...were given roles as prisoners or prison guards. This was done to challenge the moral compass of “good” individuals in a negative environment, which in this case was a prison. Surprisingly, the participants truly embodied their roles. Throughout the experiment, the prison guards enforced their authoritarian power and tormented the prisoners both mentally and physically. Despite being the conductor of the experiment, Zimbardo also played a role as the superintendent of the prison. The Stanford Prison Experiment was significant due to its controversial nature and continued discussion in the classroom. The experiment itself was a form of field research. According to Kendall (2014), field research develops “a fuller understanding… through observations, face-to-face discussions, and participation in events.” Ultimately, a field study is an experiment that takes place outside the laboratory. It incorporates observation and interviews of individuals in a more “natural” setting in order to gather qualitative data. The Stanford Prison experiment consisted of all of these characteristics. Additionally, Zimbardo also incorporated participant observation within his fieldwork. Kendall (2014) defined participant observation as “the process of collecting systematic observations while being part of the activities of the group that the researcher is studying.” During the experiment, Zimbardo embodied the role as the prison’s superintendent. When interacting with the prisoners, he responded to...
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...Discuss the surrounding controversy, effectiveness and impact of the deployment of mobile execution vans to perform capital punishment. 1.0 Introduction 1.1 Background on capital punishment in China Capital punishment is deeply rooted in Chinese social culture; it has been widely utilized throughout the history of China for social control, order, maintenance and regulations of individuals and groups (Lu Hong & Miethe, c2007). One of the most chilling types of capital punishment that China had used before was Ling Chi (凌迟- death by a thousand cuts), which was only abolished in 1905. Subsequently, shooting was adopted, and is currently the most common method of execution worldwide. In 1997, China legalized lethal injection as a form of execution. With the new imposition, execution can now be carried out inside a vehicle, where prisoners are strapped onto an electric-powered stretcher and injected with lethal drugs. The vehicle, known as a mobile execution van, is managed by the mobile execution unit. These vans are deployed by the...
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...experiments on scientific knowledge and practices. The Holocaust was a genocide perpetuated in Nazi Germany wherein Adolf Hitler and his collaborators were responsible for the deaths more than 15 million people, 6 million of whom were Jews [1]. The scientific experiments performed on prisoners in German concentration camps were ruthless crimes committed under the name of medical research. In this project, my main objective is to study the various types of experiments carried out, the intent behind them, their validity and usage in the current research scenario and the ethical controversies scientists dealing with those data struggle with. I plan to obtain the abovementioned...
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...One of the greatest advancements in the medical world today was the discovery of HeLa cells. Prior to the discovery of HeLa cells scientists around the world had to use mortal cell lines. This meant that scientists were all performing experiments on different cell lines and therefore had limited ability to share results. HeLa cells were immortal. HeLa cells are cells that grow and multiply while being invincible to bacteria, medications, and other external factors. These were the first cells taken from a human (without consent), grown in a laboratory, and showed signs of immortality. Although they were a great discovery, they also brought a lot of controversy into the world about whether or not the doctors should have taken her cells without...
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...Scholarly Commons 2007 Biomedical Research Involving Prisoners: Ethical Values and Legal Regulation Lawrence O. Gostin Georgetown University Law Center, gostin@law.georgetown.edu Georgetown Public Law and Legal Theory Research Paper No. 976413 This paper can be downloaded free of charge from: http://scholarship.law.georgetown.edu/facpub/479 http://ssrn.com/abstract=976413 297 JAMA 737-740 (2007) This open-access article is brought to you by the Georgetown Law Library. Posted with permission of the author. COMMENTARIES Biomedical Research Involving Prisoners Ethical Values and Legal Regulation Lawrence O. Gostin, JD U NTIL THE EARLY 1970 S , R. J. R EYNOLDS , D OW Chemical, the US Army, major pharmaceutical companies, and other sponsors conducted a wide variety of research on prisoners—a captive, vulnerable, and easily accessible population.1,2 During that time, approximately 90% of all pharmaceutical research was conducted on prisoners, who also were subjected to biochemical research ranging from testing diet drinks and simple detergents to studies involving dioxin and chemical warfare agents.3 From 1962 to 1966, for example, 33 pharmaceutical companies tested 153 experimental drugs at Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia, including a Retin-A (tretinoin) study in which researchers did not seek informed consent and prisoners were not adequately treated for pain.4 By the mid-1970s, biomedical research in prisons sharply declined as knowledge...
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...The Writ of Habeas Corpus Research Paper and Essay Charlie Potter American Government June 2, 2009 Mr. Potter PART 1 - HABEAS CORPUS RESEARCH PAPER “By this action we should call him King Lincoln I.” - Anti-war Democrats, 1863 INTRODUCTION English in origin, the concept of habeas corpus literally means “that you have the body,” meaning that the court can force the police to produce a prisoner before them for review of their case. While complex in its use, a writ of habeas corpus forms the foundation for the rights of the accused since it allows one branch of the government (the courts) to check and balance the actions of another (the police) in criminal proceedings. And yet, while habeas corpus has been maintained as a fundamental right of the imprisoned, this protection has been tampered with in our history, making habeas corpus sometimes a casualty of our desire for security during times of crisis. Constitutional Principles Several constitutional principal are expressed through habeas corpus, the foremost being checks and balances and that the accused are afforded due process. The framers of the Constitution knew that governments become abusive of the rights of citizens when there is no power to check that abuse and when the treatment of the accused is arbitrary. The use of habeas corpus is in fact one of the few constitutional rights enshrined in the main body of the Constitution instead of the amendments, and is established...
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...Animal testing, an imperative and common procedure that has raised controversy regarding humanistic values, has been a long-lasting debated question in the scientific community. In the pursuit of scientific knowledge, animal testing has been undoubtedly essential: It has allowed for the development of new treatments and vaccines, and a better understanding of the human body. Without the sacrifices made in animal experimentation, medical, educational and commercial advancements could not be possible. For these reasons, it is evident that animals are a scientific necessity to the well-being of humanity, and should be used for experimentation. Animal testing refers to experimentation carried out on living animals for the purpose of research in basic...
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...John Vera English 101H Professor Kaufman 23 October 2014 Is the Death Penalty Actually Effective? Of the many crimes one could commit, murder, felony manslaughter, espionage, genocide, and treason are a few of the crimes that can lead to one paying with the ultimate price, their own life. Lethal injection, gas chamber, firing squad, electrocution, and hanging are the methods of death afforded for those who commit such heinous acts. However, does knowing the possible consequences of capital offenses deter individuals from committing the crimes? Did it make you stop and think? In the United States the death penalty is used as a punishment for capital offenses. These specifically can vary from state to state, but commonly include first-degree murder, murder with special circumstances, rape with additional bodily harm, and the federal crime of treason. (Facts) The goal of the death penalty then, is to deter these crimes from even taking place, to be so feared that offenders think twice about committing such horrible crimes. But does it? In the following paper, the above question will attempt to be answered by looking at the background of capital punishment and the death penalty, the ideas behind it, viable alternatives, and finally, the effectiveness of the death penalty at deterring crime. Early death penalty laws date back to the Eighteenth Century B.C.. The death penalty also had a heavy presence in the Fourteenth Century Hittite Code, the Seventh Century Draconian Code...
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...emotional issue which most people seem to have strong arguments for and against. The use of Capital Punishment in America has become a controversy among Americans. Controversy whether to ban Capital Punishment or not has become a top priority for most politicians. On one hand it brings justice, yet on the other its taking a life. These two mind set lead to numerous debates and disputes on the topic and even be linked to other controversial topics like abortion or gun laws. If someone was to believe that capital punishment was just and deserved to the law breaker, they are viewed as mad or blood thirsty. While if one was against it they are called weak or not American in some minds. With both views come valid points but also hard issues. The economic argument that is always seems to come up is the cost of the death penalty opposed to just life in prison. According to California state records, the operating expense to finance the penalty costs tax payers more than $114 million annually (Tempest). A 2005 report from Newsday concluded that New Jersey tax payers have spent a total of $253 million since 1983, which is an incomparably greater cost than if capital punishment was idle (Newsday). "A 1991 study of the Texas criminal justice system estimated the cost of appealing capital murder is around $2.3 million. In contrast, the cost of housing a prisoner in a Texas maximum security prison single cell for 40 years is estimated at $750,000" (Punishment). People always ask the question...
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...Controversies of prisoners of war The book “Unbroken” was a seemingly impossible tale of triumph and survival of an Olympic runner and WWII veteran named Louis Zamperini. He constantly had to overcome adversity in his early years, for he was an immigrant from Italy and a trouble maker before his brother Pete steered him into running track. This immediately turned him around as he did well enough to in running to break all sorts if local records, which were accomplished while his competitors were trying to sabotage his runs. This qualified him for the 1936 Olympic in Berlin, where he met Hitler. He still had running aspirations but felt he had no choice other than fighting in the world due to the fact that the 1940 Olympics were cancelled. So he joined the Air Crops and while flying in plane suspected to break down, he crashed in the sea with two other friends and was stranded there for over 47 days. Louis overcomes great adversity again when Japanese air assaults targeted them and they jumped in the water to get cover while fighting off hungry sharks. After the planes retreated Louis and his friends took turns swatting the sharks trying to jump at them while the other kept the boat afloat by blowing like a mad man. After they were successful in doing this, they saw land but were intercepted by a Japanese boat that took them to the notorious POW camp known as Naoetsu. This is where the infamous prison guard called “The Bird” decided that he was going to do everything to break...
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...The Writ of Habeas Corpus Research Paper and Essay Charlie Potter American Government June 2, 2009 Mr. Potter PART 1 - HABEAS CORPUS RESEARCH PAPER “By this action we should call him King Lincoln I.” - Anti-war Democrats, 1863 INTRODUCTION English in origin, the concept of habeas corpus literally means “that you have the body,” meaning that the court can force the police to produce a prisoner before them for review of their case. While complex in its use, a writ of habeas corpus forms the foundation for the rights of the accused since it allows one branch of the government (the courts) to check and balance the actions of another (the police) in criminal proceedings. And yet, while habeas corpus has been maintained as a fundamental right of the imprisoned, this protection has been tampered with in our history, making habeas corpus sometimes a casualty of our desire for security during times of crisis. Constitutional Principles Several constitutional principal are expressed through habeas corpus, the foremost being checks and balances and that the accused are afforded due process. The framers of the Constitution knew that governments become abusive of the rights of citizens when there is no power to check that abuse and when the treatment of the accused is arbitrary. The use of habeas corpus is in fact one of the few constitutional rights enshrined in the main body of the Constitution...
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...mass incarceration perpetuates a racial caste system that preserves this outdated practice. In Alexander’s book, The New Jim Crow, she points to the cause, enforcement, and victims of this system, but her arguments lack the depth to stand against counterarguments. Primarily, Alexander links mass incarceration’s cause of the War on Drugs. Her secondary cause for this phenomenon appears after this war begins; many defendants cannot obtain “meaningful legal representation” (Alexander 17), a claim which widely goes undisputed. Meanwhile, the argument that “convictions for drug offenses —not violent crime—are the single most important cause of the prison boom in the United States” (Alexander 102), a repetitive argument in her book, sparks controversy. Scholars, such as Pfaff, believe that writers distort the role of drug convictions due to focusing on only...
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...Pentagon and a forth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania, failing to reach its intended target because of heroic passengers. With nearly 3,000 civilians murdered, the United States began the “War on Terror” that targeted organizations designated as terrorist and those regimes accused of supporting them. The “War on Terror” took the fight to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq. The Theory of Just War is an ethical look to help determine whether the use of armed forces is justified or unjustified. This Theory is guided by three sets of criteria: the right to go war (jus ad bellum), the rules of engagement of war (jus in bello) and justice after war (jus post bellum). While these wars have been surrounded with controversy and claims of being unjust, the “War on Terror” is a just war that does not exceed the moral boundaries set in the Just War Theory and today's society? The first criterion for a just war is the right to go to war. Is there a just cause? Will war be declared by a competent authority? Has all other options for peace been exhausted? What are the chances for success? Before the dust for the fallen towers settled and while eighty-six other countries mourned the loss of loved ones that were indiscriminately killed by Al Qaeda operatives, leaders around the globe heeded their citizens’ call to war, forming a coalition against terrorists. President George Bush stated “our 'war on terror' begins with al-Qaeda, but it does not end there...
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...China, the most populous country known to man, dehumanizes its citizens by recklessly ending lives as an attempt to profit from murder. Undeniably, an unbelievable amount of crimes exist all throughout the world. Such crimes in particular, known as crimes against humanity, are deliberately executed to systematically violate human rights to a widespread population. For decades, these crimes have persisted across China and still remain today. China violates human rights through crimes involving torture, harassment, and most notably, organ trafficking. Organ trafficking is a crime where organs are illegally forced or taken from bodies to use for transplantations. These crimes in China cause controversy throughout the world resulting in failed attempts to end such offenses. China’s human rights violations...
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...Nike in Indonesia An interesting reference was made to capitalism in a documentary about Indonesian Nike sweatshops; capitalism was referred to as “the survival of the fittest.” Capitalism is an economic system where the majority of the means of production are owned privately, production is guided, and income is distributed mostly through the operation of markets; in this case capitalists would be the “fittest.” However, there are two more types of people: laborers and consumers. Laborers are those who sell their labor to the capitalists, ideally for livable wages, and consumers are those who purchase the goods or services that are demanded. Ironically, capitalism would be non-existent if it was not for laborers and consumers but these are the people that are seen as “not fit enough.” There are different approaches to capitalism; one of them is called outsourcing. Companies outsource because “outsourcing can be such an approach and one of the strategies that can lead to greater competitiveness. (Ahmad)” Outsourcing can help firms because products that may cost one amount to create may have a significantly lower production cost in another country due to resources that are available in that geographic location. However, as the living necessities and wages rise in the United States, companies like Nike have decided to outsource their labor to take advantage of lower safety standards and a cheaper work force; “Nike employs approximately 23,000 people worldwide…it has been accused...
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