Nixon and the Watergate Scandal free essay sample

Watergate Scandal Victoria Daniele Constitutional History May 19, 2013 The Watergate Scandal involved a number of illegal activities that were designed to help President Richard Nixon win re-election. The scandal involved burglary, wiretapping, campaign financing violations, and the use of government agencies to harm political opponents. A major part of the scandal was also the cover-up of all these illegal actions. The Watergate Scandal got its name from the Watergate office complex in Washington, D. C. This large office building was the home of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters, and the site of the break-in that began the largest scandal in American politics. However, even before the break-in, President Nixon had begun illegal operations. In January 1972, G. Gordon Liddy[-gt;0], general counsel to the Committee for the Re-Election of the President[-gt;1] (CRP), presented a campaign intelligence plan to CRPs Acting Chairman Jeb Stuart Magruder[-gt;2], Attorney General John Mitchell[-gt;3], and Presidential Counsel John Dean[-gt;4], that involved extensive illegal activities against the Democratic Party[-gt;5]. We will write a custom essay sample on Nixon and the Watergate Scandal or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Mitchell viewed the plan as unrealistic, but two months later was alleged to have approved a reduced version of the plan which involved burgling the Democratic National Committees (DNC) headquarters at the Watergate Complex[-gt;6] in Washington, D. C. The ostensible purpose of this was to photograph documents and install listening devices. Liddy was nominally in charge of the operation, but has since insisted that he was duped by Dean and at least two of his subordinates. These included former CIA officers E. Howard Hunt[-gt;7] and James McCord[-gt;8], then CRP-Security Coordinator; John Mitchell had by then resigned as Attorney General to become chairman of the CRP. WATERGATE RETROSPECTIVE: THE DECLINE AND FALL[-gt;9], Time Magazine, August 19, 1974 After two attempts to break into the Watergate Complex failed to yield information of value, the order for yet another break-in was given to Liddy by Jeb Magruder, either acting on his own or on orders from Dean. Shortly after midnight on June 17, 1972, Frank Wills[-gt;10], a security guard at the Watergate Complex, noticed tape overing the latches on doors in the complex (allowing the doors to close but remain unlocked). He removed the tape and thought nothing of it. Wills returned an hour later and discovered that someone had re-taped the locks, which he then called the police. Five men were discovered and arrested inside the DNCs office. WATERGATE RETROSPECTIVE: THE DECLINE AND FALL[-gt;11], Time Magazine, August 19, 1974 The five men were Virgilio Gonzalez, Bernard Barker[-gt;12], James McCord, Eugenio Martinez[-gt;13], and Frank Sturgis[-gt;14], who were charged with attempted burglary and attempted interception of telephone and other communications. On September 15, a grand jury[-gt;15] indicted them, as well as Hunt and Liddy,Watergate: chronology of a crisis 1. Washington D. C. : Congressional Quarterly Inc. p. 4. ISBN[-gt;16] 0-87187-059-2[-gt;17]. OCLC[-gt;18] 20974031[-gt;19] for conspiracy, burglary, and violation of federal wiretapping laws. The five burglars who broke into the office were tried by Judge John Sirica[-gt;20] and convicted on January 30, 1973. Throughout the next few months this minor break-in turned into a full blown political scandal. When first questioned about the situation in early 1973, Nixon denied all allegations that either he or any White House official was linked to the break-in. Later that year evidence was uncovered that linked several White House officials to the break-in, and/or the cover-up and concealment of the evidence. This information indicated that White House officials had attempted to involve the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the cover-up. The FBI connected cash found on the burglars to a slush fund[-gt;21] used by the Committee for the Re-Election of the President[-gt;22], the official organization of Nixons campaign. Watergate: chronology of a crisis 1. Washington D. C. : Congressional Quarterly Inc. pp. 8 133 140 180 188. ISBN[-gt;23] 0-87187-059-2[-gt;24]. OCLC[-gt;25] 20974031[-gt;26]. This book is volume one of a two-volume set. Both volumes share the same ISBN and Library of Congress call number, E859 . C62 1973The Smoking Gun Tape[-gt;27] (Transcript of the recording of a meeting between President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman). Watergate. info website. June 23, 1972. Retrieved 2013-05-03. In July 1973, as evidence mounted against the presidents staff, including testimony provided by former staff members in an investigation conducted by the Senate Watergate Committee[-gt;28], it was revealed that President Nixon had a tape-recording system in his offices and he had recorded[-gt;29] many conversations. The Watergate hearings: break-in and cover-up; proceedings. New York: Viking Press. ISBN[-gt;30] 0-670-75152-9[-gt;31]. The White House Transcripts. New York: Viking Press. ISBN[-gt;32] 0-670-76324-1[-gt;33]. OCLC[-gt;34] 1095702[-gt;35] Recordings from these tapes implicated the president, revealing he had attempted to cover up the questionable (and illegal) events that had taken place after the break-in. The Smoking Gun Tape[-gt;36] (Transcript of the recording of a meeting between President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman). Watergate. info website. June 23, 1972. Retrieved 2013-04-18. Breach of Faith: The Fall of Richard Nixon. New York: Atheneum Publishers. pp. 7. ISBN[-gt;37] 0-689-10658-0[-gt;38]. In April of 1973, special prosecutor Archibald Cox was appointed to handle the case. Presidential Council, John W. Dean III became the chief witness against President Nixon in the court hearings. In the trial Dean admitted that he was a major part of the scandal and that Nixon did in fact know of the illegal activities being committed by his administration. Dean also testified that Nixon’s Administration had planned to use the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and other government agencies to punish people who the White House had placed on a so-called enemies-lists. Dean served four months in prison for his part in the Watergate Scandal, but through his testimony a new door was opened into the scandal. Through further investigation it was discovered by Alexander P. Butterfield that President Nixon had made tape recordings of conversations with White House officials. When asked to release the tapes Nixon refused saying that he had a Constitutional right to keep the tapes confidential. He was later ordered by the court to hand the tapes over. Nixon offered to provide summaries of all the tapes but his idea was rejected and he was again ordered to hand over the original tapes. Infuriated by the court’s decision he ordered his Attorney General and his Deputy Attorney General to fire Cox. For their refusal to dismiss Cox, both Attorney General, Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General, William Ruckelshaus were fired. This series of dismissals by Nixon became known as the Saturday Night Massacre. When Cox was fired, Leon Jaworski was appointed to take his place. The firing of Cox however, did not work to Nixon’s advantage. In April of 1974, Jaworski ordered Nixon to release the tape recordings and documents of sixty-four White House conversations. By the end of April, Nixon had released 1,254 pages of transcripts from White House conversations. Jaworski however, was not satisfied; he wanted the original tapes. After a protracted series of bitter court battles, the U. S. Supreme Court[-gt;39] unanimously ruled that the president had to hand over the tapes to government investigators; and Nixon he ultimately complied. With the tapes at hand, Jaworski began the Watergate trial. In March of 1974, seven of Nixon’s former members of his administration and re-election committee were charged with conspiracy in the cover-up of the Watergate break-in. Among the seven were John D. Echrlichman, H. R. Haldeman, and John N. Mitchell. They were all found guilty of conspiracy, obstruction of justice, and perjury. They were sentenced to two and a half to eight years in prison. Their prison terms were later reduced to just one to four years. G. Gordon Liddy and E. Howard Hunt were also indicted for their involvement as plumbers and for their involvement in the break-in and cover-up of the scandal. They too were sentenced to one to four years in prison. In July 1974, the House Judiciary Committee voted to impeach President Nixon. They adopted three articles of impeachment: obstruction of justice, abusing presidential powers, and illegally withholding evidence from the judiciary committee. On August 5, 1974 Nixon released the final three transcripts of the White House conversations. These final three transcripts dated back to six days after the break-in. They revealed that Nixon had ordered the FBI to abandon its investigation of the break-in. Nixon ordered them to close the investigation for he feared that the FBI would discover the involvement of his campaign committee. After the release of the final three tapes Nixon lost nearly all his support in Congress and Nixon’s top aides advised him to resign the presidency. On August 9, 1974 President Richard M. Nixon followed their advice and resigned from the presidency to avoid being removed from office. Vice President Gerald R. Ford was sworn into office the same day. On September 8, 1974 President Ford pardoned Nixon of all federal crimes that he had committed while serving as the President of the United States. With President Nixons resignation, Congress dropped its impeachment proceedings. Criminal prosecution was still a possibility both on the Federal and State level. The Legal Aftermath Citizen Nixon and the Law[-gt;40]. TIME. August 19, 1974. Retrieved 2013-05-03. Nixon was succeeded[-gt;41] by Vice President Gerald Ford[-gt;42] as President, who on September 8, 1974, issued a full and unconditional pardon[-gt;43] of Nixon, immunizing him from prosecution for any crimes he had †¦committed or may have committed or taken part in†¦ as president. Gerald Fords Proclamation Granting a Pardon to Richard Nixon[-gt;44]. Ford. utexas. edu. Retrieved 2013-04-18. In a televised broadcast to the nation, Ford explained that he felt the pardon was in the best interest of the country. Ford also said that the Nixon familys situation †¦is an American tragedy in which we all have played a part. It could go on and on and on, or someone must write the end to it. I have concluded that only I can do that, and if I can, I must. Gerald R. Ford Pardoning Richard Nixon. Great Speeches Collection. The History Place. Retrieved 2013-05-03. Nixon proclaimed his innocence until his death in 1994. In his official response to the pardon, he said that he was wrong in not acting more decisively in dealing with Watergate, particularly when it reached the stage of judicial proceedings and grew from a political scandal into a national tragedy. Some commentators have argued that pardoning Nixon contributed to President Fords loss of the presidential election of 1976[-gt;45]. ( Shane, Scott. For Ford, Pardon Decision Was Always Clear-Cut. The New York Times. p. A1. ) Allegations of a secret deal made with Ford, promising a pardon in return for Nixons resignation, led Ford to testify before the House Judiciary Committee[-gt;46] on October 17, 1974. Silent coup: the removal of a president. New York: St. Martins Press. p. 420. ISBN[-gt;47] 0-312-05156-5[-gt;48]. OCLC[-gt;49] 22493143[-gt;50]. A time to heal: the autobiography of Gerald R. Ford. San Francisco: Harper Row. pp. 196–199. ISBN 0-06-011297-2[-gt;51]. In his autobiography A Time to Heal, Ford wrote about a meeting he had with Nixons Chief of Staff, Alexander Haig[-gt;52]. Haig was explaining what he and Nixons staff thought were Nixons only options. He could try to ride out the impeachment and fight against conviction in the Senate, or he could resign. Nixon’s options for resigning were to delay his resignation until further along in the impeachment process to try and settle for a censure vote in Congress, or to pardon himself and then resign. Haig told Ford that some of Nixons staff suggested that Nixon could agree to resign in return for an agreement that Ford would pardon him. The effect on the 1974 Senate election[-gt;53] and House election[-gt;54] three months later was significant[-gt;55]. The Democrats gained five seats in the Senate and forty-nine in the House. Watergate led to Congress passing legislation making changes in rules for campaign financing. The scandal contributed to Congress amending the Freedom of Information Act[-gt;56] in 1974, as well as to laws requiring new financial disclosures by key government officials, such as the Ethics in Government Act[-gt;57]. While not legally required, other types of personal disclosure, such as releasing recent income tax forms, became expected. Presidents since Franklin D. Roosevelt[-gt;58] had recorded many of their conversations, but after Watergate, this practice purportedly ended.

Sentence Flow

Sentence Flow Sentence Flow Sentence Flow By Maeve Maddox David writes: I was wondering if you could share your thoughts on how to flow from sentence to sentence. I feel mine can be a bit jumpy as I tell the story. Much is written about â€Å"transition sentences,† that is, sentences that bridge paragraphs, but that’s not what this question is about. This question is about what a writer can do to avoid writing paragraphs that all progress to a beat of dumpty-dumpty-dump. Two things contribute to the flow of sentences within a paragraph: 1. sentence length 2. logical progression of thought In browsing my shelves for examples, I realized that some very popular writers don’t seem to share David’s concern regarding â€Å"jumpy† narration. Here’s a typical paragraph from Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code: Langdon and Sophie stepped into another world. The small room before them looked like a lavish sitting room at a fine hotel. Gone were the metal and rivets, replaced with oriental carpets, dark oak furniture, and cushioned chairs. On the broad desk in the middle of the room, two crystal glasses sat beside an opened bottle of Perrier, its bubbles still fizzing. A pewter pot of coffee steamed beside it. Not a complex sentence in sight. It doesn’t seem to matter if Brown is being reflective or describing action. Most of his sentences are simple or compound. Here and there the reader comes across a noun clause introduced by that, or a an adverb clause introduced by as or as if. Mostly it’s dumpty-dumpty-dump. Yes, Dan Brown is a wildly successful writer and I’m happy for him. His gift, however, is story-telling, not writing style. Here are two examples from a novel by a writer who is both an effective story-teller and a fine stylist. The first is a paragraph in which the narrator is reflecting on his life. He is attending the opera with his employer. I suppose I had once aspired to come here and walk among these beautiful, elegant people as one of their own, but that had been long ago, before all my dreams had been dashed like porcelain on paving stones. Now that I was finally here, I felt all the more like a Welsh collier’s brat, as if I were still twelve, nose running, and starting to outgrow my brother’s cast-offs. I was in the right place at the wrong time. Such was the refrain of my life. Some Danger Involved by Will Thomas The first sentence is long and leisurely, suggesting reflection. It contains no fewer than four clauses and numerous phrases. The second sentence has multiple clauses and phrases, but the last two are simple sentences, brusquely bringing the introspection back to the present moment. The second example is from an action paragraph in which the narrator is about to be murdered. The cross spun in a circle, and when it stopped, a pistol was clapped to my head. It was my own revolver. I recognized the filed-down sight. I closed my eyes and felt surprisingly at ease. I was ready to die now. I gave it all over. At that point, I would have preferred a bullet to slow death. Ibid. The first sentence has three clauses joined by the most commonplace conjunctions and and when. The loosely joined clauses suggest a spinning motion. The next two sentences are simple and staccato. Short sentences take the reader along rapidly. They convey the breathlessness felt by the man in danger. The next sentence has two clauses, but they are short and, again, joined by the nearly invisible and. The next three sentences are simple. With the length of the sentences the writer has conveyed both the fear and resignation felt by the narrator. The writer striving for a pleasantly flowing style will vary sentence length and kind, crafting length to thought. Here are some joining words with which to introduce subordinate clauses. Subordinate conjunctions after, although, as, as if, as long as, as much as, as soon as, as though, because, before, even if, even though, how, if, inasmuch, in order that, lest, now, provided (that),   since, so that, than, that, though, till, unless, until, when, whenever, where, wherever, while, Conjunctive adverbs accordingly, also, anyway, again, besides, certainly, consequently, contrarily, finally, further, furthermore, elsewhere, hence, henceforth, however, in contrast, incidentally, indeed, instead, likewise, meanwhile, moreover, namely, nevertheless, next, nonetheless, now, otherwise, rather, similarly, so, subsequently, still, that is, then, thereafter, therefore, thus, undoubtedly, yet Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Good At, Good In, and Good With20 Words Meaning "Being or Existing in the Past"Epidemic vs. Pandemic vs. Endemic

American Heritage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

American Heritage - Essay Example employed to determine and govern the way that each of these aforementioned three actors can and should behave with relation to the tasks they were responsible for fulfilling and with regards to the level of cross jurisdictional activity that was allowed to occur between the two. It should be noted that although a powerful judiciary and/or legislature were feared as well, the ultimate fear that the founders had was with regards to the growth and over abundance of power that a strong executive might carve out for himself/herself. In this way, a secondary benefit of the separation of power can be seen to have an ancillary benefit of ensuring that none of the three becomes too powerful; however, the ultimate goal that was originally intended to ensure that the executive branch was not able to exact total control over the system. This was primarily born out of the fear that was a result of the means by which the colonists had experienced the full might and whimsical wrath of King George III. After having a far less than pleasant experience with the way in which a total monarch (the ultimate executive) could exhibit control over each and every aspect of life, the colonists and the framers wanted to ensure that they could create a system of governance that did not exhibit this particular flaw. By refusing the power of the legislature to enact law, by refusing the power of the executive to pass legislation, and by refusing the judicial power the powers associated with either the legislative or executive branches, the framers were able to create a system that most effectively represented the means by which checks and balances could be ensured between all three branches. By not making any one entity or individual ultimately responsible, the framers sought to create a medium of governance that would not perish by nature of its very inability to provide rapid and/or radical changes based upon the whims or personal interests of a single individual or a cabal of self

International business paper exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

International business paper exam - Essay Example It is a capitalist world-economy because the accumulation of private capital, through exploitation in production and sale for profit in a market, is its driving force; it is "a system that operates on the primacy of the endless accumulation of capital via the eventual commodification of everything" (Wallerstein, 1998). A polity is a "system of creating value through the collective conferral of authority" (Meyer, 1980). Nation-states are, of course, the invention of early modern times, institutions produced by the rise of capitalism. Capitalism required a jettisoning of the feudal regime with its patchwork of autonomous sovereignty. Difference was absorbed into the homogeneity of the nation-state, producing a unified legal code that protected private property and the investment of the capitalist and allowed for the circulation of a single currency. This economic act was, of course, represented as the creation of a harmonious community of people with a common language and a coherent culture and worldview. World culture theory is a label for a particular interpretation of globalization that focuses on the way in which participants in the process become conscious of and give meaning to living in the world as a single place. In this account, globalization "refers both to the compression of the world and the intensification of consciousness of the world as a whole"; in other words, it covers the acceleration in concrete global interdependence and in consciousness of the global whole (Robertson, 1992). From economic point of view globalization theories are devided into two theories: neoclassical and Marxist. Reassessing economic theories of globalization. Attention to the economic processes that shape positionality alters our ideas about the spatial dynamics of globalization. Much of the received wisdom of how markets work, both in neoclassical and Marxist economic theory was developed under the assumption that economies have no spatial extent. This received wisdom can be questioned, however, because the production of positionality challenges some key theoretical claims emanating from economics: the stability of market-based equilibria, the possibility of regional economic equality, the social benefits of free trade or land markets, the likelihood that rational choices lead to expected outcomes, the stability of class alliances, and the theory of value (Harvey 1982; Sheppard and Barnes 1990). It follows that the contrasting grand narratives about globalization associated with these two economic theories, of globalization as modernization and globalization as polarization, respectively, are also questionable. The global capitalist economy is better conceived of as an out- of -equilibrium, complex and contested spatiotemporal system whose long-term outcomes are unknowable. 2. Differences in national business systems Initially differences in national business systems (NBS) could be explained by institutional differences. In order to be effective, business firms would not only have to behave rationally toward the market and be technologically efficient as organizations, they would simultaneously have to behave effectively toward the institutional context in which they operated. Thus, if the different European states constitute different formations of institutions, business firms will in effect organize differently

Elder Abuse and Living Arrangements in Late Adulthood Essay Example for Free

Elder Abuse and Living Arrangements in Late Adulthood Essay 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

Christian Influence in Italian Culture Essay -- Christianity Religion

Christian Influence in Italian Culture Things are not always what they appear to be. When one talks about the influence of religion in a culture, the person must carefully define what they mean by "religion". Many times when things are done in the name of Christianity, there are other factors that shape those events. The Crusades could be considered an object of Christian influence, but most would agree that the bloodshed that took place does not complement the message of that religion. Regardless, despite the gray area that exists when one talks about the influence of a religion, an influence still exists. The evidence of Christianity's influence on a society can be seen almost anywhere. This influence can be seen in obvious ways, such as the number of churches on a block, the general morality of the culture, or the presence of Christian social ministries helping the needy. However, it can also be seen in more subtle ways. It can be seen in individuals who, because of their belief, choose to affect the world around them. Despite the existence of a separation between Church and State in most Western countries, any religion can profoundly impact the society at large whether through massive institutions or fervent individual believers. This situation can be seen in the history of Italy. The center of Christianity's largest denomination in Rome undoubtedly has an immense effect on the nation. The presence of Catholicism has led to profound influences on Italian society. The piety of Francis of Assisi in the 13th Century, the politics of the Christian Democrats party during the 20th Century, and the role the Catholic Church continues to play in the 21st Century demonstrate how Christianity has impacted Italy in various ways ... ...ch, a political party, an individual, or anything else.? Any of those can influence a nation. [1] Holmes, George, Florence, Rome and the Origins of the Renaissance, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1986), 45. [2] Ibid., 46. [3] Brown, Raphael, The Little Flowers of Saint Francis, (New York: Image Books, 1958), 14. [4] Ibid.,16. [5] Henderson, John, Piety and Charity in Late Medieval Florence, (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1994), 21. [6] Ibid., 21. [7] Ibid., 22. [8] Holmes, Florence, Rome and the Origin of the Renaissance, 47. [9] Ginsborg, Paul, A History of Contemporary Italy: Society and Politics 1943-1988, (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2003), 48. [10] Ibid., 50. [11] Ibid., 121. [12] Ibid., 349. [13] Ibid., 1. [14] ?Italy to push for mention of Christianity is new EU blueprint?, http://www.eubusiness.com/afp/031001190812.llwr1tp1.

Impact of Media Technology on Learning Behavior

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