Identify the defining features of Realist perspective and assess their Essay

Identify the defining features of Realist perspective and assess their relevance to the analysis of contemporary world politics - Essay Example This easy explores the defining features of realist perspective such as state actors, egoism, anarchy, power, security, and morality with the aim of presenting an assessment of their relevance to the analysis of contemporary world politics. In their analysis of international politics, realists assert the central role played by the state in dictating international relations as opposed to other theories of international relations like liberalism that accepts international institutions as being part of the actors day (Kegley, 2013). Realists saw the state as triumphant over other forms of political authority like feudal principalities, city-states, and empires such as the Soviet Union. According to the views of realists such as Hobbes, the state enjoys a distinctive monopoly of legitimate violence given that in the global arena, all the people regardless of nationality, language, culture, ethnic background or religion have accepted or have a state that force them to resolve their confli cts. Such a people also look for the state to protect their interests against aggressions from other states and international actors (Kolodziej, 2005). The assertion of the state as the main player in international relations means that actors in the international politics will put the importance of state interest the centre of any interactions with other players in the global area. Realist conception of the state as the central actor in international relations through its exercise of power in certain ways has far-reaching significances on the relationship between states and other actors on the international arena (Kaarbo & Ray, 2011). Such assumptions are essential in the contemporary world politics where such bodies as multinational corporations have no legal or political right to act as independent or autonomous actors in the international economy since they are only part of state power or instrument of foreign policy. Multinational corporations are not in themselves, substantial economic and political force, in their exercise of power and influence, they are only an extension and reflection of the power and might of specific states under which they act (Steans, Pettiford, & El-Anis, 2013). The main concern for realist is the state of anarchy, which stands for a situation where there is no international government to intercede on interstate conflicts. Realist believes that the main concern in international relations is the condition of anarchy, which is based on their view that the world lacks a central sovereign power to regulate relations between states. The absence of international body with the authority to create and enforce regulatory measures on interstate relationships, realists argue, means the states as main players put in place their own scheme for survival and are free to define their own interests and pursuit of power day (Kegley, 2013). Anarchy in the international politics therefore, leads to a circumstance where power has the superseding role of dictating interstate relations (Steans, Pettiford, Diez & El-Anis, 2013). Realists point out the failure of international institutions like the Permanent Court of International Justice and the League of Nation is because such international organizations exert minimal pressure on behaviour of states. This realist assumption is clear in the way contemporary states peruse their interests by choosing to overlook international

Naturalistic Observation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Naturalistic Observation - Research Paper Example The mother stands up while looking at the child and laughs. The father, on the other hand, frowns at what he reads. He later looks at his watch and continues with his reading. The child takes a stick from the ground and strikes the water. Later, he strikes the fishes as well, and giggles. He then decides to climb up the pond to sit on its edge. The mother holds the child in an attempt to put him down from the pond's edge. She says, "Let's go, don't get yourself dirty with those mosses and unclear water, and don't strike the fishes, they'll get hurt. Now, behave yourself and get down." The mother takes the stick from the child, but the child struggles as the mother tries to put him down from the edge of the pond. This hypothesis is chosen because of the dominant feature of the mother looking after the child on the latter's possibility of getting hurt or getting dirty while the father entrusts this task to his wife and proceeds with reading a newspaper. The above interaction exhibits the correctness of the hypothesis that the mother is more attentive to the behavior of the child than the father is. This is supported by the mother's non-verbal behavior on the actions of the child, such as looking at him while he approaches the pond, smiling, laughing, getting the stick from his hand, pulling him away from the pond, and turning to her husband when the child resists to obey. ... The child does not say anything as he allows his mother to put him down. His eyes are on the fishes and stands still as he watches them. Both hands are on the edge of the pond. 2. 0. Hypothesis Based on the observed verbal and non-verbal behavior, the hypothesis drawn is: The mother is more attentive to the behavior of the child than the father is. This hypothesis is chosen because of the dominant feature of the mother looking after the child on the latter's possibility of getting hurt or getting dirty while the father entrusts this task to his wife and proceeds with reading a newspaper. 3. 0. Counting the Verbal Behavior of Participants in the Setting: In supporting if this hypothesis is correct, counting the verbal behavior of participants in the setting is undertaken. The mother uttered the following lines during the verbal observation: 1. "Lester is so hyperactive, Hon. Just look at that boy." 2. "Hey, kiddo! Be careful!" 3. "Let's go, don't get yourself dirty with those mosses and unclear water, and don't strike the fishes, they'll get hurt. Now, behave yourself and get down." 4. "Look at what Lester is doing, and this kid will mess his shirt up!" On the other hand, the father uttered only the following lines during the same verbal observation. 1. "Oh, yeah." 2. "Just watch the fishes, and don't climb up the pond!" The above interaction exhibits the correctness of the hypothesis that the mother is more attentive to the behavior of the child than the father is. This is supported by the mother's non-verbal behavior on the actions of the child, such as looking at him while he approaches the pond, smiling, laughing, getting the stick from his hand, pulling him away from the pond, and turning to her husband when the child resists to obey. On

Role of the HR Department Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Role of the HR Department - Essay Example According to the report  the human resource department works as the strategic division for modern organizations, and in most cases, the management relies on the human resource department to improve overall performance of the unit. Nishii and Wright (2008) stated that in modern organizations, human resource departments perform activities such as providing training to employees, measuring their performance, measuring compliance of key performance indicators (KPI), mentoring of employees etc. In short, it can be said that human resource professionals in the organization have close relationship with employees in contrast to line managers in most of the cases.This paper outlines that  that there exist a direct link between work-life balance of employees and their emotional intelligence because an employee is a human being with multitude of family responsibilities; hence, it is not possible for employees to forget their family life completely while working in an organization. Research scholars such as Lowry and Moskos defined work-life balance as the ability of employees to successfully manage work and household responsibilities. Fonner and Roloff (2010) gave examples of the organizations where human resource departments ensure proper work-life balance of workers.   Gregory and Connolly defined â€Å"Work† as the paid employment while â€Å"life† as combination of leisure activities and family time.... There is a direct link between Employees’ wellbeing and work life balance of employees. According to these scholars, a proper work-life balance of employees can help them to remain healthy which is a modified version of personal well-being of employees. In such context, Nishii and Wright (2008, p. 226) argued that â€Å"In essence, we have hitherto failed to explicitly recognize the many ways in which individuals and groups may experience and respond differently to HR systems within organizations,† and such statement is showing that HR departments face challenge, understanding their exact role in ensuring employee well-being within organizations. The role of human resource department in ensuring employee wellbeing in terms of physical healthiness can be depicted in the following manner. Figure 1: Theoretical Model for HRM & Employee Well Being (Source: Van De Voorde, Paauwe and Van Veldhoven, 2011) According to the model above, the human resource department works as the strategic division for modern organizations, and in most cases, the management relies on the human resource department to improve overall performance of the unit. Nishii and Wright (2008) stated that in modern organizations, human resource departments perform activities such as providing training to employees, measuring their performance, measuring compliance of key performance indicators (KPI), mentoring of employees etc. In short, it can be said that human resource professionals in the organization have close relationship with employees in contrast to line managers in most of the cases. Hence, it can be conjecturally viewed that there exist a triangular relationship between perception of employee regarding HRM climate, employee wellbeing and overall unit performance. Careful consideration

White and Indian Relations between 1865 to 1900 Essay Example for Free

White and Indian Relations between 1865 to 1900 Essay Confrontations and conflicts between White American and Native American during the late eighteen hundreds become increasingly one sided. From ritual practices and beliefs to land ownership and government policy; Native Americans and there white contour parts differed greatly. Between 1865 to 1900 the White man and Native American relationships in western United States could be characterized as a horrible and miss leading rampage of white man destroying foreign customs and peoples. In 1862 Congress had granted western settlers their two greatest wishes, the Home Stead Act, promising ownership of 160 acre tract of public land to a citizen or head of a family who had resided on/ or cultivated the land for five years after initial claim and the transcontinental railroad. Bringing the developed east coast to the Wild West, was the catalyst to end of the Native American. Contributing factors for the demise of the Native American relationship between the White Man are shown through blood shed and tears. With new white settlers coming to the west, Native American lands shrunk significantly. In 1862 the lands of the Santee Sioux, near the Minnesota River had been whittled down so drastically, the Sioux decided to retaliate. The Sioux frustrations over lands lead to the one of the first of many large Native American wars with the White man. The Sioux War ended in 1868 with the signing of the Treaty of Fort Laramie, Which established two large Native American reservations. The Reservations where located in Oklahoma and Dakota Badlands. Only six years later Colonel George Armstrong Custer led an expedition into the Scared Black Hills of the Sioux. Like many U. S. government treaty’s to Native American, Custer violated of the treaty of 1868 and started the uproar and killings for the next ten years. After the effects of Custers Last Stand, the Native American resistance to the White Man came to a halt. By 1886 reformers recognized that the policy of containing Indians on reservations was not in the best interest. With good intentions congress upheld the Dawes Severalty act in 1887. It ended the reservation policy and encouraged Native Americans to intergrade into white society, as farmers and property owners. One of the major reasons why â€Å"The Dawes Act† did not with stand was due to the Native American concept of property. In many way the Native American and the White Man carry different moral and cultural beliefs. One of the more interesting concepts that Native Americans with held during early American years was the idea of landowner ship. Native American tribes where scattered all along the, now united stated and often reaching beyond present borders. Native American tribes also survived on migrating animals in the surrounding areas. Buffalo In the western United States was a food staple for many Native American tribes. Buffalo being a migrating animal, had to have been followed to be hunted. Leading most of Native Americans to be nomadic tribes following the buffalo herd. When the white settles came to Native Americans with the idea of land ownership many of the Native American tribes didnt agree with this new foreign concept. Native Americans thought that everyone should share land, and a single person cannot and should not own land. In 1879, the federal government attempted to Americanize Native Americans once again. This time through a more dramatic approach. Estimating around one thousand Native American youth where forced to study at one of the one hundred and fifty boarding schools around the United States. These schools taught Native American youth how to become socially accepted in white American. By changing culture styles with white American, and totally disregarding Native American life style. Not surprisingly most of the school did not last, due to the strict, internment camp Like conditions. Another advocator for peaceful integration among Native Americans into white society was a man named Richard Pratt. Pratt was famous for his idea of seeing Native Americans as, what one would call a â€Å"blank slate. † Meaning, just as everyone else, human. His ideas consist of full assimilation of white culture and disregarding years of Native American culture, for the betterment of the people. Kill the Indian, And Save the Man. This is one of his most famous piece on Native Americans assimilation. In 1890 the last great hope, the emergence of The Ghost Dance was a depiction from a medicine man, that all the dead Native American soldiers will come back to life and take vengeance on the new settled Americans. This Ghost Dance is the symbol for the end of the fight for the west. By the 1890 the Native American had to adapt to life within the boundaries set by white culture despite their valiant efforts of resistance. Bibliography Davidson, James West. Us: A Narrative History, Volume 2. 6th ed. Vol. 2. [S. l. ]: Mcgraw Hill Higher Educat, 2011. Print.

Negligence and duty of care

Negligence and duty of care Duty of care. Duty of care is the first element of negligence and therefore, in order to discuss further on duty of care, one would have to first define the tort of negligence. In Blyth v Birmingham Waterworks Co,[1] the courts defined negligence as an omission of something which a reasonable man would do and the doing of an act which a reasonable man would not do. In Heaven v Pender,[2] the courts held that the presumption of duty of care arises when one person is placed in a position with regard to another person or property, it is in ordinary sense that if he does not use reasonable ordinary care in his conducts, he would cause danger or injury towards the other person or property. Therefore, ordinary care is required to prevent the occurrence of such danger. In Stovin v Wise,[3] the courts explained that generally there is no duty to rescue a stranger from danger. The duty mentioned above is regarding duty that is imposed by law or in other words, it is a legal duty. Test to determine the standard of duty of care. There are a few test that is used in determining the existence of duty of care. The primary test is the neighbour principle established in the well-known case of Donoghue v Stevenson.[4] In this case, Lord Atkin laid down that the rule that you are required to love your neighbours becomes a law by itself and it requires one to take a reasonable care to prevent any acts or omissions that can be reasonably foreseen to be likely to cause injury to your neighbour. The question posed to this principle is regarding who is one’s neighbour in law. The courts held that neighbour in law is someone who is directly affected by one’s act or omission. It is a reasonable man’s test whereby the courts would have to determine whether a reasonable man would foresee that his conduct would affect the plaintiff adversely. If the answer to this hypothetical question is yes, then the plaintiff is considered to be his neighbour and he owes a duty of care to the neighbour.[5] It is essential to note here that the neighbour principle requires the defendant to be a foreseeable victim and thus, in order for the defendant to be a foreseeable victim, there has to be a close proximity. Therefore, the neighbour principle requires the plaintiff to be of a close proximity with the defendant. The plaintiff would not be a foreseeable victim if there is no proximity between the plaintiff and defendant. In the case of Home Office v Dorset Yacht Co Ltd,[6] the courts held that the principle laid down in Donoghue v Stevenson should be regarded as a milestone in determining whether there exist a duty of care. This principle significantly assist the development of the law of negligence. Prior to the case of Donoghue v Stevenson, there was vagueness in the law regarding civil liability for carelessness.[7] In an 1889 textbook, there was a list containing fifty-six various duties of care.[8] Therefore, the judgment in Donoghue v Stevenson brought an end to the chaotic situation and had introduced the law of negligence as a separate civil wrong. The next test used by the courts to determine whether duty of care is established is the Anns test laid down by the courts in Anns v Merton London Borough Council.[9] This is a two-stage approach laid down by Lord Wilberforce whereby the first is to determine whether there is a relationship of proximity between the alleged tortfeasor and the person who had suffered the loss. If it foreseeable that the carelessness of the tortfeasor would lead the other party to suffer damage, then a duty of care would on prima facie be established. The second stage of this test requires the court to take into account any considerations that may negate the said duty or to reduce and limit the scope or group of persons that the duty will be imposed upon. This two-stage approach in essence is to determine whether it is reasonable to foresee that the defendant’s act or omissions will cause any damage to the plaintiff. If it is reasonable to foresee that the defendant’s act would cause harm to the plaintiff, then there exist a presumption of duty of care.[10] This test receive heavy criticism in Governors of the Peabody Donation Fund v Sir Lindsay Parkinson Co Ltd.[11] The courts in this case held that the neighbour principle laid down by Lord Atkin should be proved before the duty of care is presumed to exist but the scope of the duty depends on the facts of the case. The courts should consider whether the duty of care imposed on the defendant is just and reasonable. In Curran v Northern Ireland Co-ownership Housing Association Ltd,[12] the learned judge, Lord Keith, held that the Anns test has been given more importance than it should have been given and held that the test need not be applicable in future cases in establishing the duty of care. The third test used in determining the duty of care is the Caparo test which is derived from Caparo Industries plc v Dickman.[13] In this case, there were three factors that is needed to be fulfilled to establish duty of care. The first is the courts must determine whether the damage caused is reasonably foreseen, the second is whether there is any policy to negate the duty of care and the third is whether it is just and reasonable. If this requirements are fulfilled, then duty of care is established.[14] It is important to note here that all three elements under the Caparo test needs to be fulfilled in order for duty of care to be established. Development in Malaysia. In Malaysia, the courts have used all of the above test. However, the test that is currently used by the courts is the three stage test which is the Caparo test. This can be seen in the case of Majlis Perbandaraan Ampang Jaya v Stephen Phoa Cheng Loon Ors.[15] In this case, the Federal Court had referred to the Caparo’s case do determine whether duty of care exist. The issue that arises in this principle is whether this principle only applies to economic loss or it may extend to all situations. The courts used the foreseeability test and held that this test applies to all situation. The courts only had to determine whether the duty of care which is imposed upon the defendant is just and reasonable. The courts went on stating that it would be rare for the outcome of the test to be not just and reasonable. This test is used in a more recent Malaysian case which is Projek Lebuh Raya Utara-Selatan Sdn Bhd v Kim Seng Enterprise (Kedah) Sdn Bhd.[16] In this case, the courts reiterated that the standard of care to determine negligence is that of the reasonable man and it is an objective test. Another recent case is the case of Jordan Saw Yu Huan v Low Suan Chuan Ors.[17] In this case, the high court applied the Caparo’s test and the courts were of the view that it was just and reasonable to impose such duty of care upon the defendants and held that the defendants in this case had breached such duty of care. Therefore, it is clear that the recent development in Malaysia regarding the standard of care required to establish duty of care is more inclined towards the three-stage approach which is commonly known as the Caparo’s test. The courts in Malaysia had followed the Caparo’s test because this test requires that the damage caused to the plaintiff to be reasonably foreseen by the defendant. The defendant would not owe a duty of care if he cannot reasonably foresee the damage. Therefore, this test more straight forward as compared to the other test laid down earlier. [1](1856) 11 Ex 781 at 784. [2](1883) 11 QBD 503 at 507. [3][1996] AC 923 at 930-931. [4][1932] AC 562 at 580 (HL). [5]Norchaya Talib, Law of Torts in Malaysia (3rd edn, Sweet Maxwell Asia 2011) 98. [6][1970] AC 1027. [7]Dato Mohd Hishamudin Yunus, ‘JUDICIAL ACTIVISM — THE WAY TO GO?’ [2012] 6 MLJ xvii. [8]Thomas Beven, ‘Principles of the law of negligence’ (1889). [9][1978] AC 728. [10]Norchaya Talib, Law of Torts in Malaysia (3rd edn, Sweet Maxwell Asia 2011) 100. [11][1984] 3 All ER 529 (HL). [12][1987] 2 All ER 13, 710. [13][1990] 1 All ER 568 (HL). [14]Norchaya Talib, Law of Torts in Malaysia (3rd edn, Sweet Maxwell Asia 2011) 106. [15][2006] 2 MLJ 389 (FC). [16][2013] 5 MLJ 360 (CA). [17][2013] 4 MLJ 137.

Physical Activity and Body Weight vs Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseas

Cardiovascular Disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is one of the most common and well known afflictions in modern society. It kills and hospitalizes many people every year. CVD is actually a rather broad category of affliction. It encompasses any disease or condition that affects the heart. These conditions have effects that range from mild to surgical repair and even to death in extreme cases. The causes of CVD are fairly well known. It is directly linked to both physical activity (and the obesity that it prevents) and body mass index (BMI) in the research that we have studied. The BMI is a measure of the proportion of the body that is made up of fat. The higher a person's BMI number is, the more body fat they have. The combination of these two conditions creates a persons risk for CVD. The problem lies in the fact that the exact reasons that these factors create risk of CVD and how much risk they create is not fully understood. It is well known that obesity and physical activity play large roles in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Obesity has become even more significant since obesity is on the rise in the United States. Obesity is strongly associated with physical activity, meaning that people who exercise will also lose weight as well as increase their physical fitness. However there are many people who remain obese even with strong levels of physical activity. This sets up the question of what roles weight and physical activity have on lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease independently. Recent studies have shown that increasing physical fitness reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease regardless of body weight, and that increasing physical activity reduces the risk more that losing weight alone. T... ... way, the benefits of being fit were found not to totally alleviate the risk of being fat or that being slender totally alleviated the health risks of being unfit. From this it is clear that the best way to avoid both all-cause and cardiovascular disease death is to be both fit and have a normal body weight. Works Cited: Stevens, June, et al. "Fitness and Fatness as Predictors of Mortality from All Causes and from Cardiovascular Disease in Men and Women in the Lipid Research Clinics Study." American Journal of Epidemiology 19 June 2002: 832-41. Oxford Journals. 7 Nov. 2006 . Weinstein, Amy R., and Howard D. Sesso. "Joint Effects of Physical Activity and Body Weight on Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease." Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews Vol.34 2006: 10-15. American College of Sports Medicine.

The Shawl, by Cynthia Ozick :: The Shawl Essays

The short story, â€Å"The Shawl,† written by Cynthia Ozick, recounts World War II by providing a very vivid image of a Concentration Camp in Nazi Germany. As one reads, he or she can see that Ozick does a wonderful job in portraying the hard times of Jews during the Holocaust. In the first paragraph, we meet the central characters, Rosa, Stella, and Magda as they attempt to endure the fears of life in the Nazi Concentration Camp. Rosa and Stella, her niece, are marching in a line to the camp with Rosa’s daughter, Magda, wrapped and hidden in a shawl from the German soldiers. Unfortunately, at the end, Stella takes Magda’s shawl, and German soldiers kill Magda by throwing her into an electric fence. Throughout the story, Cynthia Ozick has used symbolism like life, protection, and death to make the readers understand the thoughts and feelings of each character which makes the climax really important and meaningful. A symbol is a sign or an object representing something abstract or invisible and more important or complex than the object itself. The author uses symbolism in this story to make the reader visualize the setting. The title, â€Å"The Shawl,† itself is a symbol in this story. Throughout the story, the shawl symbolizes the source of warmth and shelter for little Magda. In the story, Magda is described as â€Å"a squirrel in a nest, safe, no one could ever reach her inside the little house of the shawl’s windings† (Ozick 251). The shawl always behaves as an intimate friend which helps Magda in all her needs and gives support and condolence in danger situations. We also see that the shawl is the reason which helps â€Å"Magda to live longer than expected† despite of her poor health disorders in the Nazi Concentration Camp (Paul 2). As a result, we see that Stella give more important to the shawl, for she knows that it will provide her with all good things in b ad conditions. For Magda, the shawl is more than just protection since she sees the shawl as her â€Å"baby, her pet, and her little sister† (Ozick 252). According to Tery Griffin, a famous American editor and essayist, the shawl entertains her like a friend â€Å"when the wind blew its corners† (Wilson 295). The shawl also represents sustenance, especially for Magda. Ozick describes it as â€Å"a magic shawl that could feed a baby for three days and three nights† (251).