Court Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Court Decision - Essay Example Therefore, just like his wife, Joseph was supposed to readily relinquish his parental rights because he had failed to meet the legal requirements of a parent. As a father, he was not expected to spend such a long period of time without getting in close contact with his biological daughter. By failing to do this, he was demonstrating his abandonment for Annette. Despite the prevailing conditions, he would have tried as much as he could to look for Annette wherever she had been taken by her mother. As a man, he was to take all the necessary measures to ensure that he traces his daughter and get acquainted with her whereabouts. Further more, he was the biological parent to Annette. Meaning, he had a lot of parental duties to perform to her. Hence, by claiming that he had tried, he was not proving any point. In this regard, it is my considered opinion that, based on the ruling, the decision of the court would remain the same even if Annette’s foster parents were not interested in adopting her. Since the Orange County Department of Social Services (DSS) became a party to this case, Joseph has never been anywhere to be reached. Therefore, it is obvious that he had failed to visit and communicate to his daughter although he was in a better position of doing so (Robertson, 2013). As the constitution clearly stipulates, a parent can be declared to have abandoned a child when they fail to communicate and be in a close contact with a child for a period of six months prior to the time in which the case was filed in the Family Court to be decided upon. Definitely, the determination of such a case should be primarily considering the interests of the child. Before making any decision regarding the termination of parental rights, the court should ensure that it acts in the best interests of the child. The court decision should consider

Minimum Legal Drinking Age Essay Example for Free

Minimum Legal Drinking Age Essay Do you believe the drinking age should be lowered to allow eighteen year olds to consume alcohol, or should the legal age to drink alcoholic beverages stay at the age of twenty-one? Prior to 1984 you were, once you turned eighteen, in most states permitted to purchase alcohol. It was completely up to the state government. At age 18 they are legally an adult, and can therefore abide by their own rules and if they make a bad decision they have to pay the price. Why is it that as an adult you are permitted to purchase rifles, tobacco products, you can vote, enlist in the military, go to a casino, get a tattoo, body piercings, get married and even work in a bar but you can’t buy or consume alcohol? When you think of alcohol and eighteen year-olds what generally pops into mind is underage drinking, binge drinking, wild parties and date rape. But that is only the view of the irresponsible side of drinking, just as there is an irresponsible side of drinking at age twenty-one. At age eighteen you should be allowed to purchase or consume alcohol as you please, because you are legally an adult and responsible for your own actions. The Minimum Legal Drinking Age should be lowered to age eighteen. When you turn eighteen in the United States of America you are legally considered an adult. Until the 1984 Minimum Legal Drinking Age act you were allowed (at least in some states) to buy alcohol when you wanted. Subsequently to the passing of that law every state was forced to raise their minimum age to twenty-one. One of the men who voted for the 1984 Minimum Legal Drinking Age act, Morris E. Chafetz, stated that he â€Å"voted for it; it doesn’t work† and goes on to say that â€Å"it is the single most regrettable decision of my entire professional career†: â€Å"The reality is that at age 18 in this country, one is a legal adult. Young people view 21 as utterly arbitrary- which it is. And because the explanation given is so condescending- because they lack maturity and judgment, these same people who can serve on juries and sign contracts and who turned out in overwhelming numbers to elect our first black president- well they dont buy it. And neither do I.† (Chafetz 554-555) The Unites States military is one of the largest in the world, and has many bases and various stations throughout the entire world. At the age of 18 you must (if you are male) sign up for selective service (the draft) and you are eligible to enlist in the military regardless of your gender. Why is it that you can deploy to another country, fight for your country, get shot, lose limbs and have the memories of that with you for the rest of your life, but you can’t purchase alcohol? If you are old enough to risk your life to fight for your country and fight for the freedoms of this country then you should be able to go buy a beer at the bar with your buddies. Jeff Rainforth, a man who ran for congress, said that â€Å"Since the age was raised, many young adults have drunk more abusively than in the past. Like national Prohibition, it was been counter-productive. Raising the drinking age brought about more problems than it solved.† and went on to say that he recommends that is the legal drinking age was not lowered he recommends that military members can not go to combat until age 21. John McCardell, who founded and is now the director of an organization that exists to lower the drinking age back to eighteen, and also started the â€Å"Amethyst Initiative† talks about his solution to the problem. McCardell has credibility on this topic due to the fact that he is a former college professor and president, and is now a vice-chancellor at the University of the South, who has personally seen the way teenagers on a college campus drink and has an idea what will help with this issue. He says â€Å"Alcohol education is what we need.† This would make teenagers aware of the harms of drinking alcohol and reduce the amount of binge drinking that goes on. Lowering the drinking age would teach teenagers moderation. If they are drinking in a controlled setting where they are allowed to drink and don’t have to hide it, they will be more likely to casually drink. McCardell says that the 1984 Minimum Legal Drinking Age law was â€Å"an abysmal failure; it hasnt reduced or eliminated drinking, it simply driven it underground, behind closed doors, into the most risky and least manageable of settings.† In the â€Å"60 minutes† interview with CBS, the Boulder, Colorado Chief of Police, Mark Beckner is also an advocate for lowering the drinking age to eighteen. He says that â€Å"we cant stop it. The best we can do is try to contain it.† According to the 2010 National Survey on Drug use and Health, driving under the influence of alcohol was associated with age. The age group with the highest number of infractions(including wrecks) was the twenty-one to twenty-five year-old group at 23.4% of infractions being drunk/having been drinking as opposed to only 15.1% in the eighteen-twenty year-old group and a mere 5.8% in sixteen and seventeen year-olds. As far as fatal crashes go, the highest percent of drunk drivers that were involved in a fatal car crash was the group of 21-24 year olds. 25-34 year olds came in at 30%, 35-44 at 24% and all fatal car crashes of individuals that were above age 44 and below age 21 was only 14%. Driving under the influence of alcohol was associated with age in 2010. The rate was highest among persons aged 21 to 25 (23.4 percent). An estimated 5.8 percent of 16 or 17 year olds and 15.1 percent of 18 to 20 year olds reported driving under the influence of alcohol in the past year. Beyond age 25, these rates showed a general decline with increasing age. Many other western have long had a much more lenient attitude toward alcohol and alcoholic beverages. Many have set their Minimum Legal Drinking Age at 18, some at 16 and some do not even have a Minimum Legal Drinking Age. In many countries, such as Germany, there are very few drunk driving incidents whatsoever. In these countries parents often consume alcoholic beverages with their children, including beer or wine(in countries like France). By the time Europeans are allowed to drive they have been educated on the effects of alcohol and have been consuming alcohol for several years. Safe alcohol consumption should the same way as safe sex practices and drivers education classes. No one us naà ¯ve enough to think that teenagers will practice abstinence to avoid sexual encounters only in order to avoid a sexually transmitted disease, so why are people foolish enough to believe that teens will avoid alcohol just due to its dangers? Lowering the Minimum Legal Drinking Age will cause the teens who drink to rebel against their authorities to not drink as much due to it not being rebellious. Until a solution is agreed upon about whether the drinking age should be lowered, or stay at the age of 21, this will remain a controversial topic. Using these strategies in this essay works well to effectively persuade every single viewer that underage drinking is in fact a problem, and is attributed to the current law not allowing people to buy or consume alcohol under the age of 21. Because of the problems that are created because of this current law, it would be in this countrys best interest to lower the drinking age. This would prevent an increased number of alcohol related deaths due to underage binge drinking in the future. These are just a few of the reasons that the Minimum Legal Drinking Age act of 1984 should be repealed and the Minimum Legal Drinking Age should be at age 18. Works Cited Chafetz, Morris E. â€Å"The 21-Year-Old Drinking Age: I Voted For It; It Doesn’t Work.† Good Reasons With Contemporary Arguments. Eds. Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer. Boston: Longman, 2012. 554-555. Print McCardell, John. â€Å"A Drinking Age of 21 Doesn’t Work.† Good Reasons With Contemporary Arguments. Eds. Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer. Boston: Longman, 2012. 550-553. Print. â€Å"Issue in Focus: Drinking on College Campuses.† Good Reasons With Contemporary Arguments. Eds. Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer. Boston: Longman, 2012. 548-550. Print. CBSNews. (2010, March 01). The debate on lowering the drinking age. Retrieved from http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18560_162-4813571.html-

How Do People Become Digital Natives Media Essay

How Do People Become Digital Natives Media Essay Helsper and Eynon argue that breadth of use, experience, self-efficacy and education are just as, if not more, important than age in explaining how people become digital natives (Helsper Eynon, 2010). But first, we have to understand who can be classified as a digital native. The term was coined by Mark Prensky in his work, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, published in 2001. Prensky described the generation of young people born since 1980 as digital natives due to what he perceived as an innate confidence in using new technologies such as the internet, videogames, mobile telephony and all the other toys and tools of the digital age. (Selwyn, 2009) A  digital native  is someone who was born around after 1980 and has grown up surrounded by devices such as cell phones and computers. Through interacting with these devices from an early age, they have a greater understanding of technology than a digital immigrant. A digital immigrant, on the other hand, is a person born before the introduction of digital technology and have learnt to adapt their lives around technology. A digital native is unique because they have grown up with digital technologies. The exposure to these technologies from early in their lives has made these students native speakers of the digital language. A distinguishing characteristic that Marc Prensky points out is, todays students think and process information fundamentally differently from their predecessors. (Prensky, 2001) A few key characteristics of digital natives are always online. By age 20, Dr. Urs Gasser from Harvards Berman centre points out that, kids will have spent 20,000 hours online -the same amount of time a professional piano player would have spent practicing. They tend to be very open about themselves online. It is said that 35% girls and 25% of boys write blogs. This usually works to be an advantage to HR sectors of various companies as they can Google a candidate with ease. They often experience work with community builders, and are responsive to intrinsic motivations. However, a group of academics led by Sue Bennett of the University of Wollongong set out to debunk the whole idea of digital natives in 2008. They say that the idea that digital natives learn in a different manner can actually have diverse consequences in the field of education. (Monitor: The Next Generation Unplugged, 2010) Being born in the digital age has had many significant impacts on fundamental features of human experience. They are wired differently. This affects the way they think and the way they learn. Unlike digital immigrants, digital natives dont have to print out email or other materials for later reading. They usually can read of the screen of the computer. If they want to show someone a website, for example, they just have to send the link to the person in question. Digital natives are concerned about doing things faster. For example, if a digital immigrant were to ask for the address of a five people in a set of people, they would take at least 15 minutes per person writing all the information. A digital native would however search for the facebook profile of the person which would take 15 minutes in total. Brains have different developmental experiences and therefore develop differently. Also, people who experience different inputs from the culture that surrounds them, think differently. (Prensky, 2001) Children raised with the computer think differently from the rest of us. They develop hypertext minds. They leap around. Its as though their cognitive structures were parallel, not sequential. (Winn) Digital natives crave instant responses for their actions as a result of their experiences. Traditional schooling does not cater for such characteristics. One study showed that students in class get to ask a question every 10 hours. (Prensky, 2001) The  digital divide  is the gap between people with access to information technology and those with very limited or no access at all. It includes the imbalance both in physical access to  technology  and the resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen.    Simply put, the digital divide is the empty space between the two armies, the space they come to do battle. One side of the arena are the digital natives and on the other side, the digital immigrants. There is a huge gap between the two as I pointed out earlier on in the essay. Both generations (digital natives and digital immigrants) are forced to meet which commonly results in conflicting ideologies of digital technology. The everyday regime of life at work is becoming more technologically advanced with improved computers in offices, more complicated machinery in industry etc. With technology rapidly improving, it is getting harder and harder for digital immigrants to keep up. But this is not something new. Neuroscientists everywhere tells us that the brain adapts itself to the technology we use.   It is not just technology that alters our behaviour and habits. It actually changes the way our mind works, and alters the physical structure of our brain. Connections between neurons are created, strengthened, or diminished and severed based on interactions with the world. (davidweedmark). For e.g. take away technology from a teenager for a day and you will see the difference for yourself. From both extremes there is a healthy middle ground. The availability of calculators should not mean that multiplication tables should not be memorized, but it does not imply that calculators should be banned. As Prensky pointed out, there is no reason that a generation that can memorize over 100 Pokemon characters à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ cant learn the names, populations, capitals and relationships of all the 101 nations in the world. (Prensky, 2001) Helsper and Eynon argue that breadth of use, experience, self-efficacy and education are just as, if not more, important than age in explaining how people become digital natives (Helsper Eynon, 2010). Personally, I agree with the statement. There are four factors that determine whether a person is digital native Breadth of use, self-efficacy, education and age. Breadth of use, as mentioned by Helsper and Eynon refers to the number of times a person uses the internet or any electronic source qualifies them to be that considered as a digital native. As indicated by the graph below, there is an increasing trend in internet usage. singapore internet.JPG The impulse of a digital native to search for information would be going onto the internet, rather than newspapers or books. Unlike the digital immigrants, as defined by (Prensky, 2001) they are people who have lesser knowledge about the internet and the usage of it. Experience, to determine whether a person is a digital native or not, is defined as those who have been on the Internet the longest, while they might not have grown up with the Internet when young, they have been submerged in it for the longest period of time (Helsper Eynon, 2010). It is right to say that those working in the Information Technology (IT) sector will be better off than those who are novices to computer software. The years of experience of these experts determines how good they are in IT. A young person who is below the age of 30 is considered digital native as they will be able to figure out the program easily. This is due to the fact that when digital natives come out into the world, most of the technologies have already been so advanced, some of which are computerised, therefore it is not surprising to know that these natives are already submerged in the digital world. Self-efficacy refers to a persons belief that they can perform adequately in a situation. (Wood, Zeffane, Fromholtz, Wiesner, Creed, 2010). Gender is a glaring is an example for self-efficacy. Many tend to have a perception that boys are better in Mathematics and Physics than girls. Due to this, the self-efficacy produced from boys will be higher; hence their thought processes are better. Likewise for self-efficacy in digital natives, as many perceive that young people, who are born after 1980, to be better at IT skills and knowledge. This led to the increase in their (digital natives) self-efficacy, which also resulted in them being better than the older people digitally. Education simply means the depth with which people are knowledgeable in technical skills and knowledge, and whether education can determine whether someone is a digital native. According to (Prensky, 2001), the single biggest problem facing education today is that our Digital Immigrant instructors, who speak an outdated language (that of the pre-digital age), are struggling to teach a population that speaks an entirely new language. Based on the arguments provided in this essay, it can be concluded that Helsper and Eynons argument that breadth of use, experience, self-efficacy and education are just as, if not more, important than age in explaining how people become digital natives (Helsper Eynon, 2010) holds water. All the factors mentioned are all equally important in defining digital natives. Breadth of use shows us the number of people who use internet on a daily basis. Experience is dependent on the duration one has worked with technology. A digital native is also determined by the self-efficaciousness they exhibit is towards modern technology such as computers and electronic devices. A strong educational background does not prove the existence of digital natives as many digital natives in this world are not well-educated. These factors are as important as age.

Hamlet and Horatio Essay -- Essays on Shakespeare Hamlet

Hamlet and Horatio      Ã‚   Horatio holds the seat of honor in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet, for being the only character among the dramatis personae who is extremely close to the protagonist. Horatio’s emotional bond with the hero is paradoxically closer than that of Hamlet’s mother to the hero. This essay will examine the character of Horatio, Hamlet’s truest friend.    D.G. James’ essay, â€Å"The New Doubt,† explains the hero’s passionate admiration of Horatio:    But we must remark how Hamlet speaks of Horatio; he does so in words of passionate admiration. His election had sealed Horatio for himself because in suffering all, Horatio suffered nothing; and it is the man who is not passion’s slave whom he would wear in his heart’s core. How clearly he would be like Horatio! And yet, in the face of what has happened, ought he to be like Horatio? or ought he not to take up arms against his troubles, and violently end them and perhaps thereby himself? (45)    In the Introduction to Twentieth Century Interpretations of Hamlet, David Bevington shows insight into Horatio’s character:    However much Horatio’s philosophic skepticism may limit his own ability to perceive those â€Å"things in heaven and earth† that Hamlet would have him observe, Horatio remains the companion from whom Hamlet has most to learn. Hamlet can trust his friend not to angle for advancement, or to reveal the terrible secret of royal murder. Best of all, Horatio is â€Å"As one in suff’ring all that suffers nothing, A man that Fortune’s buffets and rewards Hast ta’en with equal thanks.†[. . .] Like Hamlet, Horatio believes that death is a felicity, and even tries to take his own life. Yet he accepts his duty â€Å"in this harsh worldly success as well ... ..., 1992.    Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 1995. http://www.chemicool.com/Shakespeare/hamlet/full.html    West, Rebecca. â€Å"A Court and World Infected by the Disease of Corruption.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Court and the Castle. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1957.    Wilkie, Brian and James Hurt. â€Å"Shakespeare.† Literature of the Western World. Ed. Brian Wilkie and James Hurt. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1992.    Wright, Louis B. and Virginia A. LaMar. â€Å"Hamlet: A Man Who Thinks Before He Acts.† Readings on Hamlet. Ed. Don Nardo. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1999. Rpt. from The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Ed. Louis B. Wright and Virginia A. LaMar. N. p.: Pocket Books, 1958.         

Sex education in Malaysia

Sex affects all aspects of human life. Sexual desires, feelings and activities extend from childhood through adolescence, adulthood and old age. As such, it is only rational to treat sex as an integral and positive facet of our lives. However, (most) Malaysians have a tendency to behave as if only a small number of politicians have sex in the nation. Sex is still a taboo topic and some tend to make a huge fuss whenever the subject is brought up for an intellectual discussion. Are we aware that such conservative attitudes cost us severely? Malaysia’s modernisation has resulted in increased sexual exposure among us, especially the teenagers. No matter how hard the authorities try, the youths can inevitably access sexual information through the mass media such as the internet. The question is: Are the people getting the right information? Movie scenes that portray a person’s NO as an indirect YES to sex are not teaching us the real meaning of consent. Unethical and violent pornography is not going to educate us that it is barbaric to treat a fellow human being as a mere sex object or unprotected sex can be a detriment to our well-being. What else then can provide us with the accurate information on sex? An open, systematic and relevant sex education in schools! Yes, it is time to teach our kids more than the reproductive anatomy and the menstruation cycle. Topics such as sexual attraction, safe sex, contraceptives and healthy relationships need to be addressed in a sex-positive environment. Upon hearing this, religious conservatives and groups alike will start echoing their traditional argument that sex education in schools will only encourage (more) minors to have sex which will eventually lead to various other social issues. As much as we want to live in a sexually-repressed fantasy world, the reality is a simple one: Malaysians including the minors are having sex before marriage with or without proper sexual knowledge. We only need to honestly ask ourselves to affirm this claim. In fact, a national survey conducted in 2000 has found that about 13% of unmarried youths in Malaysia have experienced sexual intercourse (vaginal, oral or anal). Frighteningly, 72% of them did not use any contraception during their first intercourse. These numbers may very well be an under-reporting as sex is still a forbidden subject in the country. Therefore, it is essential to equip our younger generation with proper sexual knowledge. A good sex education will help the kids to understand their body better and avoid unnecessary fear, worry and guilt associated with their normal biological development. They will also learn to be responsible and an advocate for their own reproductive and sexual health. The kids will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to be in loving and respectful romantic relationships. They will understand to reverence a fellow human being and that will help prevent various forms of sexual violence in the country. They will also have increased sexual confidence which will allow them to practice safer sex such as getting contraceptives and insisting partners to use contraceptives. Importantly, good sex education can help prevent unwanted pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and other associated problems. In line with our current science curriculum, when it comes to safe sex, the adolescents are more concerned about preventing a pregnancy than a STI. This attitude might motivate them to focus solely on pregnancy avoidance, making them more vulnerable to various types of STI such as HIV/AIDS. Thus, giving them adequate information on STIs will help promoting sexual health and minimizing risks among our younger generation. It is also important to note that a review of sex education worldwide has found that sex education does not promote early sexual practice or increase sexual activity. In contrast, sex education has been shown to reduce the number of sexual partners and the frequency of sex. It also fosters safe sex and responsible sexual behaviour. Thus, a good sex education will help our kids to acquire accurate sexual information and make decisions about their sexual behaviours more wisely. No matter what they choose, may it be abstinence, delay in sexual involvement or active safe sex; they will be well-equipped to be responsible and in control of their own sexuality. It might also be argued that teaching about sex should be left to parents at home and not to teachers at school. However, the conservative parents who freak out and are in against the proposal of sex education are also least likely to talk about sex to their kids because those parents are less comfortable and/or less knowledgeable in the topic. Therefore, it is absolutely necessary to include sex education as a formal subject in both primary and secondary school curriculums in the country. Yes, we need to start in primary schools. Currently, our kids formally learn about sex for the first time when they are around 15 years old. It might be too naive of us to think that our kids are not exposed to sexual materials and are not experimenting with their sexuality prior to the age of 15. Thus, age-appropriate sex education has to be started as early as possible. Furthermore, sex education should to be taught by sex-positive teachers, not individuals who see sex as something sinful and filthy, so that the kids will be exposed to unbiased information about human sexuality. In sum, sex education in schools is capable of creating a sexually-positive and healthy society, yet it is long overdue in Malaysia. So, why the wait?

Human Relations Movement Essay

Human Relations Movement refers to those researchers of organizational development who study the behavior of people in groups, in particular workplace groups. It originated in the 1930s’ Hawthorne studies, which examined the effects of social relations, motivation and employee satisfaction on factory productivity. The movement viewed workers in terms of their psychology and fit with companies, rather than as interchangeable parts. â€Å"The hallmark of human-relation theories is the primacy given to organizations as human cooperative systems rather than mechanical contraptions. George Elton Mayo stressed the following: Natural groups, in which social aspects take precedence over functional organizational structures Upwards communication, by which communication is two way, from worker to chief executive, as well as vice versa. Cohesive and good leadership is needed to communicate goals and to ensure effective and coherent decision making (Wilson & Rosenfeld, Managing Organizations, McGraw Hill Book Company, London, p. 9. ) It has become a concern of many companies to improve the job-oriented interpersonal skills of employees. The teaching of these skills to employees is referred to as â€Å"soft skills† training. Companies need their employees to be able to successfully communicate and convey information, to be able to interpret others’ emotions, to be open to others’ feelings, and to be able to solve conflicts and arrive at resolutions. By acquiring these skills, the employees, those in management positions, and the customer can maintain more compatible relationships. (DuBrin, A. J. (2007). Human Relations Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, Pearson Prentice Hall, 9th. ed. , New Jersey, p. 2. ) Institutes where human relations are studied include: The Tavistock Institute, co-publishers of the Human Relations journal; the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science; The Oasis School of Human Relations, Masters Degree in Globally Responsible Leadership (Oasis Press publishes human relations books and manuals); Trevecca Nazarene University, Bachelors Degree in Management and Human Relations for working adults; the University of Oklahoma offers a Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations, as well as a Master of Human Relations; Concordia University (Montreal, Canada) offers a Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations, as well as a Master of Human Systems Intervention.