Conservatism and Liberalism Essay Example for Free

Conservatism and Liberalism Essay While there are a multitude of political philosophies in the United States, two have emerged as the dominant and pre-eminent philosophies. They are, of course, liberalism which name derives from liberty and conservatism which derives from conserving the constitution. While there is nothing inherently wrong with either philosophy the minefield of political exclusivity has led to a bitter dispute between both factions that have raged for decades. Many of these disputes are ideological as there are pronounced differences between the two philosophies. In this essay, two major differences will be examined.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One common difference is that liberalism prefers that a centralized government will guide the economy. Conservatism prefers that the government would play a smaller role in the economy with the hopes that the market will govern itself. In terms of public policy, this has led to a number of battles over regulation vs. deregulation, increased taxes vs. decreased taxes, etc with ach having varying degrees of success at different points in history.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In terms of foreign policy, conservatism has always stressed American exceptionalism whereas liberalism has stressed a more unified one world approach to government. The effect this has had on public policy over the years is evidenced in how often or how little American foreign policy is vetted through the United Nations or under accordance with allies overseas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Of course, there are many more differences between the two but these two examples illustrate major differences between the two on both domestic and international levels.

Ghost Story of Manresa Castle at Port Townsend, Washington :: Urban Legends Ghost Stories

Manresa Castle at Port Townsend, Washington The story I was told concerns the Manresa Castle at Port Townsend, in Washington State. The myth surrounding the castle is the usual belief that the castle is haunted. People go to the castle just to hear the cries and feel the tingles of staying there over night. People have also reported that when they have taken pictures while they stay there, they will be surrounded by glowing orbs in the background. The story pertaining to this castle I first heard in a coffee house on Capitol Hill, in Seattle, Washington. Capitol Hill is known for being the stomping grounds of a wide variety of people. There are bohemians, hippies, homeless people, drag queens, and lots of college students due to the fact that there are five colleges in the city of Seattle alone. It is also not so full of tourists, who spend more of their time at Pikes Place Market (also said to be haunted) and the Center. I spoke to the storyteller around two in the afternoon on Friday, March 23rd during my spring break. She works at a local hospital and is finishing up medical school. She is recently married, twenty-four years old, and she grew up in West Seattle. Her mom is Ukrainian and is the principal of an elementary school. She knows of the story after hearing it from fellow students at the University of Washington, where she went for her undergraduate studies. The story was told during a regular hangout, by a girl from a town near Port Townsend. The person I heard the story from doesn't really pay the myth and "ghost story" idea any attention because of its common presence in that area. Washington state is a region known as the "Haunted North West." Capitol Hill has so many "ghosts" that companies offer ghost tours year round. [During the telling of the story there were no meaningful gestures, just pauses when the storyteller couldn't remember certain details, or when she wanted to take more sips of her macchiato. The storyteller did not relate the story with intonation or pitch changes, nor did her rate change. It was more like the stating of facts she knew.] Hmm, one that is still going strong is about†¦ well I don't remember the name but it's this castle in Port Townsend, overlooking the bay.

Copyright and Other Issues Regarding Digital Media and the Internet

In the old days when you wanted to buy your favorite artist’s new album you would head to your local record store to buy it. The artists and record label would each get a cut of the profits. But today more music fans are opting for 99 cent downloads or streaming free music on-line. Obtaining a new track or album is just a click away with iTunes, subscription services like Spotify, free Internet streaming sites like Pandora, or even YouTube where you can watch music videos. For most of us, at least for myself, downloading music is a favorite activity when on the Internet. Downloading music and other media files from the Internet may make it conveniently available. But does it have a negative effect on the music industry? Does it affect the earnings of the artists? What are the pros and cons of downloading music? There are a lot of questions revolving around the music industry and the advances of digital media technology. I will explore these questions and attempt to answer the big question of whether downloading, both legal and illegal, is a real threat to the overall music industry? The pros and cons of downloading music can be explored based differing criteria, with the most controversial being whether the downloaded music is legally acquired. Since Napster, the first peer-to-peer file sharing network, made its debut in 1999 and subscription and pay-per-download technology like iTunes exploded, debate has grown concerning the logistical, ethical and financial repercussions of downloading music. The main argument that record labels make about the advancement of digital media technology is that downloading music gives rise to copyright and piracy issues. When one uses the copied versions of these files, they are indirectly encouraging piracy. When downloading such media files, it does not go for the purchase of the original copies of music, which results in a violation of copyright law. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), 30 billion songs were illegally downloaded between 2004 and 2009 (Adkins). Even with sites like iTunes offering legal downloads, peer-to-peer file sharing still runs rampant. Thus, illegally downloading music is believed to have a significant impact on the music industry resulting in a loss of profits and jobs, and changing how music is delivered to the masses. The RIAA reports that music sales in the United States have dropped 47 percent since Napster first debuted in 1999. The availability of free music has cost the music industry $12. 5 billion in economic losses (Adkins). To make up for some of these losses, the music industry has filed lawsuits against individuals who have been found to have illegally downloaded music. In some cases, individuals have been sued for thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. The problem is, when one illegally downloads music, they aren't just hurting music executives, who are often stereotyped as greedy businessmen exploiting the creativity of the musicians; they are also hurting the musicians. The huge popularity of illegal downloads is changing the music industry, reducing the incentive for musicians and labels to develop and finance new projects. Singers and bands are the public face of the music industry, but creating, recording and promoting a song takes a large team of people. As record companies have seen their profits decrease, they have had to cut positions they are no longer able to afford. This includes artists as well as engineers, songwriters, producers, and technicians. The RIAA reveals that more than 71,000 jobs have been lost as a result of illegally downloading music (MacMillan). The bottom line is that every piece of music downloaded without payment steals money that should be going to the musicians who created the music. Lastly, it is often left out that by downloading media files, it loses its originality. Though downloading makes it easily available to the masses, it also makes it spread far and wide. Something that is very easily available is considered to be of a lesser value therefore devaluing their art. On the other side, digital media is convenient for users, as they can obtain music and movies, save it to their computers and potentially transfer it to CDs or iPods without ever leaving their homes. It can also be done from anywhere with an Internet connection, and at any time, in contrast to music purchased at a traditional store. You can obtain potentially hard to find tracks without needing access to a well-stocked store. Access to older music can allow the producer and artist to continue to make money for paid downloads years after the release of that album. New advances in technology and digital media allow users to select specific tracks that they want, instead of requiring them to purchase an entire album. This encourages users to download more because they feel they are getting a better deal. It allows artists to gauge the audience's response to individual songs; this feedback may be used to guide future ongwriting (Borland). Digital media downloads represent a cost saving over traditional hard copies because customers are not paying for packaging, store costs and additional charges. It can also represent a cost saving to the artist, as they may be able to market directly to the target audience instead of through a promotions agent. Lastly, and most importantly, without downloading, streaming, or file s haring the person may have never heard the music for which they are listening to. The biggest problem a band has is getting its music heard. For years, the music industry was confined to four multinational corporations that dominated the revenue stream of 70% of the music coming in, and four or five radio conglomerates that controlled what music was going out. Now all that has been broken up into millions and millions of little subcultures and niches that are serving small, really dedicated communities (Warila). Listeners may not necessarily pay for that one song or the one album, but if they're intrigued enough, they're going to start following an artist or band. They show up at a show, buy the merchandise, or buy the next hard copy of the MP3 they just downloaded. Once an audience is there, there are all sorts of moneymaking opportunities. What seems like a long time ago, live music once felt threatened by records. And then later, recorded music felt threatened by recordable cassette tapes. Now record labels feel threatened by downloading, streaming and file sharing of music. Every time these technological advances came along, the people invested in the music business at the time took it as a threat to their business revenues. While record sales have decreased dramatically compared to what they once were, every technological advancement throughout the music industry’s history has actually exponentially increased the desire for music. The same is true today as more people are listening to more music than in any other time in history (Adkins). And now it comes back to whether the downloading of digital media files, legally and illegally, are real threats to the overall music industry? The introduction of Napster and illegal downloading has helped usher in a new era of digitally accessible music defined by online distribution and has therefore impacted the way the music industry must market and promote its artists. After thoroughly researching and analyzing the effects caused by digital media and the Internet, I believe it is time for the music industry to make their own advancements just as technology will continue to do so. It is futile to try and get rid of what has become of digital media and the Internet. Record labels are wasting very valuable resources and time by spending large sums of money to find and pursue people in a court of law, who are illegally downloading media, the majority of which will never be able to pay off their charges. While I hold the upmost support towards respecting the integrity of one’s work, artists and record labels need to view the illegal downloading and file sharing of their media in a grander scheme of the industry. Not one specific artist or company is being singled out to lose money through illegal downloads. It is a technological advancement that has reshaped the music industry landscape and affects them as a whole. Rather than clinging to an outdated system, record labels and major media companies need to put their resources and focus into exploring all the new possibilities created by these technological advancements. By adapting to this new music industry landscape, these media labels and companies can generate new revenue streams to make up for their perceived and actual losses. To expose its artists to a wider audience and recoup revenue, the music industry has already had to develop and implement new tactics, such as digital licensing music to sites like YouTube and Pandora (Warila). The music industry will need to continue to create such ideas if it wants to grow. In regards to artists, rather than relying on media conglomerates for distribution, now they will increasingly go into business for themselves and in control of their own products. This will allow for artists to maximize their profits in a very competitive market. The concept of allowing music to be streamed and downloaded for free will only further their own growth and expand their audience base. I recommend that instead of combating the realities of the modern era, congress should instead recognize that markets are increasingly changing. Technology and media will continue to grow regardless, weave around the obstacles, and find a way to succeed just as it did for digital media regarding file sharing and illegal downloads. I believe that it is time that everyone moves forward and changes with it.

Compare Contrast - 1550 Words

ONE IN THE SAME Due to the many similarities and very few differences, an alcoholic and a workaholic can be considered as being one in the same. According to the medical dictionary a workaholic is defined as â€Å"one who has a compulsive and unrelenting need to work† (The American Heritage Stedman’s Medical Dictionary). Although some people tend to confuse a hard worker for a workaholic, some common characteristics that can distinguish the two are that workaholics are often described as intense, impatient, energetic, competitive, and driven to perfection (Robinson 65). They often blur the line between business and pleasure, and prefer work to leisure regardless of the time or place. As a consequence, it is not uncommon for workaholics to†¦show more content†¦The Health assessment of an alcoholic is far worse as they can suffer from a number of health complications and diseases that are associated with alcoholism such as liver disease, alcohol induced pancreati tis, cancer and cardiovascular disease (Rehm136). Not to mention the many types of injuries that be sustained while intoxicated, such as alcohol poisoning, broken limbs, or blackouts (137). Once a person health and family life begin to become effected it should trigger an alarm that something is not right. One of the major steps a workaholic must do to help cope with their problem is to first, recognize that they indeed have a problem. A workaholic must be able to see that the real root of all their problems is due to their unwavering need to constantly choose work over family and leisure time. Once a workaholic recognizes and pinpoints the problem the next step would be for them to accept that they have a problem. At this point it is likely that the workaholics close friends, family and any others that may be affected come together to express their concerns and provide support to the workaholic through a process called group intervention (Dungan 42). The goal of such an intervention is to be able to break through the denial and emotions felt by the workaholic so that they can believe in themselves and find strength within so that they mayShow MoreRelatedCompare and C ontrast1441 Words   |  6 PagesThe Compare/ Contrast Essay First, let’s explain compare and contrast: When we compare, we show our readers a subjects similarities. When we contrast, we show our readers a subjects differences. Compare and Contrast essays are learning-process essays. You learn about your subject as you gather and organize information. This type of essay takes a bit of organization, and its this organizational process, this gathering of facts, that helps you learn as you go. You will create lists of qualitiesRead MoreCompare and Contrast1427 Words   |  6 PagesThe Compare/ Contrast Essay First, let’s explain compare and contrast: When we compare, we show our readers a subjects similarities. When we contrast, we show our readers a subjects differences. Compare and Contrast essays are learning-process essays. You learn about your subject as you gather and organize information. This type of essay takes a bit of organization, and its this organizational process, this gathering of facts, that helps you learn as you go. You will create listsRead MoreCompare and Contrast1582 Words   |  7 PagesRunning Head: COMPARE AND CONTRAST Compare and Contrast Self Administered Test Mary Coleman May 12, 2008 PSYU 565 Jeffrey A. Stone, PhD. Chapman University Compare and Contrast Self Administered Test The assignment for this week is to compare and contrast the results from three self administered tests we took in class. The tests I will compare and contrast are the 16 Personality Factors (16PF), the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis (T-JTA)Read MoreCompare-Contrast1087 Words   |  5 PagesCompare-Contrast This paper is on compare-contrast of two advertisements dealing with two beauty products. One will be targeted towards men, while the other will be targeted towards women. The two beauty products advertisements that will be compared and contrast are the Axe Body Spray advertisement (18-19) and the Victoria’s Secret fragrance mist advertisement (Bath and Body Works). Both advertisements use different marketing promotions technique to try to get the attention and win over theirRead Morecompare contrast1165 Words   |  5 Pageshe is more interested in men which leads readers to believe he has homosexual tendencies. After this Emily decides to kill Homer and thus resulting in her keeping his lifeless body in the room upstairs until the day she herself passes. When you compare the two stories they have a very similar tone. Though the locations are different they still connect through the same tone. Phoenix Jackson is on a trail walking to town to buy some medicine for her Grandson, while Miss Emily is locked up in her houseRead MoreCompare Contrast1072 Words   |  5 PagesCompare and Contrast Christopher Smith University of Phoenix COM-170 COMPOSITION AND COMMUNICATION I January 14, 2014 Regina Vega Compare and Contrast Growing up, there are countless young boys, who have the dream of someday being a professional football or baseball player. Going outside and letting the imagination of being on the big stage and making the final pitch to win the World Series or the final Hail Mary throw to win the SuperRead MoreCompare and Contrast778 Words   |  4 PagesCompare and contrast the way Seamus Heaney and at least one other poet describe their childhood experiences. The two poets I am writing about are Seamus Heaney and D H Laurence. The two poems by Seamus Heaney I will be writing about are death of a naturalist and blackberry picking. The poem by D H Laurence I will be writing about is discord in childhood. Death of a naturalist Death of a naturalist is about Seamus Heaney as a child going to this pond where every year he went to collect frogspawnRead MoreCompare and Contrast1122 Words   |  5 PagesCompare and Contrast Essay In today’s society the majority of the crimes are still being committed by people who have possessed a firearm that has been obtained illegally or without proper permits. That being said there has been a strong push for gun control because of the rise of shootings involving a large group of people such as the Columbine massacre, Virginia Tech shooting and latest Aurora movie theater shooting involving people who have purchased firearms legally. Gun control laws in theRead MoreCompare and Contrast2738 Words   |  11 PagesCompare and Contrast Economic Market Systems In differentiating between market structures one has to compare and contrast public goods, private goods, common resources, and natural monopolies. All of these are major factors that need to be considered. Public goods are those goods in which all of society benefit from and are equally shared among everyone within. These types of goods can be consumed simultaneously by several individuals without diminishing the value of consumption to any individualRead MoreCompare and Contrast2751 Words   |  12 PagesCompare and Contrast Economic Market Systems In differentiating between market structures one has to compare and contrast public goods, private goods, common resources, and natural monopolies. All of these are major factors that need to be considered. Public goods are those goods in which all of society benefit from and are equally shared among everyone within. These types of goods can be consumed simultaneously by several individuals without diminishing the value of consumption to any individual

The Word Superiority Effect ( Wse ) - 1355 Words

Abstract The word superiority effect (WSE), recognition of letters better in words than non-words, has been observed in normal adults, but is not observed in studies done with normal children. The supported theory is that this is caused by the development of top down processing sometime during the children’s growth. A Reicher-Wheeler task will be conducted on normal children in 5 different age groups as well as adults. The expected results are to see an increasing WSE as the age of the children increases. Key Words: Word Superiority Effect, Pseudoword Superiority Effect, Reicher Wheeler, Top Down Processing, Children, Adults. Top Down Processing Development: Reicher Wheeler Task Results of Middle to Late Childhood Age Children The word superiority effect (WSE) is the phenomenon that subjects are more likely to recognize a letter accurately in a word (WINGS) than in a psuedoword, strings of letters that follow known language rules and are pronounceable (WUNGS), a non-word, strings of letters that do not follow known language rules and are not pronounceable (WCHDS), or just in a mask (TXXXX) (Coch, 2010; Grainger, 2003; Jordan, 1996). This is observed through The Reicher-Wheeler Paradigm. In this test a subject is shown a string of letters and asked to identify the letter in a specific location using a forced choice task (Grainger, 2003; Hildebrandt, 1995; Jordan 1996). The effect has been observed in many empirical studies, and has been seen in adults across

Essay on Business Ethics - 1778 Words

Running Head: Business Ethics Business Ethics name school nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The modern theory of the firm, which is central to finance and corporate law, views the corporation as a of contracts among the various corporate constituencies. Upon this foundation, finance theory and corporate law postulate shareholder wealth as the objective of the firm. Research in business ethics has largely ignored this contracts theory of the firm except to reject the financial-legal model as normatively inadequate. Philosophers generally bring philosophical theories of ethics to bear on problems of business, and they regard the contractual theory of the firm primarily as a subject for criticism using the resources of philosophical†¦show more content†¦How specifically can employees, customers, and other constituencies be wronged such that a remedy ought to be devised? In other words, what are the main ethical problems in business? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The following three-fold classification, which is derived from the literature on the ethical problems of contracting, does not encompass every business ethics problem, and, indeed, the next section lists many kinds of problems that are not related to contractual relations. The classification provides a useful perspective; however, on a great many problems of business, and by viewing them within the context of the contractual theory, appropriate remedies can also be identified. Wrongful Harms nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;All constituencies, including shareholders, are vulnerable to loss of one kind or another from the activities of a firm. Many of these losses take the form of negative externalities, such as occupational hazards, consumer injury, discrimination, wrongful discharge, pollution, and plant closings. Shareholders, too, can be harmed by fraud, financial manipulation, and mismanagement that reduce the value of a companys stock. Whether harm is quot;wrongfulquot; depends, of course, on some standards for the harms that constituencies ought to be protected against, and although developing such standards is difficult, we have many examples in tort law and government regulation. For example, developing a standard for workplace safetyShow MoreRelatedBusiness Ethics : Ethics And Business943 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussions in Business is Ethics. Some people believe that the decisions businesses make in interest of the business has no place in ethics and that they are ess entially amoral. These businesses believe that their main objective is to simply make a profit and that it does not affect the success of the business. Whereas some businesses believe that they have to take ethics into consideration, in order for their business to be a success. Richard T. De George (1999) states that ethics and business do notRead MoreThe Ethics Of Business Ethics1471 Words   |  6 PagesReview Nowadays, the concern for business ethics is growing rapidly in the business community around the world. Business ethics are focused on the judgment of decisions taken by managers and their behaviors. The issue regarding these judgments is the norms and cultures that shape these judgments. Business ethics are concerned about the issue, how will the issue be solved and how will it move ahead along the transition analysis as well (Carroll, 2014). Business ethics can be addressed at differentRead MoreEthics And Ethics Of Business Ethics1304 Words   |  6 PagesBusiness Ethics Varun Shah University of Texas at Dallas Business Ethics Morals are a crucial part of life. Without having principles one would never be able to distinguish the right from wrong and good from evil. Just as it applies to life in general, ethics is an integral part of doing business as well. When we here the term Business Ethics in our work place, we usually do not take it seriously and brush it off saying ‘it’s just a simple set of basic rules like not cheating and so on’. ThisRead MoreThe Ethics Of Business Ethics Essay1097 Words   |  5 PagesResource A discusses how ethics is crucial in business. There are three key ideas used to understand this. Firstly, making ethically wrong decisions tend to cause more upset than other general mistakes as purposeful unethical actions are not as easily forgiven or forgotten. Secondly, ethics provides businesses with a broader understanding of everything to do with their business. Business ethics is effectively just business it its larger human context. Thirdly, being unethical ca n tarnish the publicRead MoreThe Ethics Of Business Ethics1064 Words   |  5 Pages　　　　Business Ethics Ethics can be viewed as the rules and values that determine goals and actions people should follow when dealing with other human beings. However, business ethics can be defined as moral principles of a business. It examines moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. Generally, it has both normative and descriptive dimensions. Organization practice and career specialization are regarded as normative whereas academics attempting to understand business behaviourRead MoreThe Ethics Of Business Ethics757 Words   |  4 Pagesdeciding what to do in certain situations, ethics is what guides an individual to act in a way that is good, or right. Those involved in business settings apply ethics to business situations, known as business ethics. It is expected of businesses, small and large, to follow business ethics. There is a particular framework businesses are to follow. However, the reoccurring news headlines of poor business ethics prove differently. Poor busine ss ethics include bribery, corporate accounting scandalsRead MoreEthics And Ethics Of Business Ethics1200 Words   |  5 PagesEthics meaning in simple way for average person is what is right from wrong. According to Chris MacDonald (2010)† Ethics† can be defined as the critical, structured examinations of how we should behave - in particular, how we should constrain the pursuit of self-interest when our actions affect others. â€Å"Business ethics is the applied ethics discipline that address the moral features of commercial activity (Business ethics, 2008).Working in ethical way in business has a lot of benefits which can attractRead MoreBusiness Ethics Essay944 Words   |  4 PagesUnderstanding Business Ethics Unit 37: National Diploma Assignment brief TASK 1: Scenario: Business ethics - a study of a selected company With growing interest among consumers regarding the business ethics of the businesses brands that consumers buy, Westminster council wants to conduct an independent review of some of the organisations that sell their goods and services in the borough. You have been asked to select one of the following brands and conduct research into their business ethics. Read MoreThe Ethics Of The Business Ethics1431 Words   |  6 Pages BUSINESS ETHICS INTRODUCTION:- Presentation Ethics are exceptionally regular and essential good esteem that helps us to take the right choice where we think that it hard to pick between our own advantages and the correct thing to do. We are going to talk about three sections of morals Behavioral morals, Bounded ethicality and last one is irreconcilable situation. As from the names of these parts of morals, its verging on clarifying the significance of it. It clarifies why great individualsRead MoreThe Ethics Of Business Ethics Essay2711 Words   |  11 PagesBusiness Ethics Business ethics is a type of professional ethics or applied ethics which examines moral problems and ethical principles that come up in a corporate environment. It is applied to every aspect of conducting business. According to Milton Friedman, a company has the responsibility to generate as much revenue as it can while still conforming to the basic rules that society has set. These rules include the ones embodied in customs as well as in law. Similarly, Peter Drucker stated that

Elder Abuse and Living Arrangements in Late Adulthood free essay sample

Late adulthood is a period of various biological changes which can impact on an individual’s health and ability to function as easily in society. The stereotypical changes of this stage are paler less elastic skin resulting in wrinkles, thinning hair gradually turning from grey to white, weaker bones, muscle loss, and vision and hearing impairments e. g. cataracts and difficulty with word discrimination. There are changes to the brain also, such as the loss of dendrites which causes a reduction in brain weight and volume and slower synaptic speeds resulting in slower reaction times (Bee 1998, p. 53). Their immune system slows down as well, becoming less effective, and making them more prone to illness (Fernandez 2010, p. 794). Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia and is a change in the brain structure due to the tangling of dendritic fibres in the brain causing severe memory loss and personality changes (Bee 1998, p. 459). Overall, the elderly are more likely to have a chronic illness and disabilities which may impact upon their ability to bathe, walk, feed themselves, prepare meals, shop, dress themselves, and even live independently (Bee 1998, p. 56). This stage of life is characterised by a number of stresses and is a time of reflection. An individual’s changing work status, in particular when they retire, can be a source of stress as work is a major component of adult life and they now have to find other activities to fill their day. There is also the uncertainty of their financial future and whether they will have enough to live comfor tably off (Fernandez 2010, pp. 853-855). Their health or partner’s health may be another source of stress for them, especially if it results in a caring role being required to complete everyday tasks; and the knowledge that their life is coming to an end (Fernandez 2010, pp. 867-868). Fernandez (2010, p. 851) states that late adulthood is a â€Å" time of looking back and taking stock of where we’ve been, what we’ve accomplished, and whom we have touched. † This results in a process called ‘Life Review’ which is gradually looking back at past experiences analysing and evaluating them to develop more secure and complex self concepts (Bee 1998, p. 02). Social interaction is an important part of life, continuing on in late adulthood and is associated with good health and life satisfaction. The elderly have frequent contact with family, finding strong emotional and practical support through them, especially adult children, and tend to have lower levels of institutionalisation with couple s and relatives providing a high level of care and assistance to each other (Bee 1998, pp. 484-490). Friendships play an important role in late adulthood, with many enjoying time with friends more than with family (Fernandez 2010, p. 43). They provide companionship, intimacy, acceptance, opportunities for laughter, sharing of activities, links to a larger community, and protection from the psychological consequences of loss (Berk 1998, p. 609). In late adulthood where and with whom individuals are going to live is an issue they face. There are a number of options available to the elderly such as mobile homes, age segregated villages/communities, institutions, with family, or in their own home (Kalish 1975, pp. 97-99). Deciding which option is the most suitable for an individual can be influenced by a variety of things, such as health, disability, socio-economic status (SES) and culture. Mobile homes such as caravans suit those looking for a low cost and informal arrangement, however, those that have a mobility affecting disability or very poor health may not be suited to this option as they are usually small and on outskirts of towns (Kalish 1975, p. 98). Age segregated villages/communities include retirement homes that provide independent living arrangements or some support depending on the individual’s needs (Johnson 1960, p. 7). They tend to be in semi-isolated areas (making it hard for those with serious health issues to access medical attention), and are quite expensive (only those of high SES tend to be able to afford them) (Kalish 1975, pp. 98-99). The most common institution for the elderly is a nursing home, which cares for those who need considerable attention due to severe physic al or mental disabilities (approximately 5% of the aged population) (Kalish 1975, p. 99). Some residents are unable to feed, dress or bathe themselves, are incontinent or unaware of where or even who they are (Kalish 1975, p. 9). Medicare subsidises some of the costs, but not enough, meaning some individuals are still unable to cover the costs (Kalish 1975, p. 99). Family members provide the most long term care, whether that is a spouse, partner or adult children (Berk 1998, p. 575). It is more common for an elder of an eastern culture to live with their children and extended family, even if healthy, than for an elder from a western culture. Most individuals, even with a moderate disease or health problem, don’t live with relatives, but in their own house (Bee 1998, pp. 82-483). Living in their own home provides the greatest personal control, but those living alone are often poverty stricken and have unmet needs (Berk 1998, p. 601). This is where the Government and charity or ganisations help; they both provide small homes at low costs in suitable areas, as well as providing services such as home help (cleaning mainly), home visiting, and Meals on Wheels (Johnson 1960, p. 48). Elder abuse is a very real and serious issue that occurs during the late adulthood stage of life. There are many different types of elder abuse, including physical abuse (use of physical force resulting in injury, pain or impairment), sexual (non-consensual sexual contact), emotional/psychological (inflicting anguish, emotional pain or distress), neglect (failure to fulfil obligations or duties to an elder), financial exploitation (improper use of an elder’s funds, property or assets), and medical abuse (failing to provide adequate medical treatment or misusing medications) (Biggs 1995, pp. 6-37). It can also be intentional (conscious and deliberate attempt to inflict harm) or unintentional (inadvertent action resulting in harm, usually due to ignorance, inexperience, lack of desire or inability to provide proper car) (CSAP’s Prevention Pathways 2004). Stereotypically, it is nursing home residents that are more likely to be abused, as they are believed to be â€Å"vegetables†, and Kalish (1975, p. 9) states that health care professionals sometimes describe fe eding the resident using the expression, â€Å"watering the vegetables† which highlights this view and often leads to elder abuse as a way of degrading the elder and punishing them for needing attention and help. Unfortunately many nursing staff receive little or no in-service training and receive a very poor wage, so they feel out of their depths and do not enjoy the tasks required of them, which increases the risk of elder abuse as they feel frustrated, especially if the elder’s abilities are declining and need more care (Kalish 1975, p. 00). This leads to very few long term facilities providing intellectual or sensory stimulation. The more staff fail to stimulate the residents, the more they have to do for them, and the more the residents sink into despondency, creating more stress and frustration for the carers; becoming a viscous cycle (Kalish 1975, p. 100). The lack of stimulation itself, could be a form of unintentional neglect, as their intellectual needs are n ot being met. Despite the stereotypical view of nursing homes, it is in fact those who live in their own homes or with family who are abused the most, and it is the family that are usually the abusers, especially sons (Biggs 1995, p. 41). Victims of psychological or physical abuse tend to be physically well but have emotional problems while the abusers tend to have issues with alcohol and/or mental illness and live with the victim and are usually dependent on them (Biggs 1995, p. 43). Victims of neglect are usually very old and mentally or physically impaired with very little social support, and the abuser suffers chronic and continuing stress (Biggs 1995, p. 43). Those who are unmarried with limited support are at more risk of being financial exploited, with the abuser having financial problems or dependent on the victim for finances and accommodation (Biggs 1995, p. 43). In 1993 the Commonwealth Government established the Working Party on the Protection of Frail Older People in the Community to protect the rights of residents in nursing homes (Biggs 1995, p. 53). Interestingly, mandatory reporting legislation that America has was rejected by most states in Australia at first and it wasn’t until July 2007 that compulsory reporting of unlawful sexual contact or unreasonable use of force was brought in, but this still doesn’t cover all elder abuse and only applies to residents of an Australian Government subsidised aged care facility (Aged Rights Advocacy Service 2012). Erik Erikson was a German psychoanalyst who developed an eight stage psychosocial development theory; this essay will focus on his last stage, ego integrity versus despair (Fernandez 2010, p. 21). The basic concept of this stage is the question ‘Was my life meaningful? ’ and involves looking back on one’s life to determine this. The hope is that the individual will come to terms with and accept who they are and have been, the choices they have made, and the opportunities they have gained and lost, and their impending death and thus achieve the vi rtue of wisdom (Bee 1998, p. 501). If they don’t come to terms with their life they develop despair, where they feel dissatisfied with their life and feel it is too late to change it (Berk 1998, p. 88). For example, someone who has very poor health and is reliant on others to help care for them may feel like a burden and have a sense of hopelessness resulting in them continuing to live alone as they do not wish to put others out. While someone else may view it as they’ve lived a long healthy life up until now and they have a loving family who is willing to help them in their old age, leaving them with a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction, and will happily move in with relatives. Another example might be living in a retirement home, some elderly may come to resent the age segregation and feel like society has pushed them to the outskirts to die, while others may feel stronger social connections, higher morale and a general higher life satisfaction due to the close proximity of others of similar age. Erikson’s theory is valuable in providing a guideline by which to understand this stage, but is it as clear cut as having integrity or despairing? Maxine Walaskay classified elderly into one of four categories, integrity achieved (aware of their ageing and accept the life lived); despairing (negative evaluation of life); foreclosed (content with their current life but resist self exploration); and dissonant (just beginning to evaluate their life) (Bee 1998, p. 501). Walaskay’s classification seems to say that not all individuals in this life stage look back on their life and evaluate it, that those in the foreclosed category base it on where their life is at now, so it would seem that Erikson’s theory does not apply to everyone in this life stage. Stress as a transaction theory looks at a stimulus only becoming a stressor when it is perceived that way by the individual, and whether they believe they have the resources to cope. In terms of elder abuse it would focus on the increasing dependency of the elder and a burden of care giving as the cause of stress thus increasing the risk of abuse (CSAP’s Prevention Pathways 2004). It proposes that there are factors influencing the risk of elder abuse in terms of elder related (physical or emotional dependency, poor health, impaired mental status and a ‘difficult’ personality), structural related (emotional strain, social isolation and environmental problems) and carer related factors (life crisis and burn out or exhaustion) (Biggs 1995, p. 25). For example an institutionalised resident’s dementia worsens making them more reliant on the carer, leading to more stress as the carer may not feel they have the capabilities to handle increased roles and this may cause them to abuse the resident. Another example could be an only child suffering extreme financial distress due to gambling debts, who lives with their mentally impaired mother and feels they cannot pay their own debs so they fraudulently use their mother’s funds. This theory looks at the relationship between the dependency of the elder and the stress this creates resulting in abusive behaviour, which research has been unable to prove (Biggs 1995, p. 30). According to this theory, by reducing the level of care giving stress, the likelihood of elder abuse would decrease as well, but this doesn’t take into account other factors that may be attributing to the abuse such as power roles (being physically and mentally more powerful and degrading and abusing the elder as a way to exert and maintain that power), and even a history of violence (if the elder was abusive earlier in their life and the abused becomes their carer, such as a wife or child, then the carer may have learnt that behaviour and carry it on by abusing the elder). There are many biological, psychological and social factors that impact individuals in the late adulthood stage of life, which can contribute to issues they face such as the influence of an individual’s health, ability to function effectively in society and social networks on where and with whom to live and the occurrence of elder abuse. The two theories, Erikson’s ego integrity versus despair and the stress as a transaction theory help provide some guidelines to examine the issues of living arrangements and elder abuse faced by individuals in this stage of life. Reference List Aged Rights Advocacy Service 2012, Mandatory Reporting: Elder Abuse and the Law, Aged Rights Advocacy Service Inc. , accessed 23 September 2012, lt;http://www. sa. agedrights. asn. au/residential_care/preventing_elder_abuse/elder_abuse_and_the_law/mandatory_reportinggt; Bee, H 1998, Lifespan Development, 2nd edn, Longman, Sydney Berk, L 1998, Development through the Lifespan, Allyn amp; Bacon, Needham Heights Biggs, S, Kingston, P amp; Phillipson, C 1995, Elder Abuse in Perspective, Open University Press, Buckingham CSAP’s Prevention Pathways: Online Courses 2004, Out of the Shadows: Uncovering substance use and elder abuse, U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, accessed 23 September 2012, lt;http://pathwayscourses. samhsa. gov/elab/elab_1_pg1. htmgt; Fernandez, E 2010, SOCW1003: Human Behaviour 1: Life stress and the life span, McGraw Hill, North Ryde Johnson, E 1960, ‘Social Provisions for the Aged: With special reference to accommodation, clubs and foster homes’, in A Stoller (ed), Growing Old: Problems of Old Age in the Australian Community, Halstead Press, Sydney pp. 46-53 Kalish, R 1975, Late Adulthood: Perspectives on Human Development, Brooks/Cole Publishing Company, California