Both NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) and Formula One are motor-car racing competitions with a huge fan following. Indeed, the total fan following generated by these two leagues are comparable to that of International soccer, Tennis and Athletics. But the two competitions differ in three key areas, namely, 1 – rules and…
Comparison between Disparate Treatment and Disparate Impact
Disparate Treatment and Disparate Impact are two theories under Title VII of the United States Civil Rights Act. Together, they were intended to prohibit discriminatory actions on part of employers toward racial, sexual or class minorities. The theory of Disparate Treatment first came into judicial discourse in the Griggs v. Duke Power Co. During and…
Federal and state laws that govern how employers acquire and use applicants’ and employees’ background information
Corporate laws pertaining to usage of employee/candidate information have gotten stringent over the years. This is a positive development, for otherwise, important private information will be subject to misuse and exploitation. And, in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) age, electronic communication between employees has thrown open many new ways of information leakage. As workplaces…
How can an organization achieve and maintain a pattern of ethical behavior?
One of the ways in which an organization can achieve and maintain a modicum of ethical behavior is by adopting a Code of Ethics. The Code of Ethics adopted by a business organization reflects its approach to business and also defines it’s values and standards. These sets of self-imposed rules originate from corporate social responsibility…
What lessons should be learned from the government’s botched response to Hurricane Katrina?
Hurricane Katrina will be remembered as one of the most embarrassing episodes of governance failure. This failure is palpable in both the lead-up as well as the aftermath of the event. In the lead-up to the event, local administrators could not act expeditiously in evacuating vulnerable populations to safer ground. After the event, authorities were…
Problems with traditional ethnographic film-making as exemplified by Nanook of the North
The film Nanook of the North is a pioneering effort by film-maker Robert Flaherty. Released in 1922 and filmed in the immediately preceding years, the film was a tentative experimentation in two genres – ethnography and documentary. At a time when the written word was the primary mode of information dissemination, Nanook of the North…
The Fallacy of the American Dream: The Reservation Cab Driver and Mexicans Begin Jogging
The notion of the American Dream, whereby through hard work and earnest enterprise a citizen could rise to a comfortable standard of living is an exaggeration. Despite being the richest country in the world, the United States also has the greatest disparities in distribution of wealth. Moreover, public institutions in the country have failed to…
Do privacy rights extend to sexual orientation?
Privacy rights have taken added significance in urban centers across the world. As societies become more urbanized and proximity between strangers increases, instances of breach in privacy is bound to grow, leading to expansion in laws relating to privacy. In highly advanced societies like the United States, the rate of urbanization is very high, which…
How a bill becomes a law?
Bills, which as essentially proposed laws, are very important to the democratic process. It is elected representatives, who on behalf of their constituency frame and present bills in the Congress. After debates and discussions, the House of representatives and the Senate take votes to approve or disapprove the bill. If the bill is favored by…
Big Eight’s criticism of commercializing cherished cultural traditions such as the Rodeo
Big Eight is quite right in criticizing the commercialization of cherished cultural traditions such as the Rodeo. Rodeo shows started as a form of entertainment and show of expertise among horse-owners. When it started, players’ skills were truly tested, for no two horses are the same and they have to adjust to the vagaries of…