Saturday, January 25, 2020

Capital Punishment :: essays research papers

There are five basic reasons that society uses when imposing the â€Å"punishment† that I’ve been able to conclude from my readings. I will discuss these societal concepts and show that the death penalty does not serve to further them. Deterrence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Deterrence is basically defined as â€Å"the punishment should fit the crime.† Under this concept, the individual committing the crime and society are prevented from committing this action again. In the case of the death penalty, an individual kills another human and he is â€Å"punished† for it by death. Punishment is supposed to be a temporary penalization for a wrongful action. Death is far from temporary. One is to learn from one’s mistakes. How can the person learn if they are paying for their mistakes with their life? By imposing the death penalty the individual does not learn from their mistakes and neither does society. Economy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Under this concept, punishment should be economical. There are specific costs associated with keeping an inmate on death row such as specially built prison blocks, the need for maximum security, and costing the courts much money through many, many appeals. These costs clearly out weigh the regualr costs incurred to house a regular inmate. Deterrence is clearly not served by imposing the death penalty. Restitution   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Society demands that the punishment should fix the harm it has done. By sentencing a person to death no harm has been fixed. You can not bring the murdered person back by taking the prisoner’s life. Punishment is not intended to revenge, offset, or compensate for the victims suffering or to be measured by it. Retribution The community demands that justice be served. Would justice not equally be served and in fact may be better served by life imprisonment? I believe tit would be a worse punishment to go through a life sentence in prison. The individual is deprived of liberty. He will then suffer and live the rest of his or her life within three lonely walls and a set of bars.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

Fundraising Letter: organising the Lent Appeal

Dear Parents/Carers, I am delighted to inform you that we are organising the Lent Appeal once again this year. Blue Coat was founded many years ago as a charity school which provided education and guidance to the poor people in and around Walsall. A prevalent part of the Christian faith is to treat others as you wish to be treated and at Blue Coat we strive to achieve this from all pupils. As a Church of England Academy we celebrate special events in the Christian calendar, including Lent. We believe that being benevolent forms a part of our Christian philosophy, and even though there are many different faiths at Blue Coat, charitable giving is a fundamental part of all faiths. The Lent Appeal project aims to raise as much money as possible for our chosen charity and support those in need. We have been raising thousands of pounds for many different charities over the past few years with the support of students, teachers and parents. Last year we accumulated over  £3,000 for the charity Islamic Relief, and this year we are hoping to raise even more but in order to achieve this we will need your continued support. The event will take place during the Easter period as a commemoration of the forty days that Jesus spent in the desert making sacrifices. We remember this time by encouraging pupils to give up their time and money just as Jesus gave up his life for others. Each year the pupils are given a voice. During a vote they select which charity they most want to raise money for. This year the majority of the pupils nominated Water Aid. They use practical solutions to supply clean water, effective sanitation and education to the world’s underprivileged people. In addition they try to influence education policy at national and international levels. They are presently operating in twenty seven countries mainly situated in the Africa, Asia, Pacific region and Central America continent. This specific charity also provides safe aquatic and public health services close to people's homes. Furthermore, their projects allow communities to attain a more robust quality of life and escape the spiral of poorness and specialise in fairness. During the Lent period we ask both parents and students to support our fundraising events and take part in extra-curricular activities that are led by teachers. We like to allow students to take ownership over raising money, with the support of their form tutors to help build self-confidence, team work skills and understanding the importance of helping others. There are many ways in which you can offer support; firstly encourage your child to take part in all events, attend after school events such as; fashion shows and X Factor. There will also be friendly competitions between the different colleges to help raise money for Water Aid and we would like your child to take part in at least one. You can obtain further information regarding the project by either visiting the school website or collecting a leaflet from the school reception. Once the Lent Appeal is over, the money will be collected together by a member of staff and the total calculated. The grand total will be announced in a special church assembly with a cheque awarded to a representative of the charity. To encourage pupils to support the Lent Appeal there will also be certificates awarded to individuals, forms and colleges who have raised the most amount of money and shown a high level of commitment. I hope I have covered all of the information you need however if you would like any further details please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you in advance for your continued support.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

What Are Formal Organizations

A formal organization is a social system structured by clearly laid out rules, goals, and practices and that functions based on a division of labor and a clearly defined hierarchy of power. Examples in society are wide-ranging and include business and corporations, religious institutions, the judicial system, schools, and government, among others. Overview of Formal Organizations Formal organizations are designed to achieve certain goals through the collective work of the individuals who are its members. They rely on a division of labor and hierarchy of power and authority to ensure that the work is done in a unified and efficient manner. Within a formal organization, each job or position has a clearly defined set of responsibilities, roles, duties, and authorities to whom it reports. Chester Barnard, a pioneering figure in organizational studies and organizational sociology, and a contemporary and colleague of Talcott  Parsons  observed that what makes a formal organization is the coordination of activities toward a shared objective. This is achieved by three key elements: communication, willingness to act in concert, and a shared purpose. So, we can understand formal organizations as social systems that exist as the sum total of the social relationships among and between individuals and the roles they play. As such, shared norms, values, and practices are necessary for the existence of formal organizations. The following are the shared characteristics of formal organizations: Division of labor and related hierarchy of power and authorityDocumented and shared policies, practices, and goalsPeople act together to achieve a shared goal, not individuallyCommunication follows a specific chain of commandThere is a defined system for replacing members within the organizationThey endure through time  and are not dependent on the existence or participation of specific individuals Three Types of Formal Organizations While all formal organizations share these key characteristics, not all formal organizations are the same. Organizational sociologists identify three different types of formal organizations: coercive, utilitarian, and normative. Coercive organizations  are those in which membership is forced, and control within the organization is achieved through force. Prison is the most fitting example of a coercive organization, but other organizations fit this definition too, including military units, psychiatric facilities, and some boarding schools and facilities for youths. Membership in a coercive organization is compelled by a higher authority, and members must have permission from that authority to leave. These organizations are characterized by a steep power hierarchy, and the expectation of strict obedience to that authority, and the maintenance of daily order. Life is highly routinized in coercive organizations, members typically wear uniforms of some sort that signal their role, rights, and responsibilities within the organization,  and individuality is all but stripped from them. Coercive organizations are similar to the concept of a total institution as formulated by Erving Goffman and further developed by Michel Foucault. Utilitarian organizations are those that people join these because they have something to gain by doing so, like companies and schools, for example. Within this control is maintained through this mutually beneficial exchange. In the case of employment, a person earns a wage for giving their time and labor to the company. In the case of a school, a student develops knowledge and skills and earns a degree in exchange for respecting the rules and authority, and/or paying tuition. Utilitarian organizations are characterized by a focus on productivity and a shared purpose. Finally, normative organizations are those in which control and order are maintained through a shared set of morals and commitment to them. These are defined by voluntary membership, though for some membership comes from a sense of duty. Normative organizations include churches, political parties or groups, and social groups like fraternities and sororities, among others. Within these, members are unified around a cause that is important to them. They are socially rewarded for their participation by the experience of a positive collective identity, and a sense of belonging and of purpose. -Updated by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.