The wide use of CCTV and effects on the Public

The wide use of CCTV and effects on the Public In the year 2000, Philips reviewed the studies that evaluated the effectiveness of closed circuit television (CCTV) in reducing crime, disorder and the fear of crime in a variety of places by using a guiding procedure from Tilleys model (1993a), which focused on the operational mechanisms used in closed circuit television. After his review, he then concluded that CCTV can be very efficient in deterring property crime, but his findings were more restricted to personal crime, public offences and the fear of crime. He also examined the public attitudes towards the use of CCTV in public places. Armitage (2002), in his own review of recent researches into the effectiveness of CCTV on community safety and the practitioners, he observed that CCTV was not always as successful at reducing crime as it was claimed to be. Although he confirmed that CCTV coverage and the governments funding of new systems have increased dramatically over the previous decade, in his findings, he strongly believed that CCTV has been more effective in deterring crime rather than being crime preventive. On the whole, he strongly believed that very little substantial evidence would suggest that CCTV worked. Short and Ditton (1998) noted that researchers in Scotland had concluded that CCTV cameras work to prevent criminality most of the time, unless the offenders were under the influence of alcohol. Obviously, alcohol would hinder proper reasoning and correct decision options. Some CCTV evaluation workers e.g. Gill et al (2005) have interviewed offenders regarding their attitudes towards the installation of CCTV cameras and the possible effects on crime. Although in those studies Gill et al (2005), many offenders felt that CCTV installation has been beneficial to the society, a few people still believe that it was a waste, failing to acknowledge its effectiveness at reducing crime. It was then speculated that offenders would normally wait for the CCTV cameras to move away from their direction before committing the intended crime. It was concluded therefore, that CCTV might have little or no effect in preventing the offenders from committing a crime but rather it would make them aware tha t they were being watched, thereby rendering them to be more careful when committing crimes. 2.2 CCTV and the CCTV Operator. But from the operators perspective according to Smith (2004), limited empirical research has been carried out on the dynamics and social interactions that make up a typical CCTV control rooms operational routine. He believed that the human element has been completely ignored and neglected. His study questioned the accuracy of a central assumption made in most of the written literatures on CCTV (Gill et al 2005). He believed that surveillance cameras were not only controlled and monitored constantly, but are also handled effectively and efficiently by the operators. In order to reduce the effects of tiredness and boredom, the operators often result into extra-curricular activities such as game playing while on duty. Indeed, the findings from the research of Smith (2004) suggested that the operators often felt imprisoned by their job within the confines of the CCTV control room. Based on these findings, he concluded that the human factor has undermined the effectiveness of CCTV surveil lance system. 2.3 CCTV and transport Regarding traffic accidents, Conche and Tight (2006) in their recent research, assessed the potential use for images collected through the increasingly use of CCTV cameras in urban areas as a means of understanding the causes of road traffic accidents and ensuring public safety of all road users. However, they thought that apart from CCTV being used to ensure public safety, it also provided records of accidents which could be used by safety researchers to increase both the quality of life and safety of road users. An area in central Leeds, which was studied showed that an existing CCTV camera network, used for monitoring urban traffic and managing surveillance, has the potential of recording about a quarter of the accidents which occured in the area. This was based on the pattern of past occurrences. Furthermore, majority of the High Streets in the United Kingdom will possibly have more camera set-ups placed in strategic places in order to reduce traffic accidents. The study also con sidered how resourceful the camera and video records could be as a means of collecting contributory factor information on a camera-captured accident. It was expressed as a general belief that the effectiveness of CCTV can only be assessed in terms of how visible each of the factors was likely to appear on video and its relative frequency of occurrence as well as how many crime issues it could resolve. The report concluded that CCTV has a high potential in providing adequate evidences about many of the most commonly occurring factors that contribute to traffic accidents, and in throwing further light on the causes of traffic accidents ( ). 2.4 CCTV and Crime. In the field of environmental criminology, we can not but mention Paul and Patricia Brantingham (2003) who studied extensively the models of crime with theories of the spatial and temporal patterns of human activities to predict the patterns and likelihood of criminal events. By modelling the movement patterns of offenders and the victims, in relation to the distribution and concentration of other people, criminal targets can make it possible to anticipate patterns in the potential displacement of crime from one location to another. The analysis of the movement patterns of criminals utilizing particular crime attractors can provide information on likely crime locations. The behavioural pattern of criminals can be used to predict their activities and the environments of crime, as well as their next-line of actions. Their opinion was that crime prevention and intervention, undertaken in displacement areas, bearing in mind the times and situations that stimulate the occurrence of crime, could have the potential of increasing any crime preventive measure. That article explained how the development of a conceptual model can be used to quantify and predict crime displacement within the concept of time and space. 2.5 Crime Indicators and Attractors The threat of crime to the community is threat to the safety of the society and the sense of security of the residents; and it is also believed to have major impacts on neighbourhood stability, urban and economic development, education, social integration and the perceived quality of life. Today, crime and disorder are often viewed as the main cause of the declining effect of many inner city neighbourhoods. The Fear of crime is sometimes regarded as being detrimental to the society as crime itself. Most crimes can be prevented if the signs are clearly understood and read, and indeed all crimes show crime indicators and signs before they occur. Some of the known crime indicators include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Level of crime. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fear of crime. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Crime victims as per cent of population. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The safety of pedestrians walking alone at night. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Crime rate. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Property crimes. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Percentage that decreased park use due to fear. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Number of Neighbourhood Watch groups. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Domestic assault reported per 100,000 populations. (http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/Database/PublicSafety.html) The above are just a few crime indicators; crime indicators are also influenced by location, economic activities, weather conditions and the level of security, etc. According to Spellman (1993), in an economically distressed neighbourhood, the abandoned houses and apartments can become hangouts for thieves, drug dealers, and prostitutes. Inquisitively, does CCTV surveillance recognise these indicators? 2.6 CCTV and the fear of crime. Gafarole (1981), in a paper presented more than twenty years ago supporting Furstenberg (1972), made an observation that has proven to be the understatement of the decade for researchers studying the fear of crime. It was observed thatthe relationship between a crime and its consequences is neither obvious nor simple. His observation was more correct than it was twenty years earlier, despite the fact that the knowledge about the causes and consequences of fear of crime has increased steadily over the years. Every advance that was made, whether by refining concepts, specifying and testing relationships, obtaining more comprehensive data or by some other means, seemed to generate more questions than it answered. After a preliminary discussion of concepts and indicators, a model of the causes and consequences of fear of crime was presented while the components of the model were described in the light of what was already known about the fear of crime. Although the question about the fear of crime has been a major issue with the policy makers and the public (Farrall et al. 2000). The concept of safety can be influenced by a range of different factors so is it with the fear of crime .e.g. Sarno et al., (1999) stated that the presence of CCTV does instil an atmosphere of safety while Ditton (2000) found that one of the positive impact of CCTV is linked to the positive views about CCTV (e.g. Spriggs et al., 2005) Surette (2004) reviewed and discussed the shift to computer enhanced self-monitoring CCTV surveillance systems of public spaces and the social implications. His findings showed the main differences between the first and second generation surveillance i.e. the change from a dumb camera (requiring the human eye for evaluating its images) to a computer-linked camera system which evaluates its own video images. Second generation systems therefore would reduce the human factor in surveillance and address some of the basic concerns associated with the first generation surveillance systems such as data swamping, boredom, voyeurism and profiling. Although additional research is needed to assess CCTV surveillance, the adoption of computer-enhanced CCTV surveillance systems should not be an automatic response to a public space security problem neither should their deployment be decided simply on the availability or cost. In summary, the report has provided a concise overview of the concerns associated with the first generation CCTV surveillance and how the evolution of computer-enhanced CCTV surveillance systems will alter and add to these concerns before a system adoption or installation. 2.7 CCTV Evaluations. Welsh and Farrington (2009) gave a recent review and analysis on the effectiveness of CCTV on crime in public spaces. He evaluated forty-four cases which met the inclusion criteria and the results showed that CCTV caused 16% decrease in crime within the experimental areas when compared with the control areas. The research was motivated by the quest to measure the effectiveness of CCTV schemes in car parks, which caused a 51% decrease in car park crime. CCTV schemes in most other public areas had a small but non-significant impact on crime with a 7% decrease in the city centres and in public houses. Public transport schemes had greater effects with a 23% decrease in total, but these were relatively insignificant. Conclusively, the evaluation showed that CCTV Schemes in the United Kingdom were more effective than other countries such as the USA, based largely on the studies in the car parks. Although Tilley et al (2004) suggested that the use of CCTV increased the risks of being identified and captured as a criminal, Wright and Gibson (1995) added that having the local police and CCTV operators working hand in hand would further help in tracking down suspects and offenders. In the Early years, Ekblom (1986) emphasized that CCTV should be targeted on craved items and pocket-able goods in retail stores to supplement the effort of store detectives. Using the HMV store in Oxford Street as a case study, he discovered that store detectives can cub store theft with the joint effort of CCTV operators. Several studies noted that crime often declined in the months prior to the installation of cameras. After cameras were fully operational, crime might continue to drop for a period as long as two years ( ). Crime would then begin to increase again. As suggested in the literature, this phenomenon is due to publicity or a lack of publicity. The greatest amount of publicity often occurred prior to the installation of the cameras. This was the time when crime levels begin to drop. If CCTV programs were continuously publicized, their effect on crime would remain steady otherwise crime and criminal behaviors would begin to increase as the effect of CCTVs disappeared. According to a brief on the effect of CCTV in 2002 at the Parliament Office of Science and Technology, there was a debate on the changes in recorded crime before and after CCTV camera installation. It was concluded that CCTV was unlikely to reflect crime accurately since not all offences are reported to or recorded by the polic e. Local surveys of crime may provide more accurate measures. 2.8 CCTV and crime displacements. Repetto (1976) speculated that one or more displacements can occur together at the same time while he identified six types of displacements (tactical, situational, spatial, temporal and perpetrator). He defined spatial displacement as the movement of the same crime from one location to another. This is quite different from his definition of tactical displacement when an offender uses a different strategy to commit the same crime. He also defined temporal displacement as when the same offence is committed in the same area but at a different time. This type of displacement is time-oriented. Target displacement was explained when an offender becomes selective in choosing different victims within the same area. Finally, functional displacement operates when the offender changes from a particular crime to another within the same area. Reppetto (1976) then concluded that Displacement refers to the shift of crime either in terms of space, time, or type of offence from the original targets o f crime prevention or interventions. Weisburd et al (2006) argued that crime has the potential to occur when three factors suitable for a crime are present within the available time and space (Cohen and Felson, 1979). However to further expatiate; neglecting the causes of crime such as unemployment and illegal drug would render any intervention ineffective. On the contrary, if the issues of unemployment and drug misuse are addressed, offenders may look elsewhere for a different target area in most cases areas without interventions and thereby leading to crime displacement. Alternatively however, diffusion of benefits to surrounding areas may occur as a result of the intervention. This would depend on the success of the intervention in apprehending offenders. Young et al (2006) researched into crime displacements in Kings cross where views from the streets were used to highlight the impacts of CCTV and policing activities on visible street behaviours. The presence of CCTV surveillance cameras created the fear of being caught on camera thereby contributing to a change in street behaviours by the pedestrians. The data used in this research reflected the cessation of criminal behaviours on the streets. However, the presence of blind spots (areas not accessible to CCTV) are often the areas with high rates of anti-social behaviours. It was concluded that CCTV surveillance cameras do not actually deter crime but rather they are more effective in providing visual evidences in the prosecution of criminals. Such information is handled by law enforcement agencies. Gill and Turbin (1999) studied the effect of CCTV and its effectiveness in a retail store, concluding that this may lower the attitude and vigilance of shop staff where CCTV is seen as th e all- perfect panacea against shop theft or crime, as further buttressed by Beck (2006) on reduction in the degree of vigilance within the store. Nevertheless, the absence of CCTV in local areas was a pre-requisite for crimes such as stealing (Beck, 2006). Gill and Spriggs (2005) wrote a review on the significant crime movements that could be observed clearly from the report on the evaluation of 13 out of the numerous CCTV projects that were put in place by the Crime Reduction Programme (CRP) initiative. The focus was to identify any form of spatial displacement in the schemes that were evaluated. Two techniques, which involved an experimental approach and GIS in assessing any changes in crime trends. The primary aim was to identify any form of displacement and if any could it be as a result of CCTV intervention?. The results showed little proof of displacement. Getis et al (2000) however reviewed the modern techniques of crime analysis with regard to the research and educational challenges outlined by the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science. More attention was devoted to the role that crime analysis currently and potentially played in reducing crime and improving the efficiency of police activities. The main aim w as to stimulate an interest in promoting crime analysis in the advancement of crime mapping and visualization. 2.9 CCTV and Geographical Information System (GIS) Williamson et al. (2000) took an experimental approach and regression analysis as a statistical procedure for analysing temporal crime trends over different periods. Few years later, Ratcliffe (2005) used the nearest neighbour test to identify crime pattern movements between two periods. Both scholars, Williamson et al (2000) and Ratcliffe (2005) used GIS and statistics in their research to provide a powerful tool for understanding the spatial characteristics and the impact of crime reduction measures. Levine (2008) added some other techniques based upon the analysis that could be valuable in hotspot detection. Generally therefore, it appeared that some crime types were predicted more successfully by using the Kernel density which was used for predicting crime hot spots (Chainey et al.,2008a). General comments Note that et al is always written in italics 2. Note that any significant result statement must have the appropriate reference(s) quoted against it Note that person pronouns (I or We) are rarely used in dissertation reports, this is often avoided by employing indirect tenses, e.g. the CCTV coverage zones were studied on two consecutive days should be written instead of I studied the CCTV coverage zones on two consecutive days See under your Introduction: consider whether it was wise to have introduced cctv at all. Has it removed th anxiety of 1980s that originally necessitated cctv era? You can discus your personal opinion from your findings Gather from your literature review the main findings of previous workers that closely resemble your work and identify and relate their own achievements to clearly bring out what you have contributed to the literature of this field. Discuss the appropriateness of the methodology you adopted in comparison with similar others (if any) from your literature review and why you chose it and not the others. You may talk about what you would have better achieved if all the camera spots data were released to you by the Sheffield Information Dept. What else can you discuss from your own intelligence and as a UK licensed driver on cctv traffic offences. Find relevant references that you can use within your results and discussion section to support your findings e.g. on the crime displacements from central /darnall wards 7/9 to wards 6, 13, 2, etc., or deprivation-linked crime environments, etc. Well-done and good luck, my dear; dont look at the work but focus at the Glory-to-God praises on that day and the peace-covenant future awaiting you and your family. 1.3 Closed Circuit Television in Sheffield. The first cameras were installed in 1996 prior to the Euro 96 football competition for which Sheffield was a host city; the cameras were primarily installed to monitor transport links within the city centre rather than to monitor crime scenes. It was not until four years later that more cameras were installed to help prevent and detect crime, in consultation with other services such as the South Yorkshire Police (SYP) and the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport (SPT). They were installed in areas that were potential crime hotspots. It is also clear that the major camera network is extensively installed in the city centre and along the major transport links into the city. Presently, Sheffield City Council has 133 Cameras as at the 1st of July 2010 compared with only 60 cameras in July 2000 indicating an increase of 73 cameras installed in 10 years. In 2001and 2003, 11 Cameras each were installed while in 2002, 26 Cameras were installed at each tram stop; in 2004, only 1 Camera was ins talled in Burn greave while in 2005, 5 Cameras at Eyre Street were installed and in 2006, none was installed. In 2007, 2008 and 2009, a total of 17 cameras (10, 4 and 3 Cameras, respectively) were installed at Millennium Square/ Bus Lane/ Exchange Gateway, Ring Road Urban Traffic Control (UTC), and Granville Square/Bus Lane respectively. Currently in 2010, a few more cameras were installed using funds from the Governments Street Crime Initiative (Devonshire Green/The Wicker), the New Deal for Communities Board (Burn greave), Manor/Castle Development Trust (Park Hill) and Charter Row in the city centre (Single Regeneration Budget, Round 6). And cameras were also installed at Super tram stops from the city centre to Meadowhall terminus, parts of Tinsley and parts of Darnall and the city centre (Sheffield City Council, 2010). More developments are expected in Eyre Street and Sheaf Square. The cost of maintaining and monitoring these cameras are ridiculously high, a summary is detailed below; The total Monitoring Costs =  £474,600.00 The total Maintenance Costs =  £198,037.00 Therefore the maintenance Costs per Camera is  £1,489 per year i.e. each camera costs  £3,568.42 to monitor per year. Despite the high cost of maintenance of CCTV, one of the most sophisticated and digital closed circuit television system in Sheffield is known as Sheffield Wide Image Switching System (SWISS), shown in Fig 2 which is still being used at an advantage in crime reduction. Fig. 2: SWISS IN ACTION IN SHEFFIELD. (Courtesy Sheffield Town Hall). Although the objective of creating SWISS , some of which include the prevention of crime and the provision of evidences against offenders to support crime tracking and prevention and then to help the traffic management or assist in the Automatic Number Plate Recognition initiatives to track vehicles used in criminal activities. However, in view of the cost of maintaining and monitoring these CCTV cameras, incorporated into a system known as SWISS, it would be useful to know if the Big Brother is actually watching the streets. 1.4 Crimes in Sheffield. It was recorded that there was approximately 90% reduction in the number of steel workers employed between 1971 (45,100 workers) and 1993 (4,700 workers). According to Taylor et al (1996), about 10, 000 jobs were lost into the mining industry between 1994 and 1996. With this rapid increase in unemployment, crime rate has increased in certain areas in and around Sheffield , already identified by the SYP force as High Intensity Crime Areas, largely more to the part of the northeast of the city. It is estimated that about 60 000 people live in this area which includes the wards of Manor, Darnall, Brightside, a large area of Burngreave, and parts of Castle, Firth Park, Intake, and Nether Shire. These are, in fact, some of the most deprived wards in England. These wards are known to lack good health, educational awareness, and lack good housing facilities. Notwithstanding the presence of High Intensity Areas, according to Simmons et al. (2003), Sheffield is still believed to be one of the safest areas in the United Kingdom. (National Statistics, 2003). 1.5 Crime Indicators and Attractors. The threat of crime to the community is threat to the safety of the society and the sense of security of the residents; and it is also believed to have major impacts on neighbourhood stability, urban and economic development, education, social integration and the perceived quality of life. Today, crime and disorder are often viewed as the main cause of the declining effect of many inner city neighbourhoods. The Fear of crime is sometimes regarded as being detrimental to the society as crime itself. Most crimes can be prevented if the signs are clearly understood and read and indeed all crimes show crime indicators and signs before they occur. Some of the known crime indicators include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Level of crime. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Fear of crime. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Crime victims as per cent of population. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The safety of pedestrians walking alone at night. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Crime rate. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Property crimes. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Percentage that decreased park use due to fear. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Number of Neighbourhood Watch groups. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Domestic assault reported per 100,000 populations. (http://www.sustainablemeasures.com/Database/PublicSafety.html) These are just a few crime indicators mentioned above; crime indicators are also influenced by location, economic activities, weather conditions and the level of security, etc. According to Spellman (1993), in an economically distressed neighbourhood, the abandoned houses and apartments can become hangouts for thieves, drug dealers, and prostitutes. Inquisitively, does CCTV surveillance recognise these indicators? 1.6 CCTV Surveillance and the Human Error. However, to start with, does CCTV identify crimes? The long hours spent monitoring CCTV surveillance cameras and reviewing the tapes allow the human error factor to set in. No one seems to be an exception to the vulnerability of the unconscious influences and causes of a tired eye. Fig.3 shows a CCTV operator gazing consciously on a camera at close range. For how long can he gaze without missing the most vital indicator to show a crime as just occurred? Fig. 3: CCTV OPERATOR IN CCTV CONTROL ROOM. (Courtesy, Google Images, 2010). Heather (2005) has explained that the police rarely use the Public CCTV to immediately react to crime but only use it as hard evidence for prosecution and prediction. At the Urban eye expert conference few years ago, it was clear that the UK police officers had other priorities than reacting to CCTV nuisance calls for antisocial behaviours. The huge number of cameras in the UK and the broadcasting of these images on television have made petty crime and antisocial behaviours visible to the public. However because most criminal behaviours were recorded and made live, they became impossible to ignore. However Virilio (1998) explained that visual image is easily forgotten due to the speed of the visual image and the excitement of visual information and acquisition. The use of CCTV by the Police is for evidence collection and to search relevant clues for other crimes committed in the area e.g. suspects arriving and parking their cars or other movements linked to another neighbouring crime. As the police employ CCTV image for prosecution, others are exploring how CCTV can be linked into a predictive or preventive system, which is beyond the established practice of making a video camera visible for deterrence. It is correct to say that mobile CCTV has been very useful in acquiring hot spots images. Though it has been assumed that CCTV displaces crime, it is quite subjective if we could base our facts on mere assumptions (Surveillance-and-society,2010).

Bureaucracy & Democracy

Democracy is a term with several meanings and this has led to a genuine misconception as to its real meaning. To some, bureaucracy is red tape, to others it is officialdom and to some it is an organizational form (Cole p25). Observation and studies on bureaucracy have been done by many academicians among them Max Weber (1864-1920). Weber wanted to find out why people in many organizations obeyed those in authority over them. Weber observed that people obeyed legitimate authority and he identified three types of legitimate authority as traditional authority, charismatic authority and rational-legal authority.It is the rational-legal form of authority that exists in most organizations today and this is the form to which Weber ascribed the term ‘bureaucracy’. Weber outlined the main features of bureaucracy as a continuous organization of functions bound by rules, specified spheres of competence, a hierarchical arrangement of offices, appointments to offices made on grounds of technical competence, the separation of officials from the ownership of the organization, official positions exist on their own right and finally rules, decisions and actions are formulated and recorded in writing (Cole p 26).Weber felt that bureaucracy was indispensable for large organizations and there is no doubt that this form organization has been adopted in one way or another virtually in all forms of enterprises the world over. Government bureaucracy: â€Å"If men were angels, no government would be necessary† James Madison and for governments bureaucracy is form of governance that is practicable.However this form of governance has critics and the views of Amy are that bureaucracy is a governance structure that is often perceived negatively by a number of people but he says that most criticisms of government bureaucracy are based more on myths than reality (Amy 2007 p1-8). Amy’s observation is that people normally associate bureaucracy to massive waste, ineff iciency, poor service, ever-growing organizations, mindless rules and realms of useless forms. For these people there is nothing good about bureaucracy as those working in such systems are considered to be lazy, hostile, overpaid, imperious and inflexible.In his arguments, Amy dismisses what he terms the four myths about bureaucracy; 1. Myth no 1: Bureaucracies are immensely wasteful. Tax payers wrongly or rightly believe that much of the tax increases are a result of wastefulness arising from bureaucracies. Government agencies are considered not only wasteful but enormously wasteful. A survey carried out revealed that Americans believe that 48 cents of every tax dollar going to bureaucracies such the Social Security Administration are wasted (Amy 2007).Amy says that investigations by the Government Accounting Office and various blue-ribbon commissions have found that waste amounts to a small fraction of that figure. 2. Myth no 2: Business is always better than bureaucracy. As per A my, there have been many empirical studies examining government bureaucracies versus business in many areas, including refuse collection, electrical utilities, public transportation, water supply systems and hospital administration. The findings have been mixed.Some studies of electric utilities have found that publicly owned ones were more efficient and charged lower prices than privately owned utilities. Several other studies found the opposite while many others found no significant difference. 3. Myth no 3: We want the government to act like a business. The main concern of the government is quality of the service not its costs unlike the business who are obsessed with the bottom-line and hence looking for the cheapest way to make a product or deliver as service.For example it will be imprudent to spend the least amount of resources in the air traffic control system or to look for the cheapest workforce to take charge of security at the airports. 4. Myth no 4: Bureaucracy is major cause of government growth. Conservatives argue that government bureaucracies have an inherent tendency to expand. However figures show that federal agencies have not been growing at an alarming rate. For example in 1970, about 2997000 civilians worked for the federal government at that time.By 2007 that figure had actually gone down to 2695000. An article in published by the Suburban Emergence Management Project (2006 home page) states that the Hurricane Katrina response by the federal, state and local governments in August-September 2005 caused some people to lose faith in the bureaucratic approach used by traditional government hierarchies to organize the provision of services to users who desperately needed them. For example, at the local level, New Orleans Mayor told the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security that he could not commandeer the dozens available school buses to evacuate people because the school boards owned buses, he had no authority over the boards and there was no agreement for the use of the buses. At the state level, the Governor delayed use of military forces to begin reconstitution of the stricken localities until she could validate her authority to rule the troops by disallowing federal National Guards in her state.At the federal level, the President, the Homeland Security Secretary and Federal Emergency Management Agency director could provide services to users of New Orleans during Katrina only at the discretion of the governor of Louisiana. Conclusion: There are areas where government bureaucracy is more effective while in other cases it is counterproductive as evidenced during the Hurricane Katrina crisis. Works cited Amy, D. J. (2007). ‘The case of Democracy, The government is Good We the People; An unapologetic Defense of vital institution’.Available at accessed on April 2, 2009. Pages 1-8 Cole, G. (2004). Management Theory and Practice, 6th Edition published, by Thomson Learning 2004. 25-28. Suburban Emergenc y Management Project (2006), ‘Government Bureaucracy and Two Newer Cultural Approaches to Provide Services Delivery to the Citizenry during Disasters’, Biot Report #411: November 07, 2006. Available at < http://www. semp. us/public/biot_reder. php? BiotID=411 > accessed on April 3, 2009.

The European Chivalry: the Ideals and Practices

The Ideals and Practices Andrew Daniels Strayed University Abstract This paper focuses on the ideals and practices of chivalry, specifically in the Middle Ages. During this time, a list of Ten Commandments pertaining to chivalry existed. Knights were expected to uphold a certain code that impacted their country, church, king, and fellow man. This paper will elaborate on those individual commandments and explore what each mandate meant for a knight, and it will show how those obligations affected various aspects of their lives.Also, the paper will touch on heavily In relation to a knight's demeanor toward a woman, and the rules that were to be followed when engaging in courtly love. Lastly, one will see how some of these ideas have carried into modern day, though they have been altered throughout time. Picture King Arthur, a knight In shining armor, waging war against his former knight Lancelot to prove his love for Guinevere. Most people envision such scenes when they hear the word à ¢â‚¬Å"chivalry. While dragon-slaying knights and tales of rescuing damsels in distress have contributed to our notion of chivalry, many more unifying aspects make up what it means to be chivalrous. I will be delving into the true meaning behind the principles and what it means to be a knight devoted to the ideals of chivalry. Knights first evolved in the eighth century under the direction of the French ruler Charlemagne; It was from this time that the Idea of chivalry arose. Though the code of chivalry was never formally written, it was understood by all as a way of culture and moral conduct.During the Middle Ages, knights upheld the ideals and practices delineated in The Code of Chivalry. These values ranged from dedication to the church, to defending the weak and defending your country, and loading yourself to a higher standard by being faithful to your word and respecting others. The unspoken Ten Commandments revealed the duties a knight was to defend. This paper will further exp and upon the customs of knights and their chivalric ways. One of the major components of chivalry dealt with protecting the church.The first commandment stated, â€Å"thou shall believe all that the church teaches, and shall observe all its directions† (Marshall, 2002). The second commandment simply stated, â€Å"thou shall defend the Church† (Marshall, 2002). In the Middle Ages Christianity in ten Tort AT cottontails was ten only practice religion. I en snuck played a Olsten and dominate role in the majority of people's lives, not only medieval knights. Beginning as free peasants, knights often pillaged churches. Due to such violence, Rome declared knights the protectors of churches starting in the tenth century and threatening sanctions against any who ransacked churches.Later, in the 1 lath century, the Truce of God asserted that knights should not make war on all holy days, all saints days or Thursday through Sunday. Abiding to these rules meant that knights exhibi ted their chivalric duty by observing the churches directions. Not only did the knights protect the church, but the church protected the knights' estate if he embarked on a Crusade to Jerusalem, the supposed burial sight of Jesus. During his time away, the knight was also exempt from paying taxes to the church (Warrior Challenge, 2003).While knights were required to defend the church, they were also expected to defend the weak, according to the Code of Chivalry (Marshall, 2002). Knights were expected to protect the weak and innocent. Given a plot of land for their services, rather than monetary compensation, knights were required to oversee the land in order to keep agricultural procedures running smoothly and to ensure the well-being over their serfs. Another knightly duty was to avenge the wronged. This was possible with extensive training from the age of seven to twenty one.In this fourteen year span, knights learned everything from hunting and falconry to wielding a battle and v aulting on a horse in heavy armor (Martin, 1991). With a repertoire of experiences such as these, knights were surely qualified to shield anyone weaker than them. Moreover, knights â€Å"shall love the country in which thou waist born† (Marshall, 2002). Knights upheld this chivalric code by living to serve their king and country. In the eighth century when Charlemagne ruled over his vast empire he enacted many longstanding ideas both in religion and education.During this period he and his vassals were involved in protecting their borders; without such a charismatic leader knights may not have been so obliged to serve and defend their king and country. In order to exhibit love for his country, the knight was sure to obey the king, country, and Code of Chivalry. The fifth commandment found in the code of chivalry, â€Å"thou shall not recoil before thing enemy' (Marshall, 2002). In a time when battles were common, knights were expected to fight with honor and die with valor. T hese traits would have been taught to these men when they were squires training to be knights.However, knights also established principles of what not to do in battle. It was thought chivalrous to never attack an unarmed foe, never use a weapon on an opponent not equal to the attack, and never attack from behind (Marshall, 2002). By maintaining these principles a knight showed respect to themselves, their king and their country. The next commandment reads, â€Å"thou shall make war against the Infidel without sensation and without mercy,† which relates to the seventh commandment â€Å"thou snail perform scrupulously tiny Teal outlets, IT teen De not contrary to ten laws AT God† (Marshall, 2002).Certain tasks categorized under these two commandments were thought of as chivalrous. One such task stated that knights were to destroy evil in all of its atrocious forms. Knights were required to fight for the ideals of their king, country and chivalry, which meant annihilating all those that attempted to steal land or rob people within the kingdom's borders in which a knight resided. Protection of one's country by destroying the enemy remained a priority for knights, as long as they did not betray any teachings of the church.Knights also abided by the code, â€Å"thou shall never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word† (Marshall, 2002). It was thought gallant to live a life complete with respect and honor. Knights should not take for granted their freedom or their livelihood, and they must remain thankful for the opportunities provided to them. Of course, if knights kept their word of honor, they must avoid lying or cheating their fellow man. Living an existence abundant of deception would defy the principals hose chivalrous men were to uphold.Just as it was thought unethical to deceive their fellow man, it was also thought improper to desert a friend or ally in need. Likewise, knights were not to relinquish a noble cause, whether it p resented itself in the form of a battle, defending one's church, or protecting one's country (Marshall, 2002). By living a truthful, honest existence, knights became role models of suitable gentlemen, which have contributed to our current view of the word chivalry today. Additionally, the code of chivalry demands, â€Å"thou shall be generous, and give largesse to everyone† (Marshall, 2002).Sir Thomas Malory provides a glimpse into such charitable actions as he recounts a scene between King Arthur and Sir Lancelot in his legend El Mortem d'art. After Arthur learns of Lancelot and Gunrunner's affair, he wages war against Lancet's kingdom, only to find himself at the mercy of Lancelot and his kinsman, Sir Boors' sword Not so hardy, said Sir Lancelot, upon pain of thy head, that thou touch him no more, for I will never see that most noble king that made me knight neither slain en shamed.And therewith Sir Lancelot alighted off his horse and took up the king ND horsed him again, a nd said thus: My lord Arthur, for God's love stint this strife, for ye get here no worship, and I would do mine utterance, but always I forbear you, and ye nor none of yours forbear me; my lord, remember what I have done in many places, and now I am evil rewarded (Taylor, 2010, Para. L). Lancelot spares Urethra's life, remembering when Arthur once placed his faith in Lancelot by making him his knight. Despite the quarrel between the former friends over Guinevere, they still respect one another.In this instance Lancet's generosity outweighs his desire to defeat Arthur. Such demonstrations of largesse, whether legend or not, reveal the true meaning behind this commandment. The final commandment documented in the Code of Chivalry states, â€Å"thou shall be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice an Eve â€Å"(Marshall,2 I Nils last commandment Disloyally encapsulates ten tore mentioned orders, reminding knights to live for all that is virtuous and to reinforce the need to respect the authority of country, church and king.Knights were to avoid certain practices such as torture and deceit; they were to remain loyal to their friends ND those who placed their trust in them. Furthermore, the concept of respecting women was considered a significant courtesy, though not directly mentioned in the Ten Commandments of Chivalry. Men were to exhibit manners at all times, and they must be polite and attentive to women. Additionally, gentlemen showed respect to whoever should be their host.Andrea Aquaplanes, a 12th century author, wrote De Amour, known today in English as The Art of Courtly Love. In his work, he addresses the â€Å"twelve chief rules of love,† and elaborates on thirty-one aspect of â€Å"the art of courtly love. Rules that men must abide by consisted of topics such as chastity: â€Å"Thou shall keep thyself chaste for the sake of her whom thou loves† (Marshall, 2002). Within these numerous rules, one can see what was thought of as proper in a relationship and the graciousness that was displayed toward women (Marshall, 2002).Concepts such as this reveal the origins of present day views on chivalry or in some opinions, the lack of chivalry. Overall, I feel the principles that contribute to the idea of chivalry, whether or not construed by legend, are important ones. The codes that knights abided by revealed number of characteristics: faith, loyalty, strength, honesty, generosity and courtesy. I believe living an existence according to these principles, or even attempting to attain such standards, makes a person a superior, well-rounded individual.Incorporating such characteristics into one's everyday life allows a person to be more virtuous, and these values reinforce one's relationship with the church, country and allies. The romanticism of chivalry has survived to present day, though the code is not held to standards nearly as high as in the past with the majority of the ideas fall ing to the wayside. I believe a rejuvenation of several of these notions could benefit factions of society and reinstate principles that should be essential for all mankind.

English 111 Evaluation Essay - 623 Words

English 111 introduces students to critical thinking and the fundamentals of academic writing. This is a prerequisite English class for higher-level English education. By the end of this course a student will have gained a great deal of practice in the craft of writing. This essay will evaluate the English 111 textbooks, essays, self-reflections, the instructor, and what I personally learned. The English 111 textbook had effective sample essays and diagrams of outlines. The Successful College Writing Textbook is the textbook used for the English 111 course. This textbook had great sample essays because they showed useful examples of transition words and phrases. These sample essays also gave a guideline for writing a proper essay. The diagrams in the textbook were extremely sufficient. The diagrams were of the outline of a certain essay. These were remarkably helpful when mapping out an essay. These sample essays and diagrams of outlines were excellent samples of writing. 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