Durkheim: Suicide and Solidarity in Society

Durkheim: Suicide and Solidarity in Society Durkheim and Links Between Suicide and Solidarity in Society Emile Durkheims third piece of work was, Suicide published in 1897 and was a case study of which the title describes. A subject that Durkheim was very interested in along with suicide rates and the aspects of social life which had an impact on these statistics. Durkheims own definition of suicide was applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result (Durkheim, extract from Suicide p110). This instrumental piece of writing looked more closely at the sociological reasons behind taking ones life rather than the personal or psychological reasons. Durkheim gathered suicide rates and statistics from many European countries and these were analysed and played a large part in his beliefs that, changes in social solidarity were linked to suicide rates. He also offered his theoretical opinions on the social aspects that also, played a part in these suicide statistics and this essay shall delve more deeply in to the links between suicide and the changes in social solidarity. Emile Durkheim was a great believer in sociology, social facts and the aspects of social life that shape our actions as individuals, things like the state of the economy, religious influences or family. (Giddens, 1997). Social facts were important to Durkheim and he believed they ought to be studied seriously and as objectively as any other science. Durkheim was fascinated at how society was changing and transforming. That the very things that were important to society and glued it all together, values, morals and customs were changing with the times and to Durkheim this played a part in his conclusions on suicide and their rates. Durkheim spoke of society having sacred character and the emergence of sacred symbols. These were a key part of his theory. Durkheim focused much on social solidarity, he describes this as the belief systems and institutions which play a vital part in giving societies coherence and meaning in the way we relate to each other. As society changed it created new social situations and along with these came, what he called social conditions. These were things like severe neurosis and mental fatigue. All coming about as one type of society ends and another is born. He accounted several reasons for the changes in society, the boom of mass media, the vast increase in the use of steam power and scientific rationalism. Durkheim explained that morality was at the heart of social solidarity and its when social cohesion is lacking when those all important symbols, like religion and family, that bind us all together in a moral manner, fall to the wayside. These things taught us how to relate to one another and on their demise, society and how we achieve social solidarity demises also. In Durkheims words when society is strongly integrated, it holds the individual under its control (Durkheim,1982, Excert from Suicide p209). Durkheim makes a distinction between mechanical and organic solidarity. The first of which is what he considered to show the traits of a more traditional society. The division of labour was of a more simple nature and individuality was less common. He claims there was a far more collective consciousness and religion and god played a far bigger part in society. Mechanical solidarity occurs when individual differences are minimized and the members of society are much alike in their devotion to the common weal (Lewis A. Coser, 1971, Masters of Sociological Thought, p 30). Durkheim talks of legal codes and how when crimes are committed, they are offensive to the masses, not just the individual. In this type of society crimes and criminal behaviour are punished in a most serious way, sometimes even by death. In Durkheims own words an act is criminal when it offends strong and defined states of the collective conscience (Division of Labour, p 80). This contrasts strongly with how things are in this day and age and indeed when Durkheim noted changes in society, But today, it is said, punishment has changed it character, it is no longer to avenge itself that society punishes, it is to defend itself. (Division of Labour, p 86). Organic solidarity is related to a more modern society, where things are less traditional and things like family and religion are no longer at the very heart. This is a more capitalist society and has a high division of labour and specialised skills. The collective consciousness is less so and individuality is far more common. Social differences are obvious via class, race or gender. Specialized activities, different ways of living and individual dependence are all more common than within mechanical solidarity. Durkheim talks of the differences as individuals and as groups and thus a new form of social solidarity is born. Organic solidarity, presupposes not identity but difference between individuals in their beliefs and actions. The growth of organic solidarity and the expansion of the division of labour are hence associated with increasing individualism. (Giddens, p 77). Durkheims use of an organic analogy explains how he comes to use the term organic solidarity, Society becomes more capable of collective movement, at the same time that each of its elements has more freedom of movement. The solidarity resembles that which we observe among the higher animals. Each organ, in effect, has its special physiognomy, it autonomy. And moreover, the unity of the organism is as great as the individuation of the parts is more marked. Because of this analogy, we propose to call the solidarity which is due to the division of labour, organic. (Division of Labour, p 131). Durkheim believes that the division of labour, the rights given over more to individuals and that the division of labour was not a natural occurrence that benefited society and this is why organic solidarity was born. Durkheim spoke much on social solidarity and the division of labour. He argued that the process of transcending from mechanical to organic social solidarity was the very cause of new social and economic institutions and relationships. A more complex and specalised division of labour had not given the outcome Durkheim had predicted. He expected it would result in social economic meritocracy and this was not the case. Class conflict was one outcome of the division of labour. Anomic division of labour, Durkheim explains, happens in times of economic, commercial or industrial crisis. The unusual situation of conflict may occur between capital and labour and this would be seen as a non usual situation. Organic solidarity begins to break down and a state of anomie occurs. Forced division of labour happens when the division of labour does not continue organically. People may begin to act in ways that are aimed at protecting themselves or their position and constraints in place can cause inequalities between gender, race and or class. Durkheims interest in suicide and suicide rates within Europe stemmed from his belief that sociology could explain social malaise. He believed it was the path to modernity that caused social malaise. He also believed that psychology and neurology could only diagnose the problem not expose the social genus of condition. His interest in suicide was also stemmed from the division of labour in more modern societies and the importance of social solidarity on people. In another of Durkheims writings, Rules of the Sociological Method, he talked about the concept of anomie. Within his research he studied the suicide rates between catholics and protestants. He concluded that more protestants committed suicide than catholics did. His explanation for this was that catholics being more god fearing. and having more social control than protestants, stopped them from committing suicide as often as protestants did. Durkheim believes that the more social integration people have then the less likely they are to kill themselves. Those who have little social integration, less involvement in society, are more likely to kill themselves before they become a serious drain on society. According to Durkheim, changes in the modern world occur at such a speed and with such intensity, that social difficulties are born and these are what he link to anomie. A feeling of aimlessness or despair provoked by modern social life. (Giddens, (1997) It seems that part of this research could have been flawed. Durkheim didnt take in to account the guilt and shame that often came with Catholicism. Many times in the past catholic families would not declare their dead family members as having committed suicide for fear of not being given a proper burial or the shame faced by other members of the community. Therefore the statistics at that time could perhaps have been skewed down to these facts. Durkheim believed that the issues of social solidarity could well explain some of the reasons why people committed suicide. He believed those less involved and or couldnt identify with society were at risk of committing suicide or indeed those over involved with society too attached or unattached to the rules, morals, values and belief systems of society. Durkheim spoke of different typology of suicide, the first being Egoism and Altruism. Egoism suicide is when a person forms very little attachment to society. They cant see any worth in their own lives and suicide feels like a last resort.He claimed married people committed suicide less than people who were single and this was the typology that the protestants versus catholic rates would fall under. Altruistic suicide is the opposite effect. Its when a person develops an over attachment to the collective goals of society. He said this type occurs when people who belong to a tight knit group begin to feel threatened and in turn these types of suicide can almost be seen as honourable. More relevant today with suicide bombers, cult members and samurais. Durkheim described it as self destruction in defense. The second typology of suicide was anomic and fatalistic. The first being related too a person having a sudden and stressful change in their life circumstances. This could be from divorce to financial ruin, those who once held wealth and prestige and then faced to lose it all and become unemployed would perhaps commit anomic suicide. Fatalistic suicide, Durkheim explained was an intense over regulation of an individual by society. Therefore the types of people who may commit fatalistic suicide are slaves, prisoners of war or in earlier times perhaps women who remained unmarried or without children. Durkheim didnt consider this type of suicide to be common in the modern society. Durkheims work has been much accredited over the years. It was one of the largest studies carried out in a sociological perspective on suicide. His research methods and use of rates and statistics was innovative at the time it was carried out although as was the case with catholics versus protestants in regards to suicide rates, he did fail to take in to account the natural guilt that came with Catholicism. Some claim Durkheims approaches are too positive and or functionalist in nature. Durkheim puts huge emphasis on social facts and perhaps via this he fails to look more closely at personal phenomena. Others have claimed that Durkheims theories were not empirically supported . Durkheims work undoubtedly was remarkable in nature and offered a stunning insight in to suicide and the changes of social solidarity.

Teen Pregnancy by de Anthony Hall

The numbers of teen pregnancy are rapidly increasing due to mainly unsafe sexual behavior. Without the use of the protection, not only one STD’s a threat, but pregnancy hit hand. Teenagers these days take for granted the materials available to avoid getting into these predicaments. They do not realize at the moment the situations and consequences they would have while they are just living in the moment. How can society prevent the growing rate of teen pregnancy and help those who do become pregnant?Teen pregnancy is closely linked to a host of other critical social issues — poverty and income, overall child well-being, out-of-wedlock births, responsible fatherhood, health issues, education, child welfare, and other risky behavior. There are also substantial public costs associated with adolescent childbearing. Consequently, teen pregnancy should be viewed not only as a reproductive health issue, but as one that works to improve all of these measures.Simply put, if more children in this country were born to parents who are ready and able to care for them, we would see a significant reduction in a host of social problems afflicting children in the United States, from school failure and crime to child abuse and neglect. (www. thenationalcampaign. org) As a teen, finding out that you are pregnant is a life-changing and scary event. As a parent, finding out your teen is pregnant can both shock you and cause despair as you wonder, now what? Before this ever happens, you can help your teen learn important lessons on how to prevent teen pregnancy.Unfortunately, teen pregnancy is a nationwide problem. However, there are programs set up through the government and other organizations aimed at prevention. (www. pregnantteenhelp. org) In the United States, about one third of all births in recent years have been to unmarried women. Of teenagers who become pregnant, 26% have abortions, 22% marry before childbirth, and 52% have out-of-wedlock births, resulting in single-pregnant families (Eshleman and Bulcroft 2006). The rate of births to teenagers in the United States is among the highest in the world at 45. births per 1,000 females in the 15-to-19 age group (Health in Schools 2002), but since 1991 the rate has been dropping slowing with a 45% drop for African Americans teens. Society could help prevent the growing rate of teen pregnancy and help those who do become pregnant by opening up more health clinics, household and stability, and sex education. A health clinic is an excellent way to prevent teen pregnancy. They could give you the items a teen need to help prevent pregnancy. Such as condoms, birth control, and monthly check ups. Another way to prevent teen pregnancy is household and stability.If teens communicated with their parents this would be another great way to prevent pregnancy because they would teens would be comfortable talking to their parents about sex and what’s the consequences if they do chooses to have sex as a teen. Lastly, sex education is one of the best ways to prevent teen pregnancy. If teens have the information about sex and having kids, they would not want to have any sexual actives. They would learn about birth, STD’s, and the consequences of having a child being a teen. Such as trying to raise the child, health care, money, and support from family or friends.Teens that get pregnant sometimes don’t think about what’s going to happen in the long run. Most teens want have kids because they think it’s cool or popular, but not thinking they are hurting themselves. By their education because if you have a child coming out of high school you may don’t continue your education and go to college and that’s the last thing a new born needs a parent with no education. I believe that teen pregnancy is not the right choice in life because teens shouldn’t try to be adults at an early age because the lack of support.Teens should have the proper e ducation by graduating from high school and going to a university or a higher level education. Teen parents can’t rely on the government to support them their whole life. Now in the year 2010, teens are having children and can’t take care of themselves. Some are living off their parents and I believe that they are hurting their life. It’s mainly teens coming from urban areas. To prevent teen pregnancy I would seek help. I would go to the health clinic, talk to my parents, and make sure I have safe sex. I wish that many people thought the same as me but I know some people are against abortion and prolife.

The Responsurement Theory The Enlightenment Development...

To start with, positivism was an arrange by Auguste Comte during the 1800’s. It was Comte who founded the term positivism and sociology. In the meanwhile, Comte and Saint-Simon disagree in the discussion that human knowledge migrates in stages, such as the theocratic and metaphysical before it completes its duration. Also, during this stage, the truth will prevail through scientific methods. According, to Comte the Enlightenment thinking, was a factor in the progression of the theocratic stage in which it continues to the metaphysical stage by breaking up the old feudal(Bohm Vogel, 2011). In additional was Enlightenment philosophy added some progress to the positive stage, and therefore, outlive its usefulness. Also, neither did†¦show more content†¦The Biological theory has several attributes such as physiognomy, phrenology, criminal anthropology, the study of body types, heredity studies, twin studies, and adoption studies. According to Physiognomy, an indivi dual facial structure will determine if they are insensitive, swinish and what type of crime they are subject to commit. Also, this theory determines how a punishment would be given base upon the appearance of an individual. For instance, there was two individual involved in a crime, one of the individual was consider as being ugly whereas the other was known to be handsome. The uglier individual was noted to be the guilty party(Bohm Vogel, 2011). Next, is phrenology, uses the skull to determine the character and the intelligence. The founder and co-founder of phrenology work are Franz Joseph Gall and student Johann Gasper Spurzheim, in which gave them the named as the father of criminology. After a half of the nineteenth century, it lost its support due to determinism, because it was anti-religious and anti-free will. Cesare Lombroso, share his expertise in anthropology by stating that the signs or anomalies can determine the difference between a criminal and non-criminals. Lomb roso, believes in accountability, by enforcing a criminal to cover the cost of restoring the crime victim for their loss and keep a job to fulfill their obligation in paying restitution(Bohm Vogel,

Global Warming and the Ocean - 1261 Words

Ocean is the largest water body that covers 70% of the Earth’s surface. In this giant pool, thousands of known and unknown species thrive and create massive food web and environment. For several centuries ocean had and still is providing us with seafood, salt, minerals, transportation, and even leisure. However, in return, humans had leaked toxic chemicals, dumped trash, over-captured fishes and sea organisms, and destroyed environment and geography. Also, due to humans’ ever growing carbon usage from burning fossil fuel had made Earth and ocean temperature unnaturally hot. Today, as the result, the ocean had become a rotten pot of seafood and toxin. Although regret is always too late, if people realize this danger as an imminent threat and change, it is possible to revive the ocean. Global Warming Global warming is one of the biggest environmental issues not just for the ocean but also for the entire Earth. The global warming is caused by greenhouse gases such as the carbon dioxide and methane, which create an invisible cover around the Earth. The cover or the atmosphere with the green house gases lets in the sunlight but do not let the reflected light back into the outer space. This is known as the greenhouse effect. Ice Caps Are Melting The global warming had great impact on Artic ice. From 1979, more than 20% of Arctic ice has melted away due to increased surface air and ocean temperatures. Also, the accumulated area loss is approximately a third of continental US.Show MoreRelatedThe Effect Of Global Warming On The Ocean Essay2046 Words   |  9 Pages Chemistry A.S.91389 Chemical Process ‘Effect of Global Warming on the Ocean’ Jessica Smith Processes Although there is currently no way of accurately measuring such a value, scientists estimate that every day, 79 million tonnes of carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere (2). 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Terrorism and the Mass Media After Al Qaeda a Change of...

Peace Conflict Review Volume 3, Issue 1 ISSN: 1659-3995 Terrorism and the Mass Media after Al Qaeda: A Change of Course? Reviewed by Jessica Baran Abstract Manuel R. Torres Soriano. Terrorism and the Mass Media after Al Qaeda: A Change of Course? Athena Intelligence Journal Vol. 3, No 1, (2008), pp. 1-20. Soriano begins his exploration of the relationship between media and terrorism with the words of Marshall McLuham, whose statement that â€Å"without communication, terrorism would not exist† is taken by Soriano to be â€Å"relatively precocious†, but essentially correct. Though terrorism existed prior to mass media, Soriano argues that it was always about making a public statement, and that new technologies have simply allowed the†¦show more content†¦Soriano also points out that, because of the nature of television news media being short (90 second) stories, it is impossible to tell the whole story and give context to the events unravelling before the viewer’s eyes. The television media does not go into any real detail, thus simplifying the story for the viewer to the point that it has little to do with the actual events. This has great implications for society and social pressure on the government, though one would have to assume this is not beneficia l to the terrorist organization. The terrorist organization would receive massive media coverage for a visual, easy to cover attack, however, this does not mean that the viewers would be aware of why the attack occurred or the ultimate goals of the terrorist organization. This is a complex situation in which the television media are both beneficial and detrimental to the cause of the terrorist. Categorizing the relationship between terrorists and the media Soriano examines the relationship between terrorists and the media, suggesting that there are several different levels of relationship. 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Drug Abuse in America Free Essays

? Literatue Review 3 Section 1: Introduction One of the major problem in modern society is the abuise of drugs. Some use illegal â€Å"street† drugs that have no medical use while others abuse prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes. Either way, it is dangerous can lead to serious consquences, including death. We will write a custom essay sample on Drug Abuse in America or any similar topic only for you Order Now In my paper i will answer two main questions; Why and how are drugs available for the general public to use? What are the mental,physical,and financial consquences of abusing drugs(prescprition or â€Å"street†)? My main source for answering these questions was the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) website. It is a federal angency that is responsible for enforcing the medical laws established by the justice department. This includes regulating laws regarding pharmacies, physcians, and drugs. Mr. Michael Martin, the manager of Walgreen’s Pharmacy was also a credible source as he provided clear explanations if i had any questions. I chose these questions because these are two very important question because they not just impact the abuser but society as well. However, my focus in this paper will be the consquences because they are a serious threat. Section 2: Summary In order to understand the consquences of drug abuse, one must know why drugs are abused. There are many reasons for drugs abuse, â€Å"The reason for taking the drug depends on the type of drug. Often times the main cause is to escape from their problems or from peer pressure. After some time, the reasons change. They become dependent on the drug and they feel sick or cannot function properly without it. † (Martin) Often times the cause for using a drug is because the brain has a sort of reward center. It creates a pleasurable sensation when a certain action occurs. For example, for a stressed employee drinking after work helps him relax. It causes his mind, mainly his central nervous system to slow down and all the worries in the world are gone for the emploee. This provides an instance of pleasure as the brain feels good, it is able to â€Å"relax’. The four type of drugs are â€Å"depressants, stimulants, sedatives, and hallucionogens† (Martin). Depressants such as alcohol and sleeping pills make a person feel more relaxed. Stimulants like Ecstacy, amphetamines, nicotine and caffeine keep a person energetic and awake. However, once the effects are over, hunger and tiredness will set in. Sedatives such as heroine, morphine and codeine offer relief from pain but cause sleepiness. Hallucinogens, for instance, Ecstacy and LSD, may give strange sensations, causing some to see, feel or hear things that are not there. Each drug provides a relative pleasurable sensation for the user. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) nearly 35 million individuals used illicit drugs or abused prescription drugs in 2007. The federal government â€Å"has allocated more than $14 billion dollars for drug treatment and prevention, counterdrug law enforcement, drug interdiction, and international counterdrug assistance† (NDIC). As stated earlier there are illict â€Å"street† drugs and then there are prescription drugs, both with the potential to be abused. The first focus will be the origin of illict, or â€Å"street† drugs. Drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) are the main cause for the production and trafficking of â€Å"street† drugs. â€Å"Mexican and Columbian DTOs generate, remove, and launder between $18 to $39 billion in wholesale drug proceeds annually. Mexican DTOs are the greatest threat to the United States. Mexcian DTOs are responsible for a â€Å"majority of the cocaine available in the U. S. market† (NDIC). DTOs are responsible for the production of drugs and for trafficking it into U. S. cities. Urban gangs are involved in the sales of these drugs, â€Å"aided by their connections with Mexican and Asian DTOs. Currently Mexcian DTOs continue to â€Å"establish new markets for mexican heroin in northeastern states while gangs relocate from inner cities to suburban and rural areas. However, a threat bigger than the illict â€Å"street† drug problem is the abuse of prescription drugs. Nearly 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs-more than the number who abuse cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy, and inhalants combined† (DEA). According to the DEA, prescription pain relievers are new drug users’ drug of choice vs. marijuana or cocaine. Unlike illicit drugs, prescription drugs are not synthes ized by DTOs in some lab. Prescription drugs are obtained through decieving various medical professionals, theft, or from the internet. Decieving medical professionals is a technique known as â€Å"doctor shopping†. This involves a patient going to a doctor for a prescription drug. Then the same patient will go to a different doctor, reveal the same symptons without acknowledging the previous doctor visit, and get another prescription for the same drug. Then the patient will go to more doctors and repeat the steps. In the end, the patient will have numerous prescriptions for the same drug each from a different doctor. The patient will have each prescription filled, most likely at various pharmacies and will have a high quantity of one drug. Now the patient may use the drug or maybe even sell the drug to others who will also misuse it. Some other method of obtaining prescrition include theft from pharmacies or homes, and from traditional drug dealing. Another relatively new method obtaining prescription drugs is through cyber pharmacies. There are many illegal internet pharmacies, that take a prescription, fake or real, and fill it for a patient without any knowledge of the patient or anything else. These pharmacies may also â€Å"check† patients, write them a prescription, and then fill it for them, all without a single face to face with the patient. The consquences of using these illicit drugs is very serious. According to the DEA, nearly one in ten high school seniors admit to abusing prescription painkillers. â€Å"A shocking 40% of teens and adults think prescription drug abuse is safer than abusing â€Å"street† drug because prescription drugs have a medical purpose. â€Å"The diversion of prescription drugs cost insurance companies up to $72. 5 billion dollars annually† (NDIC). Almost $48 billion dollars of the $72. 5 billion are paid by public, governement funded insurance companies. The threat level of drug abuse depends on the dosage of the drug. For example, Dextromethorphan (street name: DXM, Skittles, Robo) is â€Å"an over the counter cough suppresent commonly found in cold medications. DXM is abused in higher than recommended dosages, mainly by adolescents, to create visual and auditory hallucinations. The recommended dosage of DXm is 15-30mg. Taking a dosage of 100-200mg results in mild stimulation, whereas taking a 200-400mg dosage results in euphoria and hallucinations. A 300-600 dosgae results in distorted visual perceptions and loss of motor cordinations. A 500-1500 dosgae may result in dissociative sedation. Any higher dosage will lead to death. As indicated above, the dosage of the abused drug affect the consquences. The higher the dosage than recommended, the more dangerous and serious the consquences. The most abused substance is hydrocodone, which is a depressant. It is a pain reliever that calms the body. â€Å"There are many indications of drug abuse. The symptons witnessed depend on the type of drug being abused† (MayoClinic). Depression and low blood pressure are indicaters of opioid painkillers abuse; drowsiness and impaired judgement indicate sedatives abuse. Stimulants abuse is indicated by insomnia and irregular heartbeat. Section 3: Analysis The research was very helpful in providing answers for the questions. I learned that there are many ways to obtain illict â€Å"street† drugs and prescription drugs. The street drugs are produced by DTOs and even trafficked by DTOs. However, they are sold by local gangs in various environements, mainly in inner cities. I learned that prescription drugs are obtained through decieving and fradulant online transactions. The most suprising fact was that drug abuse has a big affect on society. The cost for counterdrug enforcement and diversion of drugs is very costly and the money could be diverted to something more useful. The research has thought me alot about drug abuse and why avoiding it is the best option. It was helpful to learn these facts and learning the dangers of falling into the viscious drug abuse cycle. Works Cited â€Å"DEA Briefs Background, Drugs and Drug Abuse, Prescription Drug Fact Sheet. † PE Html PUBLIC â€Å"-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1. 0 Transitional//EN† â€Å"http://www. w3. org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional. dtdhttp://www. w3. org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional. dtd † Welcome to the United States Department of Justice. Drug Enforcement Administration. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. . How to cite Drug Abuse in America, Papers

Hostile Takeover free essay sample

Should there be a market for corporate control? What is the fiduciary duty of officers and directors in their response to take over bids? A hostile takeover typically involves an insurgent group, known as a ‘raider’, who makes a tender offer to buy a controlling block of stock in a target corporation from its present shareholders. The price is generally at a premium. If enough of the current shareholders take the offer, the insurgent group receives a controlling interest at which time the â€Å"raider† fires the current management and makes additional changes to the company. The insurgent group’s responsibility is then to add value to show the premium paid for the company’s stock was a smart investment. The proponents for hostile takeover activity argue that a corporation becomes a takeover target because current management is not increasing the share value. The ‘raider’ pays a premium for the stock because they believe under the new management; the company will increase in value well above the price paid for the stock. They would further argue that increasing shareholder value is better for society because it increases wealth among shareholders, and this wealth trickles down through society. In addition, they would argue that a constant threat of a hostile takeover is accountability to current management to give full shareholder value. A final argument is that all shareholders, regardless of holding period, have equal ownership rights. To restrict a new shareholder from imposing power would be to reduce the rights of the shareholders. The critics of hostile takeover activity argue that target companies of takeovers are often split up and sold piecemeal. This dislocates employees, creates job loss, and is harmful to the community. The takeover often saddles the company with debt that limits opportunities and creates additional risk in the event of an economic downturn. They would further argue that the wealth created from a hostile takeover might not trickle down to society at all. The benefits may come to shareholders from accounting techniques and tax law that do not create any additional wealth. Oftentimes, the bondholders are harmed because they go from holding investment grade bonds to junk-bonds in many cases. In addition, the evidence is lacking to show takeover companies perform any better than the average, over the long-term. They may experience a short-term increase in share price, but this is short-lived. A final argument is that the threat of takeovers causes managers to manage for the short-term by creating immediate results, and the threat of takeover may act as accountability on current management; however, the real winners are the lawyers and investment bankers. August Busch, IV was CEO of Anheuser-Busch in 2008 after taking the place of his father August Busch, III. August, III chose to spend lavishly on national marketing campaigns amongst other big-ticket budget items rather than expanding the Anheuser-Busch footprint internationally. August, IV noticed that American tastes were changing, and his company needed to change too. Anheuser-Busch stock had been stagnant for many years and in 2005 the company’s net income fell 17. 9 percent, to $1. 8 billion, the first drop in a decade. By 2006, beer sales had fallen to 50. 7 percent of the total market for alcohol in the U. S. , from 55. 5 percent in 2000. Then in 2007, Anheuser-Busch’s two main competitors, SABMiller and Molson Coors, merged, making the situation for Anheuser-Busch even more precarious. (Berfield) InBev’s tender offer for Anheuser-Busch stock shares came with a number of concessions not typically seen in hostile takeover activity. They were prepared to adopt the Anheuser-Busch name for the combined entity and establish its North American headquarters in St. Louis. InBev pledged not to close any U. S. breweries and said it would invite a number of Anheuser directors to join the board of the combined company as well as seek to retain key members of its management team. InBev was also willing to pay cash of up to $40 Billion on the deal, and InBev would maintain its investment-grade credit rating after the deal was complete. (Wall Street Journal) InBev saw, what they viewed as, extravagant spending by Anheuser-Busch and 50% of the United States market share for beer as a great opporutnity. InBev has a reputation for watching expenses closely, and they felt that trimming the lavish spending of Anheuser-Busch would increase profits rapidly. Anheuser-Busch looked at a number of alternatives to the hostile takeover, including buying the 50 percent of the Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo that it did not already own. This would raise Anheuser-Buschs price tag, potentially deterring InBev. (Sorkin and Merced) Grupo Modelo was not interested in the offer, and Anheuser-Busch Board of Directors were left to make the best decision for the shareholders. The Anheuser-Busch Board of Directors were left to decide the fate of an American icon. Kantian ethics, or duty based ethics, must have come into question during their meetings. Which action was most rational and dignified? The company was struggling, and they were looking at an offer, especially at $70/share, that was at a 35% premium to their current share price. The shareholders had not seen this type of growth from Anheuser-Busch, cumulatively, over many years of holding the stock. The utiliartian benefits must have also come into question, and they must have known that they would be judged by the amount of good produced by their decision. The stakeholder’s, namely the employees, community of St. Louis, stock holders, and consumers, rights all had to be weighed in making a decision. Though the Busch family had been in control for 5 generations, the Busch family owned only 4% of Anheuser-Busch stock in 2008. â€Å"A common and fair complaint about globalization is that it separates businesses from the places in which they do their business. If a business operates amidst, and is therefore dependent upon, a local community, it tends to treat that community with more care than if its an ocean away. It has more of an investment in the community financially, emotionally, politically and therefore usually makes more of an investment. † (Solomon) How would the city of St. Louis, MO fair with this takeover? What about national pride? What duty did the Board of Directors have toward the United States in protecting a native brand? On November 18, 2008, the acquisition was completed, and the parent corporation was renamed Anheuser-Busch InBev; Anheuser-Busch became a wholly owned subsidiary of the new corporation, controlled within the North America zone unit of Anheuser-Busch InBev. By early 2009, Anheuser-Busch InBev turned a family-led company that spared little expense into one that is focused intently on cost-cutting and profit margins, while rethinking the way it sells beer. (Wall Street Journal) Anheuser-Busch InBev focused on reducing costs in the Anheuser-Busch Companies subsidiary and implemented performance-related pay, along with several other changes. These included immediate layoffs of 1,400 employees and 415 contractors, the sale of Busch Entertainment Corporation and company-owned aircraft, lengthened accounts payable terms, and the introduction of zero-based budgeting. For employees, Anheuser-Busch InBev ended employee benefits such as executive assistants for senior management, company contributions to the salaried employee pension plan, and company-provided life insurance to retirees; it also reduced company-provided cell phones, tuition reimbursement, and severance packages. In addition to these internal changes, Anheuser-Busch InBev has made large cuts to its advertising budget. (Wall Street Journal) Anheuser-Busch InBev stock price has risen from $70 per share on November 18, 2008 to $88. 61 per share on December 3, 2012, an increase of 26. % as compared to the 64. 1% increase in the SP 500 during the same time period. Was the loss of an American beer company necessary for the short-term gains of a foreign competitor? This is a difficult question to answer; however, I do not believe Anheuser-Busch would have made the necessary changes to compete in a changing, global market. In my opinion, their history of overspending and native bias led to t heir takeover. In retrospect, I am unable to condemn InBev for their handling of this corporate takeover, and I do not believe Anheuser-Busch or InBev acted unethically in their decision-making.