Consensual Relationship Agreements Research Paper - 1

Consensual Relationship Agreements - Research Paper Example Establishing a baseline of individual freedom means that adults must be allowed to enter into consensual relationships with other adults (Eichner). States must not delegitimize relationships among consenting adults and relationships should be recognized. Sexual harassment litigation fears means more and more companies are scrambling to create appropriate policies to consider, define, and somehow regulate the demonstration of these relationships in the workplace (Powers, p. 20). Consensual Relationship Contracts Anywhere from 33% to as high as 70% of company employees have at one time or another admitted to being involved in an office relationship. Work provides opportunities for socialization among men and women that would not be possible anywhere else. Togetherness occurs naturally in a comfortable and mutual environment and the mutual grounding of close friendship will frequently develop into romance. Employees often rush easily into these relationships despite factors, such as the possibility the relationship may not work out, the organizational environment may prove to be too rigid or the affair would invoke the criticism of fellow employees. Workplace romance trends have been increasing for several reasons, namely, increased demands on free time, more women in the workplace and in management positions, and an increase in positions requiring travel and team projects. Guidelines should be implemented which accept the inevitable realities of on the job romance while also providing the organization with protection from the problems of relationship fall-outs. One half of all work place relationships are estimated to end in marriage, studies show that environments where peers are likeminded in respect to education, life experience, and work ability are more likely to be compatible and have lasting relationships. Relationships that break down and are not resolved amicably can leave employers facing a variety of possible claims. Issues, such as a failed transfer o f one employee after a relationship, could lead to litigation claims. Homosexual relationships could lead to sexual orientation discrimination claims if the individuals are not treated equally. Some employers choose to ban relationships among employees in order to avoid these issues through non-fraternization policies (Reeves, p. 20). Bans, such as this, run the risk of breeching human rights policy and are not likely to be effective considering the amount of relationships that now begin in the work place. Some employers are using contacts or consensual relationship agreements which require disclosure of a relationship, thus, giving the employer the opportunity to relocate one employee or the other to avoid conflict. These contracts have an uncertain legal status and enforceability has been tested numerous times in legal tribunals and lawsuits. Consensual relationship contracts are used in order to avoid sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuits, especially when relationships invol ve employees who are on different levels of authority. The majority of companies do not have policies in place regarding consensual

Descartes vs Locke Essay Example for Free

Descartes vs Locke Essay Socrates once said, â€Å"As for me, all I know is that I know nothing. † Several philosophers contradicted Socrates’ outlook and believed that true knowledge was in fact attainable. This epistemological view however had several stances to it, as philosophers held different beliefs in regards to the derivation of true knowledge. Rationalists believed that the mind was the source of true knowledge, while in Empiricism, true knowledge derived from the senses. Rene Descartes, a rationalist, and John Locke, an empiricist, were prime examples of epistemologists who were seen to differentiate greatly within each of their philosophies. However, although Descartes and Locke’s ideas did contrast in that sense, they both shared common concepts that helped mould the basis of their ideas. Descartes and Locke both agreed that there were things in life that exist that we can be certain of. For Descartes, human experiences did not provide sufficient proof of existence. He indicated that through his Dream Conjecture and his Evil-Demon Theory (Paquette 205). Descartes stated that we cannot be certain if reality is a dream or not, thus questioning our existence (Paquette 205). In his Evil-Demon Theory, Descartes claimed that for all he knew, an evil demon could be putting thoughts into his head, making him think that reality was true when it was in fact false (Paquette 205). Ultimately, all this thinking resulted in Descartes coming to the conclusion that the one thing we could be sure of existing is the mind (Newman 2010). This can be seen through his most famous quote, â€Å"I think therefore I am (Kaplan 2008). † Descartes claimed that since he was able to doubt and think using his mind, his mind must exist (Paquette 205). Similarly, Locke was also sure of existence. He believed that every object was made up of primary qualities as well as secondary qualities (Paquette 212). Secondary qualities rely on how a person senses the object subjectively, and is experienced differently depending on the individual (Paquette 212). Examples of secondary qualities include colour, taste, and sound (Paquette 212). Primary qualities, however, are objective and include aspects such as an object’s height and weight (Paquette 212). Through this, Locke claimed that the existence of objects can be made certain due to the primary qualities it possesses (Paquette 212). Similar to Descartes, Locke believed in a sense of existence. However, in his view, the facts from the primary qualities proved the object exists because the object exists within itself (Paquette 212). Descartes and Locke also believed in some sense of the external world. Descartes claimed that there is in fact an external world, however it does not exist outside people’s minds (Paquette 206). Since Descartes was a rationalist, he believed that the only method to acquire true knowledge was solely through the mind (Moore 2002). Through the process of doubting existence, Descartes realized that the mind exists (Paquette 205). He went further into thought and concluded that since he, an imperfect person, has knowledge of perfection, something perfect has to exist to have put that knowledge in his mind. From there he claimed the existence of God (Newman 2010). Descartes then stated that a perfect god would not deceive his people, indicating that the material world exists (Newman 2010). Therefore through this thinking process, Descartes came to the conclusion that the real world is of the mind, and the external world is everything else that falls into the material world made by god (Newman 2010). Like Descartes, Locke also believed in an external world. As an empiricist, Locke relied heavily on the senses to provide true knowledge (Moore 2002). He shared Aristotle’s belief that the mind is a blank slate, also known as tabula rasa, at birth (Paquette 211). Our sense experiences thereafter provide us with knowledge to fill in those slates (Paquette 211). In Locke’s â€Å"Representative Theory of Perception,† also known as Epistemological Dualism, he stated that material objects exist and are separate entities from human beings (Paquette 227). However, he also believed that objects exist in the mind as psychological entities (Paquette 227). Locke concluded that people can taste, smell, touch, and see the external world which, in turn, becomes impressions in our minds (Paquette 227). Descartes and Locke are thus seen to be similar in the sense that they both believed in an external world. Descartes and Locke both had a process for understanding knowledge as well. As a rationalist, Descartes believed in innate ideas; that all humans were born with some knowledge (Paquette 206). This differentiates from the empirical view that the mind is a blank slate at birth (Paquette 211). Descartes also used intuition and deduction to establish truth (Kaplan 2008). He believed that intuition is direct knowledge which can be known without ever sensing or experiencing it (Paquette 206). Deduction however, is where you start with a premise, or a statement you believe to be true, and then determine more truths based on that origin (Paquette 206). As shown, Descartes focused on the thinker and the thinking process when determining true knowledge (Paquette 206). Rather than a thinking process, Locke believed that understanding knowledge came from a process based on our senses (Paquette 211). He believed that when the external world triggers any of our five senses, those experiences turn into sensations (Paquette 211). Those sensations then turn into impressions in our mind, thus adding knowledge onto the slate in our mind which was once blank (Paquette 211). He claimed that our mind reflects on the impressions we received from our sensations (Paquette 211). Locke then stated that those reflections turn into an idea which can be either simple, or made up of a bundle of simple ideas called complex ideas (Paquette 211). Like Descartes, Locke is seen to use a process for finding knowledge as well. There are many aspects to Rene Descartes and John Locke’s philosophies that are clearly distinct from one another. However, it is essentially incorrect to claim that rationalist Descartes and empiricist Locke bear no similarities. The two epistemologists are seen to share a similar base within each of their philosophical ideas. Through the many differences between Descartes and Locke, their basic concepts of existence, the external world, and the process for obtaining knowledge are quite similar to each other. This connexion illustrates that although the ideologies people possess on life vary to a great extent, there can always be some sense of a common ground that brings us all together. Works Cited Kaplan, R. Philosophy In our time. BBC Homepage. BBC News. , 2008. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦http://www. bbc. co. uk/radio4/history/ Moore, B. Philosophy | Glossary. Online Learning Centre. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2002. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. http://highered. mcgraw-†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦hill. com/sites/076742011x/student_view0/chapter6/glossary. html. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Newman, L. Descartes epistemology.

Euthanasia and Christian Beliefs Essay -- Euthanasia Mercy Death Healt

Euthanasia Euthanasia is defined in the Chamber’s English Dictionary as â€Å" the act or practice of putting someone painlessly, or as gently as possible, to death†. There are various forms of Euthanasia, which I must explain before referring to the teachings of the different Christian denominations. The most common of them is Voluntary Euthanasia, where the patient decides for themselves, that they would prefer to be dead. They might decide at the time, or perhaps they might have written a ‘living will’ instructing doctors to kill them if they are ever in a situation where they will never be conscious again. There is also In-voluntary Euthanasia, were someone else decides against the patient’s wishes that would be better off dead, and enforces it in the act of killing them. Therefore it is often out-classed as Euthanasia, because it is not ‘gentle’. Non-voluntary Euthanasia takes place in a situation where the patient cannot be asked, or more correctly, cannot answer. This may be because the victim is a baby and can’t speak yet, or perhaps the victim is in a coma and is unable to respond to people around h im, but in this case a relative or doctor will decide for the person. It is also important to distinguish the difference between killing someone (Active), and letting them die (Passive). Killing a person is expressed in an action. An example of this, would be a doctor injecting his patient with a poison. Whereas letting someone die, is expressed in not performing an action. An example of this would be a doctor not supplying his patient with drugs that would save his life, and as a result the patient’s life is shortened. I will set, discuss, and finally evaluate a debate about Voluntary Euthanasia using contexts from both the Roman Catholic Church, and the Church of England. Some of the key influences I will refer to are Natural Law, Situation Ethics, Doctrine of Double Effect, The Golden Rule, Church documents, and the Bible. Ignoring all religious views, an argument for Voluntary Euthanasia performed by someone other than the patient, is that it is simply ‘mercy killing’. This would, under general Christian views, be just because it was an act of love, and after all that is what Christianity revolves around. One question, that must be answered is, ‘Is there a difference between killing and letting someone die, when it comes to an argu... ...f the family would suffer as a result of his death, then he should not die in an unnatural way. But, it is more likely that they will be suffering with him, and will feel the relief if he does not, and they do not have to watch him, live any longer in his painful condition. If this is the case, then they should back his feelings, and give him their support. It has been said that although the earth does not belong to the people, God did create humans to make their own decisions on it. Therefore in the case of voluntary euthanasia, there is no doubt that the end decision must be made by the patient, and not the doctor. If the patient is in a persistent vegetative state, then the appeal for his death, falls into the non-voluntary category, and is of no complication to my conclusion. As I have said already, the fifth commandment is addressing the point of murdering innocent people. Murder is when one person intentionally kills another without legal justification or excuse. If euthanasia was legalised, then it would not officially be murder. In such a case, a Christian would not be violating the fifth commandment, and there would be no reason why he could not be a supporter.

A Feminist Perspective of Atwoods Surfacing Essay -- Feminism Feminis

A Feminist Perspective of Surfacing  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Often referred to as a "feminist / ecological treatise" by critics, Margaret Atwood's Surfacing reflects the politics and issues of the postmodern society (Hutcheon 145). The narrator of the story (who remains nameless) returns to the undeveloped island that she grew up on to search for her missing father; in the process, she unmasks the dualities and inconsistencies in both her personal life and her patriarchal society. Through the struggle to reclaim her identity and roots, the Surfacer begins a psychological journey that leads her directly into the natural world. Like the journey itself, the language, events, and characters in Atwood's novel reflect a world that oppresses and dominates both femininity and nature. Strong and unmistakable in Surfacing, the ecofeminist theory establishes itself in three specific ways: through the references to patriarchal reasoned dualities between the masculine and feminine world; through the domination and oppression of the feminine an d natural world, and through the Surfacer's own internal struggle and re-embracement of nature. Since "the voices of ecofeminism are diverse," it requires definition (Zabinski 315). A postmodern movement that "abandons the hardheaded scientific approach . . . in favor of a more spiritual consciousness," ecofeminist theory links the oppression of women with the oppression of nature (Salleh 339). More specifically, "ecological feminism is the position that there are important connections -- historical, experiential, symbolic, theoretical -- between the domination of women and the domination of nature, an understanding which is crucial to both feminism and environmental ethics" (Warren, The Power and the P... ... Ecology." Healing the Wounds: The Promise of Ecofeminism. Ed. Judith Plant. Philedelphia: New Society Publishers, 1989: 18-28. Legleer, Gretchen T. "Ecofeminism Literary Criticism." Warren, Ecofeminism 227-238. Salleh, Ariel. "Deeper than Deep Ecology: The Eco-feminist Connection." Environmental Ethics. Vol.6. 339-345. Warren, Karen, ed. Ecofeminism: Women, Culture, and Nature. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1997. ---. "Taking Empirical Data Seriously: An Ecofeminist Philosophical Perspective." Warren, Ecofeminism 3-20. ---. "The Power and the Promise of Ecological Feminism." Environmental Ethics: 125-146. Zabinski, Catherine. "Scientific Ecology and the Ecological Feminism: The Potential for Dialougue." Warren, Ecofeminism 314-322. Zimmerman, Michael. "Feminism, Deep Ecology, and Environmental Ethics." Environmental Ethics. Vol. 9, 22-44.   

Personal Action Plan Essay

As soon as I graduate from high school I plan on contacting my closest Navy Recruiter and getting on the preliminary work done that is needed. After the preliminary work is done, I plan on enlisting for four year under the â€Å"EOD Challenge Program†. It’s going to be a huge decision that’s going to affect my entire life. The program itself will challenge me on all aspects of the spectrum. This is exactly what I expected when I decided to pursue a job in the military, but that does not distract from the milestone in my life that this will represent. After enlistment, I will then be assigned a ship out date where I will begin the Navy recruit training. If I complete the training I will be put into a physical screening test and will be interviewed by an EOD motivator. If I pass both of those, I must then pass a diving physical. Now I plan on passing because in the mean time before I even enlist I will be in great physical shape, which should be my only hurdle in this part of the process. Once I have passed all of these requirements, I then start EOD Schooling. EOD Schooling is broken down into three schools and one course. All which must be completed in order to be an EOD. These consist of an EOD Dive school, an EOD Technician school, a Basic Airborne school, and an EOD Tactical Training course. Each class is rigorous and will teach me a different skill needed for the specialty job of being an EOD. Once I have finished all schooling, I am then assigned to an operational EOD mobile unit which I will be expected to report to for active duty. Now if all these steps are fulfilled and I do become and active duty EOD in the Navy, then I will finish out my tour, and get back to my family. I plan on taking a short hiatus before re-enlisting and starting another tour. After the second tour I plan on joining the Army Reserves, so that I am able to have a military retirement in later years to come. This will allow me to have gained immense amounts of life experience and incredible amounts of knowledge. This will also give me amazing benefits and pay, while setting me up for military retirement. I will then be able to live my life. Now if this plan does somehow fail. I will be attending either Sierra College or Butte College in order to get my remedial done and get my solar panel certification. After two years I will be able to install solar panels and I will then switch to either UNR or Chico State. There are several majors I had in mind. Two of the biggest majors I had in mind being in either Political Science, or Economics. I am no worried about what will happen only because I have a back up plan like I have explained. This piece of paper holds my hopes and dreams, and this is my personal action plan.

Family Interview Essays

Family Interview Essays Family Interview Essay Family Interview Essay It is my pleasure to introduce you to the Dixon and Campbell families. Within this extended, two earner household, there are two pairs of married couples and two adolescents. James and Charlene are the owners of the home and are also the parents of Christine. Christine and Jim live In the house with their two children. Each of the four adults work outside of the home and the girls attend school. I have had the opportunity to become parallelized with this family by working with Christine in the past. I chose them because they were gracious enough to allow me to interview them and use what we discussed to write my family essay. This middle lass Christian family is made up of Caucasians. James and Charlene have been married for thirty-nine years and have two daughters, one of which is Christine. Jim and Christine have been married for thirteen years and have two daughters, Alias; twelve and Emmanuel; nine. Each of the adults has full time occupations and the girls are full time students, as well as, their participation in sports and other extra- curricular activities. The family shows cohesion by attending church together on Sunday mornings and eating lunch together after church. This is one of the few days every week that the adults are able to be off of work at the same time. Throughout the rest of the week they all coordinate schedules so that Alias and Emmanuel has child care without having to have anyone from outside to tend to them. The girls have never had a babysitter separate of their immediate household. This may sound strange and to most people, it is, however Charlene had a good reason to ask her daughter and son-in-law to stay with her husband and her not long after Christine and Jim were married. : The younger couple lived in a mobile home as their first residence together and became pregnant Just a few months after they tied the knot. However, one morning, into Christinas first trimester, the trailer caught on fire and was badly damaged. Christine and the baby were able to get out safely, while Jim was at work. This is what prompted the newlyweds to move Into the parents home. They did not expect that they would be there more than a few months. Almost thirteen years later, everyone In this family seems very content with the current arrangements. Over time the family has had Its ups and downs. They each explained to me about a time when miscommunication or lack thereof caused issues to arise amongst them. This would be expected in a double couple household, not to mention being that they are parents and adult children under the same roof. Through trial and error, they all agreed that, they are able to work problems out by sitting down to discuss what the situation is and come to a fair and equitable compromise to fix it. When I asked the family about what specific struggles that they had faced, they all appeared to be perplexed. It took some time but Charlene finally came up with the struggle of how outsiders view her family. She explained that because the living arrangement that they live In Is not common, many people view It as strange and some view It as wrong. She and the other adults have had to defend their choices In how they all live together, at least one time, to someone outside of their household. Alias and Emmanuel also mentioned that they had been teased at school occasionally as well. The older of the two girls told me it was because the everyone pays their part of the living expenses and contributes to household supplies and groceries. Christine and Jim are primary financial providers of Alias and Emmanuel. Charlene and James treat the girls as normal grandparents would and buys them gifts and treats occasionally so as not to overdo it or spoil the encounters. There is an obvious concerted cultivation practiced in this family, as all of the adults encourage and praise the talents and abilities of the children. The parenting styles of each adult made the impression to me to be that mainly of the authoritative style. While listening to some of the stories talked about of Christinas upbringing, her father could have been labeled more authoritarian and her mother, more permissive while she was growing up. She told me that she thinks that over the years, her parents opposite styles meshed together quite nicely to create their more costive grand parenting style that they presently possess. Christine is thankful for her parents and the Alias and Emmanuel could not love their Grandma and Grandpa any more. Roles in this family are shared, Just like they share the care of the children. Christine and Charlene do most of the deep house cleaning; likewise James and Jim do the heavier yard work and handy man type chores around the house. However, all of them take part in cooking and preparing meals, doing laundry, and basic yard and house work. Alias and Emmanuel have daily chores; they are required to help with after meal clean up and taking care of their own rooms. The girls enjoy helping dad and grandpa with guy stuff and are encouraged to learn how to be as self-sufficient as possible. When writing this paper I am reminded of the television show Modern Family. For those who have not had the opportunity to be versed on how the stereo typical American family has evolved over the years, it is definitely no longer the Cleavers world out there! The Dixon and Campbell families would be a good addition to the television show, so that this type of extended family could be portrayed as normal amongst the other diverse families that are in existence nowadays.

Definition of Instructional Words Used on Tests

Definition of Instructional Words Used on Tests Instructional words are very important, but they are often overlooked and misunderstood by students during exams and tests. It is important to know what is expected of you when you encounter words such as â€Å"analyze† or â€Å"discuss† on an exam. Valuable points can be earned or lost, depending on your understanding of instructional words shown here. Analyze: Take apart a concept or a process, and explain it step by step. You could encounter analysis questions in any discipline, from science to history. An analysis question is usually a long essay question.Comment: If a test question prompts you to comment on a fact or statement, you will need to explain the relevance of the fact or statement. For example, you could be prompted to comment on a particular amendment quoted in a government exam or comment on a passage that is quoted on a literature exam.Compare: Show likenesses and differences when you compare two events, theories, or processes.Contrast: Used for showing differences between two processes or theories, a contrast question could appear on a literature exam, a history exam, a science exam, and more.Define: Provide a definition of a key term you’ve covered in class. This is usually a short essay type of question.Demonstrate: If you are asked to demonstrate, you must provide proof of your answer by using an example . A demonstration could be a physical action, a visual illustration, or a written statement. Diagram: Demonstrate your answer by drawing a chart or other visual element to illustrate your points.Discuss: When a teacher instructs you to â€Å"discuss† a topic, he or she is trying to determine whether you understand both sides of an issue. You will need to demonstrate that you know the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. You should pretend that you are having a conversation with a friend and voicing both sides.Enumerate: Enumerating is providing a list in a particular order. When you enumerate a list of items, you may need to specify why items go in a particular order.Examine: If you are prompted to examine a topic, you will use your own judgment to explore (in writing) a topic and comment on significant elements, events, or acts. Provide your opinion and explain how or why you came to your conclusions.Explain: Provide an answer that gives a â€Å"why† response. Provide a complete overview of the problem and solution for a particular issue or process. This is a typical form of question used in science exams. Illustrate: If you are expected to illustrate a topic, you should use examples to show or explain a topic. Depending on the subject matter, you might use words, drawings, diagrams, or behavior to illustrate an answer.Interpret: Interpretation of a subject calls for the ability to read between the lines and draw conclusions. You will be expected to explain the meaning of an act, action, or passage in an interpretation.Justify: If you are asked to justify something, you will be expected to use examples or evidence to show why (in your opinion) it is correct. You must provide reasons for your conclusions and opinions.List: Lists are used in every discipline. In list questions, you must provide a series of answers. If you are expected to memorize a certain number of items for an exam, be sure to remember how many there are in total.  Outline: Provide an explanation with headings and subheadings. This is a common instruction word found on literature exams.Order: Provide a chronological or value-based answer by listing several items (terms or events) in the correct placement. You could be asked to place events in a certain order on a history exam, or you could be asked to put a scientific process in the correct order.   Prove: To prove an answer, you must use evidence (this could be numbers) or reasoning to solve a problem. Tests that require proof normally appear on science or math exams.Relate: Relate could mean a few different things on an exam: 1) You could be asked to show a relationship between two events or items by discussing their similarities, or 2) You could be required to provide a written account of something (as in literature).Review: If a test question prompts you to review a process or event, you should recall and repeat all the most important elements or facts that you learned about a specific topic in essay form.Trace: To trace an event or process, go over it in detail and explain it step by step. You could trace an event that occurred in history or you could trace a process in science.