ShantanuT01/DACTYL-Pretraining huggingface dataset:
The article written by Robert Worth focuses on such form of capital punishment which is currently practiced in such countries as Afghanistan, Iran or Saudi Arabia. The events described by the author give rise to a very important debate about the relativity of morality. Some people can argue that ethical norms are dependent on culture and that they are accepted by a certain community. Therefore, outsiders should not criticize them even if they appear to be unjust or too harsh. This paper will show that cultural relativism can be very dangerous because it can be used to justify cruelty, prejudice and unequal treatment of people. Moreover, some ethical norms or rules can be imposed by people whose authority can be questioned. These are the main points that should be discussed. On the whole, the notion of cultural relativism has often attracted the attention of philosophers or scholars. One of the key arguments is that a certain norm was introduced for specific reasons; moreover, this rule was supposed to benefit the entire community (Rachels and Rachels 25). In other words, it has to promote public and individual welfare in some way. Therefore, one can argue that in the past adultery was punished by stoning in order to protect lineage and family unity (Worth, unpaged). To a great extent, it was supposed to be a deterrent preventing people from marital infidelity. However, these examples do not prove that Ms. Ashtiani who has been convicted of adultery, deserves this punishment. It is possible to make several objections to this argument. First of all, this norm was introduced in a tribal society in order to minimize the number of illegitimate births (Worth, unpaged). At that time, illegitimate births could be a significant problem because it could be difficult for a family to raise an unplanned child. Nevertheless, the countries in which this form of punishment is practiced are not tribes any more. Adultery will not pose any threat to their existence. Thus, one can say that stoning as a form of punishment for adultery is at best outdated. Secondly, the notion of cultural relativism implies that members of the community agree on a specific norm. These people have to accept the validity or necessity of a rule or punishment. Without this consent, one cannot argue that an ethical principle is fully justified. The problem is that the practice of stoning is criticized by many Iranian women who believe that this cruel punishment signifies their low status in the society that is dominated by men (Worth, unpaged). Thus, one cannot say that stoning is a completely accepted norm in such countries as Afghanistan or Iran. More
Sociology debates have evolved over two political theories namely: pluralism and elitism. The power elite theory however, seems to be true compared to the pluralist view which holds that participation in politics is democratic where people participate in politics through group membership by creating public policies on competitive and compromising basis. On the other hand, elitism maintains that political and decision making positions are held by elites who are unified for their personal gains and hence are not representative. This is very true as a great number of political leaders do participate in politics only for selfish gains rather than to serve their people. Additionally, power is only set aside for particular elite members and institutional positions are not open to other non elite members. This is evidenced in many political positions in many countries where the key positions in governments are held only by superior and intellectual members. This particular group takes control of the country’s economy where decisions are made based on personal interests rather than from a consensual basis. This domination by the elite groups results to conflicts between the leaders and the ruled. A good example of this rule is where a county’s political leaders raise tax payments from the citizens with the aim of raising their salaries at the expense of the tax payer while they themselves do not pay taxes despite the huge salaries and other benefits they get from the government. Since the elite groups are the decision makers, the members are left powerless as they have to obey and play by the decisions of their leaders. In this context, the top leadership positions have authority to run all the activities and programs in many fields such as legal issues, economic, scientific and civil institutions among others. The leaders and holders of these top positions are basically in charge of a country’s activities either directly or indirectly. Indirect programs such as banking, transportation and communication are also affected by the decisions made by the elite groups. This is a clear indication that the power of any country lies within only a single elite group rather than several groups which may have different perception of leadership. Therefore, the common citizens have no authority over matters concerning their lives and this leaves their lives at risk as the elite groups do not have their interests at hand. However, this does not mean that the elite groups operate under dictatorship. Rather, they operate in respect to constitutional laws and carry out their activities in an open manner and peacefully. These characteristics are drawn from inheritance where leaders follow the footsteps of the previous leaders. All these rules by the power elite theory are true especially in today’s economy which has deteriorated greatly and increased the greed in elite lea
Introduction For You is a Manufacturing company that produces WooWoo alcoholic beverage. The widget is mad of vodka, schnapps, peach and cranberry juice. It is usually served in a rock glass with the ingredients stirred together with ice. A lime wedge is also sometimes used as garnish. The competition in this industry is high but the widget has been a super brand clone with a larger customer base. WooWoo is less expensive and more readily available than other known brands. The current sales are high despite the fact that there are many defects that increase the cost of production and delay delivery. The defects are caused by lack of motivation and team work among the employees. As the president and Chief Executive Officer of this company, I have designed an organizational motivation plan that encourages my employees in each of the following departments: sales, assembly, technology, and administration. Design an organization motivation plan that encourages: High job satisfaction I have set a plan to conduct employee satisfaction survey with the help of experts to determine the current satisfaction. Once the results are obtained, it will be easy to identify areas where my employees express high and low satisfaction. Improving job satisfaction will also involve addressing employees’ concerns on job security. This will be done by delivering a clear and consistent message to inform the employees of the dealings of the business. The sales department will be provided with enough vehicles to assist them in movement as they market the products of the company. A management information system will be developed for the technology department to reduce their workload and to assist in the storage of data for future reference. The assembly department requires more attention due to its huge employee base. The service employees can be allowed some overtime so that more widgets can be available for delivery. Low turnover Lack of development opportunities in organizations always leads to labor turnover (Bohlander and Snell, 2010). In my plan, all employees will be provided with training and development opportunities at all levels of management on annual basis. All the salesmen will be given bonuses on the percentages of sales made every month. In addition to the bonuses, I have organized for retreats where all the salesmen will have a chance to go out together as a department and have some fun outside the company. In order to keep the employees at For You, I will conduct frequent meet
The paper under consideration is ‘An Energy Revolution for the Greenhouse Century’ by Martin Hoffert. From the very beginning of the article, the reader’s attention to the urgency of solving the problem of global warming is drawn through the proverbs and quotations the author suggests before the main text starts. Then, Hoffert gives a summary of the existing knowledge on the problem of global warming from the buildup of fossil fuel carbon. The facts are supplied with the author’s remarks and explanations which contributes to a better understanding of the topic under analysis. We cannot but admit the importance of the Figures that the author has used – they offer a visual presentation of the topic discussed. Speaking about the weak points of the article we should say that it is more concerned with discussing the current politics in terms of the global warming problem, whereas, presenting a more detailed explanation of concrete ways out from the situation that happens nowadays seems to be more appropriate. Still, the ideas suggested by the author seem to bring closer the day when humanity will get to know how to solve climate/energy problems. In general, the article sounds optimistic and inspires further research by the reader. Possible questions for further research are:   * To what extent is the problem of global warming politicized and how does it influence finding solutions to the problem?   * Is Will creating renewable energy portfolios with ambitious targets for alternate energy by states in the United States help solve the problem of global warming?   * What are the most effective ways to involve students in pursuing careers in science and engineering?   * How may the public’s attention to the problem of global warming be drawn? Going by the author the further research should answer the following questions:   * Are there technologies likely to lead to a low-carbon world in time and still allow global GDP to continue growing 2 to 3 percent per year?   * What global energy systems should we be aiming at?   * Can we get there in time? (Hoffert, 2006, p. 988) The reader is encouraged both to check the validity of the author’s ideas and to suggest one’s view on the problem discussed.
Central-line associated bloodstream infections rank among the most common causes of death of the U.S. patients, according to the statistical data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2016). By definition, a central-line, also known as a central catheter, is a tube that is inserted into a vein. Traditionally, the areas of the neck, chest, arm, or groin are used as the locations of the catheter (Marshall et al., 2014). Therefore, a central-line associated bloodstream infection occurs in case a germ (e.g., a bacterium) enters the central line and then the bloodstream of the patient (Boyce et al., 2013). In light of the severity of the issue and the drastic consequences that it may have on the patient’s wellbeing, the problem must be prevented successfully by a nurse. Although designing the tools that will help address the issue successfully is crucial to managing the problem, preventing central-line associated bloodstream infections is a nonetheless essential step toward facilitating a safer nursing environment. At this point, the importance of the role of a nurse educator needs to be brought up. Providing mentoring and guidance, as well as serving as a role model for students to follow, a nurse educator must instruct the target audience about the means of addressing the issue of nosocomial infections in a manner as efficiently as possible. As stressed above, it is crucial that the strategies for both the prevention of the problem and the management of the issue could be determined. By focusing on the patient surveillance strategies, promoting the safety culture, and providing the necessary education and training for the staff members about a proper way of inserting the catheters and managing the patients’ needs, a nurse educator is likely to reduce the threat of nosocomial infections. Since nosocomial infections, in general, and CLABSIs, in particular, are at the top of the list of the mortality factors affecting the U.S. population (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016), a nurse educator must have the skills that will allow training the ability to work with closed medication systems. Indeed, studies show that the lack of the relevant skills observed among nurses working with the target audience is the primary reason for CLABSIs to occur (Krein, Kuhn, Ratz, & Chopra, 2015). Thus, the promotion of the proper management of closer medication systems is imperative to address the problem. The use of closed systems is crucial to the prevention of CLABSIs from developing in patients as the identified approach isolates the target audience from any outside factors. As a result, th
Definition According to Lee (2010), peak pricing is “a pricing strategy that implies price will be set at the highest level during times when demand is at a peak” (Lee 34). This pricing strategy is often applied especially by the governments to try to alter the demand and consumption of some services or goods in order to contain the supply function. The reasoning under peak pricing is that charging higher prices for commodities in the market when the demand is very high is a prerequisite for balancing the supply side and the demand side to avoid the occurrence of any major shortages on either side of the demand and supply spectrum. For instance, if a commodity’s price is set at a high cost and there is a consistent demand for it, there is a high possibility of balancing the capacity to supply the commodity in the market (Hamilton 367). Basically, peak pricing is used as a pricing discrimination strategy to ensure that there is a balance in consumption of a commodity between high consumption period and low consumption period with minimal interference with the supply side of the market. Therefore, any consumer who wishes to purchase such a product in high season will have to pay more than a consumer who wishes to purchase the same product during the low season. In a graphical presentation, the function of Marginal Cost (MC) is always constant up to the point where the quantity of commodity products reaches a maximum in a firm. At this point, the MC line is vertical. Therefore, “since firms optimize profits when MC=MR, shifts in MR and MC effect the price. As demand shifts outward, Marginal Revenue increases. As a result, the point where MR=MC increases and higher prices result” (Lee 38). This is illustrated in the graph below. Example The real example of the application of peak pricing occurred in the US in 1970 when the government had to increase gas prices due to very high levels of consumption as the culture of muscle cars dominated the US road. The demand for gas was on the rise as more Americans were able to afford the high engine capacity cars. In response to the high unsustainable demand for gas, the government decided to raise the price of oil per gallon to arrest the high levels of demand (Blanchard 24). This action resulted in reduced demand for gas due to the high price tag per gallon. Again, from the year 2013, the US government decided to lower the price of gas per gallon to respond to the low season demand as a result of dampened global oil prices as a result of increased production of alternative energy sources. As a result, the demand for gas has increased in the US due to the action of the government to reduce the price per gallon. From this example, the intention of the government of the US was to attempt to “balance supply in demand by encouraging consumers to purchase at lower prices and still provides consumers willing to pay the increased price the gas” (Hamilton 369) during low and high seasons, respectively. The use of this prici
Source The chosen advert is a funny one by the Beijing times published in July of 2009. The product being advertised is the Ephone 900 that is an internet mobile device made by the Ephone company- a Chinese mobile phone maker. The advert was also published in a number of magazines and newspapers including the Monthly Magazines and brochures produced by the company. However, the source of the advert referenced in this article is the Beijing Times. Formal Analysis In the advert, the artist uses the element of space to illustrate the background thus indicating to the viewer the probable setting of the image. The space in the middle ground is used to show the item being advertised. It contains the main message of the advert. The use of color is remarkable in the advert. However, the creator uses analogous colors to create an impression of the jungle. The texture implied in the advert is mainly rough thus emphasizing the jungle. The use of lines in the advert is to bring out the product being advertised, the jungle, and the snake, which are supposed to make the advert hilarious and easy to understand. The artist uses the element of value to create an interphase between light and bright background of the image, which represents the jungle to the black foreground where the product is located. This strategy creates a transition in the image from threat to the product. The element of shape is utilized in the advert. In fact, it can be described as realistic and biomorphic. In the advert, the elements described are used in different ways in an attempt to depict a number of principles utilized by the artist. Formal balance of the elements is prominent in the advert. To indicate the size of the snake and therefore the danger, the artist uses the principle of pattern where he repeats the markings on the snake. Another principle is emphasis, which is also used to emphasize the potential danger and the speed feature of phone model. Interpretation The advert was commonly known as the Ephone900 (snakebite advertisement) that features the hand of an individual who is supposedly in a jungle in danger of being bitten by a dangerous looking snake. The person chooses to search the internet for help on how to dodge the snakebite. This strategy is supposed to imply the speed of the internet phone. The target audience is the youth. Consequently, the internet savvy individuals who use the internet more frequently based on their desire to have a faster working one. The text on the advert indicates the brand name and hence a component of the main message. The text corresponds to the image in that it emphasizes the message. Bes
Introduction Credit crisis is a term that has been coined to describe the situation whereby accessibility of loans or credit finance becomes limited due to their unavailability. It is a trend that results to financial institutions reducing the amount of loans that they can disburse to clients irrespective of increased interest rates that they can charge on such loans (Turner). Credit crisis is said to occur when the relationship between interest rates and credit loans being disbursed are heavily skewed, or when there is a general reduction of loans available in spite of increased demands. Ideally the relationship between interest rates and available financial credit is such that increased interest rate in the market means that financial institutions are willing to increase lending in order to increase profits. Foster and Magdoff Perspective of 2008 Financial Crisis Foster and Magdoff theory that attempts to explain the 2008 financial crisis attributes it to broader factors of monopoly finance capitalism which is a function of a phenomenon that they refer as stagnation which is a characteristic of mature capitalist systems. Generally credit crisis can be triggered by any of the various factors in the financial sector or combination of several such factors. There are mainly five reasons that directly affect financial institutions loans and which in extension can trigger a credit crisis. One of the reasons is anticipated fall in value of collateral assets that are used by creditors to obtain loans from banks (Graham 2008). In this case the financial institutions become reluctant and unwilling to give out loans that are secured by such assets where all indications points to their market values plummeting. Other reasons could be sudden exogenous adjustment in regulation by central bank that touches on lending requirements by banks or which elevates reserve requirements (Graham). The central bank might also trigger credit crunch through regulations that intend to tightly control financial institutions lending. In such instances the banks usually respond by enacting measures that prevent their loss or transfer their operating risks to the creditors usually through increased interest rates of loans or reduction in lending. However these factors alone cannot by their own trigger credit crunch, more often credit crisis is caused by an array of factors that combine together over a long duration of time. While Foster and Magdoff recognize these as causal factors that contributed to the 2008 financial crisis, they argue that by and large the major reason that greatly contributed to the financial meltdown was the stagnant nature of the current capitalist system. Foster and Magdoff describe mature capitalist system as “stagnant” because of its monopolistic nature that is caused by few corporations that dominates and control most of the available capital flow (Fostor and Magdoff). When this happens as it has been ta
Introduction A safety net hospital is a very important facility to the low-income, uninsured and/or susceptible populations. Regardless of a person’s financial status, a safety net hospital should always ensure that it provides patients with stabilizing care at least. These hospitals rely on funding from government, Medicaid and related programs. However, sometimes these hospitals run out of funding due to one or more reasons and this greatly impacts on provision of health care. Discussion Effect of closure of Safety-Net Hospitals on Public Health To start with, other hospitals would be flooded with uninsured patients and this would impair provision of health care as well as lead to increased opportunity costs that would see these other hospitals to closure as well. Eventually, it would be chaos for a state, nation or country. The ratio between doctors and patients would be very large, say I doctor for 50 patients in a day hence affecting the quality of health care given. In addition, closure of safety-net hospitals would mean less training ground for doctors. This is because safety-net hospitals are an excellent training ground for doctors from where they gain experience. The area that would be greatly affect if provision of health care. Patients would have to spend a lot of time in the waiting bay and appointments would be scheduled for longer dates. In addition, due to imbalance between patients to doctor ratio, some services would have to be terminated and the risk of death would be on the increase. As a result, the overall health status of a population would decline and this would have a negative implication on the nation’s economy (Dewan & Sack, 2008). Effect of Economic Recession on Safety Net Providers A recession is associated with loss of employment and inflation. This usually affects the health sector in that most people end up being uninsured or without public coverage. Subsequently, there