Sports Ethics and Our Society

Sports Ethics and Our Society Sports ethics is that branch of the philosophy of sport addressing the specific ethical questions that arise during and around sports competitions. With the affirmation of professional sports in the past century as well as the rise of a voluminous entertainment industry related to it, sport ethics has come to be not only a fertile terrain for testing and developing philosophical notions and theories, but also a foremost point of contact between philosophy, civil institutions, and the society at large. Lessons of Respect, Justice, and Integrity Sports are based on the fair enforcement of rules. At a first approximation, this means that every contestant (being an individual player or a team) has the right to see the rules of the game applied in equal measure to each and every contestant while having the duty to try and respect the rules as best as possible. The educational importance of this aspect, not just for children and young adults but for everyone, can be hardly overstated. Sport is a critical tool to teach justice, the respect of rules for the benefit of a group (the contestants as well as the spectators), and honesty.And yet, as it happens outside a competition, one may wonder if - at times - players are justified in seeking an unequal treatment. For instance, when breaking the rule will offset some mistaken call that the referee has made earlier the game, or will partially make up for some economic, social, or political inequities that stand in between the contesting teams, it seems that a player may have some ju stifiable motives for breaking the rule. Isn’t it simply fair that a team who has had a valid touch down not counted in will be given some minor advantages over the next attack or defense situation?This is, of course, a delicate matter, which challenges our ideas circa justice, respect and honesty in a way that mirrors the key issues humans face in other spheres of living. Enhancement Another major area of confrontation regards human enhancement and, most notably, cases of doping. Considering how invasive the application of drugs and medical techniques is to the contemporary professional sport, it has become increasingly difficult to set an intelligent boundary between those performance enhancers that shall be tolerated and those that shall not be tolerated. Every professional athlete competing for a well-off team receives medical aids to enhance his or her performances in amounts that range from thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands and, perhaps, millions. On one hand, this has contributed to spectacular results, which much add to the entertainment side of sport; on the other, however, wouldn’t it be simply more respectful for the athletes’ health and safety to set the bar for tolerance of enhancers as low as possible? In what ways enhancers have affected the relationship between body and soul among athletes? Money, Just Compensation  and the Good Life The increasingly high salaries of certain athletes and the disparity between the pay of the most visible ones as opposed to the pay of the least visible ones have also offered the opportunity to rethink the issue of just compensation that much attention had received in eighteen hundred philosophy, with authors such as Karl Marx. For instance, what is the just compensation for an NBA player? Should NBA salaries be capped? Should student athletes be granted a salary, in consideration of the business volume generated by NCAA competitions?The entertainment industry associated with sports also offers us, on a daily basis, the opportunity to ponder to what extent income can contribute to leading a good life, one of the central themes of ancient Greek philosophy. Some athletes are sex symbols too, generously rewarded for offering their body image (and sometimes their private lives) to the public attention. Is that really the life of a dream? Why or why not? Further Online Reading IAPS’s website, the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport, with links also to its official publication outlet, the Journal of the Philosophy of Sport.A resource guide to the Philosophy of Sport prepared by Dr. Leon Culbertson, Professor Mike McNamee, and Dr. Emily Ryall.A blog devoted to the philosophy of sport, with news and events.Recommended reading: Steven Connor, A Philosophy of Sport, Reaktion Books, 2011.Andrew Holowchack (ed.), Philosophy of Sport: Critical Readings, Crucial Issues, Prentice Hall, 2002.

How Teachers Can Ease Students First Day Jitters

How Teachers Can Ease Students' First Day Jitters As elementary school teachers, we can sometimes find ourselves easing our young students through times of transition. For some children, the first day of school brings anxiety and an intense desire to cling to parents. This is known as First Day Jitters, and its a natural occurrence that we may even have experienced ourselves when we were children. Beyond whole class Ice Breaker activities, its important to be aware of the following simple strategies that teachers can employ to help young students feel comfortable in their new classrooms and ready to learn in school all year long. Introduce a Buddy Sometimes one friendly face is all it takes to help a child transition from tears to smiles. Find a more outgoing, confident student to introduce to the nervous child as a buddy who will help him or her learn about the new surroundings and routines. Partnering up with a peer is a practical shortcut to helping a child feel more at home in a new classroom. The buddies should stay connected during recess and lunch for at least the first week of school. After that, make sure the student is meeting lots of new people and making several new friends at school. Give the Child Responsibility Help the anxious child feel useful and part of the group by giving him or her a simple responsibility to help you out. It could be something as simple as erasing the whiteboard or counting out colored construction paper. Children often crave acceptance and attention from their new teacher; so by showing them you rely on them for a certain task, you are instilling confidence and purpose during a critical time. Plus, staying busy will help the child focus on something concrete outside of his or her own feelings at that moment. Share Your Own Story Nervous students can make themselves feel even worse by imagining that they are the only ones who feel so worried about the first day of school. Consider sharing your own first day of school story with the child in order to reassure him or her that such feelings are common, natural, and surmountable. Personal stories make teachers appear more human and approachable to children. Make sure you mention specific strategies you used to overcome your feelings of anxiety and suggest the child try the same techniques. Give a Classroom Tour Help the child feel more comfortable in his or her new surroundings by offering a short guided tour of the classroom. Sometimes, just seeing his or her desk can go a long way toward easing uncertainty. Focus on all of the fun activities that will happen around the classroom that day and all year long. If possible, ask the childs advice for a certain detail, such as where best to place a potted plant or what color construction paper to use on a display. Helping the child feel connected to the classroom will help him or she visualizes life in the new space. Set Expectations with Parents Often, parents exacerbate nervous children by hovering, fretting, and refusing to leave the classroom. Children pick up on parental ambivalence and perhaps will be just fine once theyre left on their own with their classmates. Dont indulge these helicopter parents and allow them to stay past the school bell. Politely (but firmly) tell the parents as a group, Ok, parents. Were going to get our school day started now. See you at 2:15 for pickup! Thank you! You are the leader of your classroom and its best to take the lead, setting healthy boundaries and productive routines that will last all year long. Address the Whole Class Once the school day gets started, address the whole class about how were all feeling jittery today. Assure the students that these feelings are normal and will fade with time. Say something along the lines of, Im nervous, too, and Im the teacher! I get nervous every year on the first day! By addressing the whole class as a group, the anxious student wont feel singled out. Read a Book About First Day Jitters: Find a childrens book that covers the topic of first-day anxiety. A popular one is called First Day Jitters. Or, consider Mr. Ouchys First Day which is about a teacher with a bad case of back to school nerves. Literature provides insight and comfort for a wide variety of situations, and first-day jitters are no exception. So work it to your advantage by using the book as a springboard for discussing the issue and how to deal with it effectively Compliment the Student At the end of the first day, reinforce positive behavior by telling the student that you noticed how well he or she did that day. Be specific and sincere, but not overly indulgent. Try something like, I noticed how you played with the other kids at recess today. Im so proud of you! Tomorrows going to be great! You might also try complimenting the student in front of his or her parents at pickup time. Be careful not to give this special attention for a long while; after the first week or so of school, its important for the child to start feeling confident on his or her own, not dependent upon teacher praise.

Personal Statement for a Business and Finance Final year student

For a Business and Finance Final year student - Personal Statement Example and I believe in life that the best educational institutes brings out the best in any scholar , this is why I have chosen to further my education at Hult International Business School. I realized early in life that we are put on this earth to build important things. Businesses are the drivers of our economy and the building blocks of society. Over the next five years, I hope that the things I learn at Hult will put me on a path to both professional and personal development. My short term goal is to start a small business. My long-term goal is to turn that business into a multinational company. My desire to study business stems from a willingness to make money and help others. I think that a job is the best form of social assistance. From the beginning, I have been interested in this field of study. I completed a Bachelors degree in Business and Finance, earning very good marks along the way. I learned that it’s businesspeople who create jobs. Studying business will ultimately be a highly rewarding experience. Therefore I am motivated in completing the business program successfully. I possess the intellectual commitment and compassionate interest to make this a satisfying and successful vocation. I truly want to leave my mark on the world by helping others. I realize this will not be an easy task, but I am motivated and determined. My perseverance and diligence will help me to reach my ultimate objective of completing the program successfully. Having a Masters from your institution will open up many doors for me. Please consider me for Hult International Business

Not All Companies Are Viewed as Equal Assignment

Not All Companies Are Viewed as Equal - Assignment Example Various significant aspects including the role play by capitalism in corporate decision making, detailed analysis of a selected business situation and the execution of certain effective theories will also be discussed in the assignment. Nowadays, every company operating in dissimilar industries is apparently observed to be offering the products in accordance with the preferences or the choices of the customers. As an advocate, I would like to support the industries, as due to global economic pitfall; the purchasing power of the general people is getting limited, which in turn affects their profitability at large. It can be affirmed that in order to sustain in this land of free trade, industries of different scales need to produce low-cost goods for serving the customers according to their respective preferences (Frank, 2007). Evidently, the notion of capitalism is identified to play decisive roles in the context of corporate decision-making procedure. It can be apparently observed that the aspect of capitalism has risen by a considerable extent specifically in the corporate sector with the gaining momentum of free trade. This certainly affected the decision-making procedure of the corporate sector at large. Every industry desires to sustain in this competitive landscape and earn more profit. Thus, the decision-making procedure in corporate sector has certainly changed the entire business environment with the alignment of free trade. Identifiably, due to the prevalence of high competitive market, every entrepreneur has emerged with the execution of new ideas. These ideas may entail liberalizing the operational or business procedures and appropriately using the accessible resources among others (Bell & et al., 1988). The existence of varied ethical theories often advocates supporting either the consumers or the industries in the land of free trade. In the context of

Case Brief Essay Example for Free

Case Brief Essay Mr. David R. Bullock filed an appeal from his convictions for attempted statutory rape, and attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. David R. Bullock put himself in numerous conversations via email and chat rooms with a Newton County Deputy Sheriff who was conducting a sting operation against pedophiles. The Deputy took on a persona of a thirteen year old female by the name of â€Å"Ashley Anne†. Many of the conversations that took place between Mr. Bullock and â€Å"Ashley† were of a sexual nature. During conversations between Mr. Bullock and â€Å"Ashley†, he discussed how he would like to engage in certain acts (sexual) with her and her friends (girls of younger age) and how he would like to video those acts. He informed â€Å"Ashley† that the conversations about meeting with her and her friends should not be discussed because it was not legal for them to meet. Eventually a meeting was scheduled for a time and a place to meet and specific instructions were given to â€Å"Ashley† on how the meeting should take place. â€Å"Ashley† was told that upon her arrival to the specified location, she should meet Mr. Bullock in a specific area of that location. History On October 18, 2002, Mr. Bullock and the decoy â€Å"Ashley† were present at the specified location, along with computer and video equipment in his vehicle, which ultimately leads to the arrest of Mr. Bullock. At the time of the arrest, Mr. Bullock did not deny having conversations with â€Å"Ashley† but explained that if she would arrive, he just wanted her to be counseled by the authorities on the dangers of meeting strangers on the internet. Mr. Bullock argues that his case is a case of entrapment and that he took no â€Å"substantial steps† towards committing the crimes he has been charged with. Issue: The sufficiency of the evidence is challenged and Appellant claims an entrapment defense for the reason that he was not predisposed to engage in the charged offenses, we shall set forth in greater detail a series of sordid internet and telephone communications between Appellant and the purported 3 victim than we usually would. Holding First, Appellant does not admit that he committed the crimes for which he was convicted and, second, there is no evidence that Appellant was not predisposed, ready and willing to commit these crimes.   Appellant did not meet his burden of injecting into the case a proper case for entrapment. Rational Appellant tendered four jury instructions alleging the affirmative defense of entrapment.   Appellant cites to the evidence that Ashley induced Appellant to take the â€Å"substantial step† of committing the crimes of statutory rape and sexual exploitation of a minor when he was not otherwise so inclined.   Appellant contends that he was only willing to express his fantasies, which was not a crime he was charged or convicted of, and he was not willing to act upon his fantasies without the inducement by Ashley.   He notes that Ashley initiated the majority of contacts with Appellant; specifically, he claims Ashley initiated seventeen of the nineteen instant messages and four of the eight e-mails between her and Appellant.   Appellant indicated the portions of the conversations where Ashley first proposed that Appellant come to Diamond and persisted in trying to set a firm date; he claims he was reluctant to act on his desires.   Appellants cla im that he would not have committed the charged offenses but for the enticement by Ashley is not supported by the evidence.

Matthew Henson :: Essays Papers

Matthew Henson Great Men Have Great Assistants â€Å"As I stood there on the top of the world and I thought of the hundreds of men who had lost their lives in their effort to reach it [North Pole], I felt profoundly grateful that I had the honor of representing my race.† With these words, Matthew Henson planted the American flag on the North Pole. During the past, black Americans have not received the acknowledgement they deserved. Such was the case of Matthew A. Henson. He was the first person to discover the North Pole, although Robert Peary is usually credited with this feat. Henson passed away in relative obscurity, in 1955, and was not given recognition until 1988, when he was reburied in Arlington National Cemetery with full honors. Matthew Henson was born on August 3, 1866 in Baltimore, Maryland. He was raised in Carrol County. At an early age, Henson’s mother died, leaving him alone to live with his father. Unfortunately the family experienced problems with the Klu Klux Klan. To escape the problems and make a better life for his son, Henson’s father moved the family to Washington, D.C.. While Henson’s father worked, he took care of the elderly uncle they lived with. While still living in Washington Henson’s father died, leaving him in care of his uncle. The uncle was mean and abusive to the point that it caused him to runaway from the only home he had. For awhile, Henson wandered the streets. He was a poor, ragged, and uneducated kid. What could he offer to someone to earn a living? Finally, he came to a small restaurant. The owner hired Henson to sweep and mop the floors, clean the kitchen and wash the dishes. Henson had no place to stay so they owner let him sleep on the floor of the restaurant after closing. One day, Henson saw a sign advertising a ship captain looking for young men to work on his ship. Since he had nothing better to do, Henson decided to sign up. That was the beginning of Henson’s sailing career. For the rest of Henson’s teenage years, Henson sailed around the world. He learned much aboard the ship such as: mathematics, navigation, the operations of a ship, and how to read books and maps. By the age of 21, Henson was a skilled and experienced sailor. Between his terms at sea, Henson would sometimes work to earn a little money. One job he had would change the course of his life. While a store clerk in Washington, D.

Price Mechanism

The market system is the mechanism for allocating scarce resources and thereby encouraging a positive investment climate. The problem of scarcity is common in all economic structures. The economic system of a particular country is the way in which its people, businesses and government make choices. Demand is the amount of a product consumers are willing and able to purchase at any given time. However, supply is the amount of a product that is available at any given time. The following diagram shows the relationship that demand has with supply:The above diagram shows that where the demand and supply intersects, indicates the quantity which suppliers wish to market equals the quantity which buyers are willing to take. There are many factors that have determined the general increase in global food prices over the last four years. One factor is in late 2006 the unseasonable droughts in many grain-producing countries. The top three wheat producers in the world are, China, India, and the U nited States respectively. The consequences of drought include diminished crop growth, and the ability to rare livestock.Also, it causes erosion, which further affects plantations and soil consistency. Without water there can be no irrigation. Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil for assisting of the proper, healthy growth of crops. Wildfires are also caused by droughts because of the lack of moisture in the air; they consume all agriculture once formed. Biofuels, a fuel substitute that is derived not from fossil fuels but from biological material maybe another cause of rising food prices. Bio fuels are commonly used in place of gas to power vehicles, to heat houses and even to cook on your stove.The factor that affects the price of crops here is that Biofuels use crops high in sugar and starch, then fermentation of these crops causes the it to produce ethanol. Ethanol is the substance, which is used for power. So as our world is becoming more eco friendly an d aware, our food prices will rise. Oil prices over the last four years have been steadily rising, causing food transport and other agriculture related machinery and treatments to rise also. From the mid 1980s to September 2003, the inflation-adjusted price of a barrel of crude oil on NYMEX (New York Mercantile Exchange) was on average under US$25/barrel.Then in 2003 it finally rose to US$30/barrel and gradually went up to US$60/barrel in 2005, and skyrocketed to US$147/barrel in 2008. These drastic increases in oil prices have taken their toll on food prices over the past four years. Wheat and grain are said to be relatively inelastic, meaning there is not much range for substituting. So where there is a large change in price there is little or no change in the quantity demanded of that particular good. The elasticity of a product can be measured by the following formula: PED = % change in Quantity Demanded of product change in price of that product World population growth is the l atest in factors to affect food prices. The world population has grown from 1. 6 billion in 1900 to an estimated 6. 6 billion today. The increase in population size has mainly been pointed to the developed countries where food prices are subsidized. In these countries, the government subsidize crops, and absorb the extra cost of food so the cost does not affect the consumer. So in reality, the developing and the third world countries are the only ones to suffer from our current food shortage.