Meaning of life Essay Example for Free

Meaning of life Essay Philosophy is â€Å"the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature and meaning of life, etc†¦; a particular set of ideas about knowledge, truth, and meaning of life; and a set of ideas about how to do something or how to live† (Philosophy, 2014, para. 1). Philosophy plays a huge role in all of our lives. Studding of philosophy influences our lives in many ways and has many purposes. Philosophy has five major branches metaphysis, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and logic. Each of these branches plays a role with culture to develop thoughts in human beings by wondering, a dynamic  process, the truth, and wisdom. â€Å"Philosophy is an attempt to reason clearly and critically about all areas of experience: science, religion, art, politics, and mortality† (What is Philosophy, Para, 1). The purpose of philosophy is to try to understand and evaluate our most basics, beliefs, values, and to integrate them into a coherent view of each of us and the world around us (What is Philosophy, 2014). Studying philosophy is important because it continues to play an important role in shaping the future of all human existence, Philosophy enhances personal growth,  professional opportunities, improves reading skill, critical thinking, communication, and helps in arguments by showing your philosophical knowledge (What is Philosophy, 2014). There are five major basic branches of philosophy. The branches are the metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, aesthetics, and logic. The metaphysics branch is the study of existence. For example, a few questions one might ask them self would be PHILOSOPHY 3 what else is out there, why I am here, and what is my purpose in life (Important of Philosophy, 2014). Epistemology branch is the study of knowledge. Individuals like to know as much as possible to help their selves understand what is going in life and around then. For example, a question one might ask their selves would be how I know about certain things. In philosophy, knowledge is looked at as factual senses, and not just guesses. People that are epistemology rather use statements and questions in factual form, such as, dogs are mammals (Important of Philosophy, 2014). Ethic branch is the study of actions. This is the branch of philosophy that helps the decision making in what is right and what is wrong; beliefs and values. An example of ethics is your conscious. On one side there is the devil telling you to do the wrong thing, and the angel on the other side telling to do the right thing. Many ethical people try to avoid judgment, but have high moral beliefs in specific things. Ethics also plays a role in religion and faith (Important of Philosophy, 2014). The Aesthetics branch (also known as politics) is the study of action. This is the branch that shoes what actions are permissible. An example, would be how politics work in the world. What laws should be made, and how they should come to be. Politics are the ethics that are applied to people based off what they are told to do or believe (Important of Philosophy, 2014). Finally, the last branch of philosophy is logic or esthetics. This is the study of art. The main question is what can life be like? This is the branch that allows mankind to see the world in an abstract way. According to Importance of Philosophy (2014) PHILOSOPHY 4 Esthetics is important because it delves into the reason why art has always existed, the burning need of mankind through the ages to see the world in a different, clear way it  further evaluates art by the standards of human life, and whether it accomplishes the job of satisfying man’s intellectual needs, or whether it tends to hurt or make worse those needs (Para. 3). Esthetics is bringing the emotion and idea together to make a decision (Important of Philosophy, 2014). Within all the branches there are arguments, these arguments helps in philosophy to create creative thinking and growth. We all have questions, and beliefs to the meaning of life, and we will continue to argue trough ethnic, logic, politics, and beliefs. Each of the five basic philosophy groups have to face basic arguments, These  arguments are structure of arguments, evaluating arguments, types of arguments, and informal fallacies (Chaffee, 2013). The structure of arguments includes: reason, reason, and conclusion. Evaluating arguments include truth of reason, validity of structure, and soundness of argument. There are two types of arguments deductive: conclusion follows necessarily from premises (reasons), and inductive: conclusion supported by premises to some degree. Finally, there are informal fallacies, these are unsound arguments that appeal to emotion and prejudice (Chaffee, 2013). Philosophy and culture interact to develop thought because there are so many different beliefs in the word. Philosophy is love and wisdom, while in culture there is so much hate. The more we talk about our beliefs, and talk out the way we each feel it creates creative thinking, and more open minds. For example, scientist see things one PHILOSOPHY 5 way, but when we are more philosophical it shows us that there are more than one answer to each question. Science believes in evolution, religions believe in god, while the rest of us are still trying to find the meaning of life. When it comes to me, I think ethics represents me the most. I believe in right and wrong, and I have faith. I believe that taking actions against wrong in the world is very important. In our culture, there is so much hate, and I am a very big advocate for equality. I fight for equality for all humans, and I also fight for the rights of animals. Philosophy is â€Å"the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature, and meaning of life (Philosophy, 2014, para. 1). There are five major basic groups, and there will always be questions to create creative thinking, and open minds. Philosophy has  been around from the beginning of time, and will be around until the end of time. We will always want to know the meaning of life and why we exist. PHILOSOPHY 6 References: Chaffee, J. (2013). The philosopher’s way: Thinking Critically about Profound Ideas (1st Ed,). Pearson Education, INC. Importance of Philosophy. (2014). Retrieved from http://www. importanceofphilosophy. com/FiveBranchesMain. html Philosophy. (2014). Retrieved from http://www. merriam- webster. com/dictionary/philosophy What is Philosophy? (2014). Retrieved from http://www. etsu. edu/cas/philosophy/whatis. aspx.

The Effects Of Cyber Crime Information Technology Essay

The Effects Of Cyber Crime Information Technology Essay Perhaps the most prominent form of cyber crime is identity theft, in which criminals use the Internet to steal personal information from other users. Two of the most common ways this is done is through phishing and pharming. Both of these methods lure users to fake websites (that appear to be legitimate), where they are asked to enter personal information. This includes login information, such as usernames and passwords, phone numbers, addresses, credit card numbers, bank account numbers, and other information criminals can use to steal another persons identity. For this reason, it is smart to always check the URL or Web address of a site to make sure it is legitimate before entering your personal information. The first recorded cyber crime took place in the year 1820! That is not surprising considering the fact that the abacus, which is thought to be the earliest form of a computer, has been around since 3500 B.C. in India, Japan and China. The era of modern computers, however, began with the analytical engine of Charles Babbage. In 1820, Joseph-Marie Jacquard, a textile manufacturer in France, produced the loom. This device allowed the repetition of a series of steps in the weaving of special fabrics. This resulted in a fear amongst Jacquards employees that their traditional employment and livelihood were being threatened. They committed acts of sabotage to discourage Jacquard from further use of the new technology. This is the first recorded cyber crime! We are currently living in Cyber age, where Internet and computers have major impacts on our way of living, social life and the way we conduct businesses. The usage of information technology has posed great security challenges and ethical questions in front of us. Just as every thing has positives and negatives, usage of information technology is beneficial as well as insecure. With the growth of the internet, network security has become a major concern. Cyber crimes have emerged rapidly in the last few years and have major consequences. Cyber criminals are doing every thing from stealing money, hacking into others computer, stealing intellectual property, spreading viruses and worms to damage computers connected on the internet and committing frauds. Stoppage of cyber crimes is a major concern today. Cyber criminal make use of the vulnerabilities in computer soft wares and networks to their advantage. Hacking: Hacking or Cracking is a major cyber crime committed today. Hacker makes use of the weaknesses and loop holes in operating systems to destroy data and steal important information from victims computer. Cracking is normally done through the use of a backdoor program installed on your machine. A lot of crackers also try to gain access to resources through the use of password cracking soft wares. Hackers can also monitor what u do on your computer and can also import files on your computer. A hacker could install several programs on to your system without your knowledge. Such programs could also be used to steal personal information such as passwords and credit card information. Important data of a company can also be hacked to get the secret information of the future plans of the company. Cyber-Theft: Cyber-Theft is the use of computers and communication systems to steal information in electronic format. Hackers crack into the systems of banks and transfer money into their own bank accounts. This is a major concern, as larger amounts of money can be stolen and illegally transferred. Many newsletters on the internet provide the investors with free advice recommending stocks where they should invest. Sometimes these recommendations are totally bogus and cause loss to the investors. Credit card fraud is also very common. Most of the companies and banks dont reveal that they have been the victims of cyber -theft because of the fear of loosing customers and share holders. Cyber-theft is the most common and the most reported of all cyber-crimes. Cyber-theft is a popular cyber-crime because it can quickly bring experienced cyber-criminal large cash resulting from very little effort. Furthermore, there is little chance a professional cyber-criminal will be apprehended by law enforcement. Viruses and worms: Viruses and worms is a very major threat to normal users and companies. Viruses are computer programs that are designed to damage computers. It is named virus because it spreads from one computer to another like a biological virus. A virus must be attached to some other program or documents through which it enters the computer. A worm usually exploits loop holes in soft wares or the operating system. Trojan horse is dicey. It appears to do one thing but does something else. The system may accept it as one thing. Upon execution, it may release a virus, worm or logic bomb. A logic bomb is an attack triggered by an event, like computer clock reaching a certain date. Chernobyl and Melissa viruses are the recent examples. Experts estimate that the My doom worm infected approximately a quarter-million computers in a single day in January 2004. Back in March 1999, the Melissa virus was so powerful that it forced Microsoft and a number of other very large companies to completely turn off their e-mail systems until the virus could be contained. Solutions: An important question arises that how can these crimes be prevented. A number of techniques and solutions have been presented but the problems still exists and are increasing day by day. Antivirus And Anti spy ware Software: Antivirus software consists of computer programs that attempt to identify, thwart and eliminate computer viruses and other malicious software. Anti spy wares are used to restrict backdoor program, Trojans and other spy wares to be installed on the computer. Firewalls: A firewall protects a computer network from unauthorized access. Network firewalls may be hardware devices, software programs, or a combination of the two. A network firewall typically guards an internal computer network against malicious access from outside the network. Cryptography: Cryptography is the science of encrypting and decrypting information. Encryption is like sending a postal mail to another party with a lock code on the envelope which is known only to the sender and the recipient. A number of cryptographic methods have been developed and some of them are still not cracked. Cyber Ethics and Laws: Cyber ethics and cyber laws are also being formulated to stop cyber crimes. It is a responsibility of every individual to follow cyber ethics and cyber laws so that the increasing cyber crimes shall reduce. Security soft wares like anti viruses and anti spy wares should be installed on all computers, in order to remain secure from cyber crimes. Internet Service Providers should also provide high level of security at their servers in order to keep their clients secure from all types of viruses and malicious programs. The Effects of Cyber crime When you purchase a home it comes with a door and a lock. You always will make sure that the door/lock exist and that the lock is working properly. If you want you can aim to further secure your home against any threats. You may purchase a new security system, an additional lock or maybe even a pet dog for added safety. Why would you not secure your investment? Would you invite criminals to use your home to commit additional crimes wherever he/she pleases? In the same fashion, computer viruses that can generate havoc on your PC system are just as criminal. Viruses can cost companies millions and dollars in time to repair an infected system. Recently, Microsoft went as far as to post a $250,000 bounty for the writers of the MSBlast worm and the SoBig.F virus. Organizations such as Interpol now have sections of their website devoted to cyber-crime, with other websites such as the IFCC Internet Fraud Complaint Center specializing in Internet Crime. In General, computer viruses can be transferred to an unsuspecting PC through a variety of formats. Viruses can appear through e-mail, infected software, diskettes, infected CD/DVD discs or computer documents. Furthermore, if you do not run regular Microsoft Windows updates (http://windowsupdates.microsoft.com), even regular Internet web browsing can cause major problems, through known security exploits in your Operating System. An unsuspecting user can open what they think is a legitimate webpage, however then end up downloading a virus or allowing access to their PC by a hacker. Viruses are showing up on a weekly basis. Your Anti-virus software, security applications or Windows Operating System is only as good as its last update. To get complete protection, you must regularly update with the latest virus definition files, scanning engines, patches and fixes. Prevention is always better then hours of frustration and lost data. Some of the main ways to ensure your PC is protected from malicious computer viruses are as follows. Computer-based crime Computers facilitate the theft of money and property and the destruction of data when there are inadequate controls against their misuse. Crimes perpetrated by unauthorized access to keyboards, terminals and communications devices generally can be described as thefts, misapplications of assets, or destruction of information. These terms may apply to the misappropriation of money and real property, or of proprietary information and intangible assets. The misuse of the computer may involve the forgery of computer signatures such as authorizing codes; the creation of false accounts payable to disburse cheques; improper use of personal information; the creation of virus or rogue programmes which interfere in software operations and destroy data. All of these crimes include programming the erasure of any evidence of the computer crime perpetrated. Probably the fastest growing category of computer related crime is that involving electronic fund transfer systems. The most significant types of computer crime were: arson, sabotage and malicious damage of computer installations; system penetration, or hacking; unauthorized use of computer time; thefts of assets, including software; embezzlement of funds; defrauding of consumers and investors; and destruction or alteration of data (including college transcripts and diplomas) and software. The motive is usually personal financial gain, anger or revenge but another significant impetus is the intellectual challenge associated with computer crime The absence of, or inadequate provision for, documentation and access controls for computer installations, facilitates computer crime. Unauthorized access to software and hardware is almost exclusively the means of crime perpetration. With authorized access, but with criminal collusion, two or more persons may commit crimes unnoticed, until financial audits, inventories, and computer operation system checks uncover the fraud or misuse. In the case of theft of intangible properties such as computer-stored patents of engineering, chemical or other designs, processes, or marketing and strategic data, the crime is exposed, if at all, by inferences drawn from the activities, products or knowledge shown by competitors Studies in the USA indicate that about one-third of such crimes were committed by staff or consultant data-processing personnel, almost exclusively below management level; but the bulk were committed by non-data-processing personnel with normal, job-related access to computers. A recent USA study has concluded that computer-related crime now rivals white collar crime in cost and seriousness. The report was based on a survey of 283 corporations and government agencies and among the conclusions were the following: about 48% of those surveyed reported some form of computer crime during 1983 with total annual losses estimated to be $145 million to $730 million. More recent estimates based on actual reported crime place losses in the USA at $3 billion per annum. An Australian computer expert has estimated that there were about 4000 computer-related frauds over the period 1975-1983. Pranksters in Canada in the past have re-routed the entire delivery system for Pepsi-cola; in 1971 the New Y ork-Penn Central Railroad Company discovered 200 of its box-cars had been re-routed and ended up near Chicago and another 200 cars were found to be missing. In New Jersey seven young people, all under 18 years, were charge with conspiring to use their home computers for exchanging stolen credit card numbers, information on how to make free phone calls, and to call coded phone numbers in the Pentagon. They were found with codes capable of changing the position of communication satellites. One youngster had run up a large phone bill at home and when berated by his parents, he proceeded to break into the phone billing system and cancelled the charge Few computer crimes are actually reported. In the US is required by law to report computer crimes; many commentators agree that only about 15% of computer-related crimes are actually reported. The Australian Computer Abuse Research Bureau argues that only one in 20 cases of the $2 million or so worth of computer-related offences in Australia during 1980 was in fact reported. The reasons given are that there is not much faith in the legal system and its ability to prosecute a case of computer crime successfully; that companies fear that to declare publicly that their system has been breached and that their assets are not as secure as once thought will cause a flight of capital in shareholders funds and deposits; and that there is a reluctance to expose the companys records and systems to public scrutiny and competitors In the UK in 1989, it was estimated that the cost to industry of computer-based crime was over  ¿Ã‚ ½400 million per year. The average annual incidence was9 incidents per 100 companies (rising in some cases to 1 in 2), costing on average  ¿Ã‚ ½46,000 per incident. Other estimates put the cost of computer crime as high as  ¿Ã‚ ½2 billion per year. The most vulnerable sector is the communications industry in which there were 192 incidents per 100 companies. Fraudulent input of information, notably on payroll systems, accounted for 4.1 million pounds of losses A person stealing trade secrets no longer has to physically copy documents because much scientific and technical information is now stored on computers. Instead of copying hundreds of pages of information on a duplicating machine, a person can download that material onto a single computer disk which can be easily concealed in a pocket. The information on the disk can then be sent or transmitted anywhere in the world without ever engendering the employers suspicions. Additionally, if a thief is able to illegally penetrate a companys computer system, he or she can download that companys trade secrets and transmit them on international computer networks without removing the originals from the victim company 1. While the Internet provides dramatic and exciting benefits to enhance our lives, it also allows those who want to violate or evade the law an opportunity to reach exponentially greater numbers of people Common Types of Computer Related Crime There are a number of common attacks and methods of committing a computer related crime. Some of these are less sophisticated than others, and can be committed by someone with limited knowledge of computers. Others require programming skills and/or an advanced knowledge of how computers and various software can work together to commit a crime. COMPUTER VIRUSES Computer viruses are programs that can attach themselves to other programs or files. The virus infected files can then become carriers of the virus, or become damaged in some way. The virus may effect computer services, displaying messages or playing sounds, or may crash the operating system so that the computer wont run as expected (if at all). You can prevent computer viruses by installing an anti-virus program on your computer, which scans files for known viruses. There are a number of these programs on the market, and they can be purchased from software stores or acquired on the Internet. Once installed, you will need to regularly update anti-virus files, which are used to detect and remove viruses from your system. DATA DIDDLING Data diddling involves changing data prior or during input into a computer. In other words, information is changed from the way it should be entered by a person typing in the data, a virus that changes data, the programmer of the database or application, or anyone else involved in the process of having information stored in a computer file. The culprit can be anyone involved in the process of creating, recording, encoding, examining, checking, converting, or transmitting data. This is one of the simplest methods of committing a computer-related crime, because it requires almost no computer skills whatsoever. Despite the ease of committing the crime, the cost can be considerable. For example, a person entering accounting may change data to show their account, or that or a friend or family member, is paid in full. By changing or failing to enter the information, they are able to steal from the company. To deal with this type of crime, a company must implement policies and internal controls. This may include performing regular audits, using software with built-in features to combat such problems, and supervising employees. HACKERS AND CRACKERS In computer jargon, hacker has a variety of meanings, including being synonymous with programmers and advanced computer users. In these cases, it refers to someone who hacks away at a keyboard for long periods of time, performing any number of computer-related tasks. In recent years, hacking has come to mean the same as another term cracker, which is a person who cracks the security of a system or computer application. Hacking (and cracking) now refers to the act of gaining unauthorized access to a computer, network, Web site, or areas of a system. A person may hack their way into a system for a variety of reasons; curiosity, the challenge of breaking through security measures, or to perform malicious actions and destroy or steal data. All to often, it involves performing mischief and damaging a Web site or corporate network in some manner. Commonly, hackers will impersonate a valid user to gain access to a system. If the system requires a username and password before allowing entry, a hacker may take an authentic users identity. On a network or an office with Internet access, a hacker can impersonate someone else by simply sitting at the unattended workstation of another user who hasnt logged off. It also commonly occurs when someone has an easy to guess username and password, or allows this information to be known by others. Another common method hackers use to gain access is to guess or crack a username and password thats used to access a computer, network, or Internet account. To prevent being hacked in this manner, you should use passwords that are difficult to guess. You should also make your passwords a mixture of letters, numbers, and special characters (e.g. !, @, #, $, %, ^, , *).   You should change your password at regular intervals, and set a minimal length to passwords (such as being a minimum of six or eight characters). LOGIC BOMBS A logic bomb is a program that runs at a specific date and/or time to cause unwanted and/or unauthorized functions. It can effect software or data, and can cause serious damage to a system. Generally, it will enter a system as hidden content, or may be installed on the system by someone within a company. For example, a disgruntled employee may write a program designed to crash the system one month after he plans to quit the company. When this date and time arrives, the program then executes. In other words, the bomb goes off. Often, logic bombs arent detected until after they execute à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ when the damage is done. However, by installing anti-virus software, firewalls, and other security software, you can block hidden content, and stop the bomb before it becomes a problem. Anti-virus software can detect known logic bombs, trojan horses, and viruses. Firewalls allow you to set policies on your system that will strip hidden content out of messages, removed file attachments, and so forth. TROJAN HORSE Trojan horses get their name from the story of the attack on Troy. In the story, the army couldnt get past the gates of Troy to attack. A covert attack was needed, so soldiers hid inside of a giant wooden horse, which was offered as a gift to the citizens of Troy. Once inside the gates of the city, the Trojan Horse opened and the attack began. In computer terms, Trojan Horses live up to the name derived from the Greek story. Covert instructions are hidden inside of a program. These instructions are embedded in software or email, and may provide any number of undesired or unauthorized functions. Once opened, they may modify or damage data, or send information over the Internet (which can then be used by a hacker for future attacks). By dealing hidden content in messages or software, you can avoid problems with Trojan Horses. Using anti-virus software, firewalls, and other security software, your system can check for Trojan Horses and prevent them from attacking. Computer Crime Prevention Computer crime is becoming ever prevalent in our society. More and more, companies and individuals rely on the services and resources provided through networks and computers. Companies may be dependent on the data to conduct business, while individuals may store information that is important to their personal or work-related activities. Due to this, it becomes vital that steps are taken to protect computer systems and the data thats stored on them. It is important to remember that no system can ever be completely secure. The only network, Web site, or computer system thats 100% secure is one that cant be accessed by anyone or anything, which makes it completely unusable. Natural disasters, malicious, users who make mistakes, or motivated criminals can compromise security and/or cause damage. The goal for securing your system should be to balance security with accessibility. Community Crime Prevention Everyones Doing It: Planning a Successful Community Crime Prevention Project Are you tired of walking by playgrounds that are filled with trash and broken equipment? You know kids wont play there because its such a mess. Make a difference by cleaning up that playground as a community crime prevention project. Keeping Insider Information Inside Protect confidential information against insider leaks, and corporate espionage. Take Crime Prevention to Work Local law enforcement agencies will experience greater cooperation and success with crime prevention programs if they include local businesses and corporate offices. Presentations at local businesses are designed to provide basic information and tips on crime prevention. Safer Seniors An increasing population of senior citizens, including those in assisted-living communities, has made police officers aware of the challenges of reaching this group with safety information. Strong support from the police chief and elected officials helps ensure that time, staff, and resources are dedicated to aiding seniors. Also see Neighborhood Watch and School Safety

Youth Work And Anti Social Behaviour Criminology Essay

Youth Work And Anti Social Behaviour Criminology Essay The purpose of this research is to investigate and explore whether youth work helps in preventing Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) amongst young people. It is a worthwhile task to research this specific area as there is little published research on the contribution of youth work in preventing ASB. The research was conducted using young people and youth workers from the youth centre that I was doing my placement in Warwickshire. The data collected was a mixture of both quantitative and qualitative, however the focus of the data collection was on qualitative data. The main findings from the study revealed that the majority of young people and youth workers felt that attending the youth club helps to keep young people out of trouble. It was confirmed that youth clubs play an important role in informing young people about crime and justice issues, and that young people are likely to approach youth workers for help and advice. The services deemed important by young people were highlighted, and differences have been recognised between the services deemed most important to provide by young people and youth workers. Issues regarding the role of youth workers were raised, with differing opinions from both young people and youth workers. It has been illustrated that young people have a very positive attitude towards both youth work and youth workers, which is very important if youth workers are to build and maintain good relationships with young people. It is hoped that this research will provide a valuable insight into the possible role of youth work in preventing ASB to those who work in the field of youth work and crime prevention. Introduction The purpose of this study is to explore the potential role of youth work in preventing Anti-social behaviour(ASB). The topic of ASB and youth crime is one used in election campaigns by all political parties. Since New Labour came to power in 1997 there have been numerous citations of Tony Blairs slogan tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime, especially with regard to the phenomenon of youth crime. The purpose of this research therefore is to add to the debate on ASB prevention and to investigate a potential avenue that could help prevent it, that is, Youth Work. Relatively little published research has been conducted in the UK specifically on youth work and ASB or crime prevention, especially when compared to the US where Sherman et al (1997) has conducted interesting research. It is the purpose of this piece of research to reduce this gap in knowledge. It is hoped that this research will inform both those who work in the youth work arena and crime prevention strategists in general of the possibilities that youth work holds. 1.2 Aims and Objectives The title of the project is Investigate and Explore the role of Youth Work in preventing Anti-Social Behaviour. The broad aim was to explore whether youth work plays a role in preventing young people commit Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) or in severe cases Crime. The objectives of the research were: To search, review and critically examine the available literature on youth work and youth crime prevention. To determine the role and nature of the youth clubs and youth workers in relation to crime prevention To demonstrate and compare the perceptions of youth work from those who attend youth clubs and those who act in the role of youth worker. To establish whether youth work can be an effective means in preventing youth crime 1.3 Definition of terms used There are debates about the precise meaning of the key terms used in this research, therefore these debates will be briefly outlined and the use of terminology justified. There are three main terms that are used within this report that must be defined. These are: anti-social behaviour, youth crime, youth work and young people. These terms each have their own meanings that are debated by academics, researchers, politicians and even the media. The biggest debates regarding terminology centre on the terms youth crime and young people therefore these will be discussed first. There are two initial problems that occur when attempting to define youth crime. Firstly the problem in defining exactly what crime is, and secondly the problem in defining exactly what youth is. Muncie states the common definition of crime usually takes the form similar to that of an act prohibited by criminal law (2004:39). Michael and Adler (1933) take this further stating that in other words, no act can be considered a crime, irrespective of how immoral or damaging it may be, unless it has been made such by legislation (cited by Muncie, 2004:39). On first examination, this definition may seem perfectly viable, however in respect of young people it is argued that such a legal uncontroversial definition is unable to capture the full extent of troublesome behaviour. It is for these reasons that criminologists have used terms such as delinquency and antisocial behaviour to refer to youth misconduct which is not deemed criminal by the law, but is otherwise troublesome. The use of such terms are used to label and criticise youth behaviour such as hanging around on the streets or being loud as anti-social when this would not necessarily be the case had an adult been behaving in the same manner. These terms therefore provide a way in which to discriminate against young peoples, often not excessively offensive, behaviour. With regard to anti-social behaviour, even a definition of what amounts to this has contrasting perspectives. For example, Rutter, Giller and Hagell define anti-social behaviour as criminal behaviour whereas the Home Office do not (1998:1). This could indicate that the location and context in which the term is used can be of significance. It is submitted that over time and in different societies our constructions of what constitutes criminality clearly change. Support for this can be found from Becker who argues that crime is a consequence of social interaction and that crime only occurs once it has been criminalized through public perception and social reaction. Sumner (1990) supports Beckers view and argues that crime and deviance are matters of moral and political judgement as they are ideological concepts that justify inequality (cited in Muncie, 2004:40). Defining youth is also a problematic task. If attempting to define youth by reference to age, there are no precise moments that mark when childhood ends and adulthood begins (Muncie, 2004:41). This important change has become known as the transition between childhood and adulthood. Spence argues that transition suggests a journey from one state to another, involving both personal and social aspects, and it is therefore dependent upon the idea that the two stages are distinct conditions and fundamentally different (2004: 48). One possible approach to pinpoint the occurrence of this transition is to use the age of criminal responsibility, which is currently 10 years old in England and Wales. Ultimately, the concept of youth is one that suggests similarity amongst people of similar age whilst acting as the basis for creating social rules and institutions that reinforce these apparent similarities (Spence, 2005, p.47). However, despite these definitional problems it is important to define youth in relation to crime. In England and Wales, a person who commits a criminal offence who is between the ages of 10 and 17 years will be treated as a juvenile offender, whereas an individual who commits a criminal offence and is between the ages of 18 and 21 years will be tried as a young offender (Davies, Croall and Tyrer (2004. p.57). Having taken these debates into consideration, the use of these terms throughout this report have been used to mean the following: the term youth crime refers to crime committed by those individuals under the age of 18 years, and the term crime indicates an act prohibited by criminal law (Muncie, 2004, p.39). The term young people has been used to mean those individuals over the age of 10 years and below the age of 18 years, as this also reflects the age of criminal responsibility in England and Wales. With regard to youth work, it is difficult to give a text book explanation of exactly what youth work is and research has illustrated that youth workers themselves find it difficult to put their role into a sentence that gives justice to both the work of the youth worker and that of the young person (Ingram and Harris, 2005, p.11-12). The nearest one will find to a formal definition of what youth work entails can be found in the statement of values and principles from the National Youth Agency (NYA), which states that the nature and purpose of youth work is: to facilitate and support young peoples growth through dependence to interdependence, by encouraging their personal and social development and enabling them to have a voice, influence and place in their communities and society. (NYA, 2005:17). It is through this definition that the researcher uses the term youth work to mean working with young people to help them achieve a sense of personal fulfilment, as well as work that can help and advice young people in their daily life choices and activities. The term youth worker therefore is used to describe those who carry out this role. 1.4 Organisation of the report The report is divided into four chapters as follows: Chapter Two reviews the design and methodology adopted to conduct the research and provides justification for the design and methods used. Chapter Three presents the findings of the research and analyse these appropriately. Chapter Four is the final chapter and will discuss the main findings from the research. It will also draw on these findings and the literature review in order to argue that youth work has the potential to make a significant contribution to ASB prevention and recommendations for policy makers, practice and further research. The appendices contain copies of all relevant documents referred to throughout the research. CHAPTER 2 Design and Methodology Research Design and methods The overall design of this research incorporated both quantitative and qualitative methods. The researcher aimed to collect these forms of data using questionnaires and focus groups. One set of questionnaires was distributed to six youth workers who works at the youth club. Semi-structured questions formed the interview questions used in focus groups with young people. As the research was an investigation the use of questionnaires was deemed appropriate for the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. Throughout the literature review, it is clear that there is a number of research/theories and approaches that are based on facts within the topic of ASB. An example is that the Home Office have established that young people with a troubled home life are at higher risk of being involved in ASB and crime than those who have not. Using a quantitative design would be inadequate to offer alternative explanations and explain different personal circumstances, for example, why young people who have come from troubled family life get involved in ASB. My research question requires me to ask young people and youth workers whether youth work helps in preventing ASB. A qualitative design would therefore benefit me as it would allow me to ask young people directly through the use of semi-structured interviews. This would therefore include their individual understanding and experiences, rather than being given a choice of options to choose from. It has been stated that qualitative and quantitative research each reflects a different epistemological stance, which ultimately widens the gap between the two (Bryman, 1992). In terms of epistemological framework, quantitative research is strongly linked to the positivist method of studying society, therefore observing the world in an objective manner, whereas qualitative research entails a more subjective approach. These theories explain why quantitative data is often viewed as hard data and qualitative data as real and deep (OReilly, 1996:7). It is therefore submitted that it is not a disadvantage to combine quantitative and qualitative data, but that it is an advantage as the utilisation of the two methods allows for an in-depth investigation, which will allow a more complete account[s] of social reality (Bryman, 1992:126). Questionnaires According to Robson, (2002:230), questionnaires are seen as a predominantly quantitative research method. The questionnaires used in this research asked questions about young people and ASB from the workers point of view, and included both tick boxes and also opportunities to explain further. This offered the researcher qualitative data from the questionnaires. The questionnaire also contained personal data including age, gender, ethnicity, disability and sexuality. Participants were however not asked for their name or any details which would have enabled them to be identified. Below is a table adapted from Munn and Drever(1990) and Sarantakos(2005) which shows the benefits and drawbacks of questionnaires. Fig 1. Benefits Drawbacks Efficient use of time Greater assurance of anonymity for participants Standardised questions and format for data collection Production for quick results Less opportunity for researcher bias Easier for data analysis Allow for a greater coverage of participants Information tends to describe rather than explain Information can be superficial No room for probing, prompting or clarification No opportunity to provide motivation for the participant to take part Identity and conditions are not known Do not allow for additional information The main benefit of using questionnaires in this research was the ability to gain information in a relatively straight forward. This was also helpful for the data analysis stage as questions were all standardised and could easily be organised to produce results for analysis. Focus groups The other method used to collect data in this research was focus groups. Morgan(1998:1) states that, focus groups are group interviews. A moderator guides the interview while a small group discusses the topics that the interviewer raises. Morgan went on to talk about the growth of focus groups as a qualitative research method and how discussions that takes place generate a rich understanding of participants experiences and beliefs'(1998:11). The purpose of a focus group in this research was to offer a deep insight and gain a greater understanding of the opinions that exist towards the research question being explored. Sarantakos (2005) talks about how focus groups can be used as a tool to explain trends and variances through the views of respondents. Below is a table that shows the pros and cons of using focus groups and have been taken from Morgan(1997) and (1998), Bloor et al (2001), Sarantakos (2005). Fig 2 Benefits Drawbacks Ability to gain understanding o complex issues through group discussions Ability to understand uncertainties and ambiguity that can underlie group assessments Allow for easier comparisons of opinions and the similarities and differences that exist Recording data can be problematic Being in a group may hide peoples real opinions The process can be dominated by some members There can be difficulties keeping discussions on track Findings may not be represented The reason why these two methods were used in the research was to enhance the data collected and to enable the researcher to gain a deeper understanding of feelings and opinions that surround the subject. This use of multiple methods is becoming common in social researches which, as stated by Boer et al (2001:12), contribute to the parallel mushrooming commitment of academic researchers to triangulation. Triangulation is a process by which different methods are employed by researchers to ensure that the methods themselves do not distort data but instead produce similar findings. Implementation and changes to Design Due to selected young people not turning up for the focus group, the researcher had to randomly select young people who were present at the time who fitted the criteria. This meant having to postpone the time and some planned activities as the young people had to seek consent first to participate from parents/carers and bring to the researcher signed forms. This meant that the researcher had to do one focus group instead of two that had been planned in the research proposal. Although it would have been good to have two focus group so as to look for similarities and differences in young peoples views, having one group did not make much difference as the researcher felt the young people who participated were a fair representatives of young people who attend youth clubs. Having one focus group, in the researchers opinion was more than enough as the researcher had to consider time needed for analysis. 2.5 Sample Selection and Details of Participants In total there were 14 participants in the study: eight young people, and six youth workers. It was felt that although this was a relatively small sample, it would allow for a greater degree of qualitative data to be collected and analysed. The researcher felt that the sample of young people was, fairly representative of those attending the youth clubs. The sampling method used was convenience or accidental sampling which involves choosing the nearest and most convenience persons to act as respondents. Robson(2002:265). The main limitations to this type of sampling is that there is no way to tell if the findings are representatives of the population or not. Robson(2002:265). However, the researcher tried to make sure that many groups were represented in the study including every age group and gender. One key group that was not included was young people from ethnic minorities group. This was due to the fact that at the time no one who fitted the criteria was present and the area is dominantly white. The participants (both youth workers and young people) were all white British. The age range of the young people was between 13 and 16 years old, with 37.5% being female and 62.5% male. The youth worker participants were 66.7% female and 33.3% male. The table below(Fig 3) shows a detailed breakdown of all participants. Young people Age(years) Male Female Total 13 1 1 2 14 1 1 2 15 2 1 3 16 1 1 Fig 4 Youth Workers Age range Female Male Total 18-25 2 2 25-30 1 1 2 30+ 1 1 2 2.6 Young Peoples Focus Group The researcher arranged semi-structured questions in advance and sent them to the Youth Worker in charge for approval. A place and time was allocated where the group would not be disturbed. By planning in advance, the researcher was able to avoid interruptions and ensure people could not overhear the discussions. Facilitating a focus group allowed the researcher to be creative in the types of questions that she could ask. Interactive and visual exercises were included which enabled young people to keep focused, interested and engaged in the topic. 2.7 Youth workers questionnaire There were several questions that could be compared to the questions given to young people, in order to reach the objective of determining and comparing the perceptions of youth work from youth workers and young people. Due to the mixture of open and closed questions it was possible to extract both quantitative and qualitative data from the youth workers. However, because the sample size was relatively small the focus was to collect qualitative data that was rich in both information and experience. At the youth club the questionnaires were handed to the worker-in-charge who ensured that the researcher was handed the completed questionnaires back. All six questionnaires were completed and returned. Confidentiality was ensured and maintained throughout as the questionnaires were handed out with an envelope for use after completion of the questionnaire. 2.8 Ethical Issues It is vital when completing research that the importance of ethical issues is observed. (Walliman 2006:151). The ethical issues identified for this research can be found in the research proposal (Appedix). No further ethical issues were identified. Consent forms forms were all signed and retuned to the researcher. The researcher further emphasised on confidentiality issues within the group. Throughout the research, all the procedures identified to promote ethical practice were put into place. A place that was free from noise, interruptions or risks that others could overhear was used and this was important in maintaining confidentiality. 2.9 Data Analysis In presenting and discussing the research findings a mixture of summary and descriptive statistics were used. Generalizations from these statistics were kept to a minimum due to the research design and methods adopted. As the research sample was relatively small and manageable, the researcher felt confident to complete the statistical calculations herself. In addition, as the research sample was relatively small it was not thought appropriate to use any other statistical tests in the data analysis CHAPTER 3 FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS 3.1 Introduction The purpose of this chapter is to present the findings of the research and provide a basic interpretation of these findings. Quantifiable data will be presented in a graphical format. Qualitative data will be illustrated by quotes and written observations. The findings of the study have been provided through the use of data analysis by using a grounded theory approach. A grounded theory is dedicated to generating theories. It emphasises the importance of empirical fieldwork and the need to link any explanations very closely to what happens in the real world.(Denscombe, 2007:89) The researcher analysed the data after recording all of the information provided from the focus group onto one sheet. This meant putting all of the participants answers to each question together, therefore analysis on possible themes and categories was made easier. An example is provided in Fig 5 below: Key P1=Participant 1 Q1 What do you understand by the term Anti-Social Behaviour? P1- ermm, I think its crime committed by youth like young people P2- ohm ermm I dont know (pause) young people messing around on the streets getting into trouble P3- aint it just teenagers doing nothing on the streets or corner shops P4- Like graffiti, hanging on the streets, smoking, drinking, things that young people do P5- Its like all these guys with hoodies hanging about getting into trouble by misbehaving, acting stupid P6- Petty crime like hanging about on the streets, making noise, vandalising property I used this process to look at specific parts of the interviews which were important in order to meet my research objectives. My data analysis was based on looking for similarities or differences in the answers given and categorising relevant themes. Denscombe (2007:98) states that, the first stage of analysis involves the coding and categorizing of the data. This means the researcher begins to assign bits of raw data to particular categories. Careful scrutiny of the data will allow the researcher to see that certain bits of the data have something in common. 3.2 Focus Group-Young people The objective of having a focus group with young people was ultimately to discover their views on both the youth club they attended, the youth workers that worked there, and whether having a youth club helped keep the young people out of trouble, therefore addressing the issue of reducing and preventing youth crime. In order to do this it was considered important to discover how often the young people actually attended the clubs. Youth club attendance and spare time activities Figure 6 below illustrates that nearly two thirds of the young people, (5, which is 62.5%) attended whenever the clubs were open. It is argued that this is an important finding for the foundation of the research as if young people were not attending the clubs then the potential of youth work to help reduce Anti-social behaviour and crime would be dramatically reduced from the outset. As the youth clubs are regularly attended by young people it was felt that because the youth club studied in this research were not open seven days a week, it was important to try and discover what young people were doing in their spare time when they were not at the club. As was discussed in Chapter Two, according to research, social skills are an important part of the transition into adulthood (Spence, 2005). However, the effect of socialisation and peer group pressure can have differing effects on individuals. It is clear to see from figure 7 below, socialising with friends is a large part of the young peoples lives. It is interesting to observe that only a small proportion (2), which is a quarter of young people thought that they got into trouble in their spare time. This figure could be a result of several different factors such as different opinions as to what is classed as getting into trouble, for example is it only trouble if you have broken the law or when you are being antisocial? Subjective factors such as these could have affected the answers given by the participants and this must be kept in mind when analysing the findings Keeping out of trouble The young people were asked to rate the extent of their agreement to the statement coming to the youth club keeps me out of trouble (question 3). It is submitted that the results (see figure 8 below) are encouraging on several levels. Firstly, no one disagreed with the statement therefore it is possible to argue that the youth clubs could help reduce youth crime, at least for the period in which the young people attended the club. Support for this argument can be found in the fact that 62.5% of young people rated their extent of agreement at 4 or above on the scale. To make a direct comparison, the youth workers were asked the same question (question 6). The results are also illustrated in figure 3 above. It must be remembered when interpreting these findings that the sample size of the two groups were different, as the young people sample (n=8) was larger than the youth worker sample (n=6). The findings from the youth workers indicate a strong extent of agreement that youth clubs do help keep young people out of trouble, illustrated by the fact nearly all responses (4: 66.7%) were marked 4 or above on the scale. # Comparative means to indicate the level of agreement to the statement that youth clubs keep young people out of trouble The role of a youth worker: Question 1-Youth Workers/ Question 10-Young people It was important to discover what the young people and the youth workers perceived to be the role of a youth worker in order to see if there were any major differences. If they were there, these would need to be resolved in order to provide the service that young people want and need. The young people in the stated that someone to offer help/advice as the main role of a youth worker. Help/advice/guidance is one perception of the role that is shared by both the young people and youth workers. There was a difference in that young people felt that to provide activities was an element of the role, as opposed to youth workers. This information was difficult to quantify the data into categories in that the answers given by the youth workers were very serious, whereas the young peoples answers were more focused towards fun and activities as opposed to being focused on serious matters such as guidance The NYA promotes that the main purpose of youth work is the personal and social development of young people and their social inclusion (NYA, 2006:6). . In comparison to Mertons study (2004), which found the role of a youth worker to be a social educator and mentor, it is possible to argue that these elements are also visible in the findings from this research as helping, advising and guiding young people can fit into both of the roles Merton found. Referring to the literature review, I had based my research on the risk factors identified by the home office that increase the chances of young people be involved in ASB. Within these risk factors, peer pressure was established as one of the risk factors associated with ASB. My results supported this as 7 out of 8 young people mentioned copying their friends, trying to fit in and peer pressure as a reason for engaging in ASB. Chapter Four Discussion, Conclusions and Implications 4.1 The most important findings The study found that there was a high level of agreement amongst young people and youth workers that going to the youth club keeps young people out of trouble. It is therefore argued that youth work is already contributing to ASB prevention, at least during the period in which the youth clubs are open. Regarding what the participants thought were the most important services to provide, Q4-YW and Q9-YP, the study found a difference of opinion not only between youth workers and young people, but also amongst youth workers themselves. Young people felt that a place to socialise, access to information and advice, and a safe place to be were the most important services, whereas overall youth workers felt enthusiastic workers and the building of relationships were paramount. If youth work were to hold a substantial ASB or crime prevention role, differences such as these would need to be straightened out in order to ensure the most important services are clearly defined in terms of what the young people want and need from the clubs. With regard to the informative function of youth work, it was found that youth work does indeed play an important role in informing young people about ASB, crime and justice issues. This provides the foundation on which to argue that youth work has an extremely important role in providing young people with information on important issues. The study found that young people were likely to approach a youth worker for support and advice. This is very encouraging in terms of youth work holding and maintaining a successful role in ASB prevention, as it would be paramount that young people feel both confident and comfortable in approaching youth workers for help. It was also illustrated that in general young people have a very positive attitude towards youth workers, which supports the argument that youth workers have the potential to cross the barriers with young people where others fail, especially in terms of promoting pro-social behaviour and social inclusion. This finding als

Looking Out for Future Pain :: Pain Health Medical Essays

Looking Out for Future Pain Pain is a method used by the body to interpret the outside world. Our skin is covered with sensory neurons that are responsible for acquiring information about the body's surroundings (6). Some of the nerve endings involved in the pain sensing process are called nociceptors (6). Most of the sensory receptors and nociceptors come from an area near the spinal cord (6). The information from the sensory neurons is sent through intermediate neurons and is passed onto the motor neurons that are involved in a physical movement, or are sent to the brain (1). In the brain, the information is interpreted and behavioral and emotional reactions are created (6). The definition of pain used by the International association for the Study of pain describes it as a sensory or emotional interpretation that is produced when there is the potential or actual occurrence of tissue damage (2). Adults are able to verbalize the intensity of their pain and can help monitor the effectiveness of treatment when there is damage to the body tissue. How can adults interpret the pain in infants who cannot verbalize their experience? What concerns should we have when treating tissue damage in babies? What about the damage treatment of babies inside the womb? It has been noted that a newborn has sensory nerve cells that have a greater respond rate than an adult (4). With sensitive sensory nerve cells, the spinal response to a stimulus is also increased and lasts for a longer period of time when compared with an adult (4). The appearance of these sensitive nerve cells is found on a larger portion of a newborn's skin when compared with adults (4). These sensory areas are called receptive fields (4). The receptive fields help the nervous system keep track of where the stimulus was received (4). With a larger receptive field, babies are unable to pin point the exact location of the stimulus (4). Since newborns have very sensitive sensory nerves, the same response is produced to any stimulus without regard to the intensity (4). A newborn may react in the same way to a pinch as to a soft touch (4). The newborn will respond to non-harmful experiences as if they were potentially harmful (4). Questions have been raised about the level of sensation that the fetus itself undergoes when using surgery to address abnormalities in a fetus (1).

Plagiarism :: Cheating Internet Computer Ethics Essays

Plagiarism Plagiarism, or the unaccredited use of another's work or ideas, has become more and more of a problem in recent times than it was in the past. According to statistics found in a survey conducted by the Free Press, 58% of high school students let someone copy their work in 1969, but by 1989 this number had risen to 97%. The expansion of the World Wide Web and the number of people accessing the Web on a regular basis has caused an epidemic of plagiarism in this country, especially among students. This is a serious problem that must be addressed because many students feel that if they are not getting in trouble for cheating, than it is okay. Children are taught to use computers at incredibly young ages, and according to Ann Lanthrop plagiarism has become a problem even in the lowest levels of elementary education. It has become so easy for students to access information for their homework and papers on the Internet that some students feel they should not have to work even a little to receive the grades that they desire. High school students get out of reading novels for their English classes by reading "book notes" online. While in the past students had access to these materials, websites such as Spark Notes, Monkey Notes, and a number of other websites have made access to these "study guides" free to students, causing the temptation to cheat to be even harder to ignore. The Web also offers many ways for students to obtain term papers or essays at a low cost. In many cases, these students do not even bother to change any piece of the paper! The simplicity of the Internet has made cheating on assignments much more effortl ess than in the past, even if students are not directly copying and pasting from Websites, they can also email homework problems and essay questions to every member of the class. Plagiarism is a severe issue that needs to be addressed by both teachers and parents with children while they are still young enough to fear the consequences of their actions. In the United States it is illegal for one to plagiarize the copyrighted work of another human being. Not only does plagiarism violate legal statutes, but it also infringes on longstanding morals and ethics.

Genetically Modified Food and Crops Essay

Abstract Since the 1980’s scientists have been altering crops, including some of the food we eat (Fairly & Gaskins, 2000). Genetically modified food has always been a concern for many people. I find the concerns to be unwarranted because there has never been a negative health report due to the fact of consuming GM foods. Biotechnology gives us the best means for solving the world’s food shortage now and in the future. Genetically modified crop plants are now grown on nearly 150 million acres in the United States alone, helping farmers to increase yields, reduce pesticide spraying, and save topsoil (Conko & Miller, 2011). What are we actually eating? Looking at ingredients on the back of a product was almost considered out of the ordinary ten to fifteen years ago. But now it is one of the most important factors in the decision on whether or not a consumer will buy the product. In all the research I conducted there was never a proven harmful effect from genetic engineering. However, the benefits are scientifically proven which gives genetically modified crops the advantage over traditional farming. The proposed ideas and research by scientist show that a lot more can be done with GM food other than eating it. Globalization of GM crops is becoming apparent as well as GM crop commercialization. _Keywords: GM Food, GM Crops, Genetically engineered crops, Biotechnology, GM organisms. _ â€Å"Genetically modified organisms can be defined as organisms in which the genetic material (DNA) has been altered in a way that does not occur naturally. The technology is often called â€Å"biotechnology† and it allows selected individual genes to be transferred from one organism into another† (World Health Organization, 2002). For more than twenty years of scientific, humanitarian, and financial success genetic engineering has been applied to agriculture. This has been accomplished without injury to a single person or damage to the ecosystem. However, activists are still fighting the use of genetically modified crops (Conko & Miller 2011). Millions of people around the world suffer from malnutrition and with the steep projected increase of our world’s population in the next fifty years a change needs to be made. Genetically modified crops increase yield, nutrition and uses fewer pesticides all without proven negative effects. GM crops and all its benefits make it the gateway for the world’s agriculture success. Genetically modified crops are becoming the building blocks for agriculture advancements. Scientists are continually working to create more benefits for consumers as well as farmers. The main concern of GM foods is negative health risks however, they are actually more beneficial. GM foods have longer shelf life, contain higher nutritional value and are safer to eat. For example, â€Å"GM corn has lower fungal toxin content then non-GM corn, and farmers typically produce GM crops using fewer pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers† (Tyson, 2001). By drastically reducing the use of chemicals on the plants it provides a major improvement for the consumer’s safety and nourishment. Because scientists slightly tweak the DNA of the plants with other genes it is possible that food allergens may end up in GM products. Steve Taylor, a scientists at the University of Nebraska states that, â€Å"the food-allergy threat is small because food engineers now avoid using genes from nuts and other common food allergens. The benefits of genetic engineering justify the risk† (Fairley & Gaskins 2000). Products from biotechnology are no less safe than traditionally bred crops. According to Dr. Prakash, â€Å"genetically improved products are subjected to intensive testing, while conventional varieties have never been subjected to any such regulation for food safety or environmental impact† (Prakash, 2000). Every GM food that is currently available on the international market has already passed risk assessments and is not likely to pose a risk for the consumers. No effects have been shown and GM foods will continue to be regulated in more and more countries (World Health Organization, 2002). GM crops are never expected to present a health risk and therefore should reassure government officials worldwide in the use of this technology. Another concern of GM technology is the effect it has on the environment. The environmental risks of biotechnology are also unidentified just like the health trepidations. No scientific evidence proves that GM crops are harmful to the environment. â€Å"U. S. officials pointed out that scientists in Europe had been unable to find any evidence of added risk to human health or the environment from any GM crop variety developed to date. † In fact, none of the studies by Europe found any scientific evidence of added harm to humans or the environment (Paarlberg, 2003). GM engineering will actually help the environment rather than harm it. In the U. S. alone farmers annually administer more than nine hundred seventy million tons of insect and plant killers. Now GM crops have the ability of containing their own insect and plant killing gene which means the farmers can use fewer chemicals (Tyson, 2001). To ensure that the environment is remaining safe, risk assessments are conducted for the GM product as well as the area in which the crop will grow (World Health Organization, 2002). Furthermore, the United Nations Environment Program has used funding for developing countries to implement biosafety regulations for GM crops. The UNEP wants these regulations implemented before any crop is planted no matter the cost or delay (Paarlberg, 2003). Since 2011, The U. S. Department of Agriculture has approved seventy four different GM crops. In each case the crops data was reviewed for several years and each â€Å"concluded that they will have no significant environmental impact† (Conko & Miller 2011). These precautionary measures toward genetically modified crops allow the government to regulate farming actions and safeguard the environment. The initial reason GM organisms were created was to improve crop production. â€Å"The GM crops currently on the market are mainly aimed at an increased level of crop protection through the introduction of resistance against plant diseases caused by insects or viruses or through increased tolerance towards herbicides† (Tyson, 2001). Producers are getting a lot more for a lot less which translates to products with lower prices. The improved production of crops and technology accounts for the lowered costs and have â€Å"forced tremendous competition in the herbicide and insecticide markets† (Prakash, 2000). This also helps traditional farmers because it now allows them to buy these products at a cheaper cost. In fifty years the world population could exceed eleven billion people unfortunately, the current food supply is not expanding at the same rate. Because of this, GM crops need to expand and gain popularity over traditional farming. Global GM crop farming in 1999 covered about one hundred million acres (Tyson, 2001). Now, genetically modified crop plants are grown on nearly one hundred fifty million acres in the United States alone (Conko & Miller 2011). These statistics show that GM crop farming is rapidly expanding and the benefits are obvious. Biotechnology and its productivity give us the best chance to safely solve the food needs of today and the future. Poor farmers in tropical countries face problems such as crop pests, drought and low soil fertility (Paarlberg, 2003). These are the people who annually struggle to produce enough food for their families. Bugs, drought and disease destroy many acres of farmland every year. Fortunately scientists are creating GM crops with built in resistance to insects and diseases. GM Crops are also being developed that can grow in deserts or near salt water which allows more area for farming (Fairley & Gaskins, 2011). Because GM crops are now being built in with these resistances farmers won’t experience huge financial setbacks caused by pests killing their plants. Since the majority of malnutrition people in the world live in developing countries this opens up the opportunity for them to increase crop yield and provide enough food for everyone. Also, in developing countries people often have to survive off a single staple that own its own doesn’t supply sufficient amounts of nutrients. Food scientist hope to solve this problem by creating crops equipped with vitamins and minerals. According to Tyson, â€Å"one of the most promising is â€Å"golden rice,† which can stimulate our bodies to generate vitamin A. In the developing world, vitamin-A deficiency kills two million children each year† (Tyson, 2001). A development through GM foods may be able to save two million people which would be a life changing breakthrough. Scientists are also trying to perfect â€Å"eatable vaccines. † They are genetically adding vaccines to tomatoes and bananas, since traditional vaccines are expensive to manufacture and require specialized storage. â€Å"Eatable vaccines,† will be easier to transport, store, and administer in third world countries (Tyson, 2001). Biotechnology holds unlimited potential for areas of the world where poverty and poor agricultural conditions make farming challenging. The U. S. needs to ensure the people of these countries that GM food is safe and will be nothing but beneficial to their people. Genetic engineering is a crucial factor in agricultural productivity and if it continues to safely expand it could help meet the problematic food challenges that have already started. Genetic engineering holds great possibilities that could change the world. Simply peeling back a banana infused with antibiotics could be the next breakthrough science has to offer. Biotechnology continues to show safety is not an issue. GM farmers are now administering fewer chemicals on their crops. This reduces the amount of air pollution and water contamination in the environment. Genetic modifications were being made since farming started. Farmers always crossed bred the most successful plants year to year and without any concerns from the public. Today, scientist have a better understanding of how genetic modifications work making it safer for the consumers. However, government regulations are still implemented just for precautionary purposes. The United States is fortunate enough to grow numerous varieties of crops and also have the ability to choose the method of how they are grown. Unfortunately, not every country has these advantages. Genetically modified products allow these developing nations to grow crops at a more productive rate. Commercialization of genetically modified agriculture needs to be strictly monitored to make sure regulations are followed. Over industrialization of farming today is negatively viewed therefore making it essential that a golden mean is set for genetically modified products. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Fairley, P. , & Gaskins, P. (2000). Food Fight!. _Scholastic Choices_, _15_(8), 16. CONKO, G. , & MILLER, H. I. (2011). The Rush to Condemn Genetically Modified Crops. _Policy Review_, (165), 69-82. World Health Orginization.(2002). Retrieved from website: http://www. who. int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/index. html Tyson, P. T. (2001, April 12). _Harvest of fear_. Retrieved from http://www. pbs. org/wgbh/harvest/exist/ Prakash, C. (2000). Genetically engineered crops can feed the world!. Retrieved from http://www. 21stcenturysciencetech. com/articles/biotech. html Paarlberg, R. L. (2003). Reinvigorating genetically modified crops. _Issues in Science and Technology, 19_(3), 86-92. Retrieved from http://ezproxy. sju. edu/login? url=http://search. proquest. com/docview/195920735? accountid=14071.

“Night demonstrates the potential of man’s inhumanity to man” Essay

Elie Weisels â€Å"night â€Å" gives us a clear insight into the levels of inhumane behaviour which existed in the times of Nazi Germany from the Germans and even the Jews themselves. Elie also makes clear the great malice shown by some people, during a time where discrimination was a trend created by German propaganda – a situation which made any act of inhumanity acceptable. Nonetheless Night also shows us the way in which people are willing to sacrifice, purely for the survival of others. â€Å"Night† also demonstrates the nature of the human qualities by showing that even in the most inhuman and cruel circumstances, we can survive something like â€Å"hell on earth† Concentration camps showed us inhumanity on a scale previously unimagined. However the setting in place of such inhumane behaviour began some years before with the systematic dehumanising of the Jews by breaking down social structures and relationships and taking away their place in civil society. The novel shows that there is great inhumanity displayed from this personal journey of Elie Wiesel. The Jews were tortured every day for no reason at all other than for the SS officers’ own amusement. The SS officers treated the men as if they were animals, making them fight for food. Women, babies, old, sick, and handicapped were put into the crematoriums as soon as they arrived at the camps. The Germans stripped the Jews to nothing and took away everything close to them, separation from loved ones, isolation, transportation and the ruthless, cold actions towards them in the camps such as starvation and selections of the fittest. They killed people for no reason, with no remorse whatsoever. Tortures, being treated like animals, and being burned alive or killed were all things that led to the Jews feeling as if they were not human. As the treatment of the Jews gets worse, so do their own actions. After their time at Birkenau, the prisoners were in very bad shape. All were starving, but some more than others. At this point, one of the young men kills his own father for his ration of bread and is then promptly surrounded and killed by some of the more disgusted Jews who had seen the crime. While the justice administered by the other Jews is a sign of humanity hanging by a thread in the minds and hearts of the prisoners, the young man who killed his own father signifies as much of a tendency in the opposite direction. While some would argue that the  goal of survival could possibly justify the means, the effect the Nazis are having on the minds of the Jews cannot be ignored. Despite the relenting bleakness and horror of life in the camps, Elie Weisel survives with his emo tional insanity and survival remarkably intact. The critical things that helped people to survive in to camps included human connections, such as friendships and family relationships, hearing and making music and random acts of kindness from strangers. By doing whatever he needed to so he could survive, Wiesel’s identity had truly changed in the concentration camps. Elie survived the concentration camps for nearly two years. Even though he often claims that he wanted to give up, that he wished he would die, he still fought against death. He writes â€Å"our first act as free men was to throw ourselves onto the provisions. We thought only of that. Not of revenge, not of our families. Nothing but bread.† This quote shows that, though Elie has lost his identity so much that he is almost like a wild animal, he has still managed to keep the instinct to survive. This endurance showed that he never was able to fully give up on life. He somehow pushed past the Nazi cruelty to live through malnutrition, torture, and sorrow. Even as his emotions shut down to the point where he could not cry for his dead father, he was shutting down so he could survive the experience of the death camps.