Social Media from a Functionalist Perspective

Social Media from a Functionalist Perspective Introduction Late modern society is a network society (Castells, 1997). Devices such as smart phones are portable connect individuals in a complex system of interaction via emails, Facebook, Linkedin, Mumsnet, BlackBerry Messenger which support the functionalist vision. Social media sites are social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook that function for the purpose of enabling the interaction between millions of individuals whenever, wherever and about whatever given subject they wish to communicate. By the end of 2013 Facebook had 1.23 billion subscribers (Sedghi, 2014). This growth amounted to 170 million new subscribers in 2013 alone (Sedghi, 2014). The main use of Facebook is to maintain socially cohesive contact with friends and family which supports the functionalist vision of society (Ofcom, 2011).   It is argued by C. Wright Mills (1956) that society is manipulated into a social order by the one-directional rhetoric of the mass media. In contrast, social media sites are capable of bi- directional interaction with others which is socially cohesive and supports the functionalist vision of society. However, this is not always the case. This paper provides a critical evaluation of the function of social media sites firstly by providing an overview of functionalism and secondly by illustrating how social media both supports and contradicts the functionalist vision of society. Functionalism The positivist approach of structural functionalists involves analysing society from a macro-sociological perspective. They view society as a set of interrelated institutions which form a whole (Abercrombie et al., 2000:145). Such institutions include the family, education, politics, law, the media, organisations, economics and religion (Abercrombie et al., 2000:145). These form the agents of socialization which the shape behaviours that form a public consensus among which they do through constant institutional interaction (Durkheim, 1893:50). Durkheim focused on the consequences of social change between two eras; pre-modern [mechanical] society and industrial [organic] society (Durkheim, 1893).   Pre-modern agrarian society was cohesive, tied by kinship with a collective consciousness of norms, which were constantly reinforced through socialisation and interaction (Durkheim, 1893). The shift from the simplicity of the mechanical society to the complexities of organic society impac ted negatively on kinship and collective values as individuals undertook multiple forms of work in this new mode of production; capitalism (Durkheim, 1893). Durkheims (1893) analysis of organic society extends an analogy originally devised by Spencer (1820–1903) whereby he likens society to the human body insofar as both have interdependent parts that must function for survival (Coser, 1893 [1997]: xvi).   If any organ [institution] malfunctions, the body social [society] becomes unstable (Durkheim, 1893). As such, each organism [individual] has a specialist role within these institutions which it performs for the social good; not least because their own survival depends on it (Durkheim, 1893). Appropriating active social change is not advised because the institutions and the body social will be destabilised causing anomie (Durkheim, 1893). Anomie is a causal factor of social instability as a result of the inequalities in the division of labour as a result of some organisms outperforming others (Durkheim, 1893). This differentiation exacerbated the stratification that formed hierarchies in the new industrial workforce which pola rised rich and poor (Durkheim, 1893). Social Dysfunction In a modern context, anomie also descended on the British inner cities for similar reasons in August 2011 when the dysfunction of the political, legal and educational institutions failed to meet the needs of the body social (Durkheim, 1893). Merton argues that institutional dysfunction which can be the unintentional consequences of latent functions (Merton, 1968:105). In contrast, adaptations to society by institutions are manifest functions which are deliberately applied (Merton, 1968:105). The manifest functions involved (Merton, 1968: 105). As Merton asserts, such functions are targeted towards individuals in diverse statuses, subgroups the larger social system and culture systems such as limiting opportunities to education through welfare reforms for British working class youths (Merton, 1968:106). The response by disaffected youths was the riots that ensued across the UK in 2011 which was orchestrated using the free service BlackBerry Messenger [BBM] (Lewis et al., 2012). BBM is a free service in which one message can be disseminated to hundreds of recipients instantly who then forward the message to the hundreds more (Lewis et al., 2012). The social cohesion resulting from BBM extended to a temporary truce between otherwise rival gangs which is a positive function of interaction (Lewis et al., 2012). The riots came to an abrupt end when BlackBerry disconnected the service thus illustrating how solidarity depends on interaction (Lewis et al., 2012). Twitter was also accused of inciting the riots but it was later proven that the 2.5 million riot-related tweets showed solidarity against the rioters whilst also recruiting individuals to help with the clean-up process which serve the functionalist vision of society (BBC News 2011: [Online]). Similarly, the anomie in Egypt and Tuni sia was corrected by implementing the overthrow of their relative dictators which was mobilised via Facebook (Bouteflika, 2011). The Social System It is also argued that crime is necessary, inevitable and functional because it elicits the solidarity of the law-abiding public whose anger culminates in the public shaming and punishment of the offender (Durkheim, 1893). Crime therefore serves to redefine the moral boundaries which supports the functionalist vision of society (Durkheim, 1893).   Unlike the riots, social stability occurs when all of the component parts are fully functioning producing a system of equilibrium (Parsons, 1951which is contingent upon the strength or weaknesses of the interactive relationships between the institutions (Parsons, 1951: [1999: 84). In this context, Parsons (1951) claims that actors are goal-achieving and have alternate ways of achieving goals such as through education which is universal and equal (1951:130). In contrast, Merton argues that society sets the cultural goals but fails to provide the institutional means to achieve them (1938:100). While Durkheims functionalist vision is positivist in its assumptions that organisms are homogenous, Talcott Parsons theory of The Social System recognised that society comprised of a plurality of individual actors interacting with each other (1951 [1991]: 3). Parsons (1951) argued that the social system is contingent upon a set of four prerequisites which include: adaptation in times of social change due to one of the institutions malfunctioning; goals involves achieving certain goals in society; integration is the reliance that actors will identify with their social group; and latency involves maintaining the foundations of the social system such as through solid family socialisation.   Mumsnet This would never be tolerated by the UKs top parenting site Mumsnet which is an interactive forum run by parents for parents (Mumsnet, 2015: [Online]). Mumsnet offers advice to parents on pregnancy, education, money, and work (Mumsnet, 2015: [Online]). Within these discourses advice ranging from breastfeeding to university education is all designed to educate and optimise how parents raise their utmost for their children (Mumsnet, 2015 [Online]).   In this context, Mumsnet clearly supports the functional vision of society as it interacts with most of the institutional organs of the body social most all of the institutions (Mumsnet, 2015). According to Maxwell and Aggleton, (2013:139) Mumsnet contains symbolic and ritualistic undercurrents that allow the class disparities to surface. For example, Mumsnet has a strict netiquette whereby husbands and children are identified within the posts by individuals as DH [dear husband] DS [dear son] and DD [dear daughter] which denotes ritual whilst imposing middle class values on working class families.   Parsons argues that the primary problems and strains centre on the role of the wife and mother †¦ The easy solution is for her to be completely excluded from the occupational system by confining herself to the role of housewife (1951:128).   However, Mumsnet mothers consider themselves professional mothers who can juggle their work-life balance with ease (2013:139). For example, class disparities are evident in an exchange on Mumsnet between several mothers on children watching TV. For example, We cant all be Mother Earth I wouldnt listen to some of the militant mums on here Being pregnant is no reason to be lazy parent to your toddler How judgey some people can be about a little TV At least the child isnt strapped in a buggy with a packet of crisps and a bottle of coke Nowt wrong with crisps and a bottle of coke Exactly, as long as theyre organic (Maxwell and Aggleton, 2013:138) Such class differentiations are glaringly evident on Mumsnet who sell themselves as professional mothers who are well versed in child rearing (Maxwell and Agglegate, 2013). While functionalists overlook class in their macrosociological analysis, Mumsnet is class led and intimidating it is a site for those mothers who do not fear militant mothers or those labelled as Mother Earth (Maxwell and Agglegate, 2013:139). While in principle the mother and homemaker serves the functionalist vision of society, through rituals and cultural practices, the fact that many Mumsnet mothers are working or unmarried will contradict this vision as being negative to children (Maxwell and Aggleton, 2013). The collective consciousness that perform rituals and totemic symbolisation provides a cauldron of collective effervescence for the religious (Durkheim, 1915: 469). Religion which is the most socially cohesive element of the institutions collective life awakens religious thought (Durkheim, 1915: 469). (Coser, 1915: xx). Evidence of such effervescence surrounds Christmas, weddings Bar Mitzvahs and funerals is displayed on social media sites because religion is an eminently collective thing (Durkheim, 1954: 47). Death is also a ritual and a commodity as people flock to mourn the departed; this collective mourning is replicated via social media (Durkheim, 1954; Bell, 1992). Durkheim argued that all societies were divided by the sacred and the profane; the sacred are the totemic objects that are reserved for religious rituals which are emblematic of the clan or tribe, community or society; this is the case across the globe as all primitive religions adopt   the sacred/profane dichotomy (Durkheim 1915: xx). Sacred totems evoke emotional attachment whereas the profane represents everyday objects that are used routinely (such as social media devices) (Durkheim, 1915: xx). However, such totems are only sacred because individuals deemed them as such (Durkheim, 1915). To this end, Durkheim dismisses the centrality of a God in religion; it is the society itself that is God (19). It could be argued that the online community also worships itself as social media sites are central to society (Preston, 2011: [Online]). For example, in the previous week to the time of writing, the Facebook page Jesus Daily received 26.6m Likes and 3.2m interactions (Facebook, 2015: [Online]). Similarly, In a Facebook post by a Jesuit priest supporting the Supreme Court decision to legalise gay marriage Rev. James Martin asserted that: No issue brings out so much hatred from so many Catholics as homosexuality. Even after over 25 years as a Jesuit, the level of hatred around homosexuality is †¦ unbelievable to me, especially when I think of all of the wonderful LGBT friends I have (cited in Gibson, 2015: [Online]). The Reverends message went viral receiving 18,000 posts,140,000 shares and 400,000 likes on Facebook (Gibson, 2015:[Online]).However, Pope Benedict warned Catholics that human interaction in physical terms was crucial (Preston, 2011: [Online]). Similarly, a Presbyterian reverend urged individuals to experience the physical sensation of water in Baptism [and] hold hands in a service of worship (Preston, 2011: [Online]). This illustrates how religion is mediated in terms of a system of culturally structured and shared symbols (Parsons, 1979:6). Durkheim argues that forbidden, beliefs and practises assists the solidarity to one moral community called a church (Durkheim, 1995:44).   A Church is not simply a priestly brotherhood; it is a moral community (Durkheim, 1995: xxii-xxxii). The anomaly lies in the founder of Jesus Daily,   Aaron Tabor who is actually doctor and finds time to update Jesus Daily with Biblical texts (Preston, 2011: [Online]; Drescher, 2011 ). Similarly, the retw eeting of Pope Francis tweets comes second only to Barak Obama (1954: 47). This is evidence of a shift towards maintaining a less secular online identity which supports the functionalist vision of society for its cohesive qualities.   In contrast however, radical religiosity contradicts the functionalist vision. ISIS uses YouTube to showcase its killing; Twitter to increase its presence and Facebook to radicalise and recruit young British Muslims from a distance because criminals are often the result of instinctive, irresistible feelings that they often spread to the innocent object (Durkheim, 1893:47; Engel, 2015). While Twitter is constantly deleting ISIS accounts, ISIS is more intelligent than terrorists of the past which most definitely contradicts the functionalist vision (Engel, 2015). Conclusion In conclusion it is evident following a critical evaluation of the debates above that social media on the whole supports the functionalist view of society in maintaining to high degree the social stability of the body social. It is evident that rituals are performed constantly and values are reinforced where needed. However, other sites are more philanthropic and patronising of their working class subscribers which contradicts the functionalist vision. Social media has been beneficial to parts of the Arab world by overthrowing oppressive dictators while the social action of British youths served to redraw the moral boundaries.   ISIS contradicts the functionalist vision in its aim to eradicated Christians from Iraq and Syria. Nevertheless, the social cohesion of interacting with family and friends while the rituals that religious beliefs behold do support the functionalist vision of society. Word Count: 2,190 Bibliography BBC News (2012) Social media talks about rioting constructive, BBC News [Online] Available:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/uk-14657456  (Accessed 16th September 2015) Bell, C. M. (1992). Ritual theory, ritual practice. New York: Oxford University Press. Bouteflika, A. (2011) Twitter, Facebook and YouTubes role in Arab Spring, Social Capital [Online] Available:  https://socialcapital.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/twitter-facebook-and-youtubes-role-in-tunisia-uprising/  (Accessed 16th September 2015) Castells, M. (1999) An introduction to the information age in Mackay, H. OSullivan, T. (eds) The Media Reader: Continuity and Transformation (pp. 398-410). London: Sage Coser, L. (1984) Introduction in Durkheim, E. (1893) Division of Labour in Society (pp. ix-xxv), New York: Free Press Drescher, E. (2011) Five Social Media Trends That Are Reshaping Religion, Religion Dispatches [Online] Available  http://religiondispatches.org/five-social-media-trends-that-are-reshaping-religion/  (Accessed 16th September 2015) Durkheim, E. (1893) Division of Labour in Society, New York: Free Press Durkheim, E. (1995 [1912]) The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. [Translated and with an Introduction by Karen E. Fields.] New York: Free Press Engel, K. (2015) ISIS has mastered a crucial recruiting tactic no terrorist group has ever conquered Business Insider Gibson, D. (2015) A Catholic priests viral Facebook post on gay marriage, and what it means, Religion News Service [Online] Available:  http://davidgibson.religionnews.com/2015/06/29/a-catholic-priests-viral-facebook-post-on-gay-marriage-and-what-it-means/#sthash.G2wzRgMO.dpuf  (Accessed 16th September 2015) Maxwell Aggleton (2013) Privilege, Agency and Affect: Understanding the Production and Effects of Action, Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan Lewis, P. (2012) Reading the Riots, London: Guardian LSE Merton, R.K. (1938) Social Structure and Anomie, American Sociological Review, 3(5): 672-682. Merton R.K. (1968) Social Theory and Social Structure, New York: Free Press Mumsnet (2015) Home Page Mumsnet [Online] Available:  http://www.mumsnet.com/  (Accessed 17th September 2015) Parsons, T. (1951) The Social System, New York: Free Press Parsons, T. (1961) Theories of Society: Foundations of Modern Sociological Theory. New York: Free Press Parsons, T. (2001[1979]) The Structure of Social Action And Contemporary Debates Preston, J. (2011) Facebook Page for Jesus, With Highly Active Fans, New York Times [Online] Available:  http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/05/technology/jesus-daily-on-facebook-nurtures-highly-active-fans.html?_r=0  (Accessed 15th September 2015) Sedghi, A. (2014) Facebook: 10 years of social networking, in numbers, The Guardian [Online] Available:  http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/feb/04/facebook-in-numbers-statistics  (Accessed 27th September 2015) Weber, M. (1930 [1904–5]) The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, Oxford, Blackwell. Wright Mills, C. (1956). The Power Elite. Oxford Press

Alternative fuel technologies

Oil and petroleum products have been mainstay of world’s economic and technological advancement since past 150 years. The mechanism driving the entire transportation system from automobiles, airplanes, railways, ships to space rockets is based on utilization of energy of petroleum oil. Petroleum products are also extensively used in a number of infrastructure industries that form the core of industrial processes and basis of existence of modern world. However, the petroleum resources of world are very limited and they cannot endlessly meet human demands.Various estimates have put the total extractable oil stock to exist for another 50-75 years if world continues to consume them at present rate. After that the cost of extraction of remaining petroleum products would become much more than the benefits obtained them and world would require new resources of energy to exist. These concerns have already spawned intense research in alternative technologies to meet the future energy n eeds in the face of an impending petroleum crisis.The shortage of oil would be more manifest in coming times as oil demands are growing world wide, especially in China and India with rapidly expanding economy, transportation system and consequently requirement of petroleum oil. Even at present consumption rate there are grave uncertainties on the secure prospects of future supplies within next 50 years time frame, and the rising consumption rates threatens to bring the approaching crisis nearer.United States is thus faced with a great responsibility to secure its future interests without sacrificing its present requirements and needs. This issue forms the topic of the next section. Alternative fuel technologies Past decade has seen great thrust on technological researches in alternative fuels. Various new techniques and models have already been introduced in the market to test their viability and capacity to successfully replace petroleum as chief source of energy.Most of these inno vations are specifically aimed at transportation sector owing to its liability as chief consumer of petroleum oil and as principle cause of soaring oil imports. Due to distinct requirements of different sectors in transportation, the technologies vary. Passenger vehicles, public transport vehicles and freight transportation carry specific needs that are difficult to be met by a single alternative fuel technology (Deutch J, Schlesinger J. R, Victor D. G. 2006).Some of the major and most popular of these technologies, where majority of research and development has taken place, are (Aldrich, 1996) 1. Hybrid Vehicle: As the name suggests, hybrid vehicles combine dual technologies for their operation. Technically they are hybrid electric vehicle with an electric motor that drives the vehicle (Hoogma, Kemp, Schot and Truffer, 2002, 41 ). 2. Bio-diesels: Bio-diesel: Bio-diesel, as the term suggests, is a type of renewable fuel obtained by agricultural products and used as fuel in heavy-dut y vehicles.The major sources currently under research for bio-diesel are soybean, rapeseed, corn, cottonseed, peanut, sunflower, and canola (Aldrich, 1996, 85). 3. Ethanol: Ethanol has emerged as a successful alternative to fossil fuels in Brazil where more than 4 million vehicles on ethanol based fuel and it is finding increasing application in the world as well 4. Hydrogen: : There are great interests in using hydrogen as fuel in transport industry due to the great flexibility of options and performance it offers.Hydrogen can either be used as fuel in place of gasoline in internal combustion engine or it can be used as energy carrier in fuel cells, the latter being the major research area in automobile sector (Aldrich, 1996, 87). Solar energy: : Solar power has turned as a dependable source of energy in areas other than transport. All the initial costs are high in maintaining a solar energy power plant, its been shown that with increasingly sophisticated technology and wider appli cation the cost of installation as well as generation of electricity can get comparable to normal power plants. Mass Transport SystemApart from introducing alternative fuel and technologies to replace and minimize fossil fuel consumption, another area where fuel consumption can be easily reduced is creating a more robust and functional public transport and mass transit system. It is cost effective and time consuming to redesign the existing public transport system, especially in major cities, to cut down fuel consumption by reducing number of vehicles on the road. Socio-cultural impact When fossil fuels were discovered around 150 years back, the existing technologies of steam engines were unable to utilize them.However, soon completely new technologies were developed in the face of these new energy sources and they were used to capitalize on the energy content and efficiency of fossil fuels. Soon petroleum fuels revolutionized the way the world moved and worked. The past 100 years o f consumption has comprehensively depleted non-renewable petroleum deposits and estimates give another 50 more years before the remaining available sources would get almost exhausted. This fact is indeed a cause of concern, but only if viewed from existing technological frame.Declining petroleum resources offer the signal that its time to make transition towards different energy sources. Countries that would fail to read this signal or close their eyes to it are certainly heading for a major crisis. But fortunately the world has the capacity to read these signals and develop reliable intermediate technologies and systems such as hybrid electric vehicle, ethanol and public transit systems that would considerably reduce fossil fuel consumption without adding to infrastructure cost thereby extending the life period of petroleum reservoirs.Meanwhile research can take place on new age technologies such as fuel cell and solar photovoltaic cells to complete replace fossil fuels as a source of energy. It is possible that if government and industry institute providential policy measures, there would be a host of alternative technologies in transportation sector by the time petroleum oil would get exhausted. _ Reference Bob Aldrich.. ABCs of AFVs: a guide to alternative fuel vehicles.California Energy Commission, Sacramento-CA. April 1996. 1st Feb 2007 http://www. p2pays. org/ref/26/25156. pdf Hoogma Recmo, Rene Kemp, John Schot, Bernhard Truffer. Experimenting for Sustainable Transport: The Approach of Strategic Niche Management. : Spon Press: New York: 2002. 3 Deutch J, Schlesinger J. R, Victor D. G. 2006. Consequence of U. S Oil Dependency: Report of an Independent Task Force. 30th Jan. 2007 http://www. cfr. org/content/publications/attachments/EnergyTFR. pdf Alternative fuel technologies Since its discovery 150 years ago, petroleum oil has become lifeline of the world, the functional equivalent of blood in the human body. The mechanism driving the entire transportation system from automobiles, airplanes, railways, ships to space rockets is based on utilization of energy of petroleum oil. Petroleum products are also extensively used in a number of infrastructure industries that form the core of industrial processes and basis of existence of modern world. However, the petroleum resources of world are very limited and they cannot endlessly meet human demands.Various estimates have put the total extractable oil stock to exist for another 50-75 years if world continues to consume them at present rate. After that the cost of extraction of remaining petroleum products would become much more than the benefits obtained them and world would require new resources of energy to exist. These concerns have already spawned intense research in alternative technologies to meet the fut ure energy needs in the face of an impending petroleum crisis. United States of America is world’s leading consumer of petroleum products accounting for approximately 25 % of total consumption of petroleum oil world over.In 2003, world’s consumption of petroleum oil stood at around 80 million barrels per day, out of which US’s share was close to 20 million barrel (Hirsch, Bezdek, Wending, 2005). To meet these huge petroleum demands US depends crucially on oil imports that is well above 50 % today and continuing to rise upward. This overwhelming dependence on imported oil poses various strategic and security challenges for US interests in the long run. The sharp oil price increases of 1973 and 1979-81 serve as testimony to the dangers of import dependence.Further as the oil sources would continue to deplete, the prices of oil would steadily and inexorably rise until the level when world is faced with an acute fuel crisis. Based on these observations it’s v ital that U. S explores alternative technologies and fuels to sustain its development and growth structure. Need of alternative fuels The continuous rise in U. S oil consumption has forced it to rely increasingly on imported oil to meet its expanding requirements. As of today with its 20 million barrel per day consumption U.S is the largest consumer and importer of oil, surpassing the combined consumption of Japan, Germany, China, Russia and South Korea (Reardon, 2004).. The share of oil in total energy produced in USA is just 17. 2 percent while in consumption it rises to 40 percent that explains the need for huge oil import. Imports constitute 11 million barrels per day that is more than the aggregate oil import of Japan, Germany, and South Korea (Reardon, 2004). The bulk of the oil consumption takes place in the transportation sector, which accounts for the 69 percent of the total oil consumption in US (Basic Petroleum Statistics, 2007).Consumption stands highest for motor gasoli ne. Average daily consumption of motor gasoline in U. S, according to Petroleum data (EIA, 2005) is 8933 thousand barrels per day. Distillate fuel oil is the second most consumed petroleum product with daily consumption at 2817 thousand barrels. These figures give a realistic view of inevitable oil import dependency U. S for present and future if it carries on the present rate of consumption. Indeed the chances to curb the massive oil imports are slim considering the fleet of 210 millions vehicle that depend solely upon motor gasoline for their functioning (Hirsch R.L, Bezdek R, Wending R, February 2005, 4). As on 1st January 2006, the total proven oil reserves with U. S was just 21. 6 billion barrels, which implies that in future U. S would be forced to rely almost completely on oil imports for its entire transportation requirements. As the closer sources shall run dry, U. S’ dependency would shift to further sources from where oil must be transported over vulnerable supply lines, leading to rise in global oil price. The greater risk is certainly compromising with U. S national interests.The oil supply lines would always be at risk against subversive elements requiring another set of huge investment in ensuring safe transportation of oil to U. S onshore facilities. It will also place U. S interests in the hands of oil cartels such as OPEC that may freely manipulate oil supplies according to their own interests. Part II: Alternative fuel technologies The impending oil crisis has finally stirred policy makers in US. A number of approaches are suggested that include a. imposing taxes on oil consumption b. using tradable gasoline permits and c. exploration of new sources of oil ( Deutch J, Schlesinger J.R, Victor D. G. 2006 ). However, the pressing need of situation demands measures that would sustain the present structure while safeguarding the future against depleting sources and rising petroleum prices. As the world’s oil reserves are finite, eve n measures such stagnating oil consumption and using oil more efficiently are just helpful in delaying the inevitable without offering any permanent solution to the issue. Oil reserves are going down steadily and within a couple of decades prices will soar up inexorably disrupting the economy, industry and society in turn.The only practical solution to this problem is technological innovations in energy field that can reduce dependence on petroleum oil by providing alternative and sustainable sources of energy. It shall serve two immensely useful purposes that are a. minimizing U. S dependence on foreign oil and b. preventing the environment from damages associated with use of petroleum oils and products. The certainty of oil exhaustion has inspired efforts from both government and corporate sector to research and develop the new fuel technologies as a providential measure for survival, growth and progress in forthcoming days of oil crisis.Past decade has seen great thrust on techno logical researches in alternative fuels. Various new techniques and models have already been introduced in the market to test their viability and capacity to successfully replace petroleum as chief source of energy. Most of these innovations are specifically aimed at transportation sector owing to its liability as chief consumer of petroleum oil and as principle cause of soaring oil imports. Due to distinct requirements of different sectors in transportation, the technologies vary Alternative fuel technologies Since its discovery 150 years ago, petroleum oil has become lifeline of the world. The entire structure of the modern mechanized world, consisting from transportation system, automobiles, airplanes, railways, ships to space rockets today operates primarily on the energy derived from the fossil fuels/petroleum oils. Apart from being mainstay of the transportation sector, petroleum products have also found wide application in a large range of core infrastructure industries that are essential for survival of industrial processes and basis of existence of modern world.This dependence on exclusive use of petroleum resources of world has become cause of serious concern among policy planners. Petroleum resources are very limited and they have cannot be continuously exploited to meet human demand. According to varoius studies and estimates, the total oil stock of world t is expected to last for another 50-75 years if world continues to consume them at present rate. After that the cost of ext raction of remaining petroleum products would rise greatly. It would become so costly that benefits obtained from oil would be lower than expenditure incurred on them.Thus world may need another resources of energy to exist. These fears and concerns have already generated intense research in alternative technologies to meet the future energy needs in the face of an overhanging petroleum crisis. The large part of the oil consumption takes place in the transportation sector, which accounts for the 69 percent of the total oil consumption in the US alone (Basic Petroleum Statistics, 2007). Overall there are five major sectors accounting for petroleum oil consumption. These sectors, along with their consumption share in year 2005 are (Petroleum-EIA, 2006)1. Domestic/Household: Consumption in 2005 was 869 thousand barrels of petroleum per day 2. Commercial: 386 thousand barrels of petroleum per day 3. Industrial: 5061 thousand barrels of petroleum per day 4. Electric Power production: 545 thousand barrels of petroleum per day 5. Transportation: 13, 825 thousand barrels of petroleum per day. The consumption pattern in the transportation sector shows that consumption is highest for motor gasoline. Average daily consumption of motor gasoline in U. S, according to Petroleum data (EIA, 2005) is 8933 thousand barrels per day.Distillate fuel oil is the second most consumed petroleum product with daily consumption at 2817 thousand barrels. These figures show that U. S would be dependent on oil imports for present and future if it carries on the present rate of consumption. U. S has a fleet of 210 millions vehicle that depend entirely upon motor gasoline for their functioning that makes it very difficult to reduce oil consumption. (Hirsch R. L, Bezdek R, Wending R, February 2005, 4). As on 1st January 2006, the total proven oil reserves with U. S was just 21. 6 billion barrels, which means that in future U.S would be forced to rely almost completely on oil imports for its en tire transportation requirements. As the closer sources shall run dry, U. S’ would be dependent on distant sources from where oil must be transported. The supply lines may become vulnerable to leakage and terrorist attacks and it would lead to rise in global oil price. The greater risk is certainly compromising with U. S national interests. The oil supply lines would always be at risk against subversive elements requiring another set of huge investment in ensuring safe transportation of oil to U. S onshore facilities.It will also place U. S interests in the hands of oil cartels such as OPEC that may freely manipulate oil supplies according to their own interests. The shortage of oil would increase greatly in coming times as oil demands are growing worldwide. Meanwhile China and India are also expanding their economy, transportation system and hence they would need more oil in future. Even at present rate there are serious doubts on the secure prospects of future supplies with in next 50 years time frame, and the rising consumption rates threatens to bring the approaching crisis nearer.United States has thus a great responsibility to secure its future interests without sacrificing its present requirements and needs. This issue forms the topic of the next section. Alternative fuel technologies The forthcoming oil crisis has finally moved policy makers in US. A number of approaches are suggested that include a. imposing taxes on oil consumption b. using tradable gasoline permits and c. exploration of new sources of oil ( Deutch J, Schlesinger J. R, Victor D. G. 2006 ).However, the urgent need of situation demands methods that would sustain the present structure while safeguarding the future against depleting sources and rising petroleum prices. As the world’s oil reserves are limited, even measures such stagnating oil consumption and using oil more efficiently are just helpful in delaying the inevitable without offering any permanent solution to the issue. Oil reserves are going down steadily and within a couple of decades prices will soar up inexorably disrupting the economy, industry and society in turn.The only practical solution to this problem is technological innovations in energy field that can reduce dependence on petroleum oil by providing alternative and sustainable sources of energy. It shall serve two immensely useful purposes that are a. minimizing U. S dependence on foreign oil and b. preventing the environment from damages associated with use of petroleum oils and products. The certainty of oil exhaustion has inspired efforts from both government and corporate sector to research and develop the new fuel technologies as a providential measure for survival, growth and progress in forthcoming days of oil crisis.Past decade has seen great move on technological researches in alternative fuels. Various new techniques and models have already been introduced in the market to test their viability and capacity to successfu lly replace petroleum as chief source of energy. Most of these innovations are specifically aimed at transportation sector because it is the chief consumer of petroleum oil and as principle cause of increasing oil imports. Due to distinct requirements of different sectors in transportation, there are various technologies.Passenger vehicles, public transport vehicles and freight transportation carry specific needs that are difficult to be met by a single alternative fuel technology. Some of the major and most popular of these technologies, where majority of research and development has taken place, are (Aldrich, 1996) 1. Hybrid Vehicle 2. Bio-diesels 3. Ethanol 4. Hydrogen and 6. Solar energy Following section discusses the technology used in each of these new vehicle-systems and their benefits over conventional gasoline based internal combustion engine.Hybrid Vehicles: As the name suggests, hybrid vehicles combine dual technologies for their operation. Technically they are hybrid el ectric vehicle with an electric motor that drives the vehicle (Hoogma, Kemp, Schot and Truffer, 2002, 41 ). In the case of a typical electric vehicle, hydrogen fuel cell or chemical batteries such as advanced sealed lead battery, nickel cadmium and lithium ion are used for auxiliary power (Aldrich, 1996). However in the hybrid electric vehicles, the electric drive technology is combined with a gasoline-based power generator for running the electric motor and charging the batteries.Hybrid vehicles are either full hybrid or mid hybrid. A full hybrid vehicle can move forward from standstill purely on electric power while a mid hybrid requires gasoline power for initial movement, although both technologies concentrate on maximum utilization of electric motor power while reducing the use of gasoline as far as possible (Hybrid Terms, 2007). The electric motor and internal combustion engine (ICE) are connected either in parallel or in series in a hybrid vehicle.In parallel hybrid cars, pow er to engine is supplied by both the electric motor and internal combustion engine while in the series hybrid car the gasoline engine powers the electric motor and batteries to generate electricity, without directly providing power for the vehicle (Hybrid Electric Vehicles, 2007). There is another category of hybrid vehicles, called as ‘plug-in hybrid’ that can operate as a full electric vehicle. They require some additional batteries and use electricity net to charge the batteries thereby minimizing gasoline use to its lowest possible levels (Hybrid Terms, 2007).All hybrid electric vehicle use computer that constantly monitors speed, power required and charge conditions of batteries (Hybrid Electric Vehicles, 2007). Hybrid vehicles offer numerous benefits over the conventional gasoline based ICE, some of which are (Hybrid Electric Vehicles, 2007; Sanna, 2007, 12; Aldrich, 1996, 88 ) 1. Hybrid vehicles are extremely fuel efficient, with most of the driving thrust coming from electric power. 2. Unlike electric cars, they offer unlimited range of traveling and transportation 3.Hybrid technology is combination of the proven technology of ICE with electric motors, thus giving it reliability in the market. 4. Hybrid technology can be used in various sectors of transportation, from personal vehicles to heavy duty vehicles. In fact, both the major US car manufacturers, GM and Ford have come out with a range of hybrid vehicles, that are successful in market. 5. Plug in -Hybrid technology is even more fuel conserving and environmentally benign, cutting down CO2 emission by more than 30 % while using minimum possible use of gasoline.Hybrid vehicles offer the most reliable alternate technology which US can capitalize upon without risking any major upheaval in its current fuel-technology structure. These vehicles promise to drastically reduce fuel oil consumption, reducing the needs of oil imports, meanwhile purchasing time for completely oil free technology. Bio-diesel: Bio-diesel, as the term suggests, is a type of renewable fuel obtained by agricultural products and used as fuel in heavy-duty vehicles. The major sources currently under research for bio-diesel are soybean, rapeseed, corn, cottonseed, peanut, sunflower, and canola (Aldrich, 1996, 85).The process of making bio-diesel involves use of an alcohol such as methanol which is treated with oil of selected agricultural produce to form glycerin followed by separation of fatty esters, recycling of excess alcohol and purification of esters to produce a fuel that bears remarkable closeness to diesel, however with higher octane number (Aldrich, 1996, 85). Currently bio-diesel is used when blended with petroleum diesel, especially in European markets, with commendable results. Bio-diesel offers a host of benefits over conventional petroleum diesel, some of which are (Faupel and Kurki, 2002, 1).1. Reduction in vehicle emission leading to environment safe emission standards 2. As bio-di esel is an excellent lubricant it helps to prolong engine life 3. As the fuel is non-toxic and easily biodegradable it presents high safety standards in storage and transportation. 4. It will give boost to agricultural productions 5. It poses significantly lower health risks than petroleum diesel, successfully meeting health requirement standards established by Clean Air Act Amendment of 1990. 6.The technology of bio-diesel doesn’t require any major altercation in present engine technology and infrastructure models, making it a popular choice in alternative fuel category. 7. The fact that bio-diesel can be completely synthesized domestically gives US a great opportunity to curtail its dependence on fossil fuel, curb imports, optimize its economy and make a transition towards a secure and sustainable future. Bio-diesel has gained wide acceptance as a viable alternative for fossil-diesel and it is increasingly used in mass transit system, freight transportation and heavy duty v ehiclesEthanol: Ethanol as a very long history as an alternative fuel, and it was tried in even 1880 as a fuel option for Ford cars (Aldrich, 1996, 51). Ethanol is derived from agricultural produces by process of fermentation and distillation to form a high-octane liquid fuel. Normally ethanol is not used alone as a fuel, instead it is blended with gasoline in ratio of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline to form a fuel E-85, which is approved as an alternative fuel in US (Ethanol, 2007). The vehicles run on this fuel are called as flexi fuel vehicles.Ethanol has emerged as a successful alternative to fossil fuels in Brazil where more than 4 million vehicles on ethanol based fuel and it is finding increasing application in US as well. The benefits of using ethanol are multifold and they include (Ethanol, 2007) 1. Ease in use: Although E85 engine is somewhat different than ICE, it is possible to alter the existing ICE to accommodate E85 as the fuel 2. Reduced petroleum consumpt ion: Increased use of E85 promises considerable reduction in use of fossil oil. 3.Renewable and sustainable fuel: E-85 is organically synthesized. It is renewable as ethanol can be made from waste bio products, optimizing the energy sector. 4. Environment compatibility: Vehicles using E-85 produce around 50 percent less smog in emission 5. Flexible fuel options: Vehicles using E-85 as fuel can also operate on gasoline, which is useful in case of non availability of E-85 Hydrogen: There are great interests in using hydrogen as fuel in transport industry due to the great flexibility of options and performance it offers.Hydrogen can either be used as fuel in place of gasoline in internal combustion engine or it can be used as energy carrier in fuel cells, the latter being the major research area in automobile sector (Aldrich, 1996, 87). Generally, hydrogen is obtained by decomposing hydrocarbon fuels, electrolysis of water and photolysis. It is stored directly in form of gas, liquid or as chemically with metal hydrides (Hydrogen Economy, 2002, 2). Due to its low energy volume, direct use of hydrogen as a fuel would require considerably large volumes to fuel the vehicle.On the other hand, hydrogen is extremely efficient in fuel cells. In a fuel cell, hydrogen combines with oxygen to produce electricity, Use of hydrogen offers following advantages (Hydrogen Economy, 2002; Aldrich, 1996,87) 1. It is the most abundant element in universe and hence practically inexhaustible as a source of energy. 2. When burned it produces water vapour as only by product. 3. Hydrogen can be used a fuel directly in ICE, requiring no modification in engine design. 4.Hydrogen fuel cells involve no pollution, and provide higher efficiency of the order of 45 percent in combustion. 5. In case of any accidents, hydrogen powered vehicle are likely to cause less damage due to light chemical nature of hydrogen. Solar Power: Use of solar power as energy in transportation sector has been subject of intense technological research. While the solar energy has found wide application as domestic energy supply, there are difficulties in their application in transport sector.Photovoltaic cells, that absorb sunrays to provide electricity, are inefficient under the current technology strains and unable to generate even a fraction of required power to drive a normal passenger vehicle. However, solar power has turned as a dependable source of energy in areas other than transport. All the initial costs are high in maintaining a solar energy power plant, its been shown that with increasingly sophisticated technology and wider application the cost of installation as well as generation of electricity can get comparable to normal power plants (Borowitz, 1999,112).Conclusion When fossil fuels were discovered around 150 years back, the existing technologies of steam engines were unable to utilize them. However, soon completely new technologies were developed as new energy sources were discov ered. They started to use the energy content and efficiency of fossil fuels. Soon petroleum fuels revolutionized the way the world moved and worked. The past 100 years of consumption has comprehensively depleted non-renewable petroleum deposits and estimates give another 50 more years before the remaining available sources would get almost exhausted.US has the capacity to read these signals and develop reliable intermediate technologies and systems such as hybrid electric vehicle, ethanol and public transit systems that would considerably reduce fossil fuel consumption without adding to infrastructure cost thereby extending the life period of petroleum reservoirs. Meanwhile research is continuing on new age technologies such as fuel cell and solar photovoltaic cells to complete replace fossil fuels as a source of energy.It is possible that if government and industry institute providential policy measures, there would be a host of alternative technologies in transportation sector by the time petroleum oil would get exhausted. Economic advantage of using alternative fuels Alternative fuel technologies carry great economic benefit for US. Presently USA is heavily dependent on imported petroleum fuel that accounts for massive expenditure in the federal budget. Increased use of alternative fuel technology would reduce this dependency, saving billions of dollars annually.Further, the domestic production, processing and maintenance of alternative fuel resources and vehicles would create more number of jobs, thus strengthening the economic conditions. Alternative vehicles would also create far less air pollution, which would help the quality of life with reduced lungs diseases, cancers, asthma and various other problems. It would also bring down the need as well as the cost of environmental cleanup, adding to economic benefits further (AFV-2000) Reference Alternative Fuel Vehicles, 2000, Climate Change Technologies, 21st Feb, 2007, http://yosemite.epa. gov/oar/globalw arming. nsf/UniqueKeyLookup/SHSU5BMSCX/$File/alternativefueledvehicles. pdf Basic Petroleum Statistics. Jan 2007. Energy Information Administration. 31st Jan. 2007 http://www. eia. doe. gov/neic/quickfacts/quickoil. html Bob Aldrich.. ABCs of AFVs: a guide to alternative fuel vehicles. California Energy Commission, Sacramento-CA. April 1996. 1st Feb 2007 http://www. p2pays. org/ref/26/25156. pdf Borowitz, Sidney. Farewell Fossil Fuels: Reviewing America's Energy Policy. : Plenum Trade: New York: 1999 Deutch J, Schlesinger J. R, Victor D. G. 2006. Consequence of U.S Oil Dependency: Report of an Independent Task Force. 30th Jan. 2007 http://www. cfr. org/content/publications/attachments/EnergyTFR. pdf Ethanol. 2007. Alternative Fuel Data Center. US Department of Energy. 1st Feb, 2007, http://www. eere. energy. gov/afdc/altfuel/ethanol. html Faupel Karen and Al Kukri, 2002. Biodiesel: A Brief Overivew. NCAT Agricultural Specialist. 1st Feb, 2007. http://www. msenergy. ms/biodiesel. pdf Hirsch R. L, Bezdek R, Wending R. February 2005. Peaking of World Oil Production: Impact, Mitigation, & Risk Management. 30th Jan. 2007 http://www. pppl.gov/publications/pics/Oil_Peaking_1205. pdf Hoogma Recmo, Rene Kemp, John Schot, Bernhard Truffer. Experimenting for Sustainable Transport: The Approach of Strategic Niche Management. : Spon Press: New York: 2002. 36 Hybrid Electric Vehicles. Feb 2007. Hybrid & Electric Vehicle: Implementing Agreement. International Energy Agency. 1st Feb, 2007. http://www. ieahev. org/hybrid. html#Anchor3 Hybrid Terms. HybridCars. com. 1st Feb 2007 http://www. hybridcars. com/types-systems/hybrid-terms. html Petroleum. July, 2006. Annual Energy Review-2005. 31s Jan, 2007 http://www. eia. doe. gov/emeu/aer/petro.html Petroleum Overview, 1949-2005. Annual Energy Review. 31st Jan, 2007 http://www. eia. doe. gov/emeu/aer/petro. html Prospects For A Hydrogen Economy. Oct. 2002. Postnote. Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. 1st Feb, 2007. ht tp://www. parliament. uk/post/pn186. pdf Sanna Lucy. Driving the Solution: Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles. EPRI Journal. 1st Feb 2007. http://www. calcars. org/epri-driving-solution-1012885_PHEV. pdf U. S. Imports- Petroleum Navigator. Energy Information Administration. 31st Jan 2007 http://tonto. eia. doe. gov/dnav/pet/pet_move_impcus_d_NUS_Z00_mbbl_m. htm

Rizal as a role-model for students

Rizal Submitted by: Jose Marcko Durano Submitted to: Sir Parawan Rizal, American sponsored Hero |Rizal was an American-sponsored hero | Rector’s Bill |Claro M. Recto Foundation | Why is Rizal the National hero? |Jose Rizal | Discovery in Binyan Jose Rizal |Jose Rizal | Blumentritt’s role in the propaganda war |Ferdinand Blumentritt | Rizal’s stinginess |Rizal’s stinginess |Rizal as a role-model for students |Liability | What did Rizal read? |He grew up in a home with a large | |library. | ———————– He became the national hero only because of the Americans who sponsored and encouraged the Rizal cult. Andres Bonifacio made Rizal the honorary president of KKK. KKK First Asians to rebel against a Western colonial power and establish a republic. A traitor to the revolution. The greatest Malay who ever lived. Aguinaldo declared this day to be an annual â€Å"Day of National Mourning. †December 1898 Th e Rizal course is coded as PI 100; Putang Ina 100. Made the Rizal bill. Student’s feel it’s useless studying this. Students today don’t appreciate much studying Rizal’s life. He was one man who was willing to risk losing votes because of his principles. Catholics schools threatened to close shop if the Rizal bill passed. Recto’s bill passed the law on 1956. Hero of all heroes. Spirit of Revolution â€Å"My dreams have always guided my actions. † He was a quiet, peaceful man who wilfully and calmly walked to his death former convictions. Unconscious hero. † Jose Potracio Rizal Mercado Y Realonda – Alonzo Teodora Alonzo Realonda Francis Mercado June 19, 1861 Regina Ursua Manuel de Qunito Brigada de Quintos Lorenzo Alberto Alonzo Domingo Lamco Ines Dela Rosa Cirila Bernacha Francisco Mercado Good friend and correspondent of Rizal. He attacked anti-Filipino writers. First European scholars o specialized in Phils. Studies. He was wal king around, peeking and salivating. He goes back to the apartment as if he had eaten already. His allowance was delayed. Pride and seriousnessThrifty Rizal did not like the idea of supplying the drinks for the party. Going in to Rizal’s school, they would be left with no â€Å"free† time. Because we had to give up fun and games to read and study. Most students today doubt Rizal’s accomplishments. He saves his allowance to buy books. Honore de Balzac, Alexandre Dumas, and Count of Monte Cristo. He read a lot of French literature. Rizal owned a valuable collection of over 2,000 books. He owned dictionaries and three different versions of the bible. Rizal also owned a lot of picture books.

The Police Brutality Of The Miami Area - 792 Words

In America, as it has been for a long time, police brutality has become too common an occurrence. And with black people being racially profiled, shot, and in even more extreme cases, murdered, it seems as if its a crime just being black in this country we call home. But even still, there are many people willing to defend police brutality acts, prosing that there are options that the victims could have chosen instead as to prevent their harm. Enter Charles Kinsey, 47, a behavior therapist in the Miami area. This past Monday, while Kinsey was attempting to help one of his patients that has autism, he was shot in the leg. Prior to this, Kinsey can be shown on video trying to get his patient to listen to him, and also talking with the officer, all while his hand are in the air and he lies on back. After the officers withdrew their weapons, Kinsey explained that it was not necessary, as his patient only had a truck. Ensuing the fired shots, the officers handcuffed Kinsey, checked him for weapons, and left him on the ground without medical help for 20 minutes. When the officer was asked why he shot Kinsey, he replied that he didn t know. Florida is no stranger to police brutality or racial profling. George Zimmerman s shooting of Trayvon Martin being justified under the Stand Your Ground law, as well as the brutal beating of Refus Holloway shows that Florida is a little far from being progressive when it comes to the attacks o f unarmed black people. But America as a wholeShow MoreRelatedA Report On Police Brutality1367 Words   |  6 PagesStudent Name Instructor Date Course Police Brutality There is various forms of human rights violation currently in the United States, however; Police abuse remains the most serious of them all. Police brutality is, therefore, the use of excessive force or even unnecessary force by the police while they are dealing with civilians. People are left wondering if the police are doing the jobs they were appointed to do under the law. They act in ways such as the use of guns and pepper sprays to intimidateRead MoreThe Effects Of Police Brutality On Minority Communities1152 Words   |  5 PagesThe Effects of Police Brutality on Minority Communities Police brutality thrives in the inner city regions where minority communities live and work. Police brutality is a crime punishable by law and is often instigated by law enforcement officers who are either racially biased or prone to authority abuse and violent (re)actions. Allegations abound concerning police brutality with police officers using unnecessary or excessive force, committing battery, conducting illegal body searches and bullyingRead MoreThe Law Enforcement Profession Essay1712 Words   |  7 Pagesviewpoint of society towards police officers as the symbol of trust and dignity, the technological advances of communication and information systems in law enforcement, and the revision of selection and hiring practices for police officers. Organizational change occurs both as a result of internal and external agents (Swanson, Territo and Taylor, p. 664). These changes have manifested both positive and negative reverberations in the way we perform our job. Police officials have contemplatedRead MoreBlack Women And The Black Lives Essay1418 Words   |  6 Pagesgroup of people I would like to examine is black women. Black women often believe the Black Lives Matter Movement is very male-centered. A number of women such as Yvette Smith, Tyisha Miller, Miriam Carey, and many others have been victims of police brutality. When these women were brutalized or even killed, their names weren’t raised, and they didn’t garner much attention. This conveys the idea that black males’ lives are more important than black females’ lives. This brings about the issue of solidarity;Read More Police brutality Essay2105 Words   |  9 PagesThere is a widespread and persistent problem of police brutality across the United States. Thousands of individual complaints about police abuse are reported each year and local authorities pay out millions of dollars to victims in damages after lawsuits. Police officers have beaten and shot unresisting suspects; they have misused batons, chemical sprays, and electro-shock weapons; they have injured or killed people by placing them in dangerous restraint holds. This is the first paragraph of anRead MoreHow Drones Have Becoming Serve And Protect The Lives And Safety Of The Community816 Words   |  4 Pagesuse of drones could provide the public with more safety because it would provide constant surveillance of a particular area. Monitoring Baltimore City could potentially lower crime rates and discourage criminal activity. Criminals are less likely to commit crimes when they know that they are being watch and have a higher chance of being caught by law enforcement. The Miami-Dade Police Department currently uses drones, and they strictly use them for safety reason. They are only allowed to use the dronesRead MorePast And Present Race Riots2143 Words   |  9 Pagesstart fires, throw rocks at white drivers and overturn cars and trucks. The police arrived and tried to get a handle on the crowd but when they didn’t succeed, the police opened fire on the crowd. This event was one of those where we are still unsure of the reason why the police opened fire and continued to shoot as well as what originally started the riot before the rumor spread (Lecture Feb 25). Fast forward to 1980 in Miami, Florida where riots broke out because the officers who killed an AfricanRead MoreGun Violence Should Be Top Priority And The Reasons For My Choice757 Words   |  4 Pagesfuture and if we do not snatch them up and teach them life, it can wipe out civilization to a certain degree of a particular race. Since the Trayvon Martin incident, which happened almost four years ago, I have noticed that the shootings in certain areas have increased significantly. Not only is this an issue that is progressing, these issues are mainly brought to the forefront when people feel the â€Å"system† or law enforcement has done an injustice act. I chose to address gun violence because I sawRead MorePolice Misconduct And Its Effects Essay1345 Words   |  6 PagesPolice misconduct is a broad term; it can potentially include anything from a police officer making a stop without even a reasonable suspicion justification to the use of lethal force in an altercation that does not warrant it or could have been resolved without it. Police misconduct is not limited to the use and abuse of lethal or nonlethal force at the hands of law enforcement. Police misconduct is defined by the Cato Institute as: â€Å"any action performed by a law enforcement officer that is unethicalRead MoreAmerican Law Enforcement Has Changed A Great Deal1238 Words   |  5 Pagesnot been updated on sensitivity and emotional kindness AS A WHOLE for some time. Gone are the days of the law enforcement officer being able to respond to a high priority scene with a smile. After the Miami Crisis in the 80’s, it seemed as though America has resorted to the Wild West in some areas. There is little room for anything in American Law Enforcement that is not fueled by fear and high stress levels. The standards and disposition qualities sought by law enforcement agencies has changed