Monday, September 30, 2019

Letter to Macduff

A Letter to Macduff Dear Macduff, Oh, what you have missed! I have important news to tell you. A series of events happened at the banquet you failed to attend. The majesty left all of us thanes speechless and suspicious. It is not that I ever doubted your thoughts about Macbeth, but it is now clear to me that he is a guilty man with a conscience filled with remorse. The ceremony seemed as if it were going to be elegant and pleasing. There were an equal number of thanes on each side of the table.The king presented himself honorably as he sat down with the rest of us to â€Å"play the humble host† and announced that Lady Macbeth would keep her state. However not long after that things began to get strange. A dirt and bloody man walked through the doors of the dining room and Macbeth quickly got up and attended him. Suspicious it was, my lord, for Macbeth seem unsatisfied with the news the ruffian delivered and before anything else could be said, Lady Macbeth interrupted and remi nded Macbeth of his duties as a host.She seen overly agitated, embarrassed and desperate to get Macbeth away from the doors and back to the feast. She rightly said that a guest must be treated with social rituals and courtesy and must be reminded of how welcomed they are. However as she did this, those looking at his majesty discretely could tell that the bloody man was bringing him bad news and as soon as he heard Lady Macbeth he quickly dispatched the man from the banquet.In all honestly, it looked like Macbeth had someone do his dirty work for him and something went wrong however once he got back at the table he tried to put it aside and the feast began. That wasn’t all! If you had only been there to see what Lady Macbeth claimed was an illness of the king’s infancy. His body was possessed with madness! As he was about to make a toast, he suddenly stopped as if his heart had stop beating and his expression changed from joy to intense fear and the he began to scream â€Å"Which of you have done this? He did all this while looking at the empty chair that was meant to be filled by Banquo whom also did not attend the banquet. And things only became stranger. His majesty continuously repeated he had not done â€Å"it† however he never mention what â€Å"it† was. It seemed that some kind of vision appeared to be accusing him of something. What could he be accused of? You can only imagine that Lady Macbeth tried to ease the situation, by saying it was just a momentary fit and to do our best to ignore him, however this was very hard to do.She also demanded the guest not to ask any questions since it would feed and extend the king’s passion. And of course no one did but all of us thanes were filled with curiosity and suspicion as to what was happening. She approached the king and had a word with him where no one could hear but by simply looking at her you could tell she was not content and as the conversation got intense their voi ces rose and we all heard the king declare that is charnel-house and graves sent back the bodies put in them then our graves would be like the maws of kite.As soon as the king and queen rejoined with their guest, Macbeth spoke and said he suffered from a strange infirmity. He pretended like nothing had happened and demanded wine. He might have fooled himself but not us, as it was obvious that there was more to the story than a simple illness. Furthermore my lord In the middle of the servant pouring the wine, the king began to grow pail and weak once more and then screams â€Å"avaunt and quit my sight! † all of us Thanes were confused since we were not sure if he was talking to us, but then it became clear that he was having another one of his episodes.This time, however, he revealed things our ears were not meant to hear. He confessed that what he was so vividly seeing was a ghost. Lady Macbeth tried once more to brighten the mood of the dinner but too much had been said and we all wanted to hear more. All present at the table looked at each other with one eye and had the other fixed on Macbeth. He seemed so certain that what he saw was real, the fear and remorse in his eyes could be seen from miles away and no one could help but wonder whose ghost he was seeing.Dear Macduff at this point I wouldn’t help but think that maybe it was your father king Duncan coming back for vengeance†¦ Our suspicions grew even stronger by the end of his second episode. He paused, looked at us and asked us how we could see such things and not look pale moreover when Ross asked him with confusion what the sighs were, before the King could reply, Lady Macbeth firmly reminded us that questions would enrage him and then dismissed all of us and demanded to leave at once and not by order of importance.The scene was quite suspicious and most alarming Macduff. This whole ceremony was a disaster that will lead to Macbeth’s fall my lord. Things were said and done at this event that no one thane should have seen or heard. Once we left the banquet you could hear the rumors on the street about the king, how he had gone mad, but those who were knowledgeable, began to think about the things that had happened and began to ask questions about the resent murders. How is it going with you Macduff?After attending the banquet last night, I am certain that Macbeth will go to any length to get what he want so please be careful, watch your back at all times. Hope everything is working out the way you hope. Your noble friend, Lennox P. S. You will not believe that news my ears have just heard. Banquo has been killed by savages. He was found in the wood stabbed to death. I wonder who would want him dead and why. Who will be next? This have gotten out of control around here and it is all because of the tyrant Macbeth. You must hurry and put a stop to this before anyone else gets hurt. Related essay: â€Å"Co Curricular Activities Letter†

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Corus Case Study Draft

Corus Case Study Introduction: ? Corus businesses. ? Market, Steel ? CCI needs to differentiate itself from the competitors in order to grow in the business. Model of Planned Organizational Change (Pg 336) Forces for Change: External: Low cost of Steel Internal: Lack of Capital for a Green field site Need for Change: ? CCI needs to differentiate itself from the competitors in order to grow in the business. ? They need to concentrate on the process improvements in order to get the best out of the existing infrastructure. Performance Gap (Disparity between existing and desired performance levels. ? SWOT (if possible ) Implementing the Change: Vision of the company [pic] Vision â€Å"We aspire to be the world steel industry benchmark for value creation and corporate citizenship. † Value creation Corus differentiates itself through innovation and delivering leading edge solution from its competitors for company’s growth. Steel industry is the big market. The raw material i s inexpensive. In order to standing out from the crowd, Corus add value creation by offering premium products and services. They used TQM, continuous improvement and KPI to create value and meet customer satisfaction. Corporate citizenship Corus trains its workers on how to act with a sense of responsibility, integrity and respect. They provide knowledge how the production flow and how to eliminate cost and waste. This can help Corus to work effective, reduce unnecessary cost, on the other hand, this process is also concern about environment as well. Work Culture Team work is one of the key factors in Corus. Manager coordinated with 40 Coaches for facilitating improvement training. Corus believes that success is from emerges from the person engagement with the company, not just depend on employees’ expertise and effort. It In order to create engagement, Corus encourage two way communications. Employees can forward their comments on the points that they think those will help to improve organization or how to change to make better. Everyone in organization understand and support the plan. Workshops have taken place to explain company’s vision and why some small and continuous change is very important to different Corus from its competitiors. TQM (Pg 593) TQM Techniques: Continuous Improvement ? Since they found that they can improve the performance by reducing the Waste they dealt with Lean Production Model. o Lean Production Model o (If possible we can include Horizontal Linkages Pg 325) This is for taking the process maps in the Manufacturing process and identifying the change. o KPIs ? Quality Circles (CI Coaches) ? Reduced Cycle Time (Lead time) ? Bench Marking Implementation Tactics: (Pg 342) ? Communication and Education ? Participation Top Management Support Conclusion? KPI is the measuring tool for helping organization defines how successful it is in each area that want to measure. Without measuring tool, organization will not know how well they are, whether For Corus, they use KPI to measure the backlog of customer orders, meeting targets for rolling steel plat. After they get the KPI result, they can review result internally among each division and then compare, benchmark with their competitors and other produc ers in Steel industry. Without KPI and benchmark, they will not know how well they are and what their standing point in the steel market. KPIs can be help to answer the question, â€Å"What is the area that they are good at? † â€Å"How well they can control inventory? †Ã‚   â€Å"What are the areas that they should improve in order to get customer satisfaction? KPI is a key part of a measurable objective, which is made up of a direction, KPI, benchmark, target, and time frame. KPI help to evaluation the progress towards its vison and long-term goals.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Impressionism and The Famous Cafes of Paris Essay

Impressionism and The Famous Cafes of Paris - Essay Example The essay "Impressionism and The Famous Cafes of Paris" provide a detailed information about impressionism movement and gives a review on famous cafes of Paris in the 19th century. Impressionists painted day-to-day events instead of extraordinary occurrences. All this had to take place in a very unconventional setting. What better setting could they find than the famous cafes of Paris? How did the cafes relate with the impressionists and the post-impressionists? How much did the cafes influence the artists' work? How different they are now from what they were in the 19th century? These are some of the questions this paper tries to explore. Impressionism was an important movement in painting which began in the late 19th Century and developed through the early 20th century in France. It began when a few of the French artists became disillusioned with the way painting was taught in those days -- the mythological or historical subject matter. â€Å"They also rejected the conventional, i maginative or idealizing treatments of academic paintings.† Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renior, Camille Pissarro, Alfred Sisley, Berthe Morisot, Armand Guillaumin and Frà ©dà ©ric Bazille comprised the initial artists of the movement. Among those who adopted the impressionist style of painting for some time were Edgar Degas and Paul Cà ©zanne. Édouard Manet was the painter who had inspired the impressionists to adopt the style in which they painted. Later, he also joined the movement and adopted its style. The impressionists were not hitherto known by this name. In 1874, when the group organized its own exhibition, an art critic, Louis Leroy, wrote a scathing criticism of the painting Impression, soleil levant (Impression, Sunrise), by the then unknown artist Claude Monet. Louis titled his review, The Exhibition of the Impressionists, and had this to say in his article: Impression - I was certain of it. I was just telling myself that, since I was impressed, there had to be some impression in it and what freedom, what ease of workmanship! Wallpaper in its embryonic state is more finished than that seascape.2 It was from here on, that the group came to be known as the Impressionists and hence, the movement came to be known as Impressionism. This was the identity, which while the world derided, the artists of the group were proud of it. Neo-Impressionism and Post-Impressionism Impressionism, as a technique is still being practiced among the contemporary artists. However, the movement began to wane very shortly. The greatness of the movement does not lie in its longevity, its greatness lies in influence and productivity. As a reaction to Impressionism, two new movements came into being. Artists reacted against the empirical realism3 of the impressionists and devised a new technique based on scientific application of the optical principles of light and color to render the transient nature of time. This technique came to be known as Neo-Impressionism. Georges Seurat, Paul Signac, Henri-Edmond Cross, Albert Dubois-Pillet, Maximilien Luce, Tho Van Rysselberghe and the Impressionist painter Camille Pissarro, formed the first Neo-Impressionist group. Together, in 1881, they formed Socit des Artistes Indpendants (Society of Independent Artists). Like its predecessor, this movement also waned quickly, but not without having a lasting influence on the works of such great artists as Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Henri Matisse. An English art-critic, Roger Fry, gave the name Post-Impressionism to the works of artists like Paul Czanne, Georges Seurat, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh, Henri de Toulous

Friday, September 27, 2019

South And East Asia - Environment And Society Essay

South And East Asia - Environment And Society - Essay Example The people belonging to the Austronesian family who originated from the southern part of China and Taiwan began to move into the islands of South and East Asia around four thousand years ago. The original inhabitants were either displaced or absorbed by the wave of migrations. Nearly all the languages that are being spoken in the insular South and East Asia belong to the Austronesian family group. Cultural variations began to affect the regions as a result of increased influences from the expansion of the South by the Chinese controlled regions leading to the colonization of Vietnam. The Buddhism and Taoism arrived in the region of Vietnam from China resulting in a remarkable cultural influence. The expansion of trade across the Bay of Bengal resulted in increasing Indian influences that were well represented in large populations where the people were deeply involved in rice growing activities that were being supported by irrigation. These were seen in regions such as Vietnam, Cambod ia, Myanmar, and Java. The aspects of local societies were linked up with the various forms of Buddhism and Hinduism to form part of the laws that government leadership and court systems. The variations in the environmental conditions greatly affected the political structures of the region. In cases where the people were mainly nomadic or semi-nomadic, it was a major challenge to be able to come up with a proper means of governance that were to be marked by reliable tax systems as well as stable bureaucratic approaches.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Theory and practice of Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Theory and practice of Leadership - Essay Example pper and Lipshitz (1993) have defined leadership is a way to motivate people to perform with the help of non-coercive means while other research scholars like Alas et al. (2007) have stated that leadership depends on personal traits of a individual such as behaviour, relationship with subordinates, interaction pattern with subordinates, influencing capability, ability to motivate people to perform well, influence on culture of the organization etc. Vardiman et al. (2006) have argued that leadership is a process of influencing others to accomplish predetermined objectives rather than characteristics of individual. According to Vardiman et al. (2006) leadership is dependent on the dyadic relationship between leader and follower which is independent of the macro and micro environmental conditions. Day (2002) has defined leadership in terms of transformational leadership theory which states that individual characteristics of leaders decide the dynamics of leadership. Various research sch olars such as Johnson (2000) and Howell & Costley (2001) have stated that organizations need to develop leadership skill among employees in order to provide direction, commitment and engagement to their work effort. Morrison et al. (2003) have stated that leadership is basically the ability of individuals to understand and implement contemporary management theories to real life problems. Popper and Lipshitz (1993) have indicated that there are three pillars for successful leadership characteristics, 1- building self efficacy, 2- motivating others to perform well and 3- developing specific skills to influence the followers. Steers et al. (1996) have also stated that leaders must the ability to motivate employees in workplace. Groves (2007) has proposed that systematic effort is needed in order to develop leadership quality among individuals. Deci and. Ryan (2000) has revealed that social-contextual conditions boost psychological development and self-motivation and these two factors

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

The Shots of Goodfellas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Shots of Goodfellas - Essay Example Goodfellas does not glorify the gangster lifestyle like The Godfather. The framing of the short tracking shot from a three-shot to the two-shot is vital for the psychological state of mind of the audience that must be willing to accept the perhaps fictional assertion that the man through whose eyes the story will be told was not as bloodthirsty and violent as those around him. The movement away from directly including Henry in this show to bringing Tommy and Jimmy together is a distancing device that subtly creates a sense of audience participation with Henry’s character. At no point in the editing of the incredibly violent opening sequence of Goodfellas is Henry Hill ever included in the finishing off the murder of the man in the trunk. The audience has no way of knowing who this man is or what part he will play or why he was killed. For the audience can’t possibly know he was a completely innocent witness to a crime rather than a wiseguy himself. Because this is the o pening scene that essentially introduces the audience to the main characters it is imperative that Henry is not only never seen taking an active role in the murder, but is seen to react to Jimmy’s nod of the head to open the trunk in the first place as Jimmy is his boss. The reaction shots of Henry responding to the brutality before him rather than taking part also serves to further intensify audience participation in part because of the murderous glee with which Tommy kills and the quick sneer that appears on Jimmy’s face before he shoots the corpse.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Wal-Mart and Multi-Brand Retailing in India Assignment

Wal-Mart and Multi-Brand Retailing in India - Assignment Example Discovering new markets and designing new products have always been like adventures. It involves risks that can even jeopardize a firm’s existence. On the other hand, it involves potential returns that can take the firm to newer heights. After the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, the consumer demand in the developed world has remained tepid for a long time. At this situation the global growth is being mainly driven by the emerging markets. Among the emerging markets, while China has a good investment story, India has a good consumption story. Here in this paper, we will look at the possible strategies and their implications for starting a multi brand retail chain in India from the perspective of retail giant, Wal-Mart’s. It is necessary to mention here that the Indian Parliament has not given green signal to foreign investment in multi-brand retail. Wal-Mart has existence in India via the joint venture Bharti Wal-Mart Private Limited. Bharti Enterprises is one of Indiaà ¢â‚¬â„¢s foremost production houses. In the context of this contract, Bharti and Wal-Mart possess ‘50:50 stakes’ in Bharti Wal-Mart Private Limited. It is setting up wholesale cash-and-carry provisions and back-end supply chain administration systems to be at par with Government of India rules. The ‘first Wholesale Cash-and-carry facility named "Best Price Modern Wholesale" opened in Amritsar in May 2009 and subsequently in Zirakpur, Jalandhar, Kota, Bhopal, Ludhiana, Raipur, Indore, Vijaywada, Meerut, Agra, Lucknow, Jammu, Guntur, Aurangabad, Bathinda and Amravati’ ... Also, the process of reaching agreements with emerging market customers was ‘cumbersome and lengthy’. At the same time, there was not much information about the market potential and associated strategies for the emerging markets (Cavusgil et al. 2002, pp.17-18). Diffusion of skills, processes, and technologies throughout the global markets resulted in a convergence. The difference between budding markets and the industrial economies is narrowing. The forecast potential of these markets is increasing (Khanna & Palepu, 2010, p.13). Now the market potential is no longer too small for marketing efforts. Many emerging economies are investing in transportation, power, and communication infrastructure. Also the modern management techniques and close working relationship with foreign counterparties have helped to bring down the cost of sales. Though there are inter-cultural differences, managers have realized the value of a global ‘win-win’ relationship (Cavusgil et al. 2002, pp.18-19). The opportunities connected with low-income markets are becoming gradually more obvious to both scholars and managers. There is evidently more than meets the eye when considering customers with annual purchasing power parity (PPP) of $1500 or less (Prahalad & Hart, 2002, p.2). A vast majority of people work chiefly in the big, unseen, informal economies. These are not reflected in official gross national product or purchasing power parity statistics. Across the globe, it has been expected that the unofficial sector comprises more than $9 trillion in unregistered assets. The value of economic transactions in these sectors may even surpass that has been recorded for the formal economic sectors (London & Hart, 2004, p.2). The superiority and extent of the obtainable product and

Monday, September 23, 2019

Leprosy in the Middle Ages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Leprosy in the Middle Ages - Essay Example If unchecked, it can result to loss of neural consciousness, blindness as well as local paralysis. Leprosy represented a major moral, social as well as health concern in the middle Ages. Few ailments have conjured the social reactions, which leprosy did in the middle Ages. Some primordial communities undertook exclusionary actions to isolate socially persons with the ailment. Other communities, whereas acknowledging the ailment, treated persons similar to normal citizens as well with compassion. This paper will discuss leprosy in the middle ages. Experts consent that Hansen’s disease was a familiar ailment in mediaeval Europe although opinions range as to its pervasiveness in the period. Writers have proposed that the ailment might have reached its peak in the 20th and 30th eras.4 They grounded this assumption upon the discovery that the total number of hospices started to care for persons with the ailment were many in the 20th and 30th centuries. For instance, in the middle o f 20th era, France had around two thousand leprosariums whereas Scotland and England had about two hundred and twenty to cater for around 1.5 m persons with leprosy. Nevertheless, some of these hospices never served persons with the ailment as well as the dread of the ailment might have resulted to over-exaggeration of its pervasiveness.3 Stereotypically, the medieval societies saw persons with the ailment as untrustworthy, unclean, wrathful, suspicious and hopeless. To the primordial citizen, Hansen’s disease meant a lengthy, disfiguring, as well as inevitable demise. Given the alleged fears of the ailment, primordial citizens evaded people with the ailment.5 Primordial citizens were apprehensive that they might contact Hansen’s disease from associating with persons with the illness and officials habitually made provisions within primordial law, for instance, prohibitions concerning ownership of property. For instance, primordial French communities regularly denied ow nership rights to persons with leprosy. Other communities approved laws to limit the personal free will of persons with leprosy, for instance, the 1276 inquests of London that stated that persons with Hansen’s disease could not reside within the city.6 Primordial communities established other restraints. For example, some individuals believed the Hansen’s disease could be contracted via the breath; therefore, persons with the ailment were only allowed to communicate only they were on down wind.1 Certain communities banned them from utilizing well-travelled roads, enter taverns, market, and even churches with no permission. Medieval communities also banned them from doing laundry within local streams, utilizing public drinking mugs, and touching babies. Restraints varied amid communities, for instance, certain Scottish communities hung or took them out of the village, whereas others allowed them to move around freely. Rendering to Kealey (1981), during 12th century Engl and, persons with the Hansen’s disease were not detested or removed from community, and leper bells and clappers were not used. One of the utmost dramatic social restraints upon persons with the Hansen’s disease was their isolation from mainstream community that was carried out for at least 8 centuries. Primordial citizens believed they might contract leprosy via association.1 Therefore, communities guaranteed that avoids were upheld amid those with and without the ailment. For

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Define and then compare and contrast the major goals of the Civil Essay

Define and then compare and contrast the major goals of the Civil Rights Movement and the Black Power Movement. Discuss their differences, similarities, and contributions to the Black freedom struggle - Essay Example The main difference between the two occurs where Civil Rights Movement focuses on the civil rights of black citizens while on the other hand Black Power Movement is about helping blacks achieve full equality with those of whites. There similarities between the Civil Rights Movement and Black Power Movement include equality for everyone and elimination of discrimination. The equality to people involved equal employment opportunity, education, the right to vote, and no discrimination while elimination of discrimination involved blacks and whites coming together to create a discrimination free environment. It is easy to find people confusing Civil Rights Movement with Black Power Movement because the Black Power Movement came from the Civil Rights Movement. The Black Power Movement is seen as turning point in the relationship between blacks and whites especially around 1950s and 1960s.1It helped the blacks achieve equality as those of whites with a group like the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People that involved both blacks and whites in trying to get rid of discrimination. However, it was seen as a violent faction with the aim to divide the two races. Civil Rights Movement ensured the rights of citizenship by utilizing fourteenth and fifteenth Amendments that had been destroyed by Jim Crow Laws in the Southern part of America. This has seen the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People by blacks and whites in 1909 with the aim of eradicating discrimination. To conclude, we have seen that the Black Power Movement seems to have grown from the Civil Rights Movement with the aim of helping blacks achieve full equality with those of whites while the Civil Rights Movement has been seen to focus on civil rights of black citizens. Black Power and Civil Rights Movement have

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Integration of African-American in Competitive Basketball Essay Example for Free

The Integration of African-American in Competitive Basketball Essay Basketball was invented by the Canadian-American physician, educator, and clergyman James Naismith in December 1891, who was then an instructor at the Young Men’s Christian Association Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. The game of basketball being played by both men and women rapidly spread around America and Canada, as well as in other parts of the world. Because of its attractiveness as an informal outdoor game, servicemen of the United States all through the World War II played and introduced the sport in numerous countries. Between 1893 and 1895, many colleges in the United States adopted the game, and for the first time in 1934, college games were played in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, therefore attracting much interest in college basketball. By the 1950s, basketball had developed into a major college sport, leading the way for the escalation of interest in and, consequently, development of professional basketball in 1898 by the National Basketball League. By 1960s, professional teams from every State played before millions of crowds annually. Since the 1980s the National Basketball Association, successor of the NBL, has become one of the most well-liked sports organizations in the world, relatively on account of the marketability of several remarkable star players, most notably the African-American descents like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. Discrimination of African-American in College Basketball Leagues During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, competitive sports were greatly recognized in the United States. Although basketball, unlike in baseball, hockey, and football, was an urban sport played by a diverse population on every level, African-American players were excluded (Parks, Quarterman, Thibault, 2007, p. 99). Because of the popularity of basketball, the American Basketball Association was organized in 1925 and as expected no African-Americans were allowed to join. The case was also true for the Basketball Association of America, which was organized in 1946. Up until 1950, universities and colleges, mainly in the South side of the United States, were prohibited to have a team sport composed of black and white players in view of the Jim Crow Laws. Nevertheless, a number of predominant white universities in the North side of the country did utilize African-Americans on their basketball teams. Some examples were William King of Long Island University, Lawrence Bleach of Detroit University, and Ben Franklin and Bob Yancy of Boston University. Jim Crow Laws Throughout the 1870s and 1880s, in the South side of the United States, it was not unusual for whites and blacks to make use of the same public facilities. However, Supreme Court decisions started to strip away the accomplishments of the Reconstruction movement. Following the American Civil War, most States in South passed state and local anti-African legislation, which were eventually recognized as Jim Crow laws. This included laws that discriminated against African-Americans with regards to public schools attendance and the use of facilities such as public baths, cinemas, hotels, theaters and restaurants. Jim Crow was more than a series of unyielding anti-Black laws, as it was at the time considered a lifestyle. Eventually, however, in 1954 in Brown v. Board of Education case, the Supreme Court of the United States declared State-sponsored school segregation as unconstitutional, and the remaining Jim Crow laws were generally overruled by the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Miller, Wiggins, 2004, p. 236). Integration of African-Americans in Professional Basketball Prior to the integration of any of the major sport leagues, the National Basketball League already welcomed African-American players that, as a result, forever changed the games. Most followers of the sport may not even be aware of the African-American players and the National Basketball League’s ground-breaking undertakings given that the integration in the NBL and professional basketball in general came with much less elaboration and fewer setbacks than it did in other major sports. In 1942, the National Basketball League, a forerunner to the National Basketball Association, became the first major professional basketball league of the contemporary period to integrate (Parks, Quarterman, Thibault, 2007, p. 99). Integration of African-American in basketball came 16 years before Willie O’Ree skated for the National Hockey League’s Boston Bruins, five years before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball, and four years before Kenny Washington played football for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (Miller, Wiggins, 2004, p. 235). Unlike professional hockey, football, and baseball, basketball did not integrate a single black player, seeing that during the 1942-1943 season, the National Basketball League integrated 10 African-American players for the two of the league’s teams, namely the Chicago Studebakers and the Toledo Jim White Chevrolets. Bill Jones, a college star-player at the University of Toledo, and one of the last living African-American players from that period, played four games for the Chevrolets. Jones, together with his fellow African-American teammates, Casey Jones, Al Price, and Shanty Barnett, made an immediate impression on the league, introducing some much-needed athleticism and speed to the game. The effect of African-American players to the game, by virtue of their skill, was instantly felt by the fans and other players. In 1943, the National Basketball League’s Cleveland franchise acquired African-American players, and by the same year blacks were playing in such cities as Youngstown, Rochester, and Tri-Cities. Eventually, in 1948 the Dayton team as well integrated. Notwithstanding their pioneering endeavors, both the Toledo and Studebakers disbanded. Nevertheless, the National Basketball League’s contribution to the integration of basketball continued all the way through the league’s final season in 1948-49. Nevertheless, it was not until the 1946-47 season that African-American players joined the league in appreciable numbers. The Rochester Royals, behind owner Les Harrison, acquired former Long Island University star Dolly King, the Tri-Cities Blackhawks signed the Harlem Renaissance star William â€Å"Pop† Gates, and Youngstown acquired the versatile Bill Farrow. Eventually, the Dayton Rens, coached by Gates, became the first all-African-American team to ever participate in a white dominated professional league. In 1965, Texas Western University with a team exclusively composed of African-American players, won the Division I NCAA Championship. It was the first time in an NCAA title game that an all-Black team played an all-white team (Miller, Wiggins, 2004, p. 244). Integration and Popularity of African-American in the NBA Although 80 percent of the current National Basketball Association players are African-American, yet in the first half of the 20th century professional basketball was contaminated by acts of racism, keeping numerous talented African-American off the courts. Originally, every team in the NBA was made up of entirely Caucasian players, but the 1950’s opened several significant changes for African-Americans in the world of basketball. Chuck Cooper became the first African-American to play in the National Basketball Association, and from 1950 to 1960, the professional league witnessed the arrivals of Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell (Miller, Wiggins, 2004, p. 235). The aforesaid players started the ball rolling for Magic Johnson, Karl Malone, Julius Erving, Michael Jordan and now Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. In a period of 50 years, American professional basketball started out from 100 percent down to only 16 percent European-American players, and today, African-American dominated the rosters of the National Basketball Association. In part this trend of professional basketball rosters can be attributed to the ways in which African-American players bring to the game. In 1996, the National Basketball Association named its all time fifty greatest players, composing of 31 African-American and 18 European-American. In 2001, the Basketball Hall of Fame included 34 African-Americans out of the 113 inductees. To a number of fans and many in the media today, the appeal of basketball is tied up with admiring concept of African-American life. Conclusion Basketball is a team competition that has been changed by the presence of African-American, and is now becoming a significant lightning-rod of social, political and cultural change in the United States for over a century. Although the power and grace of Black athleticism has now achieved the high regard and approval of the world, yet for years it was forced to stay on the bench, as segregation in America were severely grounded on race. Like other areas of society, African-Americans’ struggle to be admitted into the world of professional basketball revealed the discriminatory policies and segregated practices of the time. The history of American basketball reveals a compelling chronicle regarding athletic competition in a nation struggling to live up to its principles of democracy and equality. The professional league was without doubt forward thinking and ahead of its time in the utilization and integration of African-American basketball players. Even so, African-American pioneering players have squarely fortified the impact brought by the National Basketball League. People may not appropriately recognize the effects of their undertaking today given that very little recognition has been attributed to the pioneering players of the National Basketball League. Accordingly, African-Americans have changed the National Basketball Association and the manner the game is played today. Collectively African-American players helped bring new confidence, excitement, and energy to professional basketball. The integration is, without doubt, an indicator of the social, political and cultural maturity in the United States. Speech Presentation During the 1950s, basketball had developed into a major sport, leading the way for the intensification of interest in the game. The game of basketball, unlike in baseball, hockey, and football, was an urban sport played by a diverse population on every level; nevertheless, African-American players were excluded. Universities and colleges, mainly in the South side of the United States, were prohibited to have a team sport composed of black and white players in view of the Jim Crow Laws. In 1942, the National Basketball League, a forerunner to the National Basketball Association, became the first major professional basketball league to integrate. The professional league was forward thinking and ahead of its time in the employment and integration of African-American basketball players. Unlike professional hockey, football, and baseball, basketball did not integrate a single black player, seeing that during the 1942-43 season, the National Basketball League integrated 10 African-American players. The effect of African-American players to the game, by virtue of their skill, was instantly felt by the fans and other players. Chuck Cooper became the first African-American to play in the National Basketball Association, and from 1950 to 1960, the professional league witnessed the arrivals of Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell. The aforesaid players started the ball rolling for Magic Johnson, Karl Malone, Julius Erving, Michael Jordan and now Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. Although the power and grace of Black athleticism has now achieved the high regard and approval of the world, yet for years it was forced to stay on the bench. Like other areas of society, the African-Americans’ struggle to be admitted into the world of professional basketball revealed the discriminatory policies and segregated practices of the time. Without a doubt, the history of American basketball reveals a compelling chronicle concerning athletic competition in a nation struggling to live up to its principles of democracy and equality. References Miller, P. B. , Wiggins, D. (2004). Sport and the color line: black athletes and race relations in twentieth-century America. New York: Routledge. Parks, J. B. , Quarterman, J. , Thibault, L. (2007). Contemporary sport management. Human Kinetics.

Friday, September 20, 2019

The Harmful Effects Of Processed Foods Health Essay

The Harmful Effects Of Processed Foods Health Essay Processed foods are areal food that has undergone several processes so that it can be kept safe for human consumption or for convenience. It is food that has been infused with chemicals, preservatives, and are then canned, frozen, refrigerated, dehydrated, or have undergone aseptic processing. Most of the processed foods are usually made from saturated fats, huge amounts of sugar, trans-fats, and large amounts of sodium. Due to their convenience, over time they have become very popular because they are usually prepackaged. However, studies have shown that processed foods are a cause for alarm as they are a major contributing factor to many types of cancers and heart problems. This is because their calorie, sodium, and saturated fat content are usually vey high. Very many adverse health effects are associated with the use of processed foods. Take sugary soft drinks for example, research has shown that soft drinks are a major contributor to weight gain and obesity cases. Due to its sugary and fizzy nature, soft drinks are very tempting and consumers are more likely to opt to taking this drink as opposed to taking water or other non-sugary drinks. According to researchers, consumption of soft drinks is likely to increase chances of a person getting obesity by 1.6 times. Soda has also been known to affect the kidneys. Those with high phosphoric acid content have been known to increase renal colic especially in men. The high phosphoric acid content is most common to all kinds of colas. Due to their acidic nature, sodas/soft drinks are a contributing factor to dental decay because they tend to dissolve the mineral content of the enamel and therefore teeth become weaker. They have also been known to damage the liver according to and Israeli medical study. This is especially so for the fizzy drinks. If stored for too long, fizzy drinks can leach aluminum from the cans. Aluminum, which is the main component of the fizzy drinks cans, is responsible for Alzheimers disease. Aluminum metal has also been known to cause neurological diseases. Soft drinks are believed to contain high amounts of sugar that causes the pancreas to produce a lot of insulin, which leads to fatigue, sleepiness, and lethargy. Persistent rise and reduction of sugar levels in the blood can cause diabetes due to the imbalance. High soda consumption has also been known to reduce potassium levels in the blood leading to severe fatigue and appetite loss. Another effect of fizzy drinks is the increased risk of osteoporosis since it increases the risk of impaired calcification of bones. This is a major problem especially in young girls as it increases their risk of developing osteoporosis (increasing the probability of fractures) in the future. Fizzy drinks contain little or no nutritional value and due to their sweet and fizzy nature, they are often an option for many people and therefore people forego the option of taking healthier choices like water, fruit juice, or milk. Since most of them are diuretics, they are therefore a major cause of dehydration in people and therefore instead of adding water to the body, they squeeze water out of the body. According to the World Health Organization, processed foods are linked to increased obesity cases in the World. Processed foods usually contain high amounts of fructose that has many negative health effects in the body. They also contain large amounts of salt, which is a major cause of stroke. Consumption of salt over a long period has been associated with hypertension and other heart related problems (Gogus 46). Processed foods usually contain hydrogenated fats in them. Hydrogenated fats usually take a long time metabolize. They also interfere with the bodys ability to digest the good fats. They also alter the composition of cell membranes. They also contain many additives that have been known to cause a range of diseases. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) there are over 3,00 chemicals that have known to be used during food processing to add color, preserve, sweeten, soften, emulsify, thicken, add flavor and to achieve other desired effects o processed foods. Some of these additives have however, never been tested for safety. Some of these compounds are known to be toxic to humans and animals though may not be harmful at very minute levels. Side effects vary between chemicals and some products contain a variety of these and it might therefore be hard to determine which chemical has caused which adverse effects unless under comprehensive tests. Companies that deal with processed foods sometimes provide false information as to the ingredients are contained in the foods. They may also at times exaggerate as to the benefits of the processed food in order to make more sales and attract more customers to buy its product (Packard) During processing of processed foods, natural food is usually subjected to extrusion after which it is treated with oils and sugars to give them taste and texture. By the time they are packed, most of the natural ingredients that were initially contained in the foods have been destroyed. This therefore renders processed foods non-nutritional though they become more appealing. Processed foods should be highly avoided especially during pregnancies. This is because at this particular time, the unborn baby is very sensitive to the food that the mother is taking. Since it is not a requirement by the FDA to list all ingredients that have been used in processed foods, one might ingest harmful chemicals without their knowledge and these chemicals may end up being harmful to both the mother and the baby. Although at this time the mothers body may be able to sieve these harmful chemicals from its systems, the unborn babys metabolism has not fully developed and therefore may end up being retained in the babys body. The mothers body is however still vulnerable during pregnancy. Since the processed foods contain high amounts of sugar, it may lead to gestational diabetes, weight increase or type 2 diabetes, which usually occurs at around this time. It is therefore advisable for pregnant mothers to go for natural foods so that they can protect their lives and that of th eir unborn babies (Rountree, Block 60). Food enhancers found in processed foods like chewing gums, low fat milk, drinks, and others. These enhancers have been known to cause headaches, nausea, high blood pressure, and reproductive disorders. These enhancers are also used in medications. Caffeine has also been known to cause fertility problems, heart diseases, insomnia, nervousness, and depression. Another risk that is associated with frozen foods is that when food is defrosted, it should not be used then frozen again. This is because it makes it susceptible to invasion by harmful bacteria, which might lead to diseases. Opposing views: Benefits of processed foods With all its many disadvantages, processed foods do have their benefits. The most advantageous one is that it makes available a variety of food and makes it easier to access the food, as it is available in the supermarkets. It also makes it possible to access the foods that are seasonal all year round for example, fruits and vegetables. Food processing also helps to improve food safety by various methods e.g. heating food at high temperatures helps to kill harmful bacteria. Some additives are also very effective in preventing the growth of fungus and bacteria on the foods. These bacteria are responsible for a wide range of diseases and therefore processing foods also helps to protect against some diseases that may be found in foods in their natural state. For foods like milk, pasteurization helps to keep it fresh. For milk, pasteurized milk is considered safer for use than fresh milk. Some processed foods are fortified with other minerals and therefore may be used as supplements Processed foods are usually packaged and this reduces interference of the food. The food is therefore well preserved when packed as compared to when it is not. Packaging also helps to increase convenience when it comes to transporting the food over long distances, as there will be minimal tampering of the foods. Packaged food is also very convenient as it is quick and easy to prepare, as most of the processed foods are usually precooked. Processed foods also present economic benefits as they are easier to sell and easier to transport. They are also easier to export as compared to fresh foods an therefore companies are able to sell more products both within the domestic markets and also outside the country. It also makes it easier for seller to sell the processed foods at cheaper prices as compared to the fresh foods thus making more sales. For people with diabetes, controlling their calorie intake is sometimes very hard when taking natural foods. It is therefore easier to control the calorie intake using processed foods as they have specified amount of calories. The same case applies to patients with heart problems. Conclusion It is almost virtually impossible in todays modern lifestyle to live without processed foods. However, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages, it altogether proper to say that the best way to avoid the negative effects of processed foods is to avoid them altogether. Other ways that would significantly reduce these effects would include avoiding giving the processed foods to infants and children. This is because their metabolic systems have not fully developed and may not be able to sieve the toxins that may be found in the processed foods. One should always read the label of the packed food carefully because though a food may be advertised to be low in sugar or salts, it may contain high levels of saturated fats (Nisha 17) One should also be vey careful as to purchase grains that are not overly refined but whole meal. Expiry dates on the labels should be checked to ensure that the foods are not expired and also that they are not due to expire soon. Though taste is usually a determinant of the foods we buy, one should ensure that they go for quality and not taste. In addition, one should make sure that they buy foods with minimal additives and flavors. Where unavoidable processed foods should therefore be used in moderation.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Womens Place in India Essay -- Indian Females Rights Equality Essays

Women's Place in India Break Silence They want to break our success Time demands that we break this silence If we are raising our voice Why should They get angry? We are fighting so that we have equality We are fighting so that we have dignity We are fighting so that we have happiness We are fighting so that we have peace We are fighting so that we have justice We are fighting for Women's liberation Break Silence. . . . . . . . . . . They are scared of our strength They are scared of our struggles They are scared of our unity They are scared of our organisation They are scared of our emancipation Hence, they are trying to break us by creating barriers of religion, caste, ethnicity, and tradition. Break Silence. (Women's Rights song, Desai & Patel pg 86) Women have long been fighting for equal rights in every sphere of society. Those in the Western world have been luckier, they can go to school, vote, and work, whereas there are still Women in developing countries which cannot. The Song above is an example of Women in a developing country, fighting for their own rights. It's origin is from India. Indian Women have had an extremely difficult time developing under the oppression of a male-dominated society, class and caste systems, and religion. Women's place in society has been extremely fixed in nature, and has kept Women at a low rung on the ‘status-ladder'. Traditional beliefs on whether women should be educated or whether they should work outside the home have also aided in their suppression. Still, although the Indian Women's workforce is still relatively new, it has had some real successes (as well as failures) along the way, and some of the organizations involve are beginning to make a true difference in Women's li festyles. Women's place in India "It is not the characteristic of the true Hindu or Mohammedan Woman to desire to be independent of a Man" (Billington pg 22). Women's status in India has generally been poor since colonial times. Prithvi Nath Tikoo identifies that, "the treatment of Woman in ancient Indian culture was, however, different. Here the concept of male chauvinism did not start as early as it did in other countries. This sort of mentality took roots in this country (India) years after the Aryans came and settled here" (Tikoo, pg 5). Here it is identified that the maltreatment of... ...ity. If the general population of India agreed that it is alright for Women to work, their conditions would improve a thousand-fold. Kaur found that it is the younger generations which believe that Women should be allowed to work outside the home, so perhaps in the future we will see a great change in Indian Women's lives. Perhaps they will one day have the tools to head towards independence. Bibliography: Tikoo, Prithvi Nath. Indian Women: a Brief Socio-Cultural Survey. BR Publishing Corperation, Delhi: 1985 Desai, Neera & Vibhuti Patel. Indian Women. Sangam Books, London: 1985 Kaur, Inderjeet. Status of Hindu Women in India. Chugh Publications, Allahabad (India): 1983 Billington, M.F. Woman in India. Amarko Book Agency, New Delhi: 1973 Forbes, Geraldine. The New Cambridge History of India: Woman in Modern India. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge: 1996 Yasas, F.M. & Vera Mehta. Exploring Feminist Visions. Good Impressions, Bombay: 1990 Desai, Neera. Woman in Modern India. Vora & Co. Publishers, Bombay:1977 Leslie, I.J. The Perfect Wife. Oxford University Press, Delhi: 1989 The Working Women's Forum www.workingwomensforum.org

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

the first days of school Essay -- essays research papers

In this first unit of The First Days of School, Harry Wong presents three characteristics of an effective teacher. The three characteristics are: has good classroom management skills, teaches for mastery, and has positive expectations for student success. The effective teacher exhibits positive expectations for all students. Having positive expectations simply means that the teacher believes in the student and that the student can learn. Students will live up to the expectations you set, and to be effective- your expectations should be positive for all students. The effective teacher establishes good classroom management techniques. Classroom Management is practices and procedures that a teacher uses to maintain an environment in which instruction and learning can occur. Effective teachers manage, ineffective teachers discipline; this book guides you in practicing procedures with your students. The effective teacher designs lessons for student mastery. Mastery simply means a student's demonstration that a concept or skill can be performed at a level of proficiency determined by the teacher. Student success in the subject matter of the class will be the result of how well the teacher designs lessons and checks for mastery. You must kno w how to get students to do their assignments, pass their tests, and work cooperatively.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wong states that what you do on the first few days of school can determine your success for the rest of the year. Some of the ...

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

A Code Hero in Hemingways Books Essay -- Code Hero Robert Jordan Essa

A Code Hero in Hemingway's Books Robert Jordan has been defined as a Hemingway code hero. In Hemingway’s books, a code hero is usually male, as Hemingway’s books seem to have a similarity to Hemingway himself. These code heroes may have been previously wounded or gone through some sort of an ordeal, and so they could have a drinking problem, or a problem sleeping. They seem to be disillusioned, and/or self-oriented, and are not usually loyal to a large cause, but rather a small group of people or a relatively small idea or thing. In For Whom the Bell Tolls, Robert Jordan, the code hero, most likely dies at the end. If it were not for his loyalty to a small group, the events in the novel would probably not have transpired as they did. Jordan is an American explosives expert. Being so much of an expert that he would be sent on such a mission indicates that he must have some experience in military demolitions, and he may have previously gone through a similar mission. A traumatic experience from a previous mission may very well be affecting his actions in the novel, such...

The Five- Forty Eight

Peaceful Triumph in the Face of Evil Atonement can be achieved without vengeance. Revenge is so basic, so animal a reaction to evil; it takes a higher level of thinking to achieve redemption without hateful spite and revenge. Atonement is satisfying after the anguish of rancor and internal violence brought on by maltreatment. When the goal is to equalize one’s enemy rather than destroy him, the end result is fulfilling. Although one immediately wants to take down his aggressor, in the long run, he will discover that this does not bring him the peace that they seek. In the short story â€Å"The Five- Forty- Eight† by John Clever, a businessman named Blake is kidnapped at gunpoint by his former secretary, Ms. Dent. She is mentally ill and angry with him for ignoring and promptly firing her after their one night stand, bringing him to a warehouse where she contemplates shooting him in revenge, but instead simply walks away. Having confronted the man that has wronged her without taking his life, Ms. Dent eventually leaves the scene, reborn without her anger. Redemption found in the absence of revenge is far more fulfilling a solution to a problem than one found through vengeance and violence. â€Å"The Five- Forty- Eight† is a prime example of this philosophy. Ms. Dent feels that Blake’s malice is the root of her unhappiness. While her mental illness has contributed to her deep inner turmoil, a great deal of it has been stirred up by his cruelly insensitive actions towards her. He preyed on her as he had other women, revealed through the narrator’s assertion that â€Å"most of the many women he had known had been picked for their lack of self- esteem† (Cheever). This gives us a brief glimpse into Blake’s past treatment of women. It is meant to be assumed that the women that Blake has â€Å"known† in the past are others that he was intimate with in brief and loveless affairs. Having said â€Å"picked† allows the reader to recognize that these were not simply women he happened upon in passing, these were in fact women that he specifically chose amongst all others, having perceived them as the easiest targets. Most importantly, the narrator says that these women were picked for their â€Å"lack of self- esteem. This reveals Blake’s true predatory nature. He wanted a woman he perceived to be weak and easy to manipulate for his own devices. Blake used Ms. Dents â€Å"oversensitivity† (Cheever) and â€Å"lack of self- esteem† (Cheever) in order to satisfy his own desires. Blake personifies evil within this story, and his actions against his secretary are the execution of aforementioned evil. Had Ms. Dent killed Blake and therefore vanquished evil, she would not have found peace with her inner demons. Ms. Dent was quite ill to begin with, having spent eight months in a hospital prior to her work for Blake, and her handwriting giving â€Å"the feeling that she had been the victim of some inner—some emotional—conflict that had in its violence broken the continuity of the lines she was able to make on paper† (Cheever). The use of the word â€Å"victim† incites that she is suffering unduly by no fault of her own. The idea that there is â€Å"violence† in her illness lends to the reader the severity of her disease. That the disease should have â€Å"broken the continuity of the lines she was able to make on paper† shows that the troubles of her disease are now pouring outward, evident through things so ordinary as her handwriting. Ms. Dent is quite ill, the impact of this illness becoming obvious long before she kidnapped Blake. Shooting him and thereby expressing the violence and â€Å"conflict† within her would push her over the edge and completely destroy her. Had Ms. Dent destroyed Blake, the evil in her life, she could never and been vindicated of the burdening emotional pain she felt. She is quite capable of overcoming the sadness he caused without killing him. Ms. Dent successfully overcomes the reprobate, evil character in her life without killing him. After bringing him to the warehouse, Ms. Dent forces Blake to the ground, repeating several times, â€Å"Put your face in the dirt† (Cheever). He is now beneath her, having been forced to bend to her will so far as to put his face against the dirty floor of a city warehouse. She then goes on to say â€Å"I can wash my hands of this† (Cheever) several times as well. The washing of hands is an allusion to the Bible, where Pilate, the Roman general who decided to hang Christ upon the cross, also claims to wash his hands of any fault he has in persecuting Jesus. In saying this, Ms. Dent cleanses herself of the â€Å"filth† in her life that has caused her such misery. She then leaves Blake there on the ground, crossing a wooden footbridge and disappearing. This crossing of the bridge metaphorically shows that she is now beyond the obstacle that had impeded her ability to be happy, having done so without harming the obstacle itself, much like a bridge continues one’s path over a river without ever disrupting it. The narrator goes on to say that â€Å"he saw by her attitude, her looks, that she had forgotten him† (Cheever), and we finally know that she is ultimately at peace with herself, and has managed to find this peace without resorting to the ultimate violence of murder. Ms. Dent had purged herself of evil without ever having to destroy its source. The root of nearly all great pain and emotional toil is evil. However tempting it may be to destroy this evil, to vanquish it, to kill it, this will never bring he who suffers the peace he seeks. Should Ms. Dent have killed Blake, she never would have found the redemption she sought. Forcing him into the dirt, lowering him below her, and therefore allowing her to elevate herself above evil gave her the fulfillment that she desired and alleviated the pain that she felt. John Cheever’s â€Å"The Five- Forty- Eight† shows us that the destruction of evil is not necessary when overcoming it. It is in elevating oneself above evil, the realization that one is greater than that which has caused one such suffering, that peace is finally found.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Analysis of Coming Home Again Essay

The world is becoming smaller day by day, connecting millions if not all within the frame of internet and telecommunication. Hence, traveling abroad or immigration to a foreign land is quite common nowadays. Of course, the decision to move to a new country entails many benefits; however, it is not without problems. One such negative after-effect would be the possible family feud that arises from the clash between family members, mainly that of parents and children, often sparked by provision of new education. Language plays a part in family dispute. As the first generation immigrants, parents are usually confined by their teachings in the language and cultural lessons of their mother country while the offspring are ready to make transition to their newly-adopted home. Problems often arise in most mundane circumstances such as calling the bank, buying clothes, and more. Chang Rae Lee narrates about a personal experience of encountering a bitter argument with his mother as he â€Å"was getting more and more impatient with the difficulty she encountered in doing everyday things†. Although a very trivial matter, the mother can’t make a phone call because of the language barrier. When the son was asked to make a phone call for his mother, the author felt that his mother’s life was â€Å"so small to him†, thus creating a disorder between the two. Language is a way to connect and even divide the family members. Often when families immigrate to a foreign country, the roles of the parents and the offspring switch. Already accustomed to their home country’s culture and values, parents become unfamiliar with the new lifestyle and environment, thus losing responsibility of daily tasks and circumstances. On the other hand, children have the opportunity to adjust themselves to new perceptions and settings, granting them the responsibility to take care of trivial matters. Such reversal of roles that create dysfunctional unnatural circumstances causes the spark of family feud. Wounded and entangled, family feud caused by education is not easily curable. However, Chang Rae Lee, though he experienced a hard time with his mother because of his adoption of American education, recover his bondage with his mother because of his efforts to help her cope with her incoming death, allowing him to gain true understanding of his mother’s sentiments toward him. Through realization of love and sacrifice, the author is able to overcome the family.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Impulse buying Essay

impulse buying refers to any purchase which a consumer makes which is unplanned and unneeded. the purpose of this paper is to find factors behind triggering this phenomena in consumers. the impact of different variables are analyzed by making their relationships with impulsive buying. These factors include promotional campaigns like low cost sale and discounts etc, income, layout of the store and behavior of sales person. the study is based on primary and secondary data which is analyzed further by using different techniques and methods. after analysis it has been found that the income level of a person has a significant effect on impulsive buying, moreover the other factors like promotional campaigns are mainly affecting this behavior due to pricing strategies, layouts of stores and behavior of sales persons also trigger the urge of impulsive buying. keywords: impulse buying, store layout, promotional activates, sales people, income. Introduction: In impulse buying a product is purchased spontaneously which is unplanned it could be anything,; a service, existing and new products to which the consumers are generally attracted because of various factors. Barratt, Rook 1987 stated that consumer gets attracted towards a product to buy it without considering its consequences of delaying a product to fill a pre-determined need. It is very much possible that consumer may experience positive and negative consequences of a product bought through impulsive buying after its post purchase evaluation. There are many researchers who have worked extensively on this topic and come up with more or less same definition and amplification of impulse buying. According to Cobb & Hoyer 1986; Piron, 1991; Rook, 1987; Rook & Fischer, 1995; Weinberg & Gottwold, 1982; searched and wrote that the urge of buying a product is of that the product is calling them to buy it, ultimately this urge leads them to purchase the product and some researchers stated that the urge of buying products are very dominant and powerful that the consumer cannot resist them. In Pakistan the number of retail outlets, shopping malls and super stores are increasing rapidly as compared to traditionally open bazar. This includes places likes Metro Cash N Carry, Hyper Star, Pace, Makro and Suburban etc. These are a  few of the prominent shopping malls in Pakistan with many outlets. The factors behind the success of these stores is their layout of well managed hassle free environment, availability and placement for fresh and hygienic vegetables, meat and fish which gets the attention and appreciation of consumers moreover the high-level of service and the behavior of sales staff make the visit of the consumers more comfortable and valuable especially for the working class who have minimum time for shopping. Attributes or characteristics of impulse buying behavior of consumer: The tempting and overwhelming force emerging from the product which produces feelings in consumer heart. Urge of buying a product immediately. Delaying the purchase of needed product. Ignoring the consequences of product purchased through impulse buying. Feeling of desperation in terms of buying a product. Literature Review: From the start of 1950’s till today a lot of research has been done on this topic in this long span of time many researchers who have conducted research on this always come up with very interesting findings or results. Recently many researchers have moved their area of focus from western to Asian countries and are investigating the buying patrons of the people living in Asia. Many of them have identified and observed some common variables according to a researcher (Beatty & Farrell, 1998). The ratio and chances of impulse buying increases with the passage of time. He or She spends more time in the store than before, the more they spend time on shopping and browsing upon different product the more it with increase the chance of impulse buying. Some researchers have also stated that the impulse buying is relatively more common in females as compared to males (Giraud, 2001). According to a researcher (Giraud, 2001) finds that the mood of the consumer also affects impulse buying behavior which means that when the customer is in a good mood, he or she will embark themselves with the products which fall in the category of impulse buying and if he or she is in bad mood the person will tend to reward his or herself less. (Maiet Al, 2001) Stated that the spending on impulse buying is done more by young generation and usually the age segment falls in the range of 18-40 years old. (Rook, 1987.) Stated that the urge and temptations of buying a particular product is so strong  that a person can postpone the purchase of a well needed product which solves their existing problem. The Importance and concept of store layout can never be bypassed by the true marketers and operational managers because the store layout influences the buying behavior of the consumer for example IKEA, LEGO and Zara Men etc are the famous brands which focuses heavily on store layout of a retail store. (Crawford & Melewar, 2003) stated that the true marketers should work on store layout and should provide a good layout to provide an ease of shopping to the consumer. A good standard and effective store layout let alone achieve the goal of providing convenience to the customer the role of good and trained sales person is also very important. According to (Crawford & Melewar, 2003) an interaction with a well trained sales person can trigger impulse buying behavior of consumer it also reduces the tension of customer by guiding them. One study conducted by (Wang and Zhou, 2003) shows that promotional activities show increases impulse buying by consumer when there are sales or discounts on products. according to researchers (dholakia,2000:rook 1987) when a consumer see promotional incentives on some products this things affects the impulse buying of him or her. Factors affectingaffectig impulse buying: The followingfollowig are the factors which affects impulse buying behavior of consumer Promotional activities Income Presence of others Store layout Sales person Promotional Activities: The word promotion in terms of marketing means by using different strategies marketers can influence the buying behaviorbehaviour of consumerconumer to buy a product to increase sales of the company. This could be achieved by sales discount, advertisement and free product. It is a human psychepsychy when evere they see a free product or discount they tend to buy to take advantage of this despite of affect they in actual did not need that product. Janakiraman Eded al, 2006 stated that willingness to buy the unneeded and unrelated commoditycomodity increases the chances of the impulse buying because of unexpected price discounts. Income: The income level influence and affect the impulse buying pattern of consumer greatly. The more a person is getting inco0me the more he will do impulse buying. In good economic conditions, the income levels of people go high, many economists and researchers have reported the increase in sales of products which also includes the purchase of products done thought impulsive buying. Presence of others: Store layout: Sales person The interaction between consumers and sales person is of very prime importance. A good competent salesperson could influence the consumer to buy product impulsively. Objective of the study: As we have told you earlier in this research paper that many researchers have conducted research on this topic especially in developed countries like England, Norway, Canada, America etc. Now the researchers and analyst areAnd also conducting research in developing countries like Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Poland, Bangladesh, and Thailand etc. Our objective of the study is to find out the factors effecting consumer impulse buying behavior in Pakistan. Theoretical framework: in this research paper we have taken impulse buying as dependent variable and sales force, promotional activities , income , store layout and presence of others as independent variables and formed several hypothesis which are given below H1: There is a positive relationship between promotional activities and impulse buying. H2:There is a positive relationship between income level and impulse buying. H3: There is a positive relationship between store layout and impulse buying. H4: There is a positive relationship between sales force behavior and impulse buying. H5:There is a positive relationship between presence of others and impulse buying. Research Methodology: The study has been conducted on the bases of two types of information  sources, primary data and secondary data. In primary data we gathered the data through questionnaires designed specifically on the basis of nature of questions to cover the concept of the study. In questionnaires the first section is devoted to the demographics and then a scale is designed. In the following questions the scale we design to assess each factor and its related question is from 1 to 5 Strongly disagree

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Benny, the War in Europe, and Myerson’s Daughter Bella Essay

When Benny was sent overseas in the autumn of 1941 his father, Mr. Garber, thought that if he had to give up one son to the army, it might as well be Benny who was a quiet boy, and who wouldn’t push where he shouldn’t; and Mrs. Garber thought: â€Å"my Benny, he’ll take care, he’ll watch out;† and Benny’s brother Abe thought â€Å"when he comes back, I’ll have a garage of my own, you bet, and I’ll be able to give him a job.† Benny wrote every week, and every week the Garbers sent him parcels full of good things that a Jewish boy should always have, like salami and pickled herring and shtrudel. The food parcels were always the same, and the letters — coming from Camp Borden and Aldershot and Normandy and Hol ­ land — were always the same too. They began — â€Å"I hope you are all well and good† — and ended — â€Å"don’t worry, all the best to everybody, thank you for the parcel.† When Benny came home from the war in Europe, the Gar ­bers didn’t make much of a fuss. They met him at the station, of course, and they had a small dinner for him. Abe was thrilled to see Benny again. â€Å"Atta boy,† was what he kept saying all evening, â€Å"Atta boy, Benny.† â€Å"You shouldn’t go back to the factory,† Mr. Garber said. â€Å"You don’t need the old job. You can be a help to your brother Abe in his garage.† â€Å"Yes,† Benny said. â€Å"Let him be, let him rest,† Mrs. Garber said, â€Å"What’ll hap ­ pen if he doesn’t work for two weeks?†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Hey, when Artie Segal came back,† Abe said, â€Å"he said that in Italy there was nothing that guy couldn’t get for a  couple of Sweet Caps. Was he shooting me the bull, or what?† Benny had been discharged and sent home, not because the war was over, but because of the shrapnel in his leg, but he didn’t limp too badly and he didn’t talk about his wound or the war, so at first nobody noticed that he had changed. No ­ body, that is, except Myerson’s daughter Bella. Myerson was the proprietor of Pop’s Cigar & Soda, on Laurier Street, and any day of the week, you could find him there seated on a worn, peeling kitchen chair playing poker with the men of the neighbourhood. He had a glass-eye and when a player hesitated on a bet, he would take it out and polish it, a gesture that never failed to intimidate. His daugh ­ ter, Bella, worked behind the counter. She had a club-foot and mousy hair and some more hair on her face, and although she was only twenty-six, it was generally supposed that she would end up an old maid. Anyway she was the one — the first one — who noticed that the war in Europe had changed Benny. And, as a matter of fact, the very first time he came into the store after his homecoming she said to him: â€Å"What’s wrong, Benny’? Are you afraid?† â€Å"I’m all right,† he said. Benny was a quiet boy. He was short and skinny with a long narrow face, a pulpy mouth that was somewhat crooked, and soft black eyes. He had big, conspicuous hands, Thich he preferred to keep out of sight in his pockets. In fact, he seemed to want to keep out of sight altogether and whenever  possible, he stood  behind a chair or in a  light so that  people wouldn’t notice him — and, noticing  chase him  away. When he had failed the ninth grade at Baron Byng High School, his class-master, a Mr. Perkins, had sent him home with a note saying: â€Å"Benjamin is not a student, but he has all the makings of a good citizen. He is honest and at ­ tentive in class and a hard worker. I recommend that he learn a trade.†

Friday, September 13, 2019

Forensics project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Forensics project - Essay Example Other applications entail investigating whether there was a breach of network within an organization. In the technical aspects of the investigation, digital forensics has several sub-branches that relate to the digital devices that have been in use. They include the network forensics, mobile data computer, and forensics data analysis (Oriyano & Gregg, 2011). Apart from the provision of direct evidence relating to digital crimes, digital forensics has vast applications in authenticating documents, confirmation of alibis, identification, and determining the intent of the breach in the information. To sum it, all digital forensics entails the preservation, extraction, and analysis of the evidence relating to digital content for appropriate legal actions. The field concerns with apprehending criminals who use digital technology in committing crimes. Some of the crimes committed through digital technology include hacking of emails to retrieve important information, retrieving information from the government agencies and institutions in an illegal manner for personalized use or terrorism (Oriyano & Gregg, 2011). Gone are the days when criminals used excessive force to get what they want. They have shifted to the use of technology in wiring money to their accounts especially from banking institutions without the use of force. Digital forensics is of relevance to these cases and helps in averting such crimes (Marcella & Guillossou, 2012). In this project, Digital Forensic Evidence Files will be investigated using the Forensic Toolkit that is available within the Lab. The evidence files have been collected from the suspect’s computer. The files for investigation are true images retrieved from the hard drive of the computer (Marcella & Guillossou, 2012). Three files are available for investigation namely, Thumb drive. E01, Mantooth.E0, and Washer.E01. The files under

Thursday, September 12, 2019

Declining Confidence in Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Declining Confidence in Government - Essay Example This essay looks into some of the texts that have focused on the issue. Balz, D. (October 13, 2013). Public confidence in GOP, government declining fast. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://bangordailynews.com/2013/10/13/politics/public confidence-in-gop-government-declining-fast/ The Washington Post is a popular form of media that addresses most of the contentious issues facing the US and other parts of the world. The article highlights the recent events involving the US government that have resulted into a decline in public trust. The article discusses the surprising results from the Gallop Polls and the NBC News-Wall Street journal following the historic government shutdown (Balz, 2013). People knew that the threats of a regime default and the shutdown would lead to a disruption of the stability of political parties in Washington. It was even more surprising to find out that so much damage could be achieved in a short time. The article also states that the mistakes of the Republican Party also contributed to the shutdown. The article is viewed as showing some of the most alarming trends in the modern times. It was clear that the citizens have lost faith in the government and its ability to steer the country towards the right direction economically. It is clear that most citizens are pessimistic and are counting on the situation to get worse (Balz, 2013). The present standoff that has resulted into a considerable decline in public trust in the government is similar to the one experienced in the discussion about the increase in the debt ceiling. It has been observed that the decline in confidence in the government has fallen to levels that have never been experienced before. Democrats did not escape the criticism as well. This is owing to the fact that they were also blamed for the shutdown. The article states that the opinion polls from various organizations revealed similar trends in

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Cost Allocation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cost Allocation - Essay Example The City has implemented several programs aimed to support public safety. To start with, in response to the current size of population and the habitants’ calls for police, the Police Department will have 21 new patrol officers every year and more staff on critical times. In order to fulfill the needs of more numerous staff as well as to improve its efficiency, the Police Station will be provided with additional facilities. When it comes to human services, the main cost driver is an increased demand for such services as food assistance and emergency shelter in difficult economic times (City of Seattle 6). The City devotes a significant amount of money to the Housing First initiative, shelter and day-services programs, and food programs. Finally, given the high level of juvenile delinquency and a great number of deaths due to the availability of guns, the City will support the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Initiative, aimed to deal with the most vulnerable youth. These costs drivers were selected as they reflect the needs and priorities of the Seattle community. Public safety, human services, and youth violence prevention should be fully supported by the City as all of these services contribute significantly to the wellbeing of habitants. Identification of individual costs and cost drivers enables the Government to allocate adequate resources to each entity. A more uniform method of allocating costs may result in a disproportionate allocation of costs among the organizations, which would not reflect the actual needs of the society. The allocation of costs in the governmental setting, which involves complex analysis of the current economy and, thus, allows response to the priorities of the society rather than economic benefits for the companies and organizations involved. The US Department of Human Services has a special Division of Cost Allocation (DCA), the objective of which is to ensure that indirect costs paid by the

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

E-COMMERCE PROJECT. ElecTeesElecME Dissertation

E-COMMERCE PROJECT. ElecTeesElecME - Dissertation Example Acknowledgements 5 2. Abstract 6 3. Project Set Up 7 3.1. Purpose 7 3.2. Scope 8 3.3. Risks 9 3.4. Feasibility 9 4. Analysis 11 4.1. Fact Finding 11 4.1.1. Methodology 11 4.1.2. Findings 13 4.1.3. Findings for Methodology 18 5. Project Plan 19 5.1. Brief Description 19 5.1.1. Waterfall Model 20 5.1.2. Implementation of Waterfall Model 23 5.1.3. Timeline 24 5.2. Resources 25 5.2.1. Hardware 25 5.2.2. Software 26 5.2.3. Human Resources 27 5.3. Specification of Requirements 27 5.3.1. Functional Requirements 27 5.3.2. Explanation of Major Functions 30 5.3.3. Non-Functional Requirements 34 5.3.4. User Interface Requirements 36 5.4. Analysis of Design – Methodology 39 5.4.1. Programming Language 39 5.4.2. Database 42 5.4.3. Design Methods 44 5.4.4. Analysis of Construction 48 6. User Guide 55 7. Testing 56 7.1. ... Appendix B – Logical Data Model 73 List of Tables Table 1 - Online Retail Shopping Transactions by Country 12 Table 2 - Functional Requirements 24 Table 3 - Non Functional Requirements 30 Table 4 - User Interface Requirements 32 Table 5 - Functional Requirements Testing 48 Table 6 - Non Functional Requirements Testing 50 Table 7 - Problems and Solutions 53 Table 8 - Experiences 53 List of Figures Figure 1 - Penetration Rate of Retail Sales Against Conventional Retail Sales 14 Figure 2 - Percentages of Internet Shoppers by Country 15 Figure 3 - Graphic Waterfall Model 17 Figure 4 – RAD (Rapid Application Development) Model 38 Figure 5 - Use Case Diagram for Login 41 Figure 6 - Basic Use Case Diagram for Online Shopping 41 Figure 7 – Expanded Use Case Diagram for Online Retailing 42 Figure 8 - Complete Online Shopping Use Case Diagram 42 Figure 9 - Alternative View Use Case Diagram for Online Shopping 43 Figure 10 - Advanced Use Case Diagram for Online Shopping 43 Figure 11 - Sequence Diagram for Login 44 1 Acknowledgements I am very thankful to the University for providing me with an opportunity to polish my skills and to apply them to positive aims. I would also like to thank my tutor for his detailed help and support during thick and thin with the same amount of patience and resolve. My friends’ cooperation was also vital to my success as was the support showered by my father that I have found unwavering. I must also acknowledge God’s blessings in His support extended to me and I am extremely thankful to Him for hearing my prayers. 2 Abstract The introduction of the internet has revolutionised the way in which business is conducted. Electronic commerce has emerged as a potent methodology of doing business in the online domains. More and more

Monday, September 9, 2019

Cultures of the United States and Saudi Arabia Essay

Cultures of the United States and Saudi Arabia - Essay Example In effect, these factors essentially make the behaviors of human beings different, which essentially bring cultural differences in various societies. It may be stated that each country around the world has its own unique culture. However, there are also some similarities in some country's cultures. There are characteristic cultural differences and similarities between the Americans and the Saudis. However, in general, it is obvious that the differences in culture are way more than the similarities. For example, the Saudis believe that the religion is essentially the most important part in their daily lives. Americans do not attach a significant value to religion in their daily lives. Also, the Saudi government mainly depends on the religion as a constitution to lead the country. Because of all that, in this paper I will be focusing on the most important culture differences and some common similarities and of the United States and Saudi Arabia. Differences The following are the various cultural differences between the American and the Saudi societies. Collectivism The Saudi society is considered to be more collective in its cultural aspects than the American society. This can be attributed to the fact that collectivism is given more importance in Saudi than in America. People in Saudi Arabia prefer group work. That is, they favor undertaking their work in companies as a group rather than working alone. For instance, the Saudi people would prefer funding a business rather than looking for people to invest in it. Similarly, Saudi people think of themselves as members of one group hence they work together to effect things for each other according to Sam and Berry (2006). They also base their decision on group basis as opposed to Americans who mainly base decisions on personal thoughts. Power distance In Saudi Arabia, there is higher power distance as compared to America. The lack of development in Saudi followed by the belief in old customs has led to higher power distance in the country. This can be attributed to the fact that Saudi men have mor e authority than women hence women cannot make any decisions without the approval of men. On the other hand, in America, the man and the woman share in decision making hence there is almost no power distance. Uncertainty Avoidance Among the Saudi, the society is considered close minded while in America, the society is open minded. As a result, the Saudi people have uncertainty avoidance as opposed to their America counterparts, as they try to keep away from the unknown. For instance, in Saudi, the employees in a company are always opposed to change in procedures while in America the workers are more open to any change in company procedures according to Kleypas and McDougall (2011). Moreover, in Saudi, the people’s emotions at work are important hence good relations are ensured among workers. On the contrary, In America, work itself is the most important aspect at work as people do not allow personal relationships to interfere with their work. Nepotism Nepotism is considered a positive thing among the Saudi people and most family members succeed through family businesses. Men shake hands in meetings while good friends shake hands and kiss in Saudi. Similarly, men are free to approach fellow men in Saudi. This is however not the case when dealing with Saudi women. However to the American culture people are free to approach each other. To the Americans, this is an issue of freedom as opposed to Saudi where this is a matter of respect. Similarities Despite the above

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Sports in the 1940s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sports in the 1940s - Essay Example This paper discusses sports in the 1940s in regard to the life and career of one of the black athletes of that era, Joe Louis. In the 1940s, boxing was as big as other sporting activities like baseball. Due to the advancement of television technology, a huge number of fans were able to watch boxing/fights at their homes. Joe Louis was among the famous and boxing legends that started their boxing career during this decade. Just like the other players, boxing players were not over drafted including Jack, Louis, and Montgomery (Lindop & Goldstein, 2010). Louis held the boxing title since the year 1937 to 1949 before he was knocked by Robinson. Born in the year 1914 in Alabama, Joe Louis succeeded to become one of the heavyweight boxers in the world. Due to the poor financial status of his family, Joe Louis was less educated and involved himself with old jobs to help his parents and siblings. Afterwards, Louis gained interest towards cabinet making career. He temporarily attended Bronson Vocational School and during off-times, he could join violin lessons. Later on, a friend of Joe Louis suggested that he should try boxing. Joe Louis did not become an immediate success and he was defeated continuously in his first fights due to his lightweight (Freedman, 2013). In the year 1934, Louis won the national AAUL (Amateur Athletic Union light-heavyweight) title and terminated his amateur career astonishing fort three knockouts in fifty four matches. During his career, Louis defeated six subsequent or previous heavyweight champions: Max Baer, Primo Carnera, James J. Braddock, Jack Sharkey, Kersey Joe Walcott, and Max Schmeling. Louis who was nicknamed Brown Bomber achieved the world’s heavyweight champion by knocking down Braddock in the year 1937 and held this title until the year 1949. When the United States began its war with German in the year 1941,

Saturday, September 7, 2019

Inclusion and the Inclusive Learning Environment Essay

Inclusion and the Inclusive Learning Environment - Essay Example In differentiation, a trainer tailors the instructions as per the needs of the learners. â€Å"Whether teachers differentiate content, process, products, or the learning environment, the use of ongoing assessment and flexible grouping makes this a successful approach to instruction† (Tomlinson, 2013). An inclusive learning environment is created to ensure equal access to all tools, aids, and opportunities for all students. There are a number of ways in which this can be achieved in a health and beauty salon. The first and the foremost aspect of an inclusive learning environment is to ensure that all learners are physically capable of experiencing the same quality of training. In a health and beauty salon, like any other class, this can be achieved by making learners with spectacles occupy the front seats and those with the stronger eye-sights occupy the middle and the rear seats. Taller learners should be seated at the rear so that there is no hindrance in the way of vision fr om the learner to the white board. After carefully designing the seating plan considering the physical traits of the learners, the teacher needs to design the teaching strategies that promise maximal inclusion on the part of the learners. For example, group projects containing members with different levels of capabilities and different skills is a way of promoting inclusive learning. When a certain number of students work upon the same project, each occupying a specific role and using a specific skill, the learning is not merely limited to the very skill, but every learner also develops a comprehensive understanding of the skills of other members of the group. When the project is complete, a significant development in the skills of the learners in different areas is achieved. Another aspect of inclusive learning is discipline. In the contemporary age, classrooms have become increasingly multicultural with respect to learners. People from different countries join the health and beaut y salons and take classes to enhance their skills. To provide the learners with a safe environment in which their potential to maximize their learning is optimized, it is imperative that the teacher establishes rules, principles, or compiles a code of ethics in which objectionable behaviors are clearly depicted and learners are strictly instructed to deter from displaying them in the class. In case of lack of compliance, disciplinary action can be executed. Such objectionable behaviors include but are not limited to use of racist remarks, discriminatory remarks or practices on the basis of gender, race, or culture, and bullying. Resources to meet the need of learners in inclusive learning should be utilized from within the classroom or with due consultation with the concerned authorities. There are numerous ways in which learners can be engaged and motivated in an inclusive environment. For example, when formulating the seating plan to ensure that all learners have full vision of th e whiteboard and the stage, the trainer asks the learners to provide them with information about their individualistic physical traits like eye-sight and height. Students find such activities interesting and realize that these activities are meant to develop such a seating plan where everybody would be able to see clearly. Providing students with constructive feedback is another

Explain the Muslim idea of Religious Authority Essay Example for Free

Explain the Muslim idea of Religious Authority Essay Revelations are the way in which we receive knowledge of God and this is done through the Holy Books. In the Christian tradition there is an understanding that the Bible is a medium of revelation (Prepositional view), this is where the truths recorded by God are recorded, there is also an understanding that revelation is the way in which God acts with human experience through history (non-prepositional view) In Islam religious authority comes from God via the Quran through the process of tanzil. The Quran tells them about God and gives them guidance this is the book in its guidance is sure without doubt. The Sunnah and the Hadith are also sources of authority. The Sunnah, which is the life example of the Prophet Mohammad, is a source of authority because he was a wise and trustworthy man who settled tribal disputes. The Hadith is also a source of authority because Muslims look to Mohammad because he showed true obedience to Allahs commands. The Imam also has authority, the Shiites believe the Imam possess spiritual ability and divine light but the Sunnis simply see the Imam as a leader of prayer who has no superior status. The Shariah is also part of religious authority because this is the Islamic law for Muslims and it gives all the basic rules and regulations as to how human beings should live and act in a political, economic, social and collective individual spheres. The Shariah looks at family life, inheritance, marriage, food regulations and divorce for example Muslims must eat halal foods, those that have been slaughtered by the neck vein being slit and blood drained whilst the name of Allah is invoked. Muslims follow the Shariah so that they are doing what is good and right according to God and removing evil from society, which works through the process of Greater and Lesser Jihad. Greater Jihad is about establishing maruf (right) and removing munkar (evil) from yourself A Muslim learns to control his own bad desires and actions. Lesser Jihad is the struggle of the Muslim community to remove haram from society. Evil will always exist in society and a Muslim must resist this by showing true dedication to Allahs commands. In Islam Allah is the main source of religious authority and to help Muslims to show they are showing their authority towards God, Muslims believe that Allah allows evil and suffering in the world to see if they do what is right. Muslims have free will and believe that everything is pre-determined and that Allah knows the present, the past and the future of every creature but this does not mean that man has and freedom of will, its just that they have the choice to obey or disobey Allah and that this will show on the day of judgement whether they will go to Heaven/ Hell because all their actions are judged. Religious authority from the Quran is seen to govern every aspect of life for example women in Islam are seen as the most important in the family. She is the one who should keep a halal home and to make sure food and dress laws are kept. The teachings of Islam is that women should have total equality in religion and education but they can never be fully equal, for example the husband has more power but with that comes a lot of responsibilities to perform The man has full responsibility for the maintenance of his family therefore a man has more inheritance than a womens because his need is seen to be greater. Through the 5 Pillars Muslims are seen to be showing obedience to Allahs commands this is because they are a very intense and personal struggle to abide by and through reading the Quran Muslims believe that it enhances there spiritual development because it is the word of God. They believe it is the pure word of God because it is seen to be a perfect copy of a timeless document. In Islam the Quran is more important than the Bile/Torah because they where seen to be distorted to suit their believing communities and the revelations in the Quran are believed to be recorded when Mohammad received them. The other basic beliefs of Islam such as Tawhid are also seen as authority. Tawhid implies that everything is created by Allah; it is the belief in Allah with all his powers. It is a source of authority because this is one way a Muslim fulfils Allahs commands as it reveals Gods loving and caring nature. From a non-religious perspective a philosopher would look to reasoning to emphasise human freedom to make moral choices. They would argue that all of humanity relies upon their conscience to decide what is right and wrong, and for many this authority does not come from God. However from a Christian perspective this higher level of consciousness comes from God. In Islamic terms we gain our conscious awareness from Quranic teachings about Akirah which gives us focus for this temporary life on earth, from taw hid which reveals the qualities of God that we should aim to develop in our own hearts (such as love and compassion), and Al Qadr which ultimately points to a pre-determined path which only God knows about he does not dictate.