Did Microsoft Violate Antitrust Policy?

â€Å"The US complaint has been filed by a Tangent, a small Burlingame, California-based hardware vendor that says it is a Microsoft certified partner, but has still been â€Å"caused significant harm† by â€Å"Microsoft's exclusionary and restrictive practices†[1]The Northern California Company Tangent, who is also a Microsoft Certified Partner, has claimed that Microsoft has caused them â€Å"significant harm† through â€Å"exclusionary and restrictive† practices.[2]In its complaint, Tangent describes patterns of anticompetitive practices by Microsoft.     The activities listed by Tangent incorporate the procedure of no-option bundling of Outlook (electronic mail software) with Office (a suite of word processing, financial, media and various business software) and Active Directory (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol which provide central authentication and authorization services for Windows based computers) with Windows Server (host integration). The forced process under the bundling system also includes the Windows Media Player (a software application player and library for digital media) and Windows Media Server (advanced live video and audio streaming functionality) along with the desktop personal computer and the server operating system, e.g. XP, Vista, etc.Tangent attorneys’ stated in the law suit, â€Å"Microsoft's exclusionary and restrictive practices†¦have caused significant harm to (Tangent) by increasing, maintaining or stabilizing the price it paid for Microsoft's operating system software above competitive levels,† [3]In a filing with the US District Court for the Northern District of California, Tangent’s resident territory and the right of the plaintiff to file locally, is in the clear supportive position to show cause of how Microsoft has historically continued to engage in anticompetitive conduct and practices. Thereby causing irreparable financial and market damages by directly man ipulating by different means in a number of forms the price Tangent has paid for Microsoft's operating system software.   Clearly upon comparison and review the prices are openly above competitive degrees.Tangent has been able to list in the detail the historical relation of the personal computer and the Microsoft factor.   They contend that Microsoft, in the letter of the law as well as the spirit, has still failed to operate within number of instruction guidelines and continues to violate Section 2 of the Sherman Act, 15 U.S.C.,  §2.Tangent has taken on the interesting position of requesting a jury to hear the case instead of a judge.   Clearly, the intent is to appeal to peers or citizens who will hear testimony as to the unfair practices of Microsoft.   There is the grave risk on the part of the Tangent argument that the issues are very complicated and so technically that only engineers or legally trained experts can decided on the case.   It can be equally promised that Microsoft lawyers will attempt to convolute the issue to a level of complicate techno speak in order to confuse the jury and possible deadlock or mistrial.   Either way, the path for appeal is being paved.Without the normal constraint of frank competition in the marketplace and also because of â€Å"exclusionary practices† invoked by Microsoft as a standard practice, Microsoft has been able to perform in a way that the increases the â€Å"playing field† edge in its favor. Additionally, this method employed by Microsoft works to preserve or artificially maintain prices at anti-competitive conditions that cause harm to vendors and business partners. [4]In essence, Tangent has charged that Microsoft has artificially inflated prices for the cost of the operating system software for certified partners who have no other choice in the matter thus injuring Tangent.One of the strongest positions taken by Tangent against Microsoft is that the Microsoft server OS (operatio n system) includes specific, unique, undocumented programs and screens (interfaces) accessed and employed by its servers to communicate seamlessly and tacitly with one another.   Primarily, the use of several servers (server farm) is within a multiple network server community.â€Å"Tangent alleged further that Microsoft entered into restrictive agreements with OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and system builders, limiting or eliminating their ability to feature non-Microsoft products.† [5]Cleary, the most important aspect of the Tangents argument, which in this case can be asserted by any plaintiff, is for Microsoft to cease marketing products under the guise that the uniformity of it’s software is standardize and practical.   This is not the case nor has it been in quite a while.   The position by Microsoft does not give rise to a supportive community of certified partners.   Candidly, it causes a minor panic.Microsoft’s secretive and clandestine modus operand lends it self to a sense of obvious guilt.   The resistance to the release of the source code for any of it’s of its operating systems underlies its non-competitive practices.Demonstrating no lack of indignation, Microsoft has chosen not to respond to any comments on this complaint or that fact any other.   Their practice has been to only to acknowledge that the case is being reviewed.Tangent is based in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Burlingame and builds custom configured-to-order desktops, notebooks, thin clients and servers primarily for educational institutions, government agencies, business markets and proprietary enterprises.   The company is using the Microsoft Operating Systems. [1]   -Microsoft faces fresh US and EU antitrust complaints 23rd February 2006 [2] http://wowtechminute.com/93/antitrust-lawsuit-antithesis/ Antitrust Lawsuit Antithesis Posted by Brent Norris Technology News March 2006 [3] http://news.com.com/Computer+maker+files+an titrust+suit+against+Microsoft/2100-1014_3-6041788.html By Ina Fried Staff Writer, CNET News.com Published: February 21, 2006, [4] http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=29797 Off at a tangent By INQUIRER staff: Monday 20 February 2006, 10:10 [5] http://www.channelinsider.com/article/Tangent+Suit+Claims+Microsoft+Soaked+Partners/171923_1.aspx   Tangent Suit Claims Microsoft Soaked Partners DATE: 21-FEB-2006 By John Hazard

Domain Name Essay

Browsing through different domain servers, I would suggest a well known and established company. I would suggest the use of GoDaddy. com. I have personally used the service and can attest to their customer service available 24/7 via telephone and live chat. The provider also offers free personalized email, DNS control and status alerts for the page. The prices are competitive with other companies with assistance in not only hosting the site, they will assist in the building and maintenance of the site. As far as domain name, at the time of searching the domain name of FreeFluShotsForElderly. org is available. I would suggest the use of a . org vs another due to the public misconception of their view towards the extensions. A normal individual may recognize a . org extension as a non-profit vs if it was a . com and not believe it to be non-profit. The name, while long, also would be easily memorable in terms of the elderly as well as being easily located with search engines as well. Another possible alternative is to continue with a purchase like this and purchase similar domain names along the same lines and with different extensions for a cheaper price. With the purchase of the additional domain names, you can reroute users from those sites to your â€Å"trunk† site that is being maintained. Not only would this assist with individuals typing in the wrong address, it would assist with people who are looking for different sites that are mistakenly brought to this organization’s site.

Managerial Accounting Essay

To Mr. George Friedman and Bill Compton, here are some options on ways to operate base of household incomes. Below are various ways to decide which might best fit in your organization. â€Å"Managerial skills are important in an organization and in leadership, especially managerial decision making. These help achieve the goals of the organization and harness the potential of everyone inside the organization† (Managerial Skills, n.d). The fee for food is $1.25 per student each day. Staff will received a 10% benefit on their salaries in addition $200 for the benefit programs. Variable supplies are $1 per student each month. Step costs are salaries for instructors, averaging $1,600 per instructor for each class. â€Å"As opposed to fixed costs, which remain constant, these costs arise in direct proportion toa business output, increasing and decreasing along with the volume of production† (Schneider, 2012). Experiencing a new class added would be beneficial due to the profits increased by $355. Whatever case of profit adding to the revenue helps Friedman and Compton childcare center. â€Å"A business can have higher revenue, but if the costs are higher, it will show no profit and is destined to go out of business when available capital runs out. Managing costs and revenue to maximize profit is key for any entrepreneur† (Davidson, n.d). If the tuition remains the same the infant care class will be taking, the division would contribute $615 to net income. According to Lynch & Williamson, understanding what makes a profit is important (Lynch, Williamson, 1984, para 2). Although the school may be having some problem with increasing revenue, however, containing the new infant class could assist with the cash flow problem. Reference Davidson, E. (n.d). What are cost, Revenue and Profit Important? retrieved website http://smallbusiness.chron.com/cost-revenue-profit-important-11952.html Lynch, R. & Williamson R. (1984).Accounting for Management, Planning, and Control, Tata Mc-Graw Hill Publishing Co, New-Dehli Managerial Skills (n.d) Decision Making Critical for Managers retrieved website http://www.managerialskills.org/managerial-skills-decision-making/ Schneider, A. (2012). Managerial Accounting: Decision Making for the Service and Manufacturing sectors. San Diego. CA, Bridgepoint Education.

Crime Victim Services Program Bullhead City, Arizona Scholarship Essay

Crime Victim Services Program Bullhead City, Arizona - Scholarship Essay Example 91% of Hopi County lacked access of victims’ service resources (HCVAC, 2002 – 2007). These problems were constrained to rural people with limited resources. The problem affected people from Arizona country, specifically residents of Hopi County. It has brought about the issue of insecurity and poverty in the County. The problem includes loss of lives which causes trauma to the affected witnesses of murders. Most people are living in fear of their safety (Katz, 2007). This was a report of Arizona Department of Public Safety problem that needed to be addressed immediately. It has been found that in most cases the poor, low-class and rural people who have no access to victim services. The geographic coverage of the rural area is big. It is very importance to analyze this because it helps reduce crime, heal the affected victims and restore harmony in the County An increase in victims’ service resources like Satellite office in the area will increase the safety of the residents by taking them through the legal process and help them to be compensated where possible. This includes a background education what the victim needs to know to assist him or her in legal matters to have a fair chance of having justice prevailing. This would see through an extra 500 victims to accessing these serves (Uchida, 2007). Crime victims programs should help them have temporary homes and basic needs readily available. They should provide health care services for the victims and counseling services to the psychologically affected people. Victims of rape and physically assaulted people are the more advised to be involved in these counseling exercise. Through eradication of the victims program, and necessary training of individuals, it should assist the victim undergo a healing process; able to take themselves through the judicial process with less constraints (Uchida, 2007). This should reduce

Ethic paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Ethic paper - Essay Example In 2011, Egypt had been facing numerous security issue of the leadership of the nation and the damage that was resultant of the chaos not to mention the number of deaths and injuries was numerous (Kirkpatrick, 2014). All this was being fuelled by the journalists in especially the print media who citing their freedom of expression in the constitution reported anything and everything leading to more fights (Aljazeera-America, 2015). The government censored the media preventing them from printing stories related to the leadership of the nation as this would cause further damages and deaths. This was an unwelcome decision by the Egypt media leading to debates (Chammah, 2011). What should be remembered is that even though this move harms the journalists, media censorship over security issues of a nation is more of a necessity than infringement of the media freedom of expression. The facts in this case are that the journalists; freedom of expression is being curtailed by the government through the media censorship. They are gaged not to report any news until the government ban on the media is uplifted which will happen once the security threats subside. On the other hand, there is the government which is trying to govern the people and restore peace and calm in the country but their efforts seem to be hitting dead end with the media perpetration of the crowd with leadership allegations and stories. It has to think about the larger society and not just the small community of journalists and their rights and gaging them is the best solution for the moment if peace and normalcy are to be restored in the country. Values refer to the available choices for the facts mentioned above. The values to be considered have to be moralistic based on Kantian theory of good or bad and objectivity being upheld in the ethical decisions (Kant & Pluhar, 2002). The journalists have to not only making their news sensational and selling them but have to consider minimizing

Week 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Week 1 - Essay Example Chinatown first noticeable thematic device is the presence of an anti-hero protagonist who, although is basically a good guy, makes questionable moral decisions.  Gittes comes out as the prototypical noir style detective (Miller, Vandome and McBrewster 15). He is a solitary searching hero who comes out as someone with questionable moral attitude.Gittes indecisive morals are most of the times augmented and reflected in the people that are around him throughout the film. He is the good guy of the film, but his big ego at times drives him in making decisions that are questionable. This private investigator finds himself following his ego and ends up thinking he is ahead of the rest when in real sense he is the one who has been left behind. Gittes desperation in trying to assist the femme fatale of the film results in ruining her. Apart from the inducts of the anti hero protagonist, he comes out as a good guy. The plot of this film is full of deceit, greed and murder (Miller, Vandome and McBrewster 10). The audience is told the story through the central character who happens to be a former cop turned private detective. The good guy of the film, Gittes, tries very hard to seek the truth and to try to ensure that the good morals that are lacking in some characters are restored.. He starts with a case of adultery, but ends up getting caught in the middle of murder cases as well as the lies and conspiracies that appear to be entwined into the evil side of humanity. This investigator finds himself in more criminal case when he finally meets Evelyn. He entangles himself in case of corruption and even falls for Evelyn making the issues even more complicated and leaving the viewers questioning his decisions (Miller, Vandome and McBrewster 10). China town, though a film that was shot in the 1974, still has some feelings associated with the traditional film noir style. Some of the feeling can be traced to the cinematography that has been

Non-Employment ADR Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Non-Employment ADR Research - Essay Example eam is made up of trained, qualified and impartial fact finding individuals, who employ their expertise in offering dispute resolution services in the company (Cheeseman, 2010). This program allows for diverse evaluation of the issue at hand. Meetings are held between the conflict parties and the open door program specialists while investigations on the same issue are done confidentially. Information gathered is then analyzed in line with the rule of law and company requirements, after which a decision is arrived at. This ADR strategy has helped Intel corporation in a number of ways. First, the program provides employees with recommendations on conflict resolution. It provides the management with a basis upon which future conflicts can be avoided, alongside offering a resolution ground for the current disputes. Workable solutions have therefore been realized through this program. The most important aspect of this program is that employee participation in all activities undertaken by the program is not penalized, and therefore employees can express their concerns without fear of being sacked. This factor has facilitated the success of Intel Corporation in its ADR. Most of this company’s disputes emerge from liability claims. The company previously used to traditionally litigate claims. This means that it engaged the courts in litigating its claims. Court procedure for resolving disputes seemed favorable for the company, but the cost of the process in terms of both time and money raised concerns. The company realized that in most cases the claims were settled before trials took place and of course not before preparation time for the case (Jennings, 2006). In this regard, the company adopted mediation strategy for its ADR. This strategy allowed the company to significantly cut on the cost of making claims as well spare time for other activities within the company that generally improved the company’s welfare in business. Risks associated with the jury trials

Basel Accord Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Basel Accord - Essay Example The paper tells that the Basel Committee on Bank Supervision (BCBS) was originally established in the 1970s to tackle the new challenges of banking across international boundaries. It became apparent that the failings and collapse of one country's banks was now being felt in other countries all over the world. It was obvious that intervention and prevention was necessary. In the 1980s, the United States Congress, pushed domestic regulatory agencies to set and enforce standards, including a fixed proportion of capital a bank must hold, or capital adequacy. This is how the Basel Accords began. The accords have been adapted and expanded in attempts to meet needs and to speak to aspects that previous version of the accords may not have addressed sufficiently. In order to understand the Basel Accords better it is useful to review them individually in order to better compare and contrast the variations. The BCBS determined that bank capital would be organized into 2 separate tiers. Tier 1f ocuses on the higher-quality capital, those that represents items of the lowest priority of repayment and easiest to absorb when lost. Most of Tier 1 involves â€Å"core† capital, or common equity, which arises from actual ownership in the bank, like common stock, undivided profits, and surplus monies. Tier 2, also called supplementary capital, include certain reserves, and term debt. The capital under Tier 2 can be divided into 2 more sublevels; the upper focuses on maintaining characteristics of being continuous, like preferred capital, and equity. The lower level, is the least costly for banks to issue because it pertains to debts with a time of maturity of at least 10 years.(Eubanks, 2010) Basel I was the first attempt made to establish a standard of regulating international banking and it came under a great deal of criticism. Opponents felt that the Basel I Accord approach to â€Å"risk-weighing assets.† They claimed that this system is too broad and lacks the fin ite specialization to address all of the unique risks that apply to the differing assets held by the bank. As a response the BCBS released a revision to the accord called the â€Å"International Convergence of Capital Measurement and Capital Standards: Revised Framework,† which is, also, known as Basel II.(Larson, 2011) Basel II Basel II differs from Basel I in a distinct way. It introduced a section of â€Å"Pillars,† which intended to rectify the capital adequacy issues with Basel I. Pillar 1, specifically, deals with the procedures of calculating the required capital within banking organizations. This accord will determine risk potential based upon the totality of their credit risk, market risks, and operational risks. Pillar 2, ideally, was placed to increase, both, accountability and transparency with the banking system. Pillar 3 works to require banking institutions to disclose risk exposures, allowing for better assessment of the needed safety to help create a

Group Cohesion and Productivity (MGT 415) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Group Cohesion and Productivity (MGT 415) - Essay Example I had recently joined the organization and was not fully aware of the all the operations and technologies (Losh). The technology that was used in the organization was very advance. However, instructions and trainings were provided by the management, but many of us still had issues. This problem was resolved when a group project comprising of 6 team members were announced to us. Since, I was new in the organization I had to cope up with different things (Feldman and Arnold), and because of the other 5 members I was able to do so. Working in a team turned out to be helpful and effective as it allowed me and others to share knowledge and overcome shortfalls. The project successfully ended before the given deadline. On the contrary, a similar team project did not work very well a few weeks ago. The team members including me did not have a mutual understanding with each other; thus, the decisions were vague and did not turn out to be as efficient as the last project. The project also failed as the productions was in a deficit and also exceeded the time

Mobile Computing and Social Networks Term Paper

Mobile Computing and Social Networks - Term Paper Example Mobile computing and social networks have increasingly become popular around the world. There are thousands of iPhone Apps, iPad Apps, and Android Apps that have been developed to perform a myriad of tasks and processes. These applications use mobile and web-based technologies majorly in turning communication into interactive communications and dialogue(s) among organizations, individuals, and communities around the world (Hinchcliffe et al, 2012). The fact that mobile computing and social networks have witnessed exponential growth within a very short period of time compared to other communication and business tools in the history of human beings is nearly incontestable (Rainie and Wellman, 2012). This fact is evidenced by the statistics indicating that while it took about 13 years for television to attract close to 50 million viewers and approximately 38 years for radio to attract nearly 50 million listeners, internet technology only took about 4 years only for to attract over 50 mi llion participants. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter much shorter time; about one and a half years to attract the same number of participants (Hinchcliffe et al, 2012). Mobile computing has witnessed a more robust growth in recent years. While initially most of the mobile applications were games that were intended for playing on mobile devices, they have gained popularity as businesses ponder whether some of their business process applications running on desktop platform and the Web can be redesigned to run on mobile devices that run on desktop platforms and the Web could be redesigned to run on mobile devices (Rainie and Wellman, 2012). In order to have a better understanding of mobile computing and social networks, this paper will discuss mobile-based applications and their various aspects relating to access and processing of data. The first aspect to address is in regard to the effectiveness and efficiency mobile-based applications provide to capture geo-locat ion data and customer data, and quickly upload to a processing server without users having to use a desktop system. Presently, there are numerous smartphones and iPhones that use applications and specific processes relating to mobile devices (Kumar and Rahman, 2012). Considering the advancements that have been made in mobile computing, as well as in regard to social networks, many companies around the world are making preparation for the use of mobile-based applications using tools that can capture geo-location data and customer data. Apple iPhone and Android smartphone platforms are the most used currently for this purpose and this has seen the huge expansion of their market. Available evidence indicates that these applications have been successful in capturing geo-location data; they have been successful in tracking driving behaviors, providing unbiased feedback during driving, and measuring acceleration among others (Dye, 2011).

Concepts that define financing health care including risk, demand, and Essay

Concepts that define financing health care including risk, demand, and elasticity - Essay Example The whole mechanism in the health sector is a cost share sort of scheme. The consumers who are the patients in this case give the lowest contribution in most government based health centers universally. Conversely, there are a number of risks observed by the health centers and also the patients. One possible financial risk suffered by medical institution is the likelihood of drugs lacking consumption and they end up expiring while on storage if they appear to be expensive to the patients. On the other hand, the patients risk death if they fail to purchase certain drugs or fail to receive certain treatments due to their financial hiccups. An impact of financial risk is severe to the consumers or rather patients in the health sector. Another factor that defines how to finance the health care sector is the demand of the treatments and also the drugs. Demand of services and goods like any other sector of an economy is affected by both the price and quantity of the goods or services among other factors. While financing the health sector, the main factor affecting demand is the necessity of the drug or treatment by the patients followed by the price. This trend in the health sector is less likely to be observed in other markets. Patients will demand for a particular drug or treatment depending on whether it is necessary or not and in most cases the chronic diseases bring the highest demand in their treatment and purchase of their drugs. For instance, diseases like asthma or cancer tend to show high demand for their treatment. Elasticity of a product or a service portrays the responsiveness of either of the two in relation to changes in their prices. In most cases the elasticity is usually negative or less than whereby minimal change in price greatly affects the quantity of product or availability of the service in demand. Free checkups by

Western philosophy Essay Example for Free

Western philosophy Essay Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with reality, existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. [1][2] Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational argument. [3] In more casual speech, by extension, philosophy can refer to the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of an individual or group. [4] The word philosophy comes from the Ancient Greek (philosophia), which literally means love of wisdom. [5][6][7] The introduction of the terms philosopher and philosophy has been ascribed to the Greek thinker Pythagoras. [8] Contents [hide] 1 Areas of inquiry 1. 1 Epistemology 1. 2 Logic 1. 3 Metaphysics 1. 4 Moral and political philosophy 1. 5 Aesthetics 1. 6 Specialized branches 2 History 2. 1 Ancient philosophy 2. 1. 1 Egypt and Babylon 2. 1. 2 Ancient Chinese 2. 1. 3 Ancient Graeco-Roman 2. 1. 4 Ancient Indian 2. 1. 5 Ancient Persian 2. 2 5th–16th centuries 2. 2. 1 Europe 2. 2. 1. 1 Medieval 2. 2. 1. 2 Renaissance 2. 2. 2 East Asia 2. 2. 3 India 2. 2. 4 Middle East 2. 3 17th–20th centuries 2. 3. 1 Early modern philosophy 2. 3. 2 19th-century philosophy 2. 3. 3 20th-century philosophy 3 Major traditions 3. 1 German idealism 3. 2 Pragmatism 3. 3 Phenomenology 3. 4 Existentialism 3. 5 Structuralism and post-structuralism 3. 6 The analytic tradition 4 Applied philosophy 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 7. 1 Introductions 7. 2 Topical introductions 7. 3 Anthologies 7. 4 Reference works 8 External links Areas of inquiry Philosophy is divided into many sub-fields. These include epistemology, logic, metaphysics, ethics, and aesthetics. [9][10] Some of the major areas of study are considered individually below. Epistemology Main article: Epistemology Epistemology is concerned with the nature and scope of knowledge,[11] such as the relationships between truth, belief, and theories of justification. Skepticism is the position which questions the possibility of completely justifying any truth. The regress argument, a fundamental problem in epistemology, occurs when, in order to completely prove any statement P, its justification itself needs to be supported by another justification. This chain can do three possible options, all of which are unsatisfactory according to the Munchhausen trilemma. One option is infinitism, where this chain of justification can go on forever. Another option is foundationalism, where the chain of justifications eventually relies on basic beliefs or axioms that are left unproven. The last option, such as in coherentism, is making the chain circular so that a statement is included in its own chain of justification. Rationalism is the emphasis on reasoning as a source of knowledge. Empiricism is the emphasis on observational evidence via sensory experience over other evidence as the source of knowledge. Rationalism claims that every possible object of knowledge can be deduced from coherent premises without observation. Empiricism claims that at least some knowledge is only a matter of observation. For this, Empiricism often cites the concept of tabula rasa, where individuals are not born with mental content and that knowledge builds from experience or perception. Epistemological solipsism is the idea that the existence of the world outside the mind is an unresolvable question. Parmenides (fl. 500 BC) argued that it is impossible to doubt that thinking actually occurs. But thinking must have an object, therefore something beyond thinking really exists. Parmenides deduced that what really exists must have certain properties—for example, that it cannot come into existence or cease to exist, that it is a coherent whole, that it remains the same eternally (in fact, exists altogether outside time). This is known as the third man argument. Plato (427–347 BC) combined rationalism with a form of realism. The philosophers work is to consider being, and the essence (ousia) of things. But the characteristic of essences is that they are universal. The nature of a man, a triangle, a tree, applies to all men, all triangles, all trees. Plato argued that these essences are mind-independent forms, that humans (but particularly philosophers) can come to know by reason, and by ignoring the distractions of sense-perception. Modern rationalism begins with Descartes. Reflection on the nature of perceptual experience, as well as scientific discoveries in physiology and optics, led Descartes (and also Locke) to the view that we are directly aware of ideas, rather than objects. This view gave rise to three questions: Is an idea a true copy of the real thing that it represents? Sensation is not a direct interaction between bodily objects and our sense, but is a physiological process involving representation (for example, an image on the retina). Locke thought that a secondary quality such as a sensation of green could in no way resemble the arrangement of particles in matter that go to produce this sensation, although he thought that primary qualities such as shape, size, number, were really in objects. How can physical objects such as chairs and tables, or even physiological processes in the brain, give rise to mental items such as ideas? This is part of what became known as the mind-body problem. If all the contents of awareness are ideas, how can we know that anything exists apart from ideas? Descartes tried to address the last problem by reason. He began, echoing Parmenides, with a principle that he thought could not coherently be denied: I think, therefore I am (often given in his original Latin: Cogito ergo sum). From this principle, Descartes went on to construct a complete system of knowledge (which involves proving the existence of God, using, among other means, a version of the ontological argument). [12] His view that reason alone could yield substantial truths about reality strongly influenced those philosophers usually considered modern rationalists (such as Baruch Spinoza, Gottfried Leibniz, and Christian Wolff), while provoking criticism from other philosophers who have retrospectively come to be grouped together as empiricists. Logic Main article: Logic Logic is the study of the principles of correct reasoning. Arguments use either deductive reasoning or inductive reasoning. Deductive reasoning is when, given certain statements (called premises), other statements (called conclusions) are unavoidably implied. Rules of inferences from premises include the most popular method, modus ponens, where given â€Å"A† and â€Å"If A then B†, then â€Å"B† must be concluded. A common convention for a deductive argument is the syllogism. An argument is termed valid if its conclusion does indeed follow from its premises, whether the premises are true or not, while an argument is sound if its conclusion follows from premises that are true. Propositional logic uses premises that are propositions, which are declarations that are either true or false, while predicate logic uses more complex premises called formulae that contain variables. These can be assigned values or can be quantified as to when they apply with the universal quantifier (always apply) or the existential quantifier (applies at least once). Inductive reasoning makes conclusions or generalizations based on probabilistic reasoning. For example, if â€Å"90% of humans are right-handed† and â€Å"Joe is human† then â€Å"Joe is probably right-handed†. Fields in logic include mathematical logic (formal symbolic logic) and philosophical logic. Metaphysics Main article: Metaphysics. Metaphysics is the study of the most general features of reality, such as existence, time, the relationship between mind and body, objects and their properties, wholes and their parts, events, processes, and causation. Traditional branches of metaphysics include cosmology, the study of the world in its entirety, and ontology, the study of being. Within metaphysics itself there are a wide range of differing philosophical theories. Idealism, for example, is the belief that reality is mentally constructed or otherwise immaterial while realism holds that reality, or at least some part of it, exists independently of the mind. Subjective idealism describes objects as no more than collections or bundles of sense data in the perceiver. The 18th century philosopher George Berkeley contended that existence is fundamentally tied to perception with the phrase Esse est aut percipi aut percipere or To be is to be perceived or to perceive. [13] In addition to the aforementioned views, however, there is also an ontological dichotomy within metaphysics between the concepts of particulars and universals as well. Particulars are those objects that are said to exist in space and time, as opposed to abstract objects, such as numbers. Universals are properties held by multiple particulars, such as redness or a gender. The type of existence, if any, of universals and abstract objects is an issue of serious debate within metaphysical philosophy. Realism is the philosophical position that universals do in fact exist, while nominalism is the negation, or denial of universals, abstract objects, or both. [14] Conceptualism holds that universals exist, but only within the minds perception. [15] The question of whether or not existence is a predicate has been discussed since the Early Modern period. Essence is the set of attributes that make an object what it fundamentally is and without which it loses its identity. Essence is contrasted with accident: a property that the substance has contingently, without which the substance can still retain its identity. Moral and political philosophy Ethics, or moral philosophy, is concerned primarily with the question of the best way to live, and secondarily, concerning the question of whether this question can be answered. The main branches of ethics are meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. Meta-ethics concerns the nature of ethical thought, such as the origins of the words good and bad, and origins of other comparative words of various ethical systems, whether there are absolute ethical truths, and how such truths could be known. Normative ethics are more concerned with the questions of how one ought to act, and what the right course of action is. This is where most ethical theories are generated. Lastly, applied ethics go beyond theory and step into real world ethical practice, such as questions of whether or not abortion is correct. Ethics is also associated with the idea of morality, and the two are often interchangeable. One debate that has commanded the attention of ethicists in the modern era has been between consequentialism (actions are to be morally evaluated solely by their consequences) and deontology (actions are to be morally evaluated solely by consideration of agents duties, the rights of those whom the action concerns, or both). Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill are famous for propagating utilitarianism, which is the idea that the fundamental moral rule is to strive toward the greatest happiness for the greatest number. However, in promoting this idea they also necessarily promoted the broader doctrine of consequentialism. Adopting a position opposed to consequentialism, Immanuel Kant argued that moral principles were simply products of reason. Kant believed that the incorporation of consequences into moral deliberation was a deep mistake, since it denies the necessity of practical maxims in governing the working of the will. According to Kant, reason requires that we conform our actions to the categorical imperative, which is an absolute duty. An important 20th-century deontologist, W. D. Ross, argued for weaker forms of duties called prima facie duties. More recent works have emphasized the role of character in ethics, a movement known as the aretaic turn (that is, the turn towards virtues). One strain of this movement followed the work of Bernard Williams. Williams noted that rigid forms of consequentialism and deontology demanded that people behave impartially. This, Williams argued, requires that people abandon their personal projects, and hence their personal integrity, in order to be considered moral. G. E. M. Anscombe, in an influential paper, Modern Moral Philosophy (1958), revived virtue ethics as an alternative to what was seen as the entrenched positions of Kantianism and consequentialism. Aretaic perspectives have been inspired in part by research of ancient conceptions of virtue. For example, Aristotles ethics demands that people follow the Aristotelian mean, or balance between two vices; and Confucian ethics argues that virtue consists largely in striving for harmony with other people. Virtue ethics in general has since gained many adherents, and has been defended by such philosophers as Philippa Foot, Alasdair MacIntyre, and Rosalind Hursthouse. Political philosophy is the study of government and the relationship of individuals (or families and clans) to communities including the state. It includes questions about justice, law, property, and the rights and obligations of the citizen. Politics and ethics are traditionally inter-linked subjects, as both discuss the question of what is good and how people should live. From ancient times, and well beyond them, the roots of justification for political authority were inescapably tied to outlooks on human nature. In The Republic, Plato presented the argument that the ideal society would be run by a council of philosopher-kings, since those best at philosophy are best able to realize the good. Even Plato, however, required philosophers to make their way in the world for many years before beginning their rule at the age of fifty. For Aristotle, humans are political animals (i. e. social animals), and governments are set up to pursue good for the community. Aristotle reasoned that, since the state (polis) was the highest form of community, it has the purpose of pursuing the highest good. Aristotle viewed political power as the result of natural inequalities in skill and virtue. Because of these differences, he favored an aristocracy of the able and virtuous. For Aristotle, the person cannot be complete unless he or she lives in a community. His The Nicomachean Ethics and The Politics are meant to be read in that order. The first book addresses virtues (or excellences) in the person as a citizen; the second addresses the proper form of government to ensure that citizens will be virtuous, and therefore complete. Both books deal with the essential role of justice in civic life. Nicolas of Cusa rekindled Platonic thought in the early 15th century. He promoted democracy in Medieval Europe, both in his writings and in his organization of the Council of Florence. Unlike Aristotle and the Hobbesian tradition to follow, Cusa saw human beings as equal and divine (that is, made in Gods image), so democracy would be the only just form of government. Cusas views are credited by some as sparking the Italian Renaissance, which gave rise to the notion of Nation-States. Later, Niccolo Machiavelli rejected the views of Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas as unrealistic. The ideal sovereign is not the embodiment of the moral virtues; rather the sovereign does whatever is successful and necessary, rather than what is morally praiseworthy. Thomas Hobbes also contested many elements of Aristotles views. For Hobbes, human nature is essentially anti-social: people are essentially egoistic, and this egoism makes life difficult in the natural state of things. Moreover, Hobbes argued, though people may have natural inequalities, these are trivial, since no particular talents or virtues that people may have will make them safe from harm inflicted by others. For these reasons, Hobbes concluded that the state arises from a common agreement to raise the community out of the state of nature. This can only be done by the establishment of a sovereign, in which (or whom) is vested complete control over the community, and is able to inspire awe and terror in its subjects. [16] Many in the Enlightenment were unsatisfied with existing doctrines in political philosophy, which seemed to marginalize or neglect the possibility of a democratic state. Jean-Jacques Rousseau was among those who attempted to overturn these doctrines: he responded to Hobbes by claiming that a human is by nature a kind of noble savage, and that society and social contracts corrupt this nature. Another critic was John Locke. In Second Treatise on Government he agreed with Hobbes that the nation-state was an efficient tool for raising humanity out of a deplorable state, but he argued that the sovereign might become an abominable institution compared to the relatively benign unmodulated state of nature. [17] Following the doctrine of the fact-value distinction, due in part to the influence of David Hume and his student Adam Smith, appeals to human nature for political justification were weakened. Nevertheless, many political philosophers, especially moral realists, still make use of some essential human nature as a basis for their arguments. Marxism is derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Their idea that capitalism is based on exploitation of workers and causes alienation of people from their human nature, the historical materialism, their view of social classes, etc. , have influenced many fields of study, such as sociology, economics, and politics. Marxism inspired the Marxist school of communism, which brought a huge impact on the history of the 20th century. Aesthetics Main article: Aesthetics Aesthetics deals with beauty, art, enjoyment, sensory-emotional values, perception, and matters of taste and sentiment. Specialized branches. Philosophy of language explores the nature, the origins, and the use of language. Philosophy of law (often called jurisprudence) explores the varying theories explaining the nature and the interpretations of the law in society. Philosophy of mind explores the nature of the mind, and its relationship to the body, and is typified by disputes between dualism and materialism. In recent years there has been increasing similarity between this branch of philosophy and cognitive science. Philosophy of religion Philosophy of science Metaphilosophy Many academic disciplines have also generated philosophical inquiry. These include history, logic, and mathematics. History Main article: History of philosophy See also: Western philosophy, Eastern philosophy, and History of Western philosophy Further information: Philosophical progress Many societies have considered philosophical questions and built philosophical traditions based upon each others works. Eastern philosophy is organized by the chronological periods of each region. Historians of western philosophy usually divide the subject into three or more periods, the most important being ancient philosophy, medieval philosophy, and modern philosophy. [18] Ancient philosophy Main article: Ancient philosophy Egypt and Babylon Further information: Babylonian literature: Philosophy and Ancient Egyptian philosophy Main article: African philosophy There are authors who date the philosophical maxims of Ptahhotep before the 25th century. For instance, Pulitzer Prize winning historian Will Durant dates these writings as early as 2880 BCE within The Story of Civilization: Our Oriental History. Durant claims that Ptahhotep could be considered the very first philosopher in virtue of having the earliest and surviving fragments of moral philosophy (i. e., The Maxims of Ptah-Hotep). [19][20] Ptahhoteps grandson, Ptahhotep Tshefi, is traditionally credited with being the author of the collection of wise sayings known as The Maxims of Ptahhotep,[21] whose opening lines attribute authorship to the vizier Ptahhotep: Instruction of the Mayor of the city, the Vizier Ptahhotep, under the Majesty of King Isesi. The origins of Babylonian philosophy can be traced back to the wisdom of early Mesopotamia, which embodied certain philosophies of life, particularly ethics, in the forms of dialectic, dialogues, epic poetry, folklore, hymns, lyrics, prose, and proverbs. The reasoning and rationality of the Babylonians developed beyond empirical observation. [22] The Babylonian text Dialog of Pessimism contains similarities to the agnostic thought of the sophists, the Heraclitean doctrine of contrasts, and the dialogues of Plato, as well as a precursor to the maieutic Socratic method of Socrates and Plato. [23] The Milesian philosopher Thales is also traditionally said to have studied philosophy in Mesopotamia. Ancient Chinese Philosophy has had a tremendous effect on Chinese civilization, and throughout East Asia. The majority of Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States era, during a period known as the Hundred Schools of Thought,[24] which was characterized by significant intellectual and cultural developments. [24] It was during this era that the major philosophies of China, Confucianism, Mohism, Legalism, and Taoism, arose, along with philosophies that later fell into obscurity, like Agriculturalism, Chinese Naturalism, and the Logicians. Of the many philosophical schools of China, only Confucianism and Taoism existed after the Qin Dynasty suppressed any Chinese philosophy that was opposed to Legalism. Confucianism is humanistic,[25] philosophy that believes that human beings are teachable, improvable and perfectible through personal and communal endeavour especially including self-cultivation and self-creation. Confucianism focuses on the cultivation of virtue and maintenance of ethics, the most basic of which are ren, yi, and li. [26] Ren is an obligation of altruism and humaneness for other individuals within a community, yi is the upholding of righteousness and the moral disposition to do good, and li is a system of norms and propriety that determines how a person should properly act within a community. [26] Taoism focuses on establishing harmony with the Tao, which is origin of and the totality of everything that exists. The word Tao (or Dao, depending on the romanization scheme) is usually translated as way, path or principle. Taoist propriety and ethics emphasize the Three Jewels of the Tao: compassion, moderation, and humility, while Taoist thought generally focuses on nature, the relationship between humanity and the cosmos ( ); health and longevity; and wu wei, action through inaction. Harmony with the Universe, or the origin of it through the Tao, is the intended result of many Taoist rules and practices. Ancient Graeco-Roman Ancient Graeco-Roman philosophy is a period of Western philosophy, starting in the 6th century [c. 585] BC to the 6th century AD. It is usually divided into three periods: the pre-Socratic period, the period of Plato and Aristotle, and the post-Aristotelian (or Hellenistic) period. A fourth period that is sometimes added includes the Neoplatonic and Christian philosophers of Late Antiquity. The most important of the ancient philosophers (in terms of subsequent influence) are Plato and Aristotle. [27] Plato specifically, is credited as the founder of Western philosophy. The philosopher Alfred North Whitehead said of Plato: The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato. I do not mean the systematic scheme of thought which scholars have doubtfully extracted from his writings. I allude to the wealth of general ideas scattered through them. [28] The main subjects of ancient philosophy are: understanding the fundamental causes and principles of the universe; explaining it in an economical way; the epistemological problem of reconciling the diversity and change of the natural universe, with the possibility of obtaining fixed and certain knowledge about it; questions about things that cannot be perceived by the senses, such as numbers, elements, universals, and gods. Socrates is said to have been the initiator of more focused study upon the human things including the analysis of patterns of reasoning and argument and the nature of the good life and the importance of understanding and knowledge in order to pursue it; the explication of the concept of justice, and its relation to various political systems. [27] In this period the crucial features of the Western philosophical method were established: a critical approach to received or established views, and the appeal to reason and argumentation. This includes Socrates dialectic method of inquiry, known as the Socratic method or method of elenchus, which he largely applied to the examination of key moral concepts such as the Good and Justice. To solve a problem, it would be broken down into a series of questions, the answers to which gradually distill the answer a person would seek. The influence of this approach is most strongly felt today in the use of the scientific method, in which hypothesis is the first stage. Ancient Indian Main article: Indian philosophy. Further information: Hindu philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, Jain philosophy, and Upanishads The term Indian philosophy (Sanskrit: Darshanas), refers to any of several schools of philosophical thought that originated in the Indian subcontinent, including Hindu philosophy, Buddhist philosophy, and Jain philosophy. Having the same or rather intertwined origins, all of these philosophies have a common underlying themes of Dharma and Karma, and similarly attempt to explain the attainment of emancipation. They have been formalized and promulgated chiefly between 1000 BC to a few centuries AD. Indias philosophical tradition dates back to the composition of the Upanisads[29] in the later Vedic period (c. 1000-500 BCE). Subsequent schools (Skt: Darshanas) of Indian philosophy were identified as orthodox (Skt: astika) or non-orthodox (Skt: nastika) depending on whether they regarded the Vedas as an infallible source of knowledge. [30] By some classifications, there are six schools of orthodox Hindu philosophy and three heterodox schools. The orthodox are Nyaya, Vaisesika, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva mimamsa and Vedanta. The Heterodox are Jain, Buddhist and materialist (Carvaka). Other classifications also include Pashupata, Saiva, Rasesvara and Pa? ini Darsana with the other orthodox schools. [31] Competition and integration between the various schools was intense during their formative years, especially between 500 BC to 200 AD. Some like the Jain, Buddhist, Shaiva and Vedanta schools survived, while others like Samkhya and Ajivika did not, either being assimilated or going extinct. The Sanskrit term for philosopher is darsanika, one who is familiar with the systems of philosophy, or darsanas. [32] In the history of the Indian subcontinent, following the establishment of a Vedic culture, the development of philosophical and religious thought over a period of two millennia gave rise to what came to be called the six schools of astika, or orthodox, Indian or Hindu philosophy. These schools have come to be synonymous with the greater religion of Hinduism, which was a development of the early Vedic religion. Ancient Persian Main article: Iranian philosophy Persian philosophy can be traced back as far as Old Iranian philosophical traditions and thoughts, with their ancient Indo-Iranian roots. These were considerably influenced by Zarathustras teachings. Throughout Iranian history and due to remarkable political and social influences such as the Macedonian, the Arab, and the Mongol invasions of Persia, a wide spectrum of schools of thought arose. These espoused a variety of views on philosophical questions, extending from Old Iranian and mainly Zoroastrianism-influenced traditions to schools appearing in the late pre-Islamic era, such as Manicheism and Mazdakism, as well as various post-Islamic schools. Iranian philosophy after Arab invasion of Persia is characterized by different interactions with the old Iranian philosophy, the Greek philosophy and with the development of Islamic philosophy. Illuminationism and the transcendent theosophy are regarded as two of the main philosophical traditions of that era in Persia. Zoroastrianism has been identified as one of the key early events in the development of philosophy. [33] 5th–16th centuries Europe Medieval. Medieval philosophy is the philosophy of Western Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages, roughly extending from the Christianization of the Roman Empire until the Renaissance. [34] Medieval philosophy is defined partly by the rediscovery and further development of classical Greek and Hellenistic philosophy, and partly by the need to address theological problems and to integrate the then widespread sacred doctrines of Abrahamic religion (Islam, Judaism, and Christianity) with secular learning. The history of western European medieval philosophy is traditionally divided into two main periods: the period in the Latin West following the Early Middle Ages until the 12th century, when the works of Aristotle and Plato were preserved and cultivated; and the golden age[citation needed] of the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries in the Latin West, which witnessed the culmination of the recovery of ancient philosophy, and significant developments in the field of philosophy of religion, logic and metaphysics. The medieval era was disparagingly treated by the Renaissance humanists, who saw it as a barbaric middle period between the classical age of Greek and Roman culture, and the rebirth or renaissance of classical culture. Yet this period of nearly a thousand years was the longest period of philosophical development in Europe, and possibly the richest. Jorge Gracia has argued that in intensity, sophistication, and achievement, the philosophical flowering in the thirteenth century could be rightly said to rival the golden age of Greek philosophy in the fourth century B. C. [35] Some problems discussed throughout this period are the relation of faith to reason, the existence and unity of God, the object of theology and metaphysics, the problems of knowledge, of universals, and of individuation. Philosophers from the Middle Ages include the Christian philosophers Augustine of Hippo, Boethius, Anselm, Gilbert of Poitiers, Peter Abelard, Roger Bacon, Bonaventure, Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus, William of Ockham and Jean Buridan; the Jewish philosophers Maimonides and Gersonides; and the Muslim philosophers Alkindus, Alfarabi, Alhazen, Avicenna, Algazel, Avempace, Abubacer, Ibn Khaldun, and Averroes. The medieval tradition of Scholasticism continued to flourish as late as the 17th century, in figures such as Francisco Suarez and John of St. Thomas. Aquinas, father of Thomism, was immensely influential in Catholic Europe, placed a great emphasis on reason and argumentation, and was one of the first to use the new translation of Aristotles metaphysical and epistemological writing. His work was a significant departure from the Neoplatonic and Augustinian thinking that had dominated much of early Scholasticism. Renaissance The Renaissance (rebirth) was a period of transition between the Middle Ages and modern thought,[36] in which the recovery of classical texts helped shift philosophical interests away from technical studies in logic, metaphysics, and theology towards eclectic inquiries into morality, philology, and mysticism. [37][38] The study of the classics and the humane arts generally, such as history and literature, enjoyed a scholarly interest hitherto unknown in Christendom, a tendency referred to as humanism. [39][40] Displacing the medieval interest in metaphysics and logic, the humanists followed Petrarch in making man and his virtues the focus of philosophy. [41][42] The study of classical philosophy also developed in two new ways. On the one hand, the study of Aristotle was changed through the influence of Averroism. The disagreements between these Averroist Aristotelians, and more orthodox catholic Aristotelians such as Albertus Magnus and Thomas Aquinas eventually contributed to the development of a humanist Aristotelianism developed in the Renaissance, as exemplified in the thought of Pietro Pomponazzi and Giacomo Zabarella. Secondly, as an alternative to Aristotle, the study of Plato and the Neoplatonists became common. This was assisted by the rediscovery of works which had not been well known previously in Western Europe. Notable Renaissance Platonists include Nicholas of Cusa, and later Marsilio Ficino and Giovanni Pico della Mirandola. [42] The Renaissance also renewed interest in anti-.

Hoani Waititi Social Services Case Study

Hoani Waititi Social Services Case Study Weizhi You (Peter) Alternative care placement for BD Workplace: hoani waititi social services 1 Outline the information and issues relevant to the decisions about the alternative placement for this individual. BD is a 13years old boy. The boy’s parent are both not working and they are drug and drunk everyday. The boy couldn’t receive the good care from the family, not enough food, always wear on dirty clothes. He’s suffered from abuse in verbal and physical. The grandparents called the social services for some help because they are old and could not look after BD, and they would like BD to be placed in foster care. After discuss with grandparents, the social workers decide to remove BD from the parents care to another family which is full of love and willing to look after DB. The social worker concerned the parents of DB and told them that their children will leave them until they change them self and find themselves. 2 What other information did you need to obtain? Safety: The person is safe from any kind of harm that comes from themselves, or any other person. Make sure he won’t be abused in foster care. Check if he is at risk of running away from foster are. Wellbeing: We need to check the boy’s health situation and the psychology health situations. The person’s wellbeing is looked after – for Maori people wellbeing should be considered in the holistic sense. We need concerned the family members and have a family meeting to discuss about it. Arrange the visit for grandparents. 3  Key points of information provided to the parties involved or other observations The boy is so silent and don’t want to talk with others and hide on the back of grandparents. So we spend the tie with BD and build the trust. The grandparents have pain legs and sore back who need take medications every day and no family members can take BD, so foster family is necessary. 4  Outline how decision making was facilitated in accordance with the service provider’s standard Gain information that is relevant to the decision making process. Before an Alternative Placement happens, the families including SW, BD, BD’ parents and BD’ grandparents may meet several times to discuss and share relevant information, issues and needs of the client for their safety and wellbeing. The safety and wellbeing of BD is the subject of an alternative care placement is the first consideration Social workers use verbal and non-verbal communications to obtain information relevant to decision making Obtaining sufficient information to facilitate decision making about the alternative care placement includes all information and issues relevant to all parties involved in the decision about the alternative care placement Keep the information confidential, and get family consent to discuss family concerns with outside agencies e.g drug agency. 5 other notes which reflect on the decision making process The boy and the whanau will have the different preferences for the placement, perhaps related to the ease of access for visiting etc. Cultural issues are an important consideration for social workers, particularly when dealing with Maori. Some information may reflect on the decision making process including Health needs, Language, safety, client’s privacy,spiritual needs, Dietary needs, Medication needs, Physical comfort Task 2 Student name: weizhi you(peter) Alternative care placement for BD Workplace: hoani waititi social services 1 Outline any further or additional information or issues relevant to the decisions about the alternative placement for this individual. DB is more shy and silent at first week, but with the help of social workers and new families, he becomes improved both in physical and psychology health. For the spiritual support, the social worker bring him to the marae to join in maori activities and practice maori culture. DB made friend with them and develop his social network. But from the feedback of school, he is not focus on study and seldom do the homework. BD will go to the same school so he won’t need to involved at another school. He always walk to school. BD is happy to live in the foster family, the risk of running away is low. 2How did you plan the placement in line with the decisions of the parties involved and any other key people? The social workers keep contact with family members involved. They keep contact with the fostr family and BD, gain feedbacks and make plan to help BD get used in the new family. They also contact with BD’s parents and grandparents. Helping BD’s parents stop drug and find a job to earn some money. They have a talk with the school and the teacher of BD then the school decide to spend extra hours to help BD study. 3 how did you plan the placement in line with ethical practice? Followed agency’s policies/protocols. Ethical practice, the ethics of social work practice also need to apply to decisions about alternative care placements. For example, it will be unethical to tell the person’s family the only place available was one a long distance away, because it had a vacancy and social worker can end their involvement quickly and move on to another case. A place was found nearly to garandparents’s home and easy to visit, families kept informed at all times of all the decision making. 4 how did you make sure that everything you did was focused on the current and future safety of the person who needed the alternative care placement? BD need to moved from home because he couldn’t receive the properly care from parents which is bad for his well beings. The social worker together with relevant people needs to determine the best alternative care placement for BD, with the safety and wellbeing of the person as the first consideration. 5 key points of information provided or other obeservations The parents of BD have agree to receive the help from the community and local organizations to stop drug. BD is happy living in the foster home. 6 outline how planning was facilitated in accordance with the service provider’s standards. Give examples Followed agency’s policies. Family Group Conference (FGC) lead by Youth Justice Co-ordinator and Social Work. Family group conference (FGC) supported CYF care as an interim measure. completion of checklists: all the paper should be done and checked, it need to be sign by social worker, care provider and families. security of information: make sure that all the information through inside the person who is involved. Confidentiality and keeping accurate records of conversations or meetings Social workers acknowledging the needs and issues of parties to the alternative care placement, use the interpersonal skills to work with the different parties and make sure everything goes on line. 7other notes reflect on the planning process Home environment: low risk – high risk safety issues. Always consider person’s safety and well being first. Family visit provide spiritual support. Task 3 Student name: weizhi you(peter) Alternative care placement for BD Workplace: hoani waititi social services 1how did you encourage self-determination of the person who is the subject of the alternative care placement? To encourage self-determination means encouraging families members to the plan to fulfil their identified roles, and to take ownership of these roles. Dependency on the social worker or social service provider needs to be discouraged. Encourage grandparents to visit. Provide BD’s parents 2or 3 councilling agencies to choose to solve their problems. Outlined agency’s objectives and appropriate legislation, backing up agencies mandate/kaupapa. Fully informed BD and whÄ nau/family of the parameters and scope of the meeting, and allowed them to define the best options. Informed all the decision making at all times before it satarts. Where possible I (agency) worked collaboratively with the family to find a middle ground where agency mandate and whÄ nau choices weren’t aligned. 2how did you discourage dependency on you as the social worker and the social service provider? Gave space (and resourced where necessary) so the whÄ nau/family could define their own possible solutions. Give them 2to3 useful local agencies and let BD’s parents choose the way to help themselves. Where possible the agency would step aside, so the family/whÄ nau could step up. 3how did you assist key people in the implementation of the plan to identify progress? I will provide key people with a care-plan that included key indicators of progress, such as attending school regularly, keeping curfew, behavioural contract etc and informed all decision making at all times. 4how did you assist parties to the plan to review the plan? What if any further options were identified? If the plan was amended, how was it amended? Regular meetings to review progress were held between social service provider,BD , whÄ nau and care giver(s). to check the which task has been achived so far and what to improve. When implementation of the plan is complete, the plan (in its entirety) needs to be reviewed. In some cases the review will result in further options being identified. The review may also determine some different outcomes in terms of achievement of objectives and these also need to be recorded in the plan 5 key points of information provided or other observations Parents have enrolled the drug councilling center 6outline the implementation was in accordance with the service provider’s standards Cultural practices were followed eg a karakia/blessing was arranged for BD when he arrived at the home. The checking in processes was completed fully, including areas such as health and safety, and rules for behaviour etc were explained to BD. 7other notes reflect on the implementation process His study in school have a big improve under the help of teacher. Task 4 Student name: weizhi you(peter) Alternative care placement for BD Workplace: hoani waititi social services 1how you know you had completed your required tasks or involvement in the plan? DB is now in foster care family and the parents were enrolled in drug councilling. BD attend the school regular and make new friends. When the implementation of the alternative care placement is complete, it is time for the social worker to complete their involvement in the plan. Always first consider the safety and wellbeing of the person who is the subject of the alternative care placement. 2what possible future involvement might be required from the social service provider in this case? Think about factors that may lead to further contact being needed, what functions or services a social service provider might offer the person in the future, and how the person could go about re-establishing contact with social service provider The parents may need parenting program to help them learn how to take care of BD. If the parents could not stop drug and abuse on BD, in this situation, BD have to move to another home. The social workers will provide many suggestions and some useful organizations for them. If they need services in the future, they can ring the organizations again. 3notesor key points of information received or other obeservatons made Social worker’s tasks were clearly finished on the care plan, and the plan was updated to show they were completed. Transition from home to residential care completed. 4outline how the closure was in accordance with the service provider’s standards Review the items that were part of your role or responsibility in the plan. Check you have completed them all, and completed all related documentation etc. Consult with the other parties to the plan. Check that they consider you have completed your responsibilities, or whether there is something else they were expecting you to do. Handover meeting with host home family, BD and whÄ nau. 5outline how you made sure information was kept confidential Followed agency privacy policy. For example, consent from whÄ nau to share information with alternative education provider was received. 6provide two examples of how your actions were in accordance with relevant legislation. Name the legislation in the example. Privacy Act – I (agency) only kept information that was necessary for the purpose of facilitating BD’s placement in the host home. CYPF Act – both BD and whÄ nau were kept informed of decisions made, and wherever possible involved in the decision making process. 7other notes reflect on the closure process All parties updated and keep contacting with them. Provider policy followed, case file checked and updated, renew the information and regular check visit BD. Task5 How tiriti o Waitangi in social services? Give 3 examples how your actions on placement were guided by the tiriti. There are four principles in the Te Tiriti o Waitangi to ensure that maori’s rights were covered including partnership, protection, participation and permission. A partnership in good faith between two Maori and Crown, for that principle, when engaging with Maori or creating policy that could affect Maori, the Social Service organisations ensure needs of Maori are prioritised. In order to make ensure Maori have rangatiratanga rights over their taonga, always consultation with Maori leadership and management when organisational policies are being discussed. Te Tiriti o Waitangi applies in social services including ensure that all social services have a bi-cultural perspective. For example, we respect our maori client, maori way to deal with things, our maori workmates and client’s families, keep good relationship with them. Protection: for that principle, it allowed maori to exercise their Tino Rangatiratanga (absolute sovereignty) over all of their taonga(land), and benefit from these. Taonga in Maori language means land, resources, language, knowledge, and other aspects of the Maori way of life. Maori have the rights to enjoy their taonga in social service settings, and social service organisations must respect their way of life. It protect Maori’s rights to make choices that best serve their culture, that line with tika and kawa, suit their traditions and practices customary. For example, we working in the maori marae, we follow their traditional cultures and their process in the marae, we are not allowed to bring the food into marae and turn off the phone, no noisy when join the formal welcome. Participation: it ensure that maori take part in the social counseling and have the equal rights with crown. Consultation at all levels with Maori. It must be service accessibility for MÄ ori. Allowed Maori choose their models of health i.e (Te Whare Tapa Wha) rather than western models when working with MÄ ori. So when we working with maori, we should knowing their needs and their culture respect, provide their prefer ways to help them. Task6 How your actions throughout the process of contributing to the facilitation? At least 3 examples and include your inflections from your activities in this assessment all linked to theory for social service practice. respect my client, always ask their permission, I always collect the family agreement before the action and listen to my client, respect their choices and their maori way to do things. And I respect their culture, when enter Maura, I will follow their traditional approach and customs. Gain information that is relevant to the decision making process. Before an Alternative Placement happens, the families including SW, BD, BD’ parents and BD’ grandparents may meet several times to discuss and share relevant information, issues and needs of the client for their safety and wellbeing. We keep contact with family members involved. Keeping contact with the fostr family and BD, gain feedbacks and make plan to help BD get used in the new family. Contacting with BD’s parents and grandparents. Helping BD’s parents stop drug and find a job to earn some money. Weizhi you 13010121[à ©Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚ ®Ãƒ ¥Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã‚ ¥Ãƒ ¦-†¡Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ­-] 1

Environmental and Organizational Audit of Nokia

Environmental and Organizational Audit of Nokia SWOT analysis as the assessment of the internal strengths and weaknesses and external opportunities and threats for a business in a given situation. It clarifies issues and problems but it does not take decisions for a business. S: Strengths W: Weakness O: Opportunities T: Threats POSITIVE NEGATIVE INTERNAL Strengths First company to provide mobile phone technology. High capacity switches. Strong management policies Providing a wide range of Models around the globe business. New products and technology Weaknesses Lack of Unity between various departments. They consider each other as lacking from knowledge, stupid and inexperienced. Poor quality equipments causing dis-interest of customers Installation in armored cars was a problem. Switches were Large and expensive EXTERNAL Opportunities High competitive environment, this leads to more customers Mass market High Sales since the product is new and unique Expand business Threats Major competitors, namely NEC, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericson, Sony iPod etc. Competitors offering financing solutions Small switches of competitors and cheap in price Intense competitionSWOT analysis of NOKIA PESTEL analysis: PEST analysis is defined as a management technique that enables an analysis of four external factors that may impact the performance of the organization. These factors are: Political, Economic, Social, and Technological. PEST analysis is often conducted using brainstorming techniques. It offers an environment-to-organization perspective as opposed to the organization-to-environment perspective provided by SWOT. PESTEL analysis of Nokia Political: Political entities played a vital role in the success of Nokia switches business,as a market are deregulated both operators and manufactures are free to Act independently of government intervention in countries like Pakistan and india. Where partial regulation exist, government intervention does not take place. Economical : In order to start the mobile telephony business Nokia needed a high market share, which they achieved by selling in pakistan and various countries .This increased the number of customers, thus increasing market share. After the company got substantially popular, major businesses started to co-ordinate with Nokia. Social: Consumer demanded for new functions and designs while Nokia was not successful in providing that, a banker expressed they are just a bunch of engineers who couldnt care less what the phone looks like. Also on the other hand consumer complained about the low battery life. Technological: There have been many global advancements in technology such As mms,wap,Bluetooth,cameras etc.the asian markets are more technologically than Their European counterparts for example in 2002 just 4% of phone had cameras.whereas in asia 90% did it. Environmental factors include, climate, and climate change, which may especially affect nokia industries. Furthermore, growing awareness to climate change is affecting how nokia companies operate new models and products-it is both creating new markets and diminishing or destroying existing ones. Legal factors include discrimination law, consumer law, antitrust law, employment law, and health and safety law. These factors can affect nokia. Company operates, its costs, and the demand for its product. Reason for choosing the particular organizational and environmental audit and strategic technique: S.W.O.T analysis: The reason for advising SWOT analysis to nokia in the current downfall situation is that for decades SWOT analysis has been a straight forward and basic model for providing strategic direction to the organization which conducts it. This is done by accessing the strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the particular business entity. Individuals at nokia can also perform SWOT analysis in order to identify their intrinsic qualities that can help them at workplace. SWOT analysis is the most effective power tool nokia can use in order to optimize their career. The result of SWOT analysis will help the professionals identify their qualities and minimize their obstacles. PESTLE analysis: This was advised to nokia for conducting the environmental analysis, it was considered important as it is a key method of strategic analysis in order to study the microenvironment of the business. These include Political factors such as political stability, trading agreements and economic and taxation policies. Economic factors such as interest, employment levels and economic trend. Social factors such as religion demographic factors and cultural factors. Technological factors such as innovation, manufacturing cost, quality of product etc. Through the PESTLE analysis nokia will be able to understand the wider business environment i.e. understanding the international market and trends. One of the main reason why conducting PESTLE analysis for nokia is important is that it can raise awareness of future threats and will help nokia to anticipate future difficulties and take appropriate actions to avoid and minimize them. STRETEGIC POSITIONING TECHNIQUES Ansoff matrix: The Ansoff Growth matrix is a tool that helps businesses decide their product and market growth strategy. Ansoff Matrix of Nokia Ansoff matrix can help Nokia identify their future direction and strategic development. It may help Nokia find out the choices available in the market in order to use their strategic capabilities. Currently in terms of the case, Nokia is engaged in production of many existing products and one new product which is mobile telephone. This may sort out Nokia into three sections of an Ansoff Matrix. These are explained as follows: Existing product and existing market; Market penetration: For the current production of various radio and telephone equipments, including AXE chip. Existing product and new market; Market development: For entering new markets including USA, Hungary, Pakistan Indian, and Middle east and all over the globe. Existing market and New Market; Product development: By launching Mobile telephone system in their existing market. Ansoff Matrix: This is a useful strategic positioning technique advised to nokia due to the fact that it helps in suggesting the business attempts to expand on a new or existing market or whether on the markets new and existing products. For the market development Ansoff can help nokia identify new geographical areas, for example where to sell the existing switches and radio equipments. They can seek out different pricing policies to attract customers. Similarly in the product development stage they can develop new competencies and modify their products on the basis of consumer appeal. On the basis of these qualities it was advised to use Ansoff matrix as a strategic positioning technique to identify their future direction. STRETEGIC THINKING AND PLANING In the view of F. Graetz, strategic thinking and planning are distinct, but interrelated and complementary thought processes that must sustain and support one another for effective strategic management. (F Graetz, (2002) Management Decision, pg 456, data accessed July 2009) The main focus of strategic thinking is to create unique and valuable opportunities for future success of a business. This is conducted by a creative and provocative dialogue between people who effect the direction of a business. Strategic thinking must take into account: Skills and competencies : Strengths of the company How can these strengths be used to create a competitive advantage Weaknesses of the company that makes it vulnerable. Products and offerings : Portfolio of offering product, price and services in the market Identifying the overlaps caused among offerings Uniqueness Brands associated with offerings Compare the brand with competitors. Industry and its environment : Identifying the overall economic situation of the country in which company is competing Structure of the industry Current position of the industry and where it wants to be in future. Link of the industry with other people(stakeholders) Customers and market: Target customer Needs of the customers Competitors : Nature of competition in the particular industry Unique strengths and weaknesses of competitors Similarities and differences between the company and its competitors Buyers and suppliers : Identifying the companies that needs to be worked with in order to make and sell the products the company is offering Relative power compared to the company Their strengths and unique points GAP ANALYSIS AND STRATEGIC PLANE FOR NOKIA: Product Development: An appropriate plan needs to be conducted for the mobile telephony business which lies in the product development section of the Ansoff matrix. The product and market are is relatively new; therefore a plan for a successful development of the product needs to be implemented. The plan must give nokia the ability to achieve a high market share. Although they are the first company to engage this business but the main problem which they face is their inferiority in technology, secondly their switch size are large and the competitors on the other hand are making smaller chips. Most importantly size and shape of the mobile phones are not up to the choice of customers, moreover they need to focus on the design if they want to boost up their sales. Company is already going through a financial crisis and on the other hand competitors are providing financial solutions in order to damage nokia. Management needs to issue new shares in the market in order to level up with the market trend. So talking on a wide scale, in the developing market, nokia needs to enter the market with a proper plan up to the expectations of customers in order to enhance the career of the product. This can be done by adding new features, technology advancement and revising their policies again. Market penetration: For nokia this includes the current products in the current market, these include various radio and telephone equipments, including AXE switch. This includes the Public telecom, which is the biggest part of nokia., later known as ERA when it moved towards the mobile telephone business. Company at the existing stage needs to expand their number of products and its features since the competitors on the other hand have moved towards smaller reliable equipments industry. They need to gain new customers by suitable advertisement and loyalty programs. In a mass market where chances for upward shift in sales are high, nokia also needs to focus on their product, and develop them on the basis of customer needs and the market trend. Market development: This is when the company tries to enter a new market with their existing product. For nokia on a global aspect the company would be able to achieve a high margin of sales since the number of customers will increase. Expansion should include business in the Western countries and the Middle East. In a competitive market where competitors are expanding globally, nokia should also plan to expand in order to level up with their competitors. They cant afford to stay back with the trend since the new technological advancement may lack them back with the trend. So for the market development section, it is to be advised for a plan on expanding the business in other countries in order to get excess to new customers. EVALUATION OF POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES AND ADVICE NEW FUTURE STRATEGY The company had major weaknesses which were advised to be solved through the help of appropriate planning .Planning was conducted on the basis of important strategic analysis; this included SWOT analysis, PESTEL analysis and Ansoff matrix. However there are certain other strategies which can possibly be implemented on nokia. These strategies are summarized as follows: Lean production technique: Peter Simpson defines lean production as the term used to describe the whole concept of trying to manage the production process more efficiently with the minimum of resources. (Peter Stimpson, business studies, data accessed July 2009) .Considering the financial crisis which nokia is going through, it is appropriate for nokia to implement Lean production technique since the main objective of this technique is to eliminate the waste of resources and time. nokia is already facing inferiority in technology, thus a lean production will help them manage their adequate resources in an appropriate manner in order to develop new products with less complexity in production process. Job enlargement: This is a term used to attempt any particular increase in the scope of the job by broadening and deepening the tasks. Reason for conducting this strategy is to overcome the financial problems and quality issues faced by nokia, company can implement this strategy by branding the amount of task given to important workers, thus on the other hand terminating the unwanted employees. This may help in cutting the future costs faced by the business and improve the quality and performance. Keeping substantial inventory: Inventory includes raw material, work in progress and finished goods. The reason why nokia needs to keep substantial inventory is that due to time lags in the supply chain management, there can be late delivery of stock, thus keeping certain amount of inventory is necessary. As mentioned in the given illustration, when company made their first deal with Saudi Arabia. The Saudi order included 8000 mobile stations, this put pressure on the company since no terminals were left to sell in the home market. Team approach: This is when production is organized in such as way that groups of workers complete a substantial amount of work all together. Currently in nokia workers perform their own task on the basis of specialization, allowing them more empowerment at work. This have lead to disunity between workers, since most of them do not know what work each department is engaged in. A team work approach will also lead to important discussions relates to the performance of business and its various departments. Important advises can be given to various departments through this approach which indirectly will improve quality and performance. Quality control: The term quality does not necessarily focus on the best that can possibly be produced, a high quality product is one which best fulfills the particular needs of the customers at a reasonable price on the basis of consumer needs. The reason for improvement in nokia mobile quality is due to the fact that it may easily help them create consumer loyalty, also on the other hand will save the costs associated with complaints made by customers. Most importantly if nokia works on their product quality by improving their functions, they may achieve a longer product life cycle. BEST FIT FUTURE PLAN FOR NOKIA BASED After studying the organization on all the aspects of a proper business strategy and business analysis, a final future plan is to be advised for nokia .Keeping in mind the internal and external environment of the organization and the future analysis of the market, a strong strategy was made for the future of nokia business. This plan is summarized as follows: Before every activity takes place, it should be kept in mind that nokia has a high finance.Issue of more shares may easily boost up the finance. Secondly the technological equipments should be replaced with new ones, following the hiring of skilled labors in order to reduce training costs. Customer needs and market trends need to be kept in focus because customer has the buying objective and if their meets are not fulfilled, then they may be forced to change their brand. Costs needs to be reduced, this can be done by the use of Lean production technique. Quality needs to be managed with the implementation of lean production since a reduction in cost can have an indirect effect on quality of the product. One important future plan which can help nokia is to make a small team of experts, who only work for future plans and ideas for business, looking at an approach at least two years ahead of current market trends. The strategic plan was made on the basis of all previous organizational and environmental audits and strategic positioning techniques. An approach to previous analysis was also taken into consideration. Alternative strategies Deliberate and Emergent strategies DELIBERATE STRATEGIES: Any strategy that is intestinally planned for running the business successfully for example nokia might have deliberately wanted to change the models. EMERGENT STRATEGIES: Are those that occur unexpectedly naturally .for example strike cause unexpected decrease in sale because shops are forced to close down. Future strategies: mokia future strategies They focuses on different shapes and improving our quality products. because their competitors are too much strong .nokia employees thinking about his new models. when they launch a model . Then They suddenly starts working on another model.

Publications :: essays research papers

S.L., Roy D.,LA SELECTION DES CADRES: PRINCIPES ET PROBLÈMS CONTEMPORAINS. (MANAGERIAL SELECTION: PRINCIPLES AND CONTEMPORARY TRENDS). Monograph Series No. 11. Montreal, The University of Montreal. 1982. 165 pp. Dolan S.L., Schuler R.S., (eds): CANADIAN READINGS IN PERSONNEL AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. St.-Paul, MN. West Publishing Company 1987, 467 pp. Dolan S.L., Schuler R.S., PERSONNEL AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN CANADA. St.-Paul, MN. West Publishing Company. 1987. 620 pp. Dolan S.L., Schuler R.S., Chretien L.,GESTION DES RESSOURCES HUMAINES, Montreal, EDITIONS DU TRECARRE ET EDITIONS REYNALD GOULET INC.,1988, 453 pp. Dolan S.L., Schuler R.S., HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT: THE CANADIAN DYNAMIC. 2nd edition. Nelson Canada. Scarborough, Ontario 1994, 700 pp. Dolan S.L. Schuler R.S., GESTION DES RESSOURCES HUMAINES: AU SEUIL DE L'AN 2000 . Editions du Renouveau Pà ©dagogique Inc. (ERPI). Montreal, 1995 , 747pp. ARTICLES IN SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS Dolan S.L., Hogue V.P., Harbottle J., "L'evolution des tendances en gestion des ressources humaines au Quà ©bec", in Blouin R. (ed.) 25 YEARS OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS IN QUEBEC. Montreal, Yvon Blais Inc. 1990: 777-789. Leonard C., Dolan S.L., Arsenault A., "Stability and Variability of two Common Measures of Absence", Journal of Occupational Psychology, 1990, vol 63: 309-316. Dolan S.L., Tziner A., "The Assessment Center revisited: Critical Evaluation of Philosophy, Theory, Instruments and Practices" in Herd A.M., Ferris W.P., (Eds): Empowerement in the Workplace and Classroom (Proceedings of the Twenty- Eighth Annual Meeting of the Eastern Academy of Management). EAM, Hartford, Conn. 1991: 170-173. Dolan S.L. "Critical Issues in the Management of Human Resources in the 90s", Human Resources (Israel), Vol 4(44), 1991: 8-13 . (in Hebrew) Tziner A., Reid A., Dolan S.L., "Les centres d'evaluation: une revue critique de quelques thà ¨mes fondamentaux", Psychologie canadienne/Canadian Psychology, Vol 34(1), 1993: 110-120 Balkin D., Dolan S.L., "Rewarding Team quality: Contributions in the Canadian Telecommunications Industry: The case of Bell Canada" Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Work Values (Research and Managerial Applications), Borg I. & Dolan S.L., (eds.), ISSWOV, Barcelona, 1994: 1-10 Belout A., Dolan S.L., L`à ©valuation des directions des ressources humaines par l`approche Multiple-Constituency : une à ©tude empà ©rique, Actes du Congrà ¨s de L`Institute de l`Audit Social de Paris (IAE), Aix-en-Province, 1994: Dolan S.L., Morin D., "The Effect of Rater-Ratee Relationship on Ratee Perceptions of the Appraisal Process", The International Journal of Management, 1995 , Vol 12(3): 337-351. Dolan S.L., Cannings C., "Professional and Organizational Values in Human Resource Management", International Journal of Management, 1995, Vol 12(4): 520-529. Dolan S.L., Forgues K. and Balkin D., "Selected Aspects of Compensation, TQM and Organizational Success: Defining and

History of Andersonville Prison Essay -- Andersonville Prison Civil Wa

History of Andersonville Prison When one turns on the television today they are made witness to all the crimes that are present in society. It is impossible to sit through thirty-five minutes of news without anger and rage becoming aroused. This is because society is bothered by infinitesimal paraphernalia. Society also believes in human rights and punishment for those who violate such rights. Yet what constitutes humanity? Ever sit there and watch the news and wonder just how far humanity reaches? When is it time to say this is a human rights violation? Every wonder when someone’s morals and ethics begin to effect their ability to do their job? Ever wonder why in every news story the â€Å"bad guy† always become caught? Ever wonder how many people on death row might not be guilt? Some of them could have even been used as scapegoats. Yet how does one become a scapegoat? Could someone out there have that much hatred and anger to blame one person for the faults of many? Is the need for blame significant ? Does desire lead to more hatred and evil? What does it feel like to be blamed for something that might not be wrong, and to be put on trial knowing that the jury wants to blame someone? In society and in the United States since its founding, there has been a need to place blame. Imagine how the person being blamed would feel. Henry Wirz did not have to image it; he lived through it and died for it. Someone is always to be blamed, even if they were just following orders. Orders which can only go so far until humanity takes effect. Henry Wirz was used as a scapegoat for war crimes committed during the Civil War at Andersonville Prison, however that does not justify his acts or make him an American hero. Ever take a midnight train to Georgia? No, well ever drive through Georgia? When driving through Georgia on State Road 49, there is a little town called Andersonville that is very easy to miss. To many it is just another town. Yet this town has its own trail. The Andersonville Trail is a small brown dirt road that leads visitors to the Andersonville National Historic Site (Roberts xi). This National Historic Site looks like a â€Å"well- tended† national cemetery. On closer examination, this cemetery is nothing like Arlington (Roberts xi). â€Å"In this national cemetery, the marble headstones are so close together, they almost touch. The markers appear to be one long head... ... Confederacy should face the truth as did Eliza Frances Andrews, who wrote of Andersonville: â€Å"it is horrible, and a blot on the fair name of our Confederacy† (Futch 122). That is exactly it, Andersonville was a blot on the Confederacy not on just Wirz, yet Wirz was blamed. Does this seam fair? Hardly. What happened at Andersonville was a repercussion of the Confederacy’s inability, not on the inability of Henry Wirz. Bibliography Denny, Robert. Civil War Prisons and Escapes. New York, New York: Sterling Publishing Company, 1993. Futch, Ovid. History of Andersonville Prison. Indiantown, Florida: University of Florida Press, 1968. Hillstrom, Kevin. American Civil War Biographies. Michigan: The Gale Group, 2000 Levitt, Saul. The Andersonville Trial. New York, New York: Random House, 1960. Murphy, Richard. The Nation Reunited. Canada: Time-Life Books, Inc. 1987 Roberts, Edward. Andersonville Journey. Shippensburg, PA: Burd Street Press, 1998 Robertson, James: Tenting Tonight: A Soldier’s Life. Canada: The Time-Life, Inc. 1984. Shaw, William B., et al. A Photographic History of the Civil War. Six Volumes. New York, New York: The Blue and Grey Press, 1987.