Kohlbergs Principles of Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kohlbergs Principles of Ethics - Essay Example Lawrence Kohlberg was one of the first serious thinkers to study and know about a person's ability to deal with ethical issues which could develop in later life and also whether education could affect that development (Source: Can Ethics Be Taught). Kohlberg developed a theory of moral reasoning, which according to him was the basis for ethical behavior and has three major levels split into six identifiable stages of moral development as shown below: The Stage 1 is a heteronomous orientation focusing on avoiding breaking rules that are backed by punishment, obedience for its own sake and avoiding the physical consequences of an action to persons and property (Source: Studies in moral development and education). The Stage 2 orientation focuses on the instrumental, pragmatic value of an action. Reciprocity is of the form. The Golden Rule becomes, "If someone hits you, you hit them back". Thus one follows the rules only when it is to someone's immediate interests. What is right is what's fair in the sense of an equal exchange, a deal, an agreement with his (her) own interest (Source: Studies in moral development and education). At Stage 3 individuals are aware of shared feelings, agreements, and expectations which take primacy over individual interests. Hence they define what is right in terms of what is expected by people close to their own self, and in terms of the stereotypic roles that define being good. Thus being good here means keeping mutual relationships, such as trust, loyalty, respect, and gratitude. The thinking is that of local community or family. There is no consideration of the generalized social system (Source: Studies in moral development and education). The Stage 4 shifts focus from defining what is right in terms of local norms and role expectations to defining right in terms of the laws and norms established by the larger social system. Thus defining one's social responsibilities. One must obey the law except in extreme cases in which the law comes into conflict with other prescribed social duties. Obeying the law is seen as necessary in order to maintain the system of laws which protect everyone (Source: Studies in moral development and education). While two stages have been mentioned in the third major level only one stage i.e., Stage 5, has received substantial empirical support. Stage 6 remains as a theoretical endpoint which rationally follows from the preceding 5 stages. This level is called the post conventional level and is characterized by reasoning based on principles, using a "prior to society" perspective. The individual's reason here is based on the principles which underlie rules and norms, but reject a uniform application of a rule or norm (Source: Studies in moral development and education). According to Campbell and Bond (1982) Kohlberg's ideas of moral reasoning, moral realism and morality are based on the premise that at birth all humans are void of morals, ethics and honesty. Kohlberg identified the family as first source of values and moral development for an individual. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy being honest or generous is just not a tendency to do what is honest or generous, nor is it to be helpfully specified as a "desirable" or "morally

Preferential Treatment for Disabled Veterans Essay Example for Free

Preferential Treatment for Disabled Veterans Essay The Disabled Veteran Affirmative Action Plan requires that special steps be taken when recruiting disabled veterans. The DVAAP requires that the federal government award three percent of all federals contracts to disabled veterans. The Disabled Veteran Affirmative Action Plan requires that disabled veterans must be hired if they are able to work and willing. This affirmative action requires that there should be promotion of maximum of employment and job opportunities for disabled veterans within the federal government. This therefore supports the argument that disable veterans should get preferential treatment than other veterans who are not disabled. This act defines a disabled veteran as the veteran who has the right to receive compensation under the laws administered by VA. It also defines a veteran as a person who was released from duty due to a service connection disability. The DVAAP program aims to raise the number of disabled veterans in profession positions through interval jobs advancement opportunities. It also focus on increasing the number of disabled veterans in technical position through recruitments DVAAP seeks to promote efforts that ensures disabled veterans are included in recruitment efforts. (Sowell, 2004).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Disabled veterans are accorded preferential treatment than other veterans who are not disabled because, the DVAAP act dictates that are all state agencies and institutions increase employment opportunities fro disabled veterans. The veteran’s affairs department advocates nard for assistance to be granted to veterans owned small businesses. The federal regulations for disabled veterans provide that employments should not request self identities during recruitment opportunities. Veterans must not identify their disability status before they have been offered a job. On many occasions, disabled veterans, even when willing to work and qualified, are shut of the workforce due to the discrimination. The federal law provides that preferential treatment be given to veterans seeking employment. The law ensures that the disabled veterans on a preferential basis, the full employment services presented by law. Disabled veterans should be provided with intensive employment and training services to prepare them accordingly for the jobs. Affirmative Action for women and minority   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Affirmative action for women and minority is established with an attempt to redistribute economic power equally by ensuring that employers give preference to women and minorities during recruitments. Affirmative action is a plan initiated to remedy any cases of discriminating behavior that have occurred in an institution in the past. Affirmative action gives preferential to women through a range of measures such as lower scores for test for jobs or recruitment procedures. Due to the long history of discrimination cases occurring based on race and sex, affirmative action programs have been initiated and directed towards women and minorities. This has been done to promote recruitment, retention, promotion and educational opportunities accorded to women and minority. (Charles J Muhl.). Strategies used in affirmative action programmes are focused on expanding the pool of job or admission applicants. This can be done through using strategies that reach outside the traditional channels set especially by placing employment notices in areas where the women and minorities will easily see them. Affirmative action programs are increasing on the job training opportunities that encourage occupation mobility within the workplace. Affirmative Action Programs for women and minority have been instituted and granted the force of law. Affirmative actions for women and minority in employment were implemented to prohibit discrimination by employers based on sex. Women should be accorded equal opportunities just like their male counterparts. The affirmative action for women and minorities addresses issues such as prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace, recruitment and hiring methods, discrimination complaints and promotions.      Ã‚  The federal law requires that institutions determine whether women and minorities are being underutilized in their companies. If this is the case, companies must take steps to correct this situation, especially through the use of recruitment and outreach programs and also put more emphasize on eliminating barriers that hinder equal employment opportunities. Institution managers and supervisors must ensure that steps are taken to ensure women and minorities are aware of available job opportunities. Women and minority groups must be given full and fair consideration based on their abilities and qualifications. Due to the discrimination of women and minorities in the learning centers, affirmative action programs have been initiated to ensure that these groups are accorded equal opportunities in the education system. This also ensures that trained women and minority are included in the hiring and promotional activities. Affirmative action for women and minorities ensure that qualified women and minorities are included in the candidates’ pool. (Ball, Haque, 2003). Affirmative Action Arguments   Ã‚   Based on the affirmative action, three arguments have been offered, which include social good also known as the utilitarian consideration, compensatory justice referred to as deontological theory and the ideal of equality. The social good, states that the society will benefit more by initiating programs that enrich and empower women. By advancing women, the society is required to offer employment opportunities to women and minorities based on their qualifications. However, this affirmative action has led to more qualified men being left out of job opportunities in order to promote women who are even less qualified. As a result, institutions are using the quota system instead of the merit system to allocate jobs. Many people have argued that this system has promoted less qualified candidates and left out the more qualified candidates. Affirmative action therefore creates a big wedge between individual worth and economic success. This is evidence enough that the quota system does not benefit the society. Women who succeed in their companies are not accorded the respect they deserve. This is because many people claim that the women succeed due to preferential treatment policies that are directed to the women and minority. The implementation of affirmative action created a bad tradition in the workplace, whereby employers are quick to promote women without qualification or place them in inappropriate job positions so as to meet the affirmative action requirements. By doing this, employers put women and minorities at a higher risk of failing in their jobs and their after lay the blame on their sex, race and preferential treatment policies. (Gilbert, Stead, Ivancevich, 1999).   Ã‚  Ã‚   The compensatory justice argument, also known as deontological theory, claims that if a person causes injury to someone else they should remedy the damage. Affirmative action claims that even the descendants of the injured person should be compensated as well. Objections to this argument state that those individuals being compensated are not victims in any way and those being forced to pay the compensation have not done any wrong. Those objecting to this argument claim that since some minority groups have been subjected to historical prejudice previously, this has been used to classify all low earning groups as victims of injustice. This argument claims that since women have been victims of prejudice and discrimination in the employment and education sectors, they should be given preferential treatment when recruiting, training or hiring.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The ideal of equality is the most common moral argument for affirmative action programs. Under this argument women and minority groups should be accorded equal treatment and rights just like men and other groups. Under law employers must not use discriminatory biases such as gender, race, or national origin to hire or recruit candidates. However, some government agencies and constitutions have implemented policies that oppress both the women and minorities. Some government policies restrict the employment of certain groups especially women and people of color in certain job categories. The main objection of this argument is that equality means that everyone should be granted equal treatment and not being given priviledges. Most women advocating for equal treatment, are actually advocating for priviledges in employment opportunities. (Allen, 2003).   Ã‚   In the compensatory justice argument, both men and women should be given justice because; all human beings should be given what they individually deserve. Men should be given employment opportunities just like women. According to the deontological theory, the rightness of the means justifies the action. According to this, both men and women should be accorded their rights equally. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚   Disabled veteran affirmative action program is a way of promoting the lives of disabled veterans released from active duty due to service disability, by ensuring they get equal employment opportunities like other veterans who are not disabled. Affirmative action for women and minorities on the other hand, seeks to promote women and minority groups at the expense of other qualified candidates. Affirmative action for women has led to the employment of women with less qualification at the expense of more qualified men. Affirmative action for women and minorities, to some extent, does not promote race or gender equality. However, the Disabled Veteran Affirmative Action Program promotes equality among all veterans, whether disabled or not disabled. References Allen, R. (2003). Examining the implementation of affirmative action in law enforcement. Public Personnel Management, 32(3), 411. Ball, C., Haque, A. (2003). Diversity in religious practice: Implications of Islamic values in the public workplace. Public Personnel Management, 32(3), 315. Charles J Muhl. Monthly Labor Review. Washington: Jan 1999. Vol. 122, Iss. 1; p. 48 (2 pages). Gilbert, J.A., Stead, B.A., Ivancevich, J.M. (1999). Diversity management: A new organizational paradigm. Journal of Business Ethics, 21(1), 61-76. Sowell, T. (2004). Affirmative Action around the World: An Empirical Study. Yale University Press.

Mercury in the Everglades Essay -- Geology

Mercury in the Everglades Everglades Background Information: * Established in 1947 on 1.4 million acres in southwest Florida * Sunny, Semi-Tropical Swamp Setting. Experiences near daily downpours (http://srv3sftpa.er.usgs.gov/sofl.fact.html) Mercury's Effect on the Everglades: * A small amount of mercury is found in the crust of the earth. This is not the problem. The anthropogenic mercury is the problem. The mercury that is growing dangerously in size is known as methylmercury. It is an organic substance that still baffles scientists who are trying to work out its life cycle. So far, what they know is that methylmercury forms when inorganic mercury combines with organic matter that is dissolved in water. This reaction favors conditions that are extremely warm, where there is plenty of sunlight, and where the right kind of bacteria is present (mainly sulfate reducing bacteria). The Everglades, unfortunately, because of its large amount of sunlight and the near daily downpours provides ideal environment for forming methylmercury. (http://www.research.fsu.edu/RinR/Fal_Wn97/merc_sd2.htm) * Mercury settlement: The majority of mercury sett;es into the surface sediment where the amount of mercury was2.5 times more than the deep sediment. This of course leads to an even greater chance of the mercury getting recycled into the food chain rather than decomposing. (http://www.aslo.org/aslo/dialog/d_rood.html) * Biomagnefication: Methylmercury becomes deadly to the environment through the process of biomagnefication. To achieve biomagnefication, the mercury must be consumed by microorganisms nd work its way up the food chain increasing in concentration as it enters large... ... that 95% of the mercury arrives in the Everglades via the atmosphere. Hydrological changes resulting from the Central and South Florida Flood Control Project (www.sph.umich.edu/group/eih/umaql/suamp.html) * Conclusion: Rising mercury levels in the Everglades is just one of the problems that we need to deal with in order to protect our Everglades. However, it is not an issue that we can procrastinate on or fight over. Mercury levels are rising and our time is running out. We need to act before it is too late. * Bibliography: (http://srv3sftpa.er.usgs.gov/sofl.fact.html) (http://www.research.fsu.edu/RinR/Fal_Wn97/merc_sd2.htm) (http://www.aslo.org/aslo/dialog/d_rood.html) (http://www.n-jcenter.com/98/feb/08/en2.htm) (http://www.sph.umich.edu/group/eih/umaql/suamp.html) (http://ww.fsu.edu/cpm/FACT/sec_D/merc.html)

Marketing Essay -- Papers

Marketing Different Companies have different methods of selling their products, some companies decide to launch an item and wait for the results of the sales. Another method of selling a product is to research the market in which it is to be sold. There are various ways of conducting some market research, much depends on the item you wish to sell, the time you may have to research and the amount of money that is available. People who are expected to be consumers may be approached in order to recognise their needs, this may be done through questionnaires verbally by post or by phone once their needs are recognised it will be clearer what to provide for them. Research into the companies' product may provide information into potential competition and pricing the product. Price is of obvious importance for maximum sales and maximum profit. Researching the market may suggest that a sample should be circulated in order to address and amend any issues for example if it is an edible product the taste and smell must be considered if it is an electrical product the functions may be considered is it user friendly or practical or too complicated the right product with the wrong design will not sell and cold turn a potential profit into a potential loss. Studying peoples buying patterns will unveil ideas as to where this product should be sold, where people are more likely to buy them the consumer will have to be targeted and the product strategically planned in order to sell e.g. Haagen Dazs Good market research and prompt recognition and coherence will allow the producers to adopt relevant selling strategies and the ability to ... ...oduce enough in June 1994 and therefore decided not to use any advertising promotions. This may have been avoided if primary research had been done earlier to see what the demands of the consumers were, and the forecast of the weather. The product proved to be successful and ultimately that is what produces profits. Walls chose to conduct little primary research it may be that it was not required as Solero was a success, but it may also suggest that Walls missed out on profits of one month in an exceptionally hot summer because of lack of primary research Also arguably, Walls set out to repeat the success of Magnum in the indulgence sector but according to the impulse-positioning map Solero is purchased as refreshment and not indulgence does this mean that there is still room for a product in the indulgence sector?

Media and Mass Communications Development on a Healthy Mature Culture Essay

This argumentative essay is specially made to discuss the possibility for media and mass communication to nurture the development of a healthy, mature culture. Overall, the process of media and mass communication media development has already caused changes in the public sphere. The digitalization of media dramatically increases the chances of the people to get an access to the information, which is transferred instantly and often has not been edited by the people in government or media bosses. Thus, the information is now very complicated to control and therefore public has more opportunities to form its own opinion by comparing the facts from the different sources. The major problem, which could be seen right away, is the relation between the today’s process of media development and the actual development of a healthy culture. An assumption could be suggested that media and mass communication are able to influence the development of a healthy and mature culture, but it will require some significant changes form both media owners and their employees, as well as from society itself. Let’s de-construct the elements of the question and consider them in details in order to provide the better analysis. Strinati (2004) claims that the coming of the mass media and the increasing commercialization of culture and leisure resulted in the rise of issues, interests and debates which are still with us today. The researchers talk about culture, but what exactly is a culture? The word origin of culture or, the Latin root of the term is â€Å"colere,† meaning anything from cultivating to inhabiting, protecting, or worshipping. Modern definition of culture is the following: it is a growing sum of â€Å"knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations. † (Muller, 2005) Cultures differ depending on the mentioned elements of culture. As the examples of different cultures, the culture of Eastern and Western countries could be named. Mature† means the situation or the final condition when the full desired growth or development has been reached. â€Å"Healthy† means the robust and well condition; it is also an efficient and sound being. â€Å"Development† is a positive change; it is also a process of growth and an evolution. The word â€Å"nurture† means the act of helping to grow or develop; it is also an act of cultivation of some characteristics. â€Å"Media† are the means of communication that reach large numbers of people, for example, television, newspapers, radio and internet. In agreement to Morley (2000) the current global culture is the culture of hyper mobility where â€Å"we often engaged in border-crossings of one kind or another, but the nature and functions of borders themselves are shifting†. (Morley,2000) We live in the information economy era, in the era of new progressive technologies and communications that break the borders, in the times of social and economic evolution, the public sphere experiences new challenges and face new opportunities in this world full of complexity. Without a doubt the influence of modern mass communication over the culture is considerable. The shifts in the social and other aspects that are influenced by the spread of technologies and new media are powerful and they change our lifestyle, our habits and hobbies: they change the way we are living. Power and Scott (2004), argue the significance of mass media technology for economic and social life may be shown by considering certain developments of the 21st century. The situation in the 21st century in terms of the cultural development and its influence on people is much more complex than ever before. The introduction of internet has a significant influence over business and education because it provides greater learning opportunities than ever before. It is clear that the benefits of new technologies and mass communication for the education are enormous. Many experts claim that media influence the way we live in both positive and negative ways. An individual that aims to gain a significant social success almost can’t achieve it without at least slight use of the information gained through mass communication. Therefore these options can’t be ignored because they affect the majority of spheres of life and bring certain experience of social change. The development of mass media presents some outstanding social opportunities. But at the same time, the successful rise of mass media has also brought up concerns about the negative consequences of its spreading. There no doubt that mass communications and media have the tremendous influence over society and its culture. Bloomfield, Coombs & Knights, 2000) These changes lead to â€Å"new era economics† also known as a knowledge economy, non-linear effects, an unpredictable future, a redefinition of terms, time/distance changes, and much greater transparency. (Bloomfield, Coombs & Knights, 2000) Without a doubt, media sector experience dramatic transformations both in terms of the access to the information, the speed of the information spreading throughout the world and the increasing inability to control the information by the media owners or the government institutions. The processes of total digitalization and media convergence have started in 2000s and the majority of mass media indicate the possibility of turning the print media into fully digital forms by 2020 or 2025. Digital media has potentially revolutionary impact on the lifestyle of society. There is also an idea that media development and digital revolution are the ways â€Å"into an unknown and fundamentally changed future. † (Feldman, 1997) New media and new way of communications not only influence the culture of society, but they also change the way and manners of the socialization of its members. The major advantage of electronic communication and information technologies is the capability to transfer the information faster, at a lower cost, and to more people while also offering increased data communality, and processing. Another important aspect in which the media and mass communication can influence and nurture the development of a new healthy culture is the improved opportunity of learning by obtaining necessary information much faster and easier than ever before. Information acquisition is the process by which information is obtained from the environment and added to the collective stock of knowledge of a person or society in general. Fast information distribution provided by the modern mass communication allows sharing information sources among members of society freely, without the governmental control. The new mass communication also store information, and it plays a critical role in the development of culture, since socially accepted past experiences need to be accumulated for future use.

By the 1850s the Constitution DBQ essays

By the 1850s the Constitution DBQ essays Assignment: By the 1850s the Constitution, originally framed as an instrument of national unity, had become a source of sectional discord and tension and ultimately contributed to the failure of the union it had created. Assess the validity of this statement. The Constitution continued to bring national unity until the 1850s, but later, a series of resolutions raised a great confusion about the view of the Constitution concerning slavery. At this time, the law encouraged a growing split between the North and the South. The Compromise of 1850 seemed to satisfy the States, while it declared California a free State, gave a reasonable amount of money to Kansas, and allowed slave States to keep their slaves from deserting onto free States. (Doc. A) After a while, the number of fugitive slaves increased and it called for a new law. The Fugitive State Law led to a storm of opposition including the passage of personal liberty laws which were designed to hamper its enforcement. (Doc. B, D, F) The fugitive slave law turned out to be a major blunter on the part of the south while it awakened in the north a spirit of antagonism. To them this was a statute, which enacted the crime of kidnapping and it ordained disunion. (Doc. C, D) In 1853 the purchase from Mexico for $10 million gave south an advantage in the debate over the route for a transcontinental railroad, which was finally approved to pass by the organized territories of Kansas and Nebraska. But the question of slavery had yet to be answered in the Kansas-Nebraska territory. Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois proposed that this issue be decided by popular sovereignty (but this violated the Missouri compromise of 1820). Kansas residents moved to free Nebraska and Nebraska residents moved to slave holding Kansas, but the transaction was followed by hostilities in many cases. Religious whites came in to fight and protest against slavery, cau ...

How to Know When Its Time to Quit Your Job

How to Know When Its Time to Quit Your Job We’re all a little bit afraid of change. But we should be equally afraid of stagnating and losing sight of why we chose our career in the first place. Here are three signs it might be time for you to consider making a move out of your current position: You’ve Outgrown ItAdmitting this doesn’t make you too big for your britches; sometimes it’s the honest truth. You’ve learned a lot, but you find yourself wishing for more of a challenge. And you’ve run up against the highest rung of the ladder at your current organization. This might be a sign it’s time to put some feelers out- to see whether you might be able to find a position elsewhere that will let you keep growing and achieving more.You’ve Lost Your SparkleYou thought you were â€Å"doing what you love,† but you don’t love what you’re doing anymore. Maybe you even dread going to work. Live between vacations. Watch the clock. These are all good indications it’s time to get your passion and purpose back, and that might mean a new job.Work is†¦ WorkYou don’t get excited anymore about new projects. You’re anxious or tired or just plain grumpy when you’re at work. Maybe you have a lousy boss or a hostile coworker and it’s eating at you. Before work starts affecting your health- physical, mental, or both- figure out a way to make a change.It’s a hard step to take, but one that can be extremely rewarding- and much better than falling into an endless rut. Remember, work can be extremely satisfying when we’re doing something we believe in and that keeps us on our toes.