Athens Vs. Sparta Essays - Sparta, Ancient Greek Law, Greek People

Athens Vs. Sparta During the times of Ancient Greece, two major forms of government existed, democracy and oligarchy. The city-states of Athens and Sparta are the best representatives of democracy and oligarchy, respectively. The focus of the times was directed towards military capabilities, while the Athenians were more interested in comfort and culture. It was the oligarchy in Sparta that put a war-like attitude as its first priority and best met the needs of Ancient Greece. These factors empowered Sparta and led to the development of an authoritative and potent state. Other contrasting issues included womens rights, social classes, and value of human life. Four rulers, Draco, Solon, Pisistratus, and Cleithenes, greatly influenced the political development of Athens. However, Athenian democracy cannot really be called a true democracy since there were several flaws in the government and the way in which it functioned. Upper class male citizens over the age of thirty were the only Athenians who held any right to vote. The democracy in Athens consisted of an executive, legislative, and judicial branch. Together, nine anchors, a Council of five hundred, an Assembly, and a court chosen by lot governed the city-state with limited power. The Assembly was made up of five hundred men who were chosen from a list of those who were eligible to serve on the council. All branches of the government were capable of vetoing one another. It was also customary to expel from the country any speaker who became too powerful. This rule could easily be abused and often infringed on the freedom of speech that most democracies have. However, as stated in the At henian Constitution, male citizens were equal and the governments focus was on the individual rather than the state as a whole. This form of government could have run smoothly if it had not existed in a time led my military empires. The government in Sparta followed a very different coarse than that of the Athenians. It was controlled by an oligarchy in which the power was held by a group of five men called ephors. Working below the ephors was the Council of Elders and an Assembly. Male citizens over age sixty could serve on the Council while anyone, male or female, over the age of twenty could be a member of the Assembly. Though the citizens had little say in the decisions made by the government, the system worked effectively. Over the years, the Spartan's brutal reputation in war grew so great that other nations and city-states were too frightened to attack Sparta even though the Spartan army was no larger then eight thousand men. The Spartan Constitution called for all men to begin their military education at the age of seven, where they were trained to be tough and self-sufficient. Every man in the army fought with a great deal of passion for his country. Life in Sparta may have been rough, but the rest of t he Greeks envied the Spartans for their simplicity, straight forwardness, and fanatical dedication. The beliefs of Sparta were oriented around the state. The individual lived and died for the state. The combination of this philosophy, the education of Spartan males, and the discipline of their army gave the Spartans the stability needed to survive in Ancient Greece. The Athenian economy depended on foreign trade and travel. Because of Athens location on the Aegean Sea, sailing increased trade and placed Athenian ships everywhere from the Black Sea to Spain. While trade was a necessity in Athens, there was a law in Sparta that banned all foreign trade and foreign traveling. This kept out foreign ideas and allowed an element of surprise when it came to attacks. However, this law did not affect their economy, which was already self-sufficient. Social classes in Athens and Sparta were structured in basically the same way, with an upper class, a lower class consisting of slaves, and a buffer class in the middle. In Athens, citizens held the highest rank, and males were privileged with voting rights while women holding citizenship were still regarded as minors. The non-Athenians, or metics, worked as merchants or artisans. Though they paid the same taxes as citizens, metics could never own land or participate in government. Lastly

Legalization of Marijauna essays

Legalization of Marijauna essays The legalization of marijuana has been questionable for many many years now, but the government just seems to always decline. I feel that marijuana should be legalized. There are many reasons for and against legalization, but the arguments for it outweigh the arguments against it. I believe marijuana should be legalized for three main reasons. Legalization will bring in much needed tax dollars, it will free up prisons and their resources, and it will save the U.S tons of money. If marijuana is legalized, it can be taxed by the federal government, like alcohol and cigarettes are now. If this is done, not only will the government save millions of dollars on searching for marijuana, the government will make billions of dollars off the sale of marijuana which can be used for drug education programs to help educate the youth of America. In the United States, all levels of government (federal, state, and local authorities) participate in the "War on Drugs." We currently spend billions of dollars every year to chase peaceful people who happen to like to get high. These people get locked up in prison and the taxpayers have to foot the bill. We have to pay for food, housing, health care, attorney fees, court costs, and other expenses to lock these people up. This is extremely expensive! If you must know, it costs taxpayers like you and me $42,000 a year to keep just one criminal in jail. That's more than twice the amount citizens spend on sending their children to school. Taxpayers only spend a dissapointing $13,000 a year for public schooling. We could save billions of dollars every year as a nation if we stop wasting money locking people up for having marijuana. In addition, if marijuana were legal, the government would be able to collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important causes. According to Th...

Analysis on the poem Cherrylog Road by James Dickey Essay

Analysis on the poem Cherrylog Road by James Dickey - Essay Example All throughout the poem though, it talks about how the lovers meet at an obviously arranged time when the woman is able to escape from her father’s farm. The nervousness of the woman about what they are doing is shown with the trembling of her lips which could also be her expression of equal desire of her lover. The poem also shows the boredom of a lover who waits on his partner, and the fear of being caught red-handed as they express their love to each other (Dickey). Being a poem of reminiscing, the author could have written the poem to express his thoughts on passionate yet forbidden love affair. Whether or not a similar involvement could have been experienced by the author himself would not be a question worth meander thing on because the theme of the poem is widely experienced around the globe at different generations. Forbidden love affairs had been retold time and again through stories like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet so that the theme could have simply been an observation of the author and needed not be a first hand experience. Passion and flame is well expressed in the poem in a metaphorical way, mentioning the blacksnake hunting the mouse with deadly excitement. The highly stimulated feelings expressed between the lovers are seen throughout the poem with changes of emotion from boredom, to fear and to pensive considerations. The author expressed boredom as he waited for his lover who is coming from her father’s farm and could have the possibility of being unable to meet him because of the latter’s restrictions. On meeting each other comes the nervousness and fear expressed not only by the man but the woman as well who fear being caught by her father. Then as the lovers separate, the author shifts to a thoughtful reconsideration of their affair, remaining drunk with the experience he had with his woman. The author used metaphor greatly especially in expressing the consummation of the lovers’ love to each other. The intimacy of

PERSONAL ETHICS ACTION PLAN Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

PERSONAL ETHICS ACTION PLAN - Assignment Example My personal conviction is to do good to all even to those that have done evil to me. I want to serve God with all my mind and spirit and achieve harmony with Him. I want to do my best in contributing to the society in the way of social work, community programs, and propagating hope in these last days. To be more precise, I want to follow the golden rule that recommends doing to others what you want others to do to yourself. I have absorbed a lot from my parents and grandparents from my infancy. As I grew, I researched holy books, philosophy and read world’s great thinkers. I used my values to understand the world and myself. I learnt how to behave and developed my own personal set of morals. The in discrepancies in human behavior made me think of my value system. It strengthened it further than weakening my system. I got involved in education and this helped me understand how the mind of a child functions and how maturity is attained. I witnessed the process objectively. I could even see people getting into the use of drugs for escape from reality. I was too deep rooted in my values that I said a strong ‘no’ to everything to be considered old fashioned odd person. My moral convictions helped me withstand peer pressure. My personal experience only made me realize how difficult it is for people to accept reality. I learnt to be awake always and stay away from illusions and get deceived by them. Probing questions about life and its meaning posed deep interest to me. Service held a special meaning. Love lies in serving and not being served. To love a person is to exercise it. Help the needful, support the poor, listen to the frustrated ones. I feel that life is to be guided by the values and morals one upholds. Being stronger in the convictions help building a better personality that is both flexible to accept people as they are and strong in not giving up the

St. Johns Riverside Hospital- Health Information Management Essay

St. Johns Riverside Hospital- Health Information Management - Essay Example Annually, the hospital serves more than 100,000 patients. Additionally, the hospital has a dedicated team of IT staff members consisting of 17 managers who ensure that patient electronic records and medication inventory trackers are up to date. Definitely, with such a good number of nurses and IT professionals, the hospital has maintained quality standards needed in the health center and enjoyed unwavering support from patients happy with services received. Thus, being an individual who values teamwork and coordination to achieve results as seen in the case St. John’s Secondly, for over seven years St. John’s Riverside Hospital had used a traditional infrastructure with regard to patient database and storage space. However, when the need to advance towards a better system arose, the hospital did not waste time. It expanded and updated its technology. Initially, the hospital had only 40TB of storage systems which proved inadequate for physical space loads. Also, the hosp ital’s legacy servers had reached subscription limits and the chances of the servers crushing were high. The hospital knowing it could not be left in such a compromising situation adopted OmniCube as a solution. Thus, with OmniCube came ease of management, installation and even data transfer. The advantages of the updated system came in abundance for St. John’s Riverside Hospital. There was decrease in backup times; the risk of data loss was also minimized since backup was instantaneous.  

Criminological Praxis And Tearoom Trade Media Essay

Criminological Praxis And Tearoom Trade Media Essay Laud Humphreys study of the tearoom trade has proved to be an extremely controversial piece of research, so controversial in fact that many called for his PhD to be revoked. Humphreys used covert observation in order to study impersonal sexual encounters between men in public restrooms, this is an extremely controversial subject, and was even more so at the time when the research was undertaken; furthermore, covert research is often heavily criticised for being unethical, leading to additional controversy. Covert research is where researchers go undercover to obtain their information. To lessen the potential for reactive effects and to gain entry to otherwise inaccessible settings, some researchers have adopted the role of a covert participant. By doing so they keep their research secret and do their best to act like other participants in a social setting or group. (Bachman and Schutt, 2007:267) This essay will explore whether the controversy surrounding the tearoom trade is a result of the subject matter studied, or the methodological approach used. The research undertaken by Humphreys will be discussed in some detail, describing what the research consisted of, and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the methodology. Consideration will also be given to the use of covert research in general, assessing the pros and cons of the method, as well as covert research conducted by other researchers. Laud Humphreys conducted his research in the 1960s and his book Tearoom Trade: A study of homosexual encounters in public places was published in 1970, with a second edition published in 1975. Humphreys carried out his research in order to determine who the men were, who were willing to risk arrest in order to indulge in impersonal sex in public places, as well as to uncover the dynamics of the encounters between the men involved, and discover what this could tell us about human behaviour. The main finding of his research was that the majority of individuals engaging in homosexual activities within the tearoom led the rest of their lives at heterosexuals. Humphreys used covert methods in order to enter in to the tearoom. A tearoom is a public toilet where men meet for sex with other men. (Banyard and Flanagan, 2005:27) Humphreys (1970, pp page 2-3) suggests that the reason public restrooms are so ideal for impersonal sex is because they can provide both a public and private setting. Public restrooms are easily accessible, yet they provide little public visibility. Due to this Humphreys focused his study on restrooms within public parks, as they were often frequented by men seeking instant sex due to their easy access and limited use by general members of the public. In order to be accepted by the participants of the tearoom trade, Humphreys, assumed the role of tearoom watchqueen by serving as a lookout with the responsibility to warn of approaching strangers in exchange for the right to observe the homosexual activity. (Kimmel, 1988:22) By acting as the watchqueen, Humphreys was able to freely observe what was occurring in the tearooms without suspicion from the genuine participants. This use of deception has been heavily criticised by many, as deception within research is seen as highly unethical. Many social scientists feel that it is unethical for a researcher to conceal his identity to gain inside information. Others feel disguised observation is ethical as long as the welfare of the subjects is protected. (Fitzgerald and Cox, 2002:133) Although he did use deception, Humphreys did go to some lengths to protect his participants, which will be discussed later. Furthermore if he were to have entered the tearooms, and announced his role as a researcher, the likelihood is that all sexual activity would have been terminated and the men who frequented the tearooms would have left, either for fear of being discovered as a person who seeks impersonal sex, the fear or criminal conviction, or for the sheer fact of not wishing to be observed by a researcher. Even if the participants remained, it is likely that they would have altered their behaviour, as they knew they were being observed. If Humphreys had informed the tearoom goers of his research, the results which he obtained would probably not have been as valid, as the results he obtained by using covert methods. Another issue that arises from the use of covert methods and deception is that of informed consent. Covert participant observation is clearly a violation of the principle of informed consent. (Bulmer, 1982:218) Covert methods rely on the research subject being unaware of the research taking place; it can therefore be argued that by studying people without their prior knowledge is a breach of human rights. People should clearly have the right to decide whether or not to participate in any research, and their decision should be based on full understanding of what the research consists of, and how any personal information or data obtained will be used. Every code of ethics designed to guide research involving human subjects gives primacy to the requirement of fully informed voluntary consent on the part of the individual concerned. (Gregory, 2003:35) Humphreys research clearly violates this need for informed consent; however, it again can be argued that his research findings could not have been obtained by any other means. It is also important to note, that at the time the research was conducted, there were no professional guidelines making informed consent a research requirement. By observing the participants covertly it can be argued that Humphreys was also invading their right to privacy, however, as they were conducting private acts, in a public domain, is this criticism justifiable? Any male is free to enter the mens restroom, and observe the goings on, it was only by recording his observations that Humphreys can be criticised for invading privacy. As well as observing the homosexual acts conducted in the tearooms, Humphreys engaged in verbal relationships with twelve men he encountered during his research, he named these the intensive dozen. Humphreys revealed his true identity to these twelve men, informing them of his true reason for attending the tearooms. This enabled him to conduct in-depth interviews. With the help of some meals together and a number of drinks, all agreed to cooperate in subsequent interviewing sessions. (Humphreys, 1970:36) It can easily be argued that the intensive dozen, were the only participants in Humphreys study who gave full informed consent. Interestingly, especially to those who criticise Humphreys use of deception, Laud himself states that, Apart from the systematic observations themselves, these conversations constitute the richest source of data in the study. (Humphreys, 1970:37) This brings in to debate whether the covert methods used were really called for, as Humphreys obtained valuable information from the intensive dozen, by revealing to them his true identity and purpose. However, it could be argued, that without his use of deception, and the fact that he often frequented the tearooms, that the twelve men would not be willing to cooperate. If a total stranger had approached these men, would they be willing to confess all about their homosexual exploits? Social deviants inside restrooms and elsewhere develop careful defences against outsiders, including special gestures and extreme caution with strangers. (Warwick, 1982:39) Was it because they had become acquaintances with Humphreys already that they were willing to tell all? Unfortunately it is impossible to be able to answer these questions. In order to gain even more information about the men who participated in the tearoom trade, Humphreys made notes about the physical appearance of the men he observed as well as noting the licence plates of their vehicles. By posing as a market researcher Humphreys was able to obtain the registration details for the vehicles in question from a friendly policeman; again this procedure is ethically questionable as Humphreys once again used deception to gain private information about people. Upon receiving the names and addresses of the participants, he visited their homes and made observations and notes about the physical appearance of the house, as well as the location. Humphreys then took advantage of his role as a research associate for a local research centre. He was asked by the centre to produce a questionnaire for a social health survey, for men in the local community. Humphreys saw this as an opportunity to include the tearoom participants in the survey, selecting 50 participant s to be surveyed along with 50 other members of the community. Approximately a year after his attendance at the tearooms, he sufficiently altered his appearance, so that the tearoom participants would be unable to recognise him as the voyeuristic watchqueen, and proceeded to enter their homes, under the premise of a social worker, in order to conduct the social health survey. This again raises ethical issues, as Humphreys is once again using deception to enter in to the private domain of the men he is researching, and because of this deception he was able to gain private information under false pretences. It may also be argued that Humphreys was putting his participants in harms way, as the issue of impersonal homosexual encounters is a sensitive one. As many of the men he surveyed led heterosexual lives, with wives and families, he was putting them in real danger of being exposed, which may of led to their personal lifes being destroyed. However, regardless of how the information was obtained, Humphreys ensured he took every measure to prevent the information being used by anybody else, and to protect the anonymity and confidentiality of the participants. The British Sociological Association state that, The anonymity and privacy of those who participate in the research process should be respected. Personal information concerning research participants should be kept confidentialWhere possible, threats to the confidentiality and anonymity of research data should be anticipated by researchers. The identities and research records of those participating in research should be kept confidential Appropriate measures should be taken to store research data in a secure manner. (British Sociological Association, 2002) The survey data and all other research materials which were obtained by Humphreys, were secured in a safety deposit box, in a different city to where the research was conducted, and upon finishing with the data, it was destroyed. This is good ethical practice, despite the way the information was gathered. As the information was so sensitive, and could have been used for blackmailing purposes or to bring about criminal convictions, it was vital that Humphreys treated the information in such an appropriate way. So far, it is evident that one of the major controversies surrounding Humphreys research was his repeated use of deception. Warwick (1982:46) suggests that, Humphreys research provides a unique case study of deception. The concatenation of misrepresentation and disguises in this effort must surely hold the world record for field research. (Warwick,1982:46) Warwick then continues with a list of shortcomings regarding the research Humphreys conducted. Included in the list are the facts that Humphreys misrepresented his identity while serving as a watchqueen in public restrooms, the fact that he deceived the police in order to obtain personal information about the tearoom participants, and the fact he altered his appearance and conducted the surveys in disguise. When all the uses of deception are put so bluntly into a list, it is clear to see why there is such controversy surrounding the methodology used by Humphreys. But is this criticism unique to Humphreys work, or can it be applied to all covert research? Many people strongly object to the use of covert research, this essay will now explore why this is so. Roger Homan (1991, pp page 109-113) lists thirteen separate objections to the use of covert research. He argues that covert methods flout the principle of informed consent, help erode personal liberty, betray trust, pollute the research environment, are bad for the reputation of social research, discriminate against the defenceless and powerless, may damage the behaviour or interest of subjects, may become habitual in the everyday life of the person doing the research, are seldom necessary, have the effect of confining the scope of the research and finally he suggests that the researcher suffers excessive strain in maintaining the cover. With so many objections to covert research is it any wonder that Humphreys has been so heavily criticised for his work? All these objections and criticisms of covert methods, begs the question, why do some researchers employ covert methods? Many researchers do so, as they feel that they would be unable to infiltrate and obtain information from certain groups or settings, if covert methods were not used. For example, Calvey (2000) who went undercover for six months to research club bouncers and nightlife, states that, In terms of taking a covert role, some argue that such a stance is ethically indefensible. However, given my concern with authenticity and the lived experience of this dangerous work, it would have been nearly impossible to gain access any other way. (Calvey, 2000:46) What Calvey is saying here, is that he felt that the only way to gain accurate, valuable information from his research was to adopt a covert approach; he felt that by honestly approaching bouncers as a researcher he would be unable to obtain information on their culture and way of life. Like Humphreys, Calvey has been heavily criticised for his work, due to his use of deception and the fact he was putting both himself and the people he was researching at risk. However, not all covert research has come under such heavy fire when it comes to criticism; an example of such research would be that conducted by Howard Becker on dance hall musicians and becoming a marijuana user. Becker also used deception, and often recorded conversations without informed consent, yet his work has not been criticised as relentlessly as Humphreys work has. It would appear, that although covert methods are widely criticised as unethical practice, the subject matter being studied is capable of stoking the fire, and influencing peoples judgement even further, helping to produce heavier criticisms and distain for both the research and the researcher alike. At the time when Humphreys conducted his research, homosexuals did not have the same freedom to explore and enjoy their sexuality that they do today; the gay liberation movement was only just beginning to emerge. At the time, homosexual sex was characterised as criminal sodomy and very little research had been conducted on the gay subculture in general, never mind research pertaining to sexual acts between members of the same sex. It is interesting to think that, if Humphreys conducted his research in todays modern times whether he would have received the same criticism that he did when his book was published in 1970. It is clear that, through his use of covert methods, and controversial subject matter, Humphreys has come under fire, and his research has been heavily criticised. But was his research justified and did the outcome of his research benefit those involved and society as a whole? Although his use of covert methods are controversial and may be considered unethical, Humphreys probably would not have been able to uncover the information which he did without using such methods, therefore, in these circumstances, the use of such methods are justified. There are serious ethical and legal issues in the use of covert research but the use of covert methods may be justified in certain circumstances. (British Sociological Association, 2002) Humphreys also went to incredible lengths to protect the information he obtained, which can only be seen as a strong asset to his research. Also, it was due to the research undertaken by Humphreys, and other such research conducted at a similar time, that many of the current ethical codes and guidelines pertaining to research exist today. These guidelines have enabled recent research to be much more ethically sound, and therefore not be so heavily criticised. Therefore, Humphreys work has helped in the advancement and evolution of social research. It is also interesting to consider whether the research conducted by Humphreys should have received such criticism considering that these ethical codes did not exist at the time. In relation to the impact his research has had on both the homosexual community and society as a whole, Humphreys managed to disprove many of the myths surrounding the tearoom trade. Many believed that the tearoom trade put young people at risk of sexual assault, yet Humphreys managed to show that the only sexual activity occurring in public restrooms was between consenting adults, and that no advances were made to disinterested parties. He also managed to show that the men engaging in the tearoom trade were not merely criminals or transients, but that the majority were upstanding members of the community, many of which were employed and had families, and a considerable amount were members, or had been members of the armed forces. This can only been seen as shedding a positive light on the then, underground homosexual subculture. As West (1970) states, [there can only be] benefit in the long term from the information the author has been able to obtain about a little understood but important facet of deviant behaviour. (West, 1970: viii) In conclusion it can be argued that the controversy surrounding Humphreys research is down to a combination of his methodological approach, and his chosen subject matter. His work drew attention to a little known deviant activity, which many people may have been disgusted by, and his findings are somewhat graphically depicted in his book Tearoom Trade. This controversial subject matter coupled with his ethically flawed methodology is what has led his research to become so infamously controversial within the field of social research. Warwick (1982), one of Humphreys main critics acknowledges that some of the controversies surrounding the research come from the research topic, yet he defends Humphreys decision to research into the tearoom trade, and only finds fault with the research methods that he used. Undoubtedly public reaction to Tearoom Trade will be strongly affected by the subject matter and the way in which the findings are presented. Many readers, finding the whole topic revolting, will channel their distaste against the author and sociology in generalEven so I would strongly defend Humphreys right to study this topic, however controversial it may beSocial scientists have not only a right but an obligation to study controversial and politically sensitive subjects, including homosexuality, even if this brings down the wrath of the public and government officials. But this obligation does not carry with it the right to deceive, exploit, or manipulate people (Warwick, 1982:54-55) However in defence of his methodology, it is important to consider that there were no formal guidelines and ethical codes relating to social research at the time Humphreys conducted his study of the tearoom trade. Also, many of the criticisms relating to the possible harm to participants are what ifs. Is it justifiable to criticise a piece of research on the fact that harm may come to the participant? Humphreys went to incredible lengths to ensure harm would not come to his participants, and that their identities would not be disclosed. In relation to his use of covert methods, deception and lack of informed consent, it is difficult to see how else he would have been able to conduct the research and still achieve the same results. Furthermore, deception is not restricted to covert methods, as can be seen in the example of Milgrams Study of Obedience, where informed consent was obtained, yet deception was still used. It is my opinion that although Humphreys research is ethically flawed, the reason it has become so controversial is not solely down to the methodology, the controversial subject matter has served as an accelerant in fuelling the controversy surrounding the research. Word Count: 3277

Waiting At The Funeral Party :: essays research papers

As we grow older the one thing we must learn to accept is we all die. After coming to this realization we set up an ornate burial ritual; to say our final good-byes to the person we loved and will eventually join. People come to the ceremony to mourn the loss. As the ceremony progresses the mourners find themselves thinking of may things. Some people may be thinking of good times they had with the person in the casket, while others may be thinking how unfair the death really was. Despite what everyone is thinking the one thing prevalent in all their minds is they are all in that room waiting to be the one in the casket. While in this morbid waiting room things such as: physically visible emotion, age, and the relationship between living and recently dead can all give clues to what the mourner is thinking.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  No one is ever consistent in what they are thinking. In the situation of a funeral there are four main thoughts (among others) that cross the minds of those in attendance. First they think, 'Why did this happen?'; Then they think, ';How quickly will it be my turn?'; Soon they start to remember the good times. Then their minds will wonder to things they have to do later. What they think and where they start is often determined by the relationship they had with the deceased. The question of why is most often the first, if not the only question to the minds of close friends and relatives. These friends and family members can be males or females of any age. Their heavy sobbing and heaving while they avoid looking at the casket can make them noticeable. When will it be my turn; is often the first question to the minds of some friends of the family. The thoughts of this matter can very with the age of the deceased. When the deceased is young, the mourner will find the question mixed with feelings of unfairness. The people who spend most of their time pondering this thought can be males or females of any age (usually 15 and up). These people can be noticed when they shake their heads and try to fight back tear; which come more readily when they look at the casket. If the funeral is for an older person, people will find the previously mentioned question accompanied with thoughts of that person was close to my age.