself is required to be heightened in awareness and practice (Jenkinson et al 2006) making it a significant factor within primary care, a statement which is reiterated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2006). Due to the significance of this issue the author has chosen to reflect on an incident that she encountered whilst on placement within an acute hospital ward regarding this matter. The author has chosen to reflect on this particular incident she encountered using Johns reflection model (1990) with the intention of accessing, making sense of and learning through a specific experience (Johns 1994). The situation chosen for reflection has been classified by the author as being a critical incident. This claim is due to the fact that the experience resulted in thought provocation. Smith and Jack (2005) agree with this when they claim that a critical incident is an experience that results in individuals thinking about what has happened or indeed what is happening, resulting in the provoking of thought within an individual, just as happened in the authors experience. Description Whilst on placement within an acute hospital I encountered a situation that provoked thoughts and feelings within me alongside a desire to further research the subject. I was on a morning shift and was asked by another staff member to help them with a lady patient in a side room that was being barrier nursed due to her being positive for c-diff. Before entering the room to assist the staff member I washed my hands and put on my apron and gloves and then continued to help the staff nurse with the patient. When the task had been completed I proceeded to take the cardboard liner out of the commode and checked with the staff nurse that I was to leave my protective clothing on whilst leaving the room to go to the sluice and dispose of the patients waste and the cardboard liner. The staff nurse told me that hospital policy stated that I would be right in doing exactly that and therefore I proceeded to do so before removing my protective clothing and washing my hands. REFLECTION For this reflective assignment the author has chosen to use Johns (1990) model of reflection due to the belief that she holds that this will ensure that she is to delve through her rationale for actions and the feelings provoked. With regards to this particular incident the author intends to reflect-on-action so that the experience of the situation can be turned into knowledge therefore providing the oppurtunity of being able to learn from what occurred. Jasper (2003) suggests that this is credible due to the fact that reflecting-on-action as opposed to in-action changes the experience of the individual into knowledge. What is c-diff? what does it do? How often does it occur? In 2007 The Health Protection Agency (2007a) reported that there were over fifty thousand noted cases of c diff that presented within individuals over the age of 65. What is it now What does office of national statistics say HPA claim reduction Who does and who doesnt All hospitals are legally bound to ensure that legislation is followed by all staff something that is stated by numerous differing government led organisations including the Health and Safety Executive (2003) who reiterate the statement made by the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) that states HOW MANY HOSPITAL TRUST DO THIS? STATISTICS The documents Winning Ways (DH 2003a) and the Matrons Charter (2004) outlined important areas in the control of infection and acted as a catalyst for local action. According to Shuttleworth (2007) local targets have been set to reduce C diff by twenty five per cent by introducing initiatives to improve knowledge, practical skills in infection prevention and control such as guidelines recently updated (Pratt et al 2007) and DHs and National Health Service (NHS) Modernisation Agencys Saving Lives: A Delivery Programme to Reduce Healthcare Associated Infection (2005). The government (DH 2007b) provided tools and resources to embed robust infection prevention endorsed by the HCC (DH 2007c) by publishing Essential steps to safe, clean care that mirrors Saving Lives but is specific to primary care. These are based on standard principles of infection control such as isolating patients and implementing barrier precautions that must be applied routinely to prevent HCAI transmission (Gould 200 9). Defining the role of the nurse is a difficult task however the role the nurse has within infection control measures is that they are responsible for ensuring that policies and procedures are always followed. It is agreed by Health Protection Agency (2007) AND The Royal College of Nursing (2008) that one of these roles of the nurse is to ensure that individual patients that are confirmed to have c-diff are placed in a side room where they have access to their own toileting fascilities. WHY IS THIS. As stated this is the nurses role however this is not always possible to fulfill due to the fact that side rooms are not always available and the actual layout of wards within hospitals often limit the possibilities of individual toilet fascilities HOW DO I KNOW THIS/. WHEN THIS IS NOT POSS WHAT ARE THE RISKS? HOW FAR CAN SPORES TRAVEL? WHO SAYS WHAT ABOUT THIS SITUATION Johnson and Gelding (2004) claim that even after thoroughly cleaning patient areas C-diff spores can still be found a claim that suggests that after a patient is moved out of a sideroom if they had c-diff confirmed whilst they were being nursed in the room even after cleaning the contamination risk is still apparent. WHAT DOES HCC SAY ABOUT THIS? AND ANYONE ELSE? EXPAND THIS. How does cdiff spread? Hands, environment? Air? Hall and Horsley (2007) suggest that c-diff spores can be spread to patients from the environment however it is individuals who visit the hospital not following the requested hand hygiene that is blamed by Banfield and Kerr (2005). WHICH IS IT OR IS IT BOTH WHO SAYS SOME PEOPLE CLAIM THAT THERE ARE NO SPORES IN THE ENVIRONMENT AT ALL BUT WHO HAND WASHING After washing hands they must be completely dried using a paper towel that is then disposed of (Johnson and Gerding 2004) however this is not agreed by Yamaoto et al (2005) who claim that drying washed hands using warm air may well be a more successful way of limiting bacteria that may be on the hands. WHAT DO NICE SAY AND RCN AND DOFH Arguably hand washing can be classified as being one of the important and utmost effective methods of reducing HCAI (Pittet et al 2000). The World Health Organization (2004) holds this to be at the forefront of its Global Patient Safety Challenge something that Gould et al (2007) supports. Hand washing is advised to be done at specific times within situations in a healthcare setting one of which is before and after contact with any patient (Department of Health 2008). The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (2003) support this statement along with numerous additional governing bodies. The Department of Health (2008) continue that when hands are washed they should be done so with soap and water. The rationale behind this method was recommended in 2001 by the Infection Control Nurses Association due to the fact that soap and water supporting the correct technique helps the skin oil layer to be removed which is the one that retains c diff spores. In addition to this it is suggest ed that the hands are dried once again by a specific and rigorous technique which uses a paper towel that is deemed to be disposable (Johnson and Gerding 2004). This claim is not supported by everybody, Yamaoto et al (2005) believe that drying hands with a paper towel is less effective than leaving them to dry by air, suggesting that this technique would minimize the amount of becteria present on the hands. Alcohol gels are nowadays commonly used therefore rendering soap and water as replaced in many situations and environments. Using alcohol gel prior to and post patient contact is a recommendation that NICE (2003) supported with the exception of when hands can be seen to be soiled to the naked eye. NICE (2003) recommend using an alcohol-based hand-rub before and after patient contact, unless hands are visibly soiled of which case then implement liquid soap and water and an effective hand-washing technique. EPIC 2 (DH2007e) support this claim though believe alcohol is not effective against C diff microorganisms and suggests the nurse must consider the need to remove transient and/or resident hand flora. Non-compliance of this suggestion EPIC 2 (DH 2007e) believe presents a direct clinical threat to patients. Wilson (2006), Pellowe et al (2007) believes hand hygiene technique and the principles of infection control are too complex for staff to comply or perhaps too complicated for healthcare professionals to in-cooperate into everyday routine (Yamaoto 2005 et al). Jenkins (2004) recognizes staff hand hygiene is poor and is part of the nurses role (Supported by DH Chief Medical Officer 2002). IS IT LOW STAFFING LEVELS OR WRONGLY PLACED EQUIPMENT OR INDIVIDUAL NURSES ATTITUDES THAT AFFECTS HAND WASHING IT IS PART OF THE NURSES ROLE Jenkins (2004) suggests that hand hygiene of health care staff is not at a high level despite it being part of the nurses role within the hospitalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.WHO SAYS IT IS NURSE ROLE The following of stringent infection control policies and regulations often are not carried out which is something that can be due to numerous different factors. Different organisations and individuals put the blame for any lapses in infection control procedures down to different things including the belief that it is the mixture of skills and qualifications that are employed on a ward (Pellowe et al 2007). Additional factors believed to be responsible include the attitudes held by individual staff and the social norms of the actual ward environment (Pellowe et al 2007) however this is not the main influencing factor believed by all. Hugonnet et al (2007) suggest that they are in agreement with the idea of the ward environment playing an important part as they claim that the positioning of equipment for example sinks and cleaning products is something that can increase or decrease infection control guidelines being followed. This in itself is not something that is agreed by the HCC ( 2006) who state that the spread of infection within hospital settings is heightened due to shortage of staff on wards. However, the author believes that if shortage of staff was to blame then poor infection control would be evident on all wards that have this denominator which is not the case. DISPOSABLE GLOVES, APRON It seems that numerous organisations agree that to reduce the risk of cross contamination and infection itself protective clothing should be worn. The government themselves state that disposable aprons and gloves should be worn by all staff when caring for individuals whom are not only confirmed to be infected yet also when they are suspected to be (Department of Health 2007a). This is reiterated by the Royal College of Nursing (2008) who also suggest that this is important in reducing infection. There is some contradiction in beliefs regarding the use of plastic disposable aprons after hand washing with Hateley (2003) suggesting that this prevents any microorganism to clothing transmission, this is reiterated by numerous people including Wilson et al (2007) and HCC (2006). This is not agreed by Babb et al (1983) when they claimed that microorganisms are not completely prevented by the use of these specific aprons however a reduction was believed to occur. Gould (2009) take this one stage further in the suggestion that upon exposure to any excreta aprons should be worn before stringent disposal immediately after exposure, a statement that is supported by NICE (2003). Although there is agreeance between NICE (2003) and Gould (2009) there is no specific specification that denotes when gloves should be changed, be it before leaving the particular isolated environment or after. It is stated that wearing protective clothing of any sorts is not necessary upon the entry into an isolated environment (Gould 2009) however this same author claims that when in practice protective clothing should be worn at all times due to the chance of patients requesting assistance. This somewhat contradicts the first claim that protective clothing is not required when entering high risk areas yet is actually required in general practice upon the pretense that help could be asked for. It can be seen from this that the evidence and recommendations with regards to protective clothing are somewhat confusing at times. Derbyshire County Barrier Precautions Policy (2007) further add to this confusion when they stipulate that before leaving any infected area gloves should be removed suggesting that they should actually be worn in the first place. This policy then continues with a suggestion that any members of staff with any materials needing maceration should indeed change their gloves at just before the point of actually handling the door to the sluice, alongside this they claim that protective clothing should indeed be worn throughout the whole of the task until completion. If Gould (2009) is to be followed then no protective clothing would have been worn in the first place in the isolated area. This confusion only enhances with the addition of clinical waste disposal, something that by admittance by is found to be confusing to members of the healthcare team (Gould 2009). Following the recommendations of Gould (2009) any items for the macerator should be taken directly into the sluice whilst protective clothing is still being worn resulting in immediate disposal in the macerator. The protective gloves and apron is then said to be required to be discarded into correct refuse prior to washing hands. Gould (2009) continues to state that in an ideal world any patients that may be infected with c diff should have one of either their own individual en suite toileting facilities or their own individual commode. The later of these two statements has enhancement from the Department of Health (2008) who state specifically that this commode should not leave the patients room. So clearly from these authors and organisations it can be clearly seen that the evidence and suggestions are indeed confusing. The Royal College of Nursing (2008) claim that when wearing gloves a warm and moist environment is created which in turn leads to the possibility of microorganisms growing in vast numbers. Hateley (2003) reiterates this claim alongside Pratt et al (2007) who suggest that upon glove removal soap and water be used to wash hands as mentioned earlier in this text. When I was tasked with disposing of the infected waste I wanted to ensure that I did so using evidence based practice so as to minimize, if not completely eradicate, any risk of cross contamination whilst taking the waste from one area to another where the macerator was based. I was aware of the potential risk of contaminating the environment along the corridors of the ward and did not want to do this and put other patients and staff at risk therefore I needed to question my practice. The contents of the bed pan could have spilled on the floor or the paper towels which would have resulted in spores being released into the surrounding environment. I did consider using my elbow to open the door handle in the patients room and the one leading to the sluice yet came to the realization that this could have resulted in spillage onto either myself or the surrounding environment. O Callaghan (2005) stated that any challenge that nursing practice may receive could possibly add to any changes to policies and or practice regarding infection control procedures and barrier nursing. If Mohanna and Chambers (2001) is to be believed then risk management can be deemed to be an integral factor within clinical governance. Throughout this experience I did hold an awareness of the principles of barrier nursing. This led me to challenge this specific wards policies on the best practice for taking the bed pan from the patients room to the sluice. When I walked down the corridor with only paper towels covering the bed pan I was aware of the possibility that I may well have been spreading c diff spores. This could have had huge implications for all within the surrounding environment. Upon opening the door handles I was more than aware that my gloves had a high risk of being contaminated yet there was nothing I could do to eliminate this. My feelings at the time, are as they still are, ones of hypocrisy. I felt slightly shamed at the fact that I lacked the knowledge to stand and challenge the policy in a greater depth. INFLUENCING FACTORS. One of the first influencing factors of this situation was the recognition that the ward, its patients and staff were intitled to the very best of care. The NMC code of conduct (2008) state that all nursing staff have a duty of care. Within this very code it is stipulated that nursing staff hold a role that means they are expected to prevent patients from infection and protect them at all times. It also stipulates that nurses have a professional duty which includes providing evidence based practice and care that is up to date. The whole scenario was obviously one that would cause the patient to lose their dignity thereofr eI was more than aware of the need to dispose of the excreta immediately and safely. This dignity was what I was trying to protect when covering the bed pan with the paper towels, something that has been agreed as ethically right and correct practice by Timby (1996) alongside the Department of Health (2003b). Not only is this noted as being best practice within the circumstances yet also practice that would provide a reduction within the chance of spillage, therefore I was showing risk management skills. COULD I HAVE DEALT WITH THE SITUATION BETTER? In hindsight I feel that the confusion I encountered at the time of the incident could have been avoided had I had made myself aware of the wards policies on infection control and barrier nursing at the beginning of my placement. Other than this I think that I handled the situation well by questioning what I was being asked to do, however I wish I had held the knowledge that I have gained through this reflection prior to the experience. If I had then maybe I could have foreseen the situation arising and possibly found a solution to a potential problem instead of being confused by an actual problem. In addition to this one thing that I realize I did not do yet could well have done is to have used alcohol gel after washing my hands. This could have reduced the risk of cross contamination further (RCN 2008) which could have resulted in easing my concerns slightly. LEARNING. Numerous issues still remain with regards to infection control and infection prevention however this experience resulted in my awareness of the subject matter being raised. Prior to this experience I encountered I was unaware of factors that potentially predispose individuals to infection. Disease is not always caused by c diff when it is present in the bowel, it is only when bowel flora is changed from being deemed to be normal that disease occurs. This alteration of normal bowel flora can potentially be caused by specific antibiotics, a claim that has had wide spread support throughout the past twenty plus years (Lyerly et al 1988, McFarland et al 1989, Association of Medical Microbiologists 1998, DH 2007a ). Despite my actions being that of best practice within the specific trusts policy I appreciate that isolating any patient into an individual room of their own so as to decrease the risk of cross contamination. However it has to be considered that c diff spores are never truly eradicated completely from the environment. In compliance with evidence based practice guidelines (2009) I ensured that I washed my hands correctly prior to going into the patients room and also wore protective clothing. I placed two disposable paper towels over the bed pan liner due to my awareness that to get to the macerator I would have to walk down the corridor of the ward. I believe that covers for these cardboard liners should always be supplied and used. However upon searching for such a product I could not find any such thing. This is still not an idealistic solution as the risk of spillage would still remain therefore in an ideal world, as suggested earlier, all patients should have their own toileting facilities. So as to resolve the confusion of opening door handles with gloves that pose the risk of contamination it could be suggested that doors within ward environments be handle free. This would limit the contamination risk however the handle on the macerator would also need to be redesigned so as to enable that t oo to be touch free, from hands at least. This suggestion is something that the Department of Health (2008) could be argued to support due to the fact that they claimed to be researching touch free designs for specific equipment. Hand washing and protective clothing can be deemed to be a priority within the spread of c diff yet from the research and literature reviewed within this assignment it is clear that some confusion is apparent, probably steming from the noted contradictions. This experience of a critical incident enthused reflection as explored by the use of Carpers (1978) methods and ways of knowing, namely personal, ethical, aesthetic and empirical. The thorough acknowledgement of these patterns is claimed to expand not only the bredth of understanding yet also the expansion of personal thinking beyond specific approaches (Ashburner 1996). Upon placing paper towels over the bed pan the patients dignity and privacy was maintained, alongside professionalism being shown. Factors that are not only thoughtful yet also a part of the NMCs code (2008). Throughout the experience I was led by the theoretical knowledge that I had gained throughout the journey of my life. Moral decision making is said to be solely focused upon what should actually be done within a specific scenario or situation (Davis 1995). Prior to my reflection upon this practice I was not fully aware of the rational for my actions and the theory that underpinned it however I acted as I did through, as stated above, my knowledge and moral decision making. Using the reflection model of Johns (1990) guided me through an exploration of numerous and varied differing knowledge sources that led my individual actions. My whole level of understanding and awareness of infection control within healthcare settings has been raised which in turn will heighten my confidence within the subject matter for the future. This assignment has noted differing cultures within ward settings and policies that lead to contradictions and often confusion. Despite this numerous attributes that I personally hold have been credited and become aware to myself; including critical thinking and problem solving which has allowed me to explore a thought process that led to alternatives to current practice being explored. One of arguably the most important realizations I have gained from this reflection upon practice is that healthcare workers within any setting all play a part within infection control. It has been suggested that hand hygiene, namely hand washing, prior to dealing with any patient and again afterwards is at the heart of infection control (Storr et al 2005). Alongside this and the previously mentioned infection control procedures I believe that the policies and their appliance within day to day practice is indeed the key. Despite all my fore mentioned research into this subject I am left wondering and concerned that even if all staff members follow their specific policies, due to confusion within the literature a risk of cross contamination, resulting in the spread of c diff, will still be present.

The Berdache of Early American Conquest Essay -- Spaniards Spanish His

The Berdache of Early American Conquest Methodological Introduction This paper attempts to link the facet of queer theory that explains gender and sexuality as culturally constructed identities, with the presence of the berdache in the New World at the time of the Spanish conquest. By analyzing the construction of gender and sexuality among the native peoples, in contrast to the ideologies of the Spanish, I found a clash arose which explained, in some sense, the incompatibility of the two cultures. The differences between the two cultures' gender construction established support for the very "un'natural'" or "in'essential'" nature of gender, sexuality, and the body as a means of self-identity. By realizing the issue of power and where it lies within individuals and societies, hierarchical social constructions are revealed to be connected with sexual roles. This dominant/subordinate relationship present in both cultures defines and substantiates the role that power plays in the cultural context. The use of queer theory to elucidate these complicated s ocial and sexual relationships helps to explain the way this power structure maps onto the native people's relationship with the berdache. This paper will show how the Spaniards mapped their conceptions of power and sexual relationships onto the natives. It will address this conception by carefully analyzing the presence of hermaphrodites in Theodore de Bry's copper etchings. By visualizing the berdache through the eyes of the Spaniard, the concept of sexualizing the foreign natives is revealed to be thickly imbedded in their own gender norms. This argument is two-fold. First, I will support the queer theory view of gender construction by using the native berdache as a... ...he with queer theory, the misconceptions of the Spaniards and the persecution of this particular group as "sodomites", becomes valuable in defining where specified roles of gender and sexuality are really established. Works Cited: Bucher, Bernadette. Icon and Conquest. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, (1981). Foucault, Michel. The History of Sexuality. Robert Hurley (ed). (New York, 1990). Klages, Mary. "Queer Theory" [http://www.colorado.edu/English/ENGL2012Klages /queertheory.html] (April 9, 1998). Kowalski-Wallace, Elizabeth (ed.). Encyclopedia of Feminist Literary Theory. Garland Publishing, Inc.: New York, (1997). Sedgewick, Eve Kosofsky. The Epistemology of the Closet. University of California Press: Berkeley, (1990). Trexler, Richard C. Sex and Conquest. Cornell University Press: Ithaca, (1995). Illustrations:

Wal-Mart International Essay -- Business Management, Case Study, solut

Wal-Mart International Introduction In 1993, Wal-Mart had become America’s leading retailer, with net sales of $67 billion from its Wal-Mart stores, Sam’s Clubs, and Wal-Mart Supercenters. The Company had grown at a rate of 25% per year since 1990, and it was clear that to continue at its current rate of growth, Wal-Mart would have to seriously consider continuing its recent international expansion. During 1992, Wal-Mart had entered into a joint venture with CIFRA, Mexico’s largest retailer, which currently operated 24 stores in Mexico and had plans to open 70 new stores by 1995. The Company had also recently completed the acquisition of 122 Woolco department stores in Canada. Each of these expansions had presented unique challenges for Wal-Mart to adapt its operations to suit local market demands, but Wal-Mart had successfully risen to the challenge. Given the Company’s successful track record, it seemed logical to continue to expand internationally. If Wal-Mart didn’t expand internationally, David Glass, Wal-Mart’s CEO, felt that companies would start to come to the US and increase competitive pressures domestically. International expansion would drive growth and help in maintaining Wal-Mart’s dominant domestic position. Namely, entrance into foreign markets would force competitors to focus on their primary markets. If Wal-Mart planned to maintain its dominant position in the U.S., international expansion would not only drive growth, but it would also keep potential competitors trying to operate stores in their home markets rather than expanding into the U.S. Wal-Mart Company Background: Sam Walton began his retail career working at J.C. Penney while in college and later leased a Ben Franklin franchised dime store in Newport, Arkansas (1945). In 1950, he relocated to Bentonville and opened a Walton Five and Dime. By 1962, Walton owned 15 Ben Franklin stores under the Walton Five and Dime name. Walton felt that big supermarkets would eventually destroy the smaller, traditional five and dimes and in 1962, Walton opened his own supermarket discount store. Eight years later, the Company was trading on Wall Street and had 30 stores. Wal-Mart’s growth accelerated greatly during the 1970s. The Company aggressively marketed itself to middle class shoppers by advertising "Everyday Low Prices." Walton motivated his employees by impleme... ...ring Argentina with a local partner, analysts expected the new stores to be able to capture additional market share and initially achieve lower operating and administrative expenses than if Wal-Mart entered on its own. Martin wondered which of these alternatives would be most beneficial to Wal-Mart. Summary The annual shareholders meeting was coming up, and Bob Martin needed to make a recommendation to Glass on how to proceed. Although Glass agreed with Martin that international expansion needed to continue, he wasn’t convinced Argentina was the best choice. Glass wanted to be sure that they had considered all of the risks involved before making such a large investment in a new country. If Martin did decide that Wal-Mart should invest in Argentina, Martin wondered which alternative to recommend. He needed to finish his analysis and prepare a report for Glass that compared the alternatives. Whatever Martin’s recommendations, he knew they needed to be presented with a compelling argument. This was a critical year for Wal-Mart, and Glass would want to be able to demonstrate to Wal-Mart’s investors that the Company could overcome its slow down in growth during the last year.

The Reality Of Choice Essay -- essays research papers

The term philosophy encompasses various meanings and raises many questions for example, it seeks to explore the true meaning of reality, truth, values, justice and beauty. ( Lexicon Universal Encyclopedia, 240 ). There are many terms used by philosophers that are often interpreted differently by other philosophers . Free will is an example as well as an important debatable issue. Some philosophers view free will as non existent , while others argue that it really exists and I strongly agree with the latter . Every philosopher view the world according to his own culture and religion and that's why each of them created different hypothesis and theories . Some argue that the environment plays a major role in shaping a person's personality and therefore is held responsible for all his actions . Others claim that nature in itself has the upper hand with regard to the actions of human beings. While Blatchford stressed that predicting a person's actions proves the non existence of free will . ( 105 ) However, Stace contrverted that there are both free and unfree will acts (112) but I disapprove with all the previous theories because my religious upbringing allows me to believe that free will determines our destiny. Philosophers like Mill believe that a person's environment is the major shaper of his character . He believes that everything around the person affects his personality in some way or another and thereby directing his actions to reach a certain goal previously identified for him. He believes that a person has little power over forming his own character , since his character is formed by the circumstances surrounding him and since one of these circumstances is his desire to change . This desire is awakened when the person experiences painful consequences associated with his previous character ( Mill , 477: 481) . Mill also states that " A person feels morally free who feels that his habits or his temptations are not his masters , but he theirs ; " ( Mill, 480) .Free will is the ability of deciding freely what to do without fearing anything or being influenced by a habit , a temptation ,an earlier experience or tendency. For example , I know two twins who come from a very religious and conservative family they were both brought up properly and lived in the same environment . One of them chose to conform with her f... ...e always stemming from his soul . In addition , to be fair we should reward good behavior and punish bad behavior . To sum up , man possesses free will in every aspect of his life . Through the past decades many philosophers emerged each having his own sets of ideas regarding the concept of free will . Some argue that nature was the most influential factor , others stated that a person's environment and experiences are the major factor that affects people's choices . Some thought that free will exists but it is affected by both heredity and environment . Another group of philosophers claimed that free will exists and in not affected by any forces because every free act stems from a person's conscience and every person is totally responsible for his actions . God gave us the ability to choose between right or wrong and good or bad . It is up to us whether to choose this way or the other . Ofcourse , God knows our choices in advance yet , God did not make our choices we made them ourselves . I believe in God's justice and fairness . Our choice determines our fate ; whether we should go to heaven and enjoy it's delights or hell and experience the torture we deserve .

The Malaysian Accounting Standards Board Accounting Essay

MFRS 101-Presentation of Financial Statements prescribes the footing for presentation of general purpose fiscal statements to guarantee comparison both with the entity ‘s fiscal statements of old periods and with the fiscal statements of other entities. It sets out overall demands for the presentation of fiscal statements, guidelines for their construction and minimal demands for their content.Purpose of fiscal statementsFiscal statements are a structured representation of the fiscal place and fiscal public presentation of an entity. The aim of fiscal statements is to supply information about the fiscal place, fiscal public presentation and hard currency flows of an entity that is utile to a broad scope of users in doing economic determinations. Fiscal statements besides show the consequences of the direction ‘s stewardship of the resources entrusted to it. A complete set of fiscal statements comprises: ( a ) a statement of fiscal place as at the terminal of the period ( B ) a statement of comprehensive income for the period ( degree Celsius ) a statement of alterations in equity for the period ( vitamin D ) a statement of hard currency flows for the period ( vitamin E ) notes, consisting a sum-up of important accounting policies and other explanatory information ( degree Fahrenheit ) a statement of fiscal place as at the beginning of the predating period when an entity applies an accounting policy retrospectively or makes a retrospective restatement of points in its fiscal statements, or when it reclassifies points in its fiscal statements. An entity may utilize rubrics for the statements other than those used in this Standard. For illustration, an entity may utilize the rubric ‘statement of comprehensive income ‘ alternatively of ‘statement of net income or loss and other comprehensive income ‘ . Statement of fiscal place Information to be presented in the statement of fiscal place. As a lower limit, the statement of fiscal place shall include line points that present the undermentioned sums: ( a ) belongings, works and equipment ; ( B ) investing belongings ; ( degree Celsius ) intangible assets ; ( vitamin D ) fiscal assets ( excepting sums shown under ( vitamin E ) , ( H ) and ( I ) ) ; ( vitamin E ) investings accounted for utilizing the equity method ; ( degree Fahrenheit ) biological assets ; ( g ) stock lists ; ( H ) trade and other receivables ; ( I ) hard currency and hard currency equivalents ; ( J ) the sum of assets classified as held for sale and assets included in disposal groups classified as held for sale in conformity with MFRS 5 Non-current Assetss Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations ; ( K ) trade and other payables ; ( cubic decimeter ) commissariats ; ( m ) fiscal liabilities ( excepting sums shown under ( K ) and ( cubic decimeter ) ) ; ( N ) liabilities and assets for current revenue enhancement, as defined in MFRS 112 Income Taxes ; ( O ) deferred revenue enhancement liabilities and deferred revenue enhancement assets, as defined in MFRS 112 ; ( P ) liabilities included in disposal groups classified as held for sale in conformity with MFRS 5 ; ( Q ) non-controlling involvements, presented within equity ; and ( R ) issued capital and militias attributable to proprietors of the parent An entity shall clearly place each fiscal statement and the notes. In add-on, an entity shall expose the undermentioned information conspicuously, and repetition it when necessary for the information presented to be apprehensible: ( a ) the name of the coverage entity or other agencies of designation, and any alteration in that information from the terminal of the predating coverage period ; ( B ) whether the fiscal statements are of an single entity or a group of entities ; ( degree Celsius ) the day of the month of the terminal of the coverage period or the period covered by the set of fiscal statements or notes ; ( vitamin D ) the presentation currency, as defined in MFRS 121 ; and ( vitamin E ) the degree of rounding used in showing sums in the fiscal statement.Current/non-current differentiationAn entity shall show current and non-current assets, and current and non-current liabilities, as separate categorizations in its statement of fiscal place in conformity with except when a presentation based on liquidness provides information that is dependable and more relevant. When that exclusion applies, an entity shall show all assets and liabilities in order of liquidness.Current assetsAn entity shall sort an plus as current when: ( a ) it expects to gain the plus, or intends to sell or devour it, in its normal operating rhythm. ( B ) it holds the plus chiefly for the intent of trading. ( degree Celsius ) it expects to gain the plus within 12 months after the coverage period. ( vitamin D ) the plus is hard currency or a hard currency equivalent ( as defined in MFRS 107 ) unless the plus is restricted from being exchanged or used to settle a liability for at least 12 months after the coverage period. An entity shall sort all other assets as non-current.Current liabilitiesAn entity shall sort a liability as current when: ( a ) it expects to settle the liability in its normal operating rhythm ; MFRS 101 ( B ) it holds the liability chiefly for the intent of trading ; ( degree Celsius ) the liability is due to be settled within 12s months after the coverage period ; or ( vitamin D ) it does non hold an unconditioned right to postpone colony of the liability for at least years after the coverage. Footings of a liability that could, at the option of the counterparty, consequence in its colony by the issue of equity instruments do non impact its categorization. An entity shall sort all other liabilities as non-current,Statement of alterations in equityInformation to be presented in the statement of alterations in equity. An entity shall show a statement of alterations in equity. The statement of alterations in equity includes the undermentioned information demoing in the statement: ( a ) entire comprehensive income for the period, demoing individually the entire sums attributable to proprietors of the parent and to non-controlling involvements ; ( B ) for each constituent of equity, the effects of retrospective application or retrospective restatement recognised in conformity with MFRS 108 ; ( vitamin D ) for each constituent of equity, a rapprochement between the transporting sum at the beginning and the terminal of the period, individually unwraping alterations ensuing from: ( I ) net income or loss ; ( two ) each point of other comprehensive income ; and ( three ) minutess with proprietors in their capacity as proprietors, demoing separately parts by and distributions to proprietors and alterations in ownership involvements in subordinates that do non ensue in a loss of control. Information to be presented in the statement of alterations in equity or in the notes. For each constituent of equity an entity shall show, either in the statement of alterations in equity or in the notes, an analysis of other comprehensive income by point. An entity shall show, either in the statement of alterations in equity or in the notes, the sum of dividends recognised as distributions to proprietors during the period, and the related sum of dividends per portion.

Nike – good or bad?

Nike is good: A factory called Samyang in Vietnam (a factory under Nike contract) seems to be keeping satisfactory working levels within the building. It employs 5,200 people, most of them being women. The factory is made up of six big buildings with well-kept surroundings. Inside, there are fans keeping the workers cool, fire extinguishers about in the case of an emergency, and workers can easily access goggles, masks and gloves if they need them. Workers get double the local average of $54 per month and an annual bonus of at least one month's salary. Other factories get a lot less – in rural areas, factories pay $35 per month, in suburbs they pay $40 per month, and in cities, $45 per month. In state-owned factories (factories owned by the government), workers get a surprisingly low $15 per month! All this money they are getting has allowed most of them (three quarters) to buy a television, many to have a motorbike, some to have phones, etc. Not only does this improve their life, but it also allows other businesses such as petrol stations, electronic repair shops, etc. to function properly and make money too. This is called the multiplier effect. Nike has made changes to improve health and safety. In 1998, it replaced the very hazardous petroleum-based solvents with less harmful water-based ones. In 1999, an expert in the field went to verify Nike had actually done this at the Tae Kwang Vina factory in Vietnam. The investigator found that Nike had indeed replaced the compound and had also installed local exhaust ventilation systems. They also discovered that Nike had trained certain staff personnel aspects of health and safety. Nike is bad: Nike does not own the factories their clothes are manufactured in. This means they can leave at any time, leaving thousands of workers unemployed and fighting for their life while they find another job. For example, on February 22nd 2008, the BJ&J factory in the Dominic Republic announced that it was going to slowly fire workers and close. The factory, owned by Korean company called Yupoong, was making Nike caps at the time. In the Tae Kwang Vina factory mentioned earlier, some health and safety issues remained. Some sections of the factory were still exposed to hazardous chemicals, and to high heat and noise levels. In 1997, it was found that workers in a different factory were being exposed to 100 times the legal limit of Toluene, a toxic gas. Nike gets its clothes made in countries with free trade zones where it is illegal or extremely difficult for workers to organise into trade unions. It is practically impossible for workers to get better conditions (such as better pay, improved health and safety, etc.) when they cannot get together and form a united group to approach their boss. However, this said, some factory workers have done it before and achieved what they were protesting for. The Ching Luh Nike factory has 21,000 employees, and in June 2008, after going on strike for 2 days, they managed to get Nike to increase their wages by $6 a month. Some people think that the minimum wage in countries is enough to survive because the cost of living in that particular country is lower too. The chart below proves this to be wrong with three primary countries that Nike manufactures in. Nike doesn't pay lots to its workers. In many countries, they live way under the predicted living wage. The table shows the average wage of all the factories in that country, and the living wage in each. The data presented is only an average. Some factory workers earn only $1.60 a day, where the price of three meals a day is $2.00.