Thursday, October 31, 2019

NursingResearch critique part 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

NursingResearch critique part 2 - Essay Example The introduction is not very clear. There is quite a lot of information there but this reader found that it had to be re-read several times to assure that it were understood. It does create interest in the study and there is good reason for the target audience to read it. It just needs to be better organized and more succinct. The problem was stated twice and in a clear manner and it very clearly important to nursing. This about turning patients and preventing pressure ulcers. It is definitely a caring, patient advocate type of problem. A qualitative approach could have been used here but the quantitative approach makes more sense and the result would lead to a process change. The study question, "does repositioning alternately 2 hours in a lateral position and 4 hours in a supine position reduce the incidence of pressure ulcer lesions in comparison with repositioning every 4 hours in patients lying on a pressure-reducing mattress" In looking at this in PICO statements, it meets the needs of a research question and the literature review is consistent. The synthesis of the literature review was quite well done, organized, and easy to understand. This reader has some question as to whether it is up to date as many of the articles were written between 1992 and 1996 and this particular research was conducted in 2006. There have been many changes in nursing and nursing process since the 90's so this reader is concerned that there may have been better research out there. There is definitely reason after this research to continue to study this problem in an effort to solve it. Conceptual Framework The key concepts are well defined and well organized as is the framework of the study. There is also good description of how the randomization was done and the methods used to frame and carry out the work Conclusion: This a well conducted and well written study though in places such as the introduction, it is wordy and unclear. The information is there but is cumbersome to read. Qualitative Study A qualitative study of smoking during pregnancy Title: This title does tell the reader what the article is about but it really does not tell the reader what the study is looking for or what the content of the study is. This study is really about finding ways to stop young females from smoking not only during pregnancy but before and after pregnancy. It does not waste words; there are probably not enough of them. Abstract This abstract is more succinct though it is more in narrative form than the quantitative study. It does clearly summarize what is in the study. Introduction The introduction is short and really does not say much. It does talk about some of the recommendations that have been made by other researchers and how those recommendations tie into this study but overall it does not tell me what to expect of the study. It is something important for the target population to read but it does not generate

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

What could happen if computers substituted human thinking Research Paper

What could happen if computers substituted human thinking - Research Paper Example Understanding and thinking is the route to develop curiosity in every human being which enables them to explore, learn and interact with the surrounding. Accordng to Walter (2008), we have a network of relationships in our mind (Preface, p. XIII). The conceived thought can be used either in a constructive manner or destructive manner. Human thinking skills have developed innovative technologies over the years. In modern civilized society, in many households we are using automatic dishwashers, riding lawnmowers, T.V. remote controls, automatic garage door openers, power screwdrivers, bread machines, electric pencil sharpeners, etc., etc. etc. Humans have created computers to facilitate this easy and comfortable life. Unfortunately this trend in workplaces and living areas is taking our lives into pitfalls by making us lethargic and passive. We are going against our health that too, without much realization. Overuse and overview of these items restricting our diverse physical movements, and still we are calling it as a wonderful life. Irony is that, do we really want our life to be dull, lazy with all ill health effects If we let these technologies take over us, it might happen that over the time we could become slaves of the technology. Computerization is facing criticism due to its unparalleled powers to harm life for all future generations. An unknown new way gives rise to whole set of new questions. These problems might be such that we would have never thought of. The consequences of the substitution of human thinking by computers might entail unprecedented risks to human health and the environment. The mental ability of human being is irreplaceable by any artificially created intelligence which is not self supportive. Computers are created and used to carry out number of predefined activities in an orderly fashion (Walter, 2008). They are programmed according to human intellect and translate the commands in a sequential fashion without knowing the end

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Ethical Arguments on Child Labour

Ethical Arguments on Child Labour The ethical arguments concerning organizations using suppliers which employ children. For the time being, the number of child labourers exceeds 250 million worldwide. In fact, child labour is defined by the International Labour Organization (2008) as types of work performed by children under 18. In most cases, however, child labour assumes full-time work done by children under the age of 15 that assumes health hazards and virtually excludes obtaining education. The entire situation is worsened by the fact that many suppliers hiring children blatantly disregard international UN conventions on children rights as well as the provisions of applicable national legislations. By ignoring national laws that prohibit child labour under the age of 14, the contracted factories and local suppliers in poor countries actively apply children aged 11-14 to work in sweatshops to manufacture items for such brand names as Primark, Gap, Nike, Wal-mart, Target, Hanes etc for mere 6.5 c. per item (Gorgemans, n.d). The internationally acclaimed clothing retailers conventionally build up their global businesses on contracting factories and suppliers in the developing countries. Therein, local employers apply unethical and illegal practices to the workforce while benefiting the abovementioned global retailers. For a number of times, these organizations were reported as such that are exploiting child labour disregarding set ethical norms and legal regulations. In all cases, the traditional response from the corporate management is limited to the lack of awareness of such unfair instances and injustice applications. This indicates that despite the impacts of pressure groups and advocacy organizations these global brands are unwilling to bear either ethical or legal responsibility for their dishonest employment practices. Fortunately, owing to the enormous efforts of various international pressure groups, the companies like these have recently taken adequate measures to cease unethical applications, particularly those associated with child labour (Gorgemans, n.d). By placing such enforcements, pressure organizations invaluably contribute to the expansion of civil society based on ethical principles of respect, justice and human right priority. In such a way, various pressure groups, media, and youth rights groups are fighting against dishonest companies and their suppliers to protect children from illegal exploitation. Fact is, it is almost impossible to reveal the truth since suppliers are operating in the areas that are difficult to monitor, which enables the latter to conspire their unethical and illegal practices. Whenever the unethical scandals addressing child labour exploitation are revealed, the corporate managers tend to deny their awareness of such illegal happenings allowed in the contracted factories or suppliers. For example, Primark have been a subject to BBC news reports after the detection of child labour use in the clothing manufacturing, which made the company to conduct a follow-up investigation on their suppliers. In most c ases, therefore, pressure groups cannot prove the rightness of their claims due to the insufficiency of actual evidence, and therefore lose lawsuits. This provokes the situation where nobody is ethically responsible, while millions of unprotected child labourers are daily exploited worldwide. Even the US boycotting of the exports of Nepalese carpets manufactured by children in early 90’s did not provide adequate solution to the child labour problem since this measure caused 7,000 Nepalese children taking up prostitution (UNICEF, 2008). Ostensibly, the global problem of child labour is immense and in most instances falls beyond any reasonable ethical or legal control of the responsible authorities. Considering this, it is a common knowledge that legal regulations have always been based on the ethical principles reflecting social morale. Therefore, primarily it is a question of ones ethics and morale to intentionally accept and apply child labour for low pay and in appalling conditions. Nevertheless, in practical terms it seems that many suppliers actually do not mind unethical and illegal exploitation of child labour solely caring about enlarging their profits, expanding consumer markets and winning competitive advantages owing to cheap workforce that consists of ethically and legally unprotected children from Mali, Bangladesh, India, Cambodia, Liberia, Pakistan and many other destinations worldwide. To this end, according to International Labour Organization and the United Nations, the child labour is considered ex ploitative (UN General Assembly, 1989). Nonetheless, nearly half of all children labourers are traditionally engaged in the agricultural sector, though during the last two decades child labour has been actively applied by multinational corporations (Nike, GAP etc) and smaller companies in manufacturing as the effective means to save on this virtually costless and easily operative workforce. Largely, the underdeveloped socio-economic situation in many world countries provokes parents to agree to their children exploiting in hazardous works that involve physical tensions and the use of complicated machinery and devices difficult to operate. Consequently, the reasons of child labour in poor countries are purely economic driven by poverty concerns, and for the time being there is no single international convention that is declaring child labour illegal (Hindman and Smith, 1999). The main ethical issue in due respect is that under the umbrella of world renowned brands, local suppliers are unethically applying child labour considering house-to-house poverty and the devastating domestic conditions in Africa and East Asia wherein most families often regard their offspring as the sole source of income (Hindman and Smith, 1999). Considering this, it is rather difficult to say where the issue of ethics should begin. Hence, the analysis of relevant theoretical approaches is necessary to fully comprehend the seriousness of the issue. In essence, ethical theories are based on the core foundations, i.e. principles predetermining common goals intended to be achieved by every ethical theory, including but not limited to: least harm, beneficence, justice, and autonomy (Ridley, 1998; Penslar, 1995). In fact the exploitation of child labour does not comply with either of the abovementioned ethical principles. Neither does it produce a positive effect on children in accordan ce with the ethical principle of beneficence. According to the ethical principle of least harm, it is apparent that while companies are managing their short-term exporting and business concerns at the cost of the developing world, they are crippling millions of children by depriving them of the right for better future. In such a way employers show total disrespect for children autonomy, including their concerns, preferences and actual motivations (Hindman and Smith, 1999). Finally, child labour is a true example of injustice practice which assumes overall adverse affects to child labourers and economy on the whole. This indicates that the global economy will continue to shrink since the gap between rich and poor is rapidly expanding, and hardly any organization needs uneducated and/or unhealthy employees either today or in the future. The application of ethical theories in case of child abuse practices is a rather delicate issue which necessitates addressing previous experiences of child labour applications by commodity suppliers. While illegally exploiting child labour, the suppliers preliminarily trespass the deontological theory and do so intentionally for the sake of companies’ profits (Ridley, 1998; Penslar, 1995). For instance, since 1990s the international producer of sportswear Nike has been continually criticized by various right protection and activist groups (e.g. The International Labor Rights Fund; Vietnam Labour Watch etc) and media (e.g. BBC; Australian Channel 7 News etc) for exploiting forced labour practices, including women and child labour in Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan, China, Cambodia, and Mexico. In various contracted factories (e.g. in Vietnam, 1996), Nike was reported to violate overtime laws and minimum wage requirements. At that, the company provided employees with indecent working conditions while exploiting cheap overseas workforce within free trade zones to manufacture their commodities (Harsono, 1996). Worse than that, in the course of 1990s, Nike followed the unethical and unsanctioned practice of child labour exploitation in Pakistan and Cambodia while contracting the domestic factories to manufacture footballs. Even now, despite numerous anti-sweatshop (e .g. United Students against Sweatshops) and anti-globalization campaigns, Nike continue to exploit child labour in the areas wherein monitoring or legal regulations are inadequate, which has ensured the company unprecedented profits over the last decade (Boggan, 2001). Considering such unethical and illegal practices, it is obvious that Nile is also breaching the ethical principles of utilitarianism, the rights ethical theory,the casuist ethical theory, the virtue ethical theory an/or their various combinations considering the circumstances. Since the law should be given the highest priority within the rights theory, Nike’s practices should be regarded both unethical and illegal (Boggan, 2001; Harsono, 1996). The similar unethical applications have been reported to be used by Gap. In May 2006, Gap’s supplier in Jordan known as Western, applied unpaid overtime and excessive child labour, and other unethical practices. In 2007, Gap’s Indian factories contracted by Gap were reported to vastly apply child labour. The majority of claims from the pressure organizations concerned unsafe working conditions, unpaid off the clock hours, forced abortion policies, which made the company to reconsider its employment practices. At that, feeling ethical and moral liability before the workforce, the Gap has been praised by advocacy and pressure groups (Verite, Labour behind the Label, Social Accountability International etc) for managing to resolve unethical abuses of employees’ rights in accordance with the internally applied global social accountability standard assuming decent working conditions SA8000. To this end, the company does not employ children under 14 anymore, provides r egular and transparent wage payment, and prohibits any physical or moral abuse on its contracted factories (Guardian 2007). Considering this, in 2007 the company has become a genuine example of ethical practices application rewarded by the national industry media (e.g. Ethisphere Magazine; CRO Magazine; Business Ethics Magazine etc). The aforesaid examples indicate that the business companies operating in the global competitive environment should consider ethical principles in addition to caring about profit-making. For this purpose, multinational companies establish internal codes of ethics and release social responsibility reports on annual basis to underline their ethical responsibility before general public and relevant communities (Hindman and Smith, 1999). Nonetheless, as is seen, there are numerous conflicts between the theoretically-declared ethical norms and empirical applications which confront each other. To this end, in the US child labour is banned by law as well as the policies of the US firms, whereas child labour is allowed in Pakistan and inspires domestic benefits therein. Thus, depending on the respective cultural and ethical norms, child labour is differently perceived in various countries (Hall, n.d.). At that, ethical theories should be applied to provide moral reasoning while responding to conflict situations like child exploitation. Utilitarianism ethical theory intends to maximize happiness in line with the limits of moral choice, whereas the deontological method seeks moral rules to choose the most relevant one to determine the moral action to be taken. In due sense, the utilitarian method is in favour of child labour since due to the gaining of extra income children maximize their own happiness as well as the delight of their parents who know that labour saves their children from street crime and/or prostitution. Conversely, the deontological method indicates that the practice of child labour violates moral norms and therefore child labour would need an alternative solution. For example, there are companies promoting educational programs for children by paying their families for being able to use their labour since they are 14 years old. This approach seems well-balanced, how ever, from the ethical perspective, the current dilemma indicate the non-coincidence of cultural relativism and ethical universalism (Adler, n.d). The discussed issue is currently unsolved considering the ethical viewpoint under which the importance of ethical and moral norms and values differs from culture to culture, and so there is no way to the application of universal norms able to guide moral choices. Human rights are based on moral and ethical norms; however fail to serve as a universal panacea to solve many problems concerning the protection of individual freedom. Therefore the universal formalization and legalization of child labour would require enormous contribution to be made by the international community, civil society and active pressure groups to solve the issue on the global agenda. To be genuinely effective ethical theory should be backed up by firm action and sustainable degree of individual responsibility for using child labour (Ridley, 1998; Penslar, 1995). Ethical theories based on relevant principles should be widely applied as the effective decision-making tools, though only their relevant combination seems most effective while coping with the child labour dilemma. Utilitarian ethics grounded on the casuistic theory may be used to objectively compare different viewpoints on child labour issue and offer the most appropriate choice of action. Ethical theories in various combinations help to analyze and manage critical situations in unbiased and constructive manner to come with the most correct solution from the ethical perspective. Thus, the abovementioned ethical theories can serve as a reliable framework to settle international child labour issues in the foreseeable future (Ridley, 1998; Penslar, 1995). List of References Adler, N. n.d., International Dimensions of Organization Behaviour, Canada Southwestern pp. 64-66. Boggan, S. 2001, ‘Nike Admits to Mistakes over Child Labor’, [Online] Available at: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/1020-01.htm Gorgemans, A. n.d., ‘Addressing Child Labor: An Industry Approach’, [Online] Available at: http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/ites/0505/ijee/gorgemans.htm Guardian 2007, ‘Child sweatshop shame threatens Gaps ethical image’, [Online] Available at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2007/oct/28/ethicalbusiness.india Hall, E. n.d., Understanding Cultural Differences pp. 48-50. Harsono, A. 1996, ‘Nike Accused of Slave Child Labor’, [Online] Available at:http://www.albionmonitor.com/9606a/nikelabor.html Hindman, H., Smith, C. 1999, Cross-Cultural Ethics and the Child Labor Problem, Journal of Business Ethics, Volume 19, Number 1 / March, 1999 Penslar, R. 1995. Research Ethics: Cases and Materials. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. Ridley, A. 1998, Beginning Bioethics. New York: St. Martin’s Press. UN General Assembly â€Å"Convention on the Rights of the Child†, Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession byGeneral Assembly resolution 44/25of 20 November 1989 entry into force 2 September 1990, in accordance with article 49 UNICEF, 2008 ‘Child protection from violence, exploitation and abuse’, [Online] Available at: http://www.unicef.org/protection/index_childlabour.html

Friday, October 25, 2019

Alcohol and Sexual Assault - Its Time to Stop Sex Bias :: Argumentative Persuasive

Alcohol and Sexual Assault - It's Time to Stop Sex Bias If we are serious about sexual assault, we should reject principles that perplex us when honestly applied to the problem. Some are now advising us to accept, as a guide to personal responsibility and the prevention of sexual assault, the intoxication principle: an intoxicated person cannot consent to sex. So should we accept it? If so, how shall we apply it to Jack and Jill, who had sex while both were intoxicated? According to this principle, neither Jack nor Jill consented to sex, which is perplexing about which, if either, has been assaulted. If Jill has, so has Jack, and if Jack has not, neither has Jill. Consider a replacement: the has-been-drinking principle: a person who has been drinking cannot consent to sex. But what if Jack and Jill have sex after drinking but neither is intoxicated? The issue of sexual assault is no less baffling here than before: if Jill has been assaulted, so has Jack, and if Jack has not, neither has Jill. Moreover, the has-been-drinking principle excuses too much. Surely responsibility for resisting the non-intoxicating effects of alcohol applies to men and women alike. Should we then reconsider the intoxication principle? What if Jack and Jill have sex while Jack has been drinking and Jill is intoxicated? On the intoxication principle, Jack is responsible for having sex but Jill is not, which undoubtedly is sometimes sexual assault. There are two nagging difficulties, however. Suppose when Jill sobers she sincerely denies being sexually assaulted because she wanted to have sex while intoxicated. Must we conclude that a sober, intelligent woman cannot know whether she was assaulted? What, then, are we to think when she says that she was? Also, what if Jack and Jill have sex when he is intoxicated and she has simply been drinking? An even-handed, honest application of the intoxication principle should conclude that Jill sexually assaulted Jack. But many do not find this sexual assault at all, even if Jack sincerely objects when sober that he never consented to sex. In charging men with assault, universities sometimes evoke principles that hold men, but not women, responsible for sex when alcohol is involved. For well thought-out reasons, our legal system rejects such principles, prompting universities to devise legal systems all their own. They sometimes implement a gender-differentiated drinking principle: if a woman has been drinking, she cannot consent to sex, but a man consents to all his sexual behavior whether he is fully sober, has been drinking or is intoxicated.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Nuclear Family: Pros and Cons Essay

This is known as a family which contains two parents and one child the nuclear family creates a stable environment so children raised in this family with the same parents during their growing years have a higher likelihood of having stability in their relationship and emotional bonding. Also this family provides a sense of consistency because when children grow up in a nuclear family, they get a sense consistency, especially when it also includes closeness with other members of the family such as grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. It also provides them with learning skills as children usually get far more extensive training in life skills living in a nuclear family. For instance, mothers usually teach their children relationship skills, like emotional response skills and how to have smooth relations with others, while fathers, in general, teach their children handiwork skills and sports skills, like fixing things around the house or hitting a baseball, as well as how to deal with the world outside. Lastly this sort of family upbringing allows physical and emotional support. The Nuclear family usually have more physical and emotional resources with which they can reinforce the whole. Through observing their parents and by following the examples set by them, children learn how to help in the building of the family. uclear family is a term used to define a family group consisting of a pair of adults and their children. This is in contrast to the smaller single-parent family, and to the larger extended family. Nuclear families typically center on a married couple, but not always;[1] the nuclear family may have any number of children. There are differences in definition among observers; some definitions allow only biological children that are full-blood siblings,[2] while others allow for a stepparent and any mix of dependent children including stepchildren and adopted children. [3][4] Families structures of a single married couple and their children were present in Western Europe and New England in the 17th century, influeced by church and theocratic governments. [5] With the emergence of proto-industrialization and early capitalism, the nuclear family became a financially viable social unit. The term nuclear family appeared in the early twentieth century, with the term nuclear itself appearing in the 1840s. [citation needed] Alternative definitions have evolved to include family units headed by same-sex parents,[1] and perhaps additional adult relatives who take on a cohabiting parental role. [7] The concept that a narrowly defined nuclear family is central to stability in modern society has been promoted by modern social conservatives in the United States, and has been challenged as historically and sociologically inadequate to describe the complexity of actual family relations.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Notes Experimental Psych Overview

Sociology Biology Chemistry Physics Astronomy Anthropology Psychology Others Outer circle (CO) : Art Music Literature Language Solvable and unsolvable Problems Solvable problem- one which poses a question that can be answered with the use of normal capacities (answers questions under the inner and outer circle) Unsolvable problem – raises a question that is unanswerable. This concerns supernatural phenomena (falling under Metaphysical disciplines) Science is Empirical (Observable) Solvable problems are susceptible to empirical solution by studying observable vents Science Defined 1 .Sciences apply the scientific method to solvable problems 2. Dullness's In the CO don't use the SMS but their problems are typically solvable 3. The dullness's outside the circles neither use the SMS nor pose solvable problems C] Science is the application of the SMS to solvable problems. Psychology as a Science Psychology Is Materialistic, Objective and Deterministic If psychology Is ever to becom e a science, It must follow the example of the physical sciences: it must be materialistic, mechanistic, deterministic, objective. -WatsonMaterialism (Same as Physicality) – observable responses, physical events Objectivity – the principle of intersecting reliability Intersecting- two or more people share the same experiences Determinism- the assumption that there is lawfulness Experimentation is the most powerful research method 0 Psychology became a science by applying the SMS to solvable problems. Psychological experimentation is an application of the SMS Stating the Problem and Hypothesis Testing the Hypothesis 1. Select participants 2. Randomly assign to groups 3. Randomly assign groups to condition/treatment . Experimental group given a novel treatment b.Control group given normal treatment 4. Define the IV 5. Define the DVD 6. Control relevant EVE 7. Conduct statistical tests 8. Generalize and explain the hypothesis 9. Predict new situations Terms 1 . Replicatio n – an additional experiment is conducted but with the same process 2. Stimuli – aspects of the external environment 3. Response – aspects of behavior 4. S-R Laws – if a certain environmental characteristics is changed, behavior of a certain type also changes 5. Variable – anything that can change in amount 6. Independent variable – manipulated, treatment, investigation 7. Dependent variable – measure of any change in behavior 8.Continuous variable – capable of changing by any amount 9. Discontinuous variable – assume only numerical values that differ by clearly defined steps without intermittent values possible 10. Hypothesis -tentative solution to problem Functions of Apparatus 1. To administer experimental treatment 2. To collect data 3. To reduce experimenter influences 4. To analyze data specifically Conducting Statistical Tests Chance difference Reliable difference Real 0 statistically reliable Accidental 0 due onl y to chance Significant 0 reliable (Preferable) Confirmed 0 probably true Discontinued 0 probably false it can be measured. J.B. Watson – If psychology is ever to become a science, it must follow the example of the physical sciences: it must be materialistic, mechanistic, deterministic, and objective. Chapter 2 – The Problem Problem Scientific inquiry starts when we have already collected some knowledge but there is something we still do not know Ways Problem is Manifested 1 . When there is a noticeable gap in the results of investigations Students conducting thesis are reading related literature so their storehouse of information is filled with new knowledge 2. When the results of several inquiries disagrees The results are contradicting 3.When a fact exists in the form of unexplained information When a new theory explains a fact, it also explains other phenomena, because theories are general that it can explain many facts Defining a Solvable Problem 1. The proposed s olution is Testable 2. The proposed solution is Relevant to the problem A. What is a testable hypothesis? A. If it is possible to determine that it is either true or false B. Knowledge is expressed in the form of propositions a. The requirement that knowledge can occur only in the form of a statement is critical for the process of testability. C.Degree of Probability Instead of True or False Kinds of Possibilities 1 . Presently attainable – the possibility is within our power at the present time 2. Potentially attainable – possibilities that may come within the powers of people at some future time Classes of Testability 1 . Presently testable – related with Presently attainable 2. Potentially testable – related to Potentially attainable Working Principle for the Experimenter . Applying the criterion of Testability a. Do all the variables contained in the hypothesis actually refer to empirically observable events? B.Is the hypothesis formulated in such a w ay that it is possible to relate it to empirically observable events and render a decision on its degree of probability? Term: determine the degree of probability for them. Unsolvable Problems The Unstructured Problem Inadequately defined terms and the operational definition Solution Through Operational Definitions Operational definitions – one that indicates that a certain phenomenon exists, and sees so by specifying precisely how the phenomenon is measured Operations – adequate definitions of the variables with which a science deals are a prerequisite to advancement.Initiated by P. W. Abridgment in 1972 Impossibility of Collecting Relevant Data Vicious circularity renders problems unsolvable Additional considerations Problems should be technologically or theoretically important Problems of the impasse variety should be avoided unless creative solutions are possible Psychological reactions to problems- we should emphasize a truth criterion and not dismiss a discovery only because it is disturbing