The Influence of Rationalism on the French Revolution

Ben Jorgensen Professor Wakefield English 5 3 April 2013 The Influence of Rationalism on the French Revolution What was the driving force behind the French Revolution? Many people may say it was financial, or political, and while I would agree that these things were part of the force that propelled the French Revolution, I would assert that the philosophies of the Enlightenment were the dominant force that blasted late eighteenth century France into revolution . In his article, â€Å"The French Revolution: Ideas and Ideologies â€Å"Maurice Cranston of History Today articulates that the Enlightenment philosophies were pivotal in the revolutions inception. He writes that: â€Å"The philosophes undoubtedly provided the ideas.† Cranston goes on to†¦show more content†¦The King shared his powers with nobody, and was answerable for its exercise to nobody but God.† (21) The ancien regime government lacked reason, but was bursting with more than its fair share of divine laws and rights that the â€Å"creator† had set in place in order to insure social stability. In fact, as Doyle points out in his book, this concept that God had set forth a divine law to be followed was directly stated in a document that parliament wrote: â€Å"This social order is not only essential to the practice of every sound government: it has its origin in divine law.† (24) The document goes on to say that: â€Å"The infinite and immutable wisdom in the plan of the universe established an unequal distribution of strength and character, necessarily resulting in inequality in the conditions of men within the civil order†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (24) This document summed up the ancien regimes ideology: God has placed the king the clergy, and aristocracy above the common people and that is how it is, because that is how it has been. The words irrational, divine, and superstitious come up many times when describing the ancien regimes government and society; in fact, these things were actually integral to the maintenance of government and society in France during the ancien regime. Indeed, you could not have this form of government without divine law, irrational organization, and superstitious beliefs.Show MoreRelatedThe Enlightenment Principles Of Rationalism And Universal Rights1684 Words   |  7 Pagesthought became the chief values of society. Thinkers such as John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau were signposts of this era, inspiring populations locally and abroad. This revolution of ideas led to political and societal upheaval throughout the Western world. This essay will argue that the Enlightenment principles of rationalis m and universal rights shaped modern Europe and North America through the rejection of absolutist government and the movement towards an equal society. The effect of these EnlightenmentRead MoreThe Enlightenment Era Of 1620 And 1789910 Words   |  4 Pagesbooks, scientific discovery and revolution. 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Possession Is Nine Tenths Of The Law - 929 Words

Possession is nine-tenths of the law. This statement means that determining the proper proprietorship of an item is easier to regulate if one of the people claiming ownership of the item is in possession of said item. However what transpires if the item in question is actually an entire landmass? Well, in William Shakespeare’s play The Tempest, this is exactly what happens. Two characters in the play, Prospero and Caliban, lay claim to the island in which they both are inhabiting. Both Prospero and Caliban give reasons to why they believe that the island is entitled to them, some reasons good and others bad. Looking at the reasons given it is clearly shown that one is slightly more entitled to the island than the other. Prospero puts forth reasons as to why his in the entitled ruler of the island. Prospero main reasons for his alleged leadership is that he has and teaches knowledge, and Caliban tried to rape his daughter. To begin with, Prospero is the former Duke of Milan; and the reason he and his daughter his on the island is because Prospero was overthrown by his brother while he kept to his books. This establishes that Prospero is smart and throughout the story Prospero is seen as sort of a teacher to some of the characters, one of which being Caliban. Because Prospero teaches Caliban, Prospero feels that he is more deserving and capable to be the ruler of the island. Prospero bestowed Caliban with the â€Å"gift of language† but he uses this action to show that he isShow MoreRelatedPersuasive Essay On Gun Control1806 Words   |  8 Pagesowning guns. Therefore, it is hard to throw out one law to mandate all guns when there is such a diverse population in the United States. 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Education Leadership Social Responsibility â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Education Leadership Social Responsibility? Answer: Introduction The report gives an overview of leadership in business. There is description and evaluation of the relevant leadership theories along with a self-assessment done. The report provides a personal development plan that includes rationale, opportunities, strategies, timeframe, measures and resourcing. There is also discussion of influence and concept of ethics in leadership mentioned in the report. Further, the report also describes cultural context of leadership in self-development. The report also provides a scope for exploration of social responsibility on leadership. Additionally, there is also exploration of the influence of stakeholders goal and stakeholder on leadership mentioned in the report. There is also discussion about the societal influence on leadership Exploring Leadership Theories, Known Leaders, and Evaluating Own Frame of Reference Leadership defined by the art of motivating and influencing people for performing in a manner so that a common goal is achievable. In other words, leadership is the sum totals of tasks, roles and responsibilities that influence that are interpersonal (Northouse, 2015). Thus, a leader should not only be intelligent enough to solve problems but should also possess high character and integrity. Thus, effective workers not only work ceaselessly but also communicate with people for motivating them in an effective manner. However, some of the great leaders include David Cameroon, Pope Francis, Vladimir Putin and Barrack Obama. There are various theories on leadership and these when followed from time to time influences a leaders effectiveness. These theories are as follows: Trait Theory of Leadership: This is a theory that emphasizes upon the qualities and traits of leaders that ensures their effectiveness. However, trait theory cannot establish the trait that should be common to all the leaders (Fleeson Jayawickreme, 2015). The theory is also unable to explain the instances where leadership fails. Although, certain traits such as charisma, confidence and knowledge might help the leaders to act more effectively but relying on these traits might not always provide motivation for the goal stated. Application Trait theory commonly applies in the workplace. There has been great deal of research that has gone into determining the traits helpful in specific jobs. For instance, a sales person would do better if she is extrovert; a teacher would succeed if he is conscientious and a navy seal can get the job done in case he is confident and open to new experiences. Thoughtfulness Personally, I would use the theory for orientation of character while recruiting a person for sales job. In normal cases, a person might lie or even stretch the truth for getting the job. I say this because if a person is an introvert then he might lie stating to be an extrovert as might hinder his chances of getting a job. Behavioral Theory of Leadership: The behavioral theory of leadership used for identification of specific leadership behavior that leads to their success. Leaders might demonstrate people oriented or task oriented behaviors that might help them in making decisions that are either democratic or authoritarian (Turner, 2012). This resulted in different circumstances. However, the theory did not look upon the situational factors and the ambience under which such behavior demonstrated. Application: The behavioral theories applied for the preparation of the emergency and disaster management at organizational, community and individual levels. Thoughtfulness: I would apply the behavioral theory in understanding the employee behavior of my company. Thus as leader this will not only enable me to understand the attitude, performance and interpersonal skills but at the same time implement procedures and techniques for the progress of the company. Contingency Theory of Leadership: According to contingency theory of leadership, the effectiveness of leadership is dependent on the interplay of situational factors, behaviors and leader traits (Northouse, 2015). There are various types of contingency model namely Fred Fiedler Contingency Model , Hersey Blanchard Situational Model, Path Goal Model, Vroom Yetton Model. Application: In real life Contingency Theories, applied for the supervision of student and teachers. However, practically I can apply this theory of contingency to global leadership that will help me understand three situational variables like position power, task structure and leader member relations. Charismatic Leadership Theory: This theory commands an authority based on charismatic personality than on formal positioning. The three core components of charismatic leadership are empowerment, empathy and envision (Avolio Yammarino, 2013). According to the theory, people who deliver extraordinary qualities to the leaders have an idealized commitment and goal. Application: Great personalities like Mother Teresa have been great examples of charismatic leadership in a real life scenario. Thoughtfulness: According to me, I would apply the above theory of leadership in my organization so that it can influence employees to deliver extraordinary qualities. Transactional Leadership Theory: As per this theory, leadership is dependent on punishments and rewards that are contingent upon follower performance (Antonakis House, 2014). This type of leadership mostly followed in business and the transactional leaders are more outcome or task oriented. Application: The Transactional Leadership Theory applied by CEOs of international companies and high-level military members. Thoughtfulness: According to me, I will apply this leadership theory when I visit new product teams and ask difficult questions thereby allowing me to understand that teams understood the goals and were on track. Transformational Leadership Theory: According to this theory, the transformational leaders have the capacity in inspiring followers with their personality and vision for the change of expectations, motivation and perception (Price Weiss, 2013). This kind of leadership theory involves four components that are intellectual simulation, inspirational motivation, consideration for individuals and idealized influence. Application: In practical life, the application of transformational leadership applied to parenting. Thoughtfulness: Personally, as a leader I would apply the transformational leadership in my organization for bringing in a positive change in both people and organization. Preparing Presenting Personal Development Plan Including Rationale, Opportunities, Strategies, Timeframe, Measures Resourcing The aim for creating a personal development plan refers to the documentation of self-analysis, honest appraisal and personal reflections of the strengths and weakness. This enables in the evaluation leadership value and management training received for future leadership development. I am working for mobile telecommunications company. However, I joined the organization while at the university and transferred to the current department following graduation where I was encouraged to undertake managerial leadership. Rationale: I should have a greater depth of knowledge in leading external business activities. I need to widen my understanding of leadership and at the same time improve my personal fitness. Resources Required: To achieve my rationale, I need support and advice from the line manager and ensure in getting a proper team feedback. Further, I need to discuss my priorities with the line manager and colleagues who are senior. For the fitness part, I will require advice from my gym fitness instructor. My Strengths My basic skills and personal administration in the company are good. I am confident that I can deal with pressures and can handle any adverse situation even with sleep deprivation. I have the ability of providing direction and effectively manage people for achieving specific task even under pressure. My Weakness At times, it becomes challenging to balance work and personal commitments. My Measure I have a leadership potential of which equivalents 3 I believe that I am in a fast track where my skills for dealing with people equivalents 4, working with authority equivalents 2 and networking capabilities includes 3. My self confidence rate is somewhere around 6 My Leadership orientation can be measured by 4 My thinking style is balanced Mt emotional intelligence stands at 13 More courage is somewhere around 7 I believe in a culture that is quite adaptable whose score stands at 48 My personal ethics can be rated as 5 I believe in incorporating power distance whose score stands at 2.5 I believe in creating a vision for the group that can be rated as 4 My strategic style is that of a innovator and can be rated as 4 I also possess a creative personality that can be rated as 11 Exploring the Concept and Influence of Ethics in Leadership Ethics considered as optional philosophy helpful for actions and thoughts of a person. The importance of ethics allows us to see that ethics is not only helpful but at the same time is necessary (Leopold, 2014). Thus, the concept of ethics is a branch of philosophy that involves in recommending, defending and systemizing concepts for determining the right or wrong conduct. Effective leadership and ethics function as an effect and cause relationship. Effective leadership is an outcome of ethical behavior (Yukl, 2012). Good ethics is necessary for promotion of characteristics required for effective leadership. However, before commencement of leadership, it is necessary for followers to accept a leader and acceptability based on trust factor considered as a primary factor of leadership that leads to promotion of long-term success. The achievement of trust can be in two ways, one where followers look at the history of leader and second where they observing them in present (Schaubroeck et al., 2013). Thus, a realistic present with good ethics and a trustworthy past can make someone a good leader. A leader with a good ethics understanding, ability to execute and develop plans of actions not only shows empathy, stability, integrity but is also receives a greater amount of trust from his followers since they enforce positive characteristics. However, the identity built with good ethics leads to the promotion of long-term success as the followers can build in more trust on their leaders that is equivalent to an effective leadership. However, there is another thing that needs consideration that in order to become effective as leader one must have followers. Thus, effective leadership determined partially by the relationships that a leader is able to build with his followers. Good ethics requires a person in developing an understanding of personal beliefs. Thus, knowing oneself allows the leader to form true and authentic relationship with others (Voegtlin, Patzer Scherer, 2012). However, without a good knowledge of ethics a person a leader is never aware of self-knowledge that no t only hampers leadership effectively but also has an impact on true relationship. Thus, without good ethics it becomes extremely difficult for the leader for developing authenticity, integrity or other traits that are responsible for an effective leadership. Absence of these qualities also hinders the development of the trust factor. Thus, effective leadership is a reflection of good ethics. Therefore, without ethics, leadership is likely to undergo failure. Exploring Leaderships Cultural Contexts in Self-development However, the cosmopolitan effect of the society have forced people to interact with people from different cultures whether it is at a professional level or at a social level. Thus effective leaders should be multifaceted and must be able to solve problems and at the same time get the job done (Giltinane, 2013). They must also be able to motivate, inspire and empower the team for adapting to changes easily. As culture influence styles of leadership similarly leadership also set the tone for culture in the organization. Six dimensions of cultural context of leadership exist that leads to self-development. These dimensions include, power distance, masculinity versus femininity, individualism versus collectivism, avoidance of uncertainty, orientation of short term versus long term and restraint versus indulgence. Power Distanceto the gap that exist between authority and subordinates. The distinction between boss and the staff is determined by the gap that exist between them.(Rinne, Steel Fairweather, 2012). To explain the Power Distance, one can draw in the example of Zappos, CEO Tony Hsieh, who believes in the self-development of employees by involving them in the decision making process. In addition to this, he also changed the layout of the office to encourage employee coordination. Individualism versus collectivism that is the second dimension deals the fact with the extent to which people search for them or is geared environment that is community based. To explain this dimension if Zappos drawn in as an example them one might see that the company follows this dimension through team orientation and face-to-face communication (Cho et al., 2013). The third dimension is masculinity versus femininity is the extent to which a culture remains effected by assertiveness, material gain and competitiveness or through relationship building and quality of life. Zappos believes in following this dimension through building of relationship with their customers (Terman, 2013). At the same time, the company also tries to build relationship amongst the colleagues. Fun events organized by the company to encourage socialization. Uncertainty Avoidance is the fourth dimension that deals with the extent to which members of a culture threatened by unknown or ambiguous situations (Hwang Lee, 2012). Thus, in the year 2008 when Zappos turnover reduced to 39 percent it was attributed the loyalty to a culture that not only cultivates passion and purpose but also humanity of employees Exploring the Influence of Social Responsibility on Leadership The influence of social responsibility on leadership goes beyond simply managing the tasks of the company. Thus, the influence social responsibility can have on leadership mentioned as follows: Social responsibility helps a leader to be prepared for a challenge regarding the logic of industry to stay in business: In this context, one can speak about Andrew Witty, the CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, who followed a completely new approach to throw down the obstacles that pharmaceutical industry faced in the issues of drug pricing (Chin, Hambrick Trevio, 2013). He believed that though his approach might face some resistance initially but will be initially get accepted by his peers. Social responsibility also allows a leader to do what is right and then work on ways to make payment: Most companies does not gain importance for until they do things for the right reason and is looked upon as unrealistic as they try to provide ways that would seem unsustainable. In this context, one can draw in the example of a company in UK named as Marshall that uncovered child labor (Low Ang, 2012). Though they had options for showing that there was nothing harmful in the supply still they did not want to engage small children in a dangerous and dirty job even though it would increase the companys cost. The leader of the company realizes that child labor is not a calculation of cost benefit equation. Helps in understanding the already set incentives of the leaders and realize that the bottom line is a wrong incentive: The entire idea of receiving stock options by the CEOs and others is about aligning their interest with that of shareholders which has not been a successful approach (Christensen, Mackey, Whetten, 2014). A situation where incentives goes terribly wrong, people always complains about incentives not being smart enough. Social responsibility also helps leaders in understanding the situation for application of rules and applies his/her common sense when outcomes seem unintended: In order to expect people behave in a certain manner training them in a proper manner is necessary (Tai Chuang, 2014). In this case, the story of a father and child described in this context where a father unknowingly buys lemonade for a son that contained some amounts of alcohol. Before even realizing it, the guards called the police and the child not only whisked to the hospital but also kept in foster home. This action was undertaken based on some similar incidents in the past. Social responsibility also helps one to understand that though people might consider someone as leader it does not simply imply that he or she is perfect: This influence of social responsibility explained through influence of leadership skills of the CEO of GlaxoSmithKline who initiated rearrangement of furniture as one of its first actions (Nemerowicz Rossi, 2014). He also made sure that the top executive team must settle at a place so that they become easily approachable when enquiring about the whereabouts of the company. This is rather a good sign that portrays him as a good leader. Exploring the Influence of Stakeholders and Stakeholder Goals on Leadership Stakeholders considered as people having vested stake or interest in the operation of a business. Prominent stakeholders are responsible having an influence in leadership for all companies (Epstein Buhovac, 2014). Thus, there should be an awareness of the impact of each type of stakeholder have on leadership. Customers as Stakeholders: Clients or customers considered the most impactful stakeholder groups for influencing long-term leadership. Without the core support of customers support it is impossible to continue the business and hence the leadership. Therefore, the leader must implement ways to satisfy them through proper delivery of services and products. Communication with them should not only be open but also transparent. Employees as Stakeholders: The 21st century organization recognizes the impact of employees on leadership. A leader who ensures fair treatment receives commitment and greater loyalty in return. Leaders must also acknowledge diversity in workforce for establishment for practice of human resource. To consider employee as assets leaders must not only promote non-discrimination at work place but also cultural sensitivity. Business Associate as Stakeholder: The collaborated suppliers and partners in business partners command attention in the decision undertaken by the leaders. When collaboration with other companies takes place then there should be a winning attitude for maintaining the interest of other company. Moreover, the business undertaken by the first company also affects the collaborated company. Thus, leaders must value such relationships and decisions must always include the values shared with other business. Communities as Stakeholders The early 21st century treats communities as distinct shareholder entity. The leaders of a company must therefore remember that beyond employees and customers their decisions have impact on communities where they operate. Thus, to gain favor from the community leaders must make decisions that also run in their favor. Exploring the Influence of Society on Leadership Organizational leaders have a great opportunity as they can positively influence people. That over 60 % of the wake hours spent as work hours therefore, the atmosphere prevailing at the work place not only influences peoples interaction within work place but also outside work. However, there may be exceptions but the leadership responsibility cannot de decided based on exceptions. Leaders can see human potential in his employees and thus implement ways for achieving the organizational goals and at the same time individual goals with a great amount of zeal (24). Thus, responsibility mixed with fun so that they can also contribute in improving the society. The leaders should thus stop confining the effects of leadership functions only at workplace. Leaders must therefore implement policies keeping in mind an overall societal development. Conclusion The report ends with exploring the influence of society on leadership. There is discussion about the influence that stakeholders and their goals have on leadership. There is also a discussion on the influence of social responsibility on leadership mentioned in the reports. The report also explores the cultural context in self-development. Further, there is also an elaboration of the concepts of ethics and influence of ethics on leadership. There is also exploration of the theories of leadership and their evaluation. The report also puts forward a personal development plan. References Antonakis, J., House, R. J. (2014). Instrumental leadership: Measurement and extension of transformationaltransactional leadership theory.The Leadership Quarterly,25(4), 746-771. Avolio, B. J., Yammarino, F. J. (Eds.). (2013). Introduction to, and overview of, transformational and charismatic leadership. InTransformational and Charismatic Leadership: The Road Ahead 10th Anniversary Edition(pp. xxvii-xxxiii). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Chin, M. K., Hambrick, D. C., Trevio, L. K. (2013). Political ideologies of CEOs: The influence of executives values on corporate social responsibility.Administrative Science Quarterly,58(2), 197-232. Cho, Y. N., Thyroff, A., Rapert, M. I., Park, S. Y., Lee, H. J. (2013). To be or not to be green: Exploring individualism and collectivism as antecedents of environmental behavior.Journal of Business Research,66(8), 1052-1059. Christensen, L. J., Mackey, A., Whetten, D. (2014). Taking responsibility for corporate social responsibility: The role of leaders in creating, implementing, sustaining, or avoiding socially responsible firm behaviors.The Academy of Management Perspectives,28(2), 164-178. Epstein, M. J., Buhovac, A. R. (2014).Making sustainability work: Best practices in managing and measuring corporate social, environmental, and economic impacts. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Fleeson, W., Jayawickreme, E. (2015). Whole trait theory.Journal of Research in Personality,56, 82-92. Giltinane, C. L. (2013). Leadership styles and theories.Nursing Standard,27(41), 35-39. Hwang, Y., Lee, K. C. (2012). Investigating the moderating role of uncertainty avoidance cultural values on multidimensional online trust.Information management,49(3), 171-176. Low, K. C., Ang, S. L. (2012). Confucian leadership and corporate social responsibility (CSR), the way forward. Nemerowicz, G., Rossi, E. (Eds.). (2014).Education for leadership and social responsibility. Routledge. Northouse, P. G. (2015).Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications. Northouse, P. G. (2015).Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications. Price, M. S., Weiss, M. R. (2013). Relationships among coach leadership, peer leadership, and adolescent athletes psychosocial and team outcomes: A test of transformational leadership theory.Journal of applied sport psychology,25(2), 265-279. Rinne, T., Steel, G. D., Fairweather, J. (2012). Hofstede and Shane revisited: The role of power distance and individualism in national-level innovation success.Cross-cultural research,46(2), 91-108. Schaubroeck, J. M., Hannah, S. T., Avolio, B. J., Kozlowski, S. W., Lord, R. G., Trevio, L. K., ... Peng, A. C. (2012). Embedding ethical leadership within and across organization levels.Academy of Management Journal,55(5), 1053-1078. Tai, F. M., Chuang, S. H. (2014). Corporate social responsibility.Ibusiness,6(03), 117. Terman, L. M. (2013).Sex and personality studies in masculinity and femininity. Read Books Ltd. Turner, S. M. (Ed.). (2012).Behavioral theories and treatment of anxiety. Springer Science Business Media. Voegtlin, C., Patzer, M., Scherer, A. G. (2012). Responsible leadership in global business: A new approach to leadership and its multi-level outcomes.Journal of Business Ethics,105(1), 1-16. Yukl, G. (2012). Effective leadership behavior: What we know and what questions need more attention.The Academy of Management Perspectives,26(4), 66-85.

Theories of reality therapy

In the early 1960’s Dr. William Glasser, a psychiatrist, developed an approach in counseling known as the Reality therapy. This approach stipulates that current relationship and the interaction level of mental processes like thoughts and emotions influence our present behaviors. Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Theories of reality therapy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The use of reality therapy in groups creates a people-centered and people-friendly approach in identifying an individual’s responsibility in his or her behavior. A good relationship between the counselor and the counselee is achieved by embracing reality therapy. This therapy can be applied in limitless dimensions such as in education, where participation, relevance and reasoning have a great impact on the education system. There exist various theories of the reality therapy. These include the identity and choice theory. During the early stages of development of the reality therapy, the identity theory was mostly considered. However, later, profound improvements were incorporate to come up with the choice theory. To achieve the desired results of the reality therapy, a considerable amount of assumptions were embraced in the choice theory. This axioms included, nobody can control someone else behaviors, information is the only thing we can give or get from people, life is all about behaving, psychological problems are relationship problems, people are very creative, unsatisfying relationship is the current problem, and painful past events have a great impact on the current behavior. Nonetheless, with all these assumptions, the choice theory helps in redefining freedom and improving the standards of the current relationships. It indentifies the fundamental needs such as power, love, freedom, fun and survival. Therefore, our behaviors are influence by the desire to satisfy these needs. The choice theory is ben eficial in that, it provides adequate guidelines regarding the improvement of individual’s personality and behavior to fit the normal trend of rational human beings. The choice theory considers that people carry around images or perceptions in their brains, both of the anticipation of what they expect and the exact nature of reality. Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Notably, most individuals in their youth stage exhibit numerous characteristics of the types of personalities they would like to establish. Additionally, children develop images of the kinds of food they value and these images continuously linger in their minds. People’s perceptions need to be continuously replaced by satisfactory alternatives in order to prevent misery caused by the rigid human nature. Clarification of the human behavior is adequately covered by the theory on the pertinent matters that gov ern growth and development of manners. The choice theory of reality therapy is substantially applicable in the classroom management plan in schools. It is effective in boosting the morale of underperforming student. Using this theory, school’s psychologists can provide counseling to students with emotional trauma and behavioral disorders. School counseling creates positive therapeutic rapports and boosts the students’ self-esteem. Additionally, reality therapy is effective in coaching whether in athletics or life skills lessons. It creates a good rapport among the participants, a conducive teaching and learning environment, and a definitive purpose to objectives establishment. Moreover, the application of this theory is important in self-concept improvement, and tackling posttraumatic stress disorders and childhood obesity. During the counseling process, it is essential to incorporate the magnificent aspects of reality therapy. These aspects focus on concentrating on the present situation and avoidance of past regrets or complaints to achieve the outcome for both the counselor and counselee. The counselor needs to have an apparent understanding of the counselee’s behavior to avoid criticizing and blaming him or her. Focusing on the essentials while minimizing passing judgment and coercion significantly encourages the counselees in their resolve to improve their behaviors and personalities. A definite plan should be avoided, but rather suitable alternatives should be offered by the counselor to the counselee to avoid being subjective. This essay on Theories of reality therapy was written and submitted by user AnneMar1eH0ag to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

How to Declare and Initialize Constant Arrays in Delphi

How to Declare and Initialize Constant Arrays in Delphi In Delphi, the versatile web-programming language,  arrays allow a developer to refer to a series of variables by the same name and to use a number- an index- to tell them apart. In most scenarios, you declare an array as a variable, which allows  for array elements to be changed at run-time. However, sometimes you need to declare a constant array- a read-only array. You cannot change the value of a constant or a read-only variable. Therefore, while declaring a constant array, you must also initialize it. Example Declaration of Three Constant Arrays This code example declares and initializes three constant arrays, named Days, CursorMode, and Items. Days is a string array of six elements. Days[1] returns the Mon string.CursorMode is an  array of two elements, whereby declaration CursorMode[false] crHourGlass and CursorMode crSQLWait. cr* constants can be used to change the current screen cursor.Items defines an array of three TShopItem  records. type   Ã‚   TShopItem record   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Name : string;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Price : currency;   Ã‚   end; const   Ã‚   Days : array[0..6] of string   Ã‚   (   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thu, Fri, Sat   Ã‚   ) ;   Ã‚   CursorMode : array[boolean] of TCursor   Ã‚   (   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   crHourGlass, crSQLWait   Ã‚   ) ;   Ã‚   Items : array[1..3] of TShopItem   Ã‚   (   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Name : Clock; Price : 20.99),   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Name : Pencil; Price : 15.75),   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (Name : Board; Price : 42.96)   Ã‚   ) ; Trying to assign a value for an item in a constant array raises the Left side cannot be assigned to compile time error. For example, the following code does not successfully execute: Items[1].Name : Watch; //will not compile

The Root Word Solve and Its Offshoots

The Root Word Solve and Its Offshoots The Root Word Solve and Its Offshoots The Root Word Solve and Its Offshoots By Mark Nichol A small family of words with the root word solve refer in some way to changing the physical or figurative state of something- naturally, since the Latin root of solve, solvere, means â€Å"dissolve, loosen, or solve.† Solve itself means â€Å"find an answer, explanation, or solution for.† One who solves is a solver (rarely used in isolation but part of the common phrase â€Å"problem solver†); something solved is a solution, and solution is also defined as a liquid in which something has been dissolved. To dissolve, in turn, is to cause something to pass into a solution (the liquid type), though it also means â€Å"destroy, disintegrate, or terminate† or â€Å"make legally void.† The noun for such an action is dissolution (not to be confused with disillusion, a synonym for disenchant as a verb and the noun disenchantment). Dissolve has also acquired a sense as a noun, used in cinematography to describe a transition achieved by gradual imposition of one image onto another, and it serves as a verb in that context as well. A solvent, meanwhile, is a liquid used to dissolve another substance, or anything that solves a problem or eliminates or diminishes an obstacle. Solvent can also be an adjective meaning â€Å"able to dissolve† or â€Å"able to pay debts.† The adjective soluble, by contrast, has the former sense but not the latter, though it also means â€Å"able to be explained or solved.† (The antonyms are insolvent and insoluble.) Absolve means â€Å"forgive† or â€Å"free from blame or responsibility†; an act taken to absolve someone is an absolution. (One is said to give or grant absolution.) Interestingly, the adjective absolute, meaning â€Å"complete† or â€Å"unlimited,† is related; it derives from the Latin term absolutus, meaning â€Å"absolve† or â€Å"set free.† Resolve, too, is related: To resolve is to find an answer or solution, or to make a serious decision or take a formal vote to do something. The noun form is resolution, though one can also use resolve as a noun, employing it as a synonym for determination, and the adjectival form is resolute. (The antonyms for the adjectives resolved and resolute are unresolved and irresolute, and a lack of resolution is irresolution.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:30 Synonyms for â€Å"Meeting†15 Great Word GamesHow to Send Tactful Emails from a Technical Support Desk

Blood Diamonds Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Blood Diamonds - Research Paper Example (Gavin, 14) Conflict diamonds are sold in order to raise money for armed conflict weapons and civil wars. Profits from this trade are worth billions of dollars. This profit is used by warlords to purchase firearms during the rebel wars. Countries affected include Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone. These wars have resulted to an estimated 3.7 million deaths. (Storm,26) Although the wars are now over and fighting rate has declined, the con of blood diamonds still persists. The diamonds mined in this rebel- held zones reach the international diamond market by, smuggling the diamonds into neighboring countries and exporting them into the international diamond market, as a legitimate diamond trade. The hullabaloo surrounding conflict diamonds was reported in the 1990s. During this period, there were civil wars in Sierra Leone, Angola, Liberia and the Republic of Congo. The world realized the harm of conflict diamonds during the extreme conflict in Sierra Leone in the late 1990s. In the 1990s, blood diamonds made about 4% of the international diamond market as reported by the World Diamond Council’s Website. Two memorable events to control the diamond market took place during the late 1990s. Firstly Robert Fowler the Canadian Ambassador to Angola published a debatable report. This report listed all the countries involved with blood diamond trade. The report alarmed international organizations and made them aware of the illegal diamond trade that was going on. This response triggered the second memorable event. Kimberly Process Certification Scheme is a system which aims to regulate the diamond trade. This ensures the diamonds going through the process must be labeled as conflict free. The source and ownership of the diamonds need to be validated.(Bieri, 45) Kimberly Process Certification Scheme is supported by the United Nations, governments and non- governmental organizations. This scheme aims to eliminate the trade of black

Hokkaido Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hokkaido - Term Paper Example As a subject or academic discipline, geography is the study of earth as the home for humanity. However, man has created conditions that are favorable to his existence on the foundations of existing physical features. Study of such creation encompasses human geography, which analyzes the relationship between human activities and the natural environment. Cultural geography is a major branch of geography and it is concerned with language, religion, government, and economy of a geographical region. Japan is an island nation that has fascinating environment and climate. These features have greatly influenced how people make a living from available resources. Hokkaido is the northernmost island of Japan. Unlike other islands that form the country, Hokkaido has extremely cold climate that influence how people construct their houses. In addition, Hokkaido sits on a rugged terrain, which has a relatively high water table. These factors also influence the design and sizes of house that can be constructed. The region is also prone to earthquakes that also influence housing designs and structures. Hokkaido is known as the territory of constructions this is because the region ever has new buildings. In Hokkaido, public construction works exceeds work done in the private sector. Government policies and regulations meant to enhance safety in the construction industry greatly influence building of new houses in Hokkaido. The Japanese construction industry contributes about 20% of the total GDP of the country. This constitutes construction works performed in the country and outside the country. Construction of houses in Hokkaido is very different from other parts of the country. This is partly due ton the housing values of the native communities and the developing status of Hokkaido. Unlike other parts of Japan such as Tokyo, Hokkaido is still in its early development stage. However, Hokkaido is developing very fast and it may soon overtake Tokyo as the world largest metropolitan. This has made the region to be characterized by new construction and engineering works. It has often been said that public construction work in Hokkaido greatly exceeds work done in the private sector. Registered contractors who are regulated by the prefectural governor cry out construction works in Hokkaido. Hokkaido is considered as the land of construction. Currently the region holds 7% of the total number of construction companies in Japan. This is a significant figure considering the fact that construction in Hokkaido constitutes about 5% of the total construction works in Japan. Small construction companies are the most dominant in Japan and they handle nearly 78% of all construction contracts awarded annually in Hokkaido. In Hokkaido nearly 8% of the total population work in the construction industry, either as s killed semi-skilled or unskilled laborers. The most desirable characteristic of Hokkaido construction workforce it that, there is a striking balance between the skilled and unskilled labor force. However, the region is likely to

There will come soft rains Essay Example for Free

There will come soft rains Essay Furthermore, it is Ironic that such a sophisticated example of technology, the computerized house, can be destroyed by nature, represented by the tree limb which crashes through the window and starts the fire. The use of metaphors and the irony makes the reader think about the way they are living their own life, which then leads to the reader thinking more about the story, thus their entire mind-set is focused on the plot and that builds tension, chaos and confusion. Another way in which Bradbury creates a sense of chaos and confusion is his effective use of punctuation. Throughout the description he uses simple, short sentences to make the audience read faster through the story, thus building and building on the sense of chaos. Examples of these short sentences are: In the nursery the jungle burned. Blue lions roared, purple giraffes bounded off, Ten more voices died, The crash and Smoke and silence. A great quantity of smoke. Not only does Bradbury build tension through the use of short sentences, he also uses long, detailed sentences to enhance the process of imagery. Examples of these sentences are: The house shuddered, oak bone on bone, its bared skeleton cringing from the heat, its wire, its nerves revealed as if a surgeon had torn the skin off to let the red veins and capillaries quiver in the scalded air, The panthers ran in circles, changing color, and ten million animals, running before the fire, vanished off toward a distant steaming river, and In the kitchen, an instant before the rain of fire an timber, the stove could be seen making breakfasts at a psychopathic rate, ten dozen eggs, six loaves of toast, twenty dozen bacon strips, which, eaten by fire, started the stove working again, hysterically hissing! . Due to these detailed sentences, the audience can create an accurate picture of what is happening in the story, thus they empathize more with the characters and pay closer attention to the occurrences of the plot. This will help the audience understand what is going on, and make them more willing to find out what will happen as an outcome. This means that a sense of chaos and confusion is effectively created. Word count: 989 Miles Murdoch 24/09/09 Miles Murdoch 24/09/09 There Will Come Soft Rains There Will Come Soft Rains Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Miscellaneous section.

Magical Realism and Fantastic Sublime in Laura Esquivels Like Water fo

Magical Realism and Fantastic Sublime in Laura Esquivel's Like Water for Chocolate The different elements of the story Like Water for Chocolate are amazing. The feelings that go through a person upon listening, watching, and tasting events that happen during this story of the Spanish family's lives. The customs of this family were so unorthodox. This story is fantastic sublime and magical realism combined. Laura Esquivel wrote this novel in 1992. The nationality of the people in the novel was Mexican. A person can tell by the way expressions were made and the things that were done in the story. The novel has many fantastic sublime elements as well as magical realism. The elements of the story that stick out in a person's mind are the birth of Tita, the feelings of the love that Tita has in her heart for her sister's husband, Tita's cooking, the shower catching on fire, and Tita's sister riding off on a horse. Upon the birth of Tita, her mother flooded the kitchen table and floor when her water broke. The fluid had turned to salt and had to be swept up off the floor. This type of thing happening in the real world is not going to happen. The fluid turning into the salt was definitely a magical realism element. The fluid from the birth drying up like salt is similar to the sublime. The mysteries of cooking are treated in Like Water for Chocolate. The sublime seems to have a definition of being inhuman, an image that cannot be named. The magical realism has the definition of being magical and unreal. Tita's love she had for her sister's husband upon their marriage and through out the time of their marriage and lives. Tita's love never changed. It was the magical way Tita felt in her heart about the man she loved and the ... ...is really hard to distinguish the difference between the two. The hidden mysteries in the story of Like Water for Chocolate seem to never show the real meanings. The novel is interesting and keeps a person on his or her toes. The main point in the story is the boiling point that a person has inside will eventually boil over, given enough time. Emotions run high through out the story as well as the way each and everyone deal with the way the emotions come out. Works Cited Arensberg, Mary. The American Sublime. Albany: State University of New York Press, Albany 1986. Esquivel, Laura. Like Water for Chocolate. N.Y. Doubleday, 1992. Faris, Wendy. "Scheherazade's Children: Magical Realism and Postmodern Fiction" Magical Realism Theory, History, Community. Ed. Lois Parkinson Zamora and Wendy B. Faris. Durkham, N.C.: Durham: Duke up, 1995: 163-190.

A Royal Salute to the Commonwealth

A royal salute to the Commonwealth The article â€Å"A royal salute to the Commonwealth† is written by Peter Osbourne, a British journalist and a political commentator. It reflects on the role of Commonwealth as being a better applicable organisation for England than NATO and the European Union in this modern and developing world, which promotes internationality and independence rather than superiority of one dominating country. Peter Osbournes views Commonwealth as an organisation, which has been underestimated for its possibilities over the years.This is reflected from following quote: â€Å"For many years it has been automatic in progressive circles to sneer at the Commonwealth as a meaningless relic of our imperial past. † line 20 page 6. He holds the opinion that New Labours visions have been blurred by their fascination of the United States and the European Union. His disapproval of Gordon Brown and Tony Blairs opinion is clearly presented in following quote: â₠¬Å"(†¦)it is Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s poodle-like relationship with the United States, and the former slavish worship of the European Union, that now looks out of date(†¦ )â€Å" line 28-30 page 7.From the quote above he presents the leader figures of the Labour party as being very unprofessional. Also he emphasizes that Commonwealth has a better practical stand than organisations such as NATO and the European Union by contrasting the advantages of Commonwealth with the flaws of NATO and EU. On a practical base Commonwealth is cheaper to run, whereas the cost of membership in EU is incomparably high. Another positive factor about Commonwealth is that about two billion people, more than half of these being under the age of 25, live in Commonwealth countries.This also allows a great diversity to be represented, now that the Commonwealth countries are to be found in every continent of the world. Although Peter Osbourne does recognize that Commonwealths administra tion is not as powerful as the European Union, he is able to argue why this also could be an advantageous factor in the present world. Subjectively, he highlights the down going tendency of the world being organized and ruled by one or two dominating superpowers. Here he refers to the United States and the European Union.He believes that a modern stand of world organisation implies more equality and independence divided internationally, and thinks that having an alfa-country to be in charge is an out-dated structure to work after. Peter Osbourne also writes about which ways the Commonwealth acts in contrast to the neo-Conservatives. They both work to enlarge the significance of values such as democracy and humanity in the society, but Osbourne believes that they tackle the promotion of the values differently. It is interesting to look at the words, he uses in the following quote.It tells a lot about how he feels that Commonwealth stands out in a positive way: â€Å"But unlike the n eo-Conservatives, it (Commonwealth, edited) does not try to promote these values through invasion. It uses quiet diplomacy and gentle pressure. † line 46-47 page 7. There is no doubt that throughout the entire article Peter Osbourne presents Commonwealth subjectively for its advantage. The quote above in particular shows, how he uses emotional words such as gentle and quiet to convince the reader of the numerous benefits of Commonwealth.To describe the political leaders of Britain over the past decades he uses the words hostile and blind (see line 76 page 8). He criticizes them for leading Britain in the wrong direction by accepting the membership of the European Union. He feels that this has been a loss for England, because it opposes the acknowledgement of the great values of what Commonwealth implies. Another way he is able to promote Commonwealth is to put down other organisations similar to it. This makes Commonwealth stand out as a superior alternative to the other organ izations.To begin with Peter Osbourne wants to touch the reader by presenting the scene when the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit Canada in order to participate in Canada’s National War Memorial. This extract also shows his subjective use of words to advertise for the benefit of Commonwealth: â€Å"a visit to Canada’s National War Memorial was a poignant reminder that Canadian troops had served alongside the British in the two great world wars of the last century. † line 4-6 page 6.It can be interpreted as if Peter Osbourne wants the reader to feel that the Royal family, the representing faces of Commonwealth, wants to show their appreciation and acknowledgement for Canada’s help in the wars. This gives the reader an impression of the Royal family for being respectful, down to earth and humane. The only concern Peter Osbourne has about Commonwealth is what its future would hold when the Queens is no more. He hopes that the Duke and Duchess will walk in the Queens footsteps, as she traditionally is the face outwardly.She symbolizes Commonwealths unity between the former countries, which used to be under the British Empire. At this point Peter Osbourne reflects on developing the Commonwealth organisation, so the headquarter no longer is bound to being based in London. Apart from practical reasons, Peter Osbourne also writes about how this will eliminate the possibility of accusations of Britain trying to relive their imperious role, they had earlier. Osbourne suggests India as the new base because of its endless opportunities and great potential.Peter Osbourne sees The United States as England’s enemy, which can be interpreted from following quote: â€Å"They are guaranteed a warm reception, but for the wrong reasons. They will be feted as celebrities, not welcomed as members of a family of nations with which we have common values)† line 96-98 page 8. There is no doubt, that from Peter Osbournes perspective a bright f uture for England would be based on a radical promotion of Commonwealth, a progress of its power and last but not least an out phasing of the influence of the United States and the European Union.

History of bootlegging Essay

1. Background on Bootlegging It has been said that â€Å"at its real level music belongs to everyone†. To claim ownership over music has been the subject of much analysis since music, after all, is available to each individual through our sense of hearing. Maintaining control or possession of â€Å"our† music is not as clear cut as meting out our rights to our land or property. To listen to a song someone else has written, for instance, does not necessarily constitute stealing or trespassing on someone else’s property. The best way to ensure our right and title over our musical creations is to get a copyright over the original piece. Yet it is not uncommon for a listener or a music lover or fan to record a favorite song or a particularly memorable concert attended. People record songs, concerts, and videos and keep such recordings for personal use, or make copies thereof to give to their friends. Songs and videos are also easily downloaded from the Internet. Fans also record different songs and performances, from different albums or concerts, into one CD or online play list to make their own personal collection. The problem is when such recordings are distributed and sold for profit without the artist and the record company’s consent. Generally, copyright violations involving musical creations may be distinguished into three different types : 1) professional counterfeit recordings (unauthorized duplication of sound and art work) 2) professional pirate recordings (unauthorized duplication of the sound, but with original art work, usually sold as â€Å"greatest hits† compilations 3) bootleg recordings (unauthorized recording of live performances) Bootlegging, as it was traditionally defined, involves â€Å"the illegal distribution or production of liquor and other highly taxed goods† In the 1920s, the United States had a Prohibition against alcohol, thus people resorted to bootlegging, or buying and selling an illegal product, from bootleggers. Organized crime consisting of gangs and mobsters in Chicago and New York, such as Al Capone, were deeply involved in bootlegging. In the music industry, music bootlegging involves the taking and trading of unauthorized live recordings of live musical performers — either from concert or studio outtakes. Bootleg music albums are recordings transferred from tape to vinyl or CD. They become a bootleg product when a bootlegger undertakes to create an artifact or when a non-commercial recording is transformed into a commercial product in the form of an LP or a CD. Bootleg recordings are usually done without the artist’s consent ; however, making a recording of a concert is not illegal per se. Although an individual cannot legally record an officially release CD or cassette tape on to a blank tape, he or she may make an unauthorized recording of a concert and keep it for personal use. However, the sale of such a recording is deemed illegal.  The problems with bootlegging is that it prevents the artist and the record company from maintaining quality control over their product , and it prevents them from collecting their royalties to their right to their music. 2. Changes in Copyright Laws Copyright is defined as â€Å"a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U. S. Code) to the authors of ‘original works of authorship’† . The U. S. has passed significant copyright laws to protect an artist’s right to his or her original creations. These creations include not only musical works, but literary, dramatic, artistic and certain intellectual creations. The U. S. Constitution itself provides that â€Å"the Congress shall have power†¦ to promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries. † The State thus allows Congress to pass copyright laws to protect an artist’s rights to his or her musical creations. The U. S. Copyright Act was amended in 1976 so that it now covers new technological advancements and extended the term of protection to cover the life of the author plus 70 more years. Copyright laws allow the author, artist, or whoever holds the copyright to a creation to sue those who infringe on their copyrights for damages. The complainant has to prove infringement of copyright by a) proving ownership of the copyright and b) copying by the infringer-defendant. In compliance with its Constitutional mandate of protecting original works of authorship, the Congress has passed several laws concerning music copyright infringement, piracy and bootlegging. Some of the relevant laws will be discussed in this section. The Audio Home Recording Act allows music retailers to sell all analog and digital recording formats. It also gives a consumer the right to use such recordings provided such use is for non-commercial purposes, and in such cases, no copyright infringement lawsuit may be brought against a consumer. The consumer and retailer is also exempt from making royalty payments on digital audio recording devices and media; the burden falls on U. S. manufacturers and importers only who must pay for digital audio devices designed or marketed primarily for making digital audio recordings for private use, whether or not these are incorporated in some other device. These royalty payments are administered and monitored by the U. S. Register of Copyrights and the Librarian of Congress, with the proceeds split between the featured artists and the record company, or between the songwriters and music publishers, depending on the circumstances. Musical artists or musicians thus receive royalties which are based on record sales and airplay during a prescribed period. The U. S. is also a signatory of both the World Intellectual Property Organization Copyright Treaty and the Performances and Phonograms Treaty. In accordance with these international agreements, the U. S.  Congress passed the Digital Millennium Copyright Act which makes it a crime to a crime to circumvent anti-piracy measures built into many of today’s commercial software and even most music CDs. The Act also limits the copyright infringement liability of ISPs for transmitting information over the Internet, but requires that ISPs remove copyright infringement materials found in users’ web sites. Despite legislative acts and proposed bills by well meaning members of the U. S. Congress, and jurisprudence laid down by the U. S. Supreme Court, infringers still find a way of getting around copyright laws by invoking the â€Å"fair use† doctrine. The U.  S. Code provides that the public is entitled to the â€Å"fair use† of copyrighted material. â€Å"Fair use† is â€Å"a privilege to use copyrighted material in a reasonable manner without consent, notwithstanding the copyright monopoly granted to the owner. † A copyrighted original creation may be reproduced for purposes of criticism, news reporting, comment, teaching, scholarship and research. The Code further provides that there are four factors in determining whether there is â€Å"fair use† of a copyrighted material or not : 1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes ) the nature of the copyrighted work itself 3) the proportion and substantiality of the copyrighted work actually used without authority 4) the potential economic detriment on the value of the work caused by such unauthorized use thereof. What makes it especially difficult to enforce the copyright is that information is so readily available through the Internet. As music is downloaded courtesy of digital technology, consumers are turning to the Internet to get their music rather than going out to music stores to buy the CDs. Bootlegged albums are also easily transmitted and shared through the Internet. Digital technology allows consumer to reproduce identical copies of digital music files, most commonly in compression formats such as MP3s. Such digital advancements not only pave the way for more widespread bootlegging, but for music piracy as well. 3. Advancements in Piracy Technology: File Sharing Piracy, as earlier discussed, is differentiated from bootlegging in that the former involve the unauthorized duplication of the sound, but with original art work. Piracy involves the reproduction and distribution of copies of original recordings. Advancements in digital technology have allowed music piracy to develop at an alarming rate. MP3s enable consumers to compress digitized music into smaller files, while ripping software allows them to copy music from CDs, store these on their hard drives, and then convert these files into compressed formats. Digital file reproduction devices, like CD players, in turn allow consumers to write these files into a CD and in effect create their own albums and compilations of copyrighted creations. Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks have also allowed increased music dissemination, as well as file sharing, as introduced by the infamous Napster software company. P2P networks basically offer users to access the hard drives of other users anywhere in the world by the installation of a piece of software. These networks allow users to search, copy and transfer music files typically through MP3 files. After Napster, subsequent P2P networks version, like KaZaA and Grokstar, which are collectively known as the FastTrack providers, allow users to access multiple individual computers instead of accessing just one single, centralized database of music files. The digital audio workstation (DAW) on the other hand, allows users to indulge in â€Å"sampling† – original music recordings, converted from analog to digital format, which users can import, cut, copy, layer and manipulate to create new musical work. Since samples may be in a band’s entire song, or merely passages from an instrument, in effect it allows not just users but even musicians and DJs to create, layer, expand and redefine music. Recording companies have resorted to copy-protection technology to protect themselves from piracy committed through file sharing and P2P networks. Copy-protected CDs is one answer, but public backlash and concerns about the technology’s effectiveness, have forced recording companies to limit use of such CDs in the U. S. and instead opted to release such CDs abroad in Europe and countries such as Japan. Five major recording companies in the U. S. use copy-protected CDs: BMG Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, EMI, and Sony. BMG in particular has made us of copy-protection advancements such the MediaMax CD-3 technology from SunnComm Technologies, Inc. located in Phoenix, Arizona. Through MediaMax CD-3, each song is written onto a CD twice. One format is readable by standard CD players while the other format is readable as a Windows media file playable on a computer. The technology allows consumers of BMG records to burn each track only three times per computer. The songs in BMG albums embedded with the MediaMax CD-3 technology may also be emailed to a limited number of people. However, each person in that limited list may only listen to ten times to each song in the album. In other words, songs in such CDs are locked and won’t be played even if they are downloaded from file-sharing networks if it exceeds the allowable number of times a person may listen to the track. Other developments are even more rigid. The CDS-300 developed by Macrovision, located in Santa Clara, California, allows CDs to be burnt and listened to online, but blocks other attempts to make copies or share music online. Recording companies thus are faced with a difficult balancing act. On the one hand, there is the need to respect a consumer’s desire to share, copy and hear songs in different ways. But on the other hand, there is the copyright to take note of and the bottom line – earning revenues through royalties by limiting the number of copies consumers make of copyrighted musical creations.

The Soprano’s Glorification Throughout time social issues

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Soprano’s Glorification Throughout time social issues The Soprano's Glorification Throughout time social issues have plagued every society. In our Modern times many social problems can be seen personified through our television sets. The most recent of these television programs to showcase these problems is through the life of Tony Soprano, in HBO's The Soprano's. David Simon brings an interesting perspective when exploring the criminal side of the American Dream, in his book Tony Soprano's America. In addition, argues The Soprano's is a metaphor for the ills of our contemporary American Life showing how we are all disillusioned, alienated, and alone. In the book, Simon explains how The Soprano's is the microcosm of America where we glorify Tony as a liar, a cheater and a bigot, but nonetheless love him.Family dysfunction is the first of the social problems personified in the book. How is it that in today's society the average couple that is married between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four has a seventy-five percent divorce rate.Soc ial Problems

Google Services Privacy and Security Concerns

Google Services Privacy and Security Concerns Insecure Digital World In today’s digital world, the debate surrounding privacy and security cannot be stressed further. Internet users are at a constant risk of privacy and security violations by technology companies. Google Inc. is among the biggest tech companies today with billions of people around the world using its services. Nonetheless, these services have developed numerous concerns surrounding privacy and security. Google services such as Street View does not just take pictures but collects email and WIFI information from unsuspecting users nearby. These warring revelations illustrate an increased concern for privacy and security of users. Numerous Google services continue to violate privacy and security rights of users by not informing them that their information is being collected without their consent. Google Collects Info from People Who May Even not Be Using Their Services Google services violate privacy and security rights by accessing and collecting data from people who may even not be using their services. Rosenfeld states that Google admitted to collecting data and personal information from computers inside homes and buildings using their Google Street View cars that were thought to only take pictures for the service. The type of information collected included private information, emails, and passwords all from unsuspicious users. This tends to be a form of security concern since Google does not seek the consent of users before accessing their information. Moreover, it violates privacy rights as well as acts in an unethical manner by illegally accessing and collecting information from users who are even not using their services. Moreover, Google’s Gmail service was also found to be violating federal wiretap regulations. This is because the email service evaluates the content of all emails on its network using the information to sell it as of fshoots to advertisers. For instance, it is possible if one sends frequent emails about cars they are likely to get advertisements related to cars. Google did not make a point of informing Gmail users that it would collect and create individual profiles and target them with adverts. Again, even people who were sending messages to Gmail addresses did not agree for Google to analyze and use their messages for target advertising. Analyzing each and every message is a clear violation of privacy rights since each person is entitled to his/her privacy. Furthermore, by analyzing all kinds of emails, it is not clear how secure the services are since other people be it Google employees may access sensitive information. The Internet Has Been Overly Commercialized Google is also notorious for illegal tracking of its users who access the Internet. In 2012, Google was exposed for using an illegal code to by-pass anti-tracking abilities of Apple’s Safari browser. The secret and illegal code exposed millions of Safari browser to tracking without their knowledge even if they had turned on the anti-tracking abilities. Eventually, Google was found to have committed a privacy violation and fined $22.5 million by the Federal Trade Commission. The idea of well-respected multinational using secret codes just to track users clearly raises concerns in terms of security and privacy. Google clearly acted unethically in using secret codes without users being aware of tracking their online activities. This means that the company can go to any lengths to pursue its business objectives at the expense of user privacy rights and security. Illegal Collection of WIFI Passwords An additional issue is the illegal collection of WIFI passwords from millions of Android phone users. The company was exposed for collecting WIFI passwords for Android users who backed up their phones and allowed the Google service to restore their new phones. This means that Google knows nearly all WIFI passwords in the world. This is a clear violation of privacy since passwords and other vital information is deemed private and may indeed result in privacy and security concerns when accessed by companies such as Google. In its defense, Google has cited that the company was exploited by top U.S spymasters who illegally collected information without user consent. However, these are mere allegations that have no evidence, but the evidence of privacy and security violations can be proven beyond reasonable doubt. In conclusion, Google services continue to violate privacy and security rights of users by not informing them that their information is being collected without their consent. Some Google services can spy, pry, and secretly track information and user activities online. This tends to create increased concern for privacy and security of users. These issues may be far from resolving as even more advanced Google services are being launched. All stakeholders and mostly users have the obligation to determine where the red line lies to address privacy and security concerns.

A short story based on the Missing In Action film trilogy Essay

A short story based on the Missing In Action film trilogy - Essay Example Every crumbling building reminded him of America’s shameful capitulation. The freeway was patched and torn, and distinctive Vietnamese army trucks rattled towards the Gook headquarters in Pioneer Square. Raucous cries from the sleeping quarters disturbed his thoughts and he turned to see what was causing the fuss. One of the ragged band was throwing punches at the Colonel and the rest were laughing and jeering, Braddock stood there, impassive, while the little guy danced around him spitting and shouting all the while. It was just the usual pointless play fighting. You would think they had had enough of that in ‘Nam. He looked pitiful in his torn combat fatigues. Nester sighed and turned his back on the prisoners. He was all there was between them and a Vietnamese execution squad but they still didn’t get it. At this rate the Gooks would kill them all. Braddock was watching quietly in that spooky way of his. Nester couldn’t understand why he didn’t act like a leader. Most of the time the men did whatever they liked, and he just let them do it. Nester carried on his way past the untidy collection of small white crosses. They reminded him of the cemetery back home where his father lay. He could hardly be further away from his Mississippi childhood than he was now. Winter was approaching fast and he was not looking forward to the cold winds from the sea and the Northern snows. All ideas of glory and victory seemed like a hopeless fantasy. His job was to survive and use his wits to keep the others alive, even if they hated him for it. In the distance the thud, thud of a chopper could be heard. Someone shouted out â€Å"Sounds like an American!† and everyone looked at Braddock. He inclined his head to the right and everyone scrambled towards the makeshift parade ground. The guards started shouting in that high-pitched squawk that passed for a language and gestured to Nester. They expected him to

Stability analysis using GUI in MATLAB (Electronic Engineering) Essay

Stability analysis using GUI in MATLAB (Electronic Engineering) Project Proposal - Essay Example Initially it is essential to examine the theoretical basis for the concept of stability in order to identify the various conditions which characterize a stable system. After determining the stability conditions, the Graphical User Interface Development Environment (GUIDE) module of MATLAB will be studied to examine the process of developing a Graphical User Interface for a MATLAB application which determines the stability of a given system. The BIBO (Bounded Input Bounded Output) concept of stability states that if a bounded input to the system produces a bounded output, then the system is stable (Ogata. K. 1997). It is important to determine the physical significance of stability both in the time domain and in the frequency domain. In the time domain, for continuous functions to be BIBO stable, an integral of their impulse response should exist. Similarly for discrete functions in the time domain, we should be able to sum up the impulse responses of the discrete function (Ogata. K. 1995). To determine stability in the frequency domain, we consider the Laplace transform (used for converting continous functions from time domain to frequency domain and vice versa) for the continous signals and Z transform (used for converting discrete functions from time domain to frequency domain and vice versa) for the discrete signals. If the region of convergence of the Laplace transform includes the imaginary axis, then the system i s stable (Ogata. K. 1995). The physical significance of this statement is that all poles of the system should on the left of the origin (as we are dealing only with causal systems). If the region of convergence Z transform includes the unit circle then the system is stable. A system is stable if and only if all its poles are lying within the unit circle. The transfer function is an illustration of the relationship between the input to a system and the output of the system (Ogata. K. 1997). It accurately represents a system which is time invariant

Planning My economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Planning My economics - Essay Example As much as a government may attempt to meet the health demands of its population through the injection of adequate resources, fulfilling them may not be attainable. This becomes harder because most of the services offered through government channels are at no cost hence making it harder to fulfill the fundamental principles embedded. Using this as the basis, the government may allow the involvement of the private sector in meeting these needs with the overall objective being the maintenance of a healthy population that is likely to generate positive externalities. As documented above, the intervention of the government in ensuring that its population remains healthy is vital to policy development and providing the required infrastructural support. On one hand, merit goods tend to influence positive externalities such as having a healthy population that would propel an economy, but it may also influence market failure. The market failure may result from the lack of reliable health ins urance options that may lead to medical debts that may puncture a functional economy. Government intervention may be a possible intervention strategy, but it should have the interest of the population at the center by communicating the benefits and the risks of the strategies that it chooses to implement on its citizens. As a recommendation, the government should use citizens involvement in choosing the appropriate merit goods or services that best suit them rather than applying a uniform approach to health services delivery.

Impact of Consumer Credit Laws

Impact of Consumer Credit Laws In today’s consumer based society, the need for credit is undoubted. More and more individuals and organisations are reliant upon credit to undertake their day to day activities, thus the role of credit in society has magnified in unmeasurable amounts. There are also more personal credit products available on the market than when the original Consumer Credit Act 1974 was drawn up, thus there is more of a need to regulate these products and the relationships between creditor and debtor in order to avoid any unfair conduct on the part of either party. As the Government White Paper suggests: The laws governing this market were set out a generation ago. In 1971, there was only one credit card available; now there are 1,300. 30 years ago,  £32m was owed on credit cards; now it is over  £49bn. The regulatory structure that was put in place then is not the same as the regulatory structure required today. As the credit market has developed, reforms have become necessary to modernise the current regime and update it for the 21st century.[1] This evidence clearly supports the idea that the previous rules governing consumer credit relationships are significantly outmoded and outdated, and are in dire need of updating and reworking to meet the needs of a modern society. The nature of the relationship between a debtor and their creditor or supplier has subsequently become more complex and legalistic, and requires rules that govern these specific relationships without relying upon the general principles that can be found in, say, the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999, which will be discussed in more detail in due course. This brief intends to consider the new provisions of the Consumer Credit Act 2006 and determine whether this legislation goes too far in protecting the rights of debtors, as opposed to the rights of creditors and suppliers. These conclusions will be drawn based upon consideration of the primary legislation, including the previous Consumer Credit Act 1974, as well as the apparent diverse and conflicting nature of secondary sources on this issue. It appears that a number of viewpoints could be explored, and this brief intends to do just that in order to arrive at the most appropriate conclusion. The Government had already completed a review of the 1974 Act in its White Paper, which will be discussed shortly. This Paper identified key areas where the law was not protecting the rights of consumers, and often allowed credit companies to take advantage of vulnerable individuals in order to rise to the top of what has effectively become a crowded and cut-throat marketplace. Each company is trying to sell its product to consumers, each trying to maximise the revenue it can make from it. In order to avoid innocent Britons from being exploited by unregulated corporations, the Government commission its review into the Consumer Credit Act 1974 before drafting the Consumer Credit Act 2006, in order to ensure that the new law was going to address the most salient of concerns of con sumers. It was also important to define who should be afforded protection under the new law. Should it be aimed at the general British consumer, or should it have specifications that restrict who could rely upon these provisions based upon certain socio-economic factors? This is where this report will begin. Perhaps the best place to begin would be to continue considering the DTI’s White Paper on consumer credit in the 21st century. While it does not consider the current Consumer Credit Act 2006 in express terms due to its publication several years before its enactment, it does highlight the perceived inadequacies of the then existing consumer credit protections of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Firstly, it appears that the Government is concerned with establishing a transparent marketplace that prevents debtors from being taken advantage of by creditors and suppliers. It plans to accomplish this by having clear and effective regulations in place to govern the use of advertising in selling credit products.[2] This intends to address the inadequacies provided not only by the 1974 Act, but also by the Consumer Credit (Advertisements) Regulations 1989 due to the recently explosive nature of consumer credit products and contracts. The rationale behind such a move by the government can only be suggested to attempt to protect the consumer against any deceptive or misleading conduct by creditors through advertising promotional campaigns that could unduly influence them into entering into consumer credit contracts which do not specifically cater for their needs or financial situations. This would be consistent with the notion that the intention of the 2006 Act is to protect the consumer/debtor more so than the creditor, due to their more vulnerable position in the marketplace. Quite obviously, disparity does exist between the negotiation and contractual powers of debtors and creditors, and thus the intention of the Government is to create a more level playing field, allowing them to do business in a manner which is not only legal, but also moral and ethical. Another way the Government claimed this will be done in its White Paper was through standardisation of the form of consumer credit contracts.[3] This would, theoretically, ensure that there are minimal difference s between the standard terms of a consumer credit contract regardless of who the credit provider was, and regardless of what the actual lending product was. Again, this clearly is intended to protect the debtor more so than the creditor, given the disparity in contractual and negotiation abilities and resources available to the two parties. The Government even intends to reflect the changes in the way we contract that have come into existence since the 1974 Act, including online contracts. The rationale behind this is that the use of the internet in contractual dealings can often lead to an increased possibility of fraud on the part of either party.[4] What this means is that one could quite possibly enter into a contractual agreement through an online method without going through the full stringent identity criteria as they might be required to if they were personally entering into this agreement at, say, a bank. Normally a 100-point ID check, or similar procedure, may be used or r elied upon by a creditor in order to ensure that they were dealing with the person whose name appears on the contractual documents. However, this may also extend to a debtor where the reliability of the credit provider could not be ascertained. This protection would then effectively protect both the creditor and debtor to ensure that the contract was reliable, and that the correct person or entity was included as a party to the agreement. Perhaps the most important aspect of the Government White Paper regarding consumer credit contracts is the introduction of more stringent licensing criteria for credit providers. The Government’s hope, in 2003, was that the reform to the consumer credit laws would give the Office of Fair Trading more power to investigate credit providers to ensure that they were complying with the terms of the license granted upon them. Previously, the DTI claimed that the tests that a credit provider was required to pass to gain a license only determined whether they initially met these criteria, and did not illustrate whether they continued to meet the criteria, and thus remain fit to provide credit to consumers.[5] This would, theoretically, maintain the integrity of the consumer credit industry, making it much safer for consumers to deal in the sometimes overwhelming credit market. Again, this appears to be protecting the consumer’s interests more so than those of the credit supplie r. The DTI has identified a number of areas that the Consumer Credit Act 1974 was lax in upholding and protecting in the interests of consumer credit, and it would appear that, based upon the general consensus of this White Paper (a fundamental research document that highlights the Government’s intention in reforming particular laws) that the DTI is more concerned about consumers being taken advantage of due to developments in the credit market that tend to fall outside the scope of the 1974 Act. This is mainly due to social and technological advances that were not within comprehension at the time the 1974 Act came into enforcement and a lack of reform since that time. However, while the shortfalls of the Act have been duly illustrated by the DTI, what if a consumer continues to have a problem with a credit contract? To what institution do they turn to exercise their right of redress? The DTI uses its White Paper to harangue the idea of the Financial Ombudsman Service being e mpowered to investigate contractual dispute involving consumer credit. This would create an alternative dispute resolution pathway that may ultimately avoid the pomposity, risk and financial burden that was previously required in order to take a matter to court. Rather, this would make the dispute resolution procedure much more appealing and affordable to a consumer, giving them more opportunity to vindicate their legal rights where they might otherwise be precluded from doing so due to pressing financial commitments. This does gear itself towards the consumer more so than the creditor, as a credit providing company would presumably have a greater access to legal expertise and resources by comparison to the individual person, thus the DTI found it prudent to address the shortfalls of the 1974 Act in protecting individual debtors. While these have all been appropriately illustrated by the DTI’s White Paper, it is important to note that this was simply and analysis of the 1974 Act in conjunction with today’s developing credit-based society, and does not in itself give rise to any legal effect. It does, however, point out the reasons behind the Government’s wish to reform consumer credit laws, and gives one a way to measure the effectiveness of the now enacted Consumer Credit Act 2006 by applying these criteria. It is now important to consider the express provisions of this Act in order to determine whether these shortfalls identified by the DTI have been adequately addressed and protected by the new Act. Before considering the possible codification of the DTI’s discussion in the Consumer Credit Act 2006, it is important to establish the scope of application for this Act. It does not apply to businesses or corporations who enter into consumer credit contracts solely for business purposes. Rather, it serves to protect individuals that may be at less of a negotiation or contracting position than what a business would which may have access to virtually unlimited capital. The 2006 Act defines an ‘individual’ as: (a) a partnership consisting of two or three persons not all of whom are bodies corporate; and (b) an unincorporated body of persons which does not consist entirely of bodies corporate and is not a partnership.[6] The inclusion of these two categories as ‘individuals’ for the purposes of the Act gives more people protection under the Act than what may have been afforded otherwise under the 1974 Act, thus ensuring more consumers are protected. It clearly precludes large businesses and corporations from seeking protection under the Act, thus ensuring that only those who may not necessarily be able to provide their own legal protection are protected by law from being taken advantage of. Additionally, section 2 of the 2006 Act removes the previously existing financial limits for protection under the Act ( £25,000)[7] thus broadening the scope of application, however section 3 excludes consumers with a ‘high net worth’ from also obtaining protection under the Act, which subsequently re-limits the scope of application to those consumers who really are in need of consumer protection. The presence of these provisions in the 2006 Act suggests that the intention of the Act is to provide protection for those that may otherwise be at a disability to do so of their own will and accord. One of the most important changes that the 2006 Act has made to consumer credit regulation is the ability of a court to now hear matters relating to unfair credit relationships. The powers of the court in such circumstances have been defined, as have the procedural requirements for bringing such a matter before a court.[8] Under the newly amended sections of the 1974 Act, a court must have regard for the following factors when adjudicating on the issue of an unfair relationship: (a) any of the terms of the agreement or of any related agreement; (b) the way in which the creditor has exercised or enforced any of his rights under the agreement or any related agreement; (c) any other thing done (or not done) by, or on behalf of, the creditor (either before or after the making of the agreement or any related agreement).[9] Additionally, the remedies available to the court include: (a) require the creditor, or any associate or former associate of his, to repay (in whole or in part) any sum paid by the debtor or by a surety by virtue of the agreement or any related agreement (whether paid to the creditor, the associate or the former associate or to any other person); (b) require the creditor, or any associate or former associate of his, to do or not to do (or to cease doing) anything specified in the order in connection with the agreement or any related agreement; (c) reduce or discharge any sum payable by the debtor or by a surety by virtue of the agreement or any related agreement; (d) direct the return to a surety of any property provided by him for the purposes of a security; (e) otherwise set aside (in whole or in part) any duty imposed on the debtor or on a surety by virtue of the agreement or any related agreement; (f) alter the terms of the agreement or of any related agreement; (g) direct accounts to be taken, or (in Scotland) an accounting to be made, between any persons.[10] Essentially these provisions allow a debtor to challenge a consumer credit contract on the basis of it being ‘unfair’ to them, and empower a court to take remedial action where the law was previously vague and uncertain. It affords the debtor further protection from a creditor, given them a clear indication of their rights where they believe they have fallen victim to unfair conduct. It may serve to exonerate them from a contract they were having difficulty to adhering to because the terms were quite clearly outside their ability to keep to, or similar arguments. While this does not fall under the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman, which will be discussed shortly, it still allows a debtor to seek protection from the law from a consumer credit contract that they must have otherwise been contractually obliged to perform. This does not suggest that avoidance of a contract under these provisions is easier by any means as just cause still needs to be shown pursuant to the rules a nd principles of evidence and court, however there is no disputing the fact that this statutory remedy is available to those who are in dire need of exercising it where a contract can be construed as being unfair. Unfairness may result from the terms of the contract itself, or from any conduct by the creditor arising after the commencement of the agreement, thus this legislation appears to be catering more for the debtor than the creditor. These provisions specifically cover, in their express terms, any unfairness arising from the conduct of the creditor, as does not relate to the debtor as such. When viewed in conjunction with the application and definition provisions outlined above, it is clear that this law only intends to serve the individual, and not the creditor. In addition to the ‘unfair relationship’ protection through the courts afforded to debtors by the introduction of the 2006 Act, it also contains an alternative dispute resolution pathway that can often avoid a long and arduous litigation process. Sections 59-61 of the Consumer Credit Act 2006 confer powers upon the Financial Services Ombudsman to hear any disputes that involve licensed persons (i.e. a credit provider company licensed under the 2006 Act, which will be discussed shortly), and will also bind these license holders to abide by any decisions made by the FSO in accordance with Schedule 2. Section 59 of the Act requires that any person holding a license to provide consumer credit must submit to the jurisdiction of the Financial Ombudsman Service in order to resolve any disputes which the FOS is empowered by the Act to hear. In order for the dispute to fall within the scope of the jurisdiction of the FOS, it must meet the eligibility criteria outlined in the new section 226A of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (inserted by the 2006 Act), which are: (a) the complainant is eligible and wishes to have the complaint dealt with under the scheme; (b) the complaint falls within a description specified in consumer credit rules; (c) at the time of the act or omission the respondent was the licensee under a standard licence or was authorised to carry on an activity by virtue of section 34A of the Consumer Credit Act 1974; (d) the act or omission occurred in the course of a business being carried on by the respondent which was of a type mentioned in subsection (3); (e) at the time of the act or omission that type of business was specified in an order made by the Secretary of State; and (f) the complaint cannot be dealt with under the compulsory jurisdiction.[11] Essentially, if the complaint is one that falls under the compulsory jurisdiction of the Financial Ombudsman Service that is granted under section 226 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, then it will not fall under the new consumer credit power. The presence of these provisions makes it more effective and less costly for an aggrieved person to raise a dispute with a consumer credit contract that they have entered, which can (and most likely will) avoid the matter proceeding before a court. This makes the dispute resolution process more accessible for individual persons that may not have otherwise had the available funds to commence a legal action in court. Finally, the other main practical change that the Consumer Credit Act 2006 has made to credit law is the introduction of more stringent licensing criteria for businesses and companies wanting to enter the market to sell credit products to consumers. Section 38 of the 2006 Act inserts a provision in the 1974 Act at section 33A which empowers the Office of Fair Trading to make regulations that will govern the distribution of licenses to these parties. This allows the Government the flexibility to adapt the regulations to address the changing social climate in a way that the broad framework of the 1974 Act could not. This would, then, allow the Government to impose regulations on advertising and other consumer interaction which may otherwise escape the broad legal framework of legislation. Additionally, section 44-46 of the 2006 Act specify requirements in relation to the provision of licensing assessment information (and changes thereof) by license applicants to the OFT, which allows t he OFT to make a continual assessment as to the fitness of a party to hold a credit provision license. This was one of the key shortfalls that the White Paper suggested, and appears to have been addressed adequately in the new law. Civil penalties of up to  £50,000 now apply if a licensed person or business fails to comply with the conditions of its credit provision license.[12] Finally, an appeals system has been established by sections 55-58 of the 2006 Act which allow for appeals against a decision by the OFT to grant a license to an applicant, which gives rise to a method of review via the newly established Consumer Credit Appeals Tribunal. This provides for an administrative review of the decisions handed down by the OFT in relation to their licensing and regulative powers within the Act, which may be able to be judicially reviewed by the Court of Appeal with the leave of the Court (on questions of law, not fact).[13] This appeal procedure again appears to be consistent with the notion that the rationale of the Consumer Credit Act 2006 is to protect the rights and interests of debtors as opposed to those of creditors and suppliers. It appears that the idea of this Act is to saturate the market with new regulations that control the way creditors enter into consumer credit contracts with their debtors, and does not necessarily cater for the needs of creditors as such. In conclusion, it would appear that the Consumer Credit Act 2006 caters more so for the rights and interests of debtors than those of creditors, however it would be difficult to maintain an argument to suggest that the law goes too far in protecting these rights. The Government White Paper identified a number of salient points that the 1974 Act did not address, and the Government has appeared to have legislated accordingly. Given that the previous 1974 Act was significantly outdated and not particularly relevant to modern society in both a social and legal context, there was a real need for this law to be updated in order to afford consumers maximum protection against otherwise unfair conduct that was not recognised in law. The law was updated more out of necessity than out of spite for consumer credit providers. The application of these laws does not generally appear to infringe on the rights of credit providers, it merely suggests that the market needs more stringent controls to av oid certain parties taking advantage of otherwise vulnerable individuals. The rationale behind the introduction, as the White Paper suggests, was to create a fairer and more transparent consumer credit market, which gave the individual more competitive and legitimate rights that they are now able to exercise in an attempt to remove the disparity between consumers and credit providers in terms of their negotiation and contractual abilities. There appears to be no malice or ill-will by the Government towards credit providers, rather just a desire to exercise control in an area of commerce that has expanded exponentially since the law was last reviewed more than a generation ago. The flexibility provided under the new Act through delegation of regulative powers to the OFT and Ombudsman also allows the law to be updated as society dictates, which ensures that the law will always be given the opportunity to reflect the needs of consumers as the market changes. This means that this debate will continually be revisited as the market expands and changes and, if there is a need to review the law in the future, there is no need to go through the lengthy legislative process which has dragged this legislation through 18 months of parliamentary delays, especially due to the calling of the 2005 General Election after the Bill was only passed its Commons stages. This law appears to be perfect for the current socio-economic climate of the British consumer credit market, and to argue that it goes too far in protecting consumer’s rights is simply untenable. Bibliography Legislation Consumer Credit (Advertisements) Regulations 1989 Consumer Credit Act 1974 Consumer Credit Act 2006 (also, explanatory notes) Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 Government Publications Department of Trade and Industry, Fair, Clear and Competitive: The Consumer Credit Market in the 21st Century (2003), Journal Articles/Other Sources John, C, ‘Consumer Credit – The New Landscape’ (2006) 18 Compliance Monitor 9 Singleton, S, ‘In Focus: Consumer Credit Act 2006’ (2006) 29 Consumer Law Today 8 Smith, J, ‘Practice Points: Credit Where Credit Is Due’ (2006) 103.25 Law Society Gazette 34 Unknown, ‘Consumer Credit: A New Age But Old Problems’ (2004) 6 Finance and Credit Law 1 Footnotes [1] Department of Trade and Industry, Fair, Clear and Competitive: The Consumer Credit Market in the 21st Century (2003), 4. [2] Ibid, 30-33. [3] Department of Trade and Industry, as above n 1, 33-36. [4] Ibid, 37-40. [5] Ibid, 45-48. [6] Consumer Credit Act 2006, s 1. [7] Consumer Credit Act 1974, s 8. [8] Consumer Credit Act 2006, ss 19-22. [9] Consumer Credit Act 1974, s 140A(1). [10] Consumer Credit Act 1974, s 140B(1). [11] Consumer Credit Act 1974, s 226A(2). [12] Consumer Credit Act 1974, s 39A (as amended). [13] Consumer Credit Act 1974, s 41A (as amended).