Fashion, Retail and Advertising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Fashion, Retail and Advertising - Essay Example The paper "Fashion, Retail and Advertising" will study the intersect between these social and cultural trends, and the world of fashion retail and advertising from the year 2000 to date. Social trends matter in retail trade. As such, it is important to look into some of the trends in terms of social media, communication and culture that stood out the most in the last decade. It is worth noting that in recent times, the advertising industry is more incorporative of the trends, though this is not by choice. The modern day consumer has to be wooed into purchasing certain products by certain companies. This section examines what has been deemed trendy and fashionable in the 2000s. The 2000 has been perhaps the fastest evolving decade in terms of what was popular in this period. The years in this decade as pertains to clothing fashion, saw to the emergence of attributes such as markets flooded with numerous brand names. For example, brands such as Nike are no longer the only ones that are recognized in the retail industry, as there has been widespread infiltration of other brands into the market over the past decade. A good example of such is the emergence of names such as Forever 21. This has left consumers spoilt for choice, with the knowledge that quality is guaranteed, even though one opts to not stick to traditional brand names while acquiring different clothing. In addition to this, the fashion industry has witnessed the evolution of clothing, from conservative wear to clothing.

Impact of Oil Discovery on State-building in Saudi Arabia Essay

Impact of Oil Discovery on State-building in Saudi Arabia - Essay Example Unlike other countries that have a diversified economy, Saudi Arabia depends on oil revenue to build its economy. However, oil prices have become very volatile with prices surging up and down, an aspect that affects the consistency of the country’s economy. The reason is that the country depends heavily on the global oil market which is faced by very high risks and uncertainties in order to make its future plans regarding the progress of the economy. With the increasing levels of globalization resulting from the liberalization of markets, efficient flow of information and integration of economies across the world, it has become very hard for a single country to make its single decisions without considering the effects of the global market. However, unlike other countries which have a diverse source of revenues, Saudi Arabia has stuck with oil in order to spearhead growth and development of the economy. Therefore, since the financial crisis which had a major impact on the spend ing of many countries, the Saudi economy has been greatly affected. This aspect has stalled very many projects which could have stabilized the economy. The oil discovery has enabled the country to establish various structures that make it possible for the country to achieve economic growth. Research indicates that the Saudi government has been critical in investing in the education sector. The country has improved the infrastructures in this sector. It has equipped its research centers especially the departments that deal with oil production.

Gender Victimization in Contemporary World The Cauldron of Crime

Gender Victimization in Contemporary World The Cauldron of Crime The article presents a victimological analysis of crime victims on the basis of their gender victimization process of the teenage girls, working women, other females and also of gays, lesbians and transgender. The article progresses by tracing and analysing the female experience as being women: as child bearers, sexual objects for men, and nurturers. This paper tends to highlight various forms of victimization perpetrated on women like domestic violence, genital mutilation, rape, sexual assault, stalking, trafficking for sexual exploitation, honour killings and female infanticides, and showing that the situation of legal and social protection of abused females is critical. Further moving on to lesbians, gays, bisexuals or transgender a whole array of forms of victimization have been explained which include verbal abuse, degradation in their social status, abandonment by family members and relatives, physical/violent attacks some of which might lead them to commit suicides. Thus all these forms of victimization inflicted upon the weak and vulnerable sex would be analysed elaborately in this paper and various reasons that lead to their victimization have also been explored. The paper would also highlight the impact of victimization on these people by looking at its various consequences over financial, personal, mental, psychological and social aspects of the victims life and also assessing the nexus of the position of victim with the crime which affect the extent of their vulnerability to crime. The paper tends to emanate possible solutions from within the ambit of criminology and victimology that would help understand the position of a victim and the offender in a better way which in turn would help implement various recommendations made in this paper for eradicating all kind of gender victimization. Introduction The path of development of law from ancient period till the 21st century has always been complex and challenging with ever changing perspectives of the society. Throughout this period, crime and criminology has shaped up the overall facet of law as what it stands today. There has been a profound effect of crime on the society and its law in each era. However, the perspective of society towards crime has generally been narrow and one-sided, as the only concentration of criminology stands on the crime perpetrators, their behaviour, their characteristics and the penalties and punishments imposed on them. Criminology has failed to recognise the other side of the crime i.e. the victims and their role in crime which has now gained prominence owing to the serious repercussions of crime on society as a whole. This contemporary concept of studying the behaviour of victims before and after crime has become an important part of the study of crime falling under victimology. Thus victimology has helped us segregate various types of crime perpetrated on victims, the reason why particular victims fall prey to the offenders, the effect of crime on victims and many more. In this detailed analysis we also see that at many occasions crimes perpetrated are gender based and are concentrated against vulnerable section of females like teenage girls, married women, divorced women, girl child, mothers and the trans-genders or gays or lesbians become an easy target for this. There are a plethora of reasons which make them vulnerable to crime namely, physical attributes, social status, ideologies, orientation and the impact of criminal victimization is affected by factors like: sex of the victim, age, a victims prior history of victimization or that of persons known to the victim, overall perceptions of crime, the type and severity of crime experienced, and the relationship between the victim and the offender.  [1]  The discussion about gender based victimization also encompasses var ious types of crimes perpetrated on females and trans-genders which include sexual victimization, physical victimization, emotional victimization and sexual orientation victimization in case of gays and lesbians. Thus this paper aptly traces the trajectory of gender based victimization from various dimensions focussing on the aftermath of victimization from the victims as well as societys perspective. The cruel forms of gender victimization Gender based victimization is something which has always been there, but was hardly condemned owing to the patriarchal society dominated by men. However, with various social reforms according the equal status to women, there has been a significant shift in the ideology of society which has started paying attention to the issues related to women. Thus in this scenario the moot-able point that demands a lot of discussion and debate is that why is there so much of gender based victimization? And how the females, trans-genders, gays or lesbians are victimized in the open daylight, within four walls of their homes, offices etc.? To find an answer to these questions we will now look into various forms of crime perpetrated against women and other vulnerable groups of the society. New terms to describe forms of violence concentrated on women include domestic terrorism, marital rape, date rape, acquaintanceship rape, degrees of sexual assault, wife abuse, wife battering, intimate-partner viol ence, emotional abuse, stalking, sexual harassment, and gender harassment. Stalking The degree and intensity of stalking vary from situation to situation. Usually, stalking implies harassing or threatening behaviour often reiterated by an individual, like continuously following a person, secretly appearing at a persons home or place of work, making blank phone calls to harass, putting written messages or objects, or damaging the objects or property of a person. Thus any unknown or known but unwanted contact between two people that directly or indirectly create a threat or put the victim in fear can be regarded as stalking. Anyone can be a stalker, just as anyone can be a stalking victim. Stalking is a crime that can have serious after-effects on anyone, unaffected by gender, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, geographic location, or personal associations. However, if we follow the general pattern of stalking its the female sex that generally falls prey to the stalking. According to the statistics of stalking in United States of America every year 1,006,970 women and 370,990 men are stalked. These figures show that stalking incidents are magnanimously higher when it comes to female sex. Most stalkers of these females are young to middle-aged men with above- average intelligence and many a times from very respectable families and background. Most of the stalking cases crop up from some previous personal or romantic relationship between the stalker and the victim. In such situations, stalkers try to dominate over every aspect of the victims life. Gradually, the victim becomes the stalkers source of self-esteem, and the loss of this contact takes up the shap e of greatest fear for stalker. This dynamic makes a stalker dangerous where he can go to any extent to keep contact with. Unfortunately, the stalking of a female leaves her depressed and puts her in the situation of paranoia where she finds it difficult to come to the social terms out of continuous fear in her mind. To aggrandize the situation some stalkers feel obsessed for another person with whom they have no personal relationship and when the victim does not reciprocate this, the stalker tries to abuse and threaten the victim and some stalkers may even turn to violence. Thus stalking today has become a very common form of victimization of college girls, working women, teenage girls and it pose a great risk to their mental as well as physical health . Domestic violence Moving on to other forms of victimization, domestic violence is also one of the most common forms in which the victim bears the brunt not of strangers but of their own family members. Domestic violence is one of the crimes against women which are linked to their disadvantageous position in the society. Domestic violence refers to violence against women especially in matrimonial homes. Domestic Violence can be described as when one adult in a relationship misuses power to control another. It is the establishment of control and fear in a relationship through violence and other forms of abuse. The violence may involve physical abuse, sexual assault and threats. Sometimes its more subtle, like making someone feel worthless, not letting them have any money, or not allowing them to leave the home. Social isolation and emotional abuse can have long-lasting effects as well as physical violence. Therefore domestic violence is recognized as the significant barriers of the empowerment of women, with consequences of womens health, their health health-seeking behaviour and their adoption of small family norm. Many studies are of the view that violence by intimate partner most likely undermines the sexual and reproductive health of the women. This extensive violence has significant harmful effects like unwanted pregnancy, gynaecological disorders and physical injuries to private parts besides large-scale mental health impacts. Again, many of the commonly associated disorders/problems are found to be inadequately addressed. Violence by husbands against wife should not be seen as a break down in the social order rather than an affirmation to patriarchal social order. Similarly, is of the view that not only wife beating is deeply entrenched, but also people justify it. Thus, domestic violence is simply not a personal abnormality but rather it roots in the cultural norms of the family and the society. Rape/ sexual assault Rape is an assertion of power and not an act of lust. Violence on women is an extension of patriarchy, which means male rule. The two main features of patriarchy are sexual power and supremacy. By rape it is asserted that dominance is the male temperament and subordination the womens. Rape is a conscious process of intimidation by which man keeps woman in a state of fear in the confidence that the victim will not reveal the event to others. It is not like murder to him, though in actuality he murders the life of a woman. Rape can occur when the offender and victim have a pre-existing relationship (sometimes called date rape), or even when the offender is the victims spouse (called marital rape). However, the scene just doesnt end here as rape victims face serious after-effects of rape which include psychological trauma, depression, physical injuries. The plight of rape victims is also aggravated by various myths attached to rape which further victimizes the victim. These include statements like Rape is rarely a casual encounter; women ask for it and they get it by their own acquaintances. If women stay at home, where they belong, they would not get raped. The victims behaviour contributes towards her own victimisation. Most rapes are false accusations filed by women who are trying to get even with some men. Women who get raped are somehow morally corrupt, they are considered to be of loose character and even their tradition is like that. People try to find fault with the victim rather than the culprit. These are a few myths which significantly contribute in the agony of a rape victim. In any case, a traumatized rape victim finds it tough to stand up to the courts scrutiny. W hen such a vulnerable person is further exposed to a battery of embarrassing personal questions, she would naturally feel psychologically disadvantaged. Thats the reason why we have such few convictions in rape cases in India. Most victims either end up withdrawing their cases or reaching an out-of-court settlement. It does not only victimise her, but it also leaves a lifelong stigma on the character and dignity of a woman, causing her and her relatives, pain and agony. The mental torture is so deep that it hardly heals and if it heals at all, it takes a very long time to heal. The woman generally suffers in silence and endures in shame. Gender inequality: Abandonment/ abortion of girl child Around the world, a number of different practices result in physical and emotional harms to girls. In several countries, girl children are viewed as a drain on family resources, and having one or more sons and few or no daughters is valued. Thus, in China and India, girls are abandoned in public places or may be neglected as infants and therefore die; women in South Korea often abort a foetus that is known to be female. Usually, an unbalanced sex ratio of boys to girls is used to indicate selective abortion of girls or neglect that result in their death. An unexpectedly low ratio of girls to boys is referred to as the problem of missing girls. Female-selective abortion is primarily but not exclusively practiced in China, Taiwan, South Korea, Pakistan, and India; it also is not uncommon for Asian immigrant populations, including those in the United States and Canada. Abortion, life-threatening neglect, and abandonment to ensure that a daughter is not added to the family is related to cultural beliefs and to gender inequality. Countries with the greatest number of missing girls are those having the most patriarchal gender arrangements, according to which males control property, have the only inheritance rights, and have better employment options. Complementary cultural beliefs about sons support sex-related abortion in countries with resources to detect sex during pregnancy and for people who can pay for detection and abortions, as well as neglect or abandonment of newborn girls in countries with less advanced economies and technologies. Thus these practices of gender inequality affect not only one single female child but the whole female community. This leads to further degradation in the status of women in society which victimizes the whole community in terms of equal opportunities or equal treatment at home and at workplaces. Female Genital mutilation Girls who are born and who survive can be reminded of their inferior status through the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). Specific beliefs and norms that promote the practice of FGM vary between countries, but in general the notion that women must be submissive to their husbands provides the rationale for continuing the practice. Women in regions of Africa where the practice is common believe that without the procedure, girls will be wanton and will not remain a virgin before marriage or faithful afterward, and that FGM will protect them because they will not seek sexual relations for pleasure, so their bodies belong totally to the men who marry them. Women support their male family members requirement of FGM both out of concerns that their daughters will be married, which in some places is the only way that a female can survive economically or socially, and also to avoid their own ostracism by being shamed, thrown out of the house, or divorced. Thus this is another form o f gender based victimization which cripples many societies Trafficking for sexual exploitation Human Trafficking, which involves the secret transport of people across local or national borders for the sole motive of sexually exploiting them, is a heinous crime that in most circumstances victimizes girls and women. Women, teenage girls, and sometimes boys are duped or forced into relocating to another area of their country, generally from rural to urban areas, or to other nations, where they are entrapped and swindled to engage in prostitution. In worse situations some poor families living below poverty line sell their female children to traffickers. According to the international data available on trafficking around 1 million people are trafficked for sexual exploitation throughout the world each year. International trafficking of women gained full pace after the collapse of the economic system of erstwhile Soviet Union and other African and Asian nations, as the situation was perfect for prohibited illegal opportunities and the demand for prostitutes and the hefty profits tha t could be made from them, along with minimum risk compared to drug and arms trafficking, accentuated the steep rise in trafficking. Although gender-related poverty is an element that makes trafficking possible, it is an influence only when it is coupled with two other things: motivated traffickers, usually operating in organized criminal groups, and countries or cities that are large sex industry centres where prostitution is tolerated or is legal. The recruiters (sometimes women allowed to escape their work as prostitutes), the pimps, and the traffickers, plus the international inequalities in chances for survival and a good future, are the essential influences on the movement of large numbers of women to settings where they are subjected to abuse and forced to prostitute themselves. For example, in India moneylenders or their agents will visit areas that are affected by desperate poverty. Moneylenders may own brothels, where they place the girls and women to work. In other cases, they may supply the women and girls to brothel keepers for a fee, and then require them to work until the fee is paid off. Once invol ved in prostitution, women are forced, in various ways, to continue. Asian-Indian women have reported to researchers that despite desires to stop, they continued prostitution because of illiteracy, beatings, starvation, rape by family members, and sexual exploitation in alternative jobs that paid less than prostitution, and that therefore created the reality that prostitution provided a higher rate of pay for sexual acts that they would have been forced into regardless of not working as a prostitute. Thus in this way forced prostitution is the face of horrendous monster haunting women who are in desperate need of financial help and renders them victimized both sexually and psychologically. Sexual orientation-motivated crime The victimization of lesbian and gay men, through either verbal harassment or varying degrees of physical assault, is the most common kind of bias related violence. More than half of the lesbian and gay male adult population have been estimated to have encountered some form of verbal harassment or violence in their lives. The victimization of gays, lesbians and trans-genders may be in varied forms which might include hate crimes directed against their whole community or in some countries like India abandonment by own relatives and family members. The ideology of various societies is intolerable towards this concept of differently sexually oriented people and thus people punish gays, lesbians and trans-genders for not being the same as they are. This is very ironic that people fail to appreciate ones own preferences about life and try to impose upon them such conditions which are considered as ideal in a society. This in itself is that facet of victimization of such people who feel ne glected, unwanted at the hands of stereotypes in society. Victimization of lesbians, gays and bisexual youth compromises with their mental health as an impact of assault on youth. Thus those youths who are open about their sexual orientation must not only cope with difficult personal matters but must also deal with negative reactions of family and friends. As a result of these cumulative stresses lesbians, gays and bisexual youths may be particularly at high risk for suicide. Thus this depicts that extreme cases of victimization of bisexuals and homosexuals might even lead them into the dark lanes where they end their lives out of depression. Impact of victimization Gender-related and sexual orientation-related victimization can be particularly traumatic because potential victims are at risk by virtue of gender, which for women and girls is readily apparent, and because it can be motivated by misogyny, dislike of gay and lesbian individuals, and other forms of hate directed at the very identity of a person. For women and girls, because victimization is so often within the family or circle of acquaintances, there is the additional disquietude introduced by violation of trust and the potential for continued contact with the victimizer. Psychological trauma Various researches across the globe have demonstrated severe and complex effects of gender-related victimization. In addition to physical injury and in some cases disability, battering can result in depression, anxiety, and PTSD. A report sponsored by the World Bank concluded that throughout the world, wife abuse is a serious threat to health and quality of life, results in injury or death, and has negative spill-over effects on children, the workplace, and the broader community. As a result of this larger percentage of victims become subject to ongoing emotional and psychological abuse, a form of violence that many battered women consider worse than physical abuse. Domestic violence also has psychological effects that include fear, anxiety, fatigue, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some victims of incest and other forms of child sexual abuse, wife battering, and stalking are traumatized over a lengthy period. Compared to women who are infrequently stalked, those who are relentlessly stalked over a period of time not only are at greater risk for physical, sexual, and emotional abuse but also suffered more depression and PTSD. Repeated victimization can produce long-term changes in how survivors regulate their emotions, self-perceptions, and relationships with other people, and the meanings they attach to actions and events. The term complex posttraumatic syndrome refers to these sorts of long-term changes. Coming to homosexuals and bisexuals, gay and lesbian survivors of hate crimes are more depressed, angry, anxious, and stressed; they also have more crime-related fears and more often describe personal setbacks that resulted from attacks. Victimized gay and lesbian youths from both rural and urban areas reported high rates of suicide attempts. Many victims of sexual orientation-motivated hate crimes are afraid to report their victimization, and some turn their feelings inward and feel shame or guilt about their identities. Financial loss The economic effects of gender-related victimization could be profound. Many people who are battered in intimate relationships, stalked, raped, and exploited by people who benefit financially from their prostitution are economically marginalized by their victimization. If they are physically or psychologically traumatized, they may be unable to work in legitimate settings. Whether or not individuals simultaneously hold the statuses of victim and offender, the economic impact of gender-related victimization can result in immediate loss of financial resources and long-term declines in quality of life if it is necessary to live in less desirable neighbourhoods. System Abuse The suffering endured by crime victims does not end when their attacker leaves the scene of the crime. They may suffer more victimization by the justice system. While the crime is still fresh in their minds, victims may find that the police interview following the crime is handled callously, with innuendos or insinuations that they were somehow at fault. They have difficulty learning what is going on in the case; property is often kept for a long time as evidence and may never be returned. Some sexual assault victims report that the treatment they receive from legal, medical, and mental health services is so destructive that they cant help feeling re-victimized. Victims may also suffer economic hardship because of wages lost while they testify in court and find that authorities are indifferent to their fear of retaliation if they cooperate in the offenders prosecution. Long-Term Stress Victims may suffer stress and anxiety long after the incident is over and the justice process has been forgotten. For example, girls who were psychologically, sexually, or physically abused as children are more likely to have lower self-esteem and be more suicidal as adults than those who were not abused. Children who are victimized in the home are more likely to run away to escape their environment, which puts them at risk for juvenile arrest and involvement with the justice system. Stress does not end in childhood. Spousal abuse victims suffer an extremely high prevalence of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (an emotional disturbance following exposure to stresses outside the range of normal human experience), anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (an extreme preoccupation with certain thoughts and compulsive performance of certain behaviours). One reason may be that abusive spouses are as likely to abuse their victims psychologically with threats and intimidation as they are to use physical force; psychological abuse can lead to depression and other long term disabilities. Some victims are physically disabled as a result of serious wounds sustained during episodes of random violence, including a growing number that suffer paralyzing spinal cord injuries. And if victims do not have adequate insurance coverage, the long-term effects of the crime may have devastating financial as well as emotional and physical consequences. Fear People who have suffered crime victimization remain fearful long after their wounds have healed. Even if they have escaped attack themselves, hearing about anothers victimization may make people timid and cautious. For example, women who are being abused by their partner may be fearful of reporting the abuse to authorities, especially when they read media reports about women who have been stalked and murdered by their partners following disclosure of the abuse to police. Victims of violent crime are the most deeply affected, fearing a repeat of their attack. There may be a spillover effect in which victims become fearful of other forms of crime they have not yet experienced; people who have been assaulted develop fears that their house will be burglarized. Many go through a fundamental life change, viewing the world more suspiciously and less as a safe, controllable, and meaningful place. These people are more likely to suffer psychological stress for extended periods of time. Antisocial Behaviour There is growing evidence that crime victims are more likely to commit crime themselves. Being abused or neglected as a child increases the odds of being arrested, both as a juvenile and as an adult. Young people, especially those who were physically or sexually abused, are much more likely to smoke, drink, take drugs, and become involved in criminal activities than are non abused youth. Incarcerated offenders report significant amounts of post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of prior victimization, which may in part explain their violent and criminal behaviours. Some Progressive developments in India In the recent past there has been an upsurge in rape cases Apart from above solutions, there has been a remarkable improvement in the Indian scenario where many progressive developments have been made by judiciary to protect the interests of victims affected by sexual assault, rape, domestic violence and other manifestations of male dominated society. Thus in the wake of current discussion it becomes important to put some light on one of the most remarkable judgement delivered by Supreme Court of India in the case of Delhi Domestic Working Womens Forum Vs. Union of India, which laid down various guidelines for protecting the dignity and integrity of rape victims and sexual assault victims. The complainants of sexual assault cases should be provided with legal representatives who are well acquainted with the criminal justice system. The victims advocate must also provide her guidance to go for mind counselling or medical assistance whenever needed. Legal assistance will have to be provided at the police station since the victim of sexual assault might very well be in a distressed state upon arrival at the police station. The police should be under a duty to inform the victim of her right to representation before any questions were asked of her. In pursuance of the directive principles contained under A. 38(1) of the constitution of India to set up Criminal Injuries Compensation Board whether or not a conviction has taken place. The court also held that in cases where fines and compensation orders were given together, the payment of compensation should take priority over the fine. These developments signified a major shift in penology thinking, reflecting the growing importance attached to restitution and reparation over the more narrowly retributive aims of conventional punishment. The Supreme Court in recent times has thus advocated the need for a scheme which would help all the victims of gender victimization and thus the social organisations, government authorities have set out to look for such programmes and policies. In order to give concrete base to these ideas the next section of the paper highlights some measures that can be taken in this regard to reduce the agony of victims. Solutions for diminishing the aftermath of victimization on victims THE ROLE OF THE VICTIM ITSELF: Depending on other correlates of social location-for example, poverty and race-girls and women, to varying degrees, have a sense that they need to alter their lives to manage violence that is disproportionately directed against females. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals also emotionally respond to and manage potential gender-related violence through routines and choices in everyday life. Fear of crime influences quality of life and reproduces social inequalities, creating and reinforcing exclusion from particular places and from some social interactions and restricting a persons actions. Individuals beliefs that they need to adjust their lives to avoid gender-related victimization are a manifestation of their oppression. Everyday violence results in measures to guarantee our safety-such as staying alert on the street, resisting arguments with our intimates because their bad tempers might lead to a beating, or avoiding certain public places that make us feel uneasy. Consistent with the notion of everyday violence, fear of crime is most accurately indicated by the wide range of emotional and practical responses to crime and disorder made by individuals and communities or, more generally, the impact of peoples concerns about crime on everyday social life. THE ROLE OF SOCIAL AGENCIES: Helping the victim to cope is the responsibility of all of society. Law enforcement agencies, courts, and correctional and human service systems have come to realize that due process and human rights exist not only for the criminal defendant but also for the victim of criminal behaviour. VICTIM COMPENSATION One of the goals of victim advocates has been to lobby for legislation creating crime victim compensation programs. As a result of such legislation, victims may apply to regional level agencies to receive financial compensation for expenses incurred as a consequence of injuries or death resulting from a criminal offence. Compensation may be provided for medical bills, loss of wages, loss of future earnings, and counselling. In the case of death, the victims survivors may receive burial expenses and aid for loss of support. Personal and household property losses are not normally compensated. COURT SERVICES Among the victim services that need to be provided through the court system, victim witness assistance programs (VWAP) might play a key role in providing information, assistance, and support to victims and witnesses of crime. VWAP programs provide a range of services, including crisis intervention/counselling, referrals to community agencies, emotional support, information about the progress of the case, he

Ruthlessness in Public Life by Thomas Nagel Essay -- Ruthlessness Life

Ruthlessness in Public Life by Thomas Nagel The issues discussed by Thomas Nagel in 'Ruthlessness in Public Life' are that continuities and discontinuities exist between the public and private morality. Public officials need to recognize that there are clear limitations on actions which conflict with morality concerns. Nagel explored how public and private sectors need to adhere to certain ordinary moral standards. To rectify these issues of construed morality, Nagel explores a few options. Nagel states that 'If one of them takes on a public role, he/she accepts certain obligations, certain restrictions, and certain limitations on what he/she accepts' This statement incurs that public officials have distinct authority over the public which maybe construed by personal interests. A plausible theory is to prevent impersonal forces created by institutions. The next option recognizes the discontinuity between individual mortality and public mortality, which will provide either an addition or restriction within varying institutions. Nagel indicated that in his own opinion is that morality should be based on acceptability to each individual responsible for the actions and not hold the whole institution or all parties liable. The conclusion presented by Nagel is that the theory of obligation can explain special features of public morality. Also those individuals can take steps to restrict certain choices. Nagel also concluded that the institutional structure shields indi...

Appendix H Topic Sentence Outline

Associate Level Material Appendix H Topic Sentence and Informal Outline Worksheet Using the Center for Writing Excellence and My Foundations Lab resources, provide the topic sentence and informal outline for your Personal Ethics Statement. †¢ Topic sentence: Many people believe that having good personal ethics is not as important as it used to be. However, ethics are what make a person who they are and how they live their daily lives. A person’s personal ethics are the ideas that they believe are the most important to them, such as honesty, integrity, and morals. Informal outline: Personal ethics are a person’s beliefs about their morals and knowing right from wrong. Having good personal ethics is important when it comes to family, every day society, work and school. Most people who have good personal ethics are likely to be honest in their personal lives and chances are they will also be honest in their professional life as well. Teaching personal ethics within yo ur family is a very important part of many cultures and different family units.In many cases this is where adults have learned their ethics from such things as honesty, integrity, and morals. Ethics in a way can also become traditions and a way of life. Ethics in the workplace and school are important because it creates a safe and secure environment for everyone around. While at school and work there are certain rules that are in place to make sure that everyone feels comfortable. A person having good personal ethics holds him or herself accountable in a moral sense and can determine how their values affect their social environment.

Patent Infringement of Internet Technology

Issue in Dispute & Factual Background The issue being disputed is whether Vonage contravened patent law by using a technological invention registered to Verizon, without permission, in providing its online communication services. Infringement was claimed by Verizon on three of its patents. Since 2006, a string of patent infringement cases have been filed against Vonage, an online communications company providing customers with the means to communicate through their computers through the Internet route. Verizon was first to sue Vonage for the use of three patents covering the translation of ‘analog voice signals’ into ‘digital signals’ to allow customers to communicate through their computers with broadband connections. In March, a jury verdict found Vonage to have infringed the patents and this was also upheld by the appellate court but only for the two patents. However, the appellate court remanded the case down to the lower court for re-determination of the monetary award since this was not detailed by the jury. Next to file a case was Sprint Nextel Corporation for the use of its patented voice-over internet protocol (VoIP), which allows computer users to make calls using broadband connections. In September, a jury also found voyage to have infringed this patent. Lastly, Klausner Technologies also communicated its claims to Vonage but this has been settled. To date, claims of Sprint Nextel Corporation and Klausner have already been settled. All these claims involved Vonage’s online use of these technology patents in its online popular communication services. Position of Litigants Verizon based its claims on the infringement of three patents. Patent 574 enhances translations of communication information such as telephone numbers or websites into IP addresses. Patent 711 covers the manner of using computer speakers or microphones to communicate online. Patent 880 covers ‘localized wireless gateway system’ that enables phones to register with transceivers before connecting to the Internet.[1] Although these patents do not constitute online communications, this serves to enhance the system by providing a means of translating numerous digital to analog signals, instructing a means of using speakers and microphones to communicate online, and connecting into local base stations to connect mobile phones to computers. By offering online communication services using these three patents without its permission, Verizon claims that Vonage has violated its patent grant. Vonage claims that it has not violated Verizon’s patents because it did not translate but merely extracted and reformatted the telephone numbers. Verizon also claimed that the court of first instance erred in the direction it gave to the jury, particularly on the construction of vital terms found in the claims. First contested term is ‘translation’, which was construed by the courts generally instead of limiting this to the conversation of higher to lower protocols as contained in the patent grant. Second contested term is ‘conditional analysis’, which was interpreted by the court as generating a result from a prior first condition. Vonage claims that this should be limited only to the preferences of the parties using the system.[2] Since its operations do not fall under the technological systems patented by Verizon, it has not infringed any patent. Ethical Issue & Opinion on the Case Prior to the cases, Vonage has become popular as an online communications company[3]. In 2006, it launched virtual phone numbers in Europe[4] implying the development of a new type of Internet based community function apart from linking its services to various Internet communication channels such as voicemail. Its popularity was due to the competitive prices together with the high Internet accessibility in most developed countries and the higher interconnectivity it offers by being able to link landlines and mobile phones to computers when compared to purely landline or mobile services or with Internet connectivity but limited only to same network calls. Basically, prior to Vonage’s service, VoIP was already existent but with limited use only to partners of the service provider. Vonage took the VoIP concept fused it with the other online communication connectivity and processes and created a service that higher interconnectivity. Did Vonage violate the law? According to the courts, it did violate the patents of the two companies. Was its actions right or wrong? The answer cannot be plainly stated in black and white. On one hand, this may be wrong because it profited out of somebody else’s technological innovation but on the other hand, it served or even empowered the public by giving them an alternative option. Even in a competitive world, consumers, through demand, do not always influence market prices, quality of service, or innovation. This is especially so in the case of online technology sector, which have become a venue for monopoly such as Microsoft. Under existing law and jurisprudence[5] there may be infringement. However, this case could have become a landmark by clarifying the concept of patent for the purpose of negating infringement. A patent is a property right to use or own inventions for a given number of years and an invention is a new creation[6]. However, it does not necessarily cover purpose, function or importance to the community. Patent has also been used for abuse such as the monopolistic tendencies of technological companies. While private property should be respected, this should also be balanced with public good. Moreover, Internet technologies are virtual, making it necessary to determine or limit the processes or operations considered as qualifying for patents. References KSR Int’l Co.v. Teleflex Inc. (No. 04-1350) 119 Fed. Appx. 282. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/04-1350.ZO.html. Richtel, M. (2007, October 26). Shares Rise as Vonage Settles Fight over Patent. The New York Times. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/technology/26phone.html. Vonage (2007). Timeline. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from www.vonage.com. US Patent and Trademark Office (2007). General Information Concerning Patents. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/doc/general/index.html#patent. Vonage Told to Stop Using Verizon Technology By IAN AUSTEN Published: March 24, 2007 A federal judge said yesterday that he would order Vonage Holdings, the Internet-based telephone service, to stop using technologies patented by Verizon Communications. The decision, which could force Vonage to close or to install new systems, follows a jury decision this month that awarded Verizon $58 million and monthly royalties. But the judge agreed to postpone the effective date of the injunction for two weeks while he considers a request by Vonage for a stay pending what could be a lengthy appeal. The decision forced a temporary halt in the trading of Vonage shares and eventually sent the company’s stock down $1.05, or 26 percent, to close at $3. Vonage began trading last May at $17 a share. â€Å"For Vonage, everything that can go wrong has gone wrong,† said Richard Greenfield, the co-head of Pali Research in New York. â€Å"The constant stream of bad publicity has got to be adding to customer churn.† As it did earlier this month, Vonage quickly moved to assure its two million customers that their service would not be affected. It has said it is developing alternative technology that does not conflict with Verizon’s patents. â€Å"We are confident that Vonage customers will not experience service interruptions or other changes,† the company’s chief executive, Mike Snyder, said in a statement. â€Å"Our fight is far from over. We remain confident that Vonage has not infringed on any of Verizon’s patents.† Brooke Schulz, a spokeswoman for Vonage, said the company had not seen any effect on its ability to attract and retain customers because of the case. â€Å"We believe this case has had not impact on churn to date, nor do we expect it to,† she said. Judge Claude M. Hilton of Federal District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria said yesterday that an injunction was necessary because fines and royalties will â€Å"not prevent continued erosion of the client base of the plaintiff,† The Associated Press reported from Alexandria. Vonage has been the early leader in an attempt by several companies to shift traditional telephone company customers to Internet-based calling. â€Å"We’re pleased the court has decided to issue a permanent injunction to protect Verizon’s patented innovations,† said John Thorne, a senior vice president and deputy general counsel at Verizon. The three patents that a jury found Vonage to be infringing upon involve the way the company moves calls to and from the Internet from the conventional telephone system, methods for giving customers calling features like call waiting, and means for providing Internet calling through wireless networks. If Vonage is forced to switch to other technologies, the cost and feasibility of such a change is not clear. It is believed that the company has the ability to make remote software updates in devices that its customers have installed at their homes and offices.  Many conventional telephone companies hold patents involving Internet calling. Vonage faces a separate patent lawsuit from Sprint Nextel that has yet to go to trial.