Native Americans in the United States and Short Story Essay

Nacirema The â€Å"Body Ritual among the Nacirema† is a short story about a native American tribe. It wasn’t until more research on my part that I realized that this tribe did not exist. In fact it is a folk tale told in Miner’s own words. In true form Miner gives hint to this short story the Nacirema culture to that of the our culture today. Nacirema is in fact spelled â€Å"American†(Culture). The Nacirema has a hero named â€Å"Notgnihsaw† spelled â€Å"Washington† backwards. There are many similarities to this story as our American culture. Out of similarities Washington is our hero. He was the first President of the United States. Legend has it that Washington â€Å"threw a silver dollar across the Potomac River†, much like the Nacirema threw their native beads across their Pa-To-Mac River. Another story has Washington chopping down a cherry tree. But did Washington actually chop the tree down? â€Å"For he could not tell a lie†. As Americans we have rituals and cultural identities Every household has its â€Å"shrine† much like the Nacirema. Not all shrines are made alike. Is the â€Å"shrine† our homes, our churches, or our bathrooms? Shrines come in all walks of life. Miner gives the perception that the working class go to work and make money. If you have very little money your home is small much like a tent. The more money you make the bigger your home is which is made of brick and mortar. He discuses a specific â€Å"charm box† built into the wall (medicine cabinet). Within this box is collection of magical potions (medicine) where all members of the tribe have faith that he/she cannot live without. â€Å"The most powerful of these are the medicine men, whose assistance must be rewarded with substantial gifts. However, the medicine men do not provide the curative potions for their clients, but decide what the ingredients should be and then write them down in an ancient and secret language. This writing is understood only by the medicine men and by the herbalists who, for another gift, provide the required charm. †(Miner) This indicates folks going to the doctor that write the prescriptions to filled by the pharmacy. Miner talks about how members bow theirs heads in front of the box much like that of washing our hands. The Catholics have a similar ritual of dipping of the fingers in the â€Å"holy water† and doing the sign of the cross(Holy water) or kneeling before entering the pew(Religion:Manners in). The Nacirema have a morbid fascination with their mouths. If it â€Å"weren’t for the rituals of the mouth, they believed their teeth would fall out, their gums bleed. † If these things would have happened they believed their lovers would disown them. † â€Å"The daily body ritual performed by everyone includes a mouth-rite. †(Miner) This is much like the flossing or brushing of our teeth. The floss or bristles on our tooth brush we use is similar to the â€Å"hogs hairs. † The â€Å"magical powders† is that of the tooth paste we brush our teeth with. Miner maintains that the Americans right of passage in ways to throw off the readers. Themes as visiting the doctor, surgical operations, and sex are talked about. I initially didn’t take this story serious in reading it. After thorough research to get a better understanding of the writing I got a eye opening. This story reminds me much of a recent short story â€Å"A Modest Proposal†. Both has similarities of rituals and tales of people. I come from a family of rituals with last names that carry on from family to family or given the middle name of your mother first name. We are all meeting the needs of our own tribes whether it be the Americans, Nacirema or Vietnamese into how each is stereotyped.

How Did the Constitution Guard Against Tyranny Essay

Have you ever wondered what the US would be like if our government was a tyranny? Well, thanks to our founding fathers for creating a strong constitution, we don’t have to worry about that. The constitution was written in 1787 in Philadelphia. The problem was that the existing government that was under the Articles Of Confederation wasn’t very successful. Therefore, the fifty-five delegates representing twelve out of the thirteen states came together to tweak our constitution to create a strong government without allowing one person, or group of people to have too much power. The framers used the Constitution to protect against Tyranny in three ways federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances. One way that the framers protected against Tyranny was through federalism. â€Å"The different governments will each control each other, at the same time will be controlled by itself. † (Document A) By separating the two different governments ,it creates a double security to the rights of the people Commentary, and the two control each other and itself. Read more: Tyranny constitution essay This guards from a tyranny because it keeps the power completely separated between central and state government but keeping the power even at the same time, so that one doesn’t inherit too much. Document A states that powers given to the central government include: regulate trade, conduct foreign relations, provide an army and navy, declare war, print and coin money, set up post offices, and make immigration laws. Powers given to the states include: set up local governments, hold elections, establish schools, pass marriage and divorce laws, and regulate in-state business. The two different parts government hold their own different powers and responsibilities that are both limited and shared to keep it fair. This guards from tyranny because it splits up the rolls between the central and state government but still keeps them even. Federalism is one of the main ways framers used to protect against tyranny. Another way the framers used the Constitution to protect against tyranny was separation of powers. â€Å"(L)iberty requires that the three great departments of power should be separate and distinct. (Document B) For our government to be successful we much create three main levels of government where powers are distributed. This guards from tyranny because it makes sure that no branch has more power than one another because they check each other. Document B states that in the Constitution article 1 section 1, article 2 section 1 clause 1, and article 3 section are about the three separate branches in our government and what responsibilities that each o ne holds. With our government having three different branches each one has its own limited powers that make a democracy possible. This guards against tyranny because no branch overpowers each other, nobody gets too much power, and the powers are evenly distributed. Separation of powers is one of the main things framers used to protect against tyranny. A third way that the framers used the Constitution protects against tyranny was checks and balances. â€Å"†¦ The constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that they check on the other†¦ The main goal is to make sure that each of the three branches have control over each other but still separated. This protects against tyranny because each branch has powers the control one another. In document C it states how each level of government limits and balances each other out to keep the powers even, and how our government is constitutional. Each different part of the government has three separate branches t he uses the Method checks and balances to keep power even and to have control over each other. This guards from tyranny because by keeping all of them limited with what they can do and in control of each other keeps it from one branch getting more power than another. Checks and balances is one of the main things the framers used to protect against tyranny. Federalism, Separation of powers, and checks and balances were the three ways that the framers used the constitution to protects our government against a tyranny. Paragraph 1 came from document A stating how federalism played a part in protecting against tyranny by creating double security for the people. Paragraph 2 came from document B stating how the separation of powers played a part in protecting against tyranny by creating three branches of government with separate powers. Paragraph 3 came from document c stating how checks and balances played a part in protecting against tyranny by making sure each branch had certain powers and also controlled each other at the same time. The founding fathers took advantage of the holes in the Articles of Confederation and used their knowledge to create a stronger constitution that today still guards from tyranny affecting our government.

Ethical Banking in UK Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Ethical Banking in UK - Research Proposal Example This is interesting because the financial sector as a whole is reported to be reeling from the aftereffects of the sub-prime mortgage crisis in the US, the continued depreciation of the US dollar and rising global inflation. In fact, major banks and financial institutions around the world were reported to have suffered losses reaching $435 billion in July 2008, with many banks experiencing severe liquidity problems. Is it possible that ethical banking shields its practitioners from negative external factors We aim to find out the answer to this question. Business ethics in general is the application of moral principles in the making of business decisions (Rushton, 2002)), such that it places a premium on social responsibility. This responsibility represents the positive actions or responses that a company takes to fulfill its responsibilities towards its stakeholders, to the environment and to society as a whole. In the view of some economists, however, there is one and only social responsibility of business: to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits. Thus, when firms experience resource shortages as to threaten their very existence, they attack this problem by cheating on their social responsibility. ... That way, the firms give the false impression that they comply with the rules. To address internal resource shortages, such as inadequate capacity and expertise, they overestimate costs, falsify training records, pay excessive compensation and give undeserved promotions. To address external shortages, such as lack of raw materials, they arrange unethical deals with suppliers or service providers. These activities are taboo to ethical banks. 2. Aim & Objectives2.1 Aim Examine how the operations of ethical banks in UK differ from those of their counterparts in the conventional banking sector to see if the former thrive because of ethical banking or in spite of it. 2.2 Objectives (1) Measure the performance of ethical banks in economic terms to see if it is a feasible or reasonable line of business. (2) Observe how ethical banks compete with conventional banks in terms of profitability, size of clients and quality of service. (3) Discover the reasons that made the owners of ethical banks decide to go into this line of banking. Business ethics in general is the application of moral principles in the making of business decisions (Rushton, 2002)), such that it places a premium on social responsibility. This responsibility represents the positive actions or responses that a company takes to fulfill its responsibilities towards its stakeholders, to the environment and to society as a whole. In the view of some economists, however, there is one and only social responsibility of business: to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits. Thus, when firms experience resource shortages

Textual Analysis of Los Vendidos Research Paper

Textual Analysis of Los Vendidos - Research Paper Example The drama revolves around stereotype and prejudice towards the Mexicans in America. The writer of the play, Valdez has used humor and entertainment most probably to shun affronting any race. Racism is a big issue and no one would like to be stigmatized or treated differently because of their race, color, religion or gender (Vogelmann 1-4). This play has served the purpose of making light with intention of making people understand racism and prejudice without intending to hurt anyone at the end (Mc Parland's 3). This is helped by the fact that it is a comedy play. There are several themes evident in this play and they are prejudice, racism, social injustice, social identity, Marxism and Hispanophobia. The Mexicans-Americans in this play faced challenges as they were discriminated against. The play humbled the audience instead of inciting confidence in those that were not victims in the play. As a representation of the American society at the time, theatre as a weapon is a term that co mes in several parts of the play. This play has been used to enlighten people on the various issues that encompass prejudice towards the Latin Americans. And it was and is not a small issue because it has been recognized over the years as a vice against the Mexican Americans that had taken toll over the years (Carl et al 13-16). Even the Mexican government mentioned it at one time and said that, â€Å" the government of Mexico, opposes any form of discrimination institutionalization or otherwise, as well as the new forms of discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance that emerged in several parts of the world , particularly in the developed countries†. The fact the play has one of the major themes as racism among the ethnic groups of American society is a clear indication that it is a vice that existed for a long time basing on the fact that it was written a very long time ago. The characters in the play have brought out this main theme. At the end of the play t he revolucionario states that robot Sancho â€Å"is the best model we got†. This indicates that the Mexicans are fed up of being discriminated and stereotyped against. The secretary in her description wants an American who is black and fits in all her other descriptions of being ‘hardworking’, ‘debonair’, ‘sophisticated’ and ‘American-made’. After just a short while of sampling the models she disregards them at says they do not meet her requirements. She refuses each of the models presented to her by finding flaws in each one of them. This points out how people are always so quick to judge and have objections so easily when they are prejudiced against someone. It is a common thing for people to form some sort of attitude when they hear an accent or see a skin color that is different from theirs giving them an impression that they do not belong., Most of the Mexicans who live in America are discriminated and become treated as second class citizens. An example in the play is by the farm worker who comes to America once a year. He is a migrant worker. â€Å"One plate of beans and tortillas will keep him going all day†. Pachuco is a Mexican gangster who is feared a great deal by the Americans. It is normal for any human to fear a harmful person but in Pachuco’s case this fear has been heightened because of his being a Mexican. Revoluncionario is the typical man in western movies that women want to be with, he is always drinking, rides over the plains

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - Essay Example It has gained popularity and support from different quotas who believe that the movement has positioned itself ideologically and consistently hence the need for its political recognition. The current membership of FARC is approximately 18,000 members, 30% of the recruits being under the age of eighteen years and surprisingly, the leadership structure is composed of 49% women. This paper will therefore discuss the political and social effects that have so far resulted from the actions of FARC. The social effects are the drug trafficking, displacements, rape, terrorism, hostages, kidnappings, lack of freedom of the press and other issues. It will also look into the political implications the movement has caused Colombia since its inception. It will finally, provide a different point of view of analysts who believe that the movement is necessary to stem out errant political leaders such the Uribe regime and the former and current presidents in Colombia who are so self centered that they have e economically downgraded the country's economy. Between the years of 1930s and 1950s, hundreds of rural based Colombians driven by their communist ideology began organizing themselves into formidable structures of security and cooperation with the aim of responding to the capitalistic expansion of the ruling interests1. They believed that the state had isolated them and therefore they needed to group all the poor members of the society (small land holders, semi-proletarians, rural workers and peasants) and champion for their rights. The group wanted to establish a corrupt free society, stable and based on local control mechanisms. These localized groups continued to expand their bases and by early 1960s, they had over sixteen groups of communities from all areas of southern and central Colombian republic. These communities were very peaceful to the central government, but to some extent, they were considered a threat to national security especially to the ruling class, land owners, the U.S geopolitical interest and the rising urban capitalists. During the Kennedy administration, the central government through its military targeted regions with strong offensive communities After its founding in the mid 1960s, the insurgency expanded in almost all parts of the country especially during the neo-liberal period when economic policies accompanied by increased repression by the state were practiced. FARC has increased its social, paramilitary and economic presence in Colombia sine that time. In fact, by 1999, the insurgent had almost conquered all the regions of the country. A few years later, reports indicated that they had occupied more than 93% of all the Colombian regions. Within the four decades since the inception of the political movement, FARC ha transformed itself from being a mere peasant-landless struggle to a complex national social force that had threatened even the United States. Currently, the movement has increased its membership base to include; intellectuals, the displaced, Afro-Colombians, unionists, urban workforce and almost all the indigenous population. With an extensive

Perforating Engineer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Perforating Engineer - Research Paper Example They are mainly employed at oil and mine fields, both offshore and on land (Pts-technology.com). Most perforations job need one to have a degree in either engineering (either petroleum, mechanical, chemical or industrial field), Geology, Physics, Geophysics or Mathematics. Experience from previous jobs that are related to perforation is also a must for a person. Other employers may require specialized training in the perforating process. The specific training includes breakout and completion as an Associate Perforating Specialist (in the USA) or an equivalent industry skill from the relevant country (Jobs.halliburton.com). The engineer must also be registered and certified by the relevant government compliance boards. Basic requirements for a perforating engineer are DOT regulations, explosives safety, basic electricity understanding, federal explosive regulation, crane operations, pressure control operations, wire line performance and maintenance and warrior logging systems operations. Other includes pump-down operations and pressure control operations (Express Energy, 2). Physical and personal attributes are also crucial for the job. Such attributes include the ability to respond to emergencies immediately during emergency situations, ability to perform under pressure and ability to adapt to different climatic and weather conditions; this is because the job involves lots of travelling and a person may have to work under different conditions from what he/ she is used to. Others include readiness to work under various conditions, ability to involve implementation of safety, environmental and health procedures at a site and flexibility. There is a potential of fumes and dangerous chemical inhalation when not proper steps are not taken in the field. There is also a risk of explosives, ionizing radiation and high pressure well-bore environment. Adminapos.com,. Terbaru: Lowongan Wireline Logging Perforating Engineer Januari 2014. N.p., 2014. Web. 23

Educational Programs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Educational Programs - Essay Example The Italian early education and care is characterized be a three prong strategy (state,communal,private). Enactment of a law that entitled children between ages 3-6 to free education and another law in 1971 establishing infant/toddler centers that also receive parental financial contributions have land marked an early care program that has been strongly backed and approved by parents especially mothers.(Rebecca.S.New) Italy has been consistent in its efforts to combine concepts of social service with education thus helping young families enormously. 95% of children between ages 3-6 attend some kind of school-municipal,national or private.New legislation in 1998 requires for pre school teachers to hold a university level degree.Vast majority of cities with communal pre-schools also conduct workshops for teachers .In 1969,The Ministry introduced "Guidelines for Educational Activity" which advocated strong collaboration with parents, religious education and play. (OECD Country note,May2 001) As for children above age 6, education in Italy is state-controlled and all schools, both public and private, are subject to comply with the curricula and teaching methods laid down by the Ministry of Public Education .Education is compulsory and free of charge for all children between the ages of 6 and 14 and is segmented into 5 classes at elementary level and 3 classes at lower secondary level (middle school).(The Italian Education System, January 2,2001). The curriculum at the elementary level is centered on providing a solid foundation in reading, writing, and mathematics. Two significant philosophies in early education founded in Italy that have captured the world's attention setting the pace for educational standards and influencing alternative ,educational concepts both inside Italy and around the world are: The Montessori Concept The Reggio Emilia approach Dr Maria Montessori,the first woman in Italy to become a physician, founded the Montessori system of education in 1907 in Rome. Her major discovery was that children teach themselves.She believed in a prepared classroom designed to make children choose from a number of developmentally appropriate activities leading to self-discovery in learning. ( Website of the Montessori Foundation and the International Montessori Council ).The Reggio Emilia was founded in the town of Reggio Emilia in Northern Italy by professor Loris Malaguzzi. (Lella Gandini,1993) Children explore themes and learn through short and long projects inspired spontaneously by children's curiosity , social concerns of parents ,or a random chance event..With no established curriculum,the child learns in her own sense of time and personal rhythm. Other innovative pre-school education and care programs in Pastoia and Milan have focused on the integral relationship between the need of the children and the community as a w hole. Some of their ground-breaking policies include enrichment programs for parents and grand parents and a high level of interaction between diverse families of young children with one another and with the professionals. The general goal seems to be to foster

ISMG Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

ISMG - Essay Example Secondly, there was the change in organizational structure to fit the organizational culture and climate of the old Mrs. Field Company. This action was perhaps in relation to the fact that the existing staffs who were to manage the new group of companies had to continue with an organizational system that they were more comfortable with. Finally, Mrs. Field adapted the existing name of Mrs. Field for the new group of companies rather than maintaining the La Petite Boulangerie for the new venture. As the saying goes, there is no smoke without fire. Indeed, Mrs. Field took the three actions discussed above for a reason. In the first place, Mrs. Field is reported to have said that â€Å"we absorbed many of the overhead functions into our existing organization including accounting, finance, personnel, human resources, training, and development† (Richman, 1989). This means that as long as positions in the acquired company such as accounting, finance, human resource and training all existed in the old company, the Fields’ felt that there was no need bringing in new set of hands to do what was already being done by existing set of hands. The Fields had therefore thought of increasing their savings by reducing cost on human capital development and payment. The second action of changing the organization structures must have been with the mentality that the staff who were going to handle the affairs of both Mrs. Fields and La Petite Boulangerie needed to operate with set of organizational structures that they were more conversant with. Since the staff-base had virtually not changed, there was the ideology that changing the organizational structure would have given the staff more concepts to learn. On the decision to maintain the name, Mrs. Fields’ we are told that â€Å"the Mrs. Fields name was demographically well established,

3 smart goals that the student has for his future Essay

3 smart goals that the student has for his future - Essay Example My goals for the future are to become a criminal lawyer, have greater economic stability and increase my personal self confidence. Criminal law is an exciting field of study which helps an individual to analyse society as well as the various different kinds of people that live within it. It has been my dream to be able to assist people in the name of justice and thus I would like to become a successful criminal lawyer. Crimes are a large part of society today and it has become vital to support just and fair rules; every man thinks he is right and thus I would like to step in there, litigate and be able to provide my expertise and judgement in order to help every individual out of his dilemma and thus help the welfare of society. A good college education will help me become a good criminal lawyer so that I can serve society tomorrow. Getting into a reputed and highly recognized law institute or college will help me to enhance my speaking and arguing skills; not only this but it will also help to provide me with a better environment to learn and nurture my skill and talent. Excellent law schools all over the country help to inculcate the aspect of mooting and debating among the law students and thus, gaining a good college education will help me become a better litigator for the future, and in this way will help me to recognise my goals and aspirations with respect to studying criminal law. Furthermore, getting a good college education will also improve the kind of internships that I undertake because the name of the college I belong to will make a difference to the recruiters. My second aspiration is to gain better economic stability; I will be able to achieve the same only if I am able to do well in life. It is tough to be at a position where every individual is able to get whatever it is that he wants; however, I am ready to accept the challenge and will not falter. I want to be able to reach a level where I am stable

Executive summary (entrepreneurship concepts) Research Paper

Executive summary (entrepreneurship concepts) - Research Paper Example This summary features Upworthy as one of the companies that have come up strongly. Upworthy is an attractive social media that was founded on March 2012. This social media based company helps in connecting organizations with people that would like to read their pages. Their website provides a platform for sharing of information about what is trending. Upworthy saw an opportunity in making worthy information get viral at the expense of funny stuff that has lees value. The business falls under a social networking where it allows people to share important information until it reaches to as many people as possible. The shared information is usually termed as verifiable and ‘upworthy’. The company has grown and currently has twenty-two employees. Their slogan is quite descriptive of their mandate, â€Å"things that matter.† Their offices are located in New York in the United States. The company was founded by Eli Pariser, Peter Koechley and Jennifer Lee. The company has received funding that totals to $12 Million; $4 million from venture round in October 2012 and $ 8 million from Series A in September 2013. Just after one year of existence, the company registered over 11 million unique visits surpassing the leaders like Huffington post (Mckenzie, 2013). The use of social media has emerged as a powerful tool in disseminating information. Upworthy spotted a perfect gap that would ensure that a solution is sought in reaching out to huge public through delivery of beneficial information. The choice to rise to the occasion and capitalize on the available opportunity and pain has made the company emerge successful. Bloggers and the mainstream social sites like Facebook and twitter have dominated the social networking industry. However, Upworthy strategized and its story is a successful one today. Their website has attracted a huge traffic courtesy of the news they air. Quantcast placed it among the top one

Whole Foods †Strategic Plan Essay Example for Free

Whole Foods – Strategic Plan Essay Whole Foods Market, Inc. which is headquartered in Austin, Texas, is an American foods supermarket chain it was founded by John Mackey who currently serves as the CEO of Whole Foods. To sum up their mission and vision statement, Whole foods as a company strives to help out in promoting positive health and well-being of people, this includes team-members, customers and the whole planet in general. Some of their core values include: Selling the highest quality natural and organic products available Satisfying, delighting and nourishing our customers Supporting Team Member happiness and excellence Creating wealth through profits and growth Serving and supporting our local and global communities Whole foods market is known for being a supermarket chain that strictly prides itself in being the largest natural and organic foods supermarket chain. In addition to that Whole Foods is regarded as Americas first national certified organic grocer. Whole Foods Market now owns and operates 335 retail stores, of which 322 stores are located in the US and the District of Columbia, seven in Canada, and six in the UK. (Our Values and Mission, 2014). Whole Foods competitive advantage is its broad product offerings; it offers broad selection of perishable foods which is designed to appeal to both natural foods and gourmet shoppers. In addition to that the company prides itself in offering a wide variety range of products that include a range of produce, seafood, grocery, meat and poultry, bakery, prepared foods and catering, specialty (beer, wine and cheese), coffee and tea, nutritional supplements, vitamins, body care, educational products such as books, floral items, pet products and household products. Whole Foods ability to be able to offer these range of products at all its locations has enabled the company to continue to stay competitive and maintain a  significant advantage over its competitors. In addition to Whole Foods Markets ability to continue to stay forerunner in the natural and organic grocer business, the company has also made remarkable contributions to its employees and the community. In 2009 the company received the Natural Products Associations ‘2009 Socially Responsible Retailer Award’, after which in 2010 Fortune magazine ranked Whole Foods Market at number 18 on its list of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For.’ During the same period, the company was recognized on the Ethisphere Institutes 2010 ‘Worlds Most Ethical Companies’ list. The International Association of Culinary Professionals named the company as ‘Culinary Youth Advocate of the Year’ for its effort to help improve school lunches for children nationwide with its ‘School Lunch Revolution’ campaign. The contributions discussed above has enabled the company to maintain a positive image in the community and more importantly among its own employees, I believe that these various contributions has enabled Whole Foods to remain a forerunner among its competitors. (Whole Foods, n.d). SWOT ANALYSIS Strength: Brand Recognition: This company is well known in the United States, As a result of which, anytime a whole-foods plans on opening up at a particular location, they will almost immediately start to develop a customer base. Unique Category: While organic food is creating quite a buzz worldwide, it still is fairly a new entrant in the produce world; and whole foods continues to be one of the only store that sells all organic products under one roof. Weaknesses: Lacks Global Integration: Whole-foods does well in the US, however, even though it has managed to open up a few stores in UK and Canada, it is still not as well-known elsewhere around the world. Organic Food : Even though organic food is beginning to gain popularity, I find that this is still a weakness for wholefoods, they only sell organic food items at their store, and not to mention organic food is usually more expensive than regular food we would get at the grocery store. Opportunities: International Market: Whole Foods is only in 2 other countries, UK and Canada. They always have the option of looking into some of the world’s faster growing markets or even the fact that they could look into expanding throughout UK and Canada. IT Influence: Competitors of Whole Foods and even some other grocery have been striving for various ways to enrich the customer experience at their stores, one such way, is the introduction of â€Å"self-checkouts†, which enables the customer to spend less time waiting in line for a cashier. This is an area, where whole foods could look to capture the opportunity and excel in. Threats: Competitors: The list of competitors for Whole Foods keeps on increasing, most grocery stores are starting to introduce a section of organic/healthy foods section at their store, as a result of which this could begin to influence Whole Foods customer base. Gas Prices: When gas prices rise, the cost of shipping food rises, and when the cost of shipping the food rises, so does Whole Foods’s operating costs. (Whole Foods, 2014). Implementation of IT into the Whole Foods Business As discussed above with the SWOT Analysis of the company, Whole Foods certainly is a very financially sound and a major player in the organic food industry, however, it is important for Whole Foods, to continue striving upon increasing/ bettering the customer experience at all of its stores. Whole Foods, has a strong customer base, however, we need to make sure that they continue to retain the customers and take measures to grow its customer’s base. There are at least a couple IT implementations that could be integrated with our current business model, to increase Whole Food’s Customer Experience. Rewards Program: Most of Whole Foods customers currently have some type of rewards program for its customer. Consequently, if Whole Foods were to introduce this Whole Foods customers will be able to earn points that can be redeemed for discounts and store experiences, such as cooking classes, tickets to locally held Organic Trade Shows etc. (Turner, 2014). Self- Checkout Counters: Most grocery/retailers have started to have self- checkout registers, this would decrease customer wait time, and thereby, enhance the customer experience at the store. Furthermore, other advantages of self-checkout include, it takes up less  space, it is estimated that up to six self-checkout kiosks, can take up to the same amount of space a single traditional checkout with a cashier would take. (BusinessBee, n.d.) IT’s assistance would be needed to implement the rewards program, we would first need to create a way that customers could access the Whole Foods Rewards Card using a mobile/tablet app, a physical card ( with barcode) and on the website. Customers could earn points/ coupons, for every dollar spent at Whole Foods, you would earn 1 â€Å"Organic Point†, after you have accumulated a certain number of â€Å"Organic Points†, it could be redeemed for various different things at the store, some of which include, tickets to Whole Fo ods Quarterly Organic Trade Shows, Cooking classes, Discounts/coupons at the store etc. Whole Foods as a company continues to excel, although we need to ensure that we as a company are staying ahead of our times and continuing to keep our focus on enriching our customer’s experience when they visit their local Whole Food’s store. References BusinessBee-The Pros and Cons of Using Self-Checkouts (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2014. Company Info. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company-info Our Values and Mission. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/careers/our -values-and-mission Turner, N. (2014, September 15). Whole Foods to Test Rewards Program as Competition Grows. Retrieved September 20, 2014. Whole Foods Market: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2014.

Are Offender Profiles Useful in Police Investigations?

Are Offender Profiles Useful in Police Investigations? In recent years, there are more and more people have become increasingly fascinated by offender profiling because of the influence of media. An example of this is the well-known criminal profiling film The Silence of the Lambs, which is based on the Thomas Harris novel of the same name. Some television shows such as Millennium, Profiler and The X-Files are also based around the premise of criminal profiling. However, Hicks and Sales (2006) emphasize that these portrayals encourage the view of profiling as an art rather than a science though these profilers have academic backgrounds and law enforcement experience. The prevalence of offender profiling has grown over the past three decades (Snook, Eastwood, Gendreau, Goggin and Cullen, 2007), although studies suggest that profiles have been found to be most effective as an additional tool, not as a solution to specific crimes (Wilson, Lincon and Kocsis, 1997:2). Using offender profiling would appear to be more beneficial than relying so lely on traditional methods of detection (Ainsworth, 2001). In addition, it is important for police detectives to know which crimes are connected in order to collate and compare the information between these related cases (Egger, 1984 as cited in Rossmo, 2000). This essay will discuss the underlying assumptions of both offender profiling and case linkage, and then argue the usefulness of these practices in criminal investigations. Offender profiling has been defined by different authors using different terminologies such as specific profile analysis, psychological profiling, criminal profiling and criminal personality profiling. However, the underlying concept of definitions remains the same (Jackson and Bekerian, 1997). Beauregard, Lussier and Proulx (2005) state that offender profiling provides some descriptive information about behaviours and personality of an offender by analysing crime scene characteristics, which can narrow suspects and finally solve the cases. Muller (2000) describes the information which the criminal profiler uses is often taken from the scene of crime, and profilers will take into account some factors such as previous crime scene, weapons, behaviours and words to the victim and the geographic patterns of crime. Davies (1992 as cited in Beauregard et al., 2005) emphasizes that offender profiling is an investigative tool which focus on the analysis of offenders behaviour and accordingly infers some of the criminals personal characteristics. In Europe, offender profiling is defined as attempting to produce a description of the perpetrator(s) of a criminal offence on the basis of analysis of characteristics of the incident and other background information (Stevens, 1995: 10), and this definition is adopted by the Association of Chief Police Officers Behavioural Science Investigative Support Sub-committee in UK (Ainsworth, 2000). Although the actual process of profiling differs from one profiler to another, the aim remains the same: to deduce the behaviour, personality, and physical characteristics of the offender (Muller, 2000). According to Holmes and Holmes (1996), profiling has the following three main goals: assessing the offender from social and psychological aspects, the evaluating suspected offenders relevant possessions, and consulting with law enforcement officials about some strategies when interviewing offenders. The process of constructing a profile of an unknown offender typically includes three stages (Snook et al., 2007). Firstly, collecting crime scene data by police officers is needed and then the data will be forwarded to a profiler; secondly, the profiler starts to analyze the data which stems from the crime scene; and the last step is the predictions about the personality, behaviours, and demographic characteristics of the likely criminal (Snook et al., 2007). Snook et al. (2007) also describe that the processes of analyzing crime scene data can be classified two types: clinical and statistical in nature. Clinically oriented techniques are based on the profilers intuition, knowledge, experience, and training, in order to generate predictions. Comparing these with statistically oriented techniques, the latter predictions are based on descriptive and inferential statistical models which derive from the result of analysing offenders characteristics who have committed similar crimes previously (Snook et al., 2007). It would seem that profiling can offer more accurate results in some kinds of offence (Stevens, 1995). Hazelwood and Burgess (1995) claim that some serial rapes, murders, arson, child abusing are extraordinarily appropriate for profiling. Ainsworth (2000) suggests that murder and some serious sexual offences are the most common crimes for using offender profiling. In addition, Ainsworth (2001) comments that such serious, personal contact crimes involve attacks on strangers are the most difficult cases to solve for the police. Wilson et al. (1997) also point out that profiling is most useful in serial offences, because profilers can extrapolate and compare data from the various crime scenes. However, the FBI holds the point that property crimes and robberies probably are not suitable for profiling because sometimes these offences cannot reflect the personality of offenders (Ainsworth, 2000). Police forces are always required to focus their investigative efforts to identify crimes which committed by the same offender, because the majority of the crimes come from the minority of offenders (Woodhams and Toye, 2007). Woodhams and Toye (2007) believe that case linkage can be used to examine the likelihood of a series of offences being committed by the same unidentified offender when lacking suitable physical evidence, such as DNA evidence. Crime analysts analyze crime scene actions to consider whether there are some similarities in behaviours which committed by a common offender (Woodhams and Toye, 2007). In addition, Holmes and Holmes (2002) suggest that linkage analysis can identify connections between similar crimes committed by different offenders. Alison, Bennell, Mokros and Ormerod (2002) state that offender profiling rests on two key assumptions in order to make profiling be possible. The first one is the behavioural consistency assumption, which means if serial offenders commit similar offences, they must exhibit behavioural consistency. According to Alison et al. (2002), the variation in behaviour an offender shows must be less than the variation in behaviour by different offenders. The second assumption relies on what Mokros and Alison (2002) have termed the homology assumption, which requires that similar offence behaviour of two offenders will match similar characteristics (Goodwill and Alison, 2007). In addition, the process of case linkage also rests on two key assumptions. The first one is the offender consistency hypothesis, the same with the first assumption of profiling. The second assumption of case linkage is that there is variation in the way different criminals commit crimes (Woodhams, Bull and Hollin, 2007). Thus, for it to be possible to link crimes which committed by the same offender, criminals must behave in a stable but distinctive manner (Woodhams et al., 2007). In terms of the behavioural consistency assumption, it has been hypothesized that each person has a cognitive-affective personality system which would affect the behaviour produced in a given situation (Mischel and Shoda, 1995 as cited in Woodhams and Toye, 2007). This theory implies that when people encounter situations which have a similar psychological meaning to them, they will produce similar behaviour (Woodhams and Toye, 2007). Salfati and Bateman (2005) studied 94 variables relating to serial homicide offences which were obtained from police case files of the Homicide Investigation and Tracking System (HITS) database in Seattle, Washington of USA. They state that serial homicidal offenders are consistent across the series of homicides in their crime scene behaviours. Bennell and Canter (2002) analyzed 86 solved commercial burglaries committed by 43 offenders, they demonstrated that commercial burglary offenders are consistent in their burglary behaviours. Moreover, Santtila, J unkkila and Sandnabba (2005) studied 43 serial stranger rape cases which occurred in Finland during the years 1983-2001, they confirm that rape has a consistent thematic structure (Santtila et al. 2005: 102) instead of being a haphazard collection of behaviours. Whether offenders show more consistency in some criminal behaviour than in others also has received great scrutiny. Researchers group the specific offender behaviours into domains, comparing with others in order to investigate whether offenders show greater behavioural consistency across their series of crimes (Woodhams and Toye, 2007). Grubin, Kelly and Brunsdon (2001) imply that behaviours within the domains of control and escape are less dependent on the situation and the victims behaviour, thus, the control and escape behavioural domains show greater behavioural consistency comparing with the sex and style behavioural domains. Besides that, Bennell and Canter (2002) found that target selection and entry behaviours showed relatively consistent comparing with property stolen by studying the sample of commercial burglaries. However, Goodwill and Alison (2007) stress that the situational determinants of an offence can cause enormous variation in the way of committing the offence. In addition, Goodwill and Alison (2007) also hold the point that the behavioural inferences made about an offender across a crime series are especially vulnerable to violating (Goodwill and Alison, 2007: 824) the consistency condition. Similarly, Snook, Cullen, Bennell, Taylor and Gendreau (2008) emphasize that offender profiling approaches are based on the lacking empirical support typologies and are often based on an outdated understanding of human behaviour. In terms of the homology assumption, perhaps the empirical evidence to support this assumption is a little weak. Mokros and Alison (2002) studied the cases about the number of 100 British male stranger rapists which had some similarities in the crime scene actions. They tested whether increased similarity in offence behaviour coincided with higher resemblance in characteristics and previous convictions. The characteristics they examined including age, ethnicity, employment, education, marital status, and criminal record. They concluded that in their study, there was no evidence could prove the assumption of homology according to the relationships between crime scene and rapists characteristics. Hà ¤kkà ¤nen, Puolakka and Santtila (2004) analysed the number of 189 arsons in Finland from 1990 to 2001 by using non-metric multi-dimensional scaling procedure. In order to find the associations between crime scene actions and criminal characteristics, they divided the crime scene actions into four types: expressive-object, instrumental-object, expressive-person and instrumental-person. In terms of criminal characteristics, they also divided into four types: adolescent, self-destructive arsonist, serial arsonist and criminal. As a result, they found that offenders who committed different types of arsons with some similar characteristics. Obviously, their study failed to offer strong empirical evidence to support the homology assumption. Similarly, Doan and Snook (2008) examined the number of 87 arsons and 177 robberies, and compared the different types and the various criminal characteristics. They stressed that the evidence is low to moderate to support the homology assumption. Furthermore, Goodwill and Alison (2007) declare that the homology assumption may be in effect in some cases but not others. Furthermore, they argue that the homology assumption may be dependent on the extent to the behaviours which influenced by situational, psychological or interpersonal fac tors. In terms of the second assumption of case linkage, some studies have investigated that crimes committed by the same offender can be differentiated from crimes by different criminals. Bennell and Canter (2002) studied 86 solved commercial burglaries, they found that 43 offenders had distinct behavioural features. Bennell and Jones (2005) reported that various linking features exist in different burglaries, and this research also supports the assumption of inter-offender behavioural variation. However, the above studies indicate that the process of case linkage is not perfect and the linkage accuracy appears to vary with crime types (Woodhams et al., 2007). In contrast, Woodhams and Toye (2007) used measures of predictive accuracy which called areas under the curve (AUCs), and they found that there was high predictive accuracy in their study of burglary. It tends to be the case that both the findings of offender profiling and case linkage will be greatly useful for solving the offences in criminal investigations. Offender profiling can inform the prioritization of suspects possessing specified characteristics (Oldfield, 1997 as cited in Woodhams and Toye, 2007: 60), and case linkage can combine police investigative efforts and information from different crime scenes (Grubin, Kelly and Brunsdon, 2001). Besides that, profiles can also be used in providing interviewing skills or approaches for detectives to the potential suspect (Gudjonsson, 1992), and it is important for the trial process, because profiles can provide useful suggestions for prosecutors by assessing the accused, witnesses and juries (Wilson et al., 1997). Furthermore, Holmes and Holmes (2002) stress that linkage analysis systems not only can locate possible suspects from records of similar past offenses, but also can provide maximum information for psychological and geo graphic profiling efforts through confirming similar crimes. In spite of the usefulness of profiling and case linkage, Ainsworth (2000) is worried about that people may be over-optimistic for profiling because it has attracted such widespread public interest. Wilson and Soothill (1996) hold the point that a profile will rarely solve a crime or catch a criminal by itself, but it is designed to be an aid to the investigating police. Profiling experts also state openly that offender profiles are merely another investigative aid, they have never meant to lead exclusively to the apprehension of offenders (Ressler and Schactman, 1992 as cited in Wilson et al., 1997: 8). Furthermore, Jackson and Bekerian (1997) stress that offender profiles do not solve crimes and the answers they are offered are not solutions, accordingly, profiling should be viewed as a tool which can be extremely helpful in offering some strategies, supporting information management, and improving case understanding. Similarly, Gerberth (1995 as cited in Holmes and Holmes, 2002: 1 4) asserted that Criminal profiling is an excellent law enforcement tool. However, it is just one of many tools and does not replace good investigative techniques. Although psychologists have offered very detailed and accurate profiles in a number of famous cases (Canter, 1994), profiles do not always have dramatic and successful results (Ainsworth, 2000). To date, there have been few accurate and systematic tests to examine the exact usefulness of profiling even though some profiles have been proved to be accurate and have led to the conviction of offenders (Ainsworth, 2000). Studies suggest that although criminal profiling is being utilized by police agencies around the world, there is no strong evidence can show that the profiling is reliable, valid, or useful (Snook et al., 2007). Accordingly, many researchers are reluctant to accept criminal profiling is reliable and valuable. For example, Godwin (1978 as cited in Holmes and Holmes, 2002) asserts that profiling has little effect in solving crimes, and he even describes profiles themselves are dull and tedious. Similarly, Levin and Fox claim that profiles are of little use in identifying th e murderers, unfortunately, this tool, no matter how expertly implemented, is inherently limited in its ability to help solve crimes (Levin and Fox, 1985 as cited in Holmes and Holmes, 2002: 275). Snook et al. (2007) conducted a narrative review and analysed the published literature, they concluded that the criminal profiling relied on weak standards of proof and profilers were not better than other groups in predicting the characteristics of an unknown criminal, they even declared that the profiling was extraneous and redundant in investigations. Similarly, Snook et al. (2008) argue that criminal profiling has the potential to mislead criminal investigators, hinder the apprehension of guilty criminals and lead to wrongful convictions. It would seem that profilers can provide more accurate profiles than nonprofilers even though some of the above researchers are reluctant to see profiling as a useful tool. Pinizzotto and Finkel (1990) examined profiles which conducted by professional profilers, detectives, psychologists, and students for a series of cases. Their study found that the profiles offered by the profilers were more accurate than by all of the other groups in most cases. In the sex offender case, the profilers significantly offered more accurate items such as the gender, age, and education of the offender. In addition, their study also shows that profilers can offer richer and more detailed reports (Pinizzotto and Finkel, 1990). However, with regard to the homicide case, the detectives were significantly more accurate than the profilers in the items such as the offenders employment and residence. Kocsis and his research team compared the accuracy of professional profilers, psychologists, self-identified ps ychics, college students, and various groups of law enforcement officers. They found that the profilers provided the actual offenders in the largest number of correct predictions (Kocsis, 2003), with the accuracy rates ranging from 46 per cent to 70 per cent (Kocsis and Middledrop, 2004). However, there was a notable amount of variability within the profiler group, Kocsis and Middledrop (2004) observed that some profilers were much more accurate than others, even though the cause of the variation was still unclear, whether it was due to overall differences in the profilers skills or to specific aspects of the cases. The popularity of profiling is often seen as a measure of its success (Wilson et al., 1997). Copson (1995) shows that in UK, 29 profilers have been responsible for providing 242 instances of profiling advice between 1981 and 1994. However, Snook et al. (2008) claim that profilers always overemphasize the number of correct predictions rather than the proportion of correct predictions. Although there have been very few pieces of research which have tested both the accuracy and usefulness of profiles in live criminal cases, Copsons study Coals to Newcastle? Part 1: a study of offender profiling is one of the few studies (Ainsworth, 2001). Copsons (1995) study demonstrates that 82.6% of respondents reported that the advice they received had been useful, though only 14.1% of officers reported the profiling advice had assisted in solving the case and only 16.3% of respondents reported that the profiling advice had opened new lines of enquiry. Besides that, there are more than 50 per cent o f respondents said that the advice had offered new information for the case. In Copsons (1995) study, 126 officers (68.5%) reported that they would seek profiling advice again definitely in similar circumstances, though less than 50 per cent officers reported that they would definitely use the same profiler again in the similar situation. In addition, Pinizzotto (1984 as cited in Wilson et al., 1997) found that from 192 requests for profiles, actually only 17 per cent were used to help identify the suspects, however, 77 per cent of the respondents reported that the profiles had helped to focus on the investigation. Furthermore, in the earlier survey, Douglas (as cited in Snook et al., 2008) demonstrated that in USA, 46 per cent solved cases of the 192 instances were attributed to the offender profiling which provided by the FBI. Similarly, Jackson, van Koppen, and Herbrink (1993 as cited in Snook et al., 2008) showed that in Netherlands, five sixths of surveyed police officers reported some degree of usefulness about the profiling advice which provided by an FBI trained profiler. Another research shows that in USA, a significant portion of police officers hold the point that offender profiling has its value (Trager and Brewster, 2001 as cited in Snook et al., 2008). Similarly, Torres, Boccaccini and Miller (2006) surveyed forensic psychologists and psychiatrists through the Internet in order to examine their experiences and opinions about profiling. They found that approximately 40 per cent of these professionals feel the criminal investigative analysis is scientifically reliable or valid, and 86 per cent believe that offender profiling is a useful law enforcement tool (Torres et al., 2006). Ainsworth (2000) points out that many senior detectives do not trust the usefulness of offender profiling which provided by profilers. Copson (1995) explains that the negative views taken by senior detectives may come from the misunderstanding of profiling. Copson and Holloway (1997 as cited in Ainsworth, 2000) show that profiling helped to solve only 16 per cent of the crimes in which it was used, and identified the offender in less than 3 per cent of cases. In contrast, Ainsworth (2001) emphasizes that we should look into these figures in a little more detail because normally profiling would only be considered when the case was too difficult to be solved. Another reason is that organizations such as the FBI are reluctant to offer the figures about the successes and failures of the profiles they provide (Muller, 2000). Brittons implication that a large amount of cases have been solved by routine police work, not by offender profiling (Britton, 1997 as cited in Ainsworth, 2000). Howe ver, Canter argues that profiling has advantages in terms of the resources especially for some particular crimes comparing with that the police throw more and more resources at the crime hoping that something will turn up (Canter, 1994: 21). When evaluating the usefulness of profiling, it is necessary to take into account if the profile is seen in isolation or merely as one part of more general guidance which a psychologist might provide to investigators (Ainsworth, 2000:119). Muller (2000) also emphasizes that although some profiles may lead the wrong directions to the investigation, this may only be a problem if the police place a greater amount of faith in the profile than they do in their own investigative skills (Muller, 2000: 259). Another problem should be concerned is that when evaluating the accuracy of a profile, police officers are excessively subjective (Kocsis, 2003). Smith and Alison (2001 as cited in Kocsis, 2003) found that police officers were unable to discern the difference in the amount of accurate information in two profiles, and they tended to interpret ambiguous statements by their own subjective intentions. Kocsis and Hayes investigated the perceptions of police officers concerning the utility and accuracy of the profile, also found that perception of the accuracy of a profile is quite likely to be associated with the readers perception regarding the identity of its author (Kocsis and Hayes, 2003 as cited in Kocsis, 2003: 129). Kocsis and Middledorp (2004) examined a sample of 353 participants in order to explore Kocsis and Hellers findings that the relationship between ones belief of a profile and the perceived accuracy of that profile. Kocsis and Middledorp (2004) found that there is a posit ive relationship between belief and perceived accuracy. They point out that the extent accuracy which participants perceive depending on their beliefs in profiling. Ainsworth (2001) also suggests that the dangers of the self-fulfilling prophecy should be concerned because police officers have the cognizant sense that any psychological profile may fit some individuals, which leads to the inaccuracy. Psychologists will tend to be focus on the probabilities of offence; in contrast, the police officers tend to operate in terms of guilt or innocence (Ainsworth, 2001). It would seem that it is difficult to assess the accuracy and the value of profiles. One important issue should be considered is that whether profiling can bring new information to an enquiry or whether the profiling can confirm those cases which the police already suspected (Ainsworth, 2001). Ainsworth (2001) implies that in many cases, it is difficult to discern the new material because there may be an overlap between the information which the profiler offers and that which has already been collected by the police. In some cases, although the profilers advice may not be seem as the new information, profilers input may help police prioritize the information which they are considering (Ainsworth, 2001). Moreover, the value of profiling may depend on different cases. For example, profilers can offer deeper insights of some more serious forms of mental illness and some sexual assault cases than non-experts and some police who have little previous experience about those cases (Ainsworth , 2001). In conclusion, the future of psychological profiling and case linkage appear promising, research seems to be supporting the underling assumptions of these practices even though there have been few systematic and accurate studies to test the exact usefulness of offender profiling and case linkage. In terms of the homology assumption, the empirical evidence is especially weak to support it. Profiling as an additional tool plays an important role in criminal investigations, especially in serial offences. Studies suggest that profilers can provide more accurate profiles than nonprofilers. Case linkage provides a good way to collate and compare the information between related cases, thus, investigative efforts can be combined and officers can avoid the repetition of investigations. Most police officers would seek profiling advice and case linkage because of the agreement of their usefulness. However, over-optimistic vision of profiling and case linkage should be concerned because they do not always have dramatic and successful results even though many solved cases were attributed to offender profiling and case linkage. Finally, profiling and case linkage are useful tools and cannot replace the other good investigative techniques.

Securities And Investment Fraud Criminology Essay

Securities And Investment Fraud Criminology Essay It has been a long time since financial crime has been identified and the body of research in this type of issue has been growing rapidly. Today this research provide covers a wide range of topic ranging from financial studies to social implication of the study as well as to research to prevention and best practices that may help to stop this fast growing issue. This chapter will provide an overview of the impact of financial crime, the steps used to address this problem and briefly assess the theories of about financial crime in the world. Definition and types of financial crimes There is no broad concensus on the meaning of financial crime but it can be understood that it is any type of illegal activity that result in an economic loss.Financial crimes, sometimes defined to as white collar crimes, are nonviolent criminal acts comitted to gaine illegal monetary. According to the United Nation Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) financial crime can be viewed as any non-violent crime that results in a financial loss which includes computer crime and dishonest practices. Financial crimes is a critical issue and it has likely devastating economic, security and social impact. It encourages drug dealers, terrorists, illegal arm dealer, corrupt public officials and others to operate and expand their criminal enterprises.According to Petter Gottschalk, (2010), financial crime can be categoried in corruption, fraud, theft and manipulation . There are different types of financial crime. These types are as follows: Money Laundering According to Jeffrey Simser, (2006), money laundering can be defined as a technique designed to make illicit acquisitive gains appear legitimate, usually by disguising the propertys illegal provenance. In other words, perpetrators are trying to cover-up the monetary sources obtained from illegal transactions so that it look like it was acquired from legal sources. Commonly, according to (Schneider, 2004; Cassella, 2004), money laundering has been described as a cycle taking place in three different stages. Firstly, Placement, the stage at which illegal funds are introduced in the financial system mainly deposited in a bank account.Layering, the stage of the process in which the property is moved around from bank to bank and its ownership and source is covered-up in order to keep it away from its illicit source and the final stage at which the property is re-introduced into the legitimate economy. Embezzlement According to williams (2006), embezzlement can be defined as the dishonest appropriation to personal use or benefit of property or money entrusted by another. The actor first comes into possession of the property with the permission of the owner. Embezzlement can often occur between trusted friends or even relatives, but also occurs in simple businesses as well. Conscientious examination of financial records by the fund owner can help reveal signs of embezzlement, such as missing funds, duplicated checks, or accounting errors. Credit card fraud Pickett and Pickett (2002) suggested that credit card fraud is the use of stolen credit card details to get access to the goods or services in the name of the cardholder. Sometimes a brand new credit card is falsified using known details. Cards can be stolen or details obtained from files that are not properly safe. Securities and investment fraud Securities fraud is a type of financial crime that is involved in illegal manipulation of values of financial market. It includes insider trading, preferential rates, and misrepresentation of value. The types of misrepresentation implicated in this crime include providing false information and giving bad advice. Insider trading occurs when a person reveals information about an investment then uses the information to buy or sell shares with a business. Preferential rates and misrepresentation both implicate inflating or deflating the value of stocks in order to manipulate the market. Investment Property is the Property sold as a certified investment with high returns. The victim is influenced to buy investment property with a property management firm that will deal all the loan documents. The victim reassured and told that he or she has to do nothing other than be the buyer and borrower. Then the victim finds that the property was increased in value,no loan payments have ever been done, and any collected rents have been stolen as well. Identity theft and Phising Laundon and Laudon (2010) defines identity theft as a crime in which a pretender gets personal information, such as social security identification numbers, drivers license numbers, or credit card, name, address, drivers license, date of birth, Social Security number, account information, account login credentials, or family identifiers to pretend to be someone else. According to Higgins et al., (2008), iIdentity theft is the illegal use of anothers personal identifying information.It implicate financial or other personal information stolen with the intention of to be someone else. Phishing is defined as the technology or social engineering used to attract victims to reveal their personal information such as account numbers, login IDs, passwords, and other confirmable information that can then be exploited for illicit purposes, including identity theft. Phishing is most often commited through mass emails and spoofed websites. Counterfeiting Counterfeiting is a pernicious crime as it corrupts the monetary system. Counterfeiting implaicates the use of fake money, such as manufacturing falsely bills and coins with a more valuable version. Therefore, counterfeiting can break up the flow of inflation and deflation by adding more falsely money into a controlled system and also threaten global security, as these activities are sometimes committed by terrorists and other dangerous criminals to finance their activities or disguise their profits (Interpol, 2009). Mail Fraud Internet sales or online auction fraud The perpetrator agrees to buy an item available for sale on the Internet or in an online auction. The seller is told that he or she will be sent an official check (e.g., cashiers check) via overnight mail. When the check arrives, it is several hundred or thousand dollars more than the agreed-upon selling price. The seller is instructed to deposit the check and refund the overpayment. The official check is subsequently returned as a counterfeit but the refund has already been sent. The seller is left with a loss, potentially of both the merchandise and the refund. Bank Fraud This is criminal acts committed in connection with bankruptcy or liquidation proceedings. A person filing for bankruptcy or a business that has gone into liquidation can hide assets after proceedings have been initiated, thereby preventing creditors from collecting their claims. However, most of the criminal acts are typically committed before bankruptcy/liquidation proceedings are initiated, e.g. the debtor has failed to keep accounts or has unlawfully withdrawn money from the business (Økokrim, 2008). Bribery and corruption THEORIES ON FINANCIAL CRIME : WHAT ARE THE FACTORS INFLUENCING FINANCIAL CRIME? A theory is a forecasting or justification of a fact. According to Petter Gottschalk, (2010), the body of research of financial crime is divided into three branches: Behavioral theories According to Hansen (2009), distinction can be made between economic, business, and elite crimes. Participants employed in reputed financial institutions commit most of such crimes. Employees for their own benefits instead of for the business benefits, commit occupational or greatest crime. Hansen (2009) suggested that people commit crime because of low self-control. Duffield and Grabsky (2001) describe some of the key motivational and psychological factors that lead to financial crime. They stated that fraud can be explained by three factors: 1) An increased in motivated criminals, 2) The availability of suitable funds, and 3) The absence of security. As Nettler noticed the intensity of desire and the perception of opportunity are personality variables. The balance between desire and opportunity moves. Temptation to steal fluctuates with individual temperament and situation (Nettler 1974, p.75).Motivation is, therefore, a combination of an individuals personality and the opportunity which they get. Fraud is mainly committed by motivated and determined organized participants for the only reason; financial benefits Greed Fraud is executed by motivated groups of organised actors determined only for financial profit. According to the Drugs and Crime Prevention Committee of Victoria,an increase in recent years of organised criminals in illicit and suspicious activity implicate mostly external attacks on banks, superannuation funds and business. Duffield Grabosky (2001) noted that greed lies at the heart of much dishonest activity in the society. Emerging Trends in ones lifestyle People are convince to have recourse to financial crime due to the changes in financial condition that exceed their control. Unfortunately some are capitulated to commit illicit act to maintain a good standard of living. Financial Strain Financial strain caused by gambling problem is an area of concern (Duffield Grabosky 2001). The cost of suspicious drugs contributes also to financial stress on individuals who take part in them therefore they are tempted to commit crime in order to get money. According to the Drug and Crime Prevention of Victoria, relationship or marital breakdowns causes, both financial and emotional stress which can represent a sudden decrease in the standard of living of an indvidual together with a feeling of powerlessness and resentment, ones can have recourse to financial crime in order to earn a good living. Power Duffield and Grabosky (2001) noted the desire some people have for power over others and over situations. In other words, the feeling of power over individual appears to be a determined force to perform illicit act by taking advantage on weak people. Misunderstandings Poor communication can arise some form of dishonesty. According to Neville (2000), complaints have been made each year in Victoria against sollicitors for misappropriation of assets or income that concern poor communication between practitioners and their clients. Practitioners may be found guilty for not following the standard of conduct. Organizational theories A financial crime often takes place in form of an organized crime. According to Petter Gottschalk (2010), criminal organization acts as a monopolistic firm, and the theory of monopoly is used to estimate organized crimes. In organized crime, Shvarts (2001) suggests that rational choice theory can explain the rise of the Russian Mafia that is because of low income and financial difficulties allied with an exploiting police force, they had any choice to have recourse to crime to afford their standard of living. Rational choice theory states that people commit crimes after acknowledging the punishment for the crimes, as well as the rewards of completing these acts successfully. Examples of this theory include the bank teller who is experiencing personal financial difficulty and decides to loot funds from the bank in order to increase his standard of living (Lyman and Potter, 2007). Gross (1978) argued in his classical article on the theory of organizational crime that studies of crime, and delinquency have a strong theoretical base. He gave two important theoretical relationships. Firstly, the internal structure and setting of organizations is that in order for the goals to be acheived , the organization will be forced to violate the rules and regulation set in the business. Secondly, the perpetrators will associate with the upward mobility of the organization and likely willing and able to commit crime for the business to attain its goals and to prosper.Bruinsma and Bernasco (2004) used social network theory to explain the differences in social organization between criminal groups that is criminal organization have a network structure which is related to the legal and financial risks associated with the crimes Managerial theories According to Eisenhardt (1985), agency theory is involved with agreeing two problems that can occur in agency relationships. Firstly, the agency problem arises when the desires or goals of the principal and agent disaccord and it is fuzzy and costly for the principal to verify what the agent is doing. Secondly, is the problem of risk sharing that take place when the principal and agent have different risk preferences, goals and do not share profits which occur due to accessibility of new technology. Garoupa (2007) adapted agency theory to criminal organizations. He categorized the criminal firm as a family business with one principal and several agents. Alliance theory is concerned with partnership,often happens in criminal organizations, it reduce the risk of incompetent legal provision. Trust is an important factor in partnerships. Criminal organizations are often based on trust between its members. Governmental Theories Adverse government structures can also be a motivating factor to financial crime. An increased in economic activities together with a weak system in a country including weak government capacity and weak democracy, poor remuneration of public servants, lack of transparency in government institutions and weak rule of law has increased the opportunities for people to have recourse to economic and financial crime .

Somalia Culture Essay -- Essays Papers

Somalia Culture Somalia is a country situated in the ÒhornÓ of East Africa. It is bordered by the Gulf of Aden in the north, the Indian Ocean on the east and southeast, Kenya in the southwest, Ethiopia in the west, and Djibouti in the northwest. Somalia is about four times the size of the State of Minnesota, or slightly smaller than Texas. The capital is Mogadishu. Somalia's population is mostly rural. Nearly 80% of the people are pastoralists, agriculturalists, or agropastoralists. Except for a small number of Somalis who rely on fishing, the rest of the population are urban dwellers. Somalia's chief cities and towns are Mogadishu (the capital), Hargeisa, Burao, Berbera, Bossaso, Marka, Brava, Baidoa, and Kismaayo. In the past few years, civil war and famine have changed urban demographics as hundreds of thousands of displaced Somalis have poured into the cities seeking sanctuary and relief. Ethnically and culturally, Somalia is one of the most homogeneous countries in Africa. Somalia has its minorities: there are people of Bantu descent living in farming villages in the south, and Arab enclaves in the coastal cities. A small number of Europeans, mostly Italians, live on farms in the south. But the great majority of the people are ethnic Somalis who speak dialects of the same language, Somali, and who practice the same religion, Islam. In a land of sparse rainfall, more than half the population consists of pastoralists or agropastoralists who raise camels, cattle, sheep, and goats. There are farmers, mostly in the south and northwest, and in recent years a new urban group of government workers, shopkeepers, and traders has emerged, but it is the nomadic way of life, with its love of freedom and open spaces, that is c... ...e or the hand up to the wrist. Its application often signifies happy occasions, such as a marriage or the birth of a baby. Somalia's economic fortunes are being driven by its deep political divisions. The northern area has declared its independence.. During 1992-1993, Somalia experienced a great famine. This famine was the result of a drought coupled with the disastrous effect that infighting among rival clan militias had on the land and the livestock in Somalia. Somalis have always relied on their land and livestock to support themselves, and so this famine was devastating to them. Consequently, over 900,000 Somalis fled to neighboring countries. Approximately 400,000 of these refugees fled to Kenya. Since that time, some of the refugees have returned to Somalia, yet the situation there is still so tenuous that many have chosen to remain in the refugee camps.

The Role of Computers in Our Future :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Role of Computers in Our Future As far as computers in the future, I feel that they are going to play a major role. They will be in everyday life, in everything we do. There will be many areas affected by the wide use of computers. Areas such as: home, work, schools, automobiles, electronics, and humans. Although these areas are already affected, they will be even more as we move into the future. To begin this discussion I will show you the effects on the work place and humans. As for humans in the work place, work will become easier. So this means less stress for humans because the computers will be doing all the work. This in turn means that humans will be doing less and less because the computers will be slowly taking over. As for a human going to work, this may only consist of telling a computer what to do all day. Or even from your own home, waking up and telling your computer what to do so you do not even have to go into work. Now for communication with computers, this may get so advanced that your computer may even ask you questions about the work it is doing and that you are getting paid to do. So this is where I see computers going as far as work and humans. Now for computers in the schools, I feel we will soon have no books and all work will be done on computers. Even homework will be done on the internet and e-mailed to the teacher. Children will be taught about computers at a younger and younger age. This in turn will make the younger generations more and more skilled in electronics and understanding how they work. This will have a very large impact on they way projects and or work is viewed. The next step is computers in the home. Computers will play a major role in homes. They will automatically pull the bread in to toast it with no lever. It will in turn tell you how your food is doing while it is cooking in the microwave and then tell you when it is done. Now to enter your own home you may only have to say â€Å"open door†. The computer will automatically scan your voice and unlock the door and let you in. So this is how I feel that computers will affect the home steed. The Role of Computers in Our Future :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers The Role of Computers in Our Future As far as computers in the future, I feel that they are going to play a major role. They will be in everyday life, in everything we do. There will be many areas affected by the wide use of computers. Areas such as: home, work, schools, automobiles, electronics, and humans. Although these areas are already affected, they will be even more as we move into the future. To begin this discussion I will show you the effects on the work place and humans. As for humans in the work place, work will become easier. So this means less stress for humans because the computers will be doing all the work. This in turn means that humans will be doing less and less because the computers will be slowly taking over. As for a human going to work, this may only consist of telling a computer what to do all day. Or even from your own home, waking up and telling your computer what to do so you do not even have to go into work. Now for communication with computers, this may get so advanced that your computer may even ask you questions about the work it is doing and that you are getting paid to do. So this is where I see computers going as far as work and humans. Now for computers in the schools, I feel we will soon have no books and all work will be done on computers. Even homework will be done on the internet and e-mailed to the teacher. Children will be taught about computers at a younger and younger age. This in turn will make the younger generations more and more skilled in electronics and understanding how they work. This will have a very large impact on they way projects and or work is viewed. The next step is computers in the home. Computers will play a major role in homes. They will automatically pull the bread in to toast it with no lever. It will in turn tell you how your food is doing while it is cooking in the microwave and then tell you when it is done. Now to enter your own home you may only have to say â€Å"open door†. The computer will automatically scan your voice and unlock the door and let you in. So this is how I feel that computers will affect the home steed.

Somalia vs United States Essay -- Compare Contrast Comparison

Somalia vs United States Somalia, which is about the size of Texas, is a small country located in Eastern Africa next to the Indian Ocean. The United States, which is located on the Western Hemisphere, is bordered by Mexico and Canada and is between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Separated not only by the Atlantic Ocean, Somalia and the United States are also separated by the differences in economies and populations. These two countries that are quite opposite in size have some similarities in their governments and education systems. Somalia is one of the world’s poorest and least developed countries (Campbell). Because of the Civil War, which broke out in 1991, much of Somalia’s economy has been devastated. The war left many homeless and drove them to raise livestock as a means of survival. The economy used to be based on exports of cattle, goats, and bananas but as of early 1992 much of the economic trade had come to a halt. Now the economy is primarily based on the raising of livestock, which accounts for 40% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (Alhaus). Due to overgrazing, soil erosion, and the clearing away of many trees, Somalia has very few natural resources, which have not been exploited. Known deposits include petroleum, copper, magnesium, gypsum, and iron (â€Å"Somalian Economy"). Before the war, Somalia had a well-functioning democratic republic government. Under the 1979 Constitution, the president held executive power. The president was the head and leader of the country’s sole legal political party, The Somali Revolutionary Socialist Party. Elected to serve a 7-year term, the president was nominated by the party’s central committee. Ever since the civil war in 1991, when the government collapsed, Somalia has been in a state of civil war and anarchy (â€Å"Somalian Government†). Somalia is one of the countries in the world with the least diversity among the people. 98.8% of the population is made up of ethnic Somalis (Kraus). Other minority groups include Arabs, Indians, Italians, and Pakistanis. Most Somalis are nomadic or semi nomadic herders of livestock. The rest are either crop farmers or inhabitants of the few urban centers. The official languages of the country are Somali and Arabic and the state religion is Islam (â€Å"Somalian People†). Primary education for children of at least six years was mandatory for Somalians. Many ... ...CD-ROM. Rediman: Microsoft, 1999. 7. â€Å"Somalian Economy.† 1 March 1999. Country Profiles. 8 Sep. 2001 Photius.com/wfb/wfb1999/Somalia/Somalis_economy.html>. 8. â€Å"Somalian Government.† 1 March 1999. Country Profiles. 8 Sep. 2001 Photius.com/wfb/wfb1999/Somalia/Somalia_government.html>. 9. â€Å"Somalian People.† 1 March 1999. Country Profiles. 8 Sep. 2001 Photius.com/wfb/wfb1999/Somalia/Somalia_people.html>. 10. â€Å"United States.† The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia 6th Edition. Columbia University Press, 2001. 8 Sep. 2001 13247.html. 11. â€Å"United States of America.† Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations, 2nd ed. U*X*L, 1999. Reproduced in Student Resources Center. Farmington hills, Mich.: Gale Group. December 2000 . 12. â€Å"United States Economy.† The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia 6th Edition. Columbia University Press, 2001. 8 Sep. 2001 articlesnews/13247Economy.html. 13. â€Å"United States People.† The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia 6th Edition. Columbia University Press, 2001. 8 Sep. 2001 13247People.html. 14. Vick, Karl. â€Å"Building a government form scratch. After 10 chaotic years, Somalia has a president.† Washington Post 24 Nov. 2000: A45.

Being Gay and Elderly in Toronto

According to Peter Sprigg, author of â€Å"Gay Marriage Questions,† there are two reasons a civil marriage should not be granted for gay couples. One is that since they are relationships and not marriages, they should not be granted. Sprigg says that in order to have a marriage, there must be a union of a man and a woman, not a man and a man.Traditional intercourse cannot take place with two men involved. The second one is that these type relationships are harmful. They do not provide the same benefits as a marriage between a man and a woman, and their consequences are far more negative than positive. (www.nogaymarriage. com/gaymarriagequestions. html) Either way, it’s looked at, even with the evidence standing alone, it is enough to not accept the claim that gay couples should be able to legally marry. The first argument is that marriage is an institution that predates the law and the Constitution. Marriage is sociological, not legal. Laws relating to marriage just ack nowledge and keep in tact an institution that is already in existence. However, some people believe that marriage is a way of recognizing couples who are in love with each other. With that being said, they want to spend the rest of their lives together.Consider this. According to Sprigg, love and companionship were sufficient to define marriage, then there would be no reason to deny â€Å"marriage† to unions of a child and an adult, or an adult child and his aging parent, or to roommates who have no sexual relationship. Most people think that the sexual element is what defines a marriage. However, marriage is so much more than that. According to Webster, marriage is a mutual relationship between husband and wife; the institution whereby men and women are joined in a special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family.Anthropologist Kingsley Davis says that marriage is â€Å"the unique trait of what is commonly called marriage is s ocial recognition and approval†¦of a couple’s engaging in sexual intercourse and bearing and rearing children. † The question was raised, are married couples without children really in a marriage? If gay couples are denied to marry, shouldn’t straight couples without children be denied also? According to what Sprigg had to say concerning marriage and children, this would make sense, would it not? Not necessarily.If a couple wants children, and for some reason cannot have them, it is not their fault. A couple who decides not to have children may change their minds. At any rate, childless marriages are still acknowledged because if not, it would be an invasion of a heterosexual couples privacy to require that they show intent to bear children, or the ability to have children. So, what is the real purpose of marriage? Anthropologist Kingsley Davis says that a marriage’s purpose is to socially recognized and approved to engage in sexual intercourse and be ar and rear children.Another marriage scholar, Maggie Gallagher says that â€Å"marriage across societies is a public sexual union that creates kinship obligations and sharing of resources between men, women, and the children their sexual union may produce. The mere biological conception and birth of children are not enough to make sure that reproduction of a healthy and successful society. Paul Nathanson, the homosexual scholar says that there are at least five functions that marriage serves—things that every culture must do in order to survive and thrive. They are: 1. Foster the bonding between men and women 2.Foster the birth and rearing of children 3. Foster some form of healthy masculine identity 4. Foster the bonding between men and children 5. Foster the transformation of adolescents into sexually responsible adults Maggie Gallagher puts it more simply, saying that â€Å"children need mothers and fathers† and â€Å"marriage is the most practical way to get the m for children. Actually, when you look at it, homosexuals already have the right the right to marry just like anyone else. When applying for marriage licenses, the application does not ask for a person’s sexual orientation. Now, the freedom of homosexuals to marry is another story.Their marriage, just as any marriage stipulates that any person is legally sanctioned from marrying a child, a close blood relative, a person who is already married, or a person of the same sex. Just because homosexuals have a desire to marry, does not make it right or legal anymore than the desires of other tiny (but less vocal ) minorities of Americans gives them a right to pedophilic â€Å"marriages†, â€Å"incestuous marriages,† or polygamous â€Å"marriages. † Some feel that prohibiting same sex marriages is just as discriminatory as interracial marriages. However, that is not valid thinking.The purpose of the law against interracial marriage was to protect the social syst em of racial segregation, not to protect the nature of marriage. Preserving â€Å"racial purity† was an unworthy goal, certainly not one of the fundamental purposes of marriage common to all human civilizations. One of the arguments against gays is the fact that God is not pleased with that union. According to the Bible, Men should not be lovers of themselves and neither should women. If God said it, then, that settles it. Among all the sins mentioned in the Bible, perhaps none is more disgusting to God than that of homosexuality.God destroyed two cities in the plains of Jordan, called Sodom and Gomorrah, because their wickedness was great (Genesis 13:10-13). The English word, â€Å"sodomy† is a derivative of the word â€Å"Sodom† for the cities were full of the sins of sodomy. Now, with that in mind, how many times are people arrested for sodomizing young children or sodomizing another man? If one can get arrested for sodomizing, then evidently, it would stand to reason, that homosexuality is not right Biblically or lawfully. God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. â€Å"If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination.They shall surely be put to death and their blood {shall be} upon them. † (Leviticus 20:13). Homosexuality is not a disease that is inherited or a disease from birth. Homosexuality is a learned behavior, much like lying, stealing, fornication, etc. Those that learn and practice such must stop. 1 Corinthians 6:9 says, â€Å"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolater, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.† The homosexuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. They must bring forth fruits worthy of repentance. Now, the purpose of this paper is to argue whether or not same sex marriages should take place in Toronto or anyplace else. Though the Bible or religion is not in question here, there is still the argument of whether gays should be legally married? The scripture clearly states, that this union should not be sanctioned. Consider this. It is not a sin for the color of one’s skin to be white, red, yellow, or lack, and we shouldn’t discriminate against another because of it. However, it is a sin to be a homosexual.It is not a matter of discrimination. It is a matter of right or wrong in the sight of Almighty God. Some say homosexuals are born that way and cannot change. This is another effort of men trying to justify themselves while practicing homosexuality. Homosexuality is condemned from the beginning of time to the end. One of these days, we will have to stand before God and give an account of what was we do to our bodies, smoking, homosexuality, illegal drugs, etc. In Nova-Scotia, two men were married, but they were told, t hat they could not receive communion, unless they were celibate.These two men, both 69 are now trying to make the decision whether to leave the Catholic Church because now, they must make a choice between their religion and their marriage. They were refused, because Communion wafers are considered the body and blood of Christ. To Catholics, receiving communion is one of the faith’s most sacred rituals. Additionally, they were told that their marriage was a public scandal. Many people wonder why defending marriages and defending the family require different views regarding same-sex unions. In other words, how can a homosexual marriage affect a heterosexual marriage?Well, homosexuals unions often have a more direct impact on heterosexual marriages than we know. For instance, the Boston Globe reported June 29, 2003, that â€Å"nearly 40 percent† of the 5,700 homosexual couples who have entered into â€Å"civil unions† in Vermont â€Å"have had a previous heterosex ual marriage. † Children are the ones who suffer the most of homosexual unions because these children grow up without a mother and a father. These children are also products of heterosexual marriages that ended up in divorce or death. These children also face being ridiculed at school and among their peers.The question is will these children, after being exposed to homosexuality in the home, grow up to be gay, or does this help them to choose heterosexuality vs. homosexuality? How do the mothers of these children feel about their now gay ex-husband, having custody or visitation rights? Some would approve it, and some would not. In Toronto, June 30, 2006, (LifeSiteNews. com) – The mainstream media brought to life the phantom of the gay gene theory7 in covering a Canadian study on the origin of homosexuality. â€Å"Homosexuality influenced by biological factors, Canadian researcher says, â€Å"proclaimed the CBC, the first to break the story.This study was regarding sex ual orientation of men determined before birth. However, the study was most intriguing for what the mainstream media failed to cover. Namely that, if true, the study suggests that homosexuality is a congenital abnormality, and shares its origins with other disorders developed in the womb. (www. lifesite. net/ldn/2006/jun/06063003. html Westen, John Henry, 2006) Some researchers at Brock University in St. Catherine’s Ontario published a study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences entitled â€Å"Biological versus non biological older brothers and men’s sexual orientation.The results of this study proved that same-sex sexual orientation is a result from having older brothers, even though the brothers may have not been raised together. To put it simpler, by way of explanation the researchers suggest that same sex relationships result from an immune reaction of the mother to the male child in her womb. â€Å"A theory of male homosexuality is consi stent with the present finding that maternal immune response to succeeding male pregnancies,† says the study.If in fact, this study is correct, then the link between the mother’s immune reaction and the child’s future sexual orientation would probably be some effect of maternal anti-male antibodies on the sexual differentiation of the brain. † Dr. John Shea, medical advisor to Campaign Life Coalition, explained to LifeSiteNews. com that the study explains the significance of its findings suggesting that â€Å"the immune response of the mother’s body, damages the sexual differentiation of the brain of the male child in the womb, thus producing an abnormality in the fetus.† In 1998, almost 3. 7 million Canadians were 65 years of age and older. Over the next fifteen years, this number is expected to grow to approximately 5. 9 million. However, it is impossible to tell how many lesbians and gay men live in Canada. However, the numbers of older gay adults are estimated between 296,000 and 370,000, and should incr4ase proportionately to the general older population of the country to between 471,000 and 590,000 people.(Newsletter of the centre for Applied Social research Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Vol. no. 2/Fall/Winter, 2002). Gerontological research has begun to look at the issues pertaining to gay and lesbian seniors only in the late 1970s, and most of these studies in the area have not succeeded in the experience of gay aging from the viewpoint of women, ethnocultural minorities, low-income individuals, and chose not actively involved in the gay and lesbian communities. (Ibid, 2002)In summary, if all studies conducted on whether or not gay marriage should be sanctioned y the church in regard to marriage, the evidence shows and proves that homosexual couples, male or female should not be sanctioned because of the following reasons: 1. An abomination in the eyesight of God 2. In these relationships, the ma rriage cannot be sanctioned because no union really took place. 3. Children, cannot be born of these marriages, unless they were brought in from a heterosexual marriage.One of the purposes of marriage is to have children. 4. Foster the bond between many women, and a list of other reasons mentioned above. References (www. nogaymarriage. com/gaymarriagequestions. html (Leviticus 20:13, King James Version of Holy Bible) (www. lifesite. net/ldn/2006/jun/06063003. html Westen, John Henry, 2006) (Newsletter of the centre for Applied Social research Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Vol. no. 2/Fall/Winter, 2002).