Examples of Chemistry in Everyday Life

Scandal at Abu Ghraib Free Essays

The abuse scandal of prisoners at Abu Ghraib occurred during the Iraq war. From 2003 to 2006 AbuGhraib prison was a US Army detention center for captured Iraqis. An investigation into the treatment of detainees at the prison was prompted by the discovery of graphic photos depicting guards abusing detainees in 2003. We will write a custom essay sample on Scandal at Abu Ghraib or any similar topic only for you Order Now The facility was located nearBaghdad on 280 acres. At the height of the scandal, the prison held up to 3,800 detainees.Most of the detainees lived in tents in the prison yards(CNN Library).Spec. Joe Darbywas a U.S. Army Reservist serving as a Military Police (M.P.) at the Abu Ghraib prison, when, in January of 2004 he blew the whistle on several of his colleagues that were involved in the abuse scandal. He said he received the now-notorious abuse photos on computer disks(CDs)from Cpl. Charles Graner at the beginning of December(Associated Press). He turned them over to the Army investigators Jan. 12, testifying that he knew Graner was a ringleader in the abuse and would be returning to the prison soon from another assignment.Darby was right in disclosing the abuse and blowing the whistle because the duty of preventionof further illegal abuse of prisoners by U.S. Army personnel outweighed any other duty or loyalty that he may have felt bound to. In addition, withholding evidence and knowledge of something as fundamentally wrong as torture could have led to more problems for Spec. Darby overall because the abuse could have escalated and eventually have been found outanyway. In James 2this case, justified legal action against him as a co-conspirator, for withholding evidence, and failure to disclose illegal activity could have been usedagainst him. Furthermore, feeling as distressed as he did about finding the photos of the abuse, living with the knowledge of having ignored inhumane acts performed by Army personnel could have led to tremendous psychological stress due to feelings of guilt. Why did Joe Darby wait several weeks to turn the CDs in? In a situation where whistleblowing becomes a very real possibility for someone, two, possibly more,loyalties start conflictingwithin the person having to decide on whether to blow the whistle or not,Most oftenthisis a conflict between a public or common moralinterestthat the actor feels he has to protectand hisfeeling of duty, commitment , and loyalty to an organization and/or one or several individuals. This conflict of loyalties can be agonizing for the potentialwhistleblowerbecause hewill havetodisregardone loyaltyin favor of another(both of which are of equal moral importance to him)if he blows the whistle.In Spec. Darby’s case there were several conflicts. First, the loyalty to the institution of the Army;secondthe loyalty to his colleagues;third, public interest intheprevention of harm and illegal activities,and finally thefear of retaliation, the threat to his own person as well as his family. In one interview, about disclosing the abuse at Abu Ghraib, Darby is quoted assaying it was†the right decision and it had to be made†(Norris). While he was hailed as a hero by some, he was also facing a lot of opposition for his actions as a whistleblower. After returning to the U.S. he was placed in protective custodyfor an extended amount of time, and later had to move from his hometown to escape harassment and threats against him and his family. According to Kantian deontology, which is the best moral theory to apply here,Darby had a duty to blowthe whistlebecause the concept of duty is the essential or central point of James 3deontology, and rather than being worried about the consequences of an action, the important thing is the way actors think when they make choices.The act should come from respect for the moral law. The only inherently good thing, according to Kant, is the good will, and the will is good when one acts out of duty and not out of inclination (to gain something material or gain a feeling of self-satisfaction). Darby made the decision to blow the whistle for the sole reason of preventing further wrongdoing by fellow soldiers, and further harm to prisoners at Abu Ghraib. He acted out of good will; he had neither material gain nor did the act of whistleblowing make him feel good. He perceived it as his moral duty to disclose the information. While an opponent of whistleblowing may argue that deontology cannot justifyintroducing as universal law theexternal or public disclosure in all cases of alleged wrongdoing, it can be countered here that it is equally not justifiable to establish as a universal law for a person to keep quiet about knowledge of intentional wrongdoing forever or indefinitely. Additionally, the duty to blow the whistle,as suggested bydeontology,is already being upheld in several professions, and in many of the States.For example,teachers,and physicians are required to report suspicions of abuse, nurses are required to report mistakes in the medical treatment of patients, and thereare laws that punish the failure to report a felonyin numerous states. Even in the Military there are clauses that obligate a soldier to refuse an order that is not legal. These are all examples of deontological theory supporting whistleblowing as the duty of a good citizen. While blowing the whistle externally is still often a controversial concept, internal whistleblowing has long been encouraged or been made obligatory by management in corporatecodes of ethics (Paddget). Considering that many U.S. soldiers were in the explicit pictures that were taken of the abuse, one stands to reasonably pose the question if Darby was the only person who was James 4disturbed by the actions of the soldiers involved in the torture of detainees. Spec. JeremySivits, who is also mentioned in case 6.2, was the first soldier to be tried. In his defense, his attorney insisted that Sivits was merely following orders, as he had been trained, to photograph the abuse. He claimed that followingorders was the right thing to do for Sivits(Clancy, Vaught and Solomon). This defense did not hold up in court, and Jeremy Sivits was tried and convicted, possibly because his invoking the defense of obedience was flawed. â€Å"Strict† obedience, which is what Sivits obedience to superiors essentially was, cannot excuse participation in a case involving unlawful actions as using torture and abuse on detainees of the U.S. Army. The Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) 809[890]. ART.90(20), makes it clear that military personnel need to obey the â€Å"lawful command of his superior officer,† 891.ART.91 (2), the â€Å"lawful order of a warrant officer†, 892.ART.92 (1) the â€Å"lawful general order†, 892.ART.92 (2) â€Å"lawful order†. In each case, military personnel have an obligation and a duty to only obey lawful orders and indeed have an obligation to disobey Unlawful orders, including orders by the president that do not comply with the UCMJ. The moral and legal obligation is to the U.S. Constitution and not to those who would issue unlawful orders, especially if those orders are in direct violation of the Constitution and the UCMJ (Mosqueda). How to cite Scandal at Abu Ghraib, Papers

Legal Prostitution Vs. Illegal Prostitution Essay Example For Students

Legal Prostitution Vs. Illegal Prostitution Essay Johnny JohnsonLogicLegal Prostitution vs. Illegal ProstitutionJohnny JohnsonIt is rather odd to think of how the oldest profession is being found as somethingof a harmful nature, which must be illegal. But legal prostitution is seen by a rather largenumber of individuals to have a negative effect on todays society. These are the peoplewho are forcing women into illegal prostitution, which is far more destructive, due tomany factors. In the following paragraphs, I am going to compare and contrastlegal and illegal prostitution, in hope of sharing the possible benefits of legal prostitution. It is important I first discuss the negative effects of illegal prostitution to help the viewerhave a better perspective of how legal prostitution can actually have a positive impact onsociety. Illegal prostitution is a common occurrence in most big cities. The major problemwith non-legal prostitution is where it usually occurs. Prostitution is often found in theslums of big cities, where many of the young women feel forced into the professionbecause of hard economic conditions. A large percentage of the women are sadly hookedon drugs and end up trading sex to get high. If the poverty and the drug life are not badenough, the women also get to look forward to their pimp, who will abuse them if theydont return with a suffice amount of money. The knowledge of sexually transmitteddiseases is of extreme importance when it comes to such a topic. The sexual activitiestaking place in these areas are not regulated and although a good number of the womencarry condoms, they are by no means protected. Many of the ladies will except extramoney to allow the customers to have sex condom free. Rape is a harsh and brutal act,which is a common occurrence in street prostitution, where the wom en have no protectionfrom either the man or the diseases he might be carrying. The women are also a danger tothe men by carrying diseases they have possibly picked up from prior customers. It is important I first discuss the negative effects of illegal prostitution to help the viewer have a better perspective of how legal prostitution can actually have a positive impact on society. Illegal prostitution is a common occurrence in most big cities. The major problem with non-legal prostitution is where it usually occurs. Prostitution is often found in the slums of big cities, where many of the young women feel forced into the profession because of hard economic conditions. A large percentage of the women are sadly hooked on drugs and end up trading sex to get high. If the poverty and the drug life are not bad enough, the women also get to look forward to their pimp, who will abuse them if they dont return with a suffice amount of money. The knowledge of sexually transmitted diseases is of extreme importance when it comes to such a topic. The sexual activities taking place in these areas are not regulated and although a good number of the women carry condoms, they are by no means protected. Many of the ladies will except extra money to allow the customers to have sex condom free. Rape is a harsh and brutal act, which is a common occurrence in street prostitution, where the women have no protection from either the man or the diseases he might be carrying. The women are also a danger to the men by carrying diseases they have possibly picked up from prior customers. Prostitutes get arrested quite often, but are let out to be an illegal prostitute for another day. Illegal prostitution is a major problem needing some sort of remedy. It is time to discuss the reasoning behind why legal prostitution is the needed remedy to this particular problem. Legal prostitution is being practiced in many other countries as well as a small area of our own country. In Nevada there are places set up to provide legally solicited sex, which are known as brothels. Brothels are the major difference between illegal and legal prostitution. Brothels handle prostitution in a business-like manner. The women are the merchandise brothels have to offer. Like any other type of business the merchandise is protected. Bodyguards are hired to watch over the women and react if any problems take place. The women also have better protection through strict enforcement of condom use and the ladies are tested for venereal diseases as well. As far as drug problems go, brothels do not provide the same kind environment where sex can be traded for drugs. Not to say all the women in legal prostitution are drug free, but it is far less of a problem. The ladies happen to have better living conditions than a streetwalker does. They make actual lives aside from the profession they take part in. These women, for the most part, live in nice homes and lead healthy lives. They have been given a chance to make enough money to pull themselves out of their poverty stricken neighborhoods. It must be kept in mind, most of the women do not want to be prostitutes, but feel they are forced into it because of their poor economic conditions. It is important to touch on the whole idea of how this affects todays society. The Psycholdy Begind Clockwork Orange Essay Numerous amounts of people believe legal prostitution is wrong, but they might not understand how their belief is forcing women into illegal prostitution. In San Francisco, illegal prostitution is a major problem for the authorities. Many of the officers believe there should be a legal form of prostitution. Their reasoning behind this belief is that the women will be in a safer environment where there is far less drug problems and the police will not have the constant burden of arresting females who are going to continue to do what they are doing, regardless of police actions. Sexually transmitted diseases are a major concern for the women as well .

The Situated Cognition in Online Education

Introduction Numerous theories try to explain how to integrate pedagogical support in online education to enhance understanding. One of such theories is the situated cognition theory. The theory holds that knowledge and actions are inseparable (Bredo, 2000).Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Situated Cognition in Online Education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It claims that people acquire knowledge by participating in certain activities or by interacting with numerous real life encounters. In a quest to enhance understanding of online education, learners should include interactive programs like simulations. Such programs would give learners a chance to interact virtually with real life situations, and thus acquire knowledge. Besides, instructors ought to consider pedagogical supports like cognitive support to make sure that learners understand what they learn. Rewards might go a long way to help learner s to develop interest in a study. Nevertheless, in most cases, tangible rewards do more harm than good to learners. The rewards kill the relationship amongst learners and create unhealthy competition. However, not all rewards are bad. If well presented, some tangible rewards may help learners to develop the interest of performing well in their studies. This paper addresses the issue of situated cognition in online education and effects of tangible rewards to learners. Situated cognition Situated cognition is a theory, which holds that it is hard to separate knowing from doing. According to the theory, knowledge emanates from activities related to physical, cultural, and social contexts. Under this supposition, situativity theorists put forward a form of knowledge and learning that calls for thinking on the fly instead of storage and recovery of theoretical knowledge (Bredo, 2000). Quintessentially, it is hard to separate cognition from context. Rather, knowing exists in a place that is inseparable from people, activity, context, language, and culture. Hence, based on situated cognition, learning is perceived in terms of the ability by an individual to prevail in different circumstances rather than the knowledge that the person possesses. Situated cognition is a radical swing from the ancient pedagogical approaches where teachers gave instructions in a confined environment and expected the learners to accumulate skills and knowledge within the confined environment, which they could apply elsewhere. A good example of how situated cognition works is how students acquire knowledge about fractions in their schools (Bredo, 2000).Advertising Looking for assessment on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Students learn by using very abstract examples like pie charts. Hence, in spite of students understanding how fractions work, they might not be in a position to apply their knowledge in real life situation s. If such students are taught on how fractions work through practical examples like baking, they could be in a good position to use the knowledge in real life situations. It might be hard for individuals that learn in an enclosed environment to cope with such tasks. Besides, life might at times require one to think critically and it might be hard for people who have never been exposed to practical learning to achieve this end (Bredo, 2000). Therefore, according to situated cognition, an individual can only cope with complex situations if he or she has adequate knowledge and skills in dealing with such contexts. Integration of situated cognition into online learning According to situated cognition, the adaptation of environment and person entails mutual alteration and not inert matching (Kirshner Whitson, 1997). The theory holds that the actions of an individual and environment are constituents of a mutually constructed whole. Such an interactive relation, transaction, or dialect o pinion focuses on procedures in interactivity (Kirshner Whitson, 1997). Situated cognition maintains that it is hard to separate knowledge from relations. In simple terms, knowledge is a practiced relation of things and not just a psychological state. Therefore, without these relations, knowledge has no value. One might incorporate the idea of situated cognition into online learning. In a bid to ensure that online learners acquire the necessary knowledge, online studies ought to be interactive. For instance, studies may include simulations. Inclusion of simulation would promote interaction allowing the learners to have an experience of the real life situation, though in a simulated way. Such an initiative would help learners to understand the context and develop creativity (Kirshner Whitson, 1997). Pedagogical support In a bid to make sure that students understand and can apply what they learn from online learning, instructors should consider numerous pedagogical supports. The sup ports include social-constructivist, cognitive support, behavioural support, and emotional support. In situated cognition, instructors ought to consider the cognitive support as one of the most crucial pedagogical supports (Dabbagh, 2005). Situated cognition holds that it is hard to separate cognition from the context as aforementioned. Hence, to ensure that students undertaking online studies acquire the necessary knowledge, one ought to focus on helping them to develop cognitive abilities.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on The Situated Cognition in Online Education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Unlike in the field studies where students get an opportunity to interact with the world and gain firsthand experience, online learning does not give students an opportunity to interact with the actual world. Instead, in most cases, they encounter virtual circumstances, which might not help them acquire adequate k nowledge (Young, 2003). Therefore, to make sure that students acquire the requisite skills and knowledge in online learning, it is imperative to consider cognitive support. For instance, the instructors might achieve this by taking the learners through simulations and giving them an opportunity to engage their minds in imaginations (Young, 2003). Through imaginations, learners would be in a position to figure out how certain things work and thus able in a position to understand real life circumstances even without having to come into direct contact with them. Rewards in learning environment Negative effects of rewards Some researchers posit that rewarding learners with tangible rewards like gold stars or similar rewards do more harm than good to the learners. I do agree with this sentiment. The objective of rewarding learners is to encourage them to continue doing well in their studies. Nevertheless, a study conducted by Kohn (2001) proved otherwise. Kohn (2001) learnt that rewards might motivate or demotivate learners. There are two types of motivations, viz. intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. In most cases, tangible rewards promote extrinsic motivation. A person does something good with an aim of getting rewards in return (Cheng Yeh, 2009). Conversely, intrinsic motivation comes from within a learner. This form of motivation is critical in moulding the long-term behaviour of learners. Tangible rewards do not help learners to understand why they need to behave in a particular manner. Whenever a learner realizes that he or she will not get a reward after he or she performs well, he or she tends to relax and perform poorly. In other words, tangible rewards do not facilitate in promoting productive behaviour within learners. Once the rewards are withdrawn, a learner might exert minimal effort or even cease from performing well.  The more the learners receive rewards, the more they require them for motivation. For instance, if a teacher rewards a child for n ot disturbing others in a classroom, the child gets motivated and changes his or her behaviour.Advertising Looking for assessment on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Nevertheless, if the teacher withdraws the reward, the child’s behaviour degenerates and he or she moves back to the previous status. Tangible rewards motivate learners. Nevertheless, learners do not understand the importance of encouraging them to continue doing well (Kelsey, 2011). Hence, rewards do not encourage learners to become critical thinkers. Instead, they perceive it as their right to receive rewards whenever they perform, and when teachers fail to reward them, they stop working hard as a way of showing their rebellion. In most cases, tangible rewards kill relationships in the learning environment. If a teacher keeps on rewarding a child for performing well in mathematics, he or she may promote competition in the class. In the process, students develop the mentality that their colleagues stand in their way to achieving rewards. Hence, students become rivals thus making it hard for them to cooperate and assist one another (Kohn, 2001). Not all rewards are bad Not al l rewards are bad. Rewards that trigger intrinsic motivation are good and they encourage learners to continue with good performance. Intrinsic rewards challenge students to dig deeper and explore new areas of study in their subject. Such rewards help learners to understand the importance of performing well in studies. Some tangible rewards might help to trigger intrinsic motivation within a learner (Cheng Yeh, 2009). For instance, if a teacher rewards a performing student with textbooks and other educational materials, the rewards might help the student to understand the importance of performing well, and thus encourage him or her to study hard. At times, students encounter challenging activities. The activities might demoralize them by making the students lose interest in pursuing the activities. In such a case, rewards might go a long way to encourage students to move on with the activities. Even though at times the reward might instil pressure in students, which makes it hard fo r them to pursue the activity in fear that they might not get more rewards if they fail to get the desired outcomes. Nonetheless, this aspect does not imply that all rewards have negative impacts. Offering more evaluative rewards that are not based on the performance may encourage learners to be creative. Hufton, Elliott, and Illushin (2003) posit that instructors ought to reward their students by evaluating their performance to instil self-esteem, regulate their behaviours, and trigger interest. Consequently, rewards that are used sparingly as an acknowledgment that a learner has achieved some objective assist in triggering interest within learners, thus making them to work harder. Conclusion Situated cognition theory maintains that knowledge and actions are inseparable. Hence, for learners to acquire the necessary knowledge, they should engage in practical activities. For instance, in online learning, students should go through numerous simulations to help them to get the idea of what they are learning. Besides, instructors ought to offer cognitive support as one of the pedagogical supports. Some instructors reward their students as a way of motivating them. Nevertheless, at times, the rewards end up doing more harm than good to students. A majority of these rewards act as extrinsic motivators and do not address the importance of working hard. Hence, students believe that they have the right to receive rewards whenever they perform well. When such rewards are withdrawn, students perform poorly. Despite this aspect, not all rewards are bad and some might help to trigger interest within students, thus making them to perform even better. References Bredo, E. (2000). Reconstructing educational psychology: Situated cognition and Deweyan pragmatism. Educational Psychologist, 29(1), 23-35. Cheng, Y., Yeh, H. (2009). From concepts of motivation to its application in instructional design: Reconsidering motivation from an instructional design perspective. British Jou rnal of Education Technology, 40(4), 597-605. Dabbagh, N. (2005). Pedagogical models for E-Learning: A theory-based design framework. International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning, 1(1), 25-44. Hufton, R., Elliott, G., Illushin, L. (2003). Teachers’ beliefs about student motivation: Similarities and differences across cultures. Comparative Education, 39(3), 367-389. Kelsey, J. (2011). The negative impact of rewards and ineffective praise on student motivation. ESSAI, 8(4), 87-90. Kirshner, D., Whitson, J. (1997). Situated cognition: Social, semiotic, and psychological perspectives. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Kohn, A. (2001). Five reasons to stop saying â€Å"good job!’. Young Children. Web. Young, M. (2003). Instructional Design for Situated Learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 41(1), 43-58. This assessment on The Situated Cognition in Online Education was written and submitted by user Marcus U. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Basic Goals essays

Basic Goals essays Question: What are the basic goals of consequence intervention? A consequence is a stimulus that contingently follows a behavior. Consequence interventions are strategies that address the stimuli. Two strategies can be use when problem behavior occurs more frequently: increase reinforcement for desirable behavior and decrease reinforcement when engaging in problem behavior. The basic goals of consequence intervention are: minimizing reinforcement for problem behavior, increasing reinforcement for desirable behavior, redirecting the student towards alternative responses, and providing strategies that assure health and safety. Strategies for minimizing reinforcement for behavior problems may include considering the response efficiency of a new skill by 2. Immediacy of the rein forcer following a response 4. Quality of the rein forcer following a response Withholding reinforcement for problem behavior can minimize the undesirable behavior. Another strategy for minimizing reinforcement for behavior problems is ignoring problem behavior; thereby avoiding coercive interactions. Another goal of consequence intervention is to increase reinforcement for desired behavior. Reinforcement refers to the relationship between behavior and its consequences. Increasing reinforcement for desired behavior can be obtained by: 1. Providing positive interactions regardless of student 2. Including four positive interactions for every request or correction 3. Spending time listening to and accepting students ideas In conclusion the basic goals of a consequence intervention are: minimizing reinforcement for problem behavior, increasing reinforcement for desirable behavior, redirecting the student towards alternative responses, and providing crisis prevention strategies that assure health and safety. ...

Television is the most important source of news for young people Essay

Television is the most important source of news for young people today.to what extent do you agree - Essay Example By the year 2011, Dahlgren (2013) reports that internet was the number one source of news among young people in the world. For many years, television held this position. However, technological growth and development has shifted young people towards computers, mobile phones, and other digital platforms. The importance of television as the source of news, therefore, exhibits a declining trend. Young people have increasingly become socially interactive. On internet platforms, these young generations can engage with persons from around the world. The possibility and ease of interacting with global communities makes internet a better choice for the young people. Most importantly, internet news does not require access to televisions. Many different devices that support internet make it easier to access news and information without necessarily being at home. This provision makes internet news way easier, effective, and convenience to people moving from one place to another. Differences between television and internet functionalities are critical to account for as far as news is concerned. For many years, changes and developments in the television industry have not been as rapid as the emergence and growth of internet use. A significant magnitude of television broadcasting practices remains traditional, while internet and computer-based practices keep changing from tine to time. These changes consequently create alternatives that young people are swift to exploit. High television consumption among young people is still common across the globe. Critical to note, however, is that television use among young people encompasses more than just watching news. Creativity and innovation among the young people has diversified television use to encompass business and entertainment. The downside of this move is that television viewing is increasingly becoming a practice that takes place after a busy day’s work. Amid such observations, young people still

The evolution of rape to sexual assault legislation and its impact on Essay

The evolution of rape to sexual assault legislation and its impact on sentencing - Essay Example This is because; married women were considered to be the property of their husbands and, therefore, forced coitus by one’s spouse was not considered a crime. In this instance, it was only considered a crime if the female was an unmarried virgin. Over time, these laws have evolved so as to ensure fairness in the way such cases are handled. However, there is still inconsistency among various states in regards to the laws that relate to sexual assault. Despite all these factors, what is evident is that presently, forced penetration of both genders is a serious offence under the law. There are still some grey areas in regards to the actual definition and understanding of terms such as consent and force. It has now been widely established that forced penetration of an individual is known as rape. Recently, the definition of rape has been enhanced to include penetration without force but also without consent. Rape is a sensitive matter and these varying opinions make it difficult for one to really know if they are indeed victims of such assaults (Caringella, 2009). This will also influence their decisions to seek legal redress and report the crime to the relevant authorities. Much of this change is due to feminist groups in the United States who struggled to ensure that the rights of women were protected in regards to rape. They have been at the front line in coming up with the correct definitions and the laws that are used to prosecute offenders. It is the same group which has been at the forefront in lobbying for laws that protect women from violence. They also pushed for the adoption of rape shield laws. These laws protect a victim of sexual assault such that in case of a trial, the victim’s sexual history will not be questioned. Such questions are used to intimidate victims and try to insinuate that they had somehow attracted the rapists. By adoption of the laws, it is now easier for rape victims to report such incidences due to the fact that their