A Block Criminology - Today, in the learning commons, I'll have you watch the first eight sections of the movie "The Corporation". Please do not forget that the documentary is an opinion piece...it is trying to persuade you that a corporation acts like a psychopath. Not all business is bad but we do need to understand the "corporate view" of white collar criminal activity. What is it that makes a successful business person and what kind of ethical behaviour is valued by corporate culture? You will need to work on the following questions on your blog site:
- Is it fair to blame a single executive for the activities of a company that has thousands of employees?
- Can Corporations Commit Murder? If a corporation is considered as a person in law (as it is in the US) who can be held liable (responsible) if a corporation kills people?
- Recall 10 or more brands, their logos, their jingles, slogans, and any memory of the product (think Nike = swoosh = "just do it"). Do you know who owns the brand? What is your perception of this "brand"? Has the company/corporation committed any business legal violations? If so, for what? Does this change your perception of the brand?
- The documentary raises important questions about ethics and personal responsibility. One of the fundamental messages in the film is that corporations are irresponsible because in an attempt to satisfy corporate goals, everyone else is put at risk. To what extent is a person responsible for what they do even when within a company? Is a person morally culpable for their actions when satisfying the goal of profit within a corporation? Why or why not?
For more on the movie go to the official site here
An outstanding in-depth article on the Value of Corporate Values can be found in an article by Reggie Van Lee, Lisa Fabish, and Nancy McGaw in this month's S+B. Based on a survey at 365 companies in 30 countries, the authors claim "increasingly, companies around the world have adopted formal statements of corporate values, and senior executives now routinely identify ethical behavior, honesty, integrity, and social concerns as top issues on their companies’ agendas". The highlights of the survey and article are:
- A large number of companies are making their values explicit. That’s a change — quite a significant change — from corporate practices 10 years ago. The ramifications of this shift are just beginning to be understood.
- Ethical behavior is a core component of company activities.
- Most companies believe values influence two important strategic areas — relationships and reputation — but do not see the direct link to growth.
- Most companies are not measuring their “ROV.”
- Top performers consciously connect values and operations.
- Values practices vary significantly by (continental) region.
- The CEO’s tone really matters.
White collar crime/corruption
So, let's use Little Red Riding Hood to help.
B Block Legal Studies - Test Wednesday... Today, we'll turn our attention today on violent crimes - specifically the categories of homicide in Canada. We'll learn the difference between culpable and non-culpable homicide and examine the levels of murder (first and second degree) as well as manslaughter (voluntary and involuntary)…all done through an interpretive play involving my swivel chair, the floor and possibly a garbage can.
R.S.C., 1985, c. C-46
229 Culpable homicide is murder
(a) where the person who causes the death of a human being
- (i) means to cause his death, or
- (ii) means to cause him bodily harm that he knows is likely to cause his death, and is reckless whether death ensues or not;
(b) where a person, meaning to cause death to a human being or meaning to cause him bodily harm that he knows is likely to cause his death, and being reckless whether death ensues or not, by accident or mistake causes death to another human being, notwithstanding that he does not mean to cause death or bodily harm to that human being; or
(c) if a person, for an unlawful object, does anything that they know is likely to cause death, and by doing so causes the death of a human being, even if they desire to effect their object without causing death or bodily harm to any human being.
231 (1) Murder is first degree murder or second degree murder.
(2) Murder is first degree murder when it is planned and deliberate.
(3) Contracted Murder is Murder in the First Degree
(4) Murder of peace officer is Murder in the First Degree
(5) Murder while Hijacking, sexual assault or kidnapping is Murder in the First Degree
(7) All murder that is not first degree murder is second degree murder.
232 (1) Culpable homicide that otherwise would be murder may be reduced to manslaughter if the person who committed it did so in the heat of passion caused by sudden provocation.
233 A female person commits infanticide when by a willful act or omission she causes the death of her newly-born child
234 Culpable homicide that is not murder or infanticide is manslaughter.
There is a mandatory minimum sentence of life imprisonment for being convicted of either first degree or second-degree murder. For first degree murder, life imprisonment comes with no possibility of parole for 25 years. For second degree murder, life imprisonment comes with no possibility of parole for a minimum of 10 years. There is no minimum punishment for manslaughter, meaning that it carries a very wide sentencing range. If a firearm is used, however, a mandatory minimum punishment of four years is in effect. Otherwise, there is only the maximum, which is imprisonment for life.
In 2021 there were 788 homicides in Canada, 29 more than 2020. The national homicide rate increased 3% from 2.00 homicides per 100,000 population in 2020, to 2.06 homicides per 100,000 population in 2021. Police-reported 190 Indigenous victims of homicide, 18 fewer than in 2020. Despite the decrease, the rate of homicide for Indigenous peoples (9.17 per 100,000 population) was approximately 6 times higher than the rate for non-Indigenous people (1.55 per 100,000 population). The rate of homicide for individuals identified by police as persons of a group designated as racialized increased 34% in 2021 to 2.51 homicides per 100,000 population. This rate was higher than for victims identified as belonging to the rest of the population (1.81 homicides per 100,000 population). In 2021, four in ten (41%) homicides were firearm-related. The firearm was recovered in 29% of firearm-related homicides. Of the 297 firearm-related homicides that occurred in 2021, almost half (46%) were considered by police to be gang-related.
Saskatchewan's homicide rate is once again the highest of all provinces. Saskatchewan accounted for 70 of the 788 homicides reported nationally, for a rate of 5.93 homicides per 100,000 people - the highest of all provinces and more than double the national rate. In 2021, Regina recorded the highest homicide rate among 35 census metropolitan areas: 15 homicides for a homicide rate of 5.67 homicides per 100,000 people. Thunder Bay, Ont., came next with a rate of 5.63 while Winnipeg, Man., finished at 5.39.
- What factors might explain these high homicide rates?
- Do any of these statistics surprise you?
We'll finish the morning by looking at R. v. Nette (2001) and answer questions 1-4 on the case together. In terms of the Nette case and causation the citation states:
A 95-year-old widow who lived alone was robbed and left bound with electrical wire on her bed with a garment around her head and neck. Sometime during the next 48 hours, she died from asphyxiation. During an RCMP undercover operation, the accused told a police officer that he had been involved in the robbery and death. The accused was charged with first degree murder under s. 231(5) of the Criminal Code -- murder while committing the offence of unlawful confinement -- and tried before a judge and jury. At trial, he claimed that he had fabricated the admission. He testified that he had gone alone to the victim’s house only with intent to break and enter, that the back door to the house was open as though someone already had broken into the home, and that he left after finding the victim already dead in her bedroom. The trial judge charged the jury on manslaughter, second degree murder and first degree murder under s. 231(5) of the Code. In response to a request from the jury that he clarify the elements of first degree murder and the “substantial cause” test, the trial judge essentially reiterated his charge. Overall, he charged that the standard of causation for manslaughter and second degree murder was that the accused’s actions must have been “more than a trivial cause” of the victim’s death while, for first degree murder under s. 231(5), the accused’s actions also must have been a “substantial cause” of her death. On two occasions, however, once in the main charge and once in the re-charge, he described the standard of causation for second degree murder as “the slight or trivial cause necessary to find second degree murder” instead of “more than a trivial cause”. The jury found the accused guilty of second degree murder and the Court of Appeal upheld that verdict. The only ground of appeal both before the Court of Appeal and this Court concerned the test of causation applicable to second degree murder.The Nette case deals with "causation" and murder which helps with questions 3-4-5 on p. 221 that I'll have you work on for me.
C Block Human Geography - Today we'll look at the key question "Why Do Individual Languages Vary Among Places"? To help with this we will look at dialect and accent. A dialect is a regional variation of a language distinguished by distinctive vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation. Generally, speakers of one dialect can understand speakers of another dialect. Due to its widespread diffusion around the world, English has an especially large number of dialects and subdialects. So we'll look at English and the accents that developed here in Canada, in the United States and see how they are different from UK English.
The origins of the story can be traced to several likely pre-17th century versions from various European countries. The version you are most likely familiar with is that of the brothers Grimm ("Rotkäppchen," Kinder- und Hausmärchen, gesammelt durch die Brüder Grimm, vol. 1 (Göttingen: Verlag der Dieterichschen Buchhandlung, 1857). Today, I'll read you Petite Rouge, which is a Cajun version of Little Red Riding Hood written by Mike Artell and illustrated by Jim Harris. This story features elements of Cajun culture (including language - our topic of study). The setting is in a Louisiana swamp instead of the woods and the diction used is Cajun. What is Cajun? Acadien (French Catholic in Nova Scotia) = Cajun (French Catholic in Louisiana) The Cajuns are the descendants of the expulsion of Acadiens from Nova Scotia in 1755 (Le Grand Derangement). The Cajuns today form small, compact, generally self-contained communities. Cajun patois (non-standard language - creolized or pidgin dialect) is a combination of archaic French forms with idioms taken from their English, Spanish, German, American Indian, and African American (usually “Creole”) neighbours. The language that we speak influences our cultural identities and our social realities. Language affects the way we perceive the world and therefore, how we choose to interact with it. We internalize norms and rules that help us function in our own culture so the Cajun Little Red Riding Hood helps us understand Cajun culture and worldview through language.
“Back in de swamp where dat Spanish moss grow, I heard me a story happened long time ago"
We'll also look at when dialects become languages...like Catalán...and you'll have some questions to answer today in your work package.
D Block Physical Geography - Okay so I get it when you think about deserts normally this comes to mind:
Those cartoon backgrounds were inspired by this:
Today we will look at deserts and desert environments. We'll see the different types of deserts. I'll show you the Namib desert and the Skeleton Coast and then you'll have three questions to answer:
Today we will look at deserts and desert environments. We'll see the different types of deserts. I'll show you the Namib desert and the Skeleton Coast and then you'll have three questions to answer:
- Describe the erosional processes associated with moving air. (p.306-7)
- Explain how a sand dune forms and migrates. What are the major dune forms and what are the three factors that affect their creation. (p.309)
- Explain how a sand dune forms and migrates. What are the major dune forms and what are the three factors that affect their creation. (p.309)
For desertification watch this:
For the websites look here:
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
USGS Desertification page
Green Facts Scientific page on Desertification
Great Sand Dune National Park Colorado, U.S.A.
Do you know what used to be under the Saharan desert sands? Nope not candy. Check out the image and article on Smithsonian about ancient riverbeds below the Saharan sands (or IFL Science here or Ecowatch here). And you could watch this fascinatingly poor dub of an article on a really good video about the sub Saharan river systems:
United Nations Convention to Combat DesertificationUSGS Desertification page
Green Facts Scientific page on Desertification
Great Sand Dune National Park Colorado, U.S.A.
Do you know what used to be under the Saharan desert sands? Nope not candy. Check out the image and article on Smithsonian about ancient riverbeds below the Saharan sands (or IFL Science here or Ecowatch here). And you could watch this fascinatingly poor dub of an article on a really good video about the sub Saharan river systems:
Today's Fit...
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