How personal and societal values Essay

(How personal and societal values can influence ethical decision-making) Nurses may be faced with ethical conflicts. As nurses we must examine our own beliefs and feelings regarding ethical issues and not impose our own values on any patient or caregiver. At the same time, it is our duty to also support appropriate behavior and to protect our patients from harm. Ethical issues involve the good and bad of moral duty and moral obligations. Nursing can be considered an ethical nterprise since it often involves an alternative action when providing care (Gilliland, 2010). It concerns doing well and avoiding harm. The nursing code of ethics is a great resource to follow when faced with ethical dilemmas. In the Marianne case study, it states that â€Å"she has no advance directives, but her husband wants to try everything† and the children believe that Marianne â€Å"would not want to undergo surgery only to be kept alive with poor quality of life. † An advice that nurse may give to Marianne’s family is to help them be aware of the result of the medical procedures. Marianne’s husband needs to know that once she undergoes surgery there is a good chance that they will need to have some lifestyle changes. As nurses, we should be able to provide the family with an objective view of the importance of each action as well as provide some emotional support that Marianne’s family need to deal with to their current situation. In the second case, with Nurse Jane having witnessed acts of negligence from her olleague, there may be things to consider that might make Nurse Jane’s decision.

Critically evaluate the claim that culture is best understood as a system of symbolic classification Essay

Introduction                      This essay will focus on evaluating the claim that culture is perfectly understood as a symbolic classification system. Culture can be defined as cumulative deposit of beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, values, experience, roles, meanings, spatial relations, hierarchies, notions of time, possessions and material objects obtained by a group of individuals in the course of the generations through group and individual thriving. Culture involves patterns implicit and explicit, for and of behavior obtained and conveyed through symbols, representing the unique achievement of the human groups, comprising of their personifications in artifacts; the fundamental core of culture include the traditional ideas and particularly their emotionally involved values; culture systems on the other hand may be deemed as products of action. A symbol refers to any object, usually material, meant to stand for another, even though there is no significant relationship. Typically culture is founded on a shared set of meanings and symbols. Symbolic culture allows human communication and therefore must be taught. The symbolic culture is more adaptable and malleable than biological evolution. Humans subconsciously and consciously, strive always in making logic of their surrounding world. Some symbols like objects, words, gestures and signs assist individuals in understanding the world. Usually symbols offer clues in understanding the experiences. They usually express familiar meanings which are shared by the societies. Uniform and badge held by police officers represent symbols of law or authority enforcement. When an officer is seen wearing a uniform or in a squad car enhances reassurance in man citizens, and anger, fear, or annoyance among others (Browne et al, 1990, p38-p42). The world has countless symbols. Company logos, traffic signs and sports uniforms are some of the symbols. A gold sign in some cultures symbolizes marriage. There are some symbols which are very functional; for example, stop signs offers valuable instruction. They belong to the material culture since they are physical objects, however they function like symbols, in addition they pass on nonmaterial cultural meanings. Some of the symbols are only helpful in what they signify. Gold medals, trophies and blue ribbons, for instance, provide no other function other than representing the accomplishments. However numerous objects have both nonmaterial and material symbolic value. Symbols are usually taken for granted easily. Few individuals challenge or even consider sticking the figure signs on the public bathrooms’ doors. However those figures signs are more than being mere symbols which informs women and men which bathrooms they are supposed to use. Also they uphold the value, in U SA, that restrooms ought to be gender exclusive. Even if stalls are comparatively private, most places do not offer bathrooms that are unisex (Hoijer, 1954, p. 14). Symbols frequently get recognized when used out of context. Symbols express strong messages and are used unconventionally. Even destruction of symbols is perceived to be symbolic. Effigies signifying public figures are beaten so as to express anger at particular leaders. Crowds in 1989 tore down Berlin wall a symbols which decades-old of the division between West and East, capitalism and communism. While diverse cultures have different systems of symbols however language is common to all. Language refers to a symbolic system by which individuals’ converse and through which the culture is spread. Various languages include a system of symbols utilized for written communication, whereas others rely on nonverbal actions and spoken communication. Societies regularly share one language, and a lot of languages have the same fundamental components. An alphabet refers to a written system which is made of symbolic shapes which refer to sound which is spoken. These symbols taken together , express definite meanings. English alphabet employs a mixture of 26 letters in order to create words; where these 26 letters create over 600,000 English words which are recognized (Smith, 2001, p. 46). Case study 1                      Additionally, through using language, individuals’ converse without using words. The communication which is nonverbal is symbolic, and, similar to the case of language, a lot of it is learned by the individual’s culture. Various signals are almost universal: crying regularly represents sadness and smiles frequently signify joy. Additional nonverbal symbols differ across the cultural backgrounds in their meaning. For instance, a thumbs-up symbol in the United States shows positive support, while in Australia and Russia, it signifies an offensive curse. Various gestures differ in meaning depending with the individual and the situation. A symbol of waving the hand can represent numerous things, considering for whom it is done and how it’s done. It may signify â€Å"no thank you,† â€Å"hello,† or â€Å"I’m royalty,† or â€Å"goodbye.† Winks express a range of messages, comprising of â€Å"Iâ€⠄¢m only kidding,† or â€Å"I’m attracted to you,† Or â€Å"We have a secret.† From a distance, an individual can comprehend the emotional idea of two individuals in conversation just through examining their facial expressions and body language. Folded arms and Furrowed brows signify a serious topic, perhaps a disagreement. Smiles, with arms open and heads lifted, imply a cheerful, friendly conversation (Durkheim, 2003, p. 41). Case study two                      Even though language is possibly the most apparent system of symbols that used in communication, numerous things we do express a symbolic meaning. For instance, of the way individuals dress and what it signifies to other individuals. The manner in which a person dress symbolically communicates to other people if that individual care about academics or if he or she is a fan of their school’s football group, or it might converse that the individual is a fan of punk music or has adopted an anarchist philosophy. In various urban settings, the symbolic meaning of individual’s clothes can signify gang connection. Other gang associates use these symbolic sartorial signs to identify allies or enemies. Anthropologists argues that, through their evolution course, individuals evolved a universal individual capacity to categorize experiences, as well as encoding and communicating them symbolically, like with language which is written. Due to the f act that symbolic systems were learned as well as being taught, they started developing independently of the biological evolution. Since this capacity for social learning and symbolic thinking is a human evolution product confuses older arguments regarding nurture versus nature. This view of culture shows that individuals who live away from each other begin develops distinct cultures. Basics of different cultures, but, can spread easily from one group of individuals to another. Belief that culture is coded symbolically and can, consequently, can be taught from one individual to another, meaning that cultures can change even if they are bounded. Culture is dynamic can be learned and taught, which makes it a rapid adaption form potentially to variations in the physical conditions. Anthropologists usually view culture both as supplement and product of the biological evolution; culture can be perceived as the core means of human version to the world which is natural (Middleton, 2002, p. 16). The above view of culture as symbolic system with the adaptive functions varying from one place to another, made the anthropologists to conceive of various cultures as described through different structures or patterns of continuing conventional meaning sets. These meanings took solid form in diversity of artifacts like rituals and myths, tools, well as the planning of villages and the design of housing. Anthropologists differentiate between symbolic culture and material culture, not only since each signifies distinct types of human activity, however also because they comprise of different forms of data that necessitate dissimilar methodologies to study. The culture sociology relates to culture since it is evident in the society: the ways of acting, the ways of thinking and the material objects that collectively shape the individual’s way of life. In regard to Max Weber, the symbols are very essential features of culture: individuals employ symbols to convey their spirituality as well as the spiritual side of actual events, and perfect interests are obtained from the symbols (Smith, 2001, p.21-24). In accordance with the sociologists, symbols composes one of the five essential basics of culture, the others being norms, values, language and beliefs. Symbolic anthropology perceives culture as independent system of meaning decoded through interpreting the key rituals and symbols (Werness, 2000, p.37). In conclusion, it is evident that culture is as set of symbolic classifications, referred to as a group of symbols which can prearranged into a paradigmatic set, frequently hierarchical. These systems of classifications show a world view or tribal order. Languages are constituted of the systems of classifications like grammars. Grammars classify number, person and time. Cultures consist of unconscious classifications which include relatives, plants, colors and animals. References Browne, R. B., Fishwick, M. W., & Browne, K. O. (1990). Dominant symbols in popular culture. Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press. Durkheim, E. (2003). Emile Durkheim sociologist of modernity. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub..Hoijer, H. (1954). Language in culture: conference on the interrelations of language and other aspects of culture. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Middleton, J. (2002). Culture. Oxford, U.K.: Capstone Pub..Smith, P. (2001). Cultural theory: cn introduction. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell :. Werness, H. B. (2000). The Continuum encyclopedia of native art: worldview, symbolism, and culture in Africa, Oceania, and native North America. New York: Continuum. Source document

Everyday Hero Essay

When I think of the word hero, I think of the countless Spiderman figures lying at the bottom of my brother’s toy chest, or even Prince Charming rescuing Sleeping Beauty from her seemingly endless slumber. However, what usually does not come to mind, are the true real life heroes that I believe posses higher superpowers than the Incredibles ever could. Though they do not have the ability to fly or read minds, one way or another, these people have helped someone in a tough situation. A true hero can be anyone from the firefighters at the station to your older sister living in the room next door. They may have helped to save your life, or merely helped you get through your math homework last night. Whatever the case, one quality that all true heroes must possess is the ability to be an example of goodwill in the world. A hero will help someone because they want to, not because they have to. Though they are not perfect, no one is, a hero will continue to put others first when the y know that it is most important to do so. Three years ago, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The news came as an utter shock to everyone, considering the fact that she was one of the healthiest and most active members of my family. She played tennis and practiced yoga at least four times a week; always ate healthy and organic foods, and on top of all this, there was barely any history of breast cancer on our family tree! Though her case was not as bad as others, it still required her to undergo weeks of arduous chemotherapy and radiation. Through her darker days, she herself would be the one to calm me down and reassure me that everything would be okay. The night before my mother’s surgery, I started to cry, scared and frustrated with what was happening around me. Though she was also frightened and anxious, my mother was the one to comfort me and explain that a plastic surgeon did not actually turn people into plastic, as I had imagined. Even during her most bleak and miserable moments, she put everything aside and reached out to help me deal with her pain. For this, she is my hero. No, she is not Superwoman, or a firefighter,  or even your everyday do-gooder; but she’s my mom, and that is good enough for me. This just goes to show that a seemingly ordinary woman can be a hero to someone in her own way. Heroes are everyday characters, and if you look hard enough you will find the hero in your own life. This I believe.

Technology for Climate Change Mitigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Technology for Climate Change Mitigation - Essay Example With reference to Yamaguchi, climate change and agriculture are connected. This implies that climate change is contributed to through agricultural practices while on the other hand, agriculture sectors suffer most due to the implications of climate change in the globe. The primary source of climate change draws links to the agricultural activities in the environment. Therefore, it is of great essence to draw a climate change mitigation technology within the agricultural sphere. Different greenhouse gases are emitted through agricultural activities in the environment. For instance; use of fertilizers, land conversion to agriculture and biomass burning contribute to Nitrous oxide. Rice paddy cultivation, biomass burning and ruminants contribute to methane gas, while the aerosol sprays contribute to chlorofluorocarbons. Nitrogen Oxide Mitigation TechnologyThe agricultural by-products involving the diverse kinds of fertilizers and their technological applications and related land uses ad d to over 62% of Nitrogen oxide. There are two sources of nitrous oxide in the agricultural field. These are from the animal rearing and plant or crop growing. The animal husbandry practices produce larger amounts of nitrous oxide than the gardening practices. Though for efficiency in controlling nitrous oxide emissions in the agricultural fields, technologies are integrated with between. Nitrous oxide accounts for approximately 7.9% of greenhouse gases in totality. Nitrification and urease inhibitors technology highly applies to this study.

Customer Service-Techniques for Building Relationships Coursework

Customer Service-Techniques for Building Relationships - Coursework Example Marketing personnel are equipped to provide business entities with a type of customer support which creates customer relationships. This can be achieved through the use of social media podiums such as Facebook and Twitter. Marketers can also provide information, news, insight, advice, and even technical aid to customers (Peppers & Rogers, 2011). Those actions establish a long lasting customer relationship as it makes customers feel needed and valued by the business. The second technique that can be applied is through communicating effectively and openly. Communication is vital in any business relations. There is a huge range of means to keep in good contact with your customers. They vary from emails to social media, or even phone calls. One should make themselves available to clients so that they can always get back to them for any assistance and also reply politely and promptly to any enquiries. This ensures smooth development of the business and helps sort out any issues as soon as they occur (Burke, 2007). Lastly, a business should listen to its customers. The more the business listens to its customers and demonstrate that it truly values their opinions, the stronger there will be the relationship of the customers and the business. This will ensure that clients support the business and its mission. The business should consistently communicate that it values the customers feedback and appreciates their contribution (Peppers & Rogers, 2011). Because of the severe competition that exist in the markets, firms are constantly searching for new means to differentiate themselves from their competitors. A company’s most valuable asset is the customers, and that is the reason behind maintaining a good long lasting customer relation for the future growth of the

Entrepreneurship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Entrepreneurship - Essay Example John Bezos, who is the founder and CEO of Amazon.com, dreamt of books. In 1994, he founded Amazon.com, arguably the earth’s largest bookstore. Since then, the company has registered tremendous growth and has become a force to reckon with in its industry. The following is a report which traces the history of Bezos, events leading to the founding of the company, business strategies employed by the company, and finally it winds up with highlighting the company’s success factors. History of Jeff Bezos CEO and Founder Amazon.com Jeffrey P. Bezos was born in a place called Albuquerque, in New Mexico. At an early age, Bezos displayed an outstanding mechanical aptitude. He also developed passion for various technical fields. When he became a teenager, his family moved to Miami, Florida. In high school, Bezos became more interested in computers. He later joined Princeton University with plans to study physics. However, he abandoned this dream in pursuit of computer study. He lat er graduated from the university with an electrical engineering and computer science degree. Afterwards, he was employed by a firm on Wall Street, where computers were becoming increasingly in demand for use in studying emerging patterns in various industries (Brandt 2011, pp. 228). Thereafter, he was employed at Fitel, a new company that was designing a network to be used in the management of international trade. He then was hired by D.E. Shaw, a firm that specialized in computer science applications in the stock market. Here, he was hired mostly because of his general and conspicuous talent. It was also while working in this firm that he became a senior vice president, and was looking forward to a brighter future, when he made a finding that transformed his life as well as the course of the world history of business (Brandt 2011, pp. 228). His biggest test came in 1995 when he sought to raise a seed capital of $1 million in order to launch his firm. Over a period of six months in early 1995, he met with some 60 private investors. During this time, he was hiring programmers to design the firm’s website to market itself to the public. Bezos discovered that the use of Internet was increasing by 2300 percent each year. He quickly saw a chance for a new realm of business, and immediately started considering the potential (Hazleton 1998, pp. 56). Bezos later flew to Los Angeles to attend a convention of American Booksellers. While in attendance, he learnt all that he could with regard to the book business. He realized that the main book wholesalers had already composed electronic lists regarding their inventory. All that was required was to establish a single location for this important information on the Internet, from where the book-buying community could search the existing stock and then place orders directly. The employers of Bezos were not ready to proceed with such an undertaking. Bezos then realized that the only remaining way to seize the chance wa s to go into business as an individual. Nevertheless, this meant sacrificing a more secure job in New York. Despite the risk, Bezos together with his wife Mackenzie chose to take up the challenge (Hazleton 1998, pp. 58). In the year 1999, Bezos was declared Time magazine’s Person of the Year. Come 2008, he was selected by the U.S. News & World Report as one of the best leaders in America. In the same year, he also received an honorary doctorate degree in Science and Technology from the University of Carnegie Mellon. Furthermore,

Cultural Diversity and Diverse Sacred Spaces Assignment

Cultural Diversity and Diverse Sacred Spaces - Assignment Example These are all sacred places with spiritual significance to their believers, although their exact functions and related rituals somewhat vary for each religion.The Ka’ba in Mecca, the Wailing Wall, and the Bodhi Tree are the holiest sites because of what they represent to the history of these religions. The Wailing Wall, also called the Western Wall, is the holiest site for Judaism because it is the last remaining wall of the Second Temple. The First Temple refers to Solomon's Temple. This temple, however, was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The Jews rebuilt the Temple, which the Romans destroyed in 70 CE. For several centuries, the Jews went to the Wailing Wall to cry over the destruction of their Second Temple. The Ka’ba is the holiest place for Islam. It is the heart of their hajj, or spiritual pilgrimage, and is located inside the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Muslims believe in the centrality of the Ka’ba as a sacred place of their faith – it is the space inside it, rather than Mecca itself, which is seen as consecrated (Morgan, 2010). Many Muslims think that Adam had built the original Ka’ba but it then was ruined by the Great Flood (Morgan, 2010). The Bodhi Tree is also the holiest place for Buddhists because it is the tree where Buddha attained enlightenment (Harvey, 1990). The original Bodhi tree and its progeny are treated as relics because they symbolize Buddha’s enlightenment (Harvey, 1990). Enlightenment, or being awakened, is also called the wisdom of emptiness. It means that individual existence is not possible since everything is interconnected (Harvey, 1990). The importance of enlightenment to Buddhism portrays the role of the Bodhi Tree in the attainment of this process. The Ka’ba and the Bodhi Tree have mystical origins that the Wailing Wall does not possess. The Ka’ba contains the sacred black stone that Abraham and Ishmael placed there (Morgan, 2010). Pre-Islamic worship believes that the stones of the Ka’ba came from heaven (Morgan, 2010). The Bodhi Tree has miraculous qualities. It is believed to be cut before and to have grown again miraculously the next night (Harvey, 1990). The Wailing Wall does not have any mythical source because it is a man-made creation. Its importance lies in its historical and social functions. These sacred places are centers of prayer or spiritual meditation, although they also serve social purposes. The Wailing Wall enhances the attachment of the people to their Jewish history and identity. It signifies their â€Å"displaced sense of persecution and religious compensation† (Heyd, 1999, p.22). The Western Wall acts as a place of prayer and community activities. The Jews have commonly inserted prayers into the wall cracks because of the belief that they will come true. The custom of inserting written prayers into the wall is so extensive that some American-Jewish newspapers take advertisements of services of putting in s uch prayers for sick Jews. Moreover, Jewish families often gather near the wall to celebrate social events, such as their children’s bar mitzvah, which is a party for boys who turned thirteen. The Ka’ba and the Bodhi Tree are distinct places of worship. Muslims and Buddhists go to these places as part of their pilgrimage. People go there to pray, to assert their faith, and to strengthen their religious communities. Like the Wailing Wall, these sacred sites reinforce the connection between believers and their relationship to their faith. Similar rituals are conducted around the Ka’

Preach a narrative sermon based on a short passage of Scripture Essay

Preach a narrative sermon based on a short passage of Scripture applying the learning from the Narrative Preaching Topic to its preparation - Essay Example The word of God in the book of 1Timothy 4:12 reads, â€Å"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.† As a woman, you may be vulnerable to mistreatments due to world culture of consider females as inferior gender. People may abuse and insult you so that you feel to have a lower and powerless to defend yourself. The Bible encourages you not to allow people despise you because of your youth. The fact that you trust and believe in God establishes the foundation of strength and encouragement. Our God and Jesus His Son promised never to forsake the believers. Our Father is always willing and able to come to your rescue. Even God recognizes that that youthfulness is a moment of strength that people should most of what they desire (Spencer, 2014). Despite of the challenges and problems of youthfulness, God views youthfulness with great reverence. As a believer, you should not struggle to gain the trust of the world. Instead, let yourself be trustworthy to God and your life shall not have any blemish. Do not hate your aggressors or those who betray your trust. God will hear you and will not care about your sex. Ask God to give love, understanding and courage to face your worldly enemies. Just as the Bible verse advises, speak to the believers in love, faith, purity and conduct. You cannot exhibit love, faith, purity, and good conduct if you lack God’s mercies (Spencer, 2014). He gives the qualities to those who believe in Him and walk in His ways. Remember that God’s ways are righteous and pure so that any person who wants to walk in the way must desire righteousness and purity. Do not lose heart for The Lord has you in His heart and will be your anchor, protector and comforter when the whole world attempt to forsake you. In fact, it is better for the world to forsake you because it is then that God will accept you. The ways and the love of the world are

Delinquency Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Delinquency Program - Research Paper Example The scared straight program was used throughout the United States of America, to discourage the juvenile children or the one potential juvenile’s children, from committing criminal activities in the future. In this program the children were told harsh stories about the adult prisoners, what sufferings do they go through in the prison. The program consisted of counseling the juvenile children. The interview of the juvenile with the adult prisoner, they are allowed to ask a question about the prisoner’s life. The detailed study of this program showed that this juvenile program is not only futile but it is harmful to the children and mostly leaves a negative effect on the children’s mind. There was a documentary made, focusing the scared straight program as a subject. This documentary was a great success and showed to build a positive image of this program in the minds of its audience. This documentary showed juvenile paying their visit to the adult prisoners in the penitentiary of New Jersey. In this documentary the idea conveyed was that attempting a crime is a matter of choice, it has little to do with social variables too. A research was conducted by Anthony Petrosino and some other writers at the Campbell Corporation. They studied nine scared straight programs. The finding of this research was that the crime rate was increased up to 26% in the experimental group in comparison to the control group. Similarly, Mark Lipesy of Vanderbilt Institute of public policy studies analyzed the program.

2500 Word Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

2500 Word Portfolio - Essay Example The support worker does not necessarily work for a specific sector like the volunteer that works in the voluntary sector. Most support workers are employed in the private sector since the pay for support workers is good and the work involves specialized care for the patients. Support workers are also employed within the public sector and receive payments from the government. However, support workers do not work in the voluntary sector. The role of the support worker requires a person who not only supports patients but also displays certain other skills which include self-motivation, organizational skills, communication skills, flexibility, caring and sensitivity to others. The support worker requires these skills in order to manage and improve upon his work. He should be empathic to the needs of the patients, but while providing emotional and physical support, it is also required that the support worker be able to manage the work endorsed upon him. Since the support worker is aiding the sick, it needs to be understood that often times that sick are not capable to organizing their own lives. The support worker here has to fulfill all duties that the patient, himself is not able to do. This often requires the support worker to work outside the definitions of his profession. Therefore, flexibility is one need of the support worker (Prospectus, 2013). Good communication by the support worker is required in order to not just communicate with the patient but also with others related to the patient. This includes the family and friends of the patients, the doctor, and other authorities to whom the support worker has to answer to. In all these instances, the support worker needs to adopt a different tone and different attitude which thus requires good communication. The support worker would sometimes have to be empathic but at other times he would have to be strict; all these roles taken with the primary objective of improving the patient’s quality of

Summer Heights High Paper Essay Example for Free

Summer Heights High Paper Essay Target Audience- The target audience for the American adaptation of Summer Heights High is going to to be male and females aged 20-34 that make up 20.9% of the total U.S. population, the penetration size will be the Americans aged 25-29 that have a college bachelors degree and are mature enough for certain types of references and jokes. The target market was selected because instead of the Australian Summer Heights High setting being in a high school the American version will be in a college setting. A college setting was chosen because not since 2000- Boy Meets World has an ABC show had a younger (under 18) target audience. The majority of ABC shows are or have been geared towards families with young and/or teenage children in middle income two parent households i.e. George Lopez, According to Jim, My Wife and Kids. ABC Network has yet to have a show relatable to college students, and recent college graduates. The humor of Australian Summer Heights High is offensive, crude, obscene and vulgar all of which is okay for a paid for network station such as HBO but for a primetime ABC Network show the humor has be dialed back. The target audience is mature enough for pop, political and social references and jokes and old enough not to take something offensively but as mere comedy unlike a typical American family where the children and parents who are watching the show might have to make the children leave the room or parents have to tell the children not to repeat something seen on the show that was meant as comedic but can be taken off screen and used in an inappropriate, offensive fashion. Time Slot- The time slot chosen for the American adaptation of Summer Heights High will be Mondays at 9:00pm EST. The time slot was chosen because it is the time slot that gained the popular TV show Two and a Half Men an average of 15 million viewers. It is also the time right after How I Met Your Mother on CBS. The show will run March-July so that it does not interfere with Monday Night Football. The show will air after Dancing with the Stars on ABC. The time slot is ideal for the target audience because Mondays are usually a down day for both college students and those just getting into the workforce so the show can be something to look forward to, also because Mondays are usually not a typical going out night for college students or regular workers and the workload for both is usually light and then increases as the week goes on. Therefore, the show will not interfere with schoolwork, after work happy hours, or other various workloads. 9:00pm EST is not a late time, which makes it easy to watch right before the news and Jimmy Kimmel Live. Competing Shows- With various networks, television shows and time slots, viewers have many options, which means the American adaptation of Summer Heights High would have many competitors. Listed competitors include basic cable networks, assuming that not everyone in our target audience has cable, shows at the same time slot and similar shows at different time slots. CBS: On Monday nights on CBS at 9:00pm the competitors would be Two Broke Girls and Mike Molly. Both shows are comedies and pose a threat to with similar target audiences. On Monday nights at 8:00pm, right before Summer Height High, on CBS How I Met Your Mother and Rules of Engagement come on. Stated earlier that the time slot was chosen so that we would not compete with How I met Your Mother because it is one of the most popular shows among the target audience. Summer Heights High would be what people look forward to after they get a few laughs in with How I Met Your Mother. NBC: On Monday nights at 9:00pm on NBC the popular singing competition The Voice is on. Since The Voice is not a comedy and does not resonate highly with the same target audience it is not seen as a direct threat. However, a new show on NBC will be coming on right after The Voice called Revolution.  The show may attract some of the same target audience but since it is not a comedy, those that are looking for something much more comedic will turn to ABC. FOX: On Monday nights at 9:00pm on FOX an hour-long show called The Following comes on, it is not a comedy but it does appeal to some of the same target audience. The show that comes on right before The Following is Bones, which is another crime show. Research shows that our target audience finds interest in the crime shows, therefore although Bones does not come on at the same time, it is possible that the target audience will decide to watch one show over the other. the CW: On Monday nights at 9:00pm on the CW the popular show 90210 comes on. The show is popular among high school and early college students but also appeals to the target audience which makes the CW’s 90210 a direct competitor. Even though 90210 is not a comedy is has been around for, going on, six seasons and has viewer loyalty. Show Overview- The American adaptation of Summer Heights High, to match the target audience and to have independent brand awareness from the Australian version will be renamed to Summer Heights U, â€Å"U† standing for university. It was decided to stick with the one actor playing three different roles. That decision was decided upon because it is unlike any other television character, aside from SNL. The comedy will not be raunchy or obscene. The script will not include curse words but may include racial slurs, in a non-derogatory way, and language that may be deemed as offensive. The jokes that the show will not have will be jokes about the mentally or physically disabled or of sexual preference. The jokes that will be included will be jokes on race, physical ability such as strength or weakness, male physique, social class, and more. The script will be risquà © but in accordance with the Federal Communication Committee’s guidelines. Aside from the main character, which is white, other characters will be of various other races including Latino because of the 12.5% American population of Latinos and Black because of the 12.3% American population of Blacks. Instead of a division of private and public school there will be a division of larger state school and  smaller schools. Summer Heights U is going to be set in the outskirts of Los Angeles. USC is also located in Los Angeles and therefore in episodes the Summer Heights U will try to have the same caliber football team, large school feeling but will never be able to be like USC because the Summer Heights U football team is terrible. Los Angeles was chosen because of it populations’ size and number of colleges in California and the abundance of the target market and the total population of California makes up 2.9% of the United States total. Characters- The main three characters will be played by Jonathan Taylor Thomas. Jonathan Taylor Thomas was chosen because he was a child actor on the television show Home Improvement from 1991-1998 a time period where the target audience was younger and growing up. Therefore, he resonates with the current target audience because they grew up watching him. He was also chosen because he has soft features to be able to play a female role and has a comedic background. Jonah Summer Heights High: In Summer Heights High Jonah is the definition of a bully and problem child. He comes from a single family home and is the ultimate rebel. He is in remedial reading because he has the reading level of an eight year old. He likes to lie, graffiti bathrooms, and â€Å"punk† other students. He has ADD and is disruptive in class and does not pay attention. Summer Heights U: In Summer Heights U Jonah is a typical dumb jock in college. He is really cocky because he is the second string quarterback and thinks he should be starting quarterback. he does not make good grades and is a general studies major because he does not know what he wants to do with his life besides play football. Summer Heights U will keep Jonah’s dry humor the same as in Summer Heights High, he makes fun of other team members for not being as athletic as he believes he is. He is also a womanizer and thinks that he can any girl that he wants and attends parties where he always gets reje cted. Jonah relates to the target audience because he is that guy that everyone in college loves to hate. He is annoying and always commands attention but everyone finds him entertaining. Ja’mie (Jamie) Summer Heights High: In Summer Heights High Ja’mie is a bitchy private school exchange student who loves to gossip and is self-absorbed. She finds public school people to be dumb and only cares about being popular. She is obsessed with being â€Å"hot† and dates a younger student because she thinks it would be cool. Summer Heights U: In Summer Heights U Ja’mie’s name will be changes to Jamie, a more American name and she is a college student from the upper east side of New York. She thinks that she is better than everyone than everyone else and only can to summer Height U because she could not get into USC and wanted to get away from her parents. She only wears designer clothes, is obsessed with being skinny and popular. Instead of dating a younger guy, Jamie dates an older man and the shows how the relationship falls apart. Jamie is self-absorbed and conceited and makes fun of people from the West coast because she believes the West coast is better than t he West. Jamie relates to the target audience because she resonates with women in the way that women in the age group all usually have that one friend that they hate but hang out with any way because they like to be better than her. Mr. G (Coach G) Summer Heights High: In Summer Heights High Mr. G is a flamboyant drama class teacher. He is excessive and OCD. When he gets a promotion he abuses his title and is insensitive when a student dies. He comes off as selfish and full of himself and cares only about drama and theatre. Summer Heights U: In Summer Heights U instead of Mr. G being a drama teacher he is going to be the Summer Height U football team coach. He thinks that his team is the best in the state even though they are a NAIA conference football team. He breathes and sleeps football and is always pushing to build a larger stadium. Like Mr. G he is insensitive and always pushes the team to be in the best shape and always has them on strict diets. Coach G relates to the target audience because the target audience is also big football watchers and can understand the antics of a coach. Doug Peterson (Student Welfare) Summer Heights High: In Summer Heights High Mr Peterson tries to help Jonah and makes him sign a contract to be have better and acts as a mediator  between Jonah and the kids he bullies. Summer Heights U: In Summer Heights U Mr Peterson is the school counselor and helps Jonah while he is on academic probation. He tries to help Jonah get his grades up and gets him to try not to be a womanizer and get a girlfriend. He also is an older black man and will be played by Kevin Hart and makes fun of Jonah while he helps him. Kevin Hart is a popular black comedian with which the target audience is familiar. Margaret Murray (Principal) Summer Heights High: In Summer Heights High Principal Murray is a quiet yet stern principal and is excited when Ja’ mie starts at Summer Heights High. She is very stern with Mr G and is reluctant in letting him build a new theatre center. Summer Heights U: In Summer Heights U Principal Murray is Dean Murray and is a middle aged asian woman played by Lucy Lu. Lucy Lu was chosen because she is known for being dry in her humor and being unintentionally funny she has also been in recent shows and past movies that appeal to the target audience. Dean Murray is stern with Coach G when it comes to building the stadium because she believes more in academics and making the school cleaner. She gets excited about Jamie enrolling because she secretly wants quit and move to New York. Sarah Wheatley (English Teacher) Summer Heights High: In Summer Heights High Miss Wheatley is Jonah’s English teacher. She gets disrespected by him and made fun of by him. Jonah always â€Å"punks† her and tells her â€Å"puck you, miss†. Jonah gives her a great deal of stress throughout the series. Summer Heights U: In Summer Heights U Miss Wheatley is Professor Wheatley and is Jonahs English 200 professor. Tina Fey will play Prof Wheatley and instead of Jonah making fun of her and giving her a hard time she gives Jonah a hard time because he is filing her class. Tina Fey and the story line was chosen because Tina Fey is a former SNL cast member and is very funny and relatable to the target audience. Pilot Episode Summary: In the pilot episode all of the main characters will be introduced and the storyline will follow them on the first day of fall semester  sophomore year. In the scene it is Jamie’s first day at the school and she is trying to fit in with various sorority girls. Jonah is back practicing on the football field; he and Coach G are never in the same scene together. Coach G just yells at him from the sidelines usually. In the pilot episode Coach G is introduced trying to bench press a heavy weight in front of his players but fails miserably. Mr Peterson is seen trying to help Jonah figure out why he cant get a girlfriend and Prof Wheatley is making fun of Jonah for misspelling his name. The american adaptation is more like a sitcom rather than a mockumentary. The pilot episode opens in the university gym that is decked out in school colors of green and yellow. In the scene we see Coach G laying on a bench trying to bench press 215 pounds, claiming that it is â€Å"easy†. With the team around him he fails and says that he only couldnt do it because he had not has his protein shake yet and exclaims that the team has to do sprints and push ups after weigh in and that if anyone has lost weight that they have to do weighted pull ups as well as drink 5 protein shakes a day. The next scene is then moved to the focus on Jonah earlier in the day where he is in class with Prof Wheatley. Prof Wheatley is handing back the first paper of the semester and is unimpressed. She give the students a lecture on how they are not freshman anymore and need to spend less time getting drunk and high and more time working on their papers. When Jonah gets his back, to no surprise gets a 10%. Prof Wheatley then publicly announces that Jonah did not even spell his name right on his paper because he must have been too busy playing with his balls, making a reference to him being a football player. Jamie is now introduced and is seen in the quad texting while she is surrounded by a group of sorority girls, all of whom she thinks she is better than and would not be caught dead in Greek letters because they would not match her Birkin bag. She is talking to them about her older boyfriend and how much she misses New York because the sun in California will ruin her perfect skin. All the girls make plans to go out to a bar that night and Jamie says she will only go if they have sell vintage red burgundy wine. The  final scene shows Dean Murray in her office talking to Coach G about the upcoming football season. She tells him that if they dont have at least 5 wins this season shes going to cut the football program funding. Coach tries to convince her that they are stronger and and a better team than ever and that all the guys can bench press 215 pounds. She tells him that all team members also need to be passing all of their classes and this puts Coach G in a bind because he knows t hat half of the team might fail out. The show ends at that and episode two will show how Coach G plays on getting the team stronger and passing, shows Jamie out at the bar and what happens when she runs into her older businessman boyfriend and if Jonah will ask out his crush.

Strategy Analysis of Toyota Essay Example for Free

Strategy Analysis of Toyota Essay Toyota Motor Corporation is a famous Japanese multinational corporation, and is considered the world’s second largest automaker of automobiles, trucks, buses, robots, and providing financial services ( 2007). Its founder is Kiichiro Toyoda, born in 1894, and the son of Sakichi Toyoda, who became popular as the inventor of the automatic loom. Kiichiro inherited the spirit of research and creation from his father, and devoted his entire life to the manufacture of cars. After many years of hard work, Kiichiro finally succeeded in his completion of the A1 prototype vehicle in 1935, which marked the beginning of the history of the Toyota Motor Corporation ( 2007). The first Type A Engine produced in 1934 was used in the first Model A1 passenger car in May 1935 and the G1 truck in August 1935, and led to the production of the Model AA passenger car in 1936. In addition to being famous with its cars, it still participates in the textile business and makes automatic looms that are now fully computerised, and electric sewing machines that are available in different parts of the world. It has several factories around the world, which serve to manufacture and assemble vehicles for local markets. The corporation’s factories are located in countries such as the United States, Australia, Canada, Poland, France, Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Mexico, Japan, Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Despite the many locations of its factories, its headquarters is located in Toyota, Aichi, Japan (2007). It invests a great deal of time and effort in its research into cleaner-burning vehicles, such as promoting a Hybrid Synergy Drive and running a Hydrogen fuel cell in its vehicles (2007). It has significant market shares in developed countries, such as the United States, Europe, Africa and Australia, and has significant markets in South East Asian countries. Its brands include the Scion, its division in the United States, Guam and Puerto Rico, and the Lexus, which is Toyota’s luxury vehicle brand ( 2007). Aside from producing cars and other types of automobiles, such as SUVs and coasters, Toyota also, participate in rallying or racing. The company’s presence in Motorsport can be traced to the early 1970s, when Ove  Andersson, a Swedish driver, drove for Toyota during the RAC Rally in Great Britain, and in succeeding years, Toyota Team Europe was formed ( 2007). Up to the present, Toyota cars are still being used in a variety of racing events in different countries around the world. These events include the CART in Vancouver, the Le Mans, the Indy Racing League, the NASCAR, and the Toyota F1 Series (2007). As the leader in the industry of automobile manufacture and production, the company adopts a philosophy in terms of its production system, which is named The Toyota Way. The company’s philosophy in production involves a list of fourteen principles that are implemented in the company, and serve as guides to the operation of the company. This includes the following principles: * Base the company’s management decisions on a long-term philosophy, even at the expense of short-term goals; * Foster a continuous process flow to sight problems; * Utilise â€Å"pull† systems to prevent over-production; * Level out the workload of the workforce; * Build a culture that stops to fix problems, in order to get quality perfect at the first try; * Standardised tasks are the company’s foundation for its continuous improvement and the development of the employees; * Use visual control to let problems surface; * Use reliable and tested technology, which serves both the people and the company’s processes; * Train leaders who understand the company’s work, live its philosophies, and share it to others; * Train and develop a workforce who follow the company’s philosophy; * Respect the work and responsibilities of partners and suppliers by challenging them and helping them improve; * Actually immersing one’s self to understand the situation; * Slow but sure decision-making through consensus, through considering a variety of options, and to implement decisions effectively and efficiently; and, * Becoming a learning business organisation through expression and continuous improvement ( 2007) With these principles, the company is guided in terms of its operations and production. Through these principles and philosophies, it can become efficient and effective in manufacturing its products, keeping in mind the  welfare of its employees, the image and brand of the company, and the satisfaction of its employees. 2. MACRO ENVIRONTMENT ANALYSIS Suggested model PESTEL model (showed how the environment affect the industry we chosen) reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEST_analysis Currently, Toyota faces a need for accelerated investment, in order to deploy the new technologies, for pressing geo-political, economic, environmental and societal reasons. 3.1. Political Observers will see a continuing progression in the ruinous steps which have forced the industry into a socio-politico-economic corner. Whether this is related to flat demand or to the company’s creation of an ever-wider range of vehicles that many buyers seem to care little about, there is a problem. The company is likewise linked closely to the policies of governments, the earnings of banks. Little wonder then that so many emerging countries are keen to develop an auto sector or that there is such a political pressure to protect it in the developed countries. Toyota Company is currently dominated by little more than a handful of firms, each wielding colossal financial, emotional and political power. The company’s approach to dealing with political institutions has not always been brilliant. It tends to be good on technical issues, although it has not always fully presented the longer-term options, in order to make the choices and their implications clear. 3.2. Economic al For much of the developed world, and increasingly for the developing world, Toyota Company is a pillar company in auto mobile business, a flag of economic progress. Without Toyota Company in automotive industry, it is impossible to develop an efficient steel business, a plastic industry or a glass sector – other central foundations of economic progress. The Toyota Company has been a core company, a unique economic phenomenon, which has dominated the twentieth century (2007). However, the automobile industry including the Toyota Company now suffers from a series of structural schisms and has become riddled with contradictions and economic discontinuities. For the capital markets and the finance sector, it has lost a lot of its significance, as a result of ever declining profits and stagnant sales. The  proliferation of products means that it has become hopelessly wasteful of economic resources. While all these and more sound like a very gloomy assessment of such a vast economic phenomenon, the industry is not in the end despondent. A different future is possible for the industry, a highly desirable one. 3.3. Social As part of the development in automotive industry, the Toyota Company actually affects the society as a whole. It employs millions of people directly, tens of millions indirectly. Its products have transformed society, bringing undreamed-of levels of mobility, changing the ways people live and work (2007). The social value of the additional mobility that this industry brings involves the value of the people being able to commute over longer distances easily, among many others. For most of its existence the Toyota Company has been a model of social discipline and control and it is not just that the auto sector offers a ‘pillar’ of something else. There are, on the other hand, particular social issues to address in many developing countries, often those that are the result of an undertone of religious faith. Toyota company has the role to play in helping develop the mobility of such countries and it can be achieved at an acceptable social cost of the country is prepared to learn the necessary lessons from those who have traveled this route before it, and to make the necessary investments. 3.4. Technological The Toyota Company works on a scale so awesome and has an influence so vast that it is often difficult to see. The level and diversity of technologies that it must deploy are increasing, which imposes both new investment burdens and new uncertainties and risks (2007). Roughly a million new cars and trucks are built around the world each week – they are easily the most complex products of their kind to be mass-produced in such volumes. The industry uses manufacturing technology that is the cutting edge of science. But still, the potential for developing coordination skills, intellectual capabilities and emotional sensitivities through electronic technologies remain far from fully exploited. There are numerous additional near-term technological opportunities to adapt the company to changing energy availability. The possibilities suggest that automotive technology is  unexpectedly robust and provides a powerful defence against energy starvation even if the real price of oil climbs steadily during the next couple of decades. 3.5. Environmental Other than the vehicles themselves, and the roads and fuel needed to run them; the business is intricately tied to the manufacture of a wide range of components and the extraction of precious raw materials. Indirectly, it brings people road congestion, too many fatalities and a wave of other environmental troubles. The effect to the Toyota Company is that they needed to establish RD centres to take advantage of research infrastructure and human capital, so that they can develop vehicle products locally to satisfy the requirements of the environmental and safety regulations more effectively.

Popular Religion And Popular Culture Religion Essay

Popular Religion And Popular Culture Religion Essay Popular religion and popular culture in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries can also be understood by the way in which individuals and groups belonging to the mainstream religion engage their faith. Expressions of popular religion can often be at considerable variance from what is officially supposed to be deemed as sacred. In this respect, popular religion absorbs many attributes of human experience that might be looked down on by purveyors of traditional religion. Amongst various aspects of American life, contemporary popular religion can be best identified in regards of Hollywood films, pop music, popular literature, comic books, and the Internet. The evolution of Hollywood films involving religious themes has been rooted largely in the biblical epic. As a popular genre during the 1950s and 1960s, key examples of these epic religious films include The Robe (1953), The Ten Commandments (1956), Ben-Hur (1959), King of Kings(1961), and The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965) among others. These films usually had huge cinematic scale, massive production budgets and box-office celebrities such as Richard Burton, Jean Simmons, Max Von Sydow, Charlton Heston, Deborah Kerr, and Yul Brynner. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there were numerous horror films with religious themes, most notably Rosemarys Baby (1968), The Exorcist (1973), and The Omen (1976). In Rosemarys Baby, a young, innocent Manhattan housewife is deceived by a coven of witches into giving birth to the eponymous child who is actually the son of Satan. The Exorcist was a horror film that dealt with a young girls demonic possession and her wealthy mothers desperate attempts to rescue her daughter through an exorcism by two Catholic priests. Serving as the pinnacle of the demon child movies of the era, The Omen is the story of a wealthy diplomats family unknowingly adopting a child who is actually the Antichrist foretold in the Book of Revelation. Representing an interesting blend of story elements from both Rosemarys Baby and The Exorcist, The Omen spawned several sequels as well as a remake. There are a great variety of Jesus movies that have made their way to the silver screen. In 1961, MGMs release of King of Kings (a remake of Cecil B. DeMilles 1927 film of the same title) was the first attempt by a major film studio to produce a religious epic in which the Christ Event was its main focus. That movie was followed years later other cinematic renditions of Jesus such as The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), the musical Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), The Passion of the Christ (2004), and most recently The Color of the Cross (2006). By illustration, Martin Scorseses The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) portrays the last days of Jesus Christ as he is tempted by Satan by glimpses of what life might have been like had Jesus not been crucified including marrying and making love with Mary Magdalene. Based on Nikos Kazantzakis 1960 novel of the same name, the movies main point is that Jesus, while free from human sin, might have still been v ulnerable to all manners of temptation that humans face, including doubt, fearful reluctance, lustful yearning, and regret. By confronting and ultimately conquering all of humanitys weaknesses, Jesus struggled to do Gods will while never surrendering to earthly temptations. At the films end, Christ finally rejects all temptations and the film concludes with the crucifixion. As can be imagined, this film generated a considerable deal of controversy due to its subject matter. The Passion of the Christ (2004) is a film co-written, co-produced and directed by Mel Gibson. According to Gibson, the films primary source material is derived from the Christs passion narratives found in the four synoptic Gospels despite taking creative liberties of incorporating quotes and images from both the Hebrew Bible and New Testament. While deliberately mirroring traditional representations of the Passion in visual art, the film recounts depiction of the last 12 hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, particularly the arrest, trial, torture, and crucifixion of Jesus. In spite of criticism regarding the extreme violence, historical inaccuracy, and perceived anti-Semitic references, the overwhelming success of the studios marketing campaign amongst Catholics and evangelical Christians helped the film set numerous box-office records simultaneously. Having earned roughly $400 million, The Passion of the Christ holds the record for the most pre-release ticket sales and the highe st-grossing R-rated film in U.S. history as well as the highest-grossing religious film worldwide. Furthermore, because the films dialogue is entirely spoken in Aramaic, Latin, and Hebrew with English subtitles, The Passion of the Christ is also the highest grossing non-English language film to date. While many religious films since the 1950s were typically based on Christian stories, other films have been based in other religious traditions. For instance, The Message (Mohammed: The Messenger of God) (1976) based upon Islamic history and stirred great controversy upon its release. The film depicts the historic moment when the prophet Mohammed receives the Word from Allah during the 7th century A.D. in the Middle East still dominated by polytheism. After this fateful event, Mohammed begins sending his messengers to proclaim the basic teachings and tenets of Islam throughout the Middle East. The films production was complicated by the fact that, according to the teachings of the Quran, neither any likenesses can be shown of the prophet Mohammed and his extended family nor the image and voice of God ever be depicted in any medium. To overcome this challenge, the lead role of Mohammed was as an absent protagonist while the character of Mohammeds uncle served as a replacement for Moha mmed who alternately uttered lines and listened off-screen to a voice the audience never heard to avoid the heresy of depicting images of either Allah or Mohammed. Filmmakers Joel Coen and Ethan Coen have wrestled with issues of Jewish film representations. Two of the Coen brothers films, Barton Fink (1991) and The Big Lebowski (1998), are especially noteworthy for their diverse abundance of overtly albeit offbeat Jewish characters. The Coens brothers have been accused of depicting anti-Jewish ethnic stereotypes in their numerous films such as Bernie the Shmatte, a cravenly duplicitous hustler, in their third feature film, Millers Crossing (1990). However, their film A Serious Man (2009) is a remarkably provocative and poignant portrayal of Jewish American experience during the 1960s culled from their childhood memories of growing up in St. Louis Park, a suburban Jewish community south of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Drawing heavily from the cultural tradition of Ashkenazic Judaism, the film centers on the Job-like professional and private plights of Larry Gopnik, a physics professor undergoing a crisis of faith. Struggling to make sense of his ruin ed life, Gopnik desperately seeking metaphysical advice and spiritual guidance from three rabbis to become a person of substance. Ultimately the film grapples with theological issues pertaining to the human suffering in ways that strive to reconcile the spiritual and the absurd. Popular Religion and Popular Music The emergence of popular music is one of Americas greatest cultural achievements and since the mid-20th century has had several inspired practitioners whose lives and recordings in the music industry that helped energize the American society by defining a new outlook where the sacred and the secular coexisted within the mainstream. For example, Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee as one of five children belonging to Rev. C. L. Franklin, a famous Baptist minister, and Barbara Siggers Franklin, a singer and pianist. Franklins parents had a troubled relationship and separated for the final time when Aretha was six, leaving her and her siblings to be raised by their paternal grandmother, Rachel Franklin. During her childhood, the home was regularly visited by many of her fathers famous friends including Clara Ward, Sam Cooke, and Mahalia Jackson. In the presence of such gospel music legends, Franklins talents both as a self-taught piano prodigy and a gifted singer with an extr aordinary vocal range became apparent by the time she entered her teens. As noted in her autobiography, Franklin stated that her early gospel singing was patterned after Albertina Walker. Although early motherhood nearly derailed Franklins gospel career, once she decided to return to singing professionally as a pop musician rather than a gospel artist. When she signed a contract with Atlantic Records and began working with legendary RB producer Jerry Wexler to incorporate a more gospel element into Franklins evolving musical sound. By the end of the 1960s, Franklins designation as the reining Queen of Soul was clearly established. Although most of her albums were best sellers during this era, the release of Amazing Grace (1972) eventually sold over two million copies in the United States and has been hailed as the best-selling gospel album of all time. Marking a triumphant return to her gospel roots, the songs on Amazing Grace were recorded live at New Temple Missionary Baptist Chur ch in Los Angeles, California alongside her father as well as gospel legend and family friend Rev. James Cleveland with backing vocals by the Southern California Community Choir in January 1972. In the late 1970s, Bob Dylan became a born-again Christian and released two albums of Christian gospel music: Slow Train Coming (1979) and Saved (1980). When working on Slow Train Coming with Jerry Wexler, the veteran RB producer, Dylan had started to evangelize to him during the recording. Wexler replied: Bob, youre dealing with a sixty-two-year old Jewish atheist. Lets just make an album. The album won Dylan a Grammy Award as Best Male Vocalist for the song Gotta Serve Somebody. When touring from the fall of 1979 through the spring of 1980, Dylan would not play any of his older, secular works. Realizing that there was considerably vocal backlash to his embrace of Christianity by some of his fans and fellow musicians, Dylan frequently delivered declarations of his faith from the stage. Another iconic figure in the realm of popular music that underwent deep religious conversion was the country music legend Johnny Cash.  Rediscovering his Christian faith in the early 1970s, Cash recalled taking an altar call at Rev. Jimmy Rodgers Snows Evangel Temple, a small church in Nashville, TN because, unlike many larger churches, he said that the pastor and congregation treated like just a regular parishioner and not a celebrity. His friendship with famed Christian minister Billy Graham led to the production of The Gospel Road, a film about the life of Jesus, that Cash both co-wrote and narrated. The decade saw his religious conviction deepening, and he made many evangelical appearances on Billy Graham Crusades around the world. In 1986, Cash published his only novel, Man in White, a book about Sauls conversion into the Apostle Paul. In 1990, Cash also recorded Johnny Cash Reads The Complete New Testament. Matisyahu is an American Hasidic Jewish reggae musician renowned blending traditional Jewish themes within reggae, alternative rock, electronica, and hip hop sounds. Matisyahu was born in West Chester, Pennsylvania as Matthew Paul Miller on June 30, 1979. His family eventually relocated to White Plains, New York where he was raised as a Reconstructionist Jew. While Matisyahu was an ardent music lover, he attended Hebrew school at Bet Am Shalom, a synagogue located in White Plains. At the age of sixteen, Matisyahu participated in a semester-long immersion program at the Alexander Muss High School in Hod Hasharon, Israel that allowed him deeper exploration of his Jewish heritage. This overall experience affected his feelings towards Judaism so greatly that he eventually adopted Orthodox Jewish lifestyle by becoming a Baal Teshuva by 2001. Initially he found his way to the Carlebach Shul on the West Side of Manhattan. Matisyahu then found his way to Chabad of Washington Square. From 200 1 until 2007, Matisyahu was affiliated with the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic community in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York. Shortly after his embrace of hasidism, Matisyahu began studying Torah at Hadar Hatorah, a yeshiva for returnees to Judaism As one example of his devotion, he will not perform in concert on Friday nights in faithful observance of the Jewish Sabbath. He later recounted such diverse influences as Phish, Bob Marley and the Wailers, God Street Wine and Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach among his musical inspirations. There is a proliferation of musical genres that represent a variety of religious backgrounds from Stryper (a Christian heavy metal band) to Creed (a Christian alternative / hard rock band) to the Kominas (a Punjabi taqwacore-Islamic hardcore punk rock-group) to A Tribe Called Quest (an African American hip-hop group predominantly composed of Sunni Muslim converts). In the 1980s,  Stryper was a Christian heavy metal band from Orange County, California, USA. The name Stryper derives from Isaiah 53:5 (KJV):But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. The scriptural reference is also part of Strypers logo on most of their releases. (They also incorporate stripes into most of their outfits and their logo.) Once the band embraced the name of Stryper, drummer Robert Sweet created a acronym which is: Salvation Through Redemption, Yielding Peace, Encouragement, and Righteousness. Not only did Stryper enjoy great mainstream success during the latter half of the 1980s, they are pioneers in the mainstream popularization of Christian metal music and even achieved a Grammy Award nomination. Stryper eventually broke up in 1992, which also marked the waning popularity of heavy metal as a musical genre. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Creed was a popular, multi-platinum selling American alternative / post-grunge rock band from Tallahassee, Florida often identified as a Christian rock band. The band was never signed to a contemporary Christian music label, did not perform in Christian music venues and never got any widespread regular play on Christian radio, Creeds first three albums focused on themes of Christian faith and spirituality. Themes within their song titles such as Higher, My Sacrifice, Whats This Life For, My Own Prison, With Arms Wide Open, and One Last Breath the bands lyrics allude to Christian theology although they frequently refuted the Christian label. Similar to the Christian rock movement, The Kominas (whose name means bastards in Punjabi) are a Taqwacore punk band hailing from the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. The Muslim punk trio consisting of Basim Usmani, Shahjehan Khan, and Adam Brierly rock out with songs titles of Dishoom, Baby or Sharia Law in the USA. One of the Kominas best known songs, Rumi was a Homo, a protest song against homophobia within the American Muslim community, was featured in Skidmore Colleges Music Against Hatred concert. Written mainly by Usmani, the bands lyrics are clever, sometimes thought-provoking commentaries on racial profiling, foreign policy, and religious faith. The Kominas critically acclaimed debut album, Wild Nights in Guantanamo Bay, was released in March 2008.As a fusion of punk, metal, and Bhangra folk music The band uses the term Bollywood Muslim punk in order to describe their sound. The music and imagery typically draws from anti-colonial movements, Moghul art, American related to Islam, such as Moorish Science Temple, Five Percenters (an offshoot of the Nation of Islam), and Desi culture, Punjabi folklore, Sufi saints from Punjab, Hinduism, and Bollywood cinema. Formed in the late 1980s, A Tribe Called Quest was an African American hip hop group consisting of rapper/producer Q-Tip (Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, formerly Jonathan Davis), rapper Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor), and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad that explored Sunni Islam. They released five albums in ten years, the first three of which were both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. By 1996, lead rapper Q-Tip underwent a deepy religious awakening and, upon spiritual guidance from his friend, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, soon converted to Islam. While on tour, Q-Tips friend introduced him to a talented young producer from Detroit named Jay Dee (also known as J Dilla). Immediately taking the newcomer under his wing, Q-tip and the rest of Tribe agreed to form a production unit with Jay Dee. The group named their production company The Ummah (meaning community, nation, or brotherhood in Arabic) because Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad were devout Muslims. In addition to producing A Tribe Called Quests final two studio albums, the Ummah served as a music production collective that provided backing tracks for a wide array of RB and hip hop artists. Although the group officially disbanded in 1998 and Jay Dee death in 2006of a blood disease, their innovative blend of hip hop and jazz has left an indelible imprint upon hip hop music. Popular Religion in Popular Literature In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins novel Left Behind: A Novel of the Earths Last Days officially launched a best-selling fictional series of 18 Christian-themed thrillers. It was narrative form to a specific apocalyptic reading of the Bible, particularly the Book of Revelation. This novel has received largely favorable reactions from the late Jerry Falwell and other leading figures in the Evangelical Christian community who generally approved of how the authors represented the millennial / apocalyptic themes within Christian theology in a worldly language that was also commercially viable within the entertainment industry. The interpretation of Revelation, as presented in the Left Behind series, also encourages a largely individualistic approach to eschatology and salvation that eschews any responsibility for performing good deeds or evangelizing. Regardless of such criticism, the overall sales for Left Behind series has surpassed 65 million copies and has also inspired several movies, graphic novels, CDs, a video game and a Left Behind series for teenagers. Similarly, author Dan Browns best-selling novels also include historical themes and Christianity as recurring motifs, and as a result, have generated controversy. Browns first novel, Angels Demons (2000) is bestselling mystery-thriller novel focused on fictional Harvard University symbologist Robert Langdons quest to uncover the mysteries of the Illuminati and to unravel a plot to destroy Vatican City by detonating antimatter. The book portrays a historical conflict between the Illuminati and the Roman Catholic Church as a contest between science and religion. Browns subsequent novel, The Da Vinci Code (2003) also examines ancient history, conspiracy theories of secret societies, religious symbolism, and classic architecture. Combining the detective, thriller, and conspiracy fiction genres, The Da Vinci Code provoked popular interest in speculation concerning the historic roots of Christianity. Despite being flatly denounced by many Christian denominations as a dishonest attack on t he Roman Catholic Church rife with historical and scientific inaccuracy, The Da Vinci Code is a worldwide bestseller that had sold roughly 80 million copies that has been translated into 44 languages. Popular Religion in Comic Books There are numerous examples of popular religion being utilized in the world of comic books and graphic novels. For instance, the DC Vertigo Comic book series Preacher chronicled the fictional exploits of Jesse Custer, a small town pastor in Annville, Texas who is experiencing an extraordinary crisis of faith. After Genesis, a creature described as the supernatural spawn of the inexplicable coupling between an angel and a demon, accidentally takes possession of him, Custer becomes a hybrid human-divine being that potentially wields enough power to ultimately rival even God. Inhabited by this spiritual force composed of both pure goodness and pure evil, the comic book portrays the title character of the comic book arguably becomes the most powerful being in existence. Tragically, this realization results in a disaster that turns his church to rubble and killed his entire congregation. Spurred by his highly developed sense of morality and a strong sense of purpose, the comic book illust rates Custers paranormal adventures as he treks across the United States in a quest to find God for himself both figuratively and literally. Following a trend within American comic books during the 1960s and 1970s very much akin to the Death of God theological movement, Preacher alludes to a God that has abandoned creation and thus has left humanity to its own devices for better or worse. During its publication from 1995 to 2000, Preacher was a controversial comic book series renowned by some and reviled by others for both its dark and frequently violent humor as well as its unabashed treatment of religious and supernatural themes. Since the 1970s, there have been several characters that accentuate various dimensions of spiritual practices prevalent throughout the African diaspora. A particularly notable example of an African American supernatural superhero named Brother Voodoo who appeared in a variety of comic books published by Marvel Comics during the 1970s. Returning to his native Port-au-Prince, Haiti after more than a decade of education and practice as a psychologist in the United States, Jericho Drumm assumes the alter ego of Brother Voodoo possesses numerous superhuman and mystical powers such as easily entering into a trance-like state in which his skin becomes impervious to burning and other forms of pain as well as being able to control flame and lower life forms; these are all power that the comic book creators attribute to the characters mastery of mystical rituals derived from the loa, the spirit-gods of Haitian vodou. As an attempt to introduce a character with a very unique ethnic, cultural, a nd religious background, Brother Voodoo was later followed by other figures in the Marvel pantheon of characters such as the female Captain Marvel whose alter ego, Monica Rambeau, hailed from the Creole religiosity of contemporary New Orleans or the character of Storm (aka Ororo Monroe) from the X-Men series whose backstory harkens to being an East African hailed as a demi-goddess because of her mutant ability to control the weather. While these are certainly not the first or only comic book characters of African descent to be introduced, these creations were attempts to merge issues of race and religion in interesting ways. Moving in a considerable different vein, the central figure in DC Vertigo Comics series Hellblazer is a character named John Constantine who pursues a mysterious life as a streetwise detective who frequently crosses the supernatural boundaries between heaven and hell in order to confronting various dangers of an occult nature in the ordinary world. As a foul-mouthed, chain-smoking, hedonistic cynic arguably working for the greater good, Constantine usually triumphs through guile, deceit and misdirection. At the end of his exploits, he typically makes more enemies in the process of resolving a particular conflict than the opponents he originally intends to defeat. Even though depicted as a duplicitous individual, the narrative shows Constantine to be a well-connected person who is supremely adept at making friends and has a wide array of otherworldly contacts and nefarious allies at his disposal. Consequently, the overarching narrative reveals Constantine to be a compassionate and occ asionally heroic figure struggling to overcome the influence of heaven and hell upon an otherwise unsuspecting humanity. In other words, the protagonist of Hellblazer serves as a fictional incarnation of the humanist anti-hero as a trickster of sorts. As such, this book is highly indicative of a trend in mainstream comic books that has been quite popular amongst comic book creators and fans alike wherein the mortal characters such as Constantine are imbued with an agnostic spiritual worldview over and above a sense of moral ambiguity as they unapologetically grapple with seemingly insurmountable hazards both mundane and arcane. On the whole, while there is no dearth of evidence of popular religion at work in comic books and graphic novels, there is presently a shortage dearth of academic research and discussion on the matter. Popular Religion and the Internet One of the most exceptional transformations in the emergence of popular religion in the latter half of the twentieth century has been the burgeoning presence of religion appearing on the Internet. From the mid-1990s to present, an exponential number of churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples have a firm foothold within cyberspace. Towards this end, there are numerous websites such as Streaming Faith.com and Beliefnet.com connect innumerable Christian communities nationally and internationally via the Internet with the increasing prospect of connecting with other religious groups in a virtual fashion. Since the inception and widespread use of the Internet in the 1990s, online Christian resources have tended to dominate religious themed content to date. This has been of particular importance given the presumption that most Internet users hailed from North America or Western Europe, regions deemed predominantly Christian. This assumed dominance has shifted due to the increasing level of Internet access and literacy by populations in the developing nations of the global South, most notably in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Even though it is highly unlikely that the worlds religions ever will be fully and equally represented in cyberspace, the democratic impulse of the World Wide Web will cause the demographics to begin reflecting the religious diversity among a growing array of internet users worldwide. Moreover, for those members of faith communities that are relatively small and geographically isolated from a traditional house of worship, the World Wide Web provides these practitioners an alternate means of interaction and connection. By virtue of having Internet access, adherents of such faith traditions can receive update information about their religion, obtain latest spiritual resources, and engage in communications with other faithful believers. There are a variety of religious websites such as Torah Net (www.torah.net), Allaahuakbar Net (www.allaahuakb ar.net), Gospel Communications Network (www.gospel.com), Gateways to Buddhism (www.dharmanet.org) and The Witches Voice (www.witchvox.org) are religious oriented news and networking web resources that serve as lively examples of popular religion. See also Celebrity Culture; Electronic Church; Internet; Literature; Contemporary; Lived Religion; Pluralism; Popular Religion and Popular Culture entries; Radio; Spirituality: Contemporary Trends; Television; Visual Culture entries. Juan Floyd-Thomas

William Shakespeares Antony and Cleopatra Essay -- Shakespeare Antony

William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra â€Å"The triple pillar of the world transformed/Into a strumpet’s fool. Behold and see† (I.1.12). â€Å"I have eyes upon him† (III.6.61). Shakespeare’s Antony invites speculation and a greedy voyerism that can only be instigated by a protagonist who, despite perpetually being at the centre of discussion, manages to elude classification.This impression of opacity of character is enhanced by the fact that his own idea of himself and of his uncontrollable infatuation with Cleopatra is constantly mutating. Antony oscillates between wishing â€Å"Would I had never seen [Cleopatra]† (I.2.253), and admitting â€Å"I’th’East my pleasure lies† (II.3.41). One moment he wails â€Å"I have fled myself [...] I have lost command† (III.11.7, 23), the next he reassures himself with a mantra-like repetitiveness, â€Å"There’s hope in’t yet [...] There’s sap in’t yet† (III.13.175, 191). When the protagonist himself is never static, when the other characters define him in accordance to their own agendas or morbid curiosity, there is very little for the audience to hold onto in the way of tangible evidence of one mental state as opposed to another. â€Å"This common body, like to a vagabond flag upon the stream,/Goes to and back, lackeying the varying tide,/To rot itself with motion† (I.4.44) Caesar says this about the tendency of the masses to wish for the ruler who isn’t in power or is seen less, and then when he does come into the limelight, to lose interest and want someone else. But taken out of context, these lines are a disturbingly appropriate depiction of Antony’s state throughout the play. For he is discussed and prodded as if he were common property, and shifts continuously between du... ...ity and littleness, an admission of his own weaknesses. The vagueness of â€Å"Sometimes we see a cloud that’s dragonish,/A vapour sometime like a bear or lion, [...] That which is now a horse, even with a thought/The rack dislimns, and makes it indistinct/As water is in water† is juxtaposed against the profoundly personal, intrspective lines â€Å"Here I am Antony,/Yet cannot hold this visible shape† (IV.14.3-22). The result is the feeling that whether he has fallen or not, whether the Roman way is better than the Egyptian, whether the â€Å"old Antony† is a myth, his own self-disgust and deflated sense of self remains. Perhaps that is the closest we can expect to get to the real Antony: the one he reveals when in the throes of self-doubt. Perhaps that is all we deserve to uncover: for as Dante’s Virgil would say, â€Å"the desire to hear [others’ dispute] is a base desire† (xxx.148).

Interpersonal Conflict :: Human Resource Management

Hocker (1991) defined conflict and specifically interpersonal conflict as an expressed struggle involving a minimum of two interdependent individuals who have incompatible goals, scarce resources, and they perceive obstruction from the other party in achieving their goals. Hocker’s definition of conflict is criticized for its ambiguity. Rather than being a source of incompatible goals, conflict is caused by incompatible positions. When the term power is used in connection with communications between opponents, it is understood to mean the ability to control some other individual’s behavior (Burgoon & Dunbar, 2006). Individual perception is an important key concept to understanding the origin of conflict between parties. Conflict has also been de-fined as â€Å"a breakdown in the standard mechanisms of decision-making so that an individual or group experiences difficulty in selecting an action alternative† March and Simon (1993). Jehn and Mannix (2001) described conflict of an interpersonal nature as a recognition shared by two people in a dispute that they have irreconcilable needs, incompatible goals, and incongruity. During group situations, conflict frequently manifests itself when members of the group express opposing opinions and goals (Eisenhardt & Schoonhoven, 1990). Research by Amason (1996) revealed that conflict manifests itself in a group’s decision-making processes in spite of everyone in the group sharing the same goals. Amason (1996) and later Jehn (1999) theorized the reason for this disconnect was due to each person in the group having their own unique perspectives, varying levels of knowledge, and different life experiences that created an environment ripe for the collision of values. Interpersonal conflict is viewed by a vast majority of people as dysfunctional and costly to companies because of the time and money spent on conflict resolution strategies. Furthermore, many believe conflict stifles performance, reduces group cohesion, and it ultimately hinders the process of decision-making (Gladstein, 1984). Language also ascribes negative attributes to the word conflict. Typically, dysfunctional be-haviors whether they are verbal or physical like disputes, quarrels or hostilities -- all are associated with the word â€Å"conflict.† With the word â€Å"conflict† being used in great abundance globally to describe

Walmart :: essays research papers

Overview When Sam Walton founded the first Wal-Mart in 1962, the idea of bringing in a discount-shopping store into rural America was almost unheard of, except for the local five and dime stores. When Walton noticed that he had a lot of competition from regional discount chains, him and his wife Helen traveled the country to study other new retailing concepts, and were convinced that it was the wave of the future. With Walton's vision, Wal-Mart grew to be a multi-billion dollar, international company, operating about 4,600 stores around the world. Wal-Mart competes in many industries that include: 5331- Retail-Variety stores, 5411-Grocery stores, 5311-Department stores, 5812-Eating Places, 5399-Miscellaneous General Merchandise store, and 5912-Drug stores and Proprietary stores. Since there are several industries to choose from, our group chose to go with retail-variety stores, SIC code 5331. These establishments are primarily engaged in the retail sale of a variety of merchandise in the low and popular price ranges. Sales are made on a cash and carry basis, with the open-selling method of display and customer selection of merchandise. Wal-Mart's milestones began in 1962 when the first Wal-Mart was opened in Rogers, Arkansas. Seven years later the company incorporated as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Then a year later they opened the first distribution center and home office in Bentonville, Arkansas, and also went public on the New York Stock Exchange. Several years later, in 1988, the first super center was opened. Then in 1991, the first international unit was opened in Mexico City. By the turn of the century, Discount Store News had named Wal-Mart "Retailer of the Century" and made Fortune magazine's lists of the "Most Admired Companies in America" and the "100 Best Companies to Work For." They were also ranked on Financial Times' "Most Respected in the World" list. In 2002, Wal-Mart became number one on the Fortune 500 list and was presented with the Ron Brown Award for Corporate Leadership, a presidential award that recognizes companies for outstanding achievement in employee and community relations. Mission Statement Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. does not have a formal mission statement. This is because Kim Ellis, the Public Relations Coordinator, said that they believe the customers are more interested in other aspects of the business, and they, the company, are focused on meeting their basic consumer needs. Since Wal-Mart does not have a mission statement our group has created a mission statement that they might use. It discusses all nine components of a mission statement.

Essay on Technical Education in India

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is the statutory body and a national-level council for technical education, under Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development. [2] Established in November 1945 first as an advisory body and later on in 1987 given statutory status by an Act of Parliament, AICTE is responsible for proper planning and coordinated development of the technical education and management education system in India.The AICTE accredits postgraduate and graduate programs under specific categories at Indian institutions as per its charter. [3] The AICTE Act of 1987 AICTE is vested with statutory authority for planning, formulation and maintenance of norms and standards, quality assurance through school accreditation, funding in priority areas, monitoring and evaluation, maintaining parity of certification and awards and ensuring coordinated and integrated development and management of technical education in the country as part of the AICTE Act No. 2 of 1987. The AICTE Act, stated verbatim reads: To provide for establishment of an All India council for Technical Education with a view to the proper planning and co-ordinated development of the technical education system throughout the country essay writer salary, the promotion of qualitative improvement of such education in relation to planned quantitative growth and the regulation and proper maintenance of norms and standards in the technical education system and for matters connected therewith where to buy essays online. [edit] Current objectiveIn order to improve upon the present technical education system, the current objectives is to modify the engineering curriculum as follows: 1. Greater emphasis on design oriented teaching, teaching of design methodologies, problem solving approach. 2. Greater exposure to industrial and manufacturing processes. 3. Exclusion of outmoded technologies and inclusion of the new appropriate and emerging technologies. 4. Greater input of management education and professional communication skills. edit] AICTE bureaus The AICTE comprises nine bureaus, namely: * Faculty Development (FD) Bureau * Undergraduate Education (UG) Bureau * Postgraduate Education and Research (PGER) Bureau * Quality Assurance (QA) Bureau * Planning and Co-ordination (PC) Bureau * Research and Institutional Development (RID) Bureau * Administration (Admin) Bureau * Finance (Fin) Bureau * Academic (Acad) Bureau For each bureau, adviser is the bureau head who is assisted by technical officers and other supporting staff.The multidiscipline technical officer and staff of the Council are on deputation or on contract from government departments, University Grants Commission, academic institutions, etc. References 1. ^ Regional Offices AICTE website. 2. ^ Technical Education Overview Department of Higher Education 3. ^ AICTE Act[dead link] 4. ^ National Level Councils Tech Ed. , Department of Higher Education. 5. ^ Growth of institutions affi liated to AICTE 6. ^ â€Å"UGC, AICTE to be scrapped: Sibal†. iGovernment. in. Retrieved 29 November 2011. 7. â€Å"AICTE to revamp its approval system next week†. Business Standard. Retrieved 29 November 2011. * | | All India Council for Technical Education| | Abbreviation| AICTE| Formation| November, 1945| Headquarters| New Delhi| Location| Kolkata, Chennai, Kanpur, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Guwahati, Bhopal, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Gurgaon[1]| Main organ| Council| Affiliations| Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development| Website| Official web site Remarks| Dr. S S Mantha, Chairperson (acting| |   

Videogames vs Boardgames

Now a days, if you ask any children, teenagers, and even young adults about what they prefer between videogames and board games, about ninety-two percent will answer videogames without hesitation. I definitively belong to the majority of teenagers who will prefer a videogame over a board game. But if you ask me what I really believe is best option for your children, Ill have no other choice but to answer board games. It seems that very quickly board games are becoming a thing of the past. More and more parents are choosing to purchase video games for their children instead of board games.Even the board games industries are trying to add some technological features to their games, hoping that it can make clients more interested in the product. What most of the parents don’t know, is the damage they are doing to their kids by buying them videogames. The consequences for using videogames are many, and even though they have some benefits of their own, for example they can help you focus by working with the left side of the brain (in case you are right handed), or with the right side if you are left handed. But even though, they are not worth the damage.And even if you think it is worth it, board games also provide you that benefit, without collateral damage. Another reason why you shouldn’t buy videogames to your children is because you are enforcing them to isolate from the rest of the society. Do you think staying home playing video games instead of exercising or spending healthy time with friends and family is good for your children? It is NOT good; it is only making them live in an inexistent world, where they look just the way they want. A world full of violence, an inappropriate stuff; because a fact is that 60% of middle school boys have at least one Mature-rated game.And actually I believe most of the parents know that video games are not good, but they still prefer to use the easy way to keep they’re children silent and entertained at the same time. Don’t you think this is enough proof? Well now I? ll tell you why board games are the perfect alternative. They make your children THINK; do things the hard way by themselves. Maybe they are not going to be as quiet as they were with video games, but it is just because they are not isolating themselves anymore, the board game is going to force them to communicate with other people; make them more sociable.Without mentioning that it is cheaper and easier to move to other places. So now think twice before you buy a new Wii, or a new Nintendo for your 9-year-old boy. Think of the long-term consequences, instead of what is easier for you. Is it worth to make a violent boy who learns from what he sees just because you were too lazy? It is not, remember parents are supposed to be the responsible adults who make the right decision to raise their children, not the ones that will buy their children anything just so they don’t bother you anymore.

Economic Globalization and Global Sustainable Development Essay

Topic: To what extent is Economic Globalization an obstacle or an opportunity for Global Sustainable Development? Introduction: Globalisation refers to the growing link between nations resulting from an increase in trade people and ideas in one global market place. Globalisation is a concept that has its roots dating back to the ages of Karl Marx, Peter Dicken (2011). Globalisation has become a platform for many developed an developing nation to engage in trade and investment related activities. Cross border investments and international trades are the key elements of Globalisation. Globalisation was introduced in the global economy in mid 1980’s . Introduction of globalisation has resulted the companies to lower the costs especially in terms of transportation, communication and moreover to analyze the economic feasibility of the firms to setup different phases of their productions around the globe based on their economic feasibility. Globalisation has been focus area of research for academic scholars from mid 1980’s , Globalisation has been termed differently by different scholars. For some of the research scholars Globalization creates a positive technological, political or economic progress. For some of the scholars it creates a dominance of the developed nations over the developing nations. For some globalisation has changed the global business scenario in which the power of the state is defined by the power of firms. Globalisation has different types of features like economic, social, cultural, political and environmental features. Due to globalisation tremendous changes taken place in global trade and exchanges, and boundary less international integration which includes the international migration, currency exchange, transfer of technology and flow of ideas and information internationally. Globalisation  also initiates the change of industrial structures which help to increase the power, productivity, capacity and profitability of that firm. As a result of globalisation the internationalised enterprises depend on subsidiaries and strategic alliances which lead to the comparative and competitive advantage. The cultural taste and priorities also influenced by globalisation through global communication like email and internet. Taking the positive and negative side, challenges and opportunities, could say that globalisation has changed the world system and the trends which is more likely to be continued in future as well. This will result the higher flow of the goods, capital, culture, people, technology, invention and services. One of the benefits of globalisation is increase in production and efficiency. Due to competition among the markets may lead to improved division of labour. Competition among the markets also increase the production, output, higher wage level and better living standards. When considering the problems of equity and distribution it could be a burden to poor and developing countries that has to pay the burden of exclusion and marginalisation sharing the benefits of globalisation. So there is an essential of making market favour to the poor as well by decreasing the social barriers and help the poor countries to get along with the risks and shocks. Globalization has created a new potential for the development and wealth creations for the firms which can be analyzed based on different views mainly based on political, business and economist view. Political View: According to Ohmae 1995 and Scholte 2000 the idea about globalisation is bringing about the demise of sovereign national state as global forces undermine the ability of governments to control their own economies and societies. In the world of Politics Globalization is termed as the widening deepening and ease of access of the world interconnectedness and the issues or the outcomes of these issues is in the study of world politics. Business View: On a business perspective globalization refers to a wide range of business activities undertaken across national borders. Globalization has favoured  lot of business activities and drawn attentions of many business executives. According to Al-Rodhan 2006, Globalization is a process that encompasses the causes, course, and consequences of transnational and transcultural integration of human and non-human activities for business across national boundaries. Globalisation helps in declining in restrictions for the business to selling their products in other countries other than the home country. There by helping business to sell their products internationally and lower prices according to consumer affordability. Economist view: An economist view globalisation is defined as an economic interdependence of geographically distinct people. According to Heron (2008) explains that Globalisation is about movement of goods, resources and enterprises across national boundaries seeking cheaper resources to maximize profit and efficiency† The economic view of globalisation is closely linked to the political view. Political aspect of a country helps to facilitate the changes in the economic process of the country. Pons and cons of economic globalisation: Globalization can create conflicts at different levels, especially when the counties that benefit from globalization have been richer countries of OECD. There has been a wide range of economic disparities especially in case of income. Mainly with many of the Asian developing nations joining the club of richer countries and poorer countries of Africa and Latin American and some of the European nations going poorer. The problem of distribution of income remains the main challenge of Globalization. There are also many challenges that rooted because of the interdependence of the economies. The local economic crises and fluctuations of one country started affecting the economies of the other countries. One of the main examples being the financial crisis of Asia started in Thailand in 1998 and spread to other south east Asian nations and international financial systems. This was one of the biggest examples of financial vulnerability in the financial systems due to globalization. Recent subprime mortgage crisis and subsequent economic recessions was one of the main examples of the inter connectedness  of countries due to globalisation. These have also led to economic warfare and even military actions in some cases. However on analyzing the recession of 2009 event though there has been a wide hit in the growth of GDP in many countries the economies of china and India showed a strong positive sign and maintained a sturdy GDP growth which was a big blow to all the critics of globalisations. Globalisation has been rise since the end of cold war. Developed economies as seen a wide jump in there GDP during these periods. But off late the scenario has changed the there has been a wide jump in the GDP of developing nations like India and China. Increase in Foreign Investments can be used as one measure of growing economic globalization. There has been a huge inflow of FDI into the developing economies of Asian countries. The specialisation of companies and people in creating goods and services in a globalized economy through global trade contribute to the highest prosperity but can lead to monotony because Globalisation creates monotony in production allocating production levels to the most suited regions. For example production of rice in a region would cause the soil to become in fertile and creates an ecological imbalance. Another impact of globalization is the impact on sovereign countries, they have lost control over their economies and the power has moved to the developed nations, multinationals and international financial institutions. This highlights the fact that national sovereignty has been systematically undermined by the effects of globalisation. This impact had a greater effect on the poorer and developing countries, Leading to an increasing cynicism among political elites and their citizenries. This has led for an increase in national sentiments, populism and protectionism among the citizens which in turn led to political movements against globalisation. The impact of globalisation can also become a scapegoat especially in case of failure of national policies like causing high unemployment and undermining social welfare during different phases of development. Globalisation has also created a great source of regional disparities which in turn has led to initiation of many warfare and destabilisation in many regions. For example they have created ethinic irredentism, violence and regional conflicts like wars from Iraq to Afghanistan to horn of Africa. The interconnectedness of globalisation has also led to evolution of terrorism , environmental impacts  like global warming etc. How globalization impacts sustainable development? Globalisation is featured by both endogenous factors and exogenous factors i.e. Its is influenced by factors like the rise in technology as well as the decision making of the governments like the foreign trade liberalisation. According to Pearce and Barbier (2000) sustainable development contains three main components environment social and economic development. Globalization has impacted this entire factor. The recently published framework by OECD for sustainable development contains four main factors. Wider use of Markets: They suggest increasing the scope of expanded use of market based approach to provide signals to internalise markets and social externalities in an efficient manner. On the environment side this is likely to involve more use of environmental taxes and subsidies. Strengthen decision Making Process: Sustainable development can be achieved at all levels by coordinating and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of policy interventions. In other words this also states that the governments should integrate environmental and social policy needs into sectors and bring in transparency in policy design implementation Harness Science and Technology: Scientific advancements and technology are one of the major forces underlying in increasing productivity and living conditions of people. This imply that there is a need for the governments to spend more on the researches and technology enhancements. Manage Links to the Global economy: The developing countries should be more a major player in the global economic activities and international trade and investment flows are major concerns of sustainable development. Trade and Investment flow need to be as compatible as possible with society’s environmental and social policy objectives. The increasing interconnectedness both on the selling as well as on the market with the introduction of globalization has led to a sharp increase in the division of labour and a focus on the competencies of every individual at all the levels. Multinational companies restrict to good and services offered at high quality at lower prices. The global trading of goods and services has led to a worldwide increase in production. According to world bank production of goods and services increase by 45% during the past decade due to the introduction of globalisation, The growth data mainly indicates from the developing economies like China, Brazil, India, Russia and South Africa. Especially in case of china with its huge population in manufacturing sector has met the majority of demand from the western world. Developing countries like India which was once a British colony mainly exporting Tea and cotton has become a global player in the international markets. The economic power revelations are drifting away from strong holds of developed countries like US and EU states to developing nations like China Inda Brazil etc. Globalization has helped to reduce poverty World Bank estimates reveal that number of people who lived on less than one dollar a day decreased from 2.5 billion in 2004 to 260 million in 2007. This was mainly due to the poverty reduction in countries like India and China. At the same time we could see that there is wide increase in income difference The anti-globalisation and the debate One of the main challenges faced by globalisation is that it requires grater participation efforts among the developed countries and the poorer countries and the developing nations. Joint efforts are required for creating new political structure and restructuring existing structure in order to bring a sustainable economic globalisation. This is not an easy effort for the governments as it require a better clarity and transparency in our economic systems, appropriate accountability and above all a vast reserve of political will. The main challenges remain with distribution of income and equally distributing the gains of globalisation, In short the governments can choose two side approach to bring in a sustainable economic development. Firstly by developing or improving the policies for domestic policy   among developed nations and secondly by improving the systematic use and advancement in technology. This approach would especially help the economies of developing countries because they are more susceptible to global capital volatility. This would help them to rely less on foreign inflow of capital and generate wealth within the economy. According to Dani Rodrik (2009). has emphasised the centrality of locally financed investment for the success of small, open developing economies, and hence there is a need for them to increase private and public savings. Public spending among developing countries can, therefore, play a socially and economically efficient Conclusion: Globalisation posses a deep reaching roots and also a force that helps to influence the direction of the nation. The aim of the globalisation is to remove all the difficulties and privatize all the resources and services. There are few factors that influenced the globalisation that includes the sophisticated communications, transportation technologies and services, migration and immigration and people started moving from places to places, a level of economic activity that helps to grow the market by combining the industrial markets and these international agreements helps to reduce the cost of doing business in foreign countries. Through this process of globalisation the world economy has integrated and increased. This integration helps to advance the trading of goods and services, the capital flow and made it easy for the migration of people across the world there by bringing in a sustainable economic development.. In 1980’s this word have been used when the internet and technology helped to increase, and faster the business across the world. For sure the globalisation has positives effect universally but there were protest against the WTO regarding the hazards of globalization. There were many anti globalisation movements like the consumer boycotts on the goods produced by multinational companies. In Short it can be concluded that market liberalisation by itself does not solve all the problems, it has caused severe damages to poor nations. Globalisation is the key the factor in today’s business world. The new era of Globalisation brings in new challenges and opportunities. I believe sustainable economic development can be achieved only by more   participation from all the levels of the economy. It is advisable to consider all the factors like environmental factors, Employment factors when taking business decision regarding globalisation in an economy. Scientific use of technolo gy and bringing a clear transparency in government governance would help the economy to bring in a sustainable economic development. References: Aggarwal, Raj, Colm Kearney and Jenny Berrill, â€Å"Defining and Classifying MNCs in International Business: Implications for Research Design and Strategy† Adams Jan 1997, Globalisation trade and the environment . In Globalization and Environment : OECD Acker, Joan. 2004. â€Å"Gender, Capitalism and Globalisation † Critical Sociology 30 (1): 17-41 Connell, R. (2005). Change among the gatekeepers: Men, masculinities and gender equality in the global arena. Signs: journal of women in culture and society , 30(3), 1801- 1825. Clark, I., Globalization and Fragmentation : International Relations in theTwentieth Century (Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1997) Freeman, Richard B. (2006), â€Å"People Flows in Globalization† Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 20, No. 2, Spring, p. 145-170. Friedman, Milton, Capitalism and Freedom (University of Chicago Press,Chicago, 1982), p.133. Germaine, R., ed., Globalization and Its Critics (London: Macmillan, 1997). Gill, Stephen, â€Å"Economic Globalization and the Internationalization ofAuthority: Limits and Contradictions,† Geoforum, 23 (1992), 269. Hall, Nigel 2002 Globalisation and Third World Poverty, paper presented to New Zealand Association of Social Workers annual conference, unpublished Moghadam, Valentine. 1999. â€Å"Gender and Globalisation: Female Labor and Women’sMobilization.† Journal of World Systems Research V(2): 367 -388