Human Resource Law Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Law Essay This paper will show that this scenario provides a case for gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is illegal under Title VII (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). In addition, this paper will show what legal and ethical issues arise in this case. Furthermore, this paper will show what Bob should do in this case. By using the female employee versus the male employee to serve the customer the company would be in violation of Title VII for gender discrimination. Title VII laws regarding gender cover the full scope of the employment relationship which describes that gender may not be the basis of any decision related to employment unless gender is used as a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ). Customer preference is not a legitimate and protected reason to treat otherwise qualified employees differently based on gender. Additionally, allowing the female employee to assist the customer over the male employee would be in violation of the store’s rotation policy. The policy states that each working day, two employees work in the store; one working the front and one working the back. Rotation occurs on a daily basis in order to disperse commissions fairly. Since this is company policy, there is no flexibility to change that policy and to rotation schedule clearly states that it is the male employee’s turn to earn commission. Discrimination based on gender is illegal and not in keeping with good business practices of efficiency, maximizing resources, and avoiding unnecessary liability. Title VII Issues Discrimination comes in all shapes and sizes, and managers have to be careful not to cross the line and do the wrong thing. Companies do not want lawsuits for discrimination or anything else. The store’s best customer, Imelda,  probably did not intend to offend anyone nor did she probably know that she was discriminating against anyone. Many times discrimination is not intended. Customers generally believe they are always right and get what they want. However, in this instance the customer is very wrong. Requesting a female employee over a male employee is a form of discrimination, gender discrimination. Gender discrimination is illegal under Title VII (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). If Bob asks Tom to step aside and allow Mary to assist Imelda with her purchases, he will be â€Å"in violation of Title VII and can be held liable to the employee for gender discrimination. Customer preference is not a legitimate and protected reason to treat otherwise-qualified employees differently based on gender† (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007, p. 283). Legally and ethically, Manager Bob cannot swap employees Tom and Mary simply because Imelda wants it. Choice This is not an easy situation. On one hand, the customer is promising to buy five pairs of shoes if she gets a female employee to help her. This would be a huge purchase for the store, great for the profit margin as well as a large commission for the employee. On the other hand, not providing a female employee may denote a missed sale, Imelda may leave the store. Swapping employees would cheat Tom out of his commission. This would be unethical. Tom deserves his commission; he should not be asked or told to give this up. The Shoe Store has very clear company policies. Company policy does not allow two employees to split the commission (UOPX, 2013, para. 5). As stated previously, having Tom give up his commission would not be fair. Company policy rotates employees to keep commissions as fair and equal as possible (UOPX, 2013, para. 5). Manager Bob will need to explain to Imelda as nicely and calmly as possible that he is very sorry, but cannot provide her with a female employee. Bob should promise Imelda that Tom is a very nice man and that she will be in very capable hands; ensure her that Tom knows shoes and will treat her and her feet right. Bob should smile and guarantee her that she will be happy with the service she receives. Bob should apologize for the problem, explain that he contacted his regional manager to see if he could make an exception to company policy this time and was told no, and explain that the company risks a discrimination lawsuit. Finally, tell Imelda that he understands if she chooses to shop elsewhere today and  apologize again. Bob should not get into an argument with the customer; it is out of the stores control. In any business, a written policy can avoid or prevent lawsuits. The shoe store chain has clearly established that the rotation of two employees daily or weekly will occur in the store to create fairness in commission sales. In addition, if only two employees are present one works in the back of the store and the other works in front, this clearly creates fairness of commissions earned (pay), good business ethics practice. Working in sales requires a lot of personal judgment from a company representative. By its nature, the job relies heavily on social relationships and on persuasion. Sales people also usually work on commission; if they do not make the sale, they lose cash. In the wrong hands, these elements can lead to unethical behavior, causing undue pressure on customers or vendors. Ethical behavior and doing the correct or right thing is at the forefront for salespeople today. Subsequently ethical performance is an individual process and training development related issues are important. Salespeople require guidelines on ethical, equality and discrimination issues. The guidelines should be formulated and clearly communicated to help employees to effectively deal with situations of equal pay, fairness, and or discrimination whenever the need arises. Job performance, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction will prevail with knowledge and understanding of employment laws (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). What has guided the ethical issues is the set of standards the company has worked out from human reason by which the human actions to switch Mary for Tom is ultimately creating wrong business ethics. Trading assign duties between sales and costs will not mix. The maximum concern for sales cannot go hand-in- with maximum concern for employees. Furthermore, the shoe store business has added structure to the business by creating this policy. If the manager deviates from the established policy, Bob will create unfair treatment or discrimination based on gender, which could result in a lawsuit. After Imelda voiced her request that she wanted a female employee Bob was to enforce the company’s policies to avoid a potential lawsuit. Bob did what was necessary to inform Imelda the companys polices and have Tom assist her with trying on shoes. Bob knows the company will lose money  because of the sales lost from this one client; however, the ethical issue arises to do what is fair and correct according the shoe store policy. If Bob makes the switch and has Mary assist Imelda instead of Tom, Bob has violated the discrimination law-Title VII (gender) as well has violating the equal pay law (Bennett-Alexander Hartman, 2007). The decision is allow Tom to assist Imelda and loose the extra sales. In future, the suggestion to Imelda would be to arrive at the store when a female worker is working the floor or to come in the s tore to see who is working the sales floor without putting the manager in the position to make compromises. Conclusion Discrimination issues can get many companies into trouble. Knowing the law is important for any manager. When questions arise that cannot be answered easily, ask for help. Title VII does not allow discrimination because of gender, meaning a man cannot be treated differently from a female and vice versa. In this case, all must be treated equally. Company policy will not allow Tom and Mary to split the commission and asking Tom to give up his commission would be illegal. Imelda will need to make her own decision whether to shop at the Shoe Store and allow Tom to assist her or leave for another store or until another day. The company must do what is right, what is legal. The store must treats its employees properly and do what is legal and ethical. Whereas Imelda may not be happy, the company cannot do anything that may bring a lawsuit against them. References Bennett-Alexander, D. D., Hartman, P. L. (2007). Employment law for business (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. University of Phoenix (UOPX). (2013). Week Three. Retrieved from University of Phoenix,

Impact of Festivals

Impact of Festivals Robyn Ormond Introduction: South Africans love festivals, it is a chance to ‘let loose’ and enjoy a time of fun, family and by the end, usually no funds. Festivals can be described in many ways, namely â€Å"events of limited duration developed primarily to enhance the awareness, appeal and profitability of a tourist destination† (Ritchie, 1984: 2). Festivals have become a vital component of tourism in small towns (Visser, 2005). The importance of annual festivals in two South African towns, being Sedgefield (the Sedgefield Slow-Festival) and Knysna ( Knysna Oyster Festival) as well as the economic importance of these festivals will be explored to show how festivals can prevent the decline of these iconic towns. Decline def The Importance of Festivals Festivals are more than just a way of making money, there is a deeper impact of festivals upon the communities who host them, these festivals can then rather be referred to as â€Å"a public, themed celebration† (Jackson et al, 2005). Festivals which occur in smaller town like the two that will be analysed normally have a strong sense of community and by holding a festival, ideals such as leadership and accountability of the locals are promoted, members of the community are encouraged to get involved and to take responsibility with regards to the planning and running of the festival (Visser, 2005). This act of holding a festival strengthens the community and allows for bonds of friendship to form between the town members as community goals are achieved through the management of the festival (Saayman A, Saayman, M, 2006). The festival also allows for the natural beauty of the towns to be appreciated and act as a platform for conservation and environmental protection (especially in Sedgefield and Knysna, both of which occur along South Africa’s prestigious Garden Route) (Visser, 2005). Festivals not only create links within the community but strengthens ties with that of the world around them (people from much larger cities- Cape Town and Johannesburg are willing to travel to come and participate in the festivals held in Knysna and Sedgefield.) (Saayman A, Saayman, M, 2006). The strong community bond a festival creates can help prevent the town from going into decline by becoming an attractive place to live and especially to retire to. The Economic Importance of Festivals: Not only are festivals important for growing a town’s identity but these celebrations are known to bring a healthy influx of money into the town. Festivals can boost a towns economy by either extending the current seasonal income (money made during peak tourism times in the town- usually correlating with holidays) or by creating an entirely new tourism season (Visser, 2005). The economic impact of a festival on a small town is simple; people come from outside the town and by participating in the festival, spend money which goes directly towards the local economy of the town (Saayman A, Saayman, M, 2006). Tourism is the driving force behind a festival and the more a town can offer in terms of tourism, the more attractive the festival will be. Festivals are a way of a town advertising itself to the outside world in the hopes of attracting people willing to settle there or foreign investors to take an interest in the town (Saayman A, Saayman, M, 2006). The money generated from a festival is used in a small town to help ensure sustainability of the town and to help the town regenerate (if it had previously gone through a period of decline) (Saayman A, Saayman, M, 2006). A tourist spending money in the town during a festival has an impact on a variety of sectors due to the interlinked nature of the tourism industry (a tourist will need to purchase food and drink during the festival, have access to accommodation as well as pay to participate in the events of the festival, this will benefit a large number of businesses in the town) (Saayman A, Saayman, M, 2006). For the two festivals bei ng explored, a large portion of the proceeding is donated to charity, as the community of Sedgefield and Knysna are more people-orientated and less money-driven. The Sedgefield Slow Festival: The Sedgefield slow festival is a celebration of life in a small town only 7.85 km ² in size with a population of 8286 (Firth, 2011) along the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The town advertises itself as South Africa’s self-proclaimed â€Å"Slow Town† (as nothing will happen at a speed faster than a tortoise’s walk- the icon of Sedgefield). The local residents volunteer to be part of a committee who are dedicated to creating a festival which promotes â€Å"Wholesome goodness, Family, Friends, Fun, the Outdoors and Great food† (Dixon, 2014). The festival is young in comparison to other South African festivals with its birth in 2010. The objective of the festival is to show off the natural beauty of the area in a way that will get the entire town involved while creating local economic opportunities at the same time (Dixon, 2014). The town hosts several events during the festival including the infamous â€Å"Anything-That-Floats Race† (a water race where participants must build crafts constructed entirely out of recycled materials). Other events include a Beer-Pong competition held at one of the local bars as well as the Town Hall Arts Exhibition. In total there are about twenty five events held over the three days surrounding the Easter weekend (18-20 April in 2014) (Dixon, 2014). In 2013 the proceeds from a variety of events, market sales (in the local farmers’ and craft market) and donations, the Slow-festival was able to support four different charities (Sedgefield Hospice, Sedge Mobile Meals, KAWS and Masithandane) with R12000 over the three day festival (Dixon, 2014). The Knysna Oyster Festival: Only 25km away from Sedgefield is the town of Knysna. Every year around the first week of July the Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival is held over a ten day period (Knysna Oyster Festival, 2014). This festival is much older than the Sedgefield Slow-Festival with its debut in 1983. The purpose of the festival was originally to bring people to the area during the off-peak winter period; subsequently the festival has experienced a large amount of success and has grown significantly since its origin (Knysna Oyster Festival, 2014). The festival places a great emphasis on supporting charities, and due to the large nature of the festival, a sizeable amount of money can be donated. In 2013 the festival was able to generate R1 million which would benefit the community and have a significant impact on the local charities (Knysna Oyster Festival, 2014). Before an event can be registered as an official event of the Oyster Festival it must first state which charity or non-governmental organisation it will be supporting with a portion of its proceeds (Knysna Oyster Festival, 2014). Out of the many events held over the ten days, the three most iconic are the Momentum Weekend Argus Rotary Knysna Cycle Tour (which is one of the largest road and mountain bike races in South Africa), the Momentum Cape Times Knysna Forest Marathon and Half Marathon and of course the oysters which are eaten over the duration of the festival (which can reach up to 20000 oysters consumed) (Knysna Oyster Festival, 2014). Conclusion: Festivals in small towns (especially in South Africa) are events in which the entire community can be involved in the planning, managing and running of the festival. These festivals are able to boost the local economy and generate a flow of capital in times which would otherwise be regarded as off-peak quiet periods characterised by little tourism and lower income for the community members. These festivals such as the Sedgefield Slow-Festival and the Knysna Oyster Festival create an identity for the town whilst forming community bonds between the residents. The large charity component of both the Sedgefield Slow-Festival and the Knysna Oyster Festival allows for all in the community to benefit from the proceeds. Overall festivals are a time to celebrate life, family, food and of course to have some fun. Reference List: Dixon, A. (2014). Sedgefield’s Slow Festival. Available from: http://www.slowfestival.co.za/ Firth,A. (2011). Sedgefield Main Place 180007 from Census 2011. Available from: http://census2011.adrianfrith.com/place/180007 Knysna Oyster Festival. (2014). Pick n Pay Knysna Oyster Festival. Available from: http://www.oysterfestival.co.za Jackson, J., Houghton, M., Russel, R., Triandos,P. (2005). Innovations in Measuring Economic Impacts of Regional Festivals: A Do-It-Yourself Kit. Journal of Travel Research, 43:360-367. DOI: 10.1177/0047287505274649 Ritchie, J.R.(1984) Assessing the impact of hallmark events: conceptual and research issues. Journal of Travel Research, 23(1), 2-11. Saayman, A., Saayman, M. (2006). Does the location of arts festivals matter for the economic impact? Papers in Regional Science, 85 Visser, G. (2005). Lets Be Festive: Exploratory Notes on Festival Tourism in South Africa. Urban Forum, 16:2-3.

Experimentation on Animals is Ethical and Necessary Essay -- Argumenta

Experimentation on Animals is Ethical and Necessary How is it that ensuring the safety of human lives can be perceived as immoral? It is difficult to understand that some people are more concerned with an animal’s quality of life rather than their own or a loved one’s. It is true that some experiments used to insure human safety may inflict pain upon animals, but how can it be that some people value the comfort of an animal over that of a human life. Vivisection is the experimentation on animals subjects and has often led to many significant scientific discoveries. Despite what may be believed by animal right activists, scientist do not conduct vivisection without reason; many experimental breakthroughs have come out of it, and it can be said that it will never be replaced. Scientist do not experiment on animals for the sole purpose of being cruel. The use of animals in medical research is vital to the improvement of human health and safety. In fact, it is one of the only ways to test the safety of consumer products. Although animals testing is a necessary evil, majority ...

We Can End World Hunger Essay examples -- Argumentative Persuasive Ess

     Ã‚  Ã‚   In the past ten years the world population exceeded six billion people with most of the growth occurring in the poorest, least developed countries in the world. The rapidly increasing population and the quickly declining amount of land are relative and the rate at which hunger is increasing rises with each passing year. We cannot afford to continue to expand our world population at such an alarming rate, for already we are suffering the consequences. Hunger has been a problem for our world for thousands of years. But now that we have the technology and knowledge to stamp it out, time is running short. Food security is one of the largest problems facing our world today. To be "food secure" a country must have enough food to feed its population and be capable of feeding its growing population in the future. About 700 million people today do not have enough food available to keep themselves healthy. They are plagued by hunger, malnutrition, disease, and death. One reason that many third world countries are not food secure is that they do not have the technology to keep up with the growth in population. For example, in many countries crop fields cannot be worked to their full potential. One way to help solve this problem is to bring unused machinery, which has been exceeded by our technology to these countries. But it takes more than just bringing the technology to them; we need to teach them to use it and to grow from it. Everything that grows begins with a foundation. But likewise, if we try to build something without a foundation, it won't grow. If we help other countries build a foundation for themselves, they can grow into independent self-sufficient countries of their own. But if we simply do... ...inds to address the food for the future. Helping people help themselves is the only lasting help.    Works Cited Barraclough, Solon L. An End to Hunger? The Social Origins of Food Strategies. London: Zed Books Ltd., 1991. Boucher, Douglas M. The Paradox of Plenty: Hunger in a Bountiful World. Oakland, California: Food First Books, 1999. Asimov, Isaac. "Borlaug, Norman." World Book Encyclopedia. 1979 ed. Brown, Lester R. Who Will Feed China? Wake-Up Call for a Small Planet. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1995. Lobo, Vinay. http://www.selfhelpinternational.org/about.html. September 29, 2001. McGovern, George. The Third Freedom: Ending Hunger in Our Time. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2001. http://www.heifer.org/end_hunger/index.html. September 29, 2001. http://www.cartercenter.org/agriculture.html. September 29, 2001

Exploring Reincarnation :: Religion Culture Cultural

Exploring Reincarnation Missing Works Cited For as long as man has been on this earth, one of the most popular questions without a finite answer has been, what happens after we die? Each culture, religion, organization, family, and any other group of people has had their own views about this subject for as far back as history goes, and probably even farther. One particular answer to this question is reincarnation. The simple version of reincarnation is re-birth. When one dies, they lose their physical being, but their soul lives on and is re-born into another body. According to the Buddhists, â€Å"Central to the belief in rebirth is the idea of an individual stream-consciousness. As an unceasing flux of primal spiritual energy, it acts as a concurrent link with the new body conceived in the mother’s womb. The nature of rebirth is closely linked with, or is the effect of, past thoughts and deeds. Rebirth is thus an essential part of the natural law of causality.† (pg. 74, child incarnate) The western wo rld has traditionally been quick to dismiss the idea of reincarnation as nay say. They don’t believe it is possible for someone to be reborn into a new body, most of the time due to religion, mainly Christianity and Judaism, both of which have rejected reincarnation as a valid theory. The Eastern half of the world however, has consistently accepted reincarnation. Four hundred million Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, and Sikhs believe in reincarnation according to statistics. (Christie-Murray, 50) Although the western world has had increasing numbers of people believing in reincarnation, it is still widely disregarded. In the west, we live in a very materialistic age, and for that reason, very little consideration is given to anything besides the present. Reincarnation should not be disregarded so easily however, because there are a lot of logical reason it can be, and probably is, true. There is overwhelming evidence of reincarnation beliefs in every period of time, so it is not some notion that was recently just made up for comfort or stability. There are many stories of people who can remember vivid details of their former lives, and even biological evidence such as birthmarks that are a result of an injury in a prior life. Reincarnation can also be a good explanation for child geniuses like Mozart, and even the current Dali Llama.

Henry David Thoreau Essay

Henry David Thoreau (1817 – 1862) was an American writer and philosopher famous for his naturalistic and anarchical ideas as well as his adherence to the movement of transcendentalism. Thoreau was a vegetarian, actively stood against slavery and war, and was one of the first who supported Darwin’s theory of evolution. Among his many works, the best known are his essay, Civil Disobedience, a proclamation against injustice and an urge for individual opposition to civil government, and the book ‘Walden’, where Thoreau’s reflects his personal experience of living simple life in natural environment. Although these works, like many others of Thoreau, are considered ‘transcendental’ and had been published ages ago, the ideas and concepts they contain may still at some point be related to the issues we may face while living in the 21st century. In general, the core of transcendental beliefs is a faith into a perfect spiritual state of mind that transcends both empirical and physical. It can only be realized through the person’s intuition, not through the doctrines of any existing religions. Therefore, it is rather a philosophy then a religion. The transcendentalism was grounded on principles that are ‘transcendental’, i. e.  based not upon sensual experiences but upon inner feelings and empirical, spiritual essence of a human. (En. wikipedia. org) American transcendentalism was mainly dominating in the first half of the 19th century, encouraging to abandon our mundane world, establish close relationship between human and nature, and to concentrate on ideal existence through spiritual abundance and self-reliance. Henry David Thoreau was admitted as a co-founder of this movement not only for his great thoughts on transcendentalism, but also for his empirical ideas and personal practice of his beliefs, which was greatly illustrated in his most famous book, ‘Walden’. The book firstly released as ‘Walden, or Life in the Woods’ (1854) was later widely recognized as one of the best non-fictional works of American authors. Living amidst woodland that belonged to R. W. Emerson, his friend and another founder of transcendentalism, near Concord, Massachusetts, in the small unpretentious self-built cabin, Thoreau mainly aimed to isolation from society for its better, more objective understanding. He stayed there alone for almost two years but kept receiving and returning visits. For example, he often went to Emerson’s hÐ ¾use for meÐ °l and conversÐ °tion. Moreover, as he indicates in the book, the cabin was located ‘at the edge of town’, not in the wilderness, even not far away from his family home. Therefore, he focuses reader’s attention on the importance of human’s closeness to the nature, self-reliance and meditation. The book combines Thoreau’s autobiography with a criticism of society, namely American consumerism, materialism, and nature destruction, – the issues still common in our century as well. Such experiment of cut-off living was made by Thoreau for special purposes. First, he tried to escape the negative effects of the Industrial Revolution through keeping agrarian lifestyle. Interesting fact, – the experiment was of a temporary character, and in the book Thoreau strongly advises his readers to avoid repeating it. Thus, anyone who studies Thoreau’s works has to keep in mind that at some degree they should be approached philosophically rather than understood literally. Second, the writer wanted to practically experience the main transcendental belief that every individual can transcend from normal to divine by means of nature itself. Like other members of the movement, in the ‘Walden’ Thoreau, for example, speaks about Vedic concepts to illustrate his vision of the nature. â€Å"I lay down the book and go to my well for water, and lo! There I meet the servant of Brahmin, priest of Brahma, and Vishnu, and Indra, who still sits in his temple of the Ganges reading the Vedas, or dwells at the root of a tree with his crust and water-jug. I meet his servant come to draw water for his master, and our buckets as it were grate together in the same well. The pure Walden water is mingled with the sacred water of the Ganges. (Thoreau 221) At some point, Thoreau’s attempts to promote the ideals of transcendentalism may seem to be impractical and rather inapplicable. In fact, after an in-depth analysis, Thoreau’s ideals may even look infeasible, namely his appeals to ascetic way of living and refusal of common human needs. In the scope of critical thinking, impossibility to follow the idea of living without any blessings of civilization is rather obvious. The average American who lives in the 21st century can hardly imagine him- or herself without Internet connection, using cell-phones, driving cars, or going to supermarkets. Nevertheless, it is possible at certain degree. Moreover, due to global ecology problems, it even may become necessary for each of us to refuse some advantages of our daily welfare for the great purpose of saving the world from environmental catastrophe. For this reason ‘Walden’, as well as many other Thoreau’s works, is frequently quoted by specialists who work in various fields and are concerned with the environmental problems of the Earth in general and in the USA in particular. While the whole issue of bad ecology becomes more and more crucial, Thoreau’s idea of simple life in the forest turns out to be not as unsuitable as it seemed at first glance. It is important to mention that Thoreau’s works on natural history is a great anticipation of findings and methods in the fields of ecology and the history of environment, which later became main sources of nowadays movement of environmentalism. In the book ‘Earth Rising: American Environmentalism in the 21st Century’ we read that â€Å"some 150 years ago, transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau, sitting in his tiny cabin on Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts, was already mourning the loss of the wilderness and the debilitating effect of industrialism on the human spirit†. (Shabecoff 16) Thoreau significant influence onto the entire concept of nature preservation and conservation is unquestionable. â€Å"In the United States†¦ the movement expanded in the 1800s, out of concerns for protecting the natural resources of the West, with individuals such as John Muir and Henry David Thoreau making key philosophical contributions. Thoreau was interested in people’s relationship with nature and studied this by living close to nature in a simple life. He published his experiences in the book ‘Walden’, which argues that people should become intimately close with nature. The conservationist principles as well as the belief in an inherent right of nature were to become the bedrock of modern environmentalism†. The conservation movement is a political, social and scientific movement that aims to protect natural resources, including plant and animal species as well as their habitat for the future. Chiefly in the United States, conservation is seen as differing from environmentalism in that it seeks to preserve natural resources expressly for their continued sustainable use by humans. In other parts of the world conservation is used more broadly to include the setting aside of natural areas and the active protection of wildlife for their inherent value. (En. wikipedia. org) Because of Thoreau and his associates humanity became truly concerned about the nature, the world we live in. He can definitely be called a pioneer ecologist. Numerous contemporary movements and organizations prove the actuality of environment problem and therefore significance of all Thoreau’s works related to nature preservation. For example, his vision of the environmental issues in the 19th century became a ground for the book ‘From Walden to Wall Street: Frontiers of Conservation Finance’ written in the current times. â€Å"Why do we invest in conservation? Why do human beings invest their time, energy and financial resources in protection of land, plants, and animals? We invest in conservation because it is an expression of our faith in the future. Conservation investment is an expression of our faith in the future of natural systems that are essential to life on Earth. It is an expression of our faith in the future of deeply loved natural wonders. And it is an expression of faith in the future of our families and communities whose lives will be immeasurably enriched by the living world that we are striving to sustain†. (Levitt 3) Here is one more evidence on how outstanding were the Thoreau’s works and what a great impact they made and still do. In ‘Walden’ he included a famous aphorism that â€Å"in wilderness is the preservation of the world†. Thoreau kindled the Wilderness Religion that found fertile ground in America and provided a spiritual basis for conservation. In ‘The Main Woods’ (1864) Thoreau called for the establishment of national forest preserves, helping to set the stage for the National Park movement. (Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature 6) Despite of the fact that Walden is considered by some critics a failed experiment, the issues raised in the book are still of current importance. As 21st-century people, for instance, we suffer of consumerism and globalization, with their negative ethical aspects. Thoreau’s prophetic awareness of them is amazing, they are as relevant now, as they used to be in his century. He rejects consumerism, its adverse effect on society with its status stratification, and still teaches us lessons vital for our survival and progress. Another kind of ideas Thoreau often promoted in his works are related to anarchism and civil disobedience. Thus, let us shift our attention to this theme of Thoreau’s writings and discuss how those fit in the American viewpoint of the 21st century. In his disobedience to the American low of his times he was as prominent as in his attempts to bring humanity closer to the nature. He certainly was a key figure in the American radicalism. Disobedience was the main point in his endeavors to justifÃ'Æ' morÐ °l anÐ °rchism and to encourage each individual to act on the basis of their personal judgments, their personal opinion about the very justice rather than civil regulations. Unfortunately, Thoreau offers nothing instead and relies of his personal sÐ µnse of justice, which is univÐ µrsal. Here is the historical background of the essay. â€Å"’Civil Disobedience’ is an analysis of the individual’s relationship to the state that focuses on why men obey governmental law even when they believe it to be unjust. But ‘Civil Disobedience’ is not an essay of abstract theory. It is Thoreau’s extremely personal response to being imprisoned for breaking the law. † Because he opposed slavery and because tax revenues contributed to the support of it, Thoreau decided to become a tax rebel. He was arrested and imprisoned. It was short as a one night but has had enduring effect through the writing of ‘Civil Disobedience’ which has exerted its powerful force over time. (McElroy 2) In accordance with Thoreau’s ideals, the government of his days was far from perfection due to Mexican-American war and slavery expanded in the US. Therefore, the essay was written as anti-slavery and anti-war protest soon after the war’s beginning. Thoreau later wrote about governmental justice. â€Å"If it is of such a nature that requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. Let your life be a counter friction to stop he machine†¦ Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man is also prison†. (Thoreau 259) In the essay the author urges American citizens to show their disagreement to government by passive disobedience without acts of violence. Such form of protest was later used by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King who initiated movements for social changes. Thoreau was emphasizing the importance of acting upon the person’s ethical and moral beliefs. According to Thoreau, â€Å"unjust law exists: shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? † This urge to disobedience is in tune with the message of ‘Walden’. Those who are not satisfied with the society should not obey its norms, and neither wait until the norms are changed, nor until the majority joins them, but live according to their own believes. Personal values should be compared to the ones of the contemporary society, and unless they comply, stick the voice of conscience. Thoreau also said that â€Å"it costs me less in every sense to incur the penalty of disobedience to the state, than it would to obey. I should feel as if I were worth less in that case. † (Thoreau 258) In fact, many of the issues pinpointed by Thoreau 150 years ago have not yet been overcome by the American society, and that strikes the most. He hated its slavish materialism as well as commercialism and believed that â€Å"the state should never rank above the individual conscience or the business of living. But if the state demands a person’s first allegiance by asking him to violate his conscience and participate in an injustice, the person should disobey – not through violence but by removing his cooperation. † (McElroy 3) Thoreau foresaw many issues typical to the modern American society. Over 150 years ago he predicted the crisis, spiritual and moral, that now corrodes it. The writer still begs us to slow down our hectic lives, to review our values, and to live in harmony with our consciences. He repeatedly talks about the possibility to establish a society where the justice is appreciated and the beauty of the nature is preserved.

Evolution of Community and Public Health Nursing Essay

Identify a minimum of 3 major events (or influences) in the evolution of community and public health nursing and describe how each event led to advancement of the field. For each event, describe the following: Key health issues at the time Perspectives and goals of community and public health nursing Roles and functions of community and public health nursing Community and public health partnerships at the time Event or Influence: No Child Left Behind Act signed into law (2001). Key health issues Over 50% failure rates noted throughout several states in the United States (Education Week, 2011). Perspective/goals Guaranteeing the quality of public education for all children in the United States with measures to hold schools accountable for their student’s progress by expanding the role of standardized testing (Frontline, 2013) Role/functions School nurses are affected indirectly by the heightened emphasis on accountability for achievement in public education. They actively promote and support achievement for all students in specific ways and help to provide a safe school environment (Costante, C., 2006). Health partnerships School administrators and school nurses come together to promote the well being of all children thus, promoting healthy lifestyles in order to children to perform to the best of his or her ability in school. Ensuring immunizations are up to date as well as supporting preventive screening. How did this event (or influence) advance community and public health nursing? Communication between families and the school district with the help of  school nurses increased the awareness of the importance of health goals. Communication increased with student websites. Promoted school nurse (Advanced Practiced Nurse) with the skills to provide primary health care to children of all ages in schools, thus improving the health and well being of children and adolescences (Keeton, V., Soleimanpour, S., & Brindis, C., 2012). Event or Influence: Balance Budget Act of 1997 created a new program to enable states of offer health insurance to children of low-income and uninsured families. Key health issues Children of low-income were uninsured therefore not receiving proper medical care for health screenings and immunizations as well as treatment for diseases such as pediatric diabetes (Balance Budget Act, 1997). Perspective/goals Projected to achieve gross federal Medicaid savings of $17 billion over those next five years and $61.4 billion over the next ten years from signing (Schneider, A., 1997). Role/functions Public health nurses were seen as having a vital role to achieve improvements in the health and social conditions of the most vulnerable populations (Kulobok, P.A., Thatcher, E., Meszaros, P.S., 2012). Health partnerships Coordination with other public and private programs providing coverage for low-income children. Assistance in helping families enrolling children in such programs. How did this event (or influence) advance community and public health nursing? Although this act helped budget finances for health care coverage for children of low income, it also advanced networks to promote primary care and preventive health care services also brought change in Medicare reimbursement practices (Allender, J., Rector, C., & Warner, K.,2014). Event or Influence: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Act was passed (1974) Key health issues Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is defined by the CDC as â€Å"the sudden  death of an infant less than one year of age that cannot be explained after a thorough investigation is conducted, including a complete autopsy, examination of death scene and review of the clinical history.† Perspective/goals To understand the underlying causes and mechanisms of the syndrome and provide prevention methods to reduce the risks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Role/functions The role of the community and public health nurse would be to promote education for prevention and support for those who have had a loss due to SIDS Health partnerships National Institute of Child Health and Human Development focuses on the need for community resources. Coming together to develop educational programs to help with understanding of SIDS, preventions as well as risks. How did this event (or influence) advance community and public health nursing? The Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Act helped provide information to the community through research and help understand risk factors thus reducing the incidences.