Food Ethics Essay

The ethics surrounding food hasn’t always been a major contributor in ones decision on what to eat. In the beginning, we would have to physically hunt or gather our meals in order to survive. The choice of what was for breakfast, lunch or dinner solely relied on what was accessible to us. The ethical questions would only come as a result of a modernized food system, where other options for food became accessible and convenient. In the essay Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace, the author describes lobsters in New England in the 1800’s as having an â€Å"Unbelievable abundance (238). † These crustaceous creatures were all over the shores of New England. Wallace writes about the Boston seashore as, â€Å"being littered with lobsters after hard storms†¦ (238). † Yet, Lobster were considered â€Å"low-class† and as Wallace states, â€Å"†¦eaten only by the poor and institutionalized (237). † It was considered unethical to even feed the poor lobster â€Å"†¦more than once a week (238). † This was modernized New England, which eventually changed at the turn of the century, just as Lobster shifted from being â€Å"low class† to â€Å"chewable fuel†. As the world became more industrialized, food became centralized. The shift from small businesses to large companies started to occur. The lobster industry changed as well during these times as Wallace describes, â€Å"Maine’s earliest lobster industry was based around a dozen such seaside canneries in the 1840’s, from which lobster was shipped as far away as California†¦ (238). † Just like the lobster industry in New England, many companies in the United States started to fulfill the demands for products to gain a profit. Ethics became secondary to making money. Corporations would produce so much that they would drive the price down, increasing its affordability and making it more accessible and widely consumed. Eventually, large companies would become so efficient and affordable, that small businesses like farms and mom and pop shops found it increasingly difficult to compete. Many small companies and farms had to either adjust their products to niche markets or work as a subsidiary to these corporations. Along with mass production of products, was a new manufacturing process. Foods started to become streamlined in such a way that they would grow in the harshest of environments. These new forms of industrialization lead to the creation of processed foods. The companies found ways to maximize profits while making the costs as affordable as possible for the consumer. The supermarkets offered everything one could think of, packaged and ready to eat. Although the prices for most foods were at an all-time low, hunger and malnutrition still existed. There were also issues arising regarding consumer trust in food safety, and the effects on the human body. As a result of these cost efficient products, people in the United States started to become increasingly heavy, leading to an obesity epidemic and a major health crisis. The ethical issues involving economical behavior of consumers and agricultural ethics are at question. Is it unethical for corporations to mass produce unhealthy foods, knowing the adverse side effects on the environment and growing rates of obesity in the United States? The trend seemed to lead to, the more affordable the food, the more we consume. Is this a personal problem or are the companies to blame for offering these products to us? We must first look into the goals of a business and if ethics play any part in the obligations to supply our population with affordable food. The very basic objective to any business is to create a profit. This is what allows companies to continue function and thrive. The best way for this to happen is to make something that is sellable and where there is room for profit. In the food industry corn is not only a commodity it’s a common ingredient in almost every product on our shelves. According to Michael Pollan, in his book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, It is also used to feed most of the animals that become meats in our supermarkets. To say that corn is widely used would be an understatement. It seemed that we couldn’t produce enough of this plant. Not only is our climate great for growing it, we also were able to store it very effectively. The boom in corn production can be traced back to the nineteen seventies. Since those same years, â€Å"†¦American’s average daily intake of calories has jumped by more than 10 percent (Pollan 102). † The reason for this increased caloric intake leaves many to question whether people are eating more because it’s less expensive or people are eating the same amounts but the food contains more calories. Either way, the companies that were producing these items didn’t seem to be bothered by the problem affecting â€Å"three of every five Americans being overweight (Pollan 102). † The truth is that the companies are driven by profits. The Americans who consume these foods create the profits. Additionally, a lot of these companies are traded on the public market and have a responsibility to their shareholders, who subsequently are the same ones buying these foods. So the companies were being driven to make profits for the people invested. Two of the biggest soda companies in the world, Coca-Cola and Pepsi, have followed these trends as well. As Pollen says, â€Å"By 1984, Coca-Cola and Pepsi had switched over entirely from sugar to high-fructose corn syrup. Why? Because HFCS was a few cents cheaper than sugar (thanks in part to tariffs on imported sugarcane secured by corn refiners) and consumers didn’t seem to notice the substitution (104). †It’s as if these corn companies were monopolizing the industry, trying to turn-over as much product as possible. The increased production would eventually lead to increased portion sizes. Instead of lowering the prices of products, companies started charging a small upcharge for additional food and soda. This practice of continually turning over product has become so dangerous that now, â€Å"†¦in 2000 the number of people suffering from [overnutrition]-a billion- had surpassed the number suffering from malnutrition-800 million (Pollan 102). † There is clearly something broken with this system. These companies are catering to our consumer appetites and enabling us to act accordingly. You would think that the prices of the food being low would solve our food problems globally, but the answer is unfortunately no. These companies are in places where there is both a market for high sales and where they can grow these crops. Most of the areas that are facing malnutrition are in remote areas of the world. These areas wouldn’t make the companies money and therefor there isn’t an incentive for them. On the other hand, America is of course one of the largest consumer countries in the world. Our desire for food is unsurpassed by most counties. There is no question that Americans have a sweet tooth. It is part of the human makeup to consume high energy foods and is linked to natural selection. According to Pollan, â€Å"Add fat or sugar to anything and it’s going to taste better on the tongue of an animal that natural selection has wired to seek out energy-dense foods (107). † Pollan also suggests that, â€Å"natural selection predisposed us to the taste of sugar and fat (its texture as well as taste) because sugars and fats offer the most energy (which is what a calorie is) per bite (106). † It’s only natural for humans to consume these ingredients, because after all we are â€Å"predisposed† to do them. This of course doesn’t mean that we are completely free of blame for our overindulging. We are all individuals and are responsible in formulating our own decisions. The companies which provide us with these calorie-packed foods and beverages also list their nutritional information on the packages. If we were to eat any packaged foods, we would be responsible for understanding the health risks involved. The real problem is whether we have the mental capacity to control our physical urges. There is extensive research that suggests, â€Å"†¦people {presented} with large portions will eat up to 30 percent more (Pollan 106). † At one time in our history, this might have served us. Now, there is no question that our bodies are becoming poisoned from this. Knowing all of this information, companies continue doing their best to offer these calorie-packed foods. This is evident in just about every corner store and fast food restaurant. The ethics concerning public safety and effects on the human body are clear. Companies are only concerned over their ability to raise a profit. Their aim to create profits from the overconsumption of high energy foods has been effective in making Americans unhealthy, while continuing to turn over profits. While the companies are certainly a large part of the problem, the consumers are also to blame. They have enabled this overproduction by continuing to consume the same products making them sick. Additionally, people seem to be ignoring their recommended caloric intakes and are choosing to eat more and more. Companies can only be blamed for producing products with limited nutritional value. They are ethically absolved of their responsibilities if they inform their consumers properly. Their goal is to make profits, not worry whether their consumers are eating the recommended serving size or not. The best way to take control of this issue would to be to consume less and choose healthier options as individuals. The more aware we become as individuals, the healthier we will become as a society.

Overweight or Obese Students in Physical Education Essay

In this thought paper, a social ecological constraint model study the inclusion of overweight or obese students in physical education by integrating key concepts and assumptions from ecological constraint theory in motor development and social ecological models in health promotion and behavior. There are some issues about the ecological constraint model. Often, overweight or obese are considered relative to their physical inabilities and how they differ from their peers. Even worse, physical educators maybe negatively biased toward overweight or obese students. Greenleaf, Martin & Rhea, 2008; Greenleaf and Weiler, 2005) and may have stereotypical views of lifestyle behaviors, lack of individual control, outward appearance (Chambis, Finley, & Blair, 2004; Rukavina, Li, & Rowel, 2008; Rukavina, Li, Shen & Sun, 2010). Another constraint is obesity bias/weight stigma, often defined as the assumption that overweight people have negative character trait such as laziness, self-indulgence, or lack of intelligence (Puhl & Brownell, 2001). In parallel of this article, given the social acceptability of negative attitudes toward obese individuals, it may not be surprising to learn that weight discrimination is common in the United States. Weight stigma or bias generally refers to negative weight-related attitudes toward an overweight or obese individual. These attitudes are often manifested by negative stereotypes (e. g. , that obese persons are â€Å"lazy† or â€Å"lacking in willpower†), social rejection and prejudice. Weight stigma includes verbal teasing (e. g. , name calling, derogatory remarks, being made fun of, etc. ), physical aggression (e. g. , hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving, etc. ) and relational victimization (e. g. , social exclusion, being ignored, avoided, or the target of rumors). Many obese individuals report being treated with less respect or courtesy than thinner persons and being called names or insults because of their weight. Thus, weight stigma can emerge in subtle forms, or it can be expressed directly. Discrimination is distinct from stigma and negative attitudes, and specifically refers to unequal, unfair treatment of people because of their weight. For example, an obese person who is qualified for a job but is not hired for the position because of his or her weight may have been the victim of weight discrimination. Other examples include being denied a job promotion or fired from a job because of one’s weight; being denied certain medical procedures or provided inferior medical care because of one’s weight; or being denied a scholarship, a bank loan or prevented from renting or buying a home because of one’s weight. Despite the increasing prevalence of obesity, it appears that incidences of weight discrimination are only becoming worse. (Puhl, R. M. , Andreyeva, T. , & Brownell, K. D; 2008).

Modern technologies, social media, and media freedom Essay

Modern technologies, social media, and media freedom - Essay Example It is certain that the next platform shall offer better communication links between two or more peoples. In addition to that, communication may be faster as compared to the current communication speeds. The Internet as a modern technology has led to the rise of the social media (social networking) networks such as FaceBook, Tagged, Hi5, Twitter, MySpace etc. The social media in turn has its positive and negative influences on media freedoms/freedom of expression globally. Based on that notion, this paper shall seek to analyse how social media has affected media freedom. In addition, the paper shall also look into the way forward with regard to social media and its impacts. The social media has its positive and negative effects which we all have to live and deal with as a society/ globally. One of the positive effects of social media is that the information exchanged is in real time (immediately). However, this is the same aspect that has a negative impact with regard to social media existence. A good example of social media gone badly and affecting media freedom is when there were riots in London and Twitter was apparently the modern technology that was being used to â€Å"propagate† the riots. Apparently, Twitter was alleged to have â€Å"mobilized† the riots which initially started in Tottenham and due to the posting of pictures in Twitter, the riots spread very quickly to neighbouring cities such as Walthamstow, Enfield, Waltham Forest and Brixton (â€Å"The Huffington Post,† 2011). Self expression: Different people have different ways in which they express themselves. Some people may express themselves in a manner that deems fit to them alone but not to everybody. Hence, a lot of people think that they can express themselves as much as they want without being held accountable for what they say or do. According to a survey that was conducted on the awareness of the legal consequences surrounding social media postings, approximately 65%

Virtual time capsule Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Virtual time capsule - Assignment Example Moral values, respect, love, culture traditions are all taught by our forefathers and we follow them by our own will. It is, however, debatable to question the imposition of any idea on us. We live in the age where laws, regulations and rules are made to protect our independence We experience some irrational activities, violence, over exposure to negative aspects of life and gather knowledge via media basically. It is one of the popular advancements available to the people of our age. Media is the best source of information for people around the globe. We experience the role of technologies, education, social interaction and political agendas in our daily life which affects us in one way or the other. However, our families help us in every possible manner and protect us. We have a strong relationship with our family members and friends. Socialization, either face to face or over internet, is one of the activities that we carry out on a daily basis. Physical activities usually include involvement in some sport like football, table tennis, cricket, swimming etc. Our habits are all influenced by the people we are associated to and the society at large. We respect our elders and tend to help them wherever possible. Our customs are affected by other people’s customs as the concept of globalization and diversity has merged the people of different ethnic backgrounds. Decisions in our age are greatly influenced by the moral teachings by our families, educational teachers, friends, media and society. We are given the opportunity to live the way we want after we step in our adulthood. We have certain legal duties as well as some moral responsibilities to follow. The decisions we make are all affected by these factors discussed. A decision to start an awareness program to uphold the sustainability of environment is ethically and morally correct for the people of our age. The decision to stop using products which are made at the cost of the life of any species or th e environment is also morally correct and fair. Our values, hence, weigh how the environment, society and other creatures are affected by our decisions to judge them to be morally or ethically right and acceptable. Happiness is the feeling of being mentally relaxed and satisfied keeping the comfort of others in view. I reached to this definition as I moved on with my life and realized that I feel happy or contended only when things, people and environment around me is stable, in order and sound. Happiness, hence, lies in the greater good of the society. If the society or people around us are stable and the environment is not at risk, we feel comfortable, relaxed and happy. Having read this poem â€Å"Lost sister† I realized the importance of moral values, culture and tradition. Here the poet describes two types of women. Both are brought up in same culture but one of them chooses her life to spend in her native culture but the second chooses American disrupt culture. the ston e that in the far fields could moisten the dry season, could make men move mountains for the healing green of the inner hills glistening like a slice of winter melon. In my opinion the well cultured and traditional women desire more respect and honor than the one who is running in the social race of life with man because cultural lady can be seen but cannot be heard. On the other hand, the other women prefer freedom over respect. This poem enhances our traditional inclination towards the traditional and cultural ladies, who spend their whole lives for the sake of family. This poem will be of help in exposing the views and cultural priorities of our age to the future generations. The most important thing is the reputation and overwhelming

Dada Vs. Surrealism Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dada Vs. Surrealism - Term Paper Example The essay "Dada Vs. Surrealism" discusses dada movement and surrealism movement. Phantasmagorical is characterized by fantastic imagery and incongruous juxtapositions. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines phantasmagoria as â€Å"an exhibition of optical effects and illusions; a constantly shifting complex succession of things seen or imagined; a bizarre or fantastic combination, collection or assemblage†. Artists emerging in this period used disjunctive and bizarre comparisons and contexts to try to break through to a cultural subconscious creating new approaches to art. In the course of making their art, they wanted to expose the hypocrisy that lay at the heart of what they considered to be a decadent, bourgeois world that only they truly understood. The Dada and Surreal movements that emerged in this period were both influential in their own right. Dada began as a movement against the way art was appreciated by others while Surrealism, originally a literally movement, grew and engulfed Dada and became the most eminent movement other than Cubism at that time. Being that Surrealism is a reflection more defined by Dada, it quickly immersed Dada and thus became more influential. The Dada movement in art is roughly traced to the beginning of the First World War. It was essentially a protest carried out through the visual arts, literature, theatre and graphic design. The movement stood against what the literati considered the bourgeois nationalist and colonialist interests that led to war.

Marine engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marine engineering - Essay Example This actuator C is the one that controls the forming operation labeled as (1) in the diagram. In order to return the actuator C to its normal position, solenoid C- is operated through a Normally Opened Contact (R1). However, on its way back through the cylinder, actuator C comes into close proximity of sensor TC- which leads to operation of actuator labeled D under the effect of solenoid D+. The actuator D is used to control forming operation (2). Another normally opened contact (R2) is then used to return actuator D back to its normal position under the effect of solenoid D-. Later on, when the sensor TD- has been activated, actuator B is returned to its original position by the effect of solenoid B-. Meanwhile, sensor TB- is activated by the actuator B which leads to operation of actuator A, which returns to normal position, through effect of solenoid A-. This effectively summarizes the working of the

Homosexuality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Homosexuality - Research Paper Example At first, people thought that it is genetics or hereditary because it usually runs in the family. People thought that since it runs in the family, there must be a particular DNA that makes a person homosexual. Others thought that it is the external environment that makes a person gay. It is thought that the external environment influences a certain person to change his or her gender orientation and sexual preference. Peer pressure is often cited as a cause that makes an individual adapt the preference of his or her group. Many thought that the environment itself makes one homosexual such as having dolls as toys when they are kids make one homosexual. There are also people who thought that homosexuality begins with having a certain homosexual genes or DNA and then made it a full blown homosexual when one is exposed to environment and having a group that makes a person homosexual. All of these theorizing seems plausible but experts disagree on this notion about what really causes or makes one gay. They found out through research that neither our genes or environment makes us gay. Scientists claim that homosexuality is neither genetic or external social factors but rather it is the womb that makes one gay. Scientists call it Epigenetic which is the process where DNA expression is influenced by external factors in the environment (not social factors). Specifically, experts argue that Epigenetic mechanisms can be seen as an added layer of information that clings to our DNA. Epi-marks regulate the expression of genes according to the strength of external cues. Genes are basically the instruction book, while epi-marks direct how those instructions get carried out. For example, they can determine when, where, and how much of a gene gets expressed (Dvorsky, 201). This explains why researchers initially did not find any DNA that links to homosexuality before because there was really none but rather, the root is contained in the mother’s womb. National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis (NIMBioS) confirm this that being gay is written in how are genes are expressed and how it is activated (Blue, 2012). Personally, it does not matter much to me the gender orientation or preference of a person. Of course the scientist findings enlighten me that after all, it is not in the genes but rather in the womb that makes a person predisposed to homosexuality . But what is important to me is that homosexuality does not define a person to be good or bad. They are unusual yes, but gender preference and orientation is just one aspect of their personhood. Honestly, I am not used to homosexuals but they can become productive members of society when opportunity allows them. I have seen countless gays or homosexuals in America who are living normal lives and having normal careers where many are even successful. I have also seen happy gay couples which seemed to live a normal life. In general, I can see that homosexuals does not cause harm to society but in fact can do good society because many of them are creative owing to their unnatural gender orientation. Personally, I think society should become more accepting towards homosexuals. People should judge a person by his or her character not just because he or she is homosexual or gay. According to experts, homosexuals composed around 10% of our population so it is better of us to be tolerant wi th them because they are there whether we like it or not (Blue, 2012). Instead of

More Opportunity Equals More Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

More Opportunity Equals More Crime - Essay Example In 1953, 10.84 percent of women were arrested for a variety of crimes (Science News, 1975). By 1972, this number jumped to 15.27 percent (Science News, 1975). The numbers of monetary crimes perpetrated by women (embezzlement, counterfeiting, fraud, and forgery) also increased significantly during this same period (Science News, 1975; Sohoni, 1994). However, the rates of women participating in violent crimes stayed about the same (Science News, 1975; Sohoni, 1994). In the past twenty-five years, the rate of increase for female incarcerations has surpassed, and even doubled, the rate for male incarcerations (Sileo, 1993). Why is this sudden increase being seen Are more women suddenly turning to a life of crime Are women more evil than they were in years past The definitive answer to this question is "no." Women have always committed crimes. It just seems that now the criminal justice system is getting better at catching and convicting the women who do commit crimes (Sileo, 1993). Also, women have more opportunities to interact outside the home than they did 50 years ago (Sileo, 1993). Since women are out in the workforce more than they used to be, it makes sense that there would be more instances of business-related crimes perpetrated by women.

What is the role of the Arab League and Saudi Arabia in settling the Essay

What is the role of the Arab League and Saudi Arabia in settling the conflict between Hamas and Fatah - Essay Example Hamas became more popular than its rival party, Fatah (McGeough, 2009). In the January 2006 elections, Hamas amassed majority seats in parliament and became the lead player in the Palestinian government. However, the West and the US have viewed Hamas as a terrorist group due to its violence activities directed towards Israel and its allies. Fatah, founded in 1965 by the late leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization Yasser Arafat, is the mainstream Palestinian nationalist movement. It has run the Palestinian Authority since 1994, when it took control of the Palestinian areas following the Oslo accords. Fatah, whose strongest support base lies in the West Bank, recognizes Israels right to exist and is formally committed to peace talks with Israel. But growing disenchantment with the leadership among ordinary Palestinians led to the party losing Palestinian elections to Hamas in January 2006 and becoming part of a coalition government. Since June 2007, its authority has been confined to the West Bank (JÄ miÊ »at al-Kuwayt, 2011). The interest of the Arab League in the Palestinian cause has continued, despite the apparent impotence and loss of credibility in making applicable decisions, and effectively implementing them on the ground. ‘Amr Musa, the Secretary-General of the Arab League, has been concerned with the Palestinian cause as the central Arab cause in the Arab world, But the complexities brought to light the official Arab regime incapacity to adopt a unified stance on its implications. This had an impact on the Arab Summit Conference held in Damascus, which was boycotted by some Arab countries. In its meetings, the Arab League has been calling for lifting the siege on the GS, reopening the crossings, and achieving national reconciliation between Hamas and the PA in Ramallah, without achieving any of these objectives (JÄ miÊ »at al-Kuwayt, 2011). The failure of the Arab official regime to play an active

Audit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Audit - Essay Example Recent news that European Parliament has voted for bringing mandatory auditor rotation into the EU region has once again reminded to the global society about the necessity to improve auditor’s independence and stressed the importance of this measure. The aim of this research was to provide an overview of the auditor's independence and the mandatory auditor rotation and to analyze whether compulsory auditor rotation will improve the overall auditor independence and audit quality. Under mandatory auditor rotation, it is understood that a business or a client firm should not retain the same auditor for more than a specified period of time. There are many different views and opinions regarding the correlation between auditor's independence and auditor rotation reforms. While some experiments published in the accounting literature indicate on some potential benefits of this measure, other studies illustrate that there is no positive effect for auditor rotation and moreover, it may cause the adverse effect. The majority of opponents believe that mandatory audit firm would not improve audit quality, but will result in increased time and distraction of management, as new auditors will require more time for understanding company’s business practices, operations, and financial reporting processes. While there are proponents of mandatory audit rotation, stating that this measure will enable to improve auditors’ independence, the number of arguments put forward by the opponents of this idea is much greater.

Relationships with Government Regulators and Policymakers Essay Example for Free

Relationships with Government Regulators and Policymakers Essay No, I did not believe that Merck acted in a socially responsible and ethical manner with regard to Vioxx. Vioxx is a prescription medicine used to relieve signs and symptoms of arthritis, acute pain in adults and painful menstrual cycle and Merck was one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical firms. Corporate social responsibility means that a corporation should act in a way that enhances society and its inhabitants and be held accountable for any of its actions that affect people, their communities, and their environment. I didn’t believe Merck acted in a socially responsible and ethical manner with regard to Vioxx is because Merck had long enjoyed a reputation as one of the most ethical and socially responsible of the major drug companies. Drug development and testing Merck was renowned for its research labs, which had a decades-long record of achievement, turning out one innovation after another, including drugs for cholesterol, hypertension, tuberculosis and other. In product development and testing, scientists know Vioxx there are serious health risks and the drug may have side effects such as cardiovascular complications but scientists think that the lives that could have potentially been and now know that the effects of the medication can improve then change and it can minimize the harmful side effects. During the development and testing phase for Vioxx has many issues regarding the safety of the drug were questioned due to the many cases of heart attacks and strokes resulting from the medication but also have people think heart attacks and strokes were common and they had multiple causes, including genetic predisposition, smoking, obesity and a sedentary lifestyles. Marketing and advertising This was new in the pharmaceutical industry as it was the first time the FDA were allowed to advertise to consumers and the advertising technique of Vioxx that was used was thru direct-to-consumer. Merck used an Olympic figure skater as the primary character within their commercials and telling viewers that she would â€Å"not let arthritis stop me.† The drug companies defended DTC ads, saying they informed consumers of newly available therapies and encouraged people to seek medical treatment so consumers then would request this medication, making doctors feel obliged to prescribe. Drug company focused most of their marketing efforts on prescribing physicians and as a result of this fiasco, implications for big pharmaceutical firms like Merck are clear, they have take more time to conduct more clinical studies and assess the health risks associated with the drugs even if it means a delay in the entry of the drug into the market. Relationships with government regulators and policymakers Vioxx were regulated by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and work of FDA is whether or not to approve a new drug. Some evidence suggested that the morale of FDA staff charged with evaluating the safety of new medicine had been hurt by relentless pressure to bring drugs to market quickly. The government and policymakers received large sums of money from the development company during the advertising phase and market introduction. The Agency has not had an opportunity to review the data from the study that was stopped in the depth that Merck has, but agrees with the company that there appear to be significant safety concerns for patients, particularly those taking the drug chronically and FDA plans to work closely with Merck to coordinate the withdrawal of this product from the US market. Handling of the recall Merck announced a voluntary worldwide withdrawal of Vioxx. From the published evidence of Vioxx is crystal clear risk of heart attack, as early as in the late 1990s, the company should be aware of risk awareness and the companys internal documents confirmed the the companys awareness of the risks. Yet Merck continued not only to sell the drug, but to market it heavily and as a first line choice, not merely for those thought to be at higher risk of stomach bleeding. Merck decisions and judgments of certain problems with Vioxxs launch can be faulted. They are either ignored or dismissed early signs of an increased risk of heart attack, whether it is in their own research and other post, trying to get to market faster. This proved to be deadly further studies in line with the concerns, and lead ultimately to lead to another wrong decision to recall the drug from the market and Merck would have hoped for, instead they lost the market of customers who would still have taken Vioxx in spite of the risks.

Developmental Psychology Observation Assignment

Developmental Psychology Observation Assignment Introduction The development of children starts from junior wonderful youngsters to early stages and after that to adulthood, they are bit by bit influenced by their encompassing surroundings around them. They are additionally influenced by the heredity, their father and motherpass down to them (Eileen, Marotz and Lyn). As the kids develop they will change and create in numerous diverse ways. Today, the kids will experience numerous phases of social and good improvement from the time off ahead of schedule adolescence through immaturity. Outset is the first run through period in Hanna life that will start during childbirth and proceed through 2 years of age. Throughout the voyage of early stages youngsters create socially and ethically. Since the precise starting during childbirth kids will be to understand that individuals are dynamic, expressive, and react effectively. They additionally understand that individuals have life to them that questions dont (Eileen, Marotz and Lyn). At this early age a child acknowledge on the regular basis that how to act suitably and how to act keeping in mind the end goal to attain an objective. My nieces (Hanna) for example realizes that on the off chance that she is great while at the store, no doubt we will get her a prize that could be anything. Despite the fact that my niece has discovered that on the off chance that she doesnt get her direction and doesnt get her sweet she can yell and through her fit to the extent that she may please and that it wont change the conclusion she s till may not get what she is needing. Most newborn children will connect four or point to demonstrate they need a certain question that he or she may need. In the second year of early stages kids get more mindful of individual mental states, and they will have a consciousness of other individuals consideration centre and feelings (Eileen, Marotz and Lyn). By the age of a year and a half kids will get exceptionally mindful of how their activities impact the individuals around them. Time began: 2:00 pm Time finished: 3:00 pm Name of kid: Hanna Age: 5 Physical aspects of Hanna The physical development of Hanna has dependably been that of ordinary kids. Hanna first birthday, she could remain up without anyone else present and began strolling in no time thereafter. As per Feldman, Hanna met these points of reference near the normal times of most newborn children and babies. Hanna is currently five years of age and shows common physical attributes. She is about 39 inches tall and his weight is similar to most other kids of her ageà Ã‚ ¾ She is not, one or the other overweight, nor underweight. Her sound stature and weight may be an after effect of the way that she consumes well, both at home and at day mind. Her guardians attempt to keep a sound equalization of nourishments, and Hanna consumes almost different types of nourishment given to him. Hanna has had no genuine ailments while growing up. She gets an icy once in for a short time, which could be normal with preschool kid Setting: The setting occurred in a play territory/corner in the classroom of the school where Hanna goes to. Hanna is playing with teddy bears and there are likewise other kids present, playing in the same play territory. Perception: Hanna is sitting in a play territory with a companion playing with teddy bears at a little table. He is playing and talking like the teddy bears. Hanna is getting up and running, imagining he is flying. He then sits back up at the table and gazes nearly toward the teddy bear, attempting to return her head protector on the teddy bear. She says to her companion, Gee golly, how would I get power officer protective cap once more on, Yuma? Her companion doesnt react, and he says once more, Yuma! Help me, Yuma! Hanna then tosses the teddy bear over the room out of dissatisfaction. After he tosses the toy, he recognizes that an alternate kid has begun to shout. So Hanna gets her energy officer that he simply tossed and brings it to the tyke who was hollering and says, â€Å"Do you need teddy bear? Hanna appeared resentful and extremely worried that this kid was yelling. Hanna didnt get an answer so he set the teddy bear alongside the tyke and did a reversal (while biting on her fingers) to the table he was sitting as he continued taking a gander at the yelling kid as he strolled back. Inevitably the tyke came to the table where Hanna was sitting and gave Hanna the teddy bear and Hanna says, I like you Jane, Jane youre a nice kid. Interpretation: As I was watching Hanna I could see that a significant number of her movements and conduct was regular for her age. I will talk about my perceptions as far as the cognitive and psychosocial areas of human advancement. I will likewise talk about my perceptions utilizing the cognitive hypothesis. All through this chore I will be talking about the improvement of a 5year old tyke. With the backing of important hypotheses, including the work of Jean Piaget and Erik Erikson, I will examine the natural impacts that advertise the physical, cognitive and psychosocial advancement of a 5year old kid. I will additionally survey the vitality of play in the youngsters advancement and propose an action of a play that would improve the kids improvement. In the realm of a 5year old kid there is a great deal of evolving. For in the fourth year in most western social orders this is the time they will most generally start going to kindergarten/preschool. Lively and inventive best depict the 4-year-old. Creative energy all of a sudden gets more excellent than life for the 4-year-old, who regularly confounds actuality and make-accept. five-year-olds like the things they can do, show self-assurance, and are ready to attempt new exploits (Lesley). Development of the body and mind, tangible limits, engine abilities and well being are all parts of physical improvement (Lesley). By the fourth year the youngster has accomplished more amazing control over the little muscles, enhancing attracting aptitudes and capabilities to tie shoelaces and secure catches. Their equalization likewise enhances, so they additionally are currently better at running, jumping, skipping and tossing balls. As indicated by kid analyst and scholar Erik Erikson, the 5year old kid is as per her hypothesis, in the activity versus blame stage. These methods the youngster is getting more free and sure about their capabilities. This activity is directed by blame as the youngster understands that their drive may put them in clash with others Conclusion In a rundown, folks must give careful consideration to their childs correspondence capacities, understanding capabilities, and why. Firstly, a childs correspondence capacities might be enhanced by encountering open circumstances. That is providing for them the chance to identify with general society. Likewise, turning into a part of outside exercises will help children to figure out how to correspond with others. Folks should likewise show their children the route how to talk at their house. Correspondence capacity can make a difference Works cited Allen Eileen Marotz Lyn â€Å"Developmental Profiles: pre-birth through to Eight† Albany: Delmar, 2009. Holditch Lesley, â€Å"Understanding Your 5 Year Old† The Tavistock Clinic. Rosendale Press, 2002.

The Introduction To Death Penalty Philosophy Essay

The Introduction To Death Penalty Philosophy Essay Introduction to Death penalty The death penalty also called as Capital Punishment is one of the legal process in which a person is punished and put to death for a crime by the state. It is considered as the ultimate denial of the human rights. If a person is punished in this manner, a death sentence is a judicial decree, whereas Execution is the real process of the cause of death of the person. This degrading, inhuman and cruel punishment is being done in name of justice. It desecrates the right to life which is announced publically or officially in the Universal declaration of Human Rights. Death penalty is not considered as mandatory rather it is considered as discretionary in all the capital offenses except the murder case. Background of crime, physical and mental condition of the offender, age of the accused is taken into account by the judges for various capital offenses. It is valid and justified form of punishment. One calls it as deterrence while tit is regarded as potential of executing innocent people b y the others. Also one calls it justice, punishment and retribution while the others say that execution is murder. The punishment of murder is becoming less and less. Punishment for crime should be cruel and harsh. The aim of justice system is to protect rights of property, liberty and life. Here death penalty plays very important role. The criminal has to suffer for his wrongdoing or crime, stops him committing again and allows other criminals to commit the same. A judge orders a criminal for whole life to be in prison, but the prisoner is out of prison within 15 years. Thus the criminals continue committing crimes as they do not have the fear of punishment as they know that they will not be killed. For this death penalty should be an option so that before breaking the law they may be afraid. Capital offenses or we can say that capital crimes are the crimes which results in death penalty. Crime is an obvious part of the society. Death penalty had been practiced by many societies; currently it is practiced by around 58 nations and has been abolished by 97 countries. Execution of criminals i.e. a person who executes criminals by order of the law and the political opponents are being used by all the societies- both to punish the crime and also to suppress the political dissent. In most of the places where capital punishment is practiced it is restricted for various purposes like treason, murder, part of military justice or as espionage. In some of the countries sexual crimes like adultery, sodomy, rape and incest carries death penalty while in Islamic nations religious crimes like apostasy carry death penalty. In most of the countries that uses the death penalty, drug trafficking is also considered as a capital offense. In china, some of the serious cases of corruption as we ll as human trafficking are suffered for wrong doing by death penalty. In all the cases death penalty is opposed by Amnesty International without exception regardless of forming part of offender, nature of crime or the method which is used by the state to put a prisoner to death. Capital punishment has proved to have good benefits in order to determine the consequences which the criminals deserve in the country. This is required to make certain the moral values and safety of the society, then there will be no need of the expenses that are involved in death penalty. History of Death Penalty: Death penalty was set up as a punishment for people who committed crimes. The king of Babylon, Hammurabi in 18th century BC put into the form of a code the death penalty for almost 25 different crimes and murder was not included in them. In 16th century BC Egypt, the first death sentence occurred which was historically recorded where the wrongdoer was ordered to take his own life. Hittite code also practiced death penalty in 14th century BC. Death was made the penalty by Draconian code of Athens in 7th century BC for every crime which was committed. In 5th century death penalty was codified by the Roman Law. There are five justifications for implementation of death penalty which are as follows: The chances that the offender will return back to the society are reducing to nil. Closure for victims families. Other offenders discourage or deter against the future violations. For the offender who commits such serious crimes, death penalty is the appropriate punishment. Rightful societal vengeance is also one of the justifications of death penalty. Death Penalty Facts There are several reasons to abolish death penalty which are discussed as follows: Executions are carried out at unsteady cost to the taxpayers: It costs much more to execute a person rather than to keep him in the prison throughout the entire life. It is being observed that the death penalty trials are around 20 times more costly than the trials that seek a sentence of life in jail without any possibility of parole. No credible evidence is there that the capital punishment causes crime: Scientific studies had failed to find out that that executions cause people to commit crime more than seeking a sentence of life in prison. The states where death penalty is not practiced have much less murder rates. Innocent people are being executed and convicted: The wrong execution of innocent people creates lack of justice which can never be rectifiable. In the last two years it was found that four men had been executed wrongfully for the crime which they did not committed. Always there is a risk of an innocent people to be executed. Race plays a vital role in deciding who is sentenced to die: The two major factors that decides who lives and who dies are the race of victim and the race of defendant. It was concluded from the report of General Accounting Office in the year 1990 that those people who killed the whites were mostly sentenced to death than those who killed blacks. The death penalty is asked to be given without aim or purpose at random: The three determining factors in death penalty case where crime is committed are the politics, jurisdiction and the quality of legal counsel. The death penalty is considered as a lethal lottery. Out of 22,000 people who commit crime every year, approximately 150 people are put to death. Capital punishment goes against every religion: Execution is regarded as immoral by almost all the religious groups although isolated passages of the religious scriptures have given strength to death penalty. Millions of people spend on death penalty which can be used to help the families of the murder victims: Many families who have lost their loved ones in murder victims feels that neither death penalty will not curse their wounds nor will end their pain. In order to help the families funds can be used to put their lives back together crime victim hotlines, counseling, restitution and many other services that addresses their needs. A large number of countries round the world had given up the use of death penalty, but the consensus has not been formed by the world against the use of death penalty. Every year thousands of people are executed in China, which is the most popular country in the world and it is used regularly by the most powerful country, the US. The use of capital punishment is retained by eighty four countries in the world. The use of death penalty is declining in most of the countries and will be abandoned soon. Death penalty in Islam: Islam accepts death penalty. The main point to note is that life is taken by the people by the way of justice and law. In Islam, death penalty is put into practice by the court as punishment for creating serious crimes. But ultimately it is believed that external punishment is in almightys hand. According to the Islamic penal code, the non- physical, immaterial part of man, the soul, the immortal part of man which feels and thinks is to save lifes, prevent corruption and promote justice. Islamic philosophy holds a view that severe and cruel punishment should be given to the one who commit serious crimes, damages the individual victims, or utter a threat to destabilize foundation of the society. International murder and Fasad fil-ardh (which means to spread mischief in land) are the two crimes according to the Islamic law which are to be punishable by death. International murder: The Quran makes laws against the death penalty for murder, though compassion and forgiveness are strongly supported. A choice is given to the murder victims family either to declare with force and confidence on death penalty or to forgive the performer to take mandatory compensation for their losses. Fasaad fi al-ardh: This is the second crime which is being applied for capital punishment. It means spreading mischief in the land. it can have many different meanings but it generally means those crimes that that affects the whole community and destabilizes the society. Crimes under this include the following: Homosexual behavior Terrorism Adultery Treason/ Apostasy (it means when one joins the enemy to fight against the Muslim community leaving faith) Land, sea and air privacy Rape There are various methods of Capital punishment like firing squad, stoning, beheading and hanging. One important thing to be noted is that in Islam there is no place for vigilantism- before the punishment is announced, one must properly convict in Islamic court of Law. Thus the court can order the punishments according to the case basis like prison sentences, imposing fines etc. Questions arise that are the people in favor of death penalty for a person who committed crime? The answer to this question is explained by the following graph. Trend: Are You in Favor of the Death Penalty for a Person Convicted of Murder? According to the recent data of October 2011, approximately 61% people are in favor of death penalty for the one who is convicted of murder, 35%people are against this and around 4% people have no opinion related to this. Conclusion: During the last few decades many studies have sought to find out whether death penalty has doubtful effector deterrent effect on the homicides rates. Researchers have found out the conclusions very widely. It is being concluded that a statement of an intention to punish or hurt deters murders, saving number of people whereas other studies concluded that there is an increase in homicides due to executions. Most of the people believe that there is no effect due to executions on murder rates. It is being concluded from the new report on Law and Justice from the committee i.e. the Death Penalty and the National Research Council Report Deterrence that research on effect of capital punishment on the homicide rates is useless to determine whether there is increase in death penalty, decrease in death penalty or has no effect on these rates. The major question arises whether capital punishment is more or less effective as a cause rather than the punishments like life without possibility of pa role is considered as sensible alternative to death penalty. Simply death penalty is societys way of concluding that an individual has a right to die for committing crime. Harsh punishments are given which are justified by the nature. If the person suffers penalty, it is desirable. Thus punishment is one of the legitimate purposes of criminal sanction.

Shes Come Undone: Female Voice :: Shes Come Undone

She's Come Undone:   Female Voice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  One of the most interesting aspects of She's Come Undone is the fact that it is written by a man but is told from a female's point of view. Because of his gender, it is impossible that Lamb could have experienced many of the hardships that Dolores must deal with in his novel. However, Lamb writes with a certain understanding of Dolores and her pain. In She's Come Undone, Lamb addresses issues often avoided by male authors, including female friendships and abortion. His convincing female voice has been critically acclaimed. Lamb writes about female friendships as if he has experienced them first-hand. His knowledge of the extreme trust that exists in these relationships is exemplified through the friendship between Dolores and Roberta. Dolores tells Roberta of her rape even before she tells her own mother (Lamb 112). It is only through Roberta's companionship that Dolores experiences true happiness. When Roberta comes to live with her, Dolores finally feels secure with herself and her surroundings (419). Roberta and Dolores each provide much needed encouragement for the other (422-423). Dolores takes care of Roberta during failing health, and Roberta provides Dolores with encouragement to continue her education and move on with her life. On the other hand, Lamb addresses the negative aspects of female friendships. This is best exemplified in the relationship between Dolores and Kippy, her college roommate. Dolores feels the need to impress Kippy. She writes a letter that presents a false but seemingly more attractive persona (146). She is too insecure to comfortably present her real self. Dolores is rejected by the other girls at college because of her physical appearance. The first person to befriend Dolores is the dorm janitor, Dottie. When Dolores realizes that the other girls in her dorm do not approve of Dottie, Dolores abruptly ends their friendship (201). Dolores and Roberta's friendship also has its negative points. After a petty argument, Roberta falls and is hospitalized. Dolores feels that she is solely responsible. Lamb realistically describes the guilt that can accompany some female relationships. Another area in which Lamb exhibits a certain expertise on womanhood is abortion. Many argue that women react differently to such an event than men do. Dante says that he is in mourning, but he can still go about his day everyday activities. His life does not alter in the slightest (340).

The Blitz and St Pauls Cathedral Essay example -- England Religion Pa

The Blitz and St Paul's Cathedral When the Blitz began over Britain in the fall of 1940, Londoners were frightened and unsure of what the Nazis had in store for them. However, their uneasy emotions would later change into feelings of nationalistic pride and perseverance, as London became a city full of active resistors to the Nazi forces. This change would be prompted from a variety of sources, including Winston Churchill, the media, as well as the emergence of inspirational symbols. St. Paul's Cathedral is undoubtedly the most powerful of these symbols, becoming a timeless image associated with the Blitz, encapsulating sentiments of hope and courage. LONDON THROUGH THE BLITZ The Campaign The Blitz on London started on September 7, 1940 and continued until May 1941, lasting a total of eight months. The goals of the Blitz were to "pound Britain into submission by bombing economic and civilian targets," and primarily to soften up the morale of the British people (Ray 9). However, "unlike other campaigns this was a contest mainly between Luftwaffe aircrews and British civilians, the one group skilled and the other untrained in killing" (Ray 9). Although the first bombs fell in August, the first mass attack, concentrated on the docklands area, occurred on September 7. Throughout the afternoon, 300 bombers, escorted by 600 fighters, dropped 300 tons of bombs on the docks downstream from Tower Bridge. These bombs ravaged the East End, creating a two-mile high wall of smoke that would serve as a landmark for the night raid. When the sun set, another 330 tons of high explosives and 440 canisters of incendiary bombs were dropped. The bombing rapidly escalated and continued for the next 57 consecutive nights, increasing in str... ...monument that is St. Paul's, the testament to the courage and pride of London, 1939-1945. However, while the size of St. Paul's dwarfs the memorial to the victims, for the people whose attention is caught by the unimposing memorial, the memorial and its message stand as the remembrance of the Blitz. The message of St. Paul's being an unintended monument to the London spirit during the Blitz is no longer heard. Works Cited Fitzgibbon, Constantine. The Blitz. London: Allan Wingate, 1957. Matthews, W. R. and W. M. Atkins. A History of St. Paul's Cathedral. London: Phoenix House, 1957. Neville, John. The Blitz: London Then and Now. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1990. Ray, John. The Night Blitz 1940-1941. London: Arms and Armour Press, 1996. "The London Blitz, 1940," EyeWitness - history through the eyes of those who lived it, www.ibiscom.com (2001).

The Way Heany Uses the Theme of Nature to Achieve his Point in Poetry :: Papers

The Way Heany Uses the Theme of Nature to Achieve his Point in Poetry The way Heany uses the theme of nature to achieve his point is by using language, and devices. The poems I have read about heany are an advancement of Learning, and Death of a Naturalist. I will first talk about an advancement of learning. An advancement of learning is about a boy who is scared to cross a bridge because they are rats near it. He has always had a phobia of rats since he was young because over his bed in a farm where he used to live rats would run around in the ceiling right over his head and makes funny noises. Finally one day he over comes them and learns that there is nothing to be afraid about hence the name of the title," an Advancement of Learning. In the first two stanzas of the play he portraits a relaxing picture using the ugly nature. " I considered the dirty-keeled swans". The nature is also showing that the place is filthy and that he is standing well away from it. He also using enjambment when he connects the first and second stanza to show it is still slow and peaceful language. " Pliable, oil-skinned, wearing A transfer of gables and sky. Everything starts to change in the 3 stanza. The language is now moving fast because he is using devices like alliteration and assonance. " Something slobbered curtly close, Smudging the silence. " my throat Sickened so quickly. The words like sickened and quickly go smooth together giving a fast language. Also the nature is dirty and the nature makes us think that something slimy is coming out of the water. In the forth stanza the boy is running from the rat and another rat turns up so he is now trapped. The nature in this stanza just increases the ugliness of the rat. " tracing its wet Arcs on the stones. In stanza 5 heany uses a military word to show that the boy is in the

Death Changes Everything

Imogen is a thirteen year old girl. Her family consists of two older brothers, a dad called George, and a step-mother called Jenny. Her grandparents died, when she was a little, except a grandmother on her dads' side of the family called Mary. Her mother also died. Now all she has is a picture which she looks at every morning when she wakes up and just before she goes to bed. Jenny is an evil step-mother. Like one of those from a fairy tale. She seems to love George but hates children and wants nothing to do with them. In front of George she acts kindly towards them and makes an effort to communicate but when he's not around she just ignored them. Jenny is considered completely useless to the three kids. She sits at home watching television all day, she doesn't bother to clean the house or cook and instead she hires a maid and pays her to do the job. This isn't the type of mother role model that Imogen needs. She needs someone who could show her new things like teaching her how to cook complicated dishes for special occasions. Even though Imogen is well-behaved, she still needs a mother to go shopping with, to gossip with and have some mother, daughter time with. All these things could be done with friends but it's different when it's your mother. A mother gives advice that friends might not have experienced yet. George, Imogens' father, plays a big role in her life. He's a successful lawyer and Imogen takes him as her role model. George is a loving father who's always there for Imogen, helping her to make the right choices in life, encouraging her to study just that little bit harder for exams. He's not that big a role model for the boys as he is for Imogen but that's because they have other things on their mind instead of working hard to get a good education. Perfect. That's what Imogen is. She is a bright teenager with high ambitions of following her fathers' footsteps in becoming a lawyer. She has big, blue eyes, long, wavy hair and is short but extremely mature for her age. She loves school as much as cats loves mice and her friends are reliable, trustworthy and support her through thick and thin no matter what happens. Tom and Adam were two charming boys who had a way with the ladies. They were good students right up to the point of puberty. Usually girls are the ones with mood swings, but not in this case. They started misbehaving in class, then skipping lessons and finally stopped going to school altogether. Now they, unlike their sister, hate school. When in school they do everything to get themselves out and when out drinking alcohol, taking drugs were only a few of the things they do. They never seemed to understand how their own blood could love school so much. Imogens grandmother Mary was, in Imogens opinion, the nicest grandmother that ever lived. She lives abroad in Spain but visits regularly. She's loves all three children very much, she respects them and treats them like grown-ups. She is very healthy and lives life to the maximum, goes on holidays a lot, and is not scared of anything. Every time Mary visit's the country and they go shopping, Mary buys Imogen anything she asks for. Every morning, Imogens house, starts off the same way. She wakes up to the sound of her annoying brothers arguing with Jenny about how she doesn't have to act nicely in front of George and make them breakfast but this Monday morning she woke up to the sound of rain tapping at her window. She jumped out of bed, kissed her mothers photo, got washed and put her school uniform on. Walking down the stairs she noticed Jenny trying to make breakfast, with no complaints from the twins. That was because she was making pancakes and George was there watching his sons every move. She sat down next to Adam and as he turned around to ask Jenny for more food, he knocked over the glass of orange juice that was beside him, making it spill all over Imogens' school skirt. Walking back up the stairs to her bedroom, she slipped and bumped her knee onto the hard flood. She got up slowly and crawled to her bedroom. Rummaging through her closet she tried to find her other skirt. Realising it was in the laundry basket she walked over, got it out and put the malodorous skirt on. â€Å"That's disgusting!† said her twin brothers as they walked past her bedroom â€Å"It's not that dirty!† she lied The skirt wasn't literally dirty it just smelled. To take the smell away she went into the bathroom and smothered herself with perfume. Running back down the stairs she slipped and landed onto the side of her foot, hurting her ankle. Sitting on the floor thinking of how much pain was caused to her this morning she realised it was the start of a bad day. Looking up at the clock in the living room, it read quarter past eight. She was late. Today was the day of her first GCSE exam and Imogen wanted to get to school earlier than usual so that she could have enough time to go over the topics she wasn't very confident with. Now, if she took the bus, it would be impossible. George had still not left for work. He was standing in the kitchen reading a newspaper and drinking coffee. Imogen ran up to him and kissed him on the cheek. â€Å"Good morning dad.† â€Å"Good morning honey,† he replied, â€Å"did you sleep well?† â€Å"Yes I did,† said Imogen, â€Å"can you take me to school by any chance?† â€Å"Of course I could† â€Å"Boys, get downstairs, I'm taking your sister to school and I might as well take you too!† he yelled upstairs â€Å"We'll take the bus coz it's too early for us to be leaving for school.† They shouted back â€Å"Fine, but don't be late.† â€Å"We won't be,† they replied with huge grins on their faces Imogens dad loves old cars and he himself had a 1986 BMW 635CSi. The car was safe but had a few flaws. The airbags didn't work on the front passenger side and the seatbelts easily became unbuckled. George was never worried because he was a very safe driver and he could never give his car away. As soon as Imogen got in the car she put a book on her fathers lap and asked him to ask her some questions but he couldn't because he was about to drive, instead he told her that he would when they stopped at a red traffic light. When they did he took the old book into his hands and started asking questions. Imogen gave a perfect answer to each and every question. Meanwhile, on the road opposite to theirs were a couple of drunken teenagers, joy riding. They didn't notice that the red light was on and carried on driving. The driver lost control and the car started to skid on the wet ground and so ended up hitting Imogens' car. The out of control car hit the BMW head on causing George's seatbelt to unbuckle and he flew out the front window. Imogens airbag was broken but luckily her seatbelt didn't unbuckle. An ambulance arrived and took them to the busy hospital. Imogen and George were rushed straight into surgery for they had suffered serious head injuries. Unfortunately none of the drunk teens were wearing a seatbelt and received serious injuries. They died before the ambulance got to the scene. Three weeks later, slowly opening her eyes, Imogen found herself in a hospital bed surrounded by family and friends. â€Å"What happened to me? Why am I in a hospital? Asked Imogen â€Å"Imogen, this is really important, what's the last thing you remember? Asked the nurse â€Å"I remember my dad was taking me to school. Then we stopped at a traffic light and he was asking – where is my dad?† When the doctors operated on Imogen, they did the best they could, her injuries where bad and the doctors were not sure whether or not she would be able to remember everything when she awoke from the coma. â€Å"I don't know how to tell you this, but your father-† said the nurse â€Å"I'll tell her,† interrupted Mary, Imogens grandmother, â€Å"your father died the day you were rushed into hospital. The surgeons did everything they could but they just weren't able to stop the bleeding† By the time she finished the sentence both of them were in tears. Mary went up to her favourite grandchild and put her arms around her. â€Å"It's my entire fault, grandma, it's my entire fault!† Imogen repeated, â€Å"I know it is, I asked him to drive me to school, if he hadn't got in the car to take me to school, he would still be here! It's my entire fault! Now we have no one to look after us, and I've missed my GCSE exams. It's my entire fault!† â€Å"You still have Jenny to look after you and I called the school to explain the situation, they said you can retake them when you get back† Imogen stayed in the hospital for another week under monitoring. Her friends visited and so did her brothers. The week went past very slowly. Everyday, all she did was lay in bed, watch television, walk around a bit and then go back to bed. There were no children there her age and she didn't want to talk to elderly people. Imogen received beautiful bouquets of flowers and tasty chocolates from family but she didn't want any of it, she just wanted her caring dad by her side, helping her through this. When Imogen got out of the hospital her brothers took her home. Jenny was in the living room watching television. â€Å"Welcome home!† exclaimed Jenny Imogen just ignored her and went straight up to her bedroom. The next few days were a blur. Imogen stayed in bed most days mourning and crying over all the memories she had with her father. Every time she saw a picture of him she burst out into tears. The words: ‘It's my fault, why did it have to happen, what did he do to deserve this, it was my bad day!' kept running though her mind. Even when she slept, she had horrifying nightmares about the crash; she pictured her dad on the operating table, while she was behind glass unable to help him. She needed help, support, encouragement to get her back to normal, but with a step-mother like Jenny, that would be impossible. The first day she went to school her brothers left her at the gate. Looking at the school from a distance she realised that she wasn't ready to go in. Instead she followed her brothers to where they went. Tom led the way while Adam followed behind like a dog on a leash. During the journey, Tom and Adam went into, what looked like an abandoned house, when they came out Tom carried a small, plastic bag full of white pills. He put them in his pocket and walked on. They came to a lighthouse looking building which was surrounded by a high fence. On the fence was a warning sign which read ‘No unauthorised person'. The light house was covered with horizontal red and white stripes and a long, unstable, wooden ladder reached the ground from the top. The two brothers approached the lighthouse. Imogen stared at the building. It was very unusual for a lighthouse not to be near the ocean. While staring she carried on walking and stepped on a piece of loose metal lying on the floor. â€Å"What are you doing here? Asked Adam â€Å"I wanted to know were you were going. I could go back if you want.† â€Å"Yes, go back!† he shouted â€Å"No,† insisted Tom, â€Å"she doesn't know the way back and what if she gets lost. Just let her come up with us, what's the worst that could happen?† Tom went up the unstable ladder first, then went Imogen and last of all came Adam. Climbing up the ladder Imogen tried not to look down. As they neared the top of the lighthouse, strange voices could be heard. At first it sounded like there were only few people talking but as Imogen went higher up the ladder she started to hear more and more voices. â€Å"We're here† announced Tom as they reached the top. â€Å"Finally,† one boy said, â€Å"what took you so long?† â€Å"It's a long story;† answered Adam â€Å"but our little sister is here with us,† All the people sitting on the dirty lighthouse floor turned and looked at Imogen. â€Å"How old is she?† a girl asked Tom â€Å"I'm nearly 14† she answered her. â€Å"Isn't that a bit young?† she asked Tom again This time he answered her: â€Å"Well how old were we when all of this started?† â€Å"True, true. Good point.† Tom and Adam went around the lighthouse giving each person a couple of the white pills. Imogen went around to all the people, looking at what they were doing. To her it looked like they were drinking alcohol, swallowing the white pills and smoking weed. â€Å"What are the white pills and what do they do?† Imogen asked a little girl sitting in the corner sticking a white tablet in her mouth. â€Å"They're called ecstasy and they make me feel a whole lot better then I did this morning† answered the girl â€Å"I want some† requested Imogen â€Å"Sure,† said the girl, â€Å"but tell your brothers to get me an extra one, for next week.† The little girl was younger then Imogen but she looked worn-out and like she hadn't eaten in weeks. For a few short seconds after swallowing the tablet Imogen felt nothing, then minutes later the action kicked in. She felt ecstatic. Like nothing could ever go wrong. Then taking a sip of a transparent drink, she felt dizzy but relaxed. Finally, when she inhaled the weed she felt like all her problems and worries vanished and she was in a completely different world. School or education didn't matter. In this world she felt like she could do anything, even fly. Everyday, instead of taking Imogen to school, her brothers took her with them to the lighthouse. This carried on for weeks until Stephanie, the little girl that gave Imogen the weed, ecstasy and alcohol, had a heart attack. Lucky for everyone there, she had no family, so all they had to do was bury her in the cemetery at night. This was too much for Imogen. The death of the little girl made her remember the death of her dad. She realised that taking drugs, smoking and drinking alcohol wasn't the way to deal with death. She had to face death and just get over it. â€Å"I'm not going to come here with you any more,† Announced Imogen. â€Å"Why not?† asked her brothers â€Å"Because what your doing is bad for your health and what point are you trying to prove by drinking, drugs and smoking?† There is no point to prove, it makes us feel good and you should know, you've tried it for yourself and you know the pleasure it gives you.† â€Å"There's no pleasure in this if there is a risk of dying. I will give up.† â€Å"It's not as simple as it sounds. You go through a lot of pain when you try to give up. Are you sure you're ready?† asked her brothers â€Å"I will give up, I don't want to die like little Stephanie did. The only reason I started this was because I couldn't get over dads death and I didn't get any support from anyone, but me dying isn't going to make anything better either.† â€Å"Tomorrow you're going to end up coming back with us,† warned Adam â€Å"No,† Imogen said, â€Å"Tomorrow will be another day.† Stopping wasn't difficult. Imogen went through the normal process of withdrawal symptoms; aches and pains, sweating, shaking, headaches and cravings for the drug, but thinking about her father's and Stephanie's death helped her to pull through.

Human Resource and Industrial Relations Essay

In many Commonwealth Caribbean Countries since the early 1960’s, there have been attempts at Public Sector Reform by replacing the traditional system of Public Administration with what is commonly known as New Public Management and to this day, the successful implementation of such structural adjustment attempts have evaded most Governments who have dared to try. It was evident, however, that there were differences in the way each country attempted to introduce NPM. Jamaica and Barbados, for example, adhered rigorously to the primary tenets of NPM and Trinidad and Tobago by implementing some measures but not others. Human resource management (HRM) is a term which is now widely used but very loosely defined. It should be defined in such a way as to differentiate it from traditional personnel management and to allow the development of testable hypotheses about its impact. Based on theoretical work in the field of organizational behaviour it is proposed that HRM comprises a set o f policies designed to maximize organizational integration, employee commitment, flexibility and quality of work. Within this model, collective industrial relations have, at best, only a minor role. Despite the apparent attractions of HRM to managements, there is very little evidence of any quality about its impact or that of New Public Management. However, the purpose of this paper is to review and analyze some of the different approaches to Human Resource Management, New Public Management and  Industrial Relations initiatives used in Trinidad and Tobago and the extent to which the introduction of a â€Å"new† model of management in the public sector has led to a realignment in the roles, responsibilities, and relationships between the policy-makers, the bureaucracy, civil society and Trade Unions in Trinidad and Tobago. In addition, mentioning the work of two (2) well accomplished local minds who have contributed to the study of Public Sector Reform and Industrial Relations. Human Resource Management and Industrial Relations (HRIR) is a multidisciplinary area that investigates all aspects of employment relations in the public and private sector. Modern organisations i ncreasingly regard staff as their most valuable asset and a chief source of competitive advantage. Consequently, they attach great importance to how they manage people. Successful management of employment relations is vital if employees are to be motivated and organisations are to be successful. The Human resource management (HRM) side encompasses the governance of an organization’s employees and is sometimes referred to simply as human resources (HR). It is the people who work for the organization and human resource management is really employee management with an emphasis on those employees as assets of the business. Areas of HRM oversight include employee recruitment and retention, exit interviews, motivation, assignment selection, labor law compliance, performance reviews, training, professional development, mediation, change management and some extent of Industrial Relations. Industrial relations, which is sometimes called labour-management relations is a professional area of activity and is multidisciplinary, drawing from several academic areas such as law, economics, psychology, sociology and organizational theory. The field of Industrial relations also similarly encompasses the relationships between employers and employees, between employees and other employee s, between employers and their unions and advisors, between employees and their unions, between workplaces in the labour market, the environment created by historical, political, legal and social forces, cultural norms as well as the products of the industrial relations systems including industrial action, collective agreements, grievance handling and other problem-solving mechanisms. Since the 1990’s, there has been the need to transition from the traditional Public Administration (PA) to New Public Management (NPM) and the implementation of NPM ideas are closely related to Human Resources (HR)  in public institutions. In order to achieve a consistent shift, a lot of attention has been devoted to the reconstruction of Human Resource Management (HRM) as well as the improvement in the quality of Industrial Relations in Trinidad and Tobago that has become necessary due to the increasing frequency of strikes and other industrial action related to negotiations for new collective agreements. The first of the two (2) Authors who’s work are being mentioned and have made valid contributions to the field of Public Sector Reform is Dr. Ann-Marie Bissessar, a well accomplished Senior Lecturer in the Behavioural Sciences Department, University of the West Indies. Dr. Bissessar in one of her many writings entitled. â€Å"The changing nexus of power in the new public sector management of Trinidad and Tobago†, examines the extent to which the introduction of a â€Å"new† model of management in the public sector has led to a realignment of the bureaucracy and civil society in Trinidad and Tobago. The document suggests that the introduction of new public management in the public services of Trinidad and Tobago has led to changes in the structure, culture and functioning of the public sector. Doctor Bissessar argues that while there were tensions between the politician and the administrator during the post-independence period these were, to a large extent, kept in check by the rules and regulations that were part and parcel of the traditional method of administration. The introduction of principles of new public management in 1991 and the stress on greater autonomy and a more â€Å"fluid† bureaucratic arrangement, however, have fundamentally altered the power relationships between the politician and the administrator so that the division between the political sphere and the administrative sphere has become increasingly blurred. With respect to the civil society, concludes that with the exception of certain non-governmental organizations, the wider civil society continues to have a minimal input in either policy formulation or execution. Writing along the same lines of thought was Dr. Roodal Moonilal in his one of his articles entitled, â€Å"A note on the Human Re source Management and its Diffusion†. Doctor Moonilal, wrote that the notion of HRM is difficult to pin down with one definition and that is has central concerns with issues of quality, productivity, safety and the efficient use of materials. Other features include sub-contracting, re-deployment of labour, individual contracts and external forms of flexibility and much of the human relations  school. He took from the work of Allan Fox, who articulated two categories or frames of reference within which to conceptualise workplace industrial relations. He stated that Fox outlined a unitary frame of reference which stressed the importance of a common objective for the enterprise, with one source of authority and one focus of loyalty, all participants have the same basic aim and all aspire to share in the rewards which will accrue from the attainment of this aim. Conflict within this framework is denied, as Fox states, â€Å"the doctrine of common purpose and harmony of interests implies that apparent conflict is either (a) merely frictional, e.g. due to incompatible personalities or â€Å"things going wrong†, or (b) caused by faulty â€Å"communications†, e.g. â€Å"misunderstandings† about aims or met hods, or (c) the result of stupidity in the form of failure to grasp the communality of interest, or (d) the work of agitators inciting the supine majority who would otherwise be content† (1966:12). Improving human relations and communications are said to be the appropriate methods to avoid conflict which is seen as the result of poor social relations. In the unitary frame the presence of trade unions is seen as an â€Å"intrusion† into the private, peaceful and unified structure, they compete â€Å"illegitimately† for control over, and the loyalty of, the employees and are considered â€Å"foreign and alien† to the private affairs of the company. Foxs’ work also identified a â€Å"pluralist† frame which accepts that an enterprise contains groups with a variety of different interests, aims and aspirations and it is therefore a coalition of different interests rather than the embodiment of one common goal. In the pluralist enterprise conflict is normal, expected and should not be suppressed but the aim must be to keep it within accepted bounds to prevent the destruction of the enterprise. The article also states that if HRM can be located conceptually within the unitary ideology in the 1960s, it must also be traced to forms of strategic industrial relations adopted during the very period. The emerg ence of productivity bargaining defined as â€Å"an exchange of higher wages for more work, or the same wages in less time, or for greater flexibility and mobility of labour was seen as an earlier attempt by management to give direction to industrial relations. By the late 1970s external forces placed a focus on HRM in the academic and professional circuits as well as a wide range of features and dramatically contrasting reports on its implementation, impact and implications. The  article also stressed the need for Total Quality Management (TQM) and that the historical labour-management distrust and war in industrial relations has no place in Human Resource Management while stating that there are however characteristics of HRM which can threaten the functioning of traditional trade unionism. Dr. Moonilal states that even though some features of HRM can threaten the Union, they can only endanger a Union if it is weak at the shop floor level with a membership which is immobilized and lacking faith in the collective action and skill in representation. The Practitioners of industrial relations were said to be trade union officers, human resource managers, conciliators, mediators, labour department officials and project managers, among others. The main focus of industrial relations is on people in the workplace, whether such a workplace is a large transnational organization, or a small family firm, whether those employed are on a contract of service or on a contract for service; and whether or not a union is involved at the workplace. Indeed, industrial relations can exist even where collective agreements do not materialize. PART A Like most islands in the Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago emerged from colonization in the early 1960s extremely poor and with an economy structured around resource exports. Trinidad and Tobago’s tremendous growth spurt slowed, and the economy entered a ten-year period of sluggish growth and had become urbanized, many belonging to the middle class, a situation unknown in most developing countries. As economic growth slowed, increased demands were voiced for adequate housing, better labor rights, more jobs, improved living and working conditions, more equitable distribution of wealth, and national ownership of resources. Despite these demands, the socioeconomic problems present in Trinidad and Tobago were hardly as acute as in other Caribbean countries; nonetheless, such issues as negative attitudes toward foreign ownership tended to dominate. Led by the charismatic and intellectual Eric Williams since its independence in 1962, citizens of Trinidad and Tobago, like people through out the region, hoped and expected that political independence would bring not only dignity but economic improvement. The moderate growth Trinidad and Tobago had been experiencing resulted in some gains for the population. During this time,  the islands’ labor force was highly unionized and the industrial relations climate in Trinidad and Tobago was growing tense with the development of the trade union movement. There was an increasing number of strikes and labour disputes which threatened the economic growth and productivity of the country. The Public Service employees were described as being indolent, inefficient and corrupt and it was impossible to discipline anyone or reform the service. So, It was said that the Public Service no longer attracted the best. The Government of the day could no longer delay in taking legislative action to regulate the relations between unions, workers and employers and there was an urgent need for change and the role of government in the economy increased drastically during the 1960s. The year 1962 was actually when the first step in the development of the collective bargaining process in Trinidad and Tobago was taken in November of that year, just three (3) months after the country obtained Independence from the British in 1962. An agreement was signed by the Secretary to Cabinet at the time on behalf of the Government and by the leadership of the Civil Service Association, the recognized representative for Civil Servants. It established a Civil Service Arbitration Tribunal with the power to decide issues remaining unresolved between the Government and the Association. The Tribunal was designed to function on an â€Å"Ad Hoc† basis and under the Whitley Council System, the Colonial Secretary and subsequently, the Secretary to Cabinet discussed matters relating to the Terms and Conditions of employments in the Civil Service with the Executive of the Civil Service Association .However, the right to approve of not approve any agreements reached was reserved to the Governor General after Independence. The relationship then changed between the Government and the Association and by extension the Civil Service, by bringing an end to the virtually absolute authority previously exercised by the Government. The next phase of Collecting Bargaining was achieved in 1966 when Parliament passed the Civil Service Act as Act No. 29 of 1965. This Act which came into force on August 27, 1966 provided for an effective system of Collective Bargaining referred to in the Act as consultation and Negotiation. The Act established the Personnel Department of Government which was headed by the Chief Personnel Officer and staffed by Civil Servants to; maintain the class of Civil  Servants and keep under review the remuneration payable to them, administer the general regulations respecting the Civil Servants, provide for and establish procedures for consultation between the Personnel Department and an any Association in respect to classification of officers, any grievances and Terms and Conditions of Emp loyment of Civil Servants. Those aspects of the employment relationship which could not be left to collective bargaining such as employee health and safety, minimum age of employment and workers’ compensation, retrenchment and severance benefits and maternity leave are set down in legislation which bind the State and private employers. As a result the Industrial Stabilisation Act, 1965, was enacted. This Act introduced the concept of compulsory arbitration to Trinidad and Tobago by the establishment of the Industrial Court. The main function of this Court was to intervene to prevent and settle industrial disputes between employers and their union represented workers. The Industrial Stabilisation Act was later repealed and replaced by the Industrial Relations Act, 1972, Chapter 88:01 of the Laws of Trinidad and Tobago to provide for the following: free collective bargaining between employer and workers through their representative associations, the development of a peaceful and expeditious procedure for the settlement of disputes, the establishment of the Industrial Court,  the recognition and registration of trade unions,   the freedom to be represented by a trade union and the right not to associate, and industrial action which may be taken by both employer and employee. In addition, Provision was made for a T ripartite industrial relations advisory committee which had the responsibility of reviewing the IRA and making recommendations to the Minister of Labour. This way the Act kept up with industrial relations trends. The general industrial relations policy in Trinidad and Tobago was based on voluntary collective bargaining between employers and workers, via their representative associations, for the settlement of terms and conditions of employment. While the Government has ratified several ILO Conventions, including the Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976 (No. 144), these Conventions only become effective when they are legislatively implemented. A 144 Tripartite Committee, comprising all of the social partners, trade  unions, employers, and Government, in operation in Trinidad and Tobago with the responsibility of considering and recommending the ratification of ILO Conventions. State employees included all civil servants, teachers and members of the Protective Services (Fire, Police and Prison Services). The employment relationship between the State and its employees was governed generally by legislation, which made provisions for terms and conditions of e mployment including recruitment, hours of work, leave entitlements, payment of remuneration, pensions, allowances and other benefits. There was legislation which dealt specifically with each group, such as the Civil Service Act, Chap 23:01 for all civil servants, the Police Service Act, Chap. 15:01, as revised by the Police Service Bill (2003), the Fire Service Act, Chap. 35:50 and the Education Act, Chap 39:01 for teachers. The representative associations of monthly paid State employees may bargain collectively with the Chief Personnel Officer, who is deemed to be the employer of State employees under the IRA. The subject of these negotiations include wage increases, travelling and other allowances and leave entitlements. Other legislations were as follow: The Occupational Safety and Health Act – Sets standards for employee health and safety at the workplace The Workmen’s Compensation Act or the Employment Injury and Disability Benefits Bill – Provides compensation where employees are injured on the job Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act – Guarantees the payment of severance pay to retrenched employees. The Maternity Protection Act – Provides maternity leave and related benefits to female employees PART B In December 1991 a new government was elected in Trinidad and Tobago. It soon embarked on an ambitious programme of public sector reform under the overall direction of Gordon Draper as Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Administration and Public Information. The programme drew directly on the NPM paradigm and sought to deliver decentralised management, improved morale and productivity, improved human resource management, improved quality of service and delivery, and improved budgeting and accounting systems. The details of the programme were set out  in detail in a publication of the MTSD as A Profile of the Public Service of Trinidad and Tobago (Commonwealth Secretariat 1995). It covered seven areas, three of which were elaborated in some detail. The first was ‘making the most of staff’ through training and development, the establishment of ‘change teams’ within ministries to lead reform, new systems of performance appraisal, and improving work performance by upgrading accommodation and developing an employee assistance programme. The second focused on ‘making government more efficient’ through the introduction of strategic planning, improving productivity via computerisation, contracting out services, redundancy management, and conducting comprehensive audits, a view also shared by Dr. Bissessar and Dr. Moonilal as mentioned previously. The third area, ‘improving policy analysis and co-ordination’, was to be achieved by creating standing committees of Cabinet in vital areas for national economic development, improving policy presentation in the media, and creating more mechanisms for public consultation on national development. The other areas addressed the quality of public services, partnerships with the private sector and non-government organisations, effective management and the management of finance. It was a comprehensive vision and some of the ideas, mechanisms and procedures set forth in it have since been adopted by other Caribbean countries in their programmes of reform. In Trinidad and Tobago, however, it ran into difficulties. One was over the powers and responsibilities of the Public Service Commission (PSC). The reforms proposed their reduction and rationalisation, with many of them being exercised by ministries and other public agencies in accordance with the more decentralised management principles of NPM. These were resisted by the PSC, which claimed that the government was unfairly blaming them for failures in the public service. They also questioned the introduction of private sector values into the very different ethos of the public service (Trinidad and Tobago 1995). Another was the proposal to establish human resource units in ministries which would have seriously weakened the Personnel Department. A number of ministries submitted plans but there was much delay in implementation reducing the effectiveness of the reform. Other changes in this area, such as performance appraisal, also met employee resistance, suggesting a strong cultural re sistance to change. However, on the one hand, public servants supported change which was beneficial to them  Ã¢â‚¬Å"such as training, pay increases, systems of career path planning and enhanced opportunities†. On the other, they were â€Å"afraid of change† which was in any way radical, rather than incremental, since they equated it with â€Å"retrenchment and downsizing† which would threaten their jobs and erode their tenure. In such circumstances it is not surprising that many were â€Å"openly hostile to suggestions for further reform†. In the face of such opposition, and also a lessening of commitment to micro-manage change by the political leadership, the reform programme slowly ground to a halt. The role of the state in development has come under challenge. The reasons for this include the fiscal crises that hit most developing countries in the 1980s, weakening the ability of the state to fund development programmes; the stabilisation and structural adjustment policies that followed, which imposed reductions in the role and size of government and an increase in the scope and activities of the private sector; and the elaboration, from the beginning of the 1990s, o f programmes of ‘good governance’ which aimed to build ‘an effective state’ through matching a state’s role to its capability, which required a sharper focus on fundamentals, and raising state capability by reinvigorating public institutions. In the achievement of these last set of activities sweeping public sector reform was to be encouraged. The impact of such programmes on the developing world has been the subject of much comment. In the case of small states it raised particular difficulties. The public sector tends to be proportionately bigger and its responsibility for delivering services across a wide range of activities greater than in many larger countries. There were thus serious questions about any proposal to reduce the role of the state. At the same time the need for public sector reform was acknowledged in many small states. The New Public Sector Management (NPSM) is the transfer of business and market principles and management processes from the private sector into the public service itself, or outsourcing government activities to the special purpose companies owned by a government or even to the private sector. There is or has been no empirical evidence that NPSM reforms of the public service or outsourcing have led to productivity increases or public welfare improvements even by private sector standards. Th is is because there are basic problems implicit in the NPSM model which derive from the fact that the aims of the public service differ from those of the private sector.  The private sector is about competition and maximizing profits. The proponents of NPSM seek to treat the public as though they are consuming private sector goods and services. The use of these business techniques in the delivery of public functions constricts the accomplishment of the basic tenets of the state: democracy, regularity, transparency and due process, which are surely more important than perceived efficiency and speed. With regards to its impact on the Industrial Relations System, traditionally, trade unions in the Caribbean, in negotiating wages and conditions of employment for their members, have resorted to the confrontational approach to settle outstanding issues. In the early days of trade unionism, this approach was extremely successful and was effectively used. It can be said that employers were cognizant of the close relationship that existed between the political leaders in most of the Caribbean islands and the trade union leaders. In some instances, they were one and the same person. As the countries became independent and t he impact of adverse economic circumstances began to be felt, employers in both the public sector and private sector responded by resorting to taking tough economic decisions. Invariably, these decisions focused on the way in which wage increases were negotiated, the level of these increases and the impact which they had on government finances and on profits at the level of the enterprise. As a consequence, collective bargaining took a new turn as trade unions were forced to examine seriously their approach to the preparation of proposals and the presentation of their case. At the same time, alternative approaches to confrontation were examined and in some instances adopted. Social dialogue has been developed by the ILO as one of the alternative approaches recommended to the social partners (governments, employers and trade unions). A number of studies on best practices in selected enterprises in the Caribbean are being developed to demonstrate how effective social dialogue can be in increasing productivity and in keeping with the New Public Management approaches. However, it seems to me that there has been increasingly forceful moves by trade unions in Tr inidad and Tobago over the past few years to influence national policies and issues. This may be out of frustrated expectations which originate from political and economic circumstances. Whatever the reason, it is has begun to have a negative impact on the workers they represent and the wider society. If this  situation is not addressed it may very well deteriorate and there will be unintended adverse consequences, including loss of employment opportunities and declining standards of living for those whose interests should be served by the unions. The principal stakeholders must re-examine their contributions to the current state of affairs and resolve to bring about the necessary transformation. We need to start the process of change now and even though it would be time consuming, it must be done. It requires an understanding of the realities of the global economy and the imperative for small economies such as ours to survive and in the longer term, to prosper. Trinidad and Tobago has been in a more fortunate position due to our rich hydrocarbon industry and prices being unexpectedly high. However, this should not be the basis of planning sustainable economic grow th and development. The future requires all the social partners to work together, replacing confrontation by cooperation and collaboration. This can only be accomplished if there are suitable multipartite mechanisms established by the government and adhered to by all stakeholders (government, labour, private sector and civil society) whereby meaningful consultation leads to consensus on common objectives and the strategies by which these can be achieved. There must be a major paradigm shift from dependency on oil and gas revenues to support artificially high employee compensation without regard for productivity. There can be no justification for such irrational approaches to industrial relations. It is time to adopt new methods of resolving issues and to put the issue of pay for performance and productivity on the front burner. The era of ‘might is right’ is a luxury we can no longer afford. We need to usher in a new dispensation of enlightened industrial relations to create a truly developed society. Relations between companies and unions need to shift from being adversarial to one of co-operation and it is critical for both parties, union and management to jointly address the competitive pressures and to work together to harness the skills and the commitment of the workforce. The manufacturing and public sectors in many countries have been the traditional base of support for trade unions. They are now experiencing cons iderable difficulties in maintaining and increasing membership. It is the hope of many that the Government will begin the process of getting the economy back on its feet. In doing so, there is always the potential for increased agitation by trade  unions that could ultimately lead to Industrial action where their demands for double digit wage increases cannot be met by the Government. Such a situation can also impact the industrial relations environment across the private sector where unionization is concentrated, particularly along the East-West Corridor. There is also, the perception among many in society that our industrial relations climate will become increasingly adversarial. Employers are more weary of unionization today more than ever before given the current approach to negotiations and dispute resolution by certain trade unions. This is most unfortunate since these very employers accept that trade unions have a critical role to play in shaping industrial relations in our country and facilitating an economic recovery. It goes without saying that industrial action in any form and by anyone can lead to huge disruptions, losses in production and ultimately adverse long-term economic consequences if unchecked and properly regulated. The problem is that much of the current legislation and regulation governing industrial action was formulated back in the 1960â €™s and at a time when there were no legislative safeguards and specified minimum working conditions. On the other hand, the situation is very different today. Today, most workers enjoy legislative protections  in areas ranging from unfair dismissals to minimum wages, maternity leave and severance benefits. It is important to note that in the 1960s trade union membership was more than twice as much as it is now and industrial relations was more about power relations hence the prevalence of adversarial relationships between employers and workers. Today, this too has changed somewhat and great strides have been made to encourage tripartism, social dialogue and labour management co-operation. The movement towards human capital as the major investment for competitive advantage has greatly accelerated. Improved communication of total reward packages through face-to-face meetings, total reward statements and flexible benefits have in most workplaces replaced indirect forms of communication and the significance of basic pay in the overall remuneration package. The one (1) major area that needed to be addressed was the Industrial Court, which was noted to have served the country will but has not been perfect in  its judgments. Many have questioned whether there is a need for the Industrial Court as some of its judgments have been criticized. In a report submitted to Errol McLeod, Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Development Enterprises on July 29, 2013 by the Industrial Relations Advisement Report Committee, it stated twenty-five (25) recommendations for changes needed within the Industrial Relations Sector. The report stated that there is a need to ensure that the Industrial Court is examined and brought up to a more modern constitution, since there have been no direct changes in the Labour Relations Sector for decades. There are issues with the tenure of Judges, Independence of the Court, Migrant Law, Minimum Wages, Maternity Protection, Work men’s Compensation Ordinance and Retrenchment and Severance Pay. It was also stated that the Collective Bargaining process must be done in a more timely basis. The Industrial Relations Advisement Report Committee also stressed in their extensive report that it was crucial to the Industrial Relations Sector that all twenty-five (25) recommendations made be addressed. With this in mind, it is clear that what our industrial relations system needs now is a modernized legal framework which is relevant to changes in working life, modern human resource management practices and technological advancement. It also needs a proper functioning Industrial Court to preside over all its matters. RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION While several attempts have also been made in the past to improve the operations of the Public Service of Trinidad and Tobago, the challenges associated with Human Resource Management and its evolution into New Public Management, accountability, information and technology, communication technology, leadership systems and the systems of laws and procedures continue to occur. The culture of the Public Service has been one referred to as too â€Å"laid back† and that any diversion from the â€Å"status quo† is frowned upon and resisted. There needs to be collaboration between key central agencies to facilitate their acceptance of the fact that change is needed and accept the relevant responsibilities. Governments need to properly formulate and oversee the implementation of comprehensive change management strategies and have a robust legislative analysis of these  changes. Provisions must be created to ensure effective implementation and review, communication and networking within and among various Ministries and Departments. There also needs to be a strengthening of the Civil Service and administrative components of Public Service Reform, providing them with a better frame work and indicator set. More attention must be given to the budget execution phases of Financial Management and sufficient resources must be allocated to ensure that the officers can perform at their best and with a sense of urgency. With all this in mind, it is quite obvious that any kind or nature of Reform is a work in progress. BIBLIOGRAPHY Labour Law Profile. â€Å"National Labour Profile: Trinidad and Tobago Web. 27 July 2011 http://www.ilo.org/resrch/intro Trinidad and Tobago Economic Development Web. August 2011 www.photius.com/countries/Trinidad and Tobago Bissessar, Ann-Marie. â€Å"The changing nexus of power in the New Public Sector Management of Trinidad and Tobago†. Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of the West-Indies International Journal of Public Sector Management. Web.Vol. 16ISS: No.109 Moonilal, Roodal Dr. â€Å"A note on HRM and Its Diffusion†. June 13, 2009 Sutton, Paul. â€Å"Public Sector Reform in Small States† Cases from the Commonwealth Caribbean. (2009) â€Å"Industrial Relations in Trinidad and Tobago.† Wikipidea Online. Encyclopedia Wikipedea, 2012. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Young, Greg. Home page. Web. 13 Nov. 2013 Chamber of Commerce. â€Å"The Current Industrial Relations Climate in Trinidad and Tobago† Chamber of Commerce, 2011. Web. 10 Nov 2013