Emerson Essays (1287 words) - Transcendentalism, Lecturers, Mystics

Emerson Bazemore 1 From wise men the world inherits a literature of wisdom, characterized less by its scheduled education than by its strength and shortness of statement. Thought provoking and discerning, Ralph Waldo Emerson gave a cynical world an unbiased perspective on human frailty. Emerson first and foremost was a poet. He has not written a line which is not conceived in the interest of mankind. He never writes in the interest of a section, of a party, of a church, or a man, always in the interest of mankind.? (Carlyle 19) From Emerson's poetry the reader is able to derive a central theme of idealism and reality. Emerson was ?a poet that sings to us with thoughts beyond his song.? (Howe) His never ending search for immortality was always resolved by his reencounter with reality. In his poem ?Days? he expresses the purely ideal or mystical half of his thoughts. ?Days? suggests both points of view and is structurally divided into two parts. The first six lines personify the ?Days? as demigods who offer the gifts of life to mortals. Daughters of Time, the hypocritic Days, muffled and dumb, like barefoot dervishes, And marching single in an endless file, Bring diadems and fagots in their hands. To each they offer gifts, after his will,-- Bread, kingdoms, stars, or sky that holds them all. Emerson is saying here that the individual days arranged in an endless running bring man indulgences and plainness alike. They bring whatever is the will of man. Bazemore 2 Emerson's problem with this is that it is up to him to claim responsibility for his actions. These supreme beings simply provide a steadfast pace unchanging and unyielding. They say nothing and make no efforts to intervene in man's path. They claim time, but so short. The time they provide is not long enough, and that is why they are hypocrites, thus providing Emerson's confrontation with perfection. In the last five lines he describes his actual failure to realize the value of these gifts, and then his ideal recognition of this mortal failure. Man is depicted as a tragic hero in ?Days.? I, in my pleached garden, watched the pomp, Forget my morning wishes, hastily took a few herbs and apples, And the Day turned and departed silent. I, too late, under her solemn fillet saw the scorn. (Emerson 437) Emerson here refers to how he looks at these beings or demigods, with resentment. He has high expectations in the morning but sees how time has not given him the means necessary. He almost gives the ?Days? an evil regard and expects a reply, but instead the ?Days? leave without a word. He sees the errors of his ways and sees how because he has given the ?Days? so much thought he has wasted the day, and thus executes the last line where he indicates he ?saw the scorn.? (Emerson 437) Again in another well-renown poem by Emerson, ?Rhodora,? the theme of self-reliance is depicted by combining idealistic and realistic virtues. He gives a flower the Bazemore 3 appeal of a prefect being. This time, however, his technique is reversed from the previous poem. The first lines express the normality of the flower. He says, I found the fresh Rhodora in the woods, Spreading its leaflets Blooms in a damp nook, to please the desert And the sluggish brook. (Emerson) Nothing, thus far, has portrayed the flower as anything but a delightful surprise. He speaks of the happiness it has brought to the scene, but has not given it any unusual attributes. Then he grants that this flower is the greatest thing to ever happen to the world. Rhodora! If the sages ask thee why this charm is wasted on the earth and sky, Tell them, dear, that if eyes were made for seeing, Then beauty is its own excuse for being? In another critically acclaimed poem by Emerson, ?Forbearance?, he dwells on the idea of man's nature of selfishness and heartlessness Hast thou named all the birds without a gun? Loved the wood-rose, and left it on its stalk? At rich men's tables eaten bread and pulse? Unarmed, faced danger with a heart of trust? Bazemore 4 And loved so well a high behavior, In man or maid, that though from speech refrained, Nobility more nobly to repay? O, be my friend, and teach me to be thine! (Emerson

Free Essays on The Contender

The book The Contender was written by Robert Lipsyte. The setting of this book takes place in Harlem, New York with a boy named Alfred Brooks. Alfred Brooks is a young black man who had dropped out of high school because he didn’t like it, and now works at a local grocery shop, stocking self’s and cleaning up around the store. Alfred moved in with his Aunt Pearl and her daughters when he was 10 years old, after his mother had passed away with pneumonia. Alfred’s best friend James Mosely gets involved with the wrong crowd, and starts taking drugs and drinking instead of hang out with Alfred, and going to see movies every weekend. About this time in the story is when Alfred starts to get interested in boxing, after being beat up by these â€Å"friends† or bad influences that his friend James was hanging out with. Throughout the whole story Alfred still cared about his friend James, and didn’t want to see him get hurt. Through all the trying things tha t happened to Alfred in this book it made him a stronger friend, and also a stronger person in general. At the end of the story Alfred decides to go back and take his high school classes at night, and also promises to help James with his addiction to drugs, by finding him a drug rehab center. In the book The Contender Alfred Brooks shows many examples of maturing, as the story unfolds. He is very responsible and compassionate toward his Aunt Pearl and the girls, because he wants the best for them. Alfred gave the majority of his paycheck to his aunt to help pay for their apartments rent. Alfred also gains wisdom by learning from all his mistakes. When he went to the clubhouse looking for James and he stayed there waiting for him, and in the mean time got drunk and high, he then began to think he was foolish for trying to become a boxer. The next day he went to Coney Island with Major and the other bad influences in a â€Å"stolen car†, Alfred then learned that he couldn’t trust them.... Free Essays on The Contender Free Essays on The Contender The book The Contender was written by Robert Lipsyte. The setting of this book takes place in Harlem, New York with a boy named Alfred Brooks. Alfred Brooks is a young black man who had dropped out of high school because he didn’t like it, and now works at a local grocery shop, stocking self’s and cleaning up around the store. Alfred moved in with his Aunt Pearl and her daughters when he was 10 years old, after his mother had passed away with pneumonia. Alfred’s best friend James Mosely gets involved with the wrong crowd, and starts taking drugs and drinking instead of hang out with Alfred, and going to see movies every weekend. About this time in the story is when Alfred starts to get interested in boxing, after being beat up by these â€Å"friends† or bad influences that his friend James was hanging out with. Throughout the whole story Alfred still cared about his friend James, and didn’t want to see him get hurt. Through all the trying things tha t happened to Alfred in this book it made him a stronger friend, and also a stronger person in general. At the end of the story Alfred decides to go back and take his high school classes at night, and also promises to help James with his addiction to drugs, by finding him a drug rehab center. In the book The Contender Alfred Brooks shows many examples of maturing, as the story unfolds. He is very responsible and compassionate toward his Aunt Pearl and the girls, because he wants the best for them. Alfred gave the majority of his paycheck to his aunt to help pay for their apartments rent. Alfred also gains wisdom by learning from all his mistakes. When he went to the clubhouse looking for James and he stayed there waiting for him, and in the mean time got drunk and high, he then began to think he was foolish for trying to become a boxer. The next day he went to Coney Island with Major and the other bad influences in a â€Å"stolen car†, Alfred then learned that he couldn’t trust them....

Sustainble business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sustainble business - Essay Example Social, economic, and environmental issues caused by businesses have prompted firms to act against the negative impacts of their operations (Folke & Gunderson, 2010). In essence, businesses are increasingly embracing green operations and/or strategies. The idea of sustainability is to ensure that business decisions account for the welfare of the entire society. In this respect, businesses are developing green products, employing sustainability-driven production mechanisms, or promoting environmentally friendly means of doing business. The ultimate objective is to shift from traditional competition practices to contemporary and greener modes of business within a highly competitive setting. The theory of sustainable business is subject to the influence of four major pillars, namely: economics, ecology, social science, and evolution (Holling, 2000). These pillars inform the completeness of sustainable business theories. The economic factor is critical in explaining both business and social welfare in the society. Business operations that negate the economic welfare of the masses fail to account for sustainable business practices. Drawing from principles of economics, sustainable business has to be financially viable and most importantly fit for future generations. Ecology and sustainable business connect based on maintaining, conserving, and protecting dynamic systems that define environmental relationships. Ecological systems host diverse and dynamic species, all of which compete with one another in many different ways. In this respect, sustainable business cannot afford to destroy ecological relationships that define people-nature interactions. Moreover, social science and evolution also play a central role as far as sustainable business is concerned. The interaction of people and nature crates many different developments that subsequently result in evolutionary processes (Penfield, 2008). For example,

Identify & reviewing the company's investor relations information Essay

Identify & reviewing the company's investor relations information - Essay Example In sum, net profit declined by 3.13%. This can be attributed to a significant increase in operating expense from $46.875 in 2010 to $47.373 in 2011 while increase in sales was only moderate from $49.243 in 2010 to $49.747 in 2011. The profitability ratio of the company is not that very good. Return on assets (Net income/average total assets, 1,427.00/17,849.00) is only 7.9 %. It meant that the company use a lot of resources to yield returns. Return on equity ratio(net income/average stockholders’ equity, 1,427.00/6,602) or Equity per share (EPS) however is moderately positive with 21.6 % return to investors. But while the company is giving modest returns, its stability in terms of debt to equity (total liability/total stockholder’s equity) ratio is very disturbing. Its debt is more than 270.35% (17,849/6,602) than its equity which means that the company is heavily indebted. This is being supported by its liquidity ratio which has current ratio (Current asset/current lia bility) of .47 which means that Best Buy cannot settle its obligations right away and has to source out more than half of its obligations. The shortcoming of Best Buy is however recognized by the company and vowed to address them. In its press release, it enumerated as one of its action plans to improve business performance is its reduction in its operating cost which caused the the company’s lesser profitability. It vowed to reduced cost by $800 million dollars and along with this is the closure of 50 big box stores in 2013 to be replaced by 100 Best Buy Mobile small format stand-alone stores in fiscal 2013 (Epstein, 2012). It also plans to grow its online presence revenue by 15% recognizing the growing profitability in ecommerce. If I am an investor, I will not put my money in Best Buy because I am worried with the company’s long-term stability. It just owes a lot

Transforming Traditional Views Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Transforming Traditional Views - Essay Example rvation movements stand to preserve the environment from being consumed further because it would create significant and damaging changes to the state of the world. It is difficult for these movements to gain support when most people are either ignorant to the damages being done to the environment, or not taking to account the dangerous effects it has to life and property. It is also difficult to gain support from majority of a global population that just wants to consume as much as they want or need. If the status quo does not change, these movements will just end up as another intellectual or ideological movement. Ideally, however, it would be very beneficial if these movements will be able to have the substantial attention and support from majority of the world’s governments, NGO’s and whole populations. The timing now is critical as well since the damages made against the environment has already resulted to many natural disasters in different parts of the world. Now, more than ever, is a ripe time for movements and ideologies that have agendas to preserve nature to be taken with serious

Examining Factors Influencing Police Decision Making Criminology Essay

Examining Factors Influencing Police Decision Making Criminology Essay Police decision-making relies on a myriad of factors to include the individual officers characteristics, the environment the officer works in, the characteristics of the offender, the situation the officer finds themselves in, and the organization that influences them. In an attempt to control officer behavior and discretion, some police agencies have encouraged and/or mandated the increased hiring of minorities, women, and college educated officers. The belief is that officer characteristics such as race, sex, and education have an effect on police decision making and these characteristics will have a moderating influence on egregious behaviors such as excessive force, police shootings, and violations of civil rights. However, there is no compelling evidence to suggest that officer characteristics have such a strong influence to counter the other factors of situation, organization, and environment in decision-making. Since officer characteristics are a minor part of the complex fact ors influencing police behavior, there is no harm in promoting increased hiring of minorities, women, and college educated officers. These hiring policies do need to be seen as an attempt by the police agency to hire officers that share characteristics of the constituency that they serve. More study is needed to verify the influences of officer characteristics on police behavior and then, if the studies verify a connection, this research can substantiate the increased hiring practices of minorities, women, and college educated officers. INTRODUCTION There is a dearth of quasi-experimental and experimental designs into the factors that influence a police officers decision-making. Questions remain on how influential certain characteristics such as officer sex, race, age, education, and attitude can be on officer behavior. Of the existing studies that investigate the influences of officer characteristics, the results are mixed on how influential these characteristics are. However, there are numerous studies, while not experimental, that can help explain police behaviors through factors other than officer characteristics (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 34-35). By using these studies of other than officer characteristics, we can validate how strong or weak these factors are on officer behavior. More studies of officer characteristics on police behavior are needed in order to justify the sanctioned hiring of more females, minorities, and college educated officers in an attempt to control officer behavior. Some police administrat ors and policy makers think that officers with more education and a diverse background will make better decisions when interacting with the public and reduce the incidents of excessive force and violations of civil rights (Walker, 1998, p. 232) and this is the reason for implementing affirmative action hiring programs at some police agencies. Some factors put forth as possible behavioral influences on police officers have included citizen behaviors and attitudes, ecological influences, environmental factors, legal restraints, organizational factors, politics, and situational factors. While all are capable of influencing behavior, none answers the entire question of determining and predicting police behavior (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 214-216). One of the biggest obstacles in determining police behavior is overcoming ingrained conventional wisdom on police matters. There is too much attention placed on certain behaviors such as racial profiling, police shootings, use of force, and corruption without trying to understand the causes and definitions of such behaviors. These high-profile incidents receive quick fixes from politicians and police administrators without addressing the underlying causes. Theory based studies would be better used to explain and correct egregious displays of police behavior (Engel, 2002, pp. 269-270). There is a need for empirical based studies of police behavior in order to determine which factors, if any, influence the behavior of police officers, the use of discretion, and whether if police departments can control for these behaviors by emphasizing the hiring of women, minorities, and college educated officers (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 152-154). Based on the evidence so far, the influences on police behavior are too complex and varied to make a strong conclusion that certain policies such as hiring more minorities, women, and college educated officers can correct and/control individual police behavior. Although strong correlations exist between police behavior and situational, legal, organizational, and community factors, none represents a bellwether solution for influencing police behavior. With no conclusive evidence linking certain officer characteristics such as officer race, gender, and education to particular behaviors, policies emphasizing departmental solutions to behavioral issues should be maintained within certain contexts. Rather than being seen as a tool to influence officer behaviors and outcomes, these hiring practices should be seen as an attempt to correct previous discriminatory hiring practices, promote employee diversity, and as an endeavor to have a police agency reflect their constituency in order to bu ild trust and cooperation. Other factors such as police culture, situations, and police bureaucracy that have been shown to have more of an influence police behavior than officer characteristics should be given more focus in attempts to change officer behavior. DISCRETION AND POLICE BEHAVIOR The Importance of Discretion Tackling the issue of determining the basis of police behavior is not new but the complexity of the issue was realized from the beginning of such research as the American Bar Foundation Survey in the 1950s and its follow-on research by the Presidents Commission on Law Enforcement in 1967. Though these early studies spent considerable time in attempting to understand police discretion, they laid the groundwork for later studies on police behavior and raised several questions in the process (Walker, 1992, pp. 48-54). Questions such as the influence of officer characteristics and attitude on officer behavior are still not fully understood. These studies began with the emphasis on examining police behavior and public interaction with the belief that most officers performed their jobs according to the letter of the law. However, it was soon discovered in the course of these studies that the police exercised an enormous amount of discretion in applying the law (National Research Council, 2 004, pp. 22-23). The importance discretion has on police behavior cannot be overstated. A police officer, once out of training, operates with very little direct supervision and can be highly selective in demonstrating the power of the police. Even when answering service calls with ample evidence of a crime, there is no guarantee that the officer will take a formal action against a citizen. Almost every interaction an officer has with the public has a measure of discretion. Because of a lack of direct supervision, the actions of the officer cannot be constantly monitored to ensure adherence to the law and obedience of civil rights. On one hand, an officer decides to enforce the law and make the arrest. This action then comes under the review of the police department, courts, the media, and the public since arrest in the United States are a matter of the public record. On the other hand, an officer decides not to make an arrest by using discretion. The reasons for no arrest can vary from lack of eviden ce to the officers concern that her/his shift is almost over and does not want to stay late to book an arrest. Only the officer, the suspect, and perhaps some bystanders have knowledge of the non-arrest. Since none of these people occupy the officers chain of command or justice sub-system, this decision of non-arrest is not up for review except in rare circumstances (Goldstein, 1960, pp. 90-92). Goldstein (1960) noted that the use of police discretion in not making arrests are not reviewed except in cases where the police detained suspects in a crime and the suspect went on to commit further crimes and/or the non-arrest is seen as part of corruption. However, arrests and therefore the decisions to make that arrest are under review at every juncture of the criminal justice process, from booking through adjudication. Therefore, the burden of a good arrest and the discretion used to make the arrest is no longer on the officer put placed with the courts for review. Police officers use their discretion for a multitude of purposes, from being a crime fighter to doing their best to avoid as much work as possible. Allowing for the effects of being the subject of a study, officers still exhibit a wide range of behaviors depending on when, where, and with whom they choose to exercise their powers of detention, questioning, arrest, and force (Van Maanen, 1974, p. 122). Added to the everyday factors such as the situation in which the officer find himself or herself interacting with citizens, expectations of their agency and co-workers, and differences in location, the officer is also part of a public service organization. The police have competing mandates and responsibilities placed upon them by a fickle public and an even more fickle political system. These mandates and responsibilities are usually not clearly communicated or only communicated after an incident has taken place and the police response was not what the public expected of their agency. Discretion is used by police management to guide these expectations down to the beat officer and to adjust to a changing and mercurial political climate (National Research Council, 2004, p. 57). Studying Police Behavior and Discretion Discretion has been the focus of study since the 1950s and 1960s in an attempt to understand how officer decision making influences police behavior. More importantly, researchers were looking into how discretion factored into situations in which officers violated civil rights, arrest decisions, and racial discrimination (National Research Council, 2004, p. 64). While previous research focused on the police applying the law, it was thought that officers clearly applied the law fairly and non-discriminately when the law had been broken. However, follow-up studies revealed that discretion in how the officer applied the law was more important to decision making than once believed. Officers were shown to not make arrests even when the law was clearly broken and were making arrests for reasons other than law breaking i.e., citizen safety, disrespect, and case management (National Research Council, 2004, p. 70). Attempts to control discretion have been tried in different police agencies, often because of police shootings and other misapplications of deadly force. While most attempts to control or formalize discretion have met with mixed results, other such as in the aftermath of the Memphis police shootings have been successful in reducing police shootings and implementing other administrative controls (Fyfe, 1982, p. 72). The use of discretion carries with it a double-sided curse of being unavoidable in police work in a democratic political system. With no discretion, police officers would be heavy handed and legalistic but still exercising some type of preference, just with more subtlety and with obvious crimes being ignored and minor infractions being investigated. Attempts by police administrators to control discretion have failed (Aaronson et al., 1984, pp. 408-436) and even though it can encourage abuses, discretion carries with it the will of the people who are being policed. The Exercise of Police Arrest Power The actions of the police are based on the lawfulness and legitimacy of their actions in controlling the public. The public also has to recognize the legitimacy of the police and submit to these tenets in order to be policed. When there is conflict between the public and the police it is usually a result of the police not following the strictures set up under the law e.g., unlawful search and seizure, interrogations without Miranda warnings, and excessive force (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 5-6, 252). Various police agencies exercise discretion and arrest power in different ways based on the style of policing the agency utilizes. There are three styles of policing identified by Wilson (1968): the watchman, service, and legalistic. Discretion is used the most often under the watchman style since these types of agencies are primarily concerned with order maintenance. Officers using this style are most concerned with maintaining social control by suppressing illegal activities and disruptive behavior. Discretion is used along with arrest powers to persuade, threaten, and discourage potential lawbreakers (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 70-71). The legalistic police agency is the opposite of the watchman style with an emphasis on enforcing the law no matter how small the infraction may be. Legalistic agencies tend to have high arrest rates, issue more citations, and utilize the law to target and/or harass persons suspected of violating the law. The use of discretion is low for th ese types of departments since they tend to view infractions in more concrete terms and use arrest as a tool even for minor infractions. This type of full enforcement also constrains officer behavior and allows some amount of control over the officer by the agency. Police agencies that use a service style of policing are using both order maintenance and law enforcement while staying attuned to the desires of the community they serve. While less emphasis is placed on using arrest for even minor infractions, the service type of agency still uses arrest and discretion to enforce the laws that are important to the local community. Officer behavior is still controlled but not as much as under the legalistic style but also not given as much freedom as under the watchman style. However, discretion is still present in all three styles with varying degrees of arrest power implemented and/or encouraged by the agency in order to more closely adhere to the desired outcomes of the police agency. OFFICER CHARACTERISTICS Effects on Police Behavior It has been suggested that an officers psychological and attitudinal orientation influence the officers behavior when they interact with the public. This assumption deals with an officers traits, experiences, and attitudes (Terrill and Mastrofski, 2002, p. 218). One area that has drawn an increasing amount of attention from researchers is officer characteristics and the use of force. Research into the influences of officer education and experience has suggested that officer education and experience have a positive effect on the use of force in that officers with more experience and formal education are more likely to use alternate forms of citizen control. Officer education refers to formal education outside of police training and usually means some type of college or trade school education. Officer experience refers to the amount of years employed as a police officer. The research found that a more educated and experienced officer shows more restraint when applying force (Terrill an d Mastrofski, 2002, p. 244). Officer behavior can be explained by the situational factors officers find themselves in and by the attitude exhibited by the officer. However, the link between situational factors and officer behavior is stronger than the attitude link. While going against conventional wisdom, officer attitude has not been found to be a strong indicator of officer behavior and this holds true for the general population as well (Worden, 1989, p. 670). Situational and organizational factors have been found to be a more important source of officer decision making than attitudinal based factors (Worden, 1989, pp. 673-674). An officer is also heavily influenced by the legal factors involved when an officer encounters a citizen such as the citizens resistance to orders, officer and citizen safety, and evidence of a crime. Usually when an officer finds her or himself dealing with a situation that requires arrest or the use of force within a legal framework, they will behave accordingly rather than rely on officer attitude or other officer characteristics (Terrill and Mastrofski, 2002, pp. 233-235). The officers race has also been studied as a possible explanation for police behavior with the thinking that an officer of a minority background would interact with citizens of the same race differently and with greater understanding. Agencies have encouraged the hiring of more black officers with the expectation that black officers would improve relations between police and the black community and reduce the amount of bias held by officers against black citizens. However, before race or ethnicity can be examined as a possible source of behavior and a predictor of future behavior, other influential factors must be controlled for. These include length of the officers experience on the job, their level of education, characteristics of the suspect, and type of encounter in question. Studies such as Brown and Franks (2006) hold that officer race has an influence on arrest decisions and behavior but their study had to control for the above-mentioned factors. They found white officers were more likely to make arrests than black officers were but that black officers were more likely to arrest black suspects. Other research found that while there were differences in the attitudes of minority and white officers, African American officers arrested African American suspects more often and were more likely to use force against minority suspects than white officers (XXX) An officers gender has also been identified as a possible source of officer behavior. However, there has been no significant evidence to suggest that male and female officers behave differently in the course of their jobs even though it has been suggested that female officers would be less aggressive and rely more on persuasion and verbal tactics during suspect confrontations (National Research Council, 2004, p. 151). The few studies that showed a difference in officer behaviors based on gender were directed toward community policing and order maintenance situations. Engel et al. (2000) founds that female officers focus more on problem solving when confronted with issues during their shifts (National Research Council, 2004, p. 151). Female officers, when operating under the auspices of community policing, have been found to have a more positive attitude towards citizens and the goals of the community policing programs than do male officers (Skogan and Hartnett, 1997, pp. 239-242). Ma strofski et al. (2000) concluded that female officers also were more likely to honor a citizens request to control other citizens within the context of community policing (p. 335). Other than attitudes, differences between female and male officer bahvior during the course of their duties has not been shown. Female officers seem to exhibit the same bahviors as male officers when confronted with different situations and different behaviors exhibited by citizens. Whether these citizen inteactions required restraint, issuance of citations, force, or arrest, the actions of the female officers was very similar to those of male officers (Walker, Despite some differences in attitudes, research findings confirm that there are only very slight differences in on-the-job behavior between the sexes. Studies of police officers in several agencies have revealed that female and male officers responded to similar calls for service and encountered similar proportions of problem citizens (e.g., citizens who are intoxicated, angry, violent, etc.). Only slight-and nonstatistically significant-differences existed in the proportion of arrest and citations issued by male and female officers (for review, see Walker). Findings regarding officers use of deadly force, however, have been somewhat mixed. Studies have shown that male officers are involved in deadly force incidents more often than female officers, but female officers who are partnered with a male officer reacted similarly to their male partners when responding to violent confrontations (Walker). In addition, a study of police officers in Indianapolis Police Department and St. Petersburg Police Department during 1996-1997 found that male officers are more likely than female officers to respond positively to citizens requests to control another citizen (Mastrofski et al., 2000). Going Against Type, Styles of Officer Behavior Being part of a heavily bureaucratized and politicized organization, the police officer has the opportunity to depend upon a certain type of behavior in order to make their work enjoyable. A police officer is supervised closely and operates independently at the same time, utilizing discretion and experience to either patrol aggressively or only answer service calls. The intricate factors that influence decision-making include organizational pressures, territory coverage, survival, street code, group dynamics, and coping skills. Since the nature of patrol work can change from moment to moment and can only be generally predicted over the course of a shift, the behavior an officer exhibits can quickly change from an aggressive legalistic style to a laid back, emergency response style over the course of a shift (Van Maanen, 1974, pp. 120-121). Outside factors have an influence on officer behavior as strongly as internalized attitudes and beliefs. Because the police agency is heavily influenced by outside forces such as the law, bureaucratic control, politics, and public complaints, sometimes the officers behavior is pre-determined by such constraints (Herbert, 1998, pp. 361-364). An officer also has to hold themselves to an organizational ideal of being competent, moral, and safe (for self and fellow officers). Even if an officer exhibits the attributes of a hard-charger or a desk jockey, they are still expected to meet the minimum expectations of the group i.e., assist when called upon, show solidarity with fellow officers, and be safe (Herbert, 1998, pp. 355-361). SITUATIONAL FACTORS OF POLICE BEHAVIOR The Probability of Arrest Factors other than officer characteristics have been shown to be a better predictor of officer behavior in terms of arrest. Citizen initiated arrests and preferences have a stronger influence on arrest decisions than the preferences of the officer, who sometimes would prefer to be more lenient and possess more evidence when making an arrest decision. Seriousness of the crime, whether the suspect is known and/or related to the officer, and the amount of disrespect given to the officer are also factors that take the arrest decision beyond officer characteristics (Black, 1971, pp. 1104-1110). Suspect demeanor also has been shown to be a strong indicator of the chances of being arrested. An officer, no matter their attitude or other characteristics, will not usually subject themselves to disrespect and abuse at the hands of a citizen. Although situation specific, interaction between police and citizens is influenced by the behavior displayed by both parties, and an escalation of perceived disrespect by one party against the other is met with resistance by the other. There is also disagreement among officers on what construes disrespect, which adds to the difficulty in using suspect demeanor as an officer behavior predictor (Klinger, 1994, pp. 489-491). However, the correlation in suspect demeanor and chance of arrest is still a strong indicator of officer behavior and prediction (Worden Shepard, 1996, pp. 99-103). Other situational factors such as the mental health of a suspect and citizen requests have a much stronger effect on officer behavior than officer characteristics. Even though there may be a correlation on an officers education level in respect to the officers predilection to arrest a mentally disordered suspect (Engel and Silver, 2001, p. 247), officers have not been shown to disproportionately arrest mentally disordered persons based on mental health (Engel and Silver, 2001, pp. 245-248). An officer is usually not inclined to grant a citizens request to arrest another unless there is evidence of a crime committed. This holds true regardless of the citizens race, wealth, or social affiliation. However, Mastrofski et al. (2000) found that male officers, officers of limited experience, and officers with a passion for community policing were more apt to honor a request for arrest. Suspect Characteristics It has long been pre-supposed by the advocates of conventional wisdom that certain characteristics of the suspects that are immediately discernable such as age, race, sex, and social class had an influence on the officers decision to make an arrest or some other formal action. (EXPAND) ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORS ON OFFICER BEHAVIOR The Influences of the Organization The influence of organizational factors on officer behavior is dependent upon the type of organization the officer is working in. Smith (1984) identified bureaucratic and professional agencies with four sub-categories identified by the level of bureaucracy and professionalism within the agency. High professionalism and high bureaucracy is legalistic, high professionalism with low bureaucracy is service, low professionalism with high bureaucracy is militaristic, and low professionalism with low bureaucracy is fraternal. Therefore, the behavior of the officer can be reasonably predicted based on the type of agency and that agencys definition of legal control (Smith, 1984, pp. 33-35). Organizational influences on officer behavior can also be seen when using expectancy theory. The organization, in this case police agency or department, instills certain expectations from its officers in regards to arrests, traffic stops, citations issued, etc. In the example used by Mastrofski et al. (1994) in their study of Pennsylvania police officers, DUI enforcement was the studied expectancy. Mastrofski et al. (1994) found that when the officers operated under the expectations of their agencies, they usually complied whether the expectations were for high or minimal enforcement. The characteristics of the individual officers did not play a significant role except for a small number of rate busters who bucked the system and made significantly more arrests for DUI (Mastrofski et al., 1994, pp. 142-145). Organizational factors have been shown to have the ability to change officer behavior when there has been directed action against identified behavior, usually in response to police abuses or scandal. An example of this occurred when the Memphis police department made a concerted effort to reduce the amount of police shootings since the rate of deadly shootings in Memphis was disproportionate when compared to other, larger cities (Fyfe, 1982, pp. 712-717). The reasons for shooting given by the Memphis officers were not in agreement with reasons given by the comparison city of New York since Memphis officers showed a predilection to using deadly force for property crime offenses (Fyfe, 1982, pp. 715-716) while New York officers did not. The Memphis police addressed this issue by instituting a more stringent deadly force policy and officer survival training in an attempt to reduce the shootings incidents. An organizations influence on officer behavior can also be seen in the supervisory styles of police mid-level management. Engel (2001) identified different supervisory styles among police sergeants and lieutenants identified as traditional, innovative, supportive, and active (pp. 347-350). While each style has a direct influence on the officers they are supervising, it is also interesting to note the attitudes of the supervisors themselves when the distribution is included for sex, race, rank, age, experience, and education. Engel (2001) found that half of the traditional supervisors were female, this may be attributed to their use of rules, and regulations to keep officers in line and under control since female supervisors may have an issue with perceived power by subordinates (pp. 350-351). COMMUNITY FACTORS ON POLICE BEHAVIOR Patrolling the Neighborhood The area in which a police officer patrols has an effect on their behavior. This depends on the social, economic, and attitudinal makeup of the local residents of the neighborhood in question. There are also other environmental factors influencing police behavior. These include community interaction, past history of policing the neighborhood, the local politics, and the dominant area culture (National Research Council, 2004, pp. 155-156). The influence of the neighborhood is strong on potential police behavior dependent upon the type of neighborhood that is served by the police. Smith (1986) found that police behave differently in higher status neighborhoods than they do in lower status neighborhoods. For example, the police are more prone to stop and question a suspicious person in a higher status neighborhood than in lower status, less racially heterogeneous neighborhoods (pp. 338-339). Neighborhood conditions also affect police behavior. Klinger (1997) found that officers come to view deviant behaviors as normal if they are exposed to the behavior in neighborhoods that are economically disadvantaged. Rather than acting as service providers in these types of neighborhoods, officers quickly learn to prioritize the crimes in terms of urgency and the need to respond (pp. 298-300). Crank (1990) also found differences in officer behaviors in terms of motivation to arrest in rural and urban areas. Not only are there differences between police behaviors within a municipal area, there are also differences in behavior between rural and urban police with the rural police officer being more prone to make arrests for discretionary offenses (pp. 185-187). DISCUSSION Police agencies, the public, policy makers, and politicians have long had the desire to recruit and employ officers whose behavior is beyond reproach. An officer who made the correct decision in every instance without regard to a suspects race, sex, economic status, or mental health would be highly regarded and emulated. When the officer was confronted with situations that required the application of force and/or restraint, they would do so correctly and with the proper legal justifications. It is thought that the use of officer discretion would also be properly applied and controlled by the first line supervisors and directed by the agencies themselves based on community need. Agencies believe they could partially meet these goals if they emphasize the hiring of women, minorities, and college educated officers. However, due the complexity of police work and the multitude of influences such as situational, organizational, and environmental factors, shaping officer behaviors would be very difficult indeed. As was shown in numerous studies above, these other influences besides officer characteristics, often have a stronger influence over officer behavior than the officers own attitude, race, sex, and/or education. CONCLUSION The emphasis on hiring more minorities, women, and college-educated officers should continue because these programs are causing no harm and they are a reflection on the desires of the community that is being policed. No study has shown a negative effect of having more minorities, women, and college-educated officers on a particular police force. However, no study has shown a significant difference in police behaviors based on sex or race so more research is needed in an attempt to understand a connection between officer behavior and officer characteristics.

What is the federal theatre project Essay -- essays research papers

What Was The Federal Theatre Project????? Throughout the late 1920's an important theatrical movement developed: The Workers' Theatre Movement. In the end, it diminished around the middle of the 1930's, and one of the developments aiding the decline of the Workers' Theatre Movement, was the creation of the Federal Theatre Project. The Federal Theatre Project was the largest and most motivated effort mounted by the Federal Government to organize and produce theater events. Once the government took on the duty of putting people to work, it was able to consider the movement. The Federal Theatre Project’s purpose was â€Å"to provide relief work for theatrical artists that utilized their talents and to make their work widely available to ordinary Americans, thus democratizing high culture.† (www.answers.com) Furthermore the FTP tried to present theatre that was relevant socially, politically, and had popular prices, such as free shows. The majority of its famous productions, although not all of them, came out of Ne w York City. New York had many units, such as, a classical unit, Negro unit, units performing vaudeville, children’s plays, puppet shows, caravan productions, and the new plays unit. The Federal Theatre Project was â€Å"the only fully government-sponsored theatre ever in the United States†. (Witham 16) During the late 1920s, in October 1929, the stock market crashed which led to the Great Depression. By winter 1930 through 1931, four million people were unemployed; by March 1931, eight million. By the year 1932, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected, the national income was half that of 1929; there were twelve million unemployed, moreover, there were one of four. Within two weeks of his inauguration, in the year 1933, FDR reopened three-fourths of the Federal Reserve Banks and tried to save the economy. Many called Franklin Delano Roosevelt's administration "the Alphabetical Administration; it was often ridiculed because it seemed to have so many different organizations designated by different groups of letters.† (Witham 48) For example, the C. C. C., the Civilian Conservation Corps, started in the year 1933 and found jobs for over 250,000 men. The Federal Emergency Relief Act, or F. E. R. A., started in the year 1933, led by Harry Hopkins put $500 million back into circulation. By the year 193... ... held on the last day of the Federal Theatre Project existence, which was June 30, 1939. Fairly because of long held doubts that the FTP was fraught with Communists and fellow travelers and the18-month-long rehearsal time, Congress shut it down. The remaining three Arts Projects, Music, Art, and Writing, survived and were financed by Congress until the year of 1941. Concluding the Federal Theatre Project, it has accomplished the goal of introducing theatre to millions who had never seen theatre before. It employed thousands of people, initiated European epic theatre and Living Newspaper theatre techniques to the United States, and for this reason could be seen as a vast achievement. Work Cited 1, Bordman, Gerald. American Theatre: Chronicle of Comedy and Drama 1930- 1989. Chicago: Oxford University Press, 1996. 2. Manning, Susan H. Modern Dance, Negro Dance: Race in Motion. Minnesota: University of Minnesota Press, 2004 3. Witham, Barry. The Federal Theatre Project: A Case Study. Nevada: The Press Syndicate of the University of Cambridge, 2003. 4. http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/fedtp/ftwpa.html 5. http://www.answers.com/topic/federal-theatre-project

Flowers for Algernon Essay

If you were given the chance to triple your intelligence through surgery would you? In the story â€Å"Flowers for Algernon† by Daniel Keyes, is about a man named Charlie Gordon who has a low I.Q. and has a chance to triple it through surgery. He is a 37 year old man and is keeping a diary to see if he will be used for the surgery. In this book two doctors give Charlie a chance to triple his intelligence through surgery. Charlie should not get the surgery because nobody likes him, everyone feel sorry, and he eventually gets sick of being smart. Charlie should not have had the surgery because nobody likes him when he’s so smart. When he is smart no one can understand him. â€Å"Everybody seems frightened of me.† (232) At this time Charlie has had the surgery and he is so smart everyone is afraid of him. If he didn’t have this surgery everyone wouldn’t be frightened by Charlie. Because of this surgery Charlie lost his job. â€Å"They have driven me out of the factory.† (235) Here Charlie’s workers don’t want him at the factory anymore. Ever since he had the surgery bad things have happened. Nobody wants anything to do with Charlie. â€Å"People don’t talk to me or kid around like they used to.† (232) Charlie is now finding out that no one likes him when he’s smart just because they can’t understand him. Without the surgery he would still have friends. Since Charlie got the surgery it caused him to lose all the memory gained from the surgery. Because of the reason, he should not have had the surgery. Charlie has a job at the factory and â€Å"Everyone feels sorry for me at the factory.† (245) Without the surgery Charlie would not have lost his memory causing everyone to feel sorry. Charlie is finding that no one likes him and everyone feels bad. Charlie had an adult teacher Ms. Kinnian, since he lost his memory he went there and â€Å"She ran out of the room crying.† (243) This quote also shows everyones sorrow towards Charlie. During this quote Charlie lost his memory and went back to his old class. Charlie shouldn’t have had the surgery because everyone feels sorry for him and he lost all his friends. Without the surgery, he would never have lost his memory and friends. The final reason why he should not have had the surgery, because he eventually sick of being smart. He had a job that he liked and since he had the surgery he doesn’t want to be smart, so he quit his job. â€Å"I’ve quit my job at Domangans Plastic Box Company.† (234) This is showing Charlie becoming depressed. Without the operation Charlie would still be living happily and would never have quit his job. Charlie had the surgery because he wanted to become smarter, but now he feels differently. â€Å"I don’t want to be smart anymore† (243) When he had the surgery he had overcome his low I.Q., but he eventually became too smart and no one understood him. They thought he was odd, so nobody spoke to him. He became sick of being smart and wanted to not be smart. If he didn’t have the surgery he would have never wanted to not be smart. Charlie should never have had the surgery, because he gets sick of being smart, nobody cares for him, and everyone feels bad about him. The key points why he should not have had the surgery are, he lost his memory from the surgery, he quit his only job at the box company, plus nobody even understands him, he’s so smart. To conclude, these reasons clearly show why Charlie should not have had the surgery.

The Dawes Act of 1887

The Dawes Act of 1887 The Dawes Act of 1887 was a United States post-Indian Wars law intended to assimilate Indians into white U.S. society by encouraging them to abandon their tribally-owned reservation lands, along with their cultural and social traditions. Signed into law by President Grover Cleveland on February 8, 1887, the Dawes Act resulted in the sale of over ninety million acres of formerly Native American-owned tribal land to non-natives. The negative effects of the Dawes Act on Native Americans would result in the enactment of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, the so-called â€Å"Indian New Deal.† Key Takeaways: The Dawes Act The Dawes Act was a U.S. law enacted in 1887 for the stated purpose of assimilating Native Americans into white society.The act offered all Native Americans ownership of â€Å"allotments† of non-reservation land for farming.Indians who agreed to leave the reservations and farm their allotment land were granted full U.S. citizenship.Though well-intentioned, the Dawes Act had a decidedly negative effect on Native Americans, on and off the reservations. US Government-Native American Relation in the 1800s During the 1800s, European immigrants began settling areas of U.S. territories adjacent to Native American-held tribal territories. As competition for resources along with cultural differences between groups increasingly led to conflict, the U.S. government expanded its efforts to control Native Americans. Believing the two cultures could never coexist, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) ordered the forced relocation of Native Americans from their tribal lands to â€Å"reservations† west of the Mississippi River, far from the white settlers. Native American resistance to the forced relocation resulted in the Indian Wars between Native American and the U.S. Army that raged in the West for decades. Finally defeated by the U.S. military, the tribes agreed to resettle on the reservations. As a result, Native Americans found themselves the â€Å"owners† of over 155 million acres of land ranging from sparse desert to valuable agricultural land. Under the reservation system, the tribes were granted ownership of their new lands along with the right to govern themselves. Adjusting to their new way of life, Native Americans preserved their cultures and traditions on the reservations. Still recalling the brutality of the Indian wars, many white Americans continued to fear the Indians and demanded more government control over the tribes. The Indians’ resistance to becoming â€Å"Americanized† was viewed as uncivilized and threatening. As the 1900s began, the assimilation of Native Americans into American culture became a national priority. Responding to public opinion, influential members of Congress felt it was time for the tribes to give up their tribal lands, traditions, and even their identities as Indians. The Dawes Act was, at the time, considered the solution. Dawes Act Allotment of Indian Lands Named for its sponsor, Senator Henry L. Dawes of Massachusetts, the Dawes Act of 1887- also called the General Allotment Act- authorized the U.S. Department of the Interior to divide Native American tribal land into parcels or â€Å"allotments† of land to be owned, lived on, and farmed by individual Native Americans. Each Native American head of household was offered an allotment 160 acres of land, while unmarried adults were offered 80 acres. The law stipulated that grantees could not sell their allotment for 25 years. Those Native Americans who accepted their allotment and agreed to live separately from their tribe were granted the advantages of full United States citizenship. Any â€Å"excess† Indian reservation lands remaining after the allotments were determined available for purchase and settlement by non-Native Americans. The main objectives of the Dawes Act were to: abolish tribal and communal land ownershipassimilate Native Americans into mainstream American societylift Native Americans out of poverty, thus reducing the costs of Native American administration Individual Native American ownership of land for European-American style subsistence farming was seen as the key to achieving the Dawes Act’s objectives. Supporters of the act believed that by becoming citizens, Native American would be encouraged to exchange their â€Å"uncivilized† rebellious ideologies for those that would help them become economically self-supporting citizens, no longer in need of costly government supervision. Impact Rather than helping them as its creators intended, the Dawes Act had decidedly negative effects on Native Americans. It ended their tradition of farming communally held land which had for centuries ensured them a home and individual identity in the tribal community. As historian Clara Sue Kidwell wrote in her book â€Å"Allotment,† the act â€Å"was the culmination of American attempts to destroy tribes and their governments and to open Indian lands to settlement by non-Native Americans and to development by railroads.† As a result of the act, land owned by Native Americans decreased from 138 million acres in 1887 to 48 million acres in 1934. Senator Henry M. Teller of Colorado, an outspoken critic of the act, said the intent of the allotment plan was â€Å"to despoil the Native Americans of their lands and to make them vagabonds on the face of the earth.† Indeed, the Dawes Act harmed Native Americans in ways its supporters never anticipated. The close social bonds of life in tribal communities were broken, and displaced Indians struggled to adapt to their now nomadic agricultural existence. Many Indians who had accepted their allotments lost their land to swindlers. For those who chose to stay on the reservations, life became a daily battle with poverty, disease, filth, and depression. Sources and Further Reference â€Å"Dawes Act (1887).† OurDocuments.gov. US National Archives and Records AdministrationKidwell, Clara Sue. â€Å"Allotment.† Oklahoma Historical Society: Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and CultureCarlson, Leonard A. â€Å"Indians, Bureaucrats, and Land.† Greenwood Press (1981). ISBN-13: 978-0313225338.

How to Use the Semicolon in Academic Writing

How to Use the Semicolon in Academic Writing How to Use the Semicolon in Academic Writing Today, friends and frenemies (we know you’re out there), we’re looking at the semicolon, including when this punctuation mark should be used in formal writing (i.e. not for making emoticons wink). We’ll also take a look at the difference between semicolons and colons. Using a Semicolon to Link Sentences The main use of the semicolon is to link two sentences. This emphasizes a connection between independent clauses that would otherwise be separated by a full stop. For instance, the following sentences work by themselves: My favorite food is spam. I spend a fortune on tinned meat. However, we could link them with a semicolon to show that they are connected: My favorite food is spam; I spend a fortune on tinned meat. This makes it obvious that my love of spam and my meat expenses are related. I also wear this outfit every day. I have a problem.(Photo: Charles LeBlanc/flickr) Linking sentences like this is common when the second sentence starts with a conjunctive adverb (e.g., â€Å"however† or â€Å"furthermore†) or a transition phrase (e.g., â€Å"as a result†): I love spam; consequently, I eat it for every meal. As above, this emphasizes the connection between the two statements. Generally speaking, you shouldn’t use a semicolon before conjunctions like â€Å"but† or â€Å"and,† although they can be used for clarity if either of the clauses being joined contains a comma. Using Semicolons in a List The second important use of semicolons is to separate items in a list. Usually, commas are enough for short, simple lists (like the following): The menu offered four choices: spam, eggs, grits or pancakes. However, if the listed items are more complex and already include commas, using semicolons to distinguish between them aids clarity: The menu offered four choices: spam, fries and beans; pancakes, syrup and spam; egg, bacon and spam; or spam, spam, spam, spam and spam. Here, for instance, using semicolons clearly shows where one item on the menu ends and another begins. Using only commas in a list like this, by comparison, could be confusing. Semicolon or Colon? Knowing when to use a semicolon and when to use a colon can be tricky, since colons can also be used to link two related sentences. There are two factors to consider here. The first is that semicolons can only be used to link complete sentences, whereas the information following a colon can be as little as a single word. For instance: There’s only one food I can’t stand: spam. If we wanted to rewrite this using a semicolon, we’d have to use two independent clauses: There’s only one food I can’t stand; I hate the taste of spam. Just Say No (to Spam) The second consideration is that the information following a colon is usually an explanation or specification of a general statement (i.e., more general: more specific). With a semicolon, however, the sentences linked are typically of equal weight or importance.

Finance (Case Study) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Finance (Case Study) - Essay Example They should work out how much (after paying off all their debts and driving down their expenditure) they can save every month. Good saving habits and practices begin with a clear knowledge and understanding of what one is capable of and how much one can spend at any given time without negatively affecting his/her financial health. The couple must therefore know how much they are capable of saving every month, compare that figure to the actual amount they are saving and then start cutting down on unnecessary spending. Work out a Saving Plan Ascertaining saving is only the first step. It acts as a precursor to the next course of action, which is working out a saving plan. The most important thing to note here is that one thing leads to the other, and in a case like this it is advisable to move in a systematic and methodical manner. Assuming the couple has now figured out how much they are capable of saving every month, they can now move to achieve that goal. All expenditures should be planned in such a way that the saving targets are either met at the end of every month (or even surpassed). So long as the couple is saving money, meeting its targets and avoiding unnecessary expenditures, a strong financial foundation has been laid which will act as a launching pad for financial security and freedom. Their Current Financial Situation I would say that the couple is currently doing fine. Their total expenditure per annum is $228,348, compared to their total income per annum which is $294,650. This means that at the end of every month they are able to save $66,302. In addition to this, their investments and assets total $1,771,500, while their total debt is $28,965. I would therefore say that since the couple is not in debt and they are able to save some money, their financial position is pretty healthy. As a consequence, it is possible that through better saving and spending habits, they can save even more money and maintain a positive financial outlook going forward . All the Aspects of their Finances Kevin and Alex are capable of saving more than they are saving now. The only thing they need to do is to eliminate any unnecessary costs and expenditures that can only serve to increase their debt. It is however encouraging to see that both of them have invested in either a superannuation or some other type of fund. Alex diverts a portion of her salary ($33,000) to a superannuation fund, while Kevin has invested in a superfund. Apart from this, the couple has invested in a share portfolio, an investment unit and a debenture. The superannuation is important because it provides them with a sense of security and something to fall back on once they are either retired or are unable to work. The debenture, investment unit and share portfolio also offer viable financial alternatives that would otherwise be unavailable if the couple did not seek financial security. Their Overall Situation I would laud the couple for making efforts to secure their future, because although they are faced with numerous financial challenges, they are managing to stay afloat. With a combined income of less than $300,000, it is commendable that they have made some very good investment moves. They took out a mortgage, and even though it was $850,000 at the time they took it, their house is now worth $1,050,000. This means that once they stop remitting the monthly payments that are due, they will own their home and probably get even a higher value for

UPMC & Highmark Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UPMC & Highmark - Assignment Example The key reason for this battle is the attempt by Highmark Inc. to acquire a financially troubled group of hospitals known as West Penn Allegheny Health System. Highmark Inc. argues that this move will significantly lower medical costs and offer efficient health care services (Scarpino, 2013). On the other hand, UPMC, which has its own insurance firm, believes that it will not continue to bolster a company that will be a direct rival to its 19 area hospitals (Scarpino, G. 2013). Therefore, UPMC has resulted to increasing charges for patients covered by Highmark. UPMC says that Highmark’s plan to shift its 41000 inpatient from UPMC to its allegedly new chain of hospitals will result into UPMC closing its Shadyside and UPMC mercy sections and laying off over 11,000 of its employees (Baumol & Blinder, 2012). Additionally, UPMC also argues that this move will make most employees change their insurance plans that are attached to their current places of employment. This will result into the lose of patients tied to Highmark. Highmark also says that since UPMC has its own insurer, then it would be of no issue if it had its own health giver network. They believe that a little competition will be beneficial to the residents of Pittsburg since they will be provided with a range of health care providers to choose from. In response to UPMC’s sentiments that it is impossible to change insurance since it is tied to employment, Highmark says that it is also difficult for the patients to abandon the doctors that they have fully trusted and build confidence in, in pursuit for new relationships (Baumol & Blinder, 2012). I feel that UPMC has been able to get their message across most effectively because they have clearly shown that Highmark is in pursuit of its own personal interests without caring about the patients and relationships that they had built with UPMC. All the counter reactions made by UPMC were in the attempt to protect their business, as most health