Definition and Examples of Cause and Effect in Essays

Definition and Examples of Cause and Effect in Essays Definition In composition, cause and effect is a method of paragraph or essay development in which a writer analyzes the reasons for- and/or the consequences of- an action, event, or decision. A cause-and-effect paragraph or essay can be organized in various ways. For instance, causes and/or effects  can be arranged in either chronological order or reverse chronological order. Alternatively, points can be presented in terms of emphasis, from least important to most important, or vice versa. See Examples and Observations below. Also see: 50 Essay Topics: Cause EffectAffect and EffectArgumentationGamblers FallacyPost Hoc FallacySentence Combining Exercise #7: Out of the Ice Age Sentence Combining Exercise #8: How Teachers Make Children Hate Reading Examples of Cause Effect Paragraphs and Essays Cause and Effect in The Dream Animal by Loren EiseleyCause and Effect in Stephen Kings Horror MoviesChanges by Peter MatthiessenCorn-Pone Opinions by Mark TwainThe Decay of Friendship by Samuel JohnsonThe Hurricane by John James Audubon Learning to Hate Mathematics: A Cause Effect Essay Examples and Observations If you prove the cause, you at once prove the effect; and conversely nothing can exist without its cause.(Aristotle, Rhetoric) Immediate Causes and Ultimate CausesDetermining causes and effects is usually thought-provoking and quite complex. One reason for this is that there are two types of causes: immediate causes, which are readily apparent because they are closest to the effect, and ultimate causes, which, being somewhat removed, are not so apparent and may perhaps even be hidden. Furthermore, ultimate causes may bring about effects which themselves become immediate causes, thus creating a causal chain. For example, consider the following causal chain: Sally, a computer salesperson, prepared extensively for a meeting with a client (ultimate cause), impressed the client (immediate cause), and made a very large sale (effect). The chain did not stop there: the large sale caused her to be promoted by her employer (effect).(Alfred Rosa and Paul Eschholz, Models for Writers, 6th ed. St . Martins Press, 1998) Composing a Cause/Effect EssayFor all its conceptual complexity, a cause/effect essay can be organized quite simply. The introduction generally presents the subject(s) and states the purpose of the analysis in a clear thesis. The body of the paper then explores all relevant causes and/or effects, typically progressing from least to most influential or from most to least influential. Finally, the concluding section summarizes the various cause/effect relationships established in the body of the paper and clearly states the conclusions that can be drawn from those relationships.(Kim Flachmann, Michael Flachmann, Kathryn Benander, and Cheryl Smith, The Brief Prose Reader. Prentice Hall, 2003) Causes of Child ObesityMany of todays kids are engaged in sedentary pursuits made possible by a level of technology unthinkable as recently as 25 to 30 years ago. Computer, video, and other virtual games, the ready availability of feature films and games on DVD, plus high-tech advancements in musi c-listening technology have come down into the range of affordability for parents and even for the kids themselves. These passive pursuits have produced a downside of reduced physical activity for the kids, often with the explicit or implicit consent of the parents. . . .Other fairly recent developments have also contributed to the alarming rise in child obesity rates. Fast food outlets offering consumables that are both low in price and low in nutritional content have exploded all over the American landscape since the 1960s, especially in suburban areas close to major highway interchanges. Kids on their lunch breaks or after school often congregate in these fast food outlets, consuming food and soft drinks that are high in sugar, carbohydrates, and fat. Many parents, themselves, frequently take their children to these fast food places, thus setting an example the kids can find justification to emulate.(MacKie Shilstone, Mackie Shilstones Body Plan for Kids. Basic Health Publication s, 2009) Cause and Effect in Jonathan Swifts A Modest ProposalA Modest Proposal is a brilliant example of the use of non-argumentative devices of rhetorical persuasion. The whole essay, of course, rests broadly upon the argument of cause and effect: these causes have produced this situation in Ireland, and this proposal will result in these effects in Ireland. But Swift, within the general framework of this argument, does not employ specific argumentative forms in this essay. The projector chooses rather to assert his reasons and then to amass them by way of proof.(Charles A. Beaumont, Swifts Classical Rhetoric. Univ. of Georgia Press, 1961) Effects of AutomobilesI worry about the private automobile. It is a dirty, noisy, wasteful, and lonely means of travel. It pollutes the air, ruins the safety and sociability of the street, and exercises upon the individual a discipline which takes away far more freedom than it gives him. It causes an enormous amount of land to be unnecessarily abstracted from nature and from plant life and to become devoid of any natural function. It explodes cities, grievously impairs the whole institution of neighborliness, fragmentizes and destroys communities. It has already spelled the end of our cities as real cultural and social communities, and has made impossible the construction of any others in their place. Together with the airplane, it has crowded out other, more civilized and more convenient means of transport, leaving older people, infirm people, poor people and children in a worse situation than they were a hundred years ago.(George F. Kennan, Democracy and the Student Left, 1968) Examples and Effects of EntropyBecause of its unnerving irreversibility, entropy has been called the arrow of time. We all understand this instinctively. Childrens rooms, left on their own, tend to get messy, not neat. Wood rots, metal rusts, people wrinkle and flowers wither. Even mountains wear down; even the nuclei of atoms decay. In the city we see entropy in the rundown subways and worn-out sidewalks and torn-down buildings, in the increasing disorder of our lives. We know, without asking, what is old. If we were suddenly to see the paint jump back on an old building, we would know that something was wrong. If we saw an egg unscramble itself and jump back into its shell, we would laugh in the same way we laugh as a movie run backward.(K.C. Cole, The Arrow of Time. The New York Times, March 18, 1982)

Sociology of corrections essays

Sociology of corrections essays Typically, there are four justifications for punishment that are still used today in the United States: Retribution, deterrence, incapication, and rehabilitation. There are many ways of reaching these justifications besides prison today, which are made to help the current problems in the criminal justice system. There are many different views about the effectiveness of these justifications, and with all of the problems in the criminal justice system many questions are left unanswered today, such as...... How well do the realities of the correctional enterprise concur with these justifications of punishment Reality in this aspect generally means the rate of recidivism for a given offender. According to Marquart and Sorensen, "It may be possible to manipulate certain gross features of the existing, conceptional prison system- such as length of sentence and degree of security- in order to affect these recidivism rates. " (Correctional Contexts, Roxbury Publishing company, 1997, pg. 299 ) The recidivism rates for any given offender depend upon a lot of variables, one of which being, time of sentence. One harsh reality of the correctional enterprise is that the majority of the correctional institutions in the United States today are over crowded. A 1992 survey said that, "there are 3,500 county jails in the United States today, and there are 400,000 inmates inhabiting them." ( Class discussion, September 20 ) This makes time of sentence difficult to be fair about when there is no room to house an offender, even if he does deserve it. In light of what we know about corrections, how successful are we in achieving these goals? "Which should society use" retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, or rehabilitation? Justifications for specific sanctions overlap considerably. A term of imprisonment may be philosophically justified by its primary goal of retribution but also serve the secondary functions of deterren ...

Discussion 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Discussion 2 - Assignment Example Belgium was defending its sovereignty and neutrality in the war protected by their treaty with the Great Britain. This resulted in Belgium being attacked by Germany with the largest casualties being on Aorschot, Andenne, tamines, Leuven, Dinant and Liege regions. The documentary follows through the ruins of Leuven showing the aftermath of the war. The Germans brought down to ashes the town together with its university and the priceless manuscripts at the library. The only building that survived was the town hall and only because it was the German QG. The German army killed nearly 6000 Belgian civilians including women and children burnt more than 25000 homes and buildings. The documentary although based on the world seems to be passing judgment on Germany. The documentary is an excellent depiction the horror that was present in World War 1 and the untold accounts by the survivors. Chapter 3 in the book Hitler and Nazi Germany is about the growth and victory of Nazism between 1924 and 1934. The section follows the imprisonment of Hitler and his change of tact. Hitler had been imprisoned for treason after staging the â€Å"Beer Hall Putsch† in Munich, which failed. The Beer Hall putsch was a forceful takeover of the government in Bavaria. He wrote his book â€Å"My struggle† in prison which gave him a lot of publicity. While in prison Hitler realized that the only way to win public support was through a legal and constitutional means and started the process of reconstructing the Nazi (National Socialist German workers party) party. The chapter follows Hitler in prison and after his release, after release from prison Hitler formally refounded the party in February 1925 proclaiming it to be the fighter of Marxism. According to Hitler Germany’s economic depression was a result of the Treaty of Versailles, the Treaty that ended the world war 1, the treaty had burdened Germany with compensations that

Having more mothers in the work force has changed the way many kids Essay

Having more mothers in the work force has changed the way many kids grow up - Essay Example Women participation incivic development could be primary reason for the decline of race. Child care living at home coincides withengagement in the social downturn and it becomes enigma to create balance between children brought up and social trend at workplace.More mothers in workplace drags lots of effects on children. For instance Mother absence at home attracts pre adolescents towards TV, and other discretionary activities i.e. playing, hobbies, clubs, outdoor activities, informal visiting eating unhealthy foods and just hanging out. Consequently heavy television watching and eating unhealthy food in the absence of mother increases aggressiveness, in turn reduces school achievement which is statistically associated with psychosocial malfunctioning. Such effects are enough to destroy child mother bond.Lots of deficiencies remain unattended in the personality of child at the time when they needs the proper brought up (Martha, 1994). For example if Asian mothers try to overcome such problems, the first step mothers take for entering in work field is they give children responsibility to their grandparents. As grandparents are no longer busier and need to have some activity for their rest of life. No doubt children bring lots of happiness and joy into their lives. Grandparents try to meet all requirements of their grandchildren, fulfill their needs, run behind them, and protect them from harm. But when children make mistakes they punish and grudge on them. Children’s growing up in such circumstances becomes very naughty, mischievous and self-centered. The second option is fathers take care of their children but such great husbands who support their wives career are rare. There is great difference between mother and father patience. Father can’t do all the jobs as mother also fathers get annoyed at little mistakes and snub the children the way mother never did. The children get fear of father and try to hide their feelings and problems in front

The Importance of Retail Information Systems Research Paper

The Importance of Retail Information Systems - Research Paper Example In a highly competitive environment, effective customer services as well as relevant products to the consumers assume a high position in retailers’ priority list in the event of profit maximization. One of the most effective ways to ensure relevant product and effective services to the customer is through collection of information regarding the customer, analyzing that information and finally placing the analyzed information into work by aiding in decision making processes. (Stair, 2010) Information systems include systems that deals with the process of raw data from databases, file storage and file sources to information which are later used by middle level, top level and operational level managers in decision making thus improving their output to the consumers inform of better services and relevant products which in turn increases their returns and profit. (Stair, 2010) Information systems and organizations influence one another. According to Lucey, Information systems are built by managers to serve the interest of their firms. At the same time organizations must be aware of and open to the influences from information systems to benefit from new technologies. The interaction between information technology, information systems and organizations is very complex and is influenced by many mediating factors, including the organization structure, business processes, politics, culture, surrounding environment and management decisions. (2005) All modern organizations have bureaucracies with clear-cut divisions of labor and specialization. The main reason for organization’s failure in implementing information systems is inability to

Morality & Ethics Essay Example for Free

Morality Ethics Essay J. M. FINNIS: Rules made, in accordance with regulative legal rules, by a determinate and effective authority (itself identified and standard constituted as an institution by legal rules) for a ‘complete’ community, and buttressed by sanctions in accordance with the rule-guided stipulations of adjudicative institutions. [1] NATURALISTS ST. THOMAS AQUINAS: A rational ordering of things which concern the common good, promulgated by whoever is charged with the care of the community. [2] SOCIOLOGISTS ROSCOE POUND: Law is more than a set of abstract norms, it is also a process of balancing conflicting interests and securing the satisfaction of the maximum wants with the minimum of friction. [3] WHAT IS MORALITY? No single definition can be offered to describe what morality is, but in general morality can be understood as a rule prescribing between what is wrong and what is wrong. It could also mean a value of the acceptable and unacceptable norm of a given society. Some reserve terms moral and immoral only for the realm of sexuality and use the words ethical and unethical instead of the word moral when discussing how the business and professional communities should behave towards their members or toward the public. [4] RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAW AND MORALITY 1. The existence of unjust laws proves that morality and law are not identical and do not coincide. 2. The existence of laws that serve to defend basic values, law and morality can work together. 3. Laws can state what overt offenses count as wrong and punishable. 4. Laws govern conduct at least partly through fear of punishment. 5. Morality can influence the law in the sense that it can provide the reason for making whole groups of immoral elections illegal. 6. Law can be a public expression of morality which codifies in a public way the basic principles of conduct which a society accepts. [5] PUBLIC PROSECUTOR v MOHD ROMZAN BIN RAMLI[6] BRIEF EXPLANATION ON THE CASE: Mohd Romzan bin Ramli was charged under the offence of incest under the provision of section 376A of the Penal Code- a person is said to commit incest if he or she has sexual intercourse with another person whose relationship to him or her is such that he or she is prohibited, under the law, religion, custom or usage applicable to him or her, to marry that person; and was sentenced to six years of imprisonment and one stroke of rotan under section 376B(1)- punish with imprisonment between 6 to 20 years and whipping; of the same Code. The accused had committed the crime in between early January 2006 to 26th May 2006 in a room at his house in Kulai, Johor Bharu, Johor. To an 11-year old girl, Nurul Atikah bte Abdul Kadir, which is also his stepdaughter. In 2006, the girl was forced to undress by the accused and was disturbed sexually by him. He had done the disturbance to her several times. In addition, he threatened her not to tell anyone and had beaten her. Father of the victim, lodged a police report after he had noticed changes in his daughter after he had picked her from his ex-wife’s home. After medical check-ups were done by the doctor, the victim suffered from injuries in her private part and was treated by a psychologist. The accused pleaded guilty in front of the judge,Zawawi Salleh in the High Court of Johor Bharu, prosecuted by the Deputy Public Prosecutor, Husmin Hussin (Johor, State Legal Advisor Office). However, his sentences was changed to eleven years of imprisonment and three strokes of rotan, after the case was appealed to the High Court Of Johor Bharu from the Sessions Court Johor Bharu. The sentences were changed as it was unfair to the victim by taking her trauma and injuries into account and the public views about this case. OPINION/CONCLUSION In my opinion, the action of appealing the judgement made by the Sessions Court of Johor Bharu was a just and fair decision. Six years of imprisonment with one stroke of rattan is too little compared to the crime. According to John Austin, he defines law as a command given by a sovereign who may be a King, council or parliament. Such a command in his view is backed by coercion so that any person who violates the law, suffer the pain provided by law. [7] The accused needs to be punished for what he had done to the victim. The victim was just a little, innocent girl compared to him whose already old enough to think about right and wrong. Secondly, punishments for committed crimes are not only to punish the criminals, it is also as a deterrence to the public to not commit the same crime as they will be punished in accordance with the law too. Six years imprisonment and one stroke of rattan are not sufficient enough to deter the crime. As John Austin stated on why do we have to obey the law? It is because of the fear of sanction. Austin view is the fear by which the law, by its coercive power, strikes in the heart of the people is what makes people obey the law. If we remove the element of fear from the law, it would not be obeyed as there would be no deterrence. In other words, if a law is made without sanction, it would be disobeyed. [8] Lastly, after the High Court Judge of Johor Bharu sentenced the accused to eleven years of imprisonment and three strokes of rattan, only then, the justice can be seen. Bentham refers justice as maximum happiness of maximum number of people. [9] The public’s views on the case are also need to be considered. Minimum sentences given could cause an uproar in the society. Even Hart mentioned that justice is a shared concept; everybody wants justice seen and done. This is also supported by the aim of having law is to maintain peace and harmony. [1] M. D. A Freeman, Lloyd’s Introduction to Jurisprudence, page 178. [2] M. D. A Freeman, Lloyd’s Introduction to Jurisprudence, page 143. [3] Hari Chand, Modern Jurisprudence, 1994, International Law Book Services, Kuala Lumpur, page 205. [4] Jacques T. Ethics Theory and Practice, (5th ed. ). New Jersey: Prentice Hall, (1995): 3. [5] Basic Observations on Law and Morality. 10 September 2001. Web. 13 August 2012. [6] â€Å"Public Prosecutor v Mohd Romzan bin Ramli. † Malayan Law Journal, 22nd January 2012. Web. 13th August 2012. . [7] Hari Chand, Modern Jurisprudence, page 72,80,81. [8] Hari Chand, Modern Jurisprudence, page 74. [9] â€Å"Jeremy Bentham. † N. p. Web. 14th August 2012. .

Everybody Should Take Stand Against Corruption Politics Essay

Everybody Should Take Stand Against Corruption Politics Essay Corruption in Afghanistan is considered one of the greatest challenges and issues both the citizens and government is facing. It has become widely recognized one of the major source of increasing poverty, backwardness, and instability in the country. It has also been considered a key challenge for governance and rule of law. Apart from this corruption is also an obstacle for the sustainable growth of economy which the country is struggling with. Although, both the government and the citizens have taken major steps to decrease the level of corruption in the governmental departments, the results are still not convincing. Different attempts have been made in order to define corruption; but still there is no precise, clear, single and accepted definition corruption which can be applicable to all forms, types and degrees of corruption. According to World Bank corruption is defined as the use of public office for private gains, or in other words, use of official position, rank or status by an office bearer for his own personal benefit. In this definition, examples of corrupt behaviors include: (a) bribery, (b) extortion, (c) fraud, (d) embezzlement, (e) nepotism, (f) cronyism, (g) appropriation of public assets and property for private use, and (h) influence peddling. (Myint) Corruption has posed serious challenges to the Afghan societies. In the political realm, it has undermined democratic values and good governance and has negatively affected formal democratic processes. Corrupt elections in have reduced the amount of accountability and responsiveness in the elected officials. In the judiciary, corruption in many instances has compromised the rule of law and responsibility against public. More generally, corruption has decreased the capacity of the governmental institutions. Many procedures in the government institutions are considered useless. Apart from this the public wealth and public resources are unequally distributed; the offices are often bought and sold. Moreover, corruption has also undermined the legitimacy of Afghan government and has negatively affected public trust and their tolerance. Everybody understands that corruption will not do any good to anyone. On the contrary, it harms everybody and society. So, in order to get rid of this serious issue and live in a corruption free society everybody should take a stand against corruption. Although, the Afghan government has made several commitments to combat corruption, but the problem is still widespread. Fighting and finally eradication of corruption needs serious work and commitments. It is understandable that corruption cannot be eradicated in a short period of time. It needs years and maybe decades. Combating corruption is not easy. In order to do so, one should know the causes and effects of the corruption on societies. Apart from governmental institutions, International Non-governmental Organizations such as Integrity Watch Afghanistan, United Nationals Agencies and Transparency International has found out numerous causes of corruption in Afghanistan among which United Nation Development Program (UNDP) has offered a broader list of commonly cited causes of corruption. The list includes: (i) a lack of rules, oversight and enforcement; (ii) institutional weaknesses in legislative and judicial systems; (iii) low incomes for public officials; (iv) high rewards comp ared to risks for corrupt behavior; and (v) a low likelihood of having corruption detected. (Balboa and Medalla) All the issues which cause corruption have created serious threats to Afghanistans development, questioned government legitimacy, increased tension between Afghan government and international community which in result has caused instability. Its growing threat has undermined the authority and accountability of government and has decreased the public trust in the government. The effect of corruption has many political, economic, social and environmental effects on the Afghan society which will be discussed one by one. In political spectrum, corruption has obstructed the democratic values which are the basis of Afghan government and the rule of law. Corruption is considered as one of the main obstacles to the development of democracy. Public institutions and governmental departments which are mainly created for the delivery of public services are the units of democratic system. When the officials of these institutions engage in corrupt activities, the institution loses their credibility. Lack of accountability can question the legitimacy of these institutions. Increase in corruption can result political instability and lack of transparency. Apart from this, corrupt societies lack sound political competition. The decisions are often made based on personal authority rather than legal authority which in turn undermine democratic values. These issues finally lead to anger and frustration in the citizens. For instance, Khalis Shinwari, a volunteer inspector assigned by the local elders in Jalalabad to identify cases of bad craftsmanship in development projects, told The Washington Post that the people are angryà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦but to whom they can complain? (Basar) This sort of dissatisfaction in the citizens can pose major challenges for the young democratic system of Afghanistan. The economic effects of corruption have serious impact on the whole country. First and foremost, corruption causes the misuse of national wealth by a small part of the population. It often results the unequal distribution of wealth, increases costs of goods and the delivery of public services. A report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lists some major economic consequences of corruption as (i) Prevention of economic growth; (ii) reduction in the effectiveness of international assistance; and (ii) loss of tax revenue given that bribes may be paid to evade taxes and customs. (Basar) In corrupt societies corruption causes the transformation of public wealth into private and neglects the necessities of public. The funds are spent on unnecessary projects and the basic needs of citizens are often ignored. Socially, corruption discourages people for working together for the common good of a society. It disturbs social services delivery, increase frustration among the citizens, which in return results in a weak civil society. Apart from this, corruption increases poverty in a society, and increase the gap between the rich and poor. In a corrupt society, paying and taking bribes becomes a tradition which results in inequality, hatred and insecurity. According to UNDP, corruption increases the price of public services and lowers their quality. (Basar) Furthermore, paying bribes for public service frustrate citizens and demoralizes citizens trust on the government which causes social unrest. To sum up, it has become clear that if Afghanistan wants to emerge as a strong democratic state, the government and the citizens need to take concrete steps to fight this serious disease which is spreading day by day. History has shown that corruption has been one of the main factors for the downfall of many regimes. It undermines the legitimacy of the government, weakening the structure; badly affect the economy, worsening poverty, affect reconstruction and increase insecurity and instability. Everybody understands that Afghanistan is decades away from reaching corrupt free society but both government and the citizens has to take a stand and place the fight against corruption as one of the top priorities for the development and stabilization of their beloved country.