Gezi Park Protests in Turkey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Gezi Park Protests in Turkey - Essay Example Therefore, the governments construction plan at Gezi Park was like the last straw that broke the people’s patience thus releasing all the pent up emotions they felt Although the protest started as a sit-in in the Gezi Park, the brutal force with which the government uses to evict the participant precipitated a widespread protest in other areas. The incident provided an opportunity for the people to express their anger not only about the treatment of those in Gezi Park, but in other spheres where the government had introduced controversial laws like not kissing in public, authoritarianism and curbs on alcohol. Consequently, the protests were not about these issues but about the government and its policies over the years. As the confrontation between the demonstrators and the people developed, the participant was bottling their anger, which had been growing over the years (Mullen & Cullinane) The reasons why the sit-in at Gezi Park erupted and became uncontrollable can be blamed on several factors chief of which being the brutal force used by the police force that t=had entered the park to end the sit-in. The first days of Taksim Gezi Protests before interruption by the police force was peaceful in the history of the protests. ... Of course this reflected the government’s attitude that had been going on for years where the people were not let to express themselves and any effort to express contrary opinion that was not in favor of the government was quashed with the most brutal force. The police could be seen by those watching from television at home attempting to burn the protestors’ tents down. Those that were watching from other places some of whom did not care about the devilment plan at Gezi Park were brought into the protest as they could relate to how the police treated the participants to other government injustices over the years. Effectively, police brutality stretched the extent of the political sphere of the protest that now included other areas apart from environmental concern (Ozcan 396). Further, the brutal force also made the protestors to shift from peaceful mode of expressing themselves to a violent one that involved Molotov cocktail since they now realized that force could only be mate by an equal force (Mullen  and  Cullinane). The Prime Minister’s rhetoric also acted as a catalyst to the protests given his stance and attitude towards the protestors. From the beginning of the protests, the prime minister viewed the protests as a coup against him in addition to the pejorative rhetoric to the protestors in his reference to them as looters. Instead of making efforts to appease the protestors by taking steps that would be viewed as increasing the people’s democratic space, through establishment of channels of communication, he blatantly criticized the protestors as serving the interests of foreign powers and international investors. Additionally, instead of moving to appease the environmentalists, the prime minister emphasized on the environmental conservation

Can Genetically Modified Organisms Save the World Essay

Can Genetically Modified Organisms Save the World - Essay Example Today, the process of genetic modification is rapidly advancing throughout the planet. In 2004, 8.25 million farmers in 17 nations (Ahmed, 30) grew the crops. The production and marketing of GM foods are due to the superficial benefits they hold either to the producer or to consumption of these genetic foods. In the beginning, GM seeds developers needed their products to be accepted by producers and focus on innovations that have direct benefit to the farmers and the food industry at large. For example, the International Rice Research Institute located in the Philippines manufactured the GM golden rice to help people in the South East Asia that were lacking food. GMO foods are unavoidable and we cannot live without them. The WHO, the Food, Drug Administration, and other scientific bodies in the world have strongly advocated for the use of GM foods, since they do not have any harm to the human health. Additionally, research shows that the risks to human health that may be brought about by the consumption of GM foods are the same as those that are brought about by the consumption of non-GM foods. Moreover, the GM foods are safe to use as they tested for food safety and passed the safety assessment. Some people believe that GM foods should be eliminated due to the risks they have like the health issues. It is a fact that people have eaten some of the GM foods unknowingly, but no complains of serious concerns (Ahmed, 18). By 2040, the world’s population is predicted to increase significantly and this therefore means that there are more resources to use and more people to feed. This growing human population entails to being open to new ideas and the use of new technology to curb food insecurity. Moreover, with this new technology, there are many benefits that the genetic modification has in terms of dealing with malnutrition, food security, and agricultural

Examining Stress And Burnout For Law Enforcement Criminology Essay

Examining Stress And Burnout For Law Enforcement Criminology Essay This paper explores stress and burnout for law enforcement officers and correctional staff, the various causes of it, the effects, and possible solutions. Both law enforcement officers and correctional staff are possibly the most stressful occupations, and stress is a constant factor and part of each of these jobs. There are numerous causes of stress that include shift work, excessive overtime, organizational structure, and family problems. The effects of stress can be tremendous on both law enforcement and correctional officers. It can affect their overall mental and physical health, as well as their quality of life. It can eventually even lead to burnout. Stress and burnout not only affect the individual, but also family and friends, co-workers, and the organization. Over the past years, numerous research studies have been conducted on stress in both the law enforcement field and corrections that report similar findings for the causes of stress and its effects. While not all stress factors for law enforcement officers and correctional staff can be eliminated, there are possible solutions for mitigating the effects of stress that can improve their lives, mental and physical health, lower their changes of suicide, decrease divorce, and decrease burnout. Stress and Burnout for Law Enforcement and Corrections: A look at the Causes, Effects and Possible Solutions Stress and burnout occur in all different types of jobs and careers. However, some vocations are more prone to job stress and burnout than others are. Both police officers and correctional officers are exposed to work environments that are characterized by high levels of stress. Stress and burnout for both police officers and correction workers can greatly affect the field of criminal justice. According to Karen Hess (2009), stress can be both positive and negative, and this stress or excitement is why many police officers enter the law enforcement field (p. 464). Any given day, a police officer may have to shoot someone, be shot at, chase down a robber, deal with child abuse, and see death. Additionally, a correctional officer may also have to encounter a violent prison conflict or riot, encounter dangerous offenders and numerous other potentially dangerous situations. With the increasing prison population and never end sprees of crime, the stress for correctional officers and polic e officers is also increasing. Both law enforcement and the correctional field are widely considered some of the most stressful occupations, and both are associated with high divorce rates, alcoholism, suicide and other emotion and health problems. According to O. Ramos (2010), stress in the law enforcement field is unique because it is a constant factor with only changes in the degree and duration of the stress. Over the years, numerous research studies and projects have been performed to investigate how stress affects police officers and correctional workers physical and mental health by agencies such as the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and the National Institute of Justice. Through this research and studies, researchers have been able to indentify stress factors that are unique and more pronounced in these career fields, as well as their effects on the lives, jobs and the field of criminal justice. Stress can have numerous causes and can differ from individual to individual. According to Lambert, Hogan, Hiang, and Jenkins (2009, July), stressors are conditions that place excessive demands on an individual and can lead to discomfort, strain and conflict for the individual. While both the police officers and correctional officers are frequently faced with high levels of stress, the causes of the stress differ between the two groups with the job differences they face. Causes of Stress for Police Officers Stress factors for police officers can vary from pressures of the job, attitude of the public towards police officers, the operation of the criminal justice system, the law enforcement organization itself and the officers personal life. According to Burke and Mikkelsen (2005), police stressors fall into two major categories. The first category stems from the nature of the job, and the second category involves the organizational aspect of law enforcement. The stress of the job involves the physical aspects of the job and includes threats, use of force, exposure to violence and danger, dealing with uncertainty, shift rotations, inadequate or broken supplies, low pay, excessive overtime, and constant fear of injury or death. On the other hand, the organizational aspect of law enforcement that contributes to job stress involve the poor management, inflexible hierarchical structures, roles, inadequate communication, and organizational structure (Burke et al. 2005). In fact, Burke et al. ( 2005) discusses how the bureaucratic nature of the law enforcement organization obstructs police officers from feeling as if they have input in changing the policies sand procedures. There is also conflicting policies, poor supervision, and endless rules that create a tense and stressful work environment. McCarty, Zhao and Garland (2007) also discuss how job stress can differ between male and female police officers. For instance, female officers may be subject to gender discrimination from male officers and supervisors, which could increase their job related stress. Female officers also feel additional pressure that they have to prove themselves more on the job, as well as feel their male partners provide inadequate backup and question their abilities more frequently (McCarty et al., 2007) Additionally, individual stress factors can play a factor in a police officers stress levels due to their personal life. Some individual stress factors include family problems, financial problems, health problems, and taking on a second job for extra income. In fact, many officers are willing to put their health at risk for overtime or another job for the additional income (National Institute of Justice). Causes of Stress for Correctional Officers Correctional officers face some of the same and similar job stressors as police officers as well. Correctional officers have to deal with the never-ending demands of inmates. Correctional officers are also responsible for large array of responsibilities and duties to ensure the correctional facility is properly maintained in an organized manner. Aside from police officers, the workplace nonfatal violent incidents are higher per 1,000 employees for correctional officers than any other profession (Finn, 2000, p. 2). Additionally, according to Childress, Tallucci, and Wood (1999), while a correctional officer operates in a high stress work environment much like a police officer, there have been minimal examinations of the correctional environment in comparison to the voluminous research conducted on the causes and consequences of stress for law enforcement officers. However, it has been determined that some of the job related stresses include inmate demands, low pay, excessive overtime, poor public image, shift rotations, threat of violence, understaffing, amount of contact with inmates, role ambiguity, role conflict, and role overload. The major forms of stress in the work environment can be categorized into organizational structure and job characteristics (Lambert, Hogan Allen, 2006). According to Lambert et al (2006), organizational structure deals with how an organization or agency is arranged, managed and operated, and it normally throughout the entire work environment and therefore influences all employees that work there. Lambert et al (2006) cite a study by Stohr, Lovrich and Wilson that the lack of participation in decision-making caused increased stress for correctional officers. Additionally, the lack of control over the work environment due to the centralization of decision-making can increase the levels of stress. In fact, Lambert et al (2006) performed a study at a Midwestern correctional facility that showed workers who perceived a lack of input into decision- making or a lack of job autonomy had increased levels of stress. Furthermore, lack of information or being kept in the dark is another stress factor for correctional staff caused by the organization structure. Inadequate communication about their jobs is major stress factor. Correctional staffs need clear communication about their tasks, jobs, and issues in order to complete their job and be an effective member of the organization (Lambert et al, 2006). Additional organization-related conditions that can cause increased stress for correctional officers are understaffing, mandatory overtime, understanding, and unreasonable demands. Finn (2000) describes how understaffing can create different types of stress such as lack of time to complete tasks, overload of work, apprehension, and inability to get time off (p. 12). Understaffing also causes the need for extensive overtime from the correctional staff. On the other hand, there are job characteristics that cause stress. Job characteristics are specific to certain jobs; therefore, they are not always found throughout the entire field. Job related stressors included the threat of inmate violence, inmate demands, and problems with coworkers. Lambert et al. (2006) identify some job characteristics as job variety, skill variety, role conflict, role ambiguity, task significance, task identity, and supervision. The roles that correctional officers have to assume can create considerable stress for the officer. According to Lambert et al (2006), role strain is liked to increased stress and role conflict occurs when behaviors for a given job or position are inconsistent with another. Correctional officers also face stress from outside sources other than the prison or jail that they work at. One cause of outside stress is their public image. A lot of the time correctional officers or prisons and jails in general are portrayed in a negative light. This negatively comes from the fact that many people do not know or understand the role and jobs of correctional officers. Sometimes this negatively even forces correctional officers to discuss or talk less about their jobs with others. Another outside source of stress is their pay. Correctional officers do tough work for little pay. Effects of Stress Stress, whether caused from job characteristics, organization factors, shift changes, or family problems, it affects everyone differently. A persons stress tolerance depends on the frequency, severity, types of stress, personal aspects, past experiences, personal values and attitude, sense of control, personality, residual stress level and state of health (Schmalleger Smykla, 2011, p. 321). Stress has great implications for anyone, and police officers as well as correctional staff are not immune to the effects of stress. According to R. Nauert (2008), pressures of the badge put officers at risk for high blood pressure, insomnia, increased levels of destructive stress hormones, heart problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide. Additional effects of stress can be high suicide rates, mental and physical health issues and relationship problems. The National Institute of Justice (2009) states that enduring stress for long periods can lead to anxiety, depression or posttraumatic stress disorder in police officers. Posttraumatic stress disorder, also known as PTSD, is a type of anxiety disorder that can occur after someone has seen or experienced trauma. In fact, it is estimated that one-third of law enforcement in the United States suffer from PTSD. (Hess, 2009, p. 465) Symptoms of PTSD include diminished responsiveness to their environment, apathy, disinterest, pessimism, and diminished sex drive. (Hess, 2009, p. 465) Other mental health issues that stress can induce include increased mood swings, impaired judgment, decreasing an officers adaptability to certain situations, heightening an officers sense of threat, and increasing anxiety or depression (National Institute of Justice). Some of these feelings and mental issues could lead to even suicide or thoughts of suicide. According to Childress et al. (1999), the clinical supervisor of the Rhode Island Department of Corrections Stress Unit stated that correctional officers are three times more likely to commit suicide than they are to be killed on the job. Increased suicidal thoughts are also another implication of stress in police officers. In his article, R. Nauert (2008) discusses the research conducted by John M. Violanti, Ph.D., a research associate professor at the University of Buffalo. Violanti conducted a clinical examination of the affects of stress and indicated that the data showed that 23 percent of male and 25 percent of female officers reported more suicidal thoughts than the general population (13.5 percent). (Nauert, 2008) Furthermore, Nauert (2008) indicated that Violantis previous study that he performed showed that suicide rates were three times higher in police than in other municipal worke r. This higher rate of suicide in law enforcement officers and correctional staff is alarming and shocking. In fact, according to Karen Hess (2009), police officers are eight times more likely to kill themselves than be a victim of homicide (p. 468). However, suicide and mental health problems are not the only adverse outcomes that stress from police work can induce. Physical health issues can arise from the constant stress that police officers experience. Some physical health issues that may develop from increased stress include weight gain, inability to relax, insomnia, gastrointestinal problems, and damage to the cardiovascular system (National Institute of Justice). In fact, a study conducted by the University of Buffalo showed that officers over the age of 40 were at a higher 10-year risk for having a coronary event than the national average and 72 percent of female officers and 43 percent of male officers have a higher than recommended cholesterol level (Page, D. 2010). Additionally, Page (2010) states that police officers as a group showed higher than normal pulse rates and diastolic blood pressure. According to Lambert et al. (2006), correctional officers have higher risks of hypertension, heart attacks, and other stress- related illnesses. In fact, Check and Woodruff reported, correctional officers die far sooner than expected as compared to the national life expectancy, and stress is the leading reason for the shortened life expectancy. (as cited in Lambert et al., 2006) Emotional problems may also surface from the constant high levels of stress. Emotional problems could possible include increased irritability, feelings of tension, depression, and mood swings. Additionally, addictive behaviors such as gambling, overeating, or substance abuse may also emerge as a result of stress. Stress and the effects of stress can also lead to family problems for both law enforcement officers and correctional staff. Both of these professions sometimes feel distant from their family, are not open about their jobs, and stress with their families. Families themselves can also feel the effects of the stress with the long work hours, excessive mandatory overtime, and shift rotations, as well as also having the constant fear that something may happen to their loved one. Stress could also be a potential cause of the high divorce rates. The divorce rate for police officers is double the national average (Hess, 2009, p. 468). Correctional staff also have a higher than average divorce rate as well. In an interview with Officer Josh Taylor of the Escambia County Sheriffs Office, he discussed how the dissolution of his previous marriage was partly attributed to his occupation as a police officer. Police officers sometimes feel distant from their family and do not want to share all aspects of their jobs and stress with their family. The stress and effects of stress can exacerbate an already strenuous marital relationship to its breaking point. Burnout Job stress and burnout may be used interchangeably. However, they are two distinct and different terms. Lambert et al. (2010) define job burnout as the withdrawing emotionally, psychologically, and socially from the job, and generally results after prolonged exposure to stressors, including ob stress, and/or the removal of valued resources. According to Schmalleger and Smykla (2011), when stress reaches an unbearable level, burnout can occur. (p. 320) It is a physical and mental state that is caused by the severe strain and stress placed on the body (Burke, 2009). All with the effects of stress, the symptoms of burnout are gradual and differ from person to person. However, some symptoms of burnout may include lack of enthusiasms and interest, decreased job performance, short tempers, and loss of motivation (Hess, 2009, p. 466). Burnout can contribute to decline in work performance, withdrawal from others, and diminished work life. With the high levels of stress faced on a daily basis and the nature of their jobs, both law enforcement officers and correctional staff are susceptible to burnout. Burke et al. (2005) discusses the six areas of organizational life that is connected to burnout: workload, job control, rewards and recognition system, responsiveness to staff needs, respect and fairness, and fit of the individual and organizational values at work. Lambert et al. (2009, July) discusses Cherniss view on the three stages of burnout. The first stage involves an unfair distribution of work forces, demands and resources, resulting in an emotional and psychological strain on the worker. As a consequence of the strain for the worker, the next stage is where the strained worker treats co-workers and clients in an detached, impartial or insensitive manner. The final stage involves the strained worker feeling inadequate in dealing with others, retreating from others, and ultimately becoming detached, cynical and disengaged. Additionally, Maslach and Jackson (1981) argued that the three dimensions of burnout included emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced sense of personal accomplishment and theorized that work related stressors and organizational factors were primary care for job burnout (as cited in Lambert, et al., 2009). In recent years there has been a small number of studies and research done on burnout n the criminal justice field. Lambert et al. (2009) discusses how research has examined whether personal characteristics were related to burnout, such as sex, age, position, tenure, education level, and race. According to Lambert et al. (2009), work environment factors, not personal characteristics, are more likely to contribute to burnout. In law enforcement officers, burnout can affect the quality of service provided by a police officer and his inter-personal relationships. Burke et al. (2005) reviewed a small number of studies that considered the impact of burnout on the job behaviors of police and other service providers. It was found that burned out police officers were more likely to demonstrate a more negative mood, react to civilians more negatively, have reduced problem-solving skills, and increased likelihood of using force (Burke et al, 2005). According to Jerry Carlton (2009, March), burnout is something that most in the law enforcement professional will experience at some point in their career. The dangers of burnout in police officers can be very real and dangerous for the individual with it affecting their job performance. For correctional staff, researchers have found that some of the same job stressors, such as perceived dangerousness of job, increased contact with inmates, role overload, role conflict and role ambiguity have all been linked to burnout of correctional staff (Lambert et al., 2009). Burnout is a huge problem in the corrections field. In fact, Lambert et al. (July 2009), report that correctional employees have higher levels of burnout than the levels found in the general population, even higher than police officers. A study by Lindquist and Whitehead (1986) showed that approximately 33% of Alabama correctional officers in their study were suffering from burnout ( as cited by Lambert et al., 2010). Additionally, a study by Hurst and Hurst (1997) demonstrated half of Kentucky correctional officers in their study were suffering from emotional exhaustion, a form of burnout (as cited by Lambert et al. 2010). Burnout is not only harmful for the correctional officer, but also the correctional agency or organization. Lambert et al. (July 2009) report that burnout can cause decreased work performance, withdrawal or reduced interaction with other employees, increased absenteeism, substance abuse and greater turnover. Lambert et al. (2009, July) performed a study on the burnout rates at a private Midwestern maximum-security facility to examine the associations between burnout and contact with inmates, role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload, and perceived dangerousness. In this survey, out of the 160 surveys that were completed, 18 percent responded that they felt burned out from their job, 26 percent responded they were emotionally drained to some degree at the end of the day from their job, 23 percent felt they had become insensitive to coworkers, 33 percent indicated they were less sympathetic, 13 percent felt they were not valued, and 12 percent felt they did not have positive influence (Lambert et al., 2009, July). According to this survey, tenure was the only one among the control variables that had a statistically significant relationship, and role ambiguity and overload also have a significant positive association with burnout for correctional staff (Lambert, et al. 2009, July). Lambe rt et al. (2009, July) suggests that the results show that correctional staff wants clearly defined roles and guidance and not to be overloaded in their assigned job tasks. Also, surprisingly perceived dangerousness of the job was not connected to burnout. According to Lambert et al. (2009, July), dangerousness may be expected ad perhaps may give some employees a sense of duty and even excitement rather than being stressed over it. Contact with inmates was also not found to have a noticeably connection to the study; however, Lambert et al. (2009, July) note that it could be the type of contact and the need for additional research to determined if it is associated with burnout. Furthermore, work-family conflict can lead or contribute to burnout. According to Lambert et al. (2010), work-family conflict involves the family/home life interfering with work and work life interfering with home life. Family on work conflicts involve conflicts that the family causes that impact work life, such as having a sick child to take care of or a conflict with a spouse. On the other hand, Lambert et al. (2010) describe work on family conflicts as having three different forms: time-based conflicts, strained-based conflicts, and behavior-based conflicts. Time-based conflicts occur when time demands for work interfere with home life and an individuals personal time. For instance, both correctional institutions and law enforcement require staffing 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, including holidays. They may also be required to work mandatory overtime. Strained-based conflicts occur when demands and tensions of work negatively affect the quality of the individ uals home life. When work behavior interferes with home life and is incompatible, behavior-based conflict occurs. For example, both law enforcement officers and correctional staff work roles require them to be suspicious of others and this may not be acceptable with family members and friends and can lead to conflict(Lambert et al., 2010). Lambert et al. (2010) notes that only a handful of studies have been conducted o examine the work-family conflict in correctional staff. Burnout not only negatively affects the individual, but also impacts co-works and the organizations themselves. It can cause decrease work performance, withdrawal or reduced interaction with co-workers, increased absenteeism, substance abuse, and frequent turnover (Lambert et al., 2009, July). In the end, burnout ends up costing the organizations additional funds. Burnout is not something that happens overnight, and in can be avoided with proper maintenance and care. Possible Solutions to Job Stress and Burnout Ideally, to address all the job stress and burnout for law enforcement officers and correctional staff would be to institute changes that would stop it from occurring or minimize it from happening. However, this is not always necessarily possible in their work environments and in the criminal justice field. With all of the implications and effects stress and burnout can have on law enforcement officers and correctional staff, there are several initiatives or solutions that have been pursued to help reduce or mitigate stress and burnout. Hess (2009) discusses some strategies for reducing stress and avoiding burnout that could be useful for both law enforcement officers and police officers (p. 466). Physical exercise, proper nutrition, adequate sleep, social outlets, relaxation techniques and time management are all ways to reduce stress and avoid burnout in these fields (Hess, 2009, p. 466). Many organizations are also starting to recognize the hazards of stress for both the individuals and the organizations. Stress-management programs are starting to be implemented; however, the individual must want to take charge of their own stress management to be successful. Additionally, both professions have taken different, but similar measures to address the issues of stress and burnout. Law Enforcement Officers Often law enforcement officers are not open or speak about their stress and how it may be affecting their lives. The National Institute of Justice notes an unspoken code of silence exists for police officers about the stress that comes with the job. With the nature of the work environment, it is sometimes hard to mediate and spot stress before it is too late. One of the keys to finding a potential solution for stress is looking for the warning signs. Ramos (2010) discusses how training for law enforcement personnel and their families is critical in addressing the problem of police suicide with teaching others how to look for the warning signs and risk factors. Law enforcement personnel and families should also be trained to identify the signs and factors of basic stress to combat that before it leads to issues that are more serious. Additionally, Ramos (2010) notes that agencies need to encourage officers to seek assistance from personal physicians, employee assistance programs, peer support and crisis intervention counselors. According to Burke (2009), a knowledge manager is the best prevent for burnout. Police managers should be trained to detect the subtle personality changes that could indicated a problem. Early detection could help to avoid the most serious affects of burnout and from burnout consuming the officer. Burke (2009) points out that it near impossible for every police manager to know every officer under his or her supervision to be able to detect all signs; however, a team concept would allow the police manager to educate team members about the signs and symptoms of burnout so that team members known how to properly respond when the signs are detected. It also helps provide an open field of discussion among the team members. Additionally, an article in Call and Post discusses how polices are using military techniques to combat on the job stress (Anonymous, 2008, October). It involves an innovative program to train police leadership to recognize and address stress through a unique collaboration between military combat stress experts and local police forces. Clevelands D ivision of Police, Case Western Reserve University, the Partnership for a Sager Cleveland the U.S. Department of Defense have partnered together to try to combat on the job stress (Anonymous, 2008, October). Supervisors and patrol officers are provided tri-fold laminated cards that have the warning signs of stress to help identify operational stress early on. Awards were adapted from the United States Military to acknowledge the officers as well. Medals shaped like dog tags, as well as bronze medals, are also used to reinforce the training and honor those that have participated in the program (Anonymous, 2008, October). Having available mental health and stress management programs to police officers can also be beneficial. According to Macmillan (2009), these programs need to be utilized more often, and the law enforcement field relies on three types of these programs: external, internal and hybrid. The external program involves an officer receiving treatment from an outside source. This allows the officer to keep anonymity. Internal programs are those that are ran from within the department or agency, and hybrid programs are a mixture of external and internal. In fact, Macmillan (2009) notes that departments and agencies can work around having limited funding for these programs with sharing the programs with other local government departments and agencies, such as with the fire department or paramedics. Macmillan (2009) also discusses the advantages of having peer counseling as an effective way to manage stress. Peer counseling programs allow officers with similar experiences and tensions to offer assistance and aid to follow officers who may be suffering from stress. Additionally, it is sometimes easier for officers to talk and share with fellow officers than a psychologist or therapist (Macmillan, 2009). Departments can also often obtain assistance with wellness through local health departments or through their insurance carriers at little to no costs (Anonymous, 2009). Sometimes police stress programs are not able to address the needs of a police officer or his or her family. Non-profit organizations such as the Central Florida Police Stress Unit, which have not affiliation with any police department or agency, can also be beneficial in dealing with stress. Organizations, such as the Central Florida Police Stress Unit, are established to help both law enforcement and their families deal with stress that is directly or indirectly associated with the law enforcement profession. This type of organization is great tool for officers and their families that want to maintain confidentiality and are fearful of speaking out or others learning of their problems. Central Florida Police Unit provides a range of services, and has licensed mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers and consulting police psychologist to help police officers and their families deal with a wide range of issues from marriage counseling to finan ce and retirement problems. Correctional Staff As with law enforcement officers, correctional staff are often not open about their stress and how it may be affecting their lives. In fact, correctional officers often deny that they are under stress in fear that it might be looked at unfavorably or make them seem weak (Schmalleger Smykla, 2011, p. 319). With the nature of the work environment, it is sometimes hard to notice and mediate stress before it is too late. One of the keys to finding a potential solution for stress is looking for the warning signs. Correctional personnel, their families, and co-works should be trained to identify the signs and factors of stress to combat it before it leads to issues that are more serious. According to an article written in Corrections Today, correctional agencies are losing money, losing good employees, and jeopardizing officer and public safety due to work-related stress. (Anonymous, 2007) Correctional officers should also be encouraged to seek outside assistance from p

Organising tour for Signed Act :: essays research papers

In order to organise a tour for a signed act, it takes the efforts of management, the record company, agent and promoter. Although each have their individual responsibilities and ways of working it is required of them to work together as a team in order to make a tour possible, or even for just one gig. They each contribute an essential part of the process and organisational strategies and without co-operation of each unit organising a tour would be practically impossible. Disagreements could cause much of an inconvenience and the music industry being so large with so many people disagreements are not uncommon as everyone has their own opinion. Compromise is perhaps the only key, therefore working with open minded people makes it much easier. Often the job descriptions of each unit intersect and are hard to define, which can sometimes be helpful as different people can do the same job from different angles, however it can also get confusing and cause problems often being the result of communicational breakdowns. In this essay we shall study what each unit does and how they work together looking at the advantages and disadvantages of certain aspects and perhaps discuss ways in which the system could be improved. Management The management company works with the artist more so than anyone else. They play a dominant role in their interaction with people in the music industry (agents, promoters, record labels). Their own interaction with the artist is direct and they often have a freindly relationship with the artist. I spoke to an unsigned rock band with a management contract to find out exactly what they do for them. Their management company were an established music company who create music for adverts and therefore have knowledge and contacts within the industry. They provide the band with financial backing for equipment, recording sessions and any other finances to support the band. They also act as an agent for the band and book gigs by contacting promoters and promoters also often contact them. Their relationship with the band is very friendly and are on terms were they both work for each other. Their management push and motivate the band to work as hard as they can to improve their material and perhaps influence it to be what a record company might want to hear. They are usually responsible for any exposure the band receive, for example interviews, airtime, music journals etc.

Carbon-14 Dating: an Invaluable Yardstick in the Chronology of Humans Essay

Archeologists use many methods to analyze data from the past. One scientific tool they use is to analyze the radioactive decay of chemical elements found in plant and animal remains, pottery, and even in rocks. Radiocarbon dating, also known as carbon-14 dating, has been one of the most important radioisotope dating methods used. This scientific tool, which was first developed by Willard F. Libby in the late 1940s, has significantly improved the accuracy of assigning dates to past events and artifacts as far back as 70,000 years. It is helping archaeologists, geologists, and anthropologists reconstruct the world’s history by filling in some of the many blank dates in the chronology of the history of our human world and by substantiating and revising other dates. In 1941, the radioactive atom, carbon-14, was isolated and discovered. Utilizing this discovery of the unstable radioactive isotope of carbon, Libby formulated an idea for using the decay rate of this radioactive form of carbon to date the remains of once-living plants and animals such as charcoal, wood, bone, shells, and fossils. In 1948, while at the University of Chicago, he and his colleagues started experimenting with carbon-14 as a means for dating the past. The scientists proved that carbon-14, which is present in our atmosphere as carbon dioxide, is absorbed by plants, animals, and human beings at a constant rate, and that the amount of carbon-14 is stabilized at a specific amount. A living organism can only intake a finite amount of carbon-14. Then, at the moment the living organism dies, it stops taking in any carbon-14, and the carbon-14 remaining in the organism starts to disintegrate at the half-life rate of 5,568 years (Poole 1961:27). (Today, based on refined calculations/techniques the half-life rate of carbon-14 is generally considered to be 5,730 years) (Wheatley 2004:98; DeYoung 2005:46). From the experimental results, Libby devised an apparatus to measure the amount of carbon-14 that had been lost and the amount that still remained in the substance. He planned to calculate the age of an object from the amount of carbon-14 left inside it after death. To test the validity of his carbon-14 counting device and subsequent calculations, Libby tested many items that archaeologists had previously dated. Some of the items he tested included: acacia wood from the first stepped pyramid tomb of Egyptian ruler Zoser  (established rate: 2700 B.C.; Libby date: 3979 ±350 years), cypress wood from the tomb of Sneferu in Egypt (established date: 4,575 B.P.; Libby date: 4802 ±210 years), cedar wood from the Egyptian pharaoh Sesostris’s funeral boat (established date: 3750 B.P.; Libby 3621 ±180 years), wood from a mummy coffin from the Ptolemaic period in Egypt (established date: 2280; Libby 2190 ±450 years), wheat and barley seeds (established date: 5000 years old; Libby date 5256 ±230 years), and lastly, Libby dated charcoal from Iraq at 6596 ± 360 years which coincided with the known approximate date (Poole 1961:28-32, Libby 1952:70). Except for the Zoser sample date, which dated too far back in history, his experimental dates were accurate within an acceptable margin of error. These sample tests, along with many others, confirmed that his carbon-14 test dating method was scientifically dependable within an acceptable margin of error for objects already dated. Libby then continued his work on dating objects for which no dates had been established. Scientists and scholars began to send him samples from all over the world to radiocarbon date. This included dating artifacts from the Dead Sea Scrolls, Pompeii, Stonehenge, and New Mexico. One of his most significant results occurred when his colleagues dated glacial debris near Two Creeks, Wisconsin. His scientific work provided strong evidence that the last Ice Age in North America had covered the land as recently as 11,000 BCE years ago, not 25,000 years ago as most geologists previously believed (Libby 1952:105). All of these accomplishments and the inroads Libby made in dating the past employing carbon-14 dating earned him the Nobel Prize in 1960. Although radiocarbon dating methods have improved tremendously, Libby’s overall methodology is still utilized and accepted as a dating technique. It is based upon the fact that carbon-14 is a radioactive, unstable isotope of carbon-12 since its molecular composition has two more neutrons than protons. Carbon-14 is made when cosmic rays enter the earth’s atmosphere and collide with nitrogen atoms. The unattached carbon neutrons then combine with nitrogen-14 atoms to become carbon-14 (Nitrogen-14 + neutron → Carbon-14 + proton). As the resulting carbon-14 atoms drift down towards the earth’s surface they combine with oxygen to make carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide includes the stable, common isotope carbon-12 and also tiny  amounts of radioactive carbon-14. Both kinds of carbon, C-14 and C-12, are absorbed and used by plants and trees during the photosynthesis process and become part of their cellulose structure. Animals then eat these plants containing carbon-14 and carbon-12 and thus forms of carbon enter their tissues. When plants and animals die, they no longer absorb carbon from the atmosphere and the trace amount of carbon-14 in them starts to slowly decay back to nitrogen (Carbon-14 → Nitrogen-14 + Beta (ÃŽ ²)). Beta particles are single electrons that are free from atoms and carry a negative charge (DeYoung 2005:25). At the point of death, all organisms contain one atom of carbon-14 for every trillion atoms of carbon-12 (Poole 1961:25). Carbon dating requires determining the amount of carbon-14 that has disintegrated in the sample and the amount that remains. Generally this is measured as the ratio of isotopes C-14/ C-12. This value is then compared to the initial carbon-14 content in the sample to determine its age taking into account carbon-14’s half-life and other calibration factors (DeYoung 2005:46-48). Since the amount of carbon-14 in each sample is miniscule, it is necessary to have several â€Å"clean† samples of the same artifact being dated. It is imperative to avoid contamination of the artifacts as any carbon-14 found in the non-sample material, such as roots or other decaying remains which might be from a different time period, could significantly distort the results since the percentage of carbon-14 in a sample is minute (Hedman 2007:58). Therefore, scientists or archeologists generally collect large samples because when they cleanse the sample, which includes purification and distillation processes, small amounts of matter tend to be removed. The trowels must be meticulously cleaned and the artifacts are packed in chemically neutral materials to ensure that the sample’s ratio of C-14 to C-12 remains the same. The stratigraphy of where the sample was taken must also be examined to ensure that the carbon sample location was not contaminated. In addition, scientists extract several samples in order to perform similar test on the artifact to confirm the accuracy of the dates they calculate. In order to determine a samples age, scientists perform experimental trials to identify and count the number of carbon-14 atoms in the sample based on carbon-14’s unique physical properties of larger mass and radioactivity (Hedman 2007:58). Today, scientists manipulate two formulas to determine the age of an artifact. One is the formula t = (1/ÃŽ »)  ln (I0/I), where â€Å"ÃŽ »Ã¢â‚¬  symbolizes the decay constant for carbon-14, â€Å"I† stands for the amount of carbon-14 in the dead matter, â€Å"t† represents time in years, and â€Å"I0† is the carbon-14 in living matter (L’Annunziata 2007:526). This formula calculates the time that has elapsed from the time of death of an organism. The second is an exponential decay formula which is A = A0* e^(-ÃŽ »k) (L’Annunziata 2007:523). In this equation, â€Å"A† stands for the amount of carbon-14 atoms remaining after a given time â€Å"t†, â€Å"A0† denotes the number of carbon-14 atoms at the time of observation, and â€Å"ÃŽ »Ã¢â‚¬  remains the decay constant. This formula allows scientists to know the ratio of the present amount of the radioactive isotope that remains versus the original amount in relation to time. This formula also determines the amount of carbon-14 that would diminish over a given time period. An important fact when using these formulas is that archaeologists and scientists are assuming that the production of radiocarbon in the atmosphere and the carbon-12 and carbon-14 ratio has remained constant over time. When Libby and his colleagues developed this dating system in the 1940’s, they relied on the radioactivity of carbon-14’s unstable nuclei. They, as well as subsequent scientists, have used Geiger counters to detect if radioactive carbon is present in a sample. This device is able to detect the beta particles emitted by atoms of carbon-14 as they decay. When these rays hit the Geiger counter, the device clicks indicating that the substance is radioactive. After, scientists start their process of determining the samples historical age. For example, if scientists wants to know the age of a piece of wood destroyed by fire, they take the piece of wood and soak it in chemicals to confirm any contamination particles that remain on the artifact are gone prior to it being tested. The next step is to separate the carbon-14 atoms from everything else in the wood. To do this, scientists place the wood in a heavy glass tube and then burn it. When this reaction occurs, the burning of the wood leaves very little ash and emits carbon dioxide, which is collected in a purification vacuum system. Once the gas containing carbon-14 is completely purified, the gas enters a glass jar, which then enters the carbon-14 counter. This device is comprised of a ring of Geiger counters inside a casing, and all of this is surrounded by lead or iron bricks to filter out even more radiations from the atmosphere. The sample is then tested and an electronic panel counts and records the time elapsed  as each carbon-14 atom disintegrates. From this, scientists can calculate the approximate age of the sample by manipulating the formulas mentioned previously and calculate the number of years that have elapsed since the sample stopped the intake of carbon-14 and began its half-life decay (Poole 1961:40-46). A second method of radiocarbon dating used is the Liquid Scintillation counting method. This was particularly popular during the 1960’s. The Liquid Scintillation counting method converts a sample to carbon dioxide either through combustion or acid hydrolysis. The gas is purified until it is ready to be â€Å"reacted with molten lithium to form lithium carbide, before being catalytically trimerised to benzene† (Higham 2002: paragraph 2). Once this process finishes, the benzene is driven off and collected under a vacuum to be counted for carbon-14 content utilizing a Liquid Scintillation spectrometer. This apparatus counts the pulses of light emitted by the benzene compound when it is bombarded with photons and has a high precision in dating. Advancement in technology has led to the third method of radiocarbon dating, which is more precise than the other two methods. This process is accelerator mass spectrometry or AMS. This technique uses multiple stages of acceleration and ionization, as well as several magnets to separate the carbon-14 isotopes from all other atoms and molecules in the sample. A major advantage of AMS is that all carbon-14 atoms in a sample are counted, not just the ones that happen to decay. This makes this method very sensitive and can give accurate dating even if only one milligram of carbon is provided (Hedman 2007:60). The limit of carbon-14 detection using AMS is about one carbon-14 atom for every 1016 stable carbon-12 atoms. This sensitivity is one part per ten thousand trillion or the equivalent of being able to detect a unique grain of sand along a 100 mile-long seashore (DeYoung 2005:50)! This sensitivity means that artifacts can be analyzed without causing damage to them. It also enables objects with small amounts of carbon-14 (like steel tools) to be analyzed and dated. The only drawback is that AMS machines take up entire buildings, are only found in about thirty specialized places throughout the world, and it is very expensive to test samples utilizing this method (Hedman 2007:60). Various scientists use radiocarbon dating as a device to measure ages of artifacts; however, it is categorized under the Culture History theoretical school of thought in archaeology. Culture History  archaeologists focus their work on cultural processes and work to determine human behavior. In the field their focus is keened toward the distribution of artifacts that can define traits, which leads to defining cultures and changes over time. Carbon-14 dating falls under this theoretical school of thought because its purpose is to date artifacts, and when the dates of an artifact are known, they can be related to one another and aid in defining a culture or changes in culture over time (shortman). One of the areas where carbon dating has been particularly useful is in trying to date the evidence of human activity in the Americas. Prior to carbon-14 dating, most scientists believed the last Ice Age ended about 25,000 years ago (Poole 1961:51). In 1950, ancient logs from spruce trees were found under glacial debris near Two Creeks, Wisconsin. Scientists were certain that these trees were crushed by the fourth Ice Age. Pieces of this wood were sent to Libby for dating. Based on his tests, the last Ice Age had spread across the land as recently as 11,000 years ago! This meant scientists had to restudy and revise previous dates of other natural events (Poole 1961:52-53). Another example of how carbon-14 dating helped was dating the evidence of humans coming to the New World. This evidence revolves around the Clovis points, a group of artifacts, found in New Mexico. The Clovis points are large spearheads with a â€Å"flute† at their base and are made from rocks like flint or volcanic glasses like obsidian that can be chipped away to form sharp edges. Clovis points have been found throughout the United States, and at several sites, these artifacts were found with the remains of mammoths. Carbon-14 dating of these Clovis points places them at 11,000 BCE or 13,000 years ago after calibration (Hedman 2007:86). Using this data, the Clovis first-model was developed that suggested that there should not be any people in the Americas much before 13,000 to 14,000 years ago in view of the Ice Age that made travel difficult, even if it did provide a corridor into this land. However, over the years archaeologists have claimed to discover sites that predate the Clovis points. As an example, carbon-14 dating of charcoal samples from the Meadowcroft rockshelter in Pennsylvania suggests that the site is over 15,000 years old. This leads to the belief that people landed in America well before the ice-free corridor opened. In addition, in 1997 independent archaeologists confirmed the accuracy of the date of wooden poles and posts from a site in Monte Verde, Chile. Carbon-14 testing suggested the artifacts were 14,000 to 15,000 years old. This site also appears to be older than Clovis, which is surprising given the fact that it is 10,000 miles south of Alaska (Hedman 2007:88-91). There are controversies surrounding the carbon dating of these sites. As to Meadowcroft, which is near Canada, remains of oak and hickory trees were found in the oldest layers. It seems unlikely deciduous trees could survive the ice age yet the excavators counter this argument saying the area was sheltered which made the climate milder. Meadowcroft skeptics also suggested that the samples might be contaminated since the site is in the heart of coal country. If any of the surrounding material (which no longer had carbon-14 in it since it had already decayed) was mixed with charcoal from the fires, it would dilute the C-14 fraction and the dates would be too old. The archaeologists countered this by saying the dates in each layer of excavation were in order of age. As to Monte Verde, skeptic said the artifacts found were near a stream so the evidence was not reliable. They might be a mixture of material from a range of different times (Hedman 2007:89-91). What is interesting about these examples is it points out some of the shortcomings of radiocarbon dating on the one hand, and on the other hand, it shows that it is a valuable tool for approximating the chronology of history when used with other dating techniques. Even though carbon-14 is a great tool in establishing the age of artifacts, it has some drawbacks. First, it can only date objects up to about 70,000 years ago since its half-life is 5,730 years (Wheatley 2004:98). In addition, its accuracy is debated. Some scientists question the validity of using 5,730 years as a half-life since this assumes nuclear half-lives have always been stable. Moreover, radiocarbon dating assumes that the carbon-14 content of the atmosphere has remained constant over the years and that living things have a constant ratio of C-14 to C-12 in them when alive based on the C-14 content in the atmosphere. However, it is known that since the 1950s, the amount of carbon-14 in the atmosphere has increased because of nuclear bombs and reactors. Artifacts from this era would be dated younger than they really are since they have a higher C-14 to C-12 ratio. By the same token, the ratio between carbon-14 and carbon-12 during the industrial era would be lower due to the burning of fossil fuels and the release of large amounts of carbon dioxide. Because of the increased levels of carbon dioxide, it would  cause things to appear older than their true age. Fortunately, scientists have been able to adjust their radiocarbon dating results to account for changes in the carbon-14 levels in the atmosphere by taking into account information obtained from tree-ring dating. The carbon-14 data is calibrated to the tree ring dates. This has greatly improved the accuracy of this dating technique (Wheatley 2004:98). The earth’s magnetic field can also impact carbon-14 dating results. Cosmic rays are charged particles, so they can be deflected by magnetic fields. Shifts in the magnetic field will influence the quantity of cosmic rays that enter the earth’s atmosphere. If the magnetic field is strong, the number of cosmic rays entering the atmosphere will be reduced. This in turn affects the amount of C-14 in the atmosphere. There have been variations in the earth’s magnetic field. For example, based on data from volcanic rock, the earth’s magnetic field was stronger around 2000 BCE than it is today. At about the same time, the carbon-14 content of the atmosphere dropped. Today, the radiocarbon dating process considers these variations in magnetic fields when dating artifacts (Hedman 2007:75-76). Lastly, another key assumption in radiocarbon dating is the fraction of C-14 to C-12 was the same for organisms living in the past as it is for organisms living today. It is known that some living organisms can accumulate more carbon-14 in their bodies than others. This is known as mass fractionation. For example, corn’s photosynthesis process causes it to have 2-3% higher carbon-14 fraction than sugar beets or tree leaves growing at the same time. If scientists did not take this into account, carbon-14 would underestimate the date of materials derived from corn (Hedman 2007:68-69). Despite these limitations, in my opinion, carbon-14 dating is an invaluable tool in helping date artifacts. Even though it can only date artifacts that are 70,000 years old or younger, it has enabled archeologists, geologists, and anthropologists to have a better understanding of how and where people lived over time in a large part to the chronological information it provides. Specifically, it helped revise the human timetable when it dated the Ice Age to being as recent as 13,000 years ago, not 25,000 years. Radiocarbon dating has also aided in confirming previously established dates. Some may discredit this dating technique because of some of its assumptions, however, refinements to this carbon dating process and collaboration with other dating techniques, such as  dendrochronology, continue to confirm that carbon-14 is still an important yardstick in measuring time and has significantly helped the field of archeology. Bibliography â€Å"Dating.† Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2009. Encylopaedia Britannica Online. 09 Sept. 2009 . DeYoung, Don. Thousands, Not Billions: Challenging an Icon of Evolution: Questioning the Age of Earth. Green Forest: New Leaf, 2005. 13-62. Hedman, Matthew. The Age of Everything: How Science Explores the Past. Chicago: University of Chicago P, 2007. 49-95. Higham, Thomas. â€Å"The 14C Method.† Radiocarbob WEB-info. 9 Aug. 2002. 26 Sept. 2009 . L’Annunziata, Michael. Willard F. Libby. Radioactivity Introduction and History. Amsterdam: Elsevier B.V., 2007. 518-28. Poole, Lynn, and Gary Poole. Carbon-14. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 1961. Wheatley, Abigail, and Struan Reid. Radioactive Dating. The Usborne Introduction to Archaeology. London: Usborne Ltd., 2004. 98-99. Willard, Libby F. Radiocarbon Dating. Chicago: University of Chicago, 1952. 69-111.

Consider the extent to which firms within the UK post Hargreaves are now better placed to engage with eCommerce

our site – CUSTOM ESSAY WRITING – DISSERTATION EXAMPLE Introduction In the period prior to the commissioning of the Hargreaves Review by the government, concerns were raised by the government that the UK was not in a sufficiently strong position when it came to encouraging intellectual property and technology growth, particularly when competing with other jurisdictions. As a result, the Prime Minister commissioned a review in November 2010, which aimed to look at the ways in which intellectual property could be used to achieve growth in the economy. The purpose of this paper is to look at the impact of the Hargreaves Review and to consider what this means to firms looking to engage with e-commerce. Although the review aimed to look at the broader issues of the intellectual property framework, it has clearly had a greater impact on certain industries, including those engaging with e-commerce[1]. The government has largely adopted the findings of the Hargreaves Review in the report of 3rd August 2011[2] and these have been included in the Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act 2013 which received Royal Assent on 25th April 2013. These provisions will be considered alongside the background and the perceived problems that the review was looking to tackle, before looking at the likely impact this would then have on all aspects of intellectual property, as well as on e-commerce, in general. Finally, conclusions will be drawn[3] Background A fundamental part of the report is focused on the fact that intellectual property is an important aspect of achieving growth. Moreover, the government views intellectual property as a means of stimulating economic growth and this is also seen to be the case for online activity associated with typical e-commerce transactions, with the ability of companies to buy and sell items or in order to have an online presence[4]. Intellectual property laws must necessarily adapt and change to deal with surrounding circumstances; the technology itself must also become much more forward thinking. There are concerns however that copyright law is beginning to act in a way that creates barriers for the development of new and innovative product ideas. But, on the flipside, in the event that companies are able to act entirely freely, there would be no incentive to invest and the ability of e-commerce companies in the UK to compete internationally, as others simply come along and take on board their in vestment and thoughts for their own benefit[5]. The focus of the review was on the intellectual property framework and this extends beyond purely looking at e-commerce, which deals with the buying and selling of products and services online. However, for the purposes of this report, many of the findings relating to intellectual property, in general, can be seen to be directly linked to the potential stimulation of growth within e-commerce. In order to consider the impact that the Hargreaves Review will have on e-commerce, specifically, it is first necessary to look at the key proposals that emanated from the review and how these have then been adapted or applied by the government. Key Changes Proposed The key changes that were proposed by the review include[6]: creation of a digital copyright exchange, to make it much easier for organisations, including those that operate solely online, to license copyright protected works; to introduce a general right in order to allow individuals to use work where it is not possible to find the author; to place certain limits on the use of copyright, so that issues, e.g. non-commercial research and format shifting, are not seen to be an infringement; the introduction of a small claims track to the patent’s County Court, in order to make enforcement easier for SMEs; also, to support SMEs, it has been advised that there should be an investigation into the impact of having patent clusters and the ability of an SME to grow and evolve; a focus needs to be placed on assisting SMEs in getting value from the IP that they have established; and the provision of mediation services to deal with intellectual property disputes in a much more cost-effective and commercially minded way. There are multiple process based changes proposed as part the review however the actual implementation is the ongoing focus of this paper with particular reference to how the application of these changes will potentially impact on the UK e-commerce arena. Broadly speaking there are two key perspectives, the need to protect the position of companies without potentially increasing the regulatory burdens and preventing the company themselves from being involved in the infringement of intellectual property rights. By looking at the government approach to each of the recommendations, this issue can be explored in more detail[7]. The conclusion reached by the Hargreaves review that intellectual property is important for growth needs to be taken seriously and is a key merit of the proposals. More specifically, the review notes that the protection of intellectual property needs go beyond simply looking at the core intellectual property industries, but is also relevant to a wide variety of industries, some of which are operating through e-commerce alone. In many cases, there may be useful ideas and work that is prevented from being used, simply because the author cannot be located or permission cannot be obtained[8]. Of particular interest to e-commerce in the UK is likely to be the second statement that the current intellectual property nuclear framework is falling behind the technology infrastructure available for these types of firms; therefore, in order to encourage any form of innovation within e-commerce, it is necessary to have a framework in place to protect this type of investment[9]. Copyright – Modernisation within the E-Commerce Arena, The Pros and Cons The establishment of the digital copyright exchange is one of the central recommendations which are likely to have a direct impact on e-commerce firms, as well as on other industries that have a degree in reliance on digital copyright. This is one of the key benefits and merits associated with the proposal and is worthy of particular note. The review requires the government to consider ways in which it can develop an effective market to copyright licensing, which can take control of the market when it is not emerging of its own right. By creating additional copyright exchange, the UK government is able to ensure that a more efficient marketplace is provided for both owners and purchases. This makes it considerably easier for those involved in copyright, whether as an owner or a purchaser in the purchasing and giving of licences, the e-commerce arena becomes much more transparent, with a consistent approach that is relatively easy to follow due to the fact that there is one consistent digital exchange. This would enable e-commerce organisations either to purchase licences or to sell licences in a manner that is consistent and transparent to all parties, thus making it more viable to invest in copyright. It would also enable the company to gain access to copyrighted material, so that it can then develop the business without being thwarted by authors that cannot be located or similar blockages in the availability of copyright licences. The issue of copyright protection is argued to be the fundamental area of reform for e- commerce organisations post Hargreaves and will be the focus here, in order to gain a practical understanding of the impact of this review on e-commerce, in general. Several different issues need to be looked at from a practical perspective, including the fact that businesses will often be prevented from gaining access to data, due to the lack of availability of copyright licences. Other issues include the businesses themselves complaining that it is difficult to enforce remedies and that copyright is extremely complex when dealing with online violations, something which is likely to be particularly prevalent within e-commerce organisations. Regardless of the perspective being taken by each individual organisation, the fundamental argument presented by the review is that the framework for copyright law across the European Union, including the UK, is simply no longer reflective of the digital economy and e-commerce activity, from a technical perspective. Redressing the balance is a key part of the review and is likely to be the area that has the most practical impact on e-commerce. In order to consider the real impact of these changes, two distinct stages will be undertaken: the first to identify the arguments for reforming copyright; the second to look at the approach taken by the policymakers and the practical application of these changing policies. The review placed a heavy emphasis on noting that the digital economy is central to economic growth, with e-commerce being a fundamental part of the digital economy. Evidence from the European Commission has shown that creative industries are increasing at a rate of approximately 3.5%, in the UK, compared to an average across all industries of just 1%. This shows just how important it is to have the appropriate framework in place to support the digital economy and to ensure that those engaging in areas such as e-commerce have a framework within which to operate, effectively[10]. As noted by the European Commission[11] it wants to work towards a â€Å"copyright framework that guarantees effective recognition and remuneration of rights holders in order to provide sustainable incentives for creativity, cultural diversity and innovation; opens up greater access and a wider choice of legal offers to end users; allows new business models to emerge; and contributes to combating illegal offers and piracy†. The digital copyright exchange was looked at as a potential opportunity by the UK government, with the initial phase of the digital copyright now being recognised as a crucial aspect to online business and offers a real opportunity for e-commerce for those organisations to gain a much clearer idea of where copyright is owned and how it can then be licensed. As noted by Hargreaves: â€Å"an automated e-commerce website or network of websites which allows licensors to set out the rights they wish to license and allows licensees to acquire those rights from the licensors†. Although progress has been made in this area, it is unlikely that this digital copyright exchange will be able to operate as a marketplace whereby any organisation can simply log on, but rather the additional copyright exchange facility will enable an entity to interact with others through the hub created, in a way that may not have been possible previously. This is a fundamental step forward for those involved in e-commerce[12]. Although no singular digital copyright exchange has yet been established, the government and surrounding policies towards achieving this will have a dramatic impact on a variety of industries, most notably those that have historically found it difficult to manage and control copyright licences and to deal with online infringement. Despite the recognition of the potential benefits of this type of copyright exchange, the parliamentary report notes that it is crucially important that any overall digital copyright exchange which is established must not increase the regulatory burden for those engaged in e-commerce, while still offering more consistent protection and transparency within the system[13]. Certain copyright exceptions have been suggested by virtue of the Hargreaves Review, with content mining being one of the more controversial proposed exceptions. The Hargreaves review defines content mining as being â€Å"the automated analytical techniques such as text and data mining work by copying existing electronic information, for instance articles in scientific journals and other works, and analysing the data they contain for patterns, trends and other useful information†. The parliamentary report has raised concerns that this type of interaction will jeopardise primary markets when it comes to copyright works and these types of arrangements should be dealt with in contractual solutions, rather than creating a global copyright exception. By having these exceptions in place however it is argued that some of the potency of the reforms would be lost and unnecessary complexities experienced, adding to the administrative burden. The extent of the copyright exceptions are al so likely to have a dramatic impact on the practical operation of the Hargreaves Review therefore warranted an element of discussion in its own right. Although there have been notable discussions as part of the parliamentary report established a result of the Hargreaves Review, the content of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill 2013 has now been given Royal Assent on 23 April 2013, in order to deal with many aspects of the Hargreaves Review and make them statutory provisions. Some of these key changes will potentially have a dramatic impact on e-commerce. The 2013 Act has presented the Business Secretary with a much wider range of opportunities to create new rules, in order to deal with the management of orphan works, i.e. works whereby no author can be found. The Intellectual Property Office is working towards creating a situation whereby, provided an organisation or individual can show that they have made a diligent search for the original owner, the author’s works can then be licensed to them, thus creating opportunities for those involved in e-commerce to gain access to previously unavailable material. It also presents a potential challenge whereby the commerce organisations need to be more forward thinking when protecting their own copyright. This creates some difficulty of adjustment and from an administrative point of view for the organisations looking to implement these requirements. As well as the changes brought in by the 2013 Act in the UK, the government is still looking at various aspects of the EU Commission’s Digital Agenda for Europe, which has the underlying purpose of ensuring that cross-border e-commerce is more transparent, with little or no obstacles when trading across the EU digital single market. Furthermore, a wide variety of factors were perceived to be relevant in terms of establishing an efficient digital single market, many of which are likely to have a dramatic impact on the e-commerce industry, particularly when it comes to establishing a framework for protecting its own copyright position, as well as dealing with the opportunity to utilise information and data that would be easily be unavailable due to the author not being readily identifiable[14]. The Future for E-Commerce By looking at the various different elements of the Hargreaves Review as well as the issues are being taken forward by the UK government, as well as the EU Commission looking at the creation of a single digital market, there are several key factors being driven into the future, with the likelihood of having a direct impact on firms operating within the ecommerce arena. The key impacts that have been identified in this paper have been done with the recognition that many of these proposals remain as proposals, rather than specific rules and regulations that have yet to be implemented. There are multiple elements of the Hargreaves Review and the e-commerce conditions post-Hargreaves Review, which are worthy of recognition and are likely to have a dramatic impact on e-commerce, in the UK, in the long-term. The pressure to create an EU single market, therefore, is likely to be one of the majors driving factors, with UK firms being able to operate across the entire EU, with no barriers. While this increases opportunities, it also potentially increases competition and requires those engaged in e-commerce in the UK to become much more astute, in terms of what is happening outside their immediate jurisdiction. It is also suggested that the digital copyright exchange is going to provide a much more robust framework for those engaged in e-commerce to protect their own position, particularly when dealing with online violations of copyright which are becoming increasingly prevalent in certain industries, such as music and photography, in recent years. Fundamentally, it is concluded in this paper that the real impact is the fact that IP has brought to the attention of the legislators and has required the UK government to consider what it needs to do for the future so that those engaged in e-commerce to be able to protect their own position and to become on a level playing field with other jurisdictions. It is this recognition of the need to create transparency and to deal with many of the historic difficulties in this area that is likely to have the greatest impact, regardless of the proposals which are actually enacted in the long run. References Bakhshi, H., Hargreaves I. and Mateos-Garcia, J (2013( A Manifesto for the Creative Economy, London: Nesta. Brinkley, I and Lee, N (2007) The Knowledge Economy in Europe: A Report prepared for the 2007 EU Spring Council, London: Work Foundation. European Commission, (2012) Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights and Multi-Territorial Licensing of Rights in Musical Works for Online Uses in the Internal Market, COM(2012) 372 final, Brussels: European Commission. Ghafele R and Gibert, B (2012) The Economic Value of Fair Use in Copyright Law: Counterfactual Impact Analysis of Fair Use Policy on Private Copying Technology and Copyright Markets in Singapore, MPRA, 2012. Hargreaves, I (2011) Digital Opportunity: An Independent Review of Intellectual Property and Growth, London: Intellectual Property Office. Manyika et. al., (2011) Big Data: The Next Frontier for Innovation, Competition and Productivity San Francisco: McKinsey Global Institute. Mettler A and Williams, A (2012) Wired for Growth and Innovation: How Digital Technologies are Reshaping Small- and Medium-Sized Businesses and Empowering Entrepreneurs, Brussels: Lisbon Council. OECD, (2012) â€Å"Internet Economy Outlook 2012† Samuelson, P, (2010) The Copyright Principles Project: Directions for Reform, Berkeley: Copyright Principles Project. Veugelers, R. (2012). New ICT Sectors: Platforms for European Growth, Brussels: Bruegel.