Psychology Milgram experiment Essay

As a participant in Milgram’s (1963) study I would be tormented at the thought of inflicting pain to another person, I also would at least think about whether what I am doing is right and whether the experiment was really genuine or it was some macabre experiment bent on torturing other people. I would probably be one of the few in Milgram’s (1963) study who refused raising the voltage of electric shocks and maybe be among those who balked out of the experiment due to anxiety and guilt. After the debriefing, I would feel deceived and angry with the researcher because I was put through an ordeal that did not really happen. The experiment required that the researcher prod the participant to inflict more electric shocks, and I would probably base my willingness to push the button on the cries of the learner. I would surely refuse the researcher’s demands because I know I am not doing the right thing. On the other hand, if the debriefing would explain why deception was necessary, I would understand the experiment and maybe not hold it against the researcher. However, I am sure that I would still feel deceived and manipulated; it would be an experience that would stay with me for a long time and may even influence how I perceive experiments and researchers. If I was part of an ethics review committee, I would not consider Milgram’s (1963) study as acceptable and protective of participants because aside from debriefing, he did not have any other safeguard procedure to protect the participants. In Milgram’s (1963) study, the shrieks and cries of the learner increased the anxiety and guilt of the participant, and I think it was deliberately designed to evoke the feelings of anxiety of the participants no matter how he argued that the effects of the experiment to the participants were not anticipated. The learners were told to respond to the electric shock as if it was actually happening to them making it more believable to the participant, and by doing so; it also led the participant to believe that they are actually causing that reaction to the learners. Therefore, the potential benefits gained from the study does not outweigh the sufferings that it brought to the participants, and ethically, it does not justify the use of deception (Spata, 2003), the debriefing was also conducted late wherein the participants had already believed that they were responsible for another person’s pain and it failed to protect the welfare of the participants. Without the criticisms and reactions against the experiment on obedience, the ethical issue of using deception in experiments would have not been given attention. At present the American Psychological Association (APA, 2003) have only allowed deception when alternative procedures that are nondeceptive are not available and only if the potential benefits and knowledge gained from the research outweighs the risks of the effects of deception to the participants. In addition, deception is not allowed if the experiment would likely inflict physical and emotional distress to the participants.

Brown V. Board of Education Essay

Brown v Board of Education is a historical landmark case that dismantled segregation laws and established a great milestone in the movement toward true equality. The Supreme Courts unanimously decided on Brown v. Board of Education that â€Å"separate but equal is inherently unequal.† Ruling that no state had the power to pass a law that deprived anyone from his or her 14th amendment rights. For my historical analysis I will use Richard Kluger’s â€Å"Simple Justice†, in which he argues, â€Å"that the Declaration of Independence was marred by hypocrisy—all men were not equal if black†. His book will assist me in learning the policies that lead to and surrounded this case. Using interviews I conducted, where I questioned inner city high school students of their schooling experience in comparison to my brother who attends a predominately white privileged private school, I will ultimately uncover the many inequalities that still exist today. While researching I interviewed my great-Aunt Bertha, who grew up in the state of Mississippi, she had a first-hand experience of life before Brown v Board of Education and life after the Supreme Court ruled on the case, her life was changed forever. My research will focus on not only a historical analysis of what occurred, but how far America has claimed to truly come in dealings with race relations, and the inequalities that still exist today. The American Civil War was fought from 1861 to 1865 between the United States also known as the â€Å"Union† and the few southern states that announced their separation from the United States known as the â€Å"Confederates†. The war was based mainly on differing opinions on the issue of slavery. The war lasted about four years and the results yielded in the Confederacy being defeated by the Union. Upon defeating the Confederates, the Union abolished slavery. From that moment on the process of rebuilding the Union as a strong united nation began. This Union was to guarantee freedom to slaves and began the process of having former slaves obtain rights entitled to all citizens. Once the Civil War had ended, so did the policy of legal slavery. However former Confederate leaders did not intend on allowing the former slaves to have all the same rights as whites nor did they intend for former slaves to be counted equally as citizens. Just before the end of the war, congress had passed the Morrill Act of 1862. This act was to provide for federal funding of higher education. Former slave-holding states decided to find loop holes in allowing former slaves to benefit from the new federal funding as they were not ready to asked them as citizens or even human for that matter. Post-Civil War, the fourteenth amendment to the United States Constitution granted equal protection under the law to all citizens. Although the amendment was put into effect Congress knew the transition from slave to citizen with a hand full of rights would be difficult for former slaves so to help with the transition process Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau. This program was created to assist in the integration of former slave into society as citizens. At the end of the reconstruction period in 1877 former Confederate states implemented random laws that would blatantly go against the federal law and the constitutional right granted b y the 14th amendment to all including African Americans for equal treatment under the law. Southern state believed they could somehow obey federal orders by having equality yet keeping order by having races remain separate. For many years the court at both state and federal level claimed the 14th amendment applied only to federal, not state, citizenship, therefore they had no control over how a state thought to treat or label an African American on their land. This was proven true of the court in the 1863 Civil Rights Case heard before the Supreme Court. This case was made up of five lower level court cases and made into one because they all had the same claim. In this case The Court held that Congress lacked the constitutional authority under the enforcement provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment to outlaw racial discrimination by private individuals and organizations, rather than state and local governments. After the end of Reconstruction, the federal government generally did not hear racial segregation cases instead advising the issue be left up to each individual state to handle. In understanding Brown v Board of Education one must first understand a little about Plessey v Ferguson. The issue in this case was can the states constitutionally enact legislation requiring persons of different races to use â€Å"separate but equal† segregated facilities? And the Court ruled, yes. The states can constitutionally enact legislation requiring persons of different races to use â€Å"separate but equal† segregated facilities, this coming from the highest Court of the land. The trouble with this ideology was that it is contradictory even in its simplest form. Although the Constitution required equality, the facilities and social services offered to African-Americans were almost always of lower quality than those offered to white Americans; for example, many African American schools received less public funding per student than nearby white schools. Public water fountains, which were label â€Å"colored†, were always of lower quality than those labeled for â€Å"whites†. Life went on lived with this flawed idea of serrate equality for many years creating an inferior class of citizens, black were at the bottom and therefore not equal. Many people have tried to challenge the â€Å"separate but equal† rule but most went unheard and those that were heard failed have a change occur. Eventually in 1954 a case did make it on the Supreme Court docket, that case was Linda Brown v. Board of Education. Brown v Board of Education asked the Supreme Court to answer the question of does the segregation of children in public schools s olely on the basis of race deprive the minority children of the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the 14th Amendment? Blacks wanted justice and wanted this question to be answered and clarified for all the nation that they too are people entitle to all the same rights as whites. Thurgood Marshall was one of leading attorney, and civil rights activists, who fought against the segregation laws and policies that were violating the rights of African Americans, especially the children. Kulger â€Å"†¦the African Americans were going to ask equal treatment from top to bottom; buses, buildings, teachers, teacher’s salaries, teaching materials. Everything the same. Anything less was patently in violation of the Fourteenth amendement, Thurgood Marshall explained. â€Å" (18) Thurgood Marshall was one of leading attorney, and civil rights activists, who fought against the segregation laws and policies that were violating the rights of African Americans, especially the children. Kulger Black children were denied admission to public schools attended by white children under laws requiring or permitting segregation according to the races. Linda Browns father though it to be insane that just based solely on the color of his daughters skin she would have to travel really far across train tracks to go to the black only school when they lived near by a school that happened to be labeled whites only. The National Association of the Advancement of Colored People picked up his case, making Linda Brown the poster girl for the cause; She was the embodiment of young black students that were not getting an adequate education that they are entitled to. Brown embellished the ideal look of an average, young, innocent girl, just trying to go to school like any other White child would. The NAACP hired a team of lawyers and civil rights activist to petition the court to hear out the constitutionality of this issue. The lawyers on the case complied many other cases into the same bulk because they all asked of the court the same question, which was the constitutionality of the separate but equal. The Supreme Court ultimately decided in favor of Brown and cited, â€Å"despite the equalization of the schools by â€Å"objective† factors, intangible issues foster and maintain inequality. Racial segregation in public education has a detrimental effect on minority children because it is interpreted as a sign of inferiority. The long-held doctrine that separate facilities were permissible provided they were equal was rejected. Separate but equal is inherently unequal in the context of public education.† This decision called for an end to all state maintained racial segregation. Although the legal end was called for the mentality of many remained the same some going so far as to verbally and physically torture blacks that would dare utilize the same facilities as whites. Brown v Board of Education was decided in 1954 approximately 60 years ago but the strong effects of life before the decision still live on today even in the State of New York which is known to be progre ssive and liberal I find myself surround by many disparities. Within the New York Public school system for example. Although we are not literally labeled certain schools as a black school or a white schools the idea of zoning children into schools based on their address is just the new form of â€Å"separate but equal† in my eyes. I had the pleasure of interviewing a fellow political science major at The City College of New York. John Miller shared with me his experience within the New York City public school system, where he was educated until his graduation from high school or as he called it â€Å"aging out† of the system. John described in detail his experience of never having shared a classroom with a white person before enrolling at City College. John was born and raised in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. Bedford Stuyvesant is widely known as the black cultural mecca of Brooklyn, similar to what Harlem is to Manhattan. He explained to me the way New York City public school system works from kindergarten through 9th grade. Children are assigned a school tha t is in close proximity to their neighborhood. If they don’t like the school they are assigned to, which many do not, the answer from authority figures is â€Å"tough luck† or simply â€Å"move†. Unfortunately John was one of the students that had to stay in his underfunded school. He also told me about his best friend who was one of the lucky few that gained admission into a charter school (which seems to be the only way out of the failed Bedstuy public schools) in downtown Brooklyn. His friend was admitted into the school because his mother’s employer noticed what she felt was great intelligence for someone whose mother was a simple housekeeper. While he spent the day watching his mother clean her house she simply made a phone call to one of her friends who happened to be a big donor to the charter school and in just a few weeks he was being bussed to a 21st century private charter school. He was one of the lucky few to made it out. Miller is now at the University of Chicago studying biology, I hope of becoming a doctor. Most of their childhood friends from the neighborhood are either in prison most for crimes of necessity given their unfortunate circumstances. He described how another friend would frequently steal from the local grocery story to supply his family with food. Miller would like to point out that he is not trying to create excuses for the crimes committed, however he is sympathetic to their reasoning. He is also not oblivious to the fact that not all the crimes his childhood friends are being incarcerated for are crime of necessity but rather some are crimes of pure boredom. He is not sure where to place blame or on who in either circumstance. The past stories accounts for the majority of the men John knew but the women are not excluding from this group of underachievers. Most became pregnant at an extremely early age giving birth to children out of wedlock. They gave birth with the expectation that there is always â€Å"food stamps/welfare† I don’t need a job† while others are working dead end jobs making minimum wage. In his community education is clearly not something to value and I would make the claim that it is because from kindergarten the schools in this community are underfunded and have teacher who don’t care working in the system. If the teachers don’t care neither will the students and so the cycle continues. Was this system plan and created by our white socioeconomic counter part? We were taught to believe Brown v Board of Education would change our lives forever. Once the high Court made the claim that â€Å"separate but equal† actually was impossible to accomplish and an oxymoron within itself. Mississippi was so defiant towards the Brown v. Board of Education case, schools in the state refused to integrate. Therefore the federal courts in 1969 had to modify the Mississippi â€Å"desegregation order†. People still had their racist ideologies and even today 4 of the schools are â€Å"single-raced†, although it is legally outlawed. My aunt Bertha was a student in the Mississippi public school system in the year prior to and post Brown v. Board of education. She vividly recalls sitting with her family around a radio and hearing the Chief Justice announce the courts decision to declare â€Å"separate but equal† unconstitutional. Making separate schools for whites and black she thought would immediately become a something of the past. She admits to being very nervous yet excited about the idea of going to schools that white people would also go to. She even recalls telling her dad â€Å"maybe we wont have to share books anymore† pointing to the fact that her school was so underfunded and there weren’t enough books to go around. Bertha says 2 years after the decision was handed down by the court she remained a student at a school on the east side of the track which were for black and the whites remained enrolled in the other school. She visits once a year now for her high school reunion and is just now starting to notice some integration almost 60 plus years later the principle proudly announced we â€Å"now have a white population of 2.3 percent† although she was proudly to see Brown v. Education being implemented into her hometown she still is saddened by the fact that people of color on her side of the track could potentially go through life without ever having much interaction with the other race if they so chose. This saddens her because we are now living in 2012 and our President is black however whites and some blacks still seem very uncomfortable with they idea of being together, not just in the classroom but also in all aspects of life. â€Å"Segregation was an unmitigated evil, and no black man anywhere in America was free of its scar so long as the Supreme Court tolerated it† (290) We are still living in a systematic world of segregation in the New York City School System in the public and private sector. Schools where most of the students are minorities get underfunded. Is this a problem of economics? Distribution? Or an ongoing internal racism that often gets ignored? BIBLIOGRAPHY Kluger, Richard. Simple Justice: The History of Brown v. Board of Education and Black America’s Struggle for Equality. New York: Vintage, 2004. Print. â€Å"Mississippi Schools Still Segregated Despite Court Order.† Breaking News for Black America RSS. NewsOne Staff, 4 May 2011. Web. 18 Dec. 2012. Miller, J (2012, 5 October) Personal Interview Moore, B (2012 15, October) Telephone Interview

Organizational Tax Research and Planning - Estate Tax Paper

Organizational Tax and Planning - Estate Tax - Research Paper Example The total value of estate tax is referred to as Gross Estate, while the tax itself is estimated by taking the Fair Market Value of the total taxable estate. If the estate is associated with any Mortgage or fees payable for setting the estate, then the Gross Estate is adjusted to that amount. The Net Value of Estate, which is reduced by the value of exemptions stipulated in the Laws, is the net amount after allowing for all the possible deductions. Case advise In the current case, a wealthy couple owns a farm and a number of businesses that they would like to bestow to their three children. They would like to be advised how to minimize tax against this property, so their children can enjoy the maximum benefit. In order to effectively bequeath the property to their descendants when they die, the couple should exercise proper estate planning, and particularly focus on matters of he estate tax. Looking at the provisions of Estate Tax, it appears that Estate Tax is a must pay tax that is imposed on the transfer of property following the death of the transferor. While it is not possible to avoid this tax, there are a number of ways that the couple can use to evade or legally minimize the impact of this tax. The couple should ensure that they choose the most efficient method of transferring property to their descendants by minimizing estate tax. This includes use of techniques that guarantees minimization of estate tax, which will be discussed later in this paper. Question 2 The current IRS’s provision is that Estate Tax is taxable up to a maximum rate of 35% and exempted up to $120,000. When computing the amount of taxable estate amount, some specific deductions are also available, which are valid up to the end of 2013 only. Beyond this exemption, the value usually reduces to $1,000,000 while the Estate Tax increases to 55%. Some of the significant changes, which have been suggested by the US President, include increasing the tax rate to 45% and introducing an exemption of up to $3,500,000. Certainly, this proposal will not go down very well with the taxpayers and if it is implemented in its current status, it is likely to cause more harm than the benefit it is intended for. The suggestion will impose a heavy burden on the US public, and hence it is important for the congress to device ways of making estate tax provisions friendlier to the taxpayers. In this regards, different congress groups have suggested a number of proposals, which include the following. i. The Extenders group from the farming estate has suggested that the status quo should be upheld in the future, which means the tax collector should continue exempting up to $5,120,000 and imposing tax at the rate of 35%. ii. The conformers support the president’s proposal, which will reduce the amount of exemption to $3,500,000 and increase tax rate to 45%. Therefore, their wish is that this proposal is incorporated in the Estate Tax laws. iii. The Reversers group demands th at the 2001/2002 tax provisions should be reinstated. This provision puts exempted amount at $1,000,000 and the Estate Tax at 55%. Ideally there are five options open to the current estate tax. These include: (i) amendment of the estate tax, (ii) passing of a compromise bill, (iii) extension of TRUIRJCA, (iv) maintaining of the status quo, and (v) implementing of the new suggestion in its current st

A case study on Inuit environment and resources, and their Research Paper

A case study on Inuit environment and resources, and their relationship to Inuit culture and belief system - Research Paper Example They have their own distinct literature, music and arts, most of which are created to praise and worship the spirits that guide them in their everyday lives. The term Inuit refers to the group of aboriginal people that live and occupy the Arctic region from Greenland to the east of Siberia (Park). They arrived in the Arctic from Asia through land bridges, as a matter of fact, it is settled that they are â€Å"the last people to cross from Asia† (King, 9). Needless to state, the Arctic is perhaps the most unlivable place on earth – forever cold and frozen – yet the Inuit have made it home. They lived off of the abundance of the sea and whatever is found on land. They made tools from animal bones and rocks which are then used to make clothing from animal skin and fur. For their fuel which they use for cooking and lighting, they have learned to extract the oils from sea mammals like whales. (King, 9) The land and the sea provide for all their needs, and they return the favor by making offerings to the spirits of nature. With the help and guidance of the spirits, the Inuit was able to develop things that made living in the harsh environment easier. They live in an igloo, travel on water with the kayak and on land with dogsleds, use ulu which is a knife used by women for household chores, and discover the utility of the quilliq which is a small stove made of stone. During the never-ending winter season, the quilliq not only cooks their food but also provide heat and light to the entire household. (The Inuit Way, 8) The Inuit boasts of a very rich and colorful culture which is in stark contrast to the monotony of their natural environment. Despite contact with foreigners, the Inuit have been successful in preserving their cultural heritage and identity, with the preservation of Inuktitut, the Inuit language. To ensure that the younger generations never forget their identity, small children are taught to play the traditional games and

Individual Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual - Assignment Example Apart from these MySpace has a wide variety of applications like a special classifieds page which allows opportunity for the user to buy and sell products online. Thus, this company offers opportunity to expand a business into varying horizons. MySpace also offers sale of goods hassle free and with minimum overheads. The site maximizes the opportunity for product exposure through its advertisements on the website. MySpace offers business marketing. â€Å"It takes managerial talent to identify whether or not the firm has valuable resources and capabilities and to decide how best to use them to maximize returns† (Brickley 2007, p. 247). Organizational architecture is one of the key elements behind the successful functioning of any business. As a manager, it is necessary to create and sustain value and it can be done through the creation of multiple fronts and multiple pathways. â€Å"MySpace is, for identity exploration, engaging in social comparison and expressing idealized aspects of the selves they wish to become† (Manago et al. 2008, para. 1). MySpace also creates an identity for its users and they realize their own self. Besides, it allows the users unlimited flexibility to share their content. â€Å"According to the Pew Internet Project, MySpace is the most dominant social network among teens, used by 85% of teenagers who use social networks† (Hall 2011, para. 3). Since the majority of MySpace customers are teenagers, it can offer documented school researches which would be helpful to the teenagers. It can also provide a platform for promoting artistic talent. However, it may keep a restricting check on its users with respect to viewing of porn and other anti-social activities. In this way, it would be able to target more and more customers because once its offers restricted use, then the parent’s anxieties will be satisfied and they will also become members of the site. In this way MySpace

Ancient Egypt Annotated Bibliography Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ancient Egypt - Annotated Bibliography Example Being a professor at American University in Cairo, having published many works, and studied at Bryn Mawr College for Bachelor in Egyptology and Archeology, University of Cambridge for her Masters and PHD in Egyptology and Museum studies make her a credible expert on this topic. There are no scholarly sources cited in the article but the author makes an allusion of scholars work stating â€Å"scholars believe the valley had from about I million to 4 million people† (â€Å"Ancient Egypt, Par. 5). The author’s thesis in the article is that Ancient Egypt was the â€Å"birthplace of one of the world’s first civilizations (â€Å"Ancient Egypt, Par. 5†). The author believes that one of the world’s first civilizations began 5,000 years ago along   the River Nile and lasted for over 2,000 years making it the longest lasting civilization ever. The author uses three main points as a measure of backing up her thesis on Ancient Egypt being the earliest civilizations in history. These three points are â€Å"Ancient Egypt created the worlds first national government, basic forms of arithmetic and a 365-day calendar† (â€Å"Ancient Egypt, Par. 2†). To back the above main points the author uses other illustrations to strengthen the thesis including the creation of a form of picture writing known as hieroglyphics, invention papyrus a writing material, development of religion on life after death, and the building of great cities from which arose skilled doctors, architects, painters, sculptors, doctors, and engineers. The author uses the main points to strengthen the thesis through writing on the history and life of Ancient Egypt. The author writes about   the start of civilization when King Menes United Lower and Upper Egypt around 3100 B.C. forming the world’s first government. King Menes also made Memphis, present day Cairo, as the capital of Egypt depict the earliest national government backing the main thesis in the article. The author uses the

Police and Legitimacy Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Police and Legitimacy Law - Essay Example Therefore, for effective governing, an institution has to acquire political legitimacy as this is necessary to prevent the collapse of the government due to various legal setbacks that governs the state. However, there are some political systems that survive despite illegitimately acquiring power. This institution usually seeks the support of individuals who hold influential positions in the society and thereby considering such systems as legitimate despite opposition from the wider mass. Locke further argues that legitimacy comes from the popular consent of the people and without it, any institution formed and operating is illegitimate. Dolf Stanberger defines legitimacy as a foundation of an existence of governmental power with the knowledge of officials of government that they have a right to govern for the benefits of the people (Alderson, 1979). An author by the name of Seymour Martins disagrees with the definitions of Locke and Stanberger on legitimacy. He argues that legitimac y involves a belief by the ruling class that the practiced system of governance is the best and he does not involve the masses as in his definition (Blumberg, 1983). Legitimacy encompasses morality and scholars of moral philosophy define it as the normative position given to the government and other institutions operating in the country by the masses on the acceptance that they use their authority in accordance to the law. Scholars of law distinguish legitimacy from legality. They argue that a government can be legitimate in its composition but they actions can be illegal, for example implementing a budget without parliament’s approval. The police is an organ of the government and its main function is to maintain law and order. In conducting their operations there are always aspects of legitimacy in question. Are they acting within the law or are they violating the same law they are supposed to implement. This paper seeks to analyze legitimacy in the contest of a specific pol ice function. The police function identified is maintenance of law and order in England and Wales (Miyazawa, 1995). In talking about this role, it will highlight its different aspects and how it defines the concept of legitimacy in England and wales. The questions that this paper seeks to answer are two fold, What is legitimacy? How does the police role of maintaining law and order define the concepts of legitimacy in England and Wales? This paper has a concluder which basis its analysis from the research done and it explains other concepts of legitimacy. The main role of the police force is to maintain law and order and in order to function appropriately; the police need public help and support and it’s of great use to them when such support is voluntary and sincere. Such voluntary support from the public comes from the notion of legitimacy. The society has to acknowledge the roles of the police as outlined by the laws governing the state and if police action contravenes the se laws, they will lose legitimacy and therefore getting cooperation from the people becomes difficult. One of the main reasons as to why people agree to cooperate with the police is because they enjoy legal recognition and therefore people view them as a legitimate authority to be obeyed. The public are also concerned with the manner in which the police execute their functions and from their conclusions