Ethics in the Case of Redesigning a Park Essay

In the course of pursuing any type of career, it is important that one undergoes training to teach them how to perform the particular job. For professionals such as engineers, doing the right job includes a lot more that what they were trained to do (Liao, 2013). These professionals must learn to be responsible to the public since they job involves interacting a lot with the members of the society For instance, if an engineer is contracted to construct a bridge, he must also consider whether the bridge will be safe for people to use besides looking at the cost of constructing that bridge (Liao, 2013). This means that professionals should be able to make judgment calls when required of them. In this light, this paper is a discussion of professional ethics as to whether closing an already existing park for two years in order to renovate it would be ethical or not. The park in question in this study is a large park that was in existence for more than thirty years. The park was used by many people during the weekends and evenings where they loved to relax and meditate about life. Moreover, many parents loved to take their children to this park where they would swing and play children’s games with their friends. The rest of the family would get to enjoy family picnics and barbeques and play different sports such as skating or bowling. Unfortunately, since the park was more than thirty years old, it had become old and degenerated and required to be renovated by a new developer. This meant that it had to be closed for almost two years for this to happen. The main ethical issue in this case is that the closure of the park will largely affect the social and interactive life of many families and people. Most of the people who frequented this park resided around the park and valued it for the relaxing effect it had on their lives. This was the place most people would meet, especially over the weekends to have chitchat as they watched their children play with each other. In overall, the park was very useful to everybody who visited it and formed part of his or her daily life routine. However, with the looming issue of redesigning the park and closing it down for two years, there are many ethical issues that require to be addressed. Assuming that I was part of the city urban planning council, I would allow the proposed project of the new park since it would bring a lot of beneficial developments to park users. According to the engineering values and ethical conduct, it is stated that engineers need to understand and promote the principles of sustainability and development. In addition, these professionals need to ensure that they uphold the high regard for environmental, social and economic obligations (Wang and Thompson, 2013). The code of engineering ethics was established by the engineers society in order to monitor the actions of fellow engineers during the course of their career (Hoke, 2013). This ethics code stipulated that engineers should not only consider the technical aspects of their work, but also the human side as well. Engineers need to ask themselves whether the projects are safe enough to the lives of people who will be beneficiaries of the building or facility they plan to put up. At all times, these professionals must make judgment calls that form part of the final decision they will make (Wang and Thompson, 2013). They must decide whether what is good for science and technology is equally good for humanity. There is always a certain responsibility to an expert in what they have created. In this case, allowing the proposed new park project will be beneficial to the previous users of the park. There are no engineering ethics that will be violated since people will be redirected to use another park and their lives will still be in safe hands elsewhere. The only violation that can be argued to be present in this project is that the cost of 20 million AED required in renovation and expansion may be a bit overboard. However, it can also be argued that the cost is justified due to the new developments that the project will bring into the new park. There are many ways that the renovations of the park, some of which may violate the engineering ethics conduct (Ameh and Odusami, 2010). First, renovation can be allowed to occur without the closure of the park. The second option would be to sub-divide the park into two parts such that the renovation occurs in a two- phase design. For each of these two decisions, there are serious consequences that may follow. In the first case, allowing the re-designing of the park while it is still in operation would endanger the lives of the people who will be frequenting the park. A building that is under construction may be a danger to the people around it. Considering that children frequent the park most of the time, they might endanger themselves in the course of play. Moreover, people who like talking a walk in the park may injure themselves in the course of the I walk through building materials and incomplete structures. In the second alternative, sub-dividing the park in order to redesign it in two phases may also have its own risks. For starters, sub-dividing the park would mean that the park would have more people in it than it usually holds. This would in turn lead to overcrowding and the park would no longer be conducive for relaxation. Moreover, it also means that the available recreational facilities would be strained such that their efficiency of park users will reduce much easily over time. In this regard, the decision to close down the park in order to re-design it would remain the most ethical approach to this matter. After the construction, the park is expected to have admirable designs and structures that people would enjoy walking through. Moreover, the new park will also have relaxation joints such as food cafes, restaurants, boutiques and public libraries. With all these features, the new park is expected to be admirable and will definitely improve the social lives of the people who frequent it. However, those families that enjoy having barbeques in the park will suffer since barbecues will no longer be allowed because of the danger of fires spreading. This is one of the disadvantages that creating the new park would have. However, when the ups are weighed against the downs, it remains very logical that redesigning of the park will have many numerous benefits to the users of this park. In conclusion, the re-designing of the park will bring with it many benefits that the users will live to enjoy. With regard to the engineering code of conduct, closure of the park for two years would mean that the lives of people would not be endangered since they will be re-directed to use other parks within the city. During the course of the two years, the park will be given a new facelift where additional social amenities and designs will be put up to enhance the appearance of the park. Ultimately, the new park would be beneficial to the frequenters once the re-designing project is complete. References Ameh, O. J., & Odusami, K. T. (2010). Professionals’ Ambivalence toward Ethics in the Nigerian Construction Industry.  Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education & Practice,  136(1), 9-16. Doi:10.1061/(ASCE)1052-3928(2010)136:1(9) Hoke, T. (2013). Maintaining Zero Tolerance for Bribery, Fraud, and Corruption.  Civil Engineering (08857024),  83(3), 36-37. Liao, S. C. (2013). Enhancing Ethics and the Competitive Environment by Accounting for Conflict of Interest in Project Procurement. Leadership & Management in Engineering,  13(2), 86-95. Doi:10.1061/(ASCE)LM.1943-5630.0000219 Wang, G., & Thompson, R. (2013). Incorporating Global Components into Ethics Education.  Science & Engineering Ethics,  19(1), 287-298. Doi:10.1007/s11948-011-9295-x Source document

Based on George Parks

Based on George Parks (2007) December article for Correction Today, the application of Relapse Prevention Therapy (RPT) as a primary cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in corrections and recidivism . He recognizes that RP affords the implementation of evidenced based interventions in corrections but requires further refinement if it is to be expanded from its current application in offender programming. This would require further testing of RP programs and more importantly, a philosophical shift in criminal programs for the effectiveness of rehabilitation and social reintegration. Criminality is an issue that is continuing concern of any society. Considering the evidence suggesting the increase in repeat offenders and the degree of their crime, the demand to develop effective recidivism programs is well justified. Parks (2007) discusses RPT clearly and provides significant information regarding its application prevailing principles and practices in its application. However, though his discussion on the impact of RPT and related CBT based interventions, he does not provide statistical or actual performance evidence. Though this does not imply that his opinion is less valid, the urgency and importance of the issue would have been better communicated with the presentation of such data. Parks himself recognizes the need for new perspectives and insights to the issue of not only corrections and recidivism but also corrections and social support for offenders. There have been a numbers of suggestions to address the issue including the contradictions to RPT such as the increase in punitive measures for offenders. In the case of restorative justice programs, there has been a similar increase in the support for their application but there has been hesitation on their full implementation because of perceived risks and the management participation on inmates. RPT has an advantage over other perspectives since there is already substantial evidence of its effectivity and relatively has lower risks since people involved in the interventions are limited to offenders’ corrections and parole officers. The research’s orientation reflects a psychological perspective as evidenced by the focus on CBT approaches. It should be noted that orientation does not exclude other orientations, as it is apparent form Park’s discussion that he recognizes the value of various perspectives in the development of recidivism programs. For example, he sites that crime cycles should be studied based on the conditions that create offense scenarios which include social, political and criminological perspectives or orientations. The theoretical framework utilized by Park combines sociology and psychology. The latter is apparent in the programs the areas of correction he sees the potential for the application for RPT. This puts an emphasis on psychological strategies, indicated by his recommendation of CBT and CBT-based programs including RPT as well as Helen Annis’s structured relapse prevention (SRP). However, the actual intervention proposed utilizes sociological frameworks for implementation. He believes that there is significant change that offenders will be able to reform if they are able to learn the impact of their actions, their responsibility for it and the need for criminal justice programs to apply penalties for those who offend them. Park’s orientation also indicates his support for sociogenic collaborative programs in corrections and criminal recidivism. Park’s theoretical perspective and research orientation are consistent with each other. Like any other author or researcher, his research orientation is based on the theoretical perspective he employs in developing the study. Thus, the assumption that the researcher employs for the research are reflected in the orientation of the study, the way the collaborations for the program are constructed or are to operate and the determination of the desired outcomes of the programs. In the same way, an insight to the theoretical perspective of the author allows credible estimates to how the research will approach he subject matter. The literature review completed by Park and his opinion of them reflect his theoretical perspective and research orientation. In particular, his citation of the works of Annis, David Wexler, James McGuire, John A. Cunningham , Edward Zamble and of course the proponent of RPT, G. Alan Marlatts. Though Park does not make any distinct or overt contrary position against any research mentioned or otherwise in his studies, he constantly reiterates his belief of the need for further studies before extensive application of RPT can be done. One point he points out is the lack of large-scale cohort studies to support the intensified application of RPT in recidivism. As previously mentioned, one of the limitations of park’s study is the lack of quantitative data. Though considering the extent of the assessment he made of the existing literature, there is sufficient corroboration for the regard he has for RPT, CBT-based programs and the existing researches for the subject. Park’s analysis of the research and its related issues and concerns reflects his own extensive research and interest in the issue. His insights and conclusions are not surprising because similar conclusions about corrections, rehabilitation and recidivism are reflected in other researches. However, unlike some opinions on the issue, Park believes that offenders should be given allow the opportunities for rehabilitation and reintegration. His sentiment is not just for humanitarian reasons but also recognized that the success of such interventions will reduce demands for correction facilities and programs. Written for popular readership, the research is quiet effective in delivering the need for correction and rehabilitation programs for offenders that will allow them to become productive and law-abiding members of society. Considering this, then Park’s avoidance of statistical or technical terms in RPT or CBT may be deliberate so as not to overwhelm his audience. Furthermore, this supports his objective of communicating the issue as social concern that needs collaborations of various social institutions as well as the public. The construction of Park’s arguments first highlights the significance of RPT in criminal justice systems then reflects the importance of the issue in society and among individual members of it. He points out that the objective of any criminal justice system is should go beyond apprehending and punishing offenders and extends to efforts that offenders are able to reform and become productive members of society. He then enumerates the requirements for the development of RPT programs that support these objectives and the insights that can be developed from existing research. In this article, Park contributes to readers’ understanding of the developing issue in corrections and recidivism, the perspective or researches being developed regarding it, and the potential of utilizing CBT-based interventions such as RPT. It highlights the need to review the relevance of programs and to streamline strategies to maximize the resources of criminal justice programs. There is also the realization of the increasing emphasis in rehabilitation of offenders instead of punitive measures which in turn reflects changes in social perspectives on criminality and corrections management. Park’s research is to be commended in its effort to reach a wider audience for an issue that has often been considered as a concern exclusively to the criminal justice field. Furthermore, his emphasis on the development of research, testing and collaborative programs lend a strong foundation as well as frameworks for the development of programs and interventions. The issue of recidivism, crime and rehabilitation is presented as in issue that affects all member of society not only offenders or their victims. In conclusion, Park’s work should be considered as an important foundation for further researchers on the topic and provides ample foundation for the analysis and development of RPT applications in criminal justice programs. REFERENCE Parks, George A. (2007). New approaches to using relapse prevention therapy in the criminal justice system. Corrections Today 69(6) December: 46(4)

How Sweet and Honorable It Is: A Euphemism of War? Essay

Dulce Et Decorum Est is a poem written by a young British Army soldier of the World War I turned poet Wilfred Edward Salter Owen. He was once commended as one of the most important figures in twentieth century and known as one of the best poets, he is also called as the Greatest War Poet in English Language as most of his literary pieces tackle stories of war and relevant topics. Owen wrote the said poem on 1917 during the First World War while he was on military service and tells accounts based primarily on his personal experience and points of view towards war. However, the poem has made available in public three years after Owen got killed in 1918, days before the ceasing of the same war that he condemned. It was published posthumously to honor the author. Analytically, the meaning of the poem Dulce Et Decorum Est has to be a euphemistic narration of war with the purpose of either to promote patriotic deeds of the soldiers or to condemn the act of war per se. Perhaps, the author wanted the reader to provide the right justification and/or connotation about the poem itself whether it has intentionally written to comfort the soldier as the old saying tells how noble it is to die for one’s own country, or sees the other way around, which is to point out something like it is really useless to end one’s life in a battle just like that. The title of the poem alone depicts ironic truth as the Latin phrase Dulce Et Decorum Est has the literal meaning â€Å"How Sweet and Fitting It Is†. Even if it is a commending statement, it could also signifies sarcasm as he questions how sweet and fitting would it really be to die for something. Originally, the phrase has to be written like this: Dulce Et Decorum Est: Pro Patria Mori, which has the accurate meaning â€Å"How Sweet and Honorable It Is to Die For Your Country! †, as the author excerpted this phrase from Quintus Horatius Flaccus’ third book among his four books of poem published on 23 B. C. , which entitled Odes or Carmina in Latin language. Owen’s narrative poem all began on the first line of the first stanza â€Å"Bent double, like old beggars under sacks† which gives us descriptions that in real battle, odd feeling and uncomfortable situation of the ones involved in the chaos especially the soldiers, who are half-standing and half-lying, truly happens. Being in a chaotic war is never easy, and that is what the author trying to tell us. The word â€Å"double† in it offers a feeling of both the physical tiredness and emotional numbness at the same time, which the person involved could not just simply be withdrawn from and got nowhere to run. As the first stanza offers physical and emotional torture being in a battle, the second stanza denotes psychological agony. â€Å"Gas! GAS! Quick boys! † With this narrative, the author wants the reader to feel the state of panic and the urgency that has inflicted once in the midst of a chaotic ambiance where everyone struggles to survive. This could be the reason behind the usage of capital letters and exclamation points on the first line of the second stanza. The third stanza, though it is the shortest stanza of the poem having only two short lines, illustrates clear and dramatic picture of the speaker’s encounter of a dying colleague in his dreams, or should we say nightmare, and how they both felt helpless in the traumatic situation. â€Å"In all my dreams, before my helpless sight, He plunges at me, guttering, choking, drowning. † Here, we can see that although the war is over, the tragic familiarity of the speaker still haunts him as a sign of trauma even when he’s asleep. Thus, the war creates pain and suffering to the soldiers not only during war but moreso, even when the war is long ended. On the last stanza, the speaker addresses â€Å"you† which denotes direct involvement to the reader. He wishes to personally make an appeal to the public, particularly to the next generation, that the heroic deed of patriotically dying for the sake of one’s country is nothing but purely euphemistic act of injustice and pointless death because such kind of death could be preventable. He concluded the poem by stating the irony of the title Dulce Et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori, which he emphasized as an â€Å"old lie†. Wilfred Owen got many strong points in this poem that whoever read the text might be involved. Weakness if there’s any, has not obviously seen which make Owen surpass the level of being an amateur poet. The poem was simply a silhouette of Owen’s stand against the ongoing war that his audience would surely agree. Historians and students find this work very significant for the study of History to deeply understand World War I and the people behind it. R E F E R E N C E S Owen, Wilfred. 1997. Dulce Et Decorum Est. Modern History Sourcebook: World War I Poetry. http://www. fordham. edu/halsall/mod/1914warpoets. html#owen21 (accessed October 1, 2008). Barnhill, Candace. 2005. Wilfred Owen’s Dulce Et Decorum Est. http://people. smu. edu/cbarnhil/ENGLISH/ENGL2327/engl2327. htm (accessed October 1, 2008). Osondu, Emmanuel. 2008. Biography: Wilfred Owen. Helium, Inc. http://www. helium. com/items/1167412-biography-wilfred-owen (accessed October 1, 2008).

Advantages and disadvantages of mixed-presidential systems

Advantages and disadvantages of mixed-presidential systems The term semi- presidentialism was developed by Duverger in 1970 to describe the mixed constitutional system that incorporates aspects of presidentialism and parliamentarianism. The three main characteristics of a semi – presidential systems are that â€Å"a popularly elected fixed-term president exists alongside a prime minister and cabinet who are responsible to parliament.† Semi – presidentialism is unique in that it has a â€Å"a twin-headed executive,† unlike presidentialism and parliamentarianism.This â€Å"bipolar executive,† is a core criterion of a semi – presidential system which has many hybrid constitutional forms and is therefore a highly contested concept.It is possible to have a semi-presidentialist system that is dominated by the president, or by the prime minister or what is known as ‘cohabitation’ when two opposing parties have leaders in the double executive. This was the case in France in 1988 when Mitterand (left) was elected president and Chirac (right) was appointed prime minister. Although there are several forms of semi – presidentialism for the purposes of analysis, this essay will maintain the premise that semi – presidential system is one where there is a directly elected president, who appoints a prime minister that is accountable to the parliament because semi – presidentialist systems â€Å"all have presidents who are elected in a direct or direct-like manner and they all have prime ministers and cabinets who are responsible to the legislature.† This essay will discuss the merits and drawbacks of a semi – presidential system, focusing on the French semi – presidential system and comparing it to the Russian model of semi – presidentialism and the America presidential system. An advantage of the French semi – presidential system is that it relies on a chain of mutual dependence. According to the French Constitution of 1958 one of the presidential powers is that they can appoint the prime minister whose role as the head of government is to oversee the everyday running of state affairs such as â€Å"governmental, administrative, and information services.†This means that as the head of state the president needs the cooperation of the prime minister, and the prime minister the cooperation of the president in order for France to achieve an efficient government. Elgie supports this highlighting that â€Å"The nature of the French semi-presidential system is such that the president cannot exercise power without the help of the prime minister.† The French president has the constitutional right to appoint government ministers to the cabinet, however these ministers are chosen from a list that the prime minister has proposed. An effective government therefore is selected by the president and the prime minister. This dependant relationship is mirrored by the prime minister and the National Assembl y. The prime minister â€Å"is closely associated with the work of parliament and with the conduct of legislative elections,† because they are responsible to and accountable the legislature.This chain of mutual dependence is a positive characteristic of a semi – presidential system because it creates a strong and efficient government. France compared to the American presidency, has a system of checks and balances through mutual dependence that is similar to American system. Both France and the United States have a constitutional system that aims to prevent the executive and legislature having too much power. In the United States this is achieved through the separation of powers which â€Å"encourage[s] competition for the share of governing authority.† The fact that both the legislature and executive approve legislation checks and balances political authority and that prevents authoritarian rule forcing compromise. Similarly in France the chain of dependence for ces compromise and prevents one executive from having too much power and becoming autocratic. In France the checks and balances are rooted in the principle that in order to govern efficiently the prime minister and president need mutual support. Mutual reliance creates political stability in the French semi – presidential system which is furthered by the fact that semi – presidentialism prevents authoritarian rule in the dual executive and the legislature.

The Epic Of Gilgamesh as Translated by Andrew George Essay

The Epic Of Gilgamesh as Translated by Andrew George - Essay Example ace in the world’s literature, wrote Nancy Sandars (1972), not only because it precedes the Homeric epic by at least one and a half thousand years, but also because of the quality and character of the story that they tell - a mixture of pure adventure, of morality, and of tragedy. (p. 7) According to Kenneth Rexroth (1986), the Epic of Gilgamesh is a highly developed fictional narrative, stressing that: It is not a myth. Even to call it an epic requires a stretching of the definition. It is more like a novel of modern, individualistic hero than it is like Homer’s Iliad. It is spiritual adventure, a story of self-realization, the discovery of meaning of the personality, of a type that would never change down the four-thousand-year-long history of human imagination†¦ It is modern because it is like a dream of a modern man. (1) This paper will examine this highly significant work and determine how it reflects the society in which it was created and in how it reveals the economic, political, cultural, religious and social structures that defined the Mesopotamian society. There are several variations to the Epic of Gilgamesh particularly in the literature of the Hittite, Hurrian, Canaanite, Sumerian and Assyrian. One could even find a hint of Gilgamesh’s repute in the Islamic Koran. The most complete chronicle of the epic was found in Assurbanipal’s library, formed just before the destruction of Nineveh in the seventh century B.C. The story is divided into several chapters or episodes: a meeting of friends, then the forest journey, the flouting of a fickle goddess, the death of Enkidu and the quest for an ancient wisdom and immortality. These episodes demonstrate a single theme that reflects the permeation of pessimism in the Mesopotamian thought, which, according to Sandars, lay partly in the precariousness of life in the city-states. (p. 22) The city-states which are dependent on the vagaries of flood and drought as well as turbulent neighbors; then on

Political Discourse Analyzing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Political Discourse Analyzing - Essay Example I have a dream speech by Martin Luther King is one of the speeches that have stayed popular for a long time in the whole world. Taking an excerpt from the speech, â€Å"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood†. The connection is evident that sons in either case are son which is the bottom line. According to Goddard, (1998), and Hutcheon, (2000), stylistically the speech is a political treatise, or a work of poetry delivered masterfully like an improvised sermon. Former slave owners and former slaves are both able to bear sons and become like brothers. This connection is that former slave owners and former slaves are supposed to be like brothers. But Martin Luther King could see this in a dream that would come true (Morris, &, Hirst, 1991; Halliday, 1985). The bursting biblical language and imagery used especially in the first parts of the sp eech portrays a picture of seething American nightmare of racial segregation against the blacks. The former slave owners are the whites and the former slaves are the blacks. His use of the phrase, â€Å"now is the time†. For example, now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all God’s children. ... A greater part of King’s approach was more visionary and eloquence to the non violent movement against black segregation in America. The second part of the speech deals with the dream in a fairer future of racial harmony and integration (Halliday, 1978; Todorova, 1999). The part of the speech that says; I say to you today, my friends, that inspire of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. The repetition of this phrase continually emphasizes in driving home Martin Luther King’s inspirational concepts. Coherence Coherence serves as a quick way to analyze the overall form rather than the content of an argument in a speech. The coherence through parallel structure was highly applied by Martin Luther King in his speech. The reader or listener can easily predict what King is about to say. Looking at the speech, it presents a powerful rhetorical effect of using parallel structure to create refrai n. For example, I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. This sentence can easily be connected to the following: With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we be free one day. The linguistic features are powerful determinants of similarities and differences between registers. I have a dream today stretches cohesion to the inter clause, inter sentence and inter paragraph

What adjective best describes and defines me Essay

What adjective best describes and defines me - Essay Example However, before delving into a personal analysis of why this word appropriately defines me, it should be considered that for purposes of this analysis, the term motivation and/or motivated will be defined as follows (per the Merriam Webster Dictionary): â€Å"to be provided with a motive or incentive for action† (Merriam Webster Dictionary 2005). It is of course understood that motivated in and of itself is not an effective solitary definition of who I am and how my personality is exhibited to others. However, as a result of analyzing myself, motivated was the singular term that I kept coming back to in seeking to find an appropriate adjective that most appropriately encapsulated who I am and how I approach life and all of the situations it offers. Though many alternative definitions necessarily exist, the term motivated, as it will be analyzed within this analysis is appropriate to defining my personality not due to the fact that it can be used in explaining behavior with regards to academic studies or relationships alone; rather, it serves as an all encompassing term that helps to define how I integrate with the world and define whether or not a given item is of worth and/or how/if I should pursue it. Whereas it is true that many people are profoundly impacted by the way in which their parents instilled values in them or the environment in which they were raised, it is my belief that the motivation that exists within me is as much a product of my own unique identity as the color of my hair or the shape of my own nose. This belief is due to the fact that I have exhibited signs of motivation from early childhood and continue to exhibit them well into adulthood. Whereas many children are briefly blinded by a particular idea and set out to pursue it for a period of time until losing interest, the same cannot be said for me with regards to reviewing my childhood. Taking my interest in music as an example, I