The US failure in Vietnam Essay Example for Free

The US failure in Vietnam Essay Examine the view that the US failure in Vietnam resulted more from losing the hearts and minds of the American people than from military defeats The US failure resulted more from losing the hearts and minds of the American people than from military defeat due to many reasons such as the Tet Offensive and ruthlessness in Napalm, My Lai, etc. However, there were other factors such as the loss of confidence by Johnsons administration and the communist popularity and ingenuity that also resulted in the US failure in Vietnam. One of the main reasons the Americans could not defeat the communists is because they were unable to win the hearts and minds of American people. Americas inability to distinguish the enemy meant that their tactics did not work and led to further failure. My Lai on 16th March 1968 was an example of American hatred of the Vietnamese. 347 unharmed civilians were beaten and killed by American soldiers and their officers. Women were beaten and shot and water was contaminated by buffalo, pigs and chickens being dropped in wells. Generally, the Americans were better at winning the hearts and minds however they were ruthless when necessary. Operation Phoenix was introduced whereby thousands of Vietcongs were sought out and interrogated. Few of these came out alive. This shows that torture was normal and that there was a lack of military tactics and the extent the Americans would go to find out who the enemies were. Moreover, the ruthlessness of Napalm and its victims who were melted into a kind of gelatine and some of who were disfigured lived in caves and remote areas. Also Agent Orange which was used to defoliate 20% of South Vietnams jungles so the enemy could be seen more easily had a tremendous impact; there were incidents of cancer and toxic related diseases which still remains high in Vietnam. Therefore due to all the torturous methods and killings, the US lost the hearts and minds of the American people. America was unable to win the war as their attitudes to the Vietnamese made it difficult to. They never really understood any of the Vietnamese people and classed them as less than human. Furthermore, Americas failure was due to the actions of both Washington and Saigon frequently antagonising the South Vietnamese peasants. Once the Americans entered Vietnam life for the South Vietnamese went from bad to worse. American bombing and Diems strategic hamlets programme forced many peasants to move away and away from the things which meant a lot to them such as crops. Johnson usually tried to avoid targeting non-combatants; however this was difficult as they never knew who their enemies were. However, due to the Americans fighting a Comfortable war, the soldiers became unmotivated and ineffective. American army officers were less experienced than some soldiers he commanded and unpopular officers were shot. It was therefore hard to win the war with so many inexperienced and increasingly unpopular officers. Moreover, the average age of a Grunt in Vietnam was 19 which made them vulnerable. Many shot themselves in the foot or hoped for a small wound, but they never felt safe. Any time Americans or ARVN moved out of an area, the communists would move in. There were a lot of booby traps which wounded 20% of American victims. There were many traps as such which blew away limbs and resulted in huge explosions. The trouble for the Americans was that they never knew which Vietnamese was the enemy, which also was demoralising as they didnt want to hurt innocent victims. Therefore it was hard to win the war when Grunts were demoralised and terrified which links to losing the hearts and minds of the American people. Furthermore, over 8 million volunteered to serve in the army as they were inspired by a sense of duty, patriotism, family tradition or a sense that communism should be stopped. Many wanted to learn new skills such as fighting or enjoyed the war (found it fun to fight, the drama and heroics). Others enjoyed killing other men, but this always attracted the army. However, there was a lack of realism as there were bad soldiers who were not properly trained for the war. This helps to explain why these men were unable to defeat the communists. The Navy did not like taking orders from Westmorelands ground army and they did not get along. The soldiers did not believe in what they were doing and disagreed with tactics. There were a higher proportion of black soldiers who were combat troops rather than doing desk jobs which shows the racial discrimination of the US. Therefore this links to losing the hearts and minds of the Americans and many back individuals would not support the US for doing such things. Furthermore, there were discipline problems; $10,000 reward for the death of the officer responsible for Hamburger Hill. Additionally, there was an anti-war feeling at home which was lowering morale. There was lack of motivation therefore the men were not going to do well and they were not fighting properly therefore they were not going to win. However, the communists on the other hand, had high motivation and they knew what they were fighting for unlike the US. Many soldiers never actually fought in the war, they had to organise the American lifestyle for everyone else. Westmoreland said that the only way soldiers would fight is by a comfortable war which would be motivating. This was important as the communists had ideological motivation unlike the Americans. Army discipline was a problem due to drugs, STDs, prostitution, which led to problems in battle. Many soldiers were dent to Saigon or Japan for RR. Lots of children were fathered by Americans. Overall, everything was made to feel comfortable and the US bribed its soldiers. But they just felt soft. The US openly admitted that their strategies were wrong and that they should have targeted the North. There was a search and destroy mission to clear out any VC. There was only 1% success and there was mostly children casualties. There was a huge fall in morale because as soon as the US cleared an area, the VC would be there, therefore there were no gains. This also links to the poor hearts and minds feeling of American people as many children were being killed. Also, the VC could tell when the US were approaching as they used hi-tech weapons which did not suit Guerrilla Warfare. Moreover, another reason that the US failed in Vietnam was due to communist popularity and ingenuity. The VC won the admiration from American foes as they were inspired by communism and nationalism. They went through a lot of trauma such as skin diseases. This helped the communists win as they out laughed the Americans and proved that they could put up with anything. Furthermore, the battle of la Drang was a good illustration of communist determination and it helped insure ultimate victory. There was a network of tunnels set up underground where the VC could hide, shelter and regroup. Both sides thought they won. However the US could not cope with 300 of their men dying therefore they lost morale, even though the VC lost more men. This links to the morale at home as people were dying which links to losing the hearts and minds of American people. As there were underground communist organisations, the communists knew when they would attack therefore they were one step ahead of the US and they could deal with it in advance. In addition, Saigon became an unsavoury city in the US war years. This made the country weaker and weakened the army and there was a negative impact of US on Saigon. Due to drugs and prostitution, the Vietnamese could not concentrate on the war as much as they were concentrating on what Americans were doing. Overall, US failure in Vietnam resulted more from losing the hearts and minds of the American people than from military defeats because what it came down to in the end was the support the US lacked as their tactics were not working and they were killing innocent victims as they never knew who their enemy was. US failure in Vietnam was also due to communist popularity and ingenuity and the fact that they knew what they were fighting for and had the knowledge of Vietnam that the US lacked. Therefore, although the failure in Vietnam was due to military defeat, it was more from losing the hearts and minds as people were unmotivated.

The Effects Of Transformational Leadership Education Essay

The Effects Of Transformational Leadership Education Essay In recent years, educational leaders have been voicing concerns about higher burnout rates among special education teachers as compared with teachers in general education (Fore, Martin, Bender, 2002). Many factors contribute to burnout in special education. Increased teaching workloads, shrinking school budgets, increasing demands for accountability, and disruptive students are often blamed (Byrne, 1994; Fore et al., 2002). The recession that took place in the United States in 2007 has significantly exacerbated these issues. Teachers, including special educators, must cope with the issues that come from difficult economic times. As budget tightens, teachers have to face layoffs or are being forced to take pay cuts and unpaid furlough days (Oliff Johnson, 2010). They have to worry about providing for themselves and also putting in the time and effort to promote a conductive learning environment for their students. This makes them stressful and reduces their morale to teach to the be st of their capabilities (Reeves, 2010). Furthermore, special education teachers are asked to do more with less than before this includes rising teacher pupil ratios (Center for Public Education, 2010). In special education, this means teachers have to teach students with a broader range of disabilities and grade levels. Moreover, teachers are unable to use as many of the same resources that they used before, and the school supplies, materials, and other resources that have previously been given are slowly being taken back (Center for Public Education, 2010). With the end of the federal stimulus funds that helped prevent severe education cuts, many school districts will face a more stressful budget shortfall in the next few years (Husch, Banton, Cummings, Mazer, Sigritz, 2010). All these problems can make special educators more vulnerable to burnout. Burnout has been defined as a syndrome of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment (Leiter Maslach, 1988, p. 297). Emotional exhaustion refers to the feelings of being drained or used up by the clients (Maslach Jackson, 1981). Emotional exhaustion also is identified as feelings of strain, particularly chronic fatigue resulting from overtaxing work (Hakanen, Bakker, Schaufeli, 2006, p. 498). Teachers who have experienced this sense of emotional exhaustion report feeling dread at the thought of having to put in another day on the job and often put distance between themselves and coworkers and students (Schwab, Jackson, Schuler, 1986, p. 15). This distancing of oneself from the students is the second aspect of burnout, depersonalization (Schwab et al., 1986). Leiter and Maslach (1988) defined depersonalization as developing an unfeeling and callous response toward clients. Depersonalization is also referred to as cynicism, indifferent, or a distant attitude toward work in general and the people with whom one works (Hakanen et al., 2006). The third aspect of burnout is reduced personal accomplishment (Leiter Maslach, 1988). Workers tend to have a negative appraisal of themselves as well as their work with clients (Maslach Jackson, 1981). Teachers who suffer from burnout are unable to function effectively in their jobs, unable to give much of themselves to students, and frequently exhibit negative, cynical, and callous attitudes toward their jobs (Byrne, 1993). A number of studies have shown that teacher burnout may lower student achievement. Teachers who experience job burnout are more likely to criticize students, which in turn reduce students self-efficacy, motivation to learn, completeness of understanding, and creativity (Huberman Vandenberghe, 1999; Maslach Leiter, 1999). Researchers found teachers who experience burnout have reduced motivation, impaired performance, and higher rates for leaving the teachi ng profession (Byrne, 1993; Fore et al., 2002; Schwab et al., 1986). The vital role that supervisors play in affecting teachers propensity towards burnout was observed in research (Russell, Altmaier, Van Velzen, 1987; Sarros Sarros, 1992; Zabel Zabel, 2001). Supportive supervisors are likely to provide positive feedback concerning supervisees skills and abilities, which may make them less vulnerable to burnout. Russell et al. (1987) reported teachers who felt support and received positive feedback from supervisors were less vulnerable to burnout. Zabel and Zabel (2001) showed special education teachers were less likely to experience burnout when they receive more support from administrators, peers, and parents. According to Sarros and Sarros (1992), the importance of supervisor and principal support cannot be underestimated as a critical resource for addressing teacher burnout. Rose (1998) found that incidence of burnout can be reduced by high-quality leader-member exchange relationships. Positive contact with supportive supervisors is also a strong deterrent to the factors that lead to burnout. According to Leiter and Maslach (1988), unpleasant contacts with supervisors were associated with all three aspects of burnout. Their research showed that stressful interactions with supervisors lead to emotional exhaustion that causes depersonalization, which in turn leads to diminished feelings of personal accomplishment. However, little research has focused on the relationship between transformational leadership style of supervisors and burnout dimensions, and the empirical evidence is inconclusive. One possible reason for the inconclusive evidence is that previous literature overlooks a psychological mechanism that may be a powerful mediator to account for the relationship. In addition, very few studies have investigated the effect of transformational leadership style of supervisors on burnout among special education teachers. The purpose of this paper was to fill the gap by examining the relationship between transformational leadership style of supervisors and teacher burnout in special education while accounting for the mediating role of teachers calling. Literature Review Transformational Leadership and Job Burnout Transformational leadership. Transformational leadership theory is central to understanding the relationship between transformational leadership style of supervisors and the levels of burnout among special education teachers in this study. According to Fry (2003), transformational leadership is an intrinsically based motivational process whereby leaders engage followers to create a connection that raises the level effort and moral aspiration in both (p. 702). Northouse (2004) proposed transformational leadership refers to the process whereby an individual engages with others and creates a connection that raises the level of motivation and morality in both the leader and the follower (p. 170). Transformational leaders inspire followers to achieve positive outcomes by giving meaning to their work and understanding their personal needs (Boerner, Eisenbeiss, Griesser, 2007). The transformational leadership theory identifies four behaviors such as inspirational motivation, idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration that motivate followers intrinsically to give their best efforts and change their attitudes toward their work (Bass, 1999). Bass described idealized influence as shown by leaders whose behaviors can serve as an example to be emulated by followers and encourage followers to perform their best (Bass, Avolio, Jung, Berson, 2003). Furthermore, transformational leaders provide one with a sense of making a difference through service to others by emphasizing the importance of purpose, commitment, and the ethical consequences of decisions. Such leaders are admired as role models; they generate pride, loyalty, confidence, and alignment around a shared purpose (Bass, 1997, p. 133). Bass (1997) described that inspirational motivation is displayed by leaders who articulate an appealing vision of the future, challenge followers with high standards, talk optimistically and with enthusiasm, and provide encouragement and meaning for what needs to be done (p. 133). In doing so, transformational leaders lift up the efforts and work morale of their followers through enhancing the sense of calling, which in turn help improve individual productivities and organizational outcomes. Transformational leaders empower their followers by developing them into high involvement individuals (Bass, 1999, p. 9) and followers will transcend their own self-interests for the good of the organization (Bass, 1985, p. 15). Individualized consideration is described as leaders [who] deal with others as individuals; consider their individual needs, abilities and aspirations; listen attentively; further their development; advise; teach; and coach (Bass, 1997, p. 133). Transformational leaders pay attention to followers needs and support and coach their growth through individualized consideration. The leaders can help followers analyze their work-related problems and seek possible solutions. As a consequence, the transformational leadership helps prevent the feeling of being strained (i.e., emotional exhaustion) or distancing themselves from coworkers and students (i.e., depersonalization), and increase the assessment of their personal accomplishment. Intellectual stimulation is demonstrated when leaders [who] question old assumptions, traditions, and beliefs; stimulate in others new perspectives and ways of doing things; and encourage the expression of ideas and reasons (Bass, 1997, p. 133). Transformational leaders stimulate followers to be innovative and creative in approaching old situations in new ways through intellectual stimulation (Bass et al., 2003). This transformational behavior lessens the burnout symptoms such as cynicism and negativism and a tendency to be rigid, and inflexible in thinking (Freudenberger, 1977). These four transformational leadership behaviors can ease followers the feelings of emotional depletion and loss of motivation and commitment. Transformational leadership and burnout. Research is mixed on the relationship between leadership styles and burnout. Seltzer, Numerof, and Bass (1989) showed that transformational leadership style helped reduce burnout, while management-by-exception leadership did the opposite in a sample of employed MBA students. Corrigan, Diwan, Campion, and Rashid (2002) found that transformational leadership had a negative relationship with burnout among mental health professionals. However, Stordeur, Dhoore, and Vandenbergh (2001) contended that transformational leadership and contingent reward had no relationship with emotional exhaustion among hospital nursing staff. Hetland, Sandal, and Johnsen (2007) found that transformational leadership was not related to emotional exhaustion, and transactional leadership had no relationship with any of the three dimensions of burnout. Existing literature indicated a need for further study of the mechanism through which transformational leadership had an impact on burnout, particularly in the school setting (Gill, Flaschner, Shachar, 2006; Griffith, 2004; Hetland et al., 2007). Calling and Burnout Calling. Calling, as defined by Fry (2003) is the experience of transcendence or how one makes a difference through service to others and, in doing so, derives meaning and purpose in life (p. 703). Fry posits that calling is a critical part of workplace spiritual well-being that provides one a sense of making a difference and therefore that ones life has meaning (p. 714). Followers who experience a sense of calling are more committed to their organization and more productive in their workplace. Markow and Klenke (2005) defined calling as work performed out of a strong sense of inner direction (p. 12). Calling is often described as something that pertains to careers that an individual sees as promoting the greater good or being meaningful to society (Duffy Sedlacek, 2007). Baumeister (1991) discussed the job-career-calling concept in Meanings of Life. Baumeister stated that those who view work as a job perform tasks solely to obtain things that they want. He also stated that this att itude is often prevalent among lower classes, who tend to be people with less education. In contrast, a person with a calling feels compelled to perform a kind of work, whether it is from a higher calling (as is often stated in association with religion) or a calling to meet a societal need (for example, higher military enlistment rates after Pearl Harbor). A calling might also come from an individuals inner sense of having a special talent or gift. A calling satisfies the need for being valuable to others and society. A calling engenders a great deal of personal meaning, linking a vocation and an individuals value base. According to Bellah, Madsen, Sullivan, Swidler, and Tipton (2008), a calling is when work becomes inseparable from the individuals life and character. The person works for the fulfillment that doing the work brings to the individual. A calling links a person to the larger community, and the person is making a contribution to the entire community. In Fry, Nisiewicz, Vitucci, and Cedillo (2007) study, calling can be enhanced by giving employees recognition can do this, along with giving them a sense of worth through service and a positive attitude (p. 20). Transformational leadership and calling. Transformational leadership is a motivation-based theory of how to move the organization toward its desired future. Transformational leaders motivate followers by raising their levels of consciousness about the importance of goals (Northouse, 2004). The most important role that the transformational leader plays is to paint a vision of a desired future state and communicate it in a way that causes followers to believe and have faith in the vision of organizational transformation to make the pain of change worth the effort (Fry, 2003, p. 702). A literature review revealed that the vision exhibited by spiritual leaders is predictive of ones sense of calling (Fry, 2003; Fry et al., 2007; Fry, Vitucci, Cedillo, 2005; Malone Fry, 2003). Fry (2003) suggested creating a compelling vision that has a broad appeal to key stakeholders, defines the destination and journey, reflects high ideals, encourages hope/faith, and establishes a standard of excellence provides followers with a sense of calling that motivates them to believe that they make a difference to other people (p. 695). A transformational leader who also possesses these qualities develops a vision and communicates it effectively through exemplary leadership behaviors such as idealized influence, inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, and intellectual stimulation to their followers. Consequently, followers have hope and derive meaning and purpose in their experiences. For example, Fry (2003) explained that the vision displayed by a spiritual leader incl udes establishing a standard of excellence which builds followers confidence and trust in leaders. As mentioned earlier, this behavior is a characteristic of idealized influence. Transformational leadership moves followers beyond immediate self-interests to a shared vision and mission in the organization through idealized influence. The vision also vividly portray a journey that, when undertaken, will give me a sense of calling, of ones life having meaning and making a difference (Fry, 2003, p. 718). This quality is a characteristic of inspirational motivation that awakens intrinsic motivation of followers (Boerner et al., 2007). According to Bass (1999), followers under transformational leaders are generally more self-assured and find more meaning in their work. Consequently, teachers will find personal meaning in their work or feel called to their work. Coladarci (1992) posited that teaching is viewed as a profession with high initial commitment and is a calling for many entering the profession. Teachers who find personal meaning in their work or feel called to their work have a deep commitment to their profession (Hakanen et al., 2006). The great value they find in teaching and the feeling that they are helping others and working toward the greater good of society may reduce the feelings of strain and distancing of themselves from the students (i.e., depersonalization), and raise the evaluations of their personal accomplishment. Fry proposed a causal framework that the followers sense of calling is predictive of the organizational outcomes, such as commitment and productivity. Based on the theory of calling, the present study hypothesizes that teachers who have a high level of calling will experience low emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and high personal accomplishment. Mediating effect of calling. Though existing literature indicated a direct effect of transformational leadership on levels of burnout, this study proposes that the linkage between transformational leadership and burnout may be indirect, or intervened by the sense of calling. According to Fry (2003), the followers sense of calling mediated the relationship between the vision exhibited by a spiritual leader and the organizational outcomes, such as commitment and productivity. Fry et al. (2005) examined a newly formed Apache Longbow helicopter attack squadron and found strong empirical evidence that calling is a mediator between the qualities of spiritual leadership and organizational outcomes, such as loyalty and productivity. Followers who have a higher sense of calling are more committed to their organizations and more productive. Malone and Fry (2003) conducted a longitudinal field study of elemental schools and found that spiritual leadership had a significant impact on organizatio nal commitment and unit productivity mediated by the sense of calling. In Markow and Klenkes (2005) study, calling mediates the relationship between personal meaning and organizational commitment. Fry et al.s (2007) study of a municipal government revealed that ones sense of calling is a mediator of the relationship between the vision of a leader and organizational commitment and productivity. Fry, Hannah, Noel, and Walumbwa (2011) found that organizational commitment and unit performance were fully mediated by the sense of calling by studying a sample of cadets at the United States Military Academy. Therefore, this study hypothesizes that transformational leaders exert their effects on job burnout among special educators through the sense of calling. Given that teaching is a field where many express a sense of calling, the extent that calling accounts for the relation between transformational leadership and burnout among special educators needs to be explored. One of the most powerful influences that transformational leaders have on followers is to create a compelling vision that provides one with a sense of calling through service to others, and therefore find meaning and purpose in life. Transformational leadership fosters a positive work attitude and provides followers with a sense of meaning in their work, which in turn boosts their intrinsic motivation and energy and enables them to perform their best. Control Variables and Burnout Studies on demographic variables, i.e., gender, age, and race, and their relation to burnout have shown differing outcomes. Maslach (1982) stated that women tended to experience more emotional exhaustion, yet men are more likely to exhibit depersonalization behaviors. Brewer and McMahan (2004) also reported that women were more prone to job stress and burnout than men. However, Maslach and Jackson (1981) reported no relationship between gender and burnout. Several studies have associated burnout with age, with burnout usually affecting the younger employees (Brewer McMahan, 2004; Maslach Jackson, 1981; Russell et al., 1987). No findings have supported a difference in burnout among ethnic groups (Brewer McMahan, 2004; Maslach, 1982). In Kilgore and Griffins (1998) study, they found less experienced special educators had more burnout. Method Hypotheses Based on the above discussion, the following hypotheses were formulated for testing the mediating effect of calling on the relationship between transformational leadership and burnout of special educators: H1: Transformational leadership is negatively related to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and is positively related to personal accomplishment among special educators. H10: Transformational leadership is not negatively related to emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and is not positively related to personal accomplishment among special educators. H2: Transformational leadership is positively related to the calling. H20: Transformational leadership is not positively related to the calling. H3: Calling is negatively related to special educators emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and is positively related to personal accomplishment. H30: Calling is not negatively related to special educators emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and is not positively related to personal accomplishment. H4: Calling mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and each of the three dimensions of burnout. H40: Calling does not mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and any of the three dimensions of burnout. Participants and Data Collection The sample in the study consisted of special education teachers who exclusively teach special education students in Maryland non-public and public separate day schools in Anne Arundel County. Separate day schools refer to those that enroll students between six and 21 years old who spend greater than 50% of the school day in a separate day facility that does not serve students without disabilities (Maryland State Department of Education, 2010). These schools are primarily self-contained facilities, not residential facilities.  The subjects were recruited through the MANSEF (Maryland Association of Nonpublic Special Education Facilities) network of non-public private special education schools as well as public separate day schools in Anne Arundel County. This population of teachers works with students with disabilities that preclude them from receiving education services in regular education classrooms within public schools. Initial contact was made through the MANSEF director and th e Director of Special Education of Anne Arundel County. Further contact was made with the educational directors of these schools to discuss the proposed study. The directors were informed of all of the information that would be required of the teachers (e.g., signature on Informed Consent, a short demographic questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Teachers, the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire, and the Calling Scale). Once the directors agreed to have the study conducted in their schools, the survey packets were disseminated to the directors for distribution to the teachers. Each packet had a cover letter that provides an introduction of the research project and invites teachers to participate in the study. Teachers were asked to sign the Informed Consent prior to their participation of the study. Stamped addressed envelopes were provided in each packet for teachers to return their completed surveys. Teachers who declined to participate or partially complete the survey s were not included in the study. Each of the surveys was distributed and collected in the same manner to ensure consistency in data collection. According to Gall, Gall, and Borg (2003), consistency in data collection procedures is essential for reliability. It was estimated that it would take approximately twenty minutes to complete these three measurements and the short demographic questionnaire. To ensure confidentiality, all questionnaires were completed anonymously, and only a coding number rather than a name was used to designate each respondent. No other personal identification information such as social security numbers, telephone numbers, and addresses were solicited on these questionnaires. All survey forms were locked up in a safe place. The size of the population was estimated at 700 non-public special educators in MANSEF schools and an additional 100 special educators in Anne Arundel County separate day schools. That makes the total estimated population of 800 special educators. Although all of the directors granted permission for the survey to be administered in her or his school, actual teacher participation was voluntary. As a result, a total of 256 teachers from 35 MANSEF schools (n = 250) and two Anne Arundel County separate day schools (n = 6) returned their completed surveys anonymously, which yielded a 32% response rate of the estimated population. Measurements Maslach burnout inventory for teachers. The construct of teacher burnout was measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory for Teachers (MBI Form Ed: Maslach, Jackson, Schwab, 1986). The MBI consists of 22 statements regarding attitudes and feelings about work (Maslach Jackson, 1981). There are nine items relating to emotional exhaustion, five items relating to depersonalization, and eight items relating to personal accomplishment (Maslach Jackson, 1981). The participants responded to the statements based on a 7-point frequency scale (0 = never, 6 = every day). Examples of statements included in the survey include I feel emotionally drained from work and I feel very energetic (Maslach et al., 1986). The MBI produces three areas of scores: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment (Leiter Maslach, 1988). As discussed earlier, these factors have been identified as major indicators of burnout and the MBI has been used extensively in studies examining burnout ( Byrne, 1993; Fore et al., 2002; Gill et al., 2006; Hakanen et al., 2006; Leiter Maslach, 1988; van Dick Wagner, 2001). Maslach and Jackson (1981) reported that the reliability of the subscales range from .71 to .90 using Cronbachs coefficient alpha. The test-retest reliability ranges from .53 to .89 (Maslach Jackson, 1981). Multifactor leadership questionnaire. The construct of transformational leadership was measured by the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ Form 5X-Short) developed by Avolio, Bass, and Jung (1999). The subordinates rated their leaders on 45 leadership items on a 5-point frequency scale (0 = never, 4 = frequently if not always). The MLQ is comprised of nine subscales, which assess a full range of leadership styles such as transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire leaderships. Although measured, the constructs of transactional and laissez-faire leadership behaviors were not included in the regression analyses as the preliminary analysis did not show a correlation between these two leadership styles and job burnout. According to de Vaus (2001), a correlation between two variables is a pre-requisite for establishing a causal relationship (p. 179). The five subscales used to identify transformational leadership style are: (1) idealized attributes, (2) idealized behaviors, (3) inspirational motivation, (4) intellectual stimulation, and (5) individualized consideration (Bass et al., 2003). For the subscale idealized attributes, an example item is (my supervisor) goes beyond self-interest for the good of the group. An example item pertaining to the subscale idealized behaviors is (my supervisor) specifies the importance of having a strong sense of purpose. An example item that measures the subscale inspirational motivation is (my supervisor) articulates a compelling vision of the future. The subscale intellectual stimulation includes items such as (my supervisor) seeks differing perspectives when solving problems. An example item for the individualized considerations subscale is (my supervisor) spends time teaching and coaching. The supervisor received a score on each of the five subscales, and together, those allowed for describi ng how frequently he or she engaged in transformational leadership behaviors. For example, high scoring supervisors displayed transformational leadership behaviors more frequently than those low scorers. Bass and Avolio (2000) reported reliabilities of the subscales ranging from .74 to .91 based on Cronbachs coefficient alpha. Calling. The construct of calling was measured by the Calling Scale developed by Markow and Klenke (2005) based on Baumeisters (1991) work. Respondents provided ratings on twelve items that assess three subscales such as job, calling, and career on a seven point Likert scale (1 = not at all, 7 = a great deal). As discussed earlier, the major purpose of this study is to examine the mediating role of teachers calling on the relationship between transformational leadership and job burnout, therefore, only the calling subscale was included in the analysis. The subscale of calling was measured by six items, such as I feel that I must do the work I do it is part of who I am and the work that I do expresses truths and values that I believe are important (Markow Klenke, 2005). Markow and Klenke reported that the scale demonstrated an internal consistency reliability of .88. Control variables. Teachers were asked to fill out a short demographic questionnaire. It included items asking about gender, age, and years in teaching. There was also a question asking whether the teacher was a public or non-public employee. Based on the research, demographic variables do not have a consistent relationship with burnout. Data Analysis Data were analyzed using one SPSS file combining all instruments to examine the effects of transformational leadership and calling on job burnout among special education teachers. Descriptive statistics were produced to summarize the demographic data as well as survey measurements in this study. Pearson Product-Moment Coefficients were also computed to determine the correlation among study variables. To determine whether transformational leadership has an indirect effect mediated by calling on the various dimensions of teachers burnout, a mediation model was tested (Baron Kenny, 1986). A mediation model is to identify the mechanism through which an independent variable accounts for the variation of a dependent variable. To clarify the meaning of mediation, a path diagram was used to describe the relationship among independent variable, mediator, and dependent variable. Panels A and B in Figure 1 illustrated the designated paths of a direct effect and a total effect, where transformational leadership is the predictor variable, burnout is the outcome variable, calling is the mediating variable. a is the pathway from transformational leadership to calling, b is the pathway from calling to burnout, c (Panel A) is the direct effect of transformational leadership on burnout, controlling for the effect of the mediator, calling, and c (Panel B) is the total effect of transformational le adership, without controlling for the effect of the mediator. R2 was reported to measure the faction of the total variance explained by the model. To get over the overestimation problem of R2, adjusted R2 was also reported to measure the variability in the outcome that the model explains in the population rather than the sample (Tabachnick Fidell, 2007). This study conducted two methods to examine the extent to which calling accounts for the relationship between transformational leadership and burnout. First, this study followed the four-step procedure recommended by Baron and Kenny (1986) to assess the mediation hypothesis of calling. Second, this study performed a more statistically rigorous bootstrapping method to examine the mediating effect of calling on the relationship between transformational leadership and job burnout. Bootstrapping is a nonparametric approach to effect-size estimation and hypothesis testing that makes no assumptions about the shape of the distributions o

Evolution Of Substance Abuse In Mauritius Criminology Essay

Evolution Of Substance Abuse In Mauritius Criminology Essay Substance abuse is a multi-facetted problem that plagues a whole society, irrespective of different age categories and social classes. The consequences and the amount of harm caused to the individual, the family and society are diverse. Mauritius, while being a small island of approximately 1.2 million  [1]  inhabitants only, far away from the leading powers of the global economy, and niched at the heart of the Indian Ocean has not been spared from this issue. According to the National Drug Control Masterplan 2004-2009  [2]  , the age of initiation to substance abuse in Mauritius starts from as early as 11 years because of peer or media influence. The rationale of substance abuse is however not this simple. Sometimes, some people give in to the instinctive human behaviour which is trying to find the easiest escape from harsh realities and nuisances of daily life, and resort to substance abuse. Evolution of substance abuse in Mauritius Substance abuse may have become an alarming phenomenon of late, but drugs have been present in Mauritius for a far longer time. The use of drugs has been recorded to have started with as early as during the French colonisation  [3]  with illicit rum production by slaves. With the arrival of indentured labourers, Indians brought along with their culture and traditions, cannabis, while Chinese immigrants brought opium  [4]  . These drugs were mostly utilised in a socio-cultural circumstance, by adults without being a cause for serious concern. Mid-sixties brought with it the Hippie Culture  [5]  to Mauritian shores as well as new forms of drugs such as LSD  [6]  , Mandrax  [7]  and other hallucinogens which became synonymous to new highs to youngsters. The seventies caused an altogether different trend of substance abuse, as the situation changed drastically from its socio-cultural to a more significantly worrying use. A rudimentary form of heroin  [8]  known as Brown Sugar was introduced in Mauritius. Brown Sugar was smuggled through the airport, harbour and through postal packets. The Amsterdam Affair  [9]  that broke out in 1985 was the quintessence of the scope of the drugs problem in Mauritius. As an attempt to display its willingness to leave no stone unturned in the combat against drug trafficking, legislation was amended  [10]  and death penalty was introduced for proved traffickers. No drug trafficker have however been executed because of the thorny legal issues surrounding capital punishment. A sudden downward trend was observed in 1987 and continued until 1990 after which indicators revealed a slight increase in illicit trafficking and consumption  [11]  . In 2003, the White Lady  [12]   was a psychotropic drug opted by most drug users. Post 2005, Subutex  [13]  , which is normally used as treatment on those dependent on narcotic pain killers, and opiates, soon became the most sought-after drug in Mauritius.    Substance Abuse and Repercussions Social Consequences Significant social consequences include the disintegration of the family unit, with the emotional and psychological well-being of family members being upset. Substance abuse and delinquency go hand in hand; as sometimes dependency and withdrawal syndromes overcome reason and push addicts towards theft, violence and similar such acts to procure the financial means to obtain their required dosage. The 2009 World Drug Report  [14]  shows that number of drug-related crimes has increased by 18% from 2006 to 2007. Health Consequences Substance abuse affects the personal health of drugs addicts themselves. Withdrawal and apathy are a few of the psychological dysfunctions they might face. The impact of addiction can be far reaching. Cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, and lung disease can all be caused by drug abuse  [15]  . Because of needle sharing behaviour  [16]  , a well-established norm among IDUs as has been shown by the IDUs Respondent Driven Sampling  [17]  , which is explained by the increased costs and low financial means of IDUs as well as Police Services continuous stalking of IDUs in possession of drug paraphernalia, blood borne diseases such as AIDS or Hepatitis  [18]  are easily transmitted, repercussions of which is catastrophic both for the IDU and society at large. IDUs who get affected by such blood borne diseases will often through a domino effect, affect their sexual partners, while pregnant women who are IDUs run the risk of contaminating their unborn children with such. Injecting drug use is the cause for an increasing proportion of HIV infections in many parts of the world, Mauritius included. It is estimated that between 11 and 21 million people worldwide inject drugs, and of those, between 0.8 and 6.6 million are infected with HIV  [19]  . Financial Impacts Health services that have to be provided to drug addicts include treatment of diseases which may develop in drug addicts as a consequence of substance abuse, as well as costs of rehabilitation services, which is often overlooked by most persons. The cost of non-generic antiretroviral treatment per person per annum may amount up to $ 1500  [20]  , averaging to about Rs 50, 000 based on current exchange rates. Financial consequences on the economy are grave, with the parallel running of a black economy with profits obtained from the illicit traffic, as well as with the effects of drugs abuse of members of the workforce which reduces productivity. Conventional Approaches to Substance abuse Mauritius has ratified the United Nations Drug Control Conventions  [21]  . It has also ratified the 2000 Convention on Trans-National Organized Crime  [22]  and is also signatory of both the African Union  [23]  and the SADC Drug Control Protocol. Existing legal frameworks that were used, and still are used to control drugs supply and demand reduction are: The Dangerous Drug Act 2000  [24]   The Pharmacy Act 1983  [25]   The Financial Intelligence and Anti Money Laundering Act 2002  [26]   Drugs Demand Reduction Drugs demand reduction is one of the approach used to combat the substance abuse crisis at its core. Drug demand reduction refers to policies and programmes directed towards reducing the consumer demand for narcotic drug and psychotropic substances as covered by the three main International Drug Control Conventions, as mentioned above. The National Agency for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Substance Abusers (NATReSA) is a parastatal body under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity and Reform Institutions which was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1996  [27]  and it is responsible for all demand reduction activities in the country. By conducting a number of prevention activities in the community, schools and the workplace, NATReSA uses education as its main vehicular weapon to try to diminish the demand for drugs. It provides funding to a number of NGOs engaged in prevention, treatment and rehabilitation work. The National Prevention Unit set up by th e NATReSa in 2002 has set up a Demand Reduction Integrated Program, from which more than 25 regions have already benefitted till date. Supply Side Reduction As to supply side reduction, the law enforcement side is actively involved and a number of institutions operating under the aegis of different ministries are responsible for drug control activities. The Anti Drug Smuggling Unit (ADSU)  [28]  , the National Coast Guard and the Special Mobile Force are special units of the Mauritius Police Force, working under the command of the Commissioner of Police involved in drug control. The Passport and Immigration Office also operates under the supervision of the Commissioner of Police and has a role in the screening of passengers at the seaport and airport while Custom Investigation and Intelligence Unit plays a noteworthy role in the checking of containers and other luggage entering the country. The Pharmacy Section of the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life is responsible for the issuing of licenses for the import of licit narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances. Finally, Mauritius Post Services work in close cooperation with the above units to exercise close control to guarantee that drugs do not enter the country through letters and postal packages and the Forest Department aids through its field work in forests, mountains and state lands, and is instrumental in detecting cannabis cultivation. According to the 2010 World Drug Report  [29]  , Mauritius is the country with the highest opiates consumption prevalence in the African continent with an estimate of 1.9 %. This demonstrates clearly that conventional approaches to the Mauritian drug problem have not met expectations in terms of efficiency in tackling it. Instead, new factors borne due to a rapidly changing society contributed to the rendering them inefficient opening up of airspaces which while increasing benefits from the tourism and travel industry has also increased the risks of drugs being brought into the country by foreigners, expansion of the offshore sector through which large sums of money transits through Mauritius, sources of which remain confidential to the offshore companies and the open secret being that sometimes, part of these monies go into the black economy, financing drug transactions and poverty and prostitution which are key contributory factors as well to the expansion of the Mauritian dru g market among others. The escalation of drug use became a cause for worry as the main vehicle for substance abuse being through injection, this implied a heightened risk of transmission of blood borne diseases  [30]  among the IDU population and hence a greater number of HIV positive and hepatitis cases amongst others. An altogether new approach was hence adopted to counter this eventuality, known as the harm reduction approach. The harm reduction which consists of needle exchange programs as well as methadone substitution therapy implied a completely different perspective, the core principle being admitting the existence of a substance abuse issue in a community, which often is stubbornly resisted by authorities, hence displaying the huge difficulty in the implementation of this method. Over the years, numerous observations have been made by journalists and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) representatives on the structural changes of the drug situation in Mauritius, the worrying dimensions of the issue of substance abuse and its relations with transmission of blood borne diseases. Harm reduction however, being a relatively new concept in Mauritius dating only back to 2006, remains a rather unexplored path. Hence, the purpose of this dissertation would be to bring focus on Needle Exchange Programs (NEPs) as they are carried out in the Mauritian context. While running through a general overview of the harm reduction approach, the rationale behind it will be examined along with implementation timeline of NEP in Mauritius. Policy aspects will be reviewed and an analysis of the legal backdrop of NEPs in Mauritius will be presented, which will consist of a study salient features of the existing laws and NEPs and eventually the NEP specific framework which is the HIV/AIDS Act 06. NEP in prisons, being a delicate and debatable issue, will be considered and the prospect of such in Mauritian prisons discussed. The dissertation will be concluded by evaluating the Mauritian NEP, and proposing recommendations of possible ways to gear more towards efficiency and best practice with regards to Mauritian laws and needle exchange. Preliminary Chapter: Understanding Harm Reduction The Basic Concept Harm reduction refers to policies, programmes and practices utilised and applied with the objective of diminishing risks associated with the use of drugs by substance abusers  [31]  . Subdivided into needle exchange programs and methadone substitution therapies, harm reduction is viewed as a far-reaching innovative approach to the problem of substance abuse and its related risks. The salient feature of this novel method is the radical shift in focus to the prevention of harm caused by substance abuse, rather than on the prevention of drug use itself. This entails recognising the existence of a substance abuse problem in society which in turn indicates the inability or sometimes even failure of concerned authorities in tackling the drug problem. This approach was often discussed in Mauritius after recognition of the threat of HIV as well as other blood borne diseases which were spreading through injecting drug use. (RSA())  [32]  . Stakeholders including the National AIDS Secretariat  [33]  agreed that harm reduction does not undermine but instead complements approaches seeking to prevent or decrease drug consumption. It is based on the recognition that many people throughout the world continue to use drugs despite the best of efforts to prevent drug use. Rationale Behind Harm Reduction Harm Reduction and Human Rights The harm reduction approach to drugs is based on a strong pledge to public health and human rights. Harm reduction interventions have found support among numerous United Nations (UN)  [34]  human rights mechanisms, specifically in context of HIV prevention and the right to attain the highest achievable standard of health International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights  [35]  Ã‚  (ICESCR) And Harm Reduction. The Committee on the Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights  [36]  (CESCR) has recommended  [37]  many times that States Parties scale up their harm reduction programmes in order to meet their obligations under Article 12  [38]  of the ICESCR. In its Concluding Observations on Ukraine (2007), the Committee stated that it was gravely concerned atà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the limited access by drug users to substitution therapy, and recommended that the state party make drug substitution therapy and other HIV prevention services more accessible for drug users  [39]  . In 2009, the UN Human Rights Council  [40]  adopted a resolution on human rights and HIV/AIDS that unequivocally provided support to harm reduction programs, including needle exchange. The resolution reflected past Commitments  [41]  made at the General Assembly  [42]  in 2001 and again in 2006. In 2010, the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs  [43]  adopted a resolution more than ever, backing the far-reaching package of interventions for HIV prevention treatment and among injecting drug users. Both ECOSOC and the UNAIDS Programme Co-ordinating Board(will be explained in footnote) have also endorsed these interventions. Article 15.1.b ((will be laid out in footnote) guarantees the right of everyone to benefit from scientific progress and its applications. In the context of injecting driven HIV, this implies a right to benefit from evidence based programs that can prevent, treat and control HIV/AIDS and other drug related potential diseases. Harm reduction methods have been backed by extensive scientific evidence base indicative of their effectiveness at reducing injecting-related risks. Research Based Rationale Supply reduction has been used in Mauritius now, since many years and although being an expensive method to combat substance abuse, drug trafficking crimes and substance abuse is still well present in the Mauritian society. 2002, 2003 to 2004 mode of transmission of HIV and blood borne infections steadily shifted from heterosexual activities to injecting drug use.(annexed charts) The 2009 Injecting Drug User HIV surveillance survey was implemented by the AIDS Unit of the Mauritius Ministry of Health and Quality of Life (MOHQL). HIV prevalence is 47.4%. Hepatitis C prevalence is 97.3%. (Results of the survey will be annexed as table) Currently, injecting drug use comprises the bulk of HIV infections in Mauritius. Whereas in 2002 injecting drug use accounted for 14% of all new HIV infections in Mauritius, this percentage increased dramatically to 92% in 2005.  [44]  Although HIV prevalence among Injecting Drug Users appears to have decreased gradually to 73% in 2008, this percentage is still cause for worry. The use of non-sterile needles and syringes and other injecting drug equipment is an extremely efficient mode of HIV transmission and remains a key factor aggravating the HIV epidemic among drug users worldwide. Estimation of population size of IDUs in 2009 has been rounded off at 10000. High-risk injection drug use practices 61.2% of Injecting Drug Users reported injecting two to three times a day and 29.3% reported injecting with a previously used needle in the past month The Implementation of Harm Reduction In Mauritius Harm reduction implemented in Mauritius under two programs: Methadone Substitution Therapy and The Needle Exchange Program Methadone Substitution Therapy (MST) Methadone hydrochloride is an opioid (will be explained in footnote). Methadone is now primarily used today for the treatment of narcotic addiction. Methadones effects can last up to 24 hours, thereby given only once a day in heroin detoxification and maintenance programs for the treatment of people dependent on heroin and other opioids. (sources will be provided in footnote) Methadone is usually available as a liquid and drunk with fruit juice. MST works by reducing cravings and blocking highs from heroin. It does not provide the euphoric rush. The drug user under MST will no longer experience extreme highs and lows that results from the level of heroin in the blood. (source will provided in footnote). Ultimately, the patient remains physically dependent on the opioid, but is freed from the uncontrolled, compulsive, and disruptive behavior seen in heroin addicts. National Detoxification Centre For MST found at Cità © Barkly. Program may be residential (15 days) or day-care. Drug users are induced on methadone under medical supervision and doses consequently adjusted. 16 methadone dispensing points from which drug users, after having gone through initial induction receive their daily doses of methadone. Needle Exchange Program Forms part of harm reduction strategy and is funded by the Government through the Ministry of Health and Quality of Life and partially by international organisations such as the Global Fund. NGOs and Government through Ministry Of Health and Quality of life both carry out NEPs. The program offers a comprehensive package of services which include exchange of used needles, HIV counselling and testing, provision of condoms and alcohol swabs and referrals for rehabilitation services (where requested) as well as other HIV-related services. The Mauritian Needle Exchange Program Implementation of Needle Exchange Program In Mauritius Having recognised injecting drug use as the main vehicle of blood borne transmission, the aim behind carrying out needle exchange programs is to transmission  of HIV  and other  viral  infections  (Hepatitis  B  Ã‚  C)  which travels through contaminated syringes and equipments. NEP protects the IDU, by ensuring provision of safe, clean and sterile injecting equipment, eliminating risk of transmission of HIV and blood borne infections through sharing. NEP protects not only the IDU but also IDUs sexual partner. Needle exchange started in 2006 by two NGOs- Ki Nu à ©tà © and Prevention Information et Lutte contre le Sida (PILS) on two sites Batterie Cassà © and Baie Du Tombeau (source will be cited in footnote) Adoption of HIV/AIDS Act in 2006 which provided legal framework for NEP following which November 2007 saw government through the Ministry of Health And Quality of Life endorse NEP in Mauritius through the official launching of the NEP in Mauritius. A third NGO started NEP on a new site at Tranquebar in November 2007 In 2008, MOHQL called for tenders for new NGOS willing to participate in NEP, with only one response and in February 2008 Idriss Goomany Centre (IGC) started Needle Exchange on a new site in Plaine Verte March 2008 saw some of the non-governmental organisations undertaking needle exchange till date regroup themselves under the aegis of one central organisation Collectif Urgence Toxida (CUT). CUT consists of Ki Nu Età ©, PILS and Rapid IGC joined CUT for a limited time period only. In April 2008 two new sites for needle exchange were put into operation by CUT. May 2008 : official kick off of government run NEP It is worth noting that Mauritius has pioneered government run needle exchange in Sub-Saharan Africa As of date- 35 sites officially operating for Government run NEP and 17 sites for NGOs run NEP Operation of the Mauritian Needle Exchange Program Two principal methods of operation, NGO run NEP and Government Run NEP NGOs: street based needle exchange. Usually, two members of the NGO visit a fixed spot in the locality the site, a certain number times per week (depending on the NGO in question) and have a number of syringes with them and an empty gallon. IDUs come to see them , bringing with them the used syringes which are disposed in the gallon and are given new sterile syringes by the members. IDUs are assigned a code when they visit the sites. It should be noted that this is not for identification purposes of the IDUs but rather for monitoring and reporting purposes (Number of syringes per IDUs, number of IDUs visiting each sitesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). Disposal of the needles is made after closure of sites for the day, by dropping them off at regional hospitals, where they are burnt in the incinerators. MOHQL: Mobile NEP through two operational caravans. Two authorised health care assistants and one qualified nurse per caravan (identified by Ministry issed identification cards). Each caravan visit three sites daily, spending an average of one hour and a half to two hours on each site. Work in collaboration with peer leaders amongst IDUs who help facilitate smooth interacting between IDU crowds and the government staff. The Needle Exchange Program in Mauritius and Other Policy Measures Needle Exchange And Demand Reduction: Demand reduction, focuses on detoxification and management of withdrawal syndromes with the aim of long term abstinence. However, the results yielded are not the expected ones as detoxification succeeds in removing people from the drug scene in the short term but the relapse rates usually approach 100 per cent (Fact Sheet Supply Demand And Harm Reduction, Burnet Institute Centre For Harm Reduction). Needle Exchange And Methadone Substitution Therapy Contrasting costs of providing needle and costs of providing methadone Return rate of syringes; and treatment follow-up statistics and relapse rates for MST Efficiency of both harm reducting programs in the sense that they would still cost less even than provision of antiretroviral treatment to an HIV positive person (provision of non-generic anti-retroviral may approximate $15000) The Needle Exchange Program and Its Framework In Mauritius Adoption of the HIV/AIDS Act 2006 Needle exchange was carried out by NGOs even before the HIV/AIDS Act came into effect. As such, they faced a legal impediment in the sense that the practice of needle exchange was inconsistent with the provisions of existing laws which is the Dangerous Drugs Act at its section 34(c) which made possession of injecting equipment and drug paraphernalia a criminal offence. Following several committees of various stakeholders including the MOHQL itself, police officers, specially members of the ADSU and NGOs , it was agreed that there was a need for a framework to regulate the situation of NEPs. HIV/AIDS Act 2006 was then adopted in 2006 with general consensus by members of parliaments (comments of few members from Hansard will be included here and lengthier works will be attached) and came into effect in August 2007. Aims of HIV/AIDS Act 06 according to the act itself is to provide for measures for the prevention and containment of HIV and AIDS Analysis of this aim was a framework really required to provide for prevention measures which are done principally through education, information and sensitization, and containment which is already handled through supply-side reduction. This tends to lead to the conclusion that the true motive behind the HIV/AIDS Act was to provide a legal framework for the NEP Possession of Syringes and Needles and the HIV/AIDS Act 06 Article 2 of the International Convenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights also requires legislative reform in order to create a legal and policy environment conducive to the scale up of these services and the removal of barriers to access and coverage to improve accessibility. Hence in line with this, Section 16 of the HIV/AIDS Act deals with the Possession of syringes and needles in the context of NEP. It in fact through very explicit terms decriminalizes its possession in the circumstance of the NEP. This was crucial because : possession of a used needle and syringe may be used as circumstantial evidence to lay other drug-related charges. For this reason some clients may be reluctant to return used equipment to NEP site. fear of being arrested while in possession of drugs and/or injection equipment can lead IDUs to rush injections, skip safer injection techniques (e.g., hand and skin cleaning) and to feel so anxious that they cannot inject with accuracy. All of these consequences can increase the risk of injection-related problems such as infections and skin and soft-tissue damage However Section 34 (c) has still not yet been repealed. Questionned by NGOs as to whether this is a best practice. Needle Exchange: Health and Safety Under the HIV/AIDS Act 06 Handling of used syringes by personnel involved under the NEP compliance with Occupational Health and Safety Act Applicable only for Govt. Run NEPs Section 10 Risk Assessment By Employment (Will be showed in footnote) Is this carried out? Section 35 Cleanliness (Will be showed in footnote) Analysis of whether the caravans meet up with these requirements Section 37 Ventilation and Temperature (Will be showed in footnote) Analysis of whether the caravans meet up with these requirements Section 39 Sanitary Conveniences (Will be showed in footnote) Analysis of whether the caravans meet up with these requirements Section 40 Supply of drinking water (Will be showed in footnote) Analysis of whether the caravans meet up with these requirements Section 41 Washing Facilities (Will be showed in footnote)

Frege on Truth, Beauty and Goodness Essay -- Friedrich Ludwig Gottlob

Frege on Truth, Beauty and Goodness Scholars of Frege have spent a good deal of energy in discussing his views about truth, logic, and the relation between them. To one set of clues, however, scant attention has been paid. Repeatedly throughout his career, Frege attempted to illuminate the relation between logic and truth by comparing it to the relations between ethics and the good and aesthetics and the beautiful. Truth, beauty and goodness, of course, have had a long history in platonic philosophy. By the beginning of Frege’s career, they were also coming to play a prominent role in neo-Kantian thought, particularly that of Wilhelm Windelband. It is plausible to conjecture that Frege was inspired to look at ethics and aesthetics to understand the link between logic and truth by their connection in the work of Windelband or other neo-Kantians, though I know of no direct evidence that he was. But whatever the sources of Frege’s use of the analogy, it is to his own writing that we must look for its meaning . In the following, I shall look at the comparisons in detail in order to see exactly what Frege intended in likening the relation of logic to truth to that of ethics to the good and aesthetics to the beautiful. It will turn out that, although the language of the various comparisons is superficially similar, Frege actually makes four different points by means of the analogy. Furthermore, only one of these comparisons says something that both a) is about logic and truth and b) could not be better said by a comparison of logic to, for example, physics. I draw two general conclusions from this. First, Frege was struggling over how to understand the relation of logic to truth. (Perhaps this is obvious anyway.) If he had not bee... ...c and Thought†. Frege, Gottlob. (1967) The Basic Laws of Arithmetic, trans. M. Furth (Berkeley: University of California Press). ---------- (1977) Logical Investigations, trans. P. Geach and R. Stoothoff (New Haven: Yale University Press). ---------- (1979) Posthumous Writings, trans. P. Long and R. White (Oxford: Blackwell). Gabriel, Gottfried. (1984) â€Å"Fregean Connection: Bedeutung, Value and Truth-Value†, Philosophical Quarterly, 34, 372-6. -------------- (1986) â€Å"Frege als Neukantianer†, Kant-Studien, 77, 84-101. Goldfarb, Warren. (2001) â€Å"Frege’s Conception of Logic†, in Future Pasts: The Analytic Tradition in Twentieth Century Philosophy, eds. J. Floyd and S. Shieh (Oxford: Oxford University Press). Ricketts, Thomas. (1996) â€Å"Logic and Truth in Frege†, in Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volume, 70, 121-40.

Military and Societal Values :: Military Philosophy Society Essays

Military and Societal Values Colonel Malham M. Wakin, in his evening address, asks whether Plato's claim that "knowledge is virtue" is true. Much contemporary experience suggests otherwise. To some extent, such an observation could apply to the military as well. Col Wakin argues that we do have some basic knowledge about human conduct, but that we live in a highly pluralistic society in which some practices reject that basic knowledge. Nonetheless, even though we draw members of the military from that pluralistic society, the uniqueness of the military function will always keep its leading practitioners apart from the mainstream of civilian society. The military profession swears to defend the values, the lifestyle that incorporates the minimal conditions for human dignity. After examining the convergence of the values that are functionally necessary for the military and those that we know are fundamental to social existence, he concludes that a competent military profession can serve as a moral anchor for its p arent society. I Many years ago when I learned I was going to have the opportunity to study philosophy at the graduate level, I was tremendously excited. What a wonderful opportunity this would be, I thought, to sit at the feet of Socrates and be enlightened by those who studied the crucial problems of human existence. I expected that senior philosophy professors would be marvelous role models in their personal lives and I looked forward with great anticipation to associating with those who had solved the problems of the universe. Indeed, these senior professors seemed very wise. They were dazzling in their abilities to rattle off the names and theories of great thinkers from every era. They knew the views of those whose names I couldn't even pronounce and I said to myself: "I'll never be able to grasp all of these ideas nor remember them well enough to teach them to others." But as time went on, I was slightly devastated to observe that these senior professors were not, as a group, the congenial masters of everyday living I expected them to be. They were not all basically kind persons--not even to each other. In fact, some would occasionally cross the street to avoid meeting and speaking with a colleague. And some had difficulties in their most important personal relationships--divorce, legal squabbles, envy, character assassination, narcissism--hardly what I had hoped for in the most knowledgeable, most studious persons in our society.

Cold War Essay

The Cold War represents the disputes between the Soviet Union and the United States, and may be the most noteworthy political issue of the late 20th Century. The Cold War was a very political issue because it influenced foreign policies, impacted our economy, and even affected Presidential elections. The United States was worried that the Soviet Union would extend communism throughout Europe with its power and control over smaller and weaker countries. At the beginning of the Cold War the struggles between the United States and the Soviet Union were more political than military. The Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb on August 29, 1949 which alarmed the United States because they were not expecting the Soviet Union to have knowledge of nuclear weapons (The Cold War Museum, n. d. ). Consequently, Americans were uncertain of their own safety, prompting President Truman to reexamine the United States position in the world. He required the United States to amass conventional and nuclear weapons to cease the Soviet influence from spreading around the world. The arms race began, and each side mass produced and strategically placed missiles throughout their country and their allied countries. Other events occurred during the Cold War era adding fuel to the Cold War: the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the Bay of Pigs. My first interviewee was a female in her early sixties whom lived through the Cold War period – my mother. As a retired school teacher, I expected my mother to have a deeper understanding of the Cold War than a person that simply lived through the period. Her definition of the Cold War clearly supported the definition stated in this course. When I asked my mother what words or phrases come to mind when she thinks of the term Cold War, she did not hesitate in her response: â€Å"United States and the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, John F. Kennedy, George Patton, and World War II† (B. Rego, personal communication, May 27, 2013). She related to me that the aspects of the Cold War that she remembered were â€Å"that the Soviets felt that the United States was not revealing key military information after World War II, and their suspicions were confirmed when the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima† (B.  Rego, personal communication, May 27, 2013). I went on to ask her to name any key events that are mainly associated with the Cold War, and she replied â€Å"the Bay of Pigs† (B. Rego, personal communication, May 27, 2013). My mother was able to accurately remember the parties involved in the Cold War, as well as key details and key events of the period having lived through the period, not as a child but as a young adult. My second interviewee was a male in his mid-thirties whom did not live through the Cold War period, but studied it in school. My younger brother’s definition of the Cold War was â€Å"long period of tensions between countries† (J. Rego, personal communication, May 27, 2013). His definition is similar to the definition provided in this course with the exception that he did not mention specifically the United States and the Soviet Union. When questioned about what aspects of the Cold War he remembers he stated â€Å"I remember Korea and Vietnam† (J. Rego, personal communication, May 27, 2013). Although he is not incorrect in his response, it was interesting to me that he again omitted the involvement of the United States and the Soviet Union. When asked about the key events mainly associated with the Cold War, my brother said â€Å"the only key event I remember was the Berlin Wall, and when President Reagan and Gorbachev signed the peace treaty† (J. Rego, personal communication, May 27, 2013). His recollection of the key events associated with the Cold War albeit accurate, were lacking in detail. He did not mention the Bay of Pigs, or the Cuban Missile Crisis. I suppose that the generation gap between our mother and our generation has unfortunately made the details of the Cold War less memorable. My final interviewee was a male in his early twenties whom also did not live through the Cold War period, but studied it in school. My son’s definition of the Cold War was â€Å"a weapons race between the USA and Soviet Union with no shots fired† (A. Egnew, personal communication, May 26, 2013). His definition is similar to the definition provided in this course in that he recalled the parties involved being the United States and the Soviet Union. When asked what words or phrases come to mind when thinking of the term Cold War he replied â€Å"stockpile and weapons race† (A. Egnew, personal communication, May 26, 2013). I questioned him about any key events that he could remember that is mainly associated with the Cold War, and his answer was â€Å"I can’t name any† (A. Egnew, personal communication, May 26, 2013). It is interesting to me, yet not surprising that as the generation gap widens the details of the Cold War are more easily forgotten. The Cold War was a very prominent event in United States history for key events such as the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Bay of Pigs, and the Berlin Wall, but noteworthy also for the civil rights movement, gender equality, and racial segregation issues (Farber, 1994). The Cold War changed the way Americans view authority, and opened the door for American citizens to question political decisions. Without the Cold War period, perhaps our lives today would be much different. Would slavery still exist? What about racial segregation? Our lives today would surely be different if the Cold War never happened.

A Well Known Musician

Billy Joel is a well known musician who has sold millions of albums throughout the world. Billy Joel has also won multiple grammys and several other awards. He has worked with many other artists and is affectionately known as â€Å"The Piano Man.† Over the years, Billy Joel has broken many records including performing his 65th at Madison Square Garden. Today, he continues to succeed in his music career as he has over his many years as a musician. Billy Joel was born on May 9, 1949, as William Martin Joel in Bronx, New York. He grew up in Levittown, New York, and had two siblings a sister named Judith, and a half-brother Alexander Joel. His father was a classical pianist, and his mother encouraged him to play the piano. He started his career at a very early stage in his life, when he began taking piano lessons at the age of four. His lessons continued until he was sixteen years old. He was in three bands before the age of sixteen. He decided to start his music career after watching a famous band named â€Å"The Beatles† on the popular â€Å"Ed Sullivan Show. † In 1971 he came out with his first album after dropping out of high school to pursue his career in music. The solo album was called â€Å"Cold Spring Harbor.† Billy Joel then decided to move to Los Angeles and got a job soon after as a lounge pianist. After he performed in L.A. in his early years he chose to move back to Long Island. He still continues to pursue his music career around the world and currently lives in Long Island. Billy Joel married his first wife Elizabeth Weber Small in 1973. They had been partners for years before they married. In 1982 they separated from each other and both moved on. He then married famous supermodel named Christie Brinkley. They then had a daughter named Alexa Ray who was born on December 29, 1985. He then split from Christie Brinkley in 1993 eight years after they had their daughter Alexa Ray. Billy Joel met and married television food star and journalist Katie Lee. The two divorced after being married for six years. Billy Joel then went on to meet his current wife Alexis Roderick. They then married in 2015, and went on to have a baby named Della Rose who was born on August 12, 2015. Billy Joel sold over 150 million successful albums and has won multiple awards. Throughout his career his singles hit the top charts almost every time. Through the 1970's, 1980's, and 1990's his singles hit the top 40 thirty-three times. He received a Grammy Legend Award in 1990 and a Billboard Century Award in 1994 for his outstanding music. The Johnny Mercer Award was awarded to Joel in 2001 for being inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992. He was also awarded Musicares Person of the Year in 2002. Billy Joel received three Cable Excellence Awards for his American cable television programming. Joel was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and won one for Best Orchestrations. Later in Billy Joel's career he suffered from an alcohol addiction and was continuously in rehab. He then recovered going on to make more music throughout the early 2000's. Joel then released â€Å"All My Life† in 2007. The single was his first in thirteen years with original lyrics. Billy Joel performed multiple times at Madison Square Garden and broke records, selling out his concerts constantly. He made $46 million in sales as of October, 2015. Billy Joel is one of the best selling artists of all time, topping the charts numbers of time throughout the years. He has won several awards and sold out many shows at popular venues such as Madison Square Garden. Billy Joel has continued to perform and tour throughout the world today as the same wonderful musician he was years ago.