Argument sketching Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Argument sketching - Essay Example r; the ontological argument argues for the existence of a perfect being; an argument that is for a creator with a keen interest in humanity is the argument from design; lastly the moral argument refers to an argument that is pro moral authority (Harris 56). This argument aims at proving God’s existence mainly through the laws of logic. This can be traced back to St Anselm who was a philosopher-theologian as well as the archbishop of Canterbury in the eleventh century (Harris 62). This argues that we will be able to see God’s non-existence as being impossible once we mentally accept and internalize the concept of God. It aims at demonstrating the existence of a perfect supreme being. This can be viewed as the second proof of God’s existence. It also referred to as the cosmological argument. This looks to prove God’s existence from the fact that there is the existence of the universe. It states that the universe as it is came into existence at a certain point in the distant past (Harris 59). It also argues that nothing can logically come into existence without something or someone else brings it into existence. This is derived from the philosophical theory that nothing comes from nothing. This means that there must be another being or force outside of the universe that brought it into existence. This therefore alludes to the fact that there must be a creator of the universe who can only be God. This is also referred to as the teleological argument. This argument also has the universe at the centre of all this. It aims at proving God’s existence from the fact that our universe is well ordered. This is because that it could have been quite different from the state in which it is now in very many different ways. The laws of physics could have been very different with a completely different arrangement of stars and planets (Harris 74). This points at the existence of God since all these other versions of the universe would not have possibly allowed for

Development of the United Kingdom Essay Example for Free

Development of the United Kingdom Essay Officially known as the Republic of Ghana, it was Europe’s first trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa – initially trading in gold and then later as a primary supplier of slaves. Although it was subsequently colonized by the British, it later became the first country in Africa to obtain independence from its colonizer (BBC News). Ghana came into existence in 1957 when what was then known as the Gold Coast acquired its independence from the British. Situated along the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa (see U. S. State Department map reproduced below), the country occupies an area of about 238,538 sq. km. composed of plains, rainforest, and some scrubland (U. S. State Department). Its capital city is Accra (population: 3 million) and the other principal cities are Kumasi, with an estimated population of 1 million, Tema (500,000), and Sekondi-Takoradi (population: 370,000). English has been designated official language of the Ghanaians but several dialects are spoken like Akan, which is spoken by about 49% of the population, Mole-Dagbani (16%), Ewe (13%), Ga-Adangbe (8%), and Guan, the dialect of 4% of the population. Sixty-nine percent of its estimated population of 23 million are Christians while 15. 6% are Muslims. Indigenous religious beliefs are being practiced by 8. 5% of Ghanaians. Although it existed as a democratic republic since its independence in 1957, the constitution of Ghana took effect only on January 7, 1993 (U. S. State Department). The cultural practices of Ghanaians which are mainly related to â€Å"conception, childbirth, and childrearing† consist of some harmful customs and traditions. One of these is â€Å"female genital mutilation (FGM). † This is a procedure which is conducted to partially or totally remove the external genitalia of a girl to turn her into a real woman. Another is a belief in dietary taboos which often leads to anemia or nutritional deficiency on the part of pregnant women. In Ghana, when a marriage does not produce an offspring after two years, it is considered defective. After a woman gives birth, the Ghanaians believe that burying the placenta near the house of the family would prevent the child from growing up into an errant or rebellious individual. In addition, they would wait for eight days after birth before naming the child and treating the umbilical cord with herbal preparations (Nyinah). Ghana is rich in natural resources with gold and cocoa being two of its major dollar earners. Its other export products are timber, diamonds, aluminum, tuna, manganese ore, and bauxite. In spite of this, the country still relies heavily on the assistance of international financial and technical institutions to remain viable. Thirty-five percent of its gross domestic product comes from the agricultural sector which also accounts for 55% of total employment in the country, mostly in the form of small landowners. Aside from seeking debt relief in 2002 under the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) program, Ghana was also one of the beneficiaries of the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative which came into force in 2006 (CIA World Factbook). As of 2006, total exports reached an estimated $3. 9 billion while imports totaled $6. 8 billion. Identified trade partners were the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Germany, France, Spain, Nigeria, the Netherlands, and Togo (U. S. State Department). Statistics gleaned by Global Health Reporting. org from the CIA World Factbook and a report published by UNAIDS in May 2006 about the global epidemic on AIDS showed that as at end of 2005, an estimated 29,000 had already died from AIDS in Ghana, leaving behind them about 170,000 children below 17 years old who had lost one or both parents to the disease. The same sources also revealed that by the end of 2005, there were 320,000 Ghanaians who were living with HIV/AIDS, 25,000 of whom were children below 14 years old. Aside from AIDS, another major health concern of the country is malaria. With about three million new cases being reported every year, malaria accounts for approximately 61% of total hospital admissions in the country among children below five years old (Global Health Reporting. org). In its fight against AIDS, malaria, and other diseases which have been plaguing Ghanaians, the country has received varying degrees of support from international organizations such as the World Health Organization, Global Fund To Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the World Bank, the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom, and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Accra Daily Mail, 3/17 as cited in Global Health Reporting. org). On March 17, 2008, a campaign named â€Å"Voices for Malaria-Free Future† was launched in the country to educate the people about the techniques and the key concepts and practices used in fighting malaria. Rosemary Ardayfio, who represented the media in the launching ceremony, announced the formation of the Media Malaria Network composed of journalists from the print and online organizations. Ardayfio explained that aside from recognizing the role of the different media organizations in malaria advocacy, the network specifically aims â€Å"to disseminate information about the use of insecticide-treated nets and appropriate medication† (Global Health Reporting. org). Ghana was among the 177 countries that ratified the Kyoto Protocol which aims to require industrialized countries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases to prevent global warming (UNFCCC). In addition, Ghana was also a party to other international agreements governing hazardous wastes, biodiversity, endangered species, law of the sea, ship pollution, environmental modification, ozone layer protection, wetlands, and tropical timber (CIA World Factbook). The Republic of Ghana faces a bright future. It is endowed with plenty of natural resources. Its leadership has commitment itself to free and compulsory basic education. In fact, its â€Å"free, compulsory, universal basic education (FCUBE)† which was launched in 1996 has been labeled the â€Å"most ambitious pre-tertiary education programs in West Africa† (U. S. State Department). It has also been described as a â€Å"well-administered country by regional standards† and considered a model for economic and political reforms in the region. And, most of all, a major oil reserve was discovered in 2007 (BBC News). For these reasons alone, the country and its people have no reason to remain impoverished. Works Cited BBC News. â€Å"Country profile: Ghana. † International version. 6 February 2008. 22 March 2008. http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1023355. stm CIA World Factbook. â€Å"Ghana. † 6 March 2008. 22 March 2008. https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gh. html Global Health Reporting. org. â€Å"Ghana. † 22 March 2008. http://globalhealthreporting. org/countries/ghana. asp? collID=11id=144malID=187 tbID=188hivIC=189malIC=190tbIC=191map=192con=Ghanap=1 Nyinah, S. â€Å"Cultural practices in Ghana. † World Health. March-April 1997. 22 March 2008. http://www. popline. org/docs/1204/126178. html UNFCCC. â€Å"Kyoto Protocol. † 22 March 2008. http://unfccc. int/kyoto_protocol/items/2830. php U. S. State Department. â€Å"Background note: Ghana. † January 2008. 22 March 2008. http://www. state. gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2860. htm

The different challenges university students face

The different challenges university students face Students entering university level studies face many challenges. Not only are the students presented with obvious challenges such as learning and interpreting subject specific information to obtain their degree, or the social aspects of entering a new environment, they must also learn the appropriate methods of discourse within the university knowledge community. Students enter university from a vast array of personal contexts. Such experiences influence an individuals understanding and communication skills, therefore the university must make allowances for such varied experiences in the teaching of its programs. By offering varied and alternative methods of learning, it is believed that a greater number of students will have greater interest and knowledge retention, leading to successful knowledge transmission. This essay will review some methods that can be utilised for academic success. One aspect of knowledge transmission in university learning is to understand academic discourse. Ballard Clanchy (1988, p.8) assert that Becoming literate in the university involves learning to read the culture, learning to come to terms with its distinctive rituals, values, styles of language and behaviour. This encompasses the student understanding the use of the spoken, written and visual language in the academic community. With the knowledge of academic discourse, the student can interpret and create understanding of their own, known as deep learning (Marton et.al.,1997 as cited in Northedge, 2003, p 26). Similarly, not having a thorough understanding of the academic discourse may result in mis-interpreting the linguistic style used in academic settings, and results in poor understanding and presentation of knowledge from the student. Andresen (1994) speaks of 5 fallacies regarding university level studies, and specifically discusses knowledge transmission. Knowledge is ones internal interpretation of external information stimuli is applied, processed in the short term memory and may or may not be transferred to long term memory for later retrieval (Trigwell Prosser, 1997). But how is knowledge transferred? One learns by constructing their own understanding of the information being fed to them and this is influenced by the medium from which they are learning from. As mentioned, students different personal contexts will influence how they approach and interpret the information fed to them and the resulting knowledge they acquire. Biggs (1993 as cited in Trigwell Prosser, 1997) proposed the 3P model of learning as pictured below: This model depicts the various ways in which students approach learning what they do to learn, their attitudes and beliefs about learning, perception of the content and its delivery, learning outcomes and course design resulting in the knowledge transmitted. Many varied mediums exist to transmit information from the spoken lecture, to visual aids, e-learning modules and textbooks. Incorporating different learning styles including auditory, visual, kinestethetic and tactile (Dunn, 1995 as cited Ukpokodu, 2010, p 30) accommodates the diverse array of students learning methods. Andresen (1994) suggests methods to incorporate to course content design to allow for various learning approaches to increase knowledge transmission. Apart from hard work and study on the part of the student in order to gain knowledge, Andresen suggests the creation of collaborative work groups (p 5) where students assist each other by sharing their knowledge and understanding within a small team of fellow students. This may be in the function of a group essay, shared assignments, collective problem solving and class discussions (p 5). The opportunity to discuss and teach one another is highly important for effective knowledge transmission, to give the opportunity for peer and self assessment. Communicaiton of this manner reinforces ones understanding and creates confidence in the knowledge they have gained. Further to developing confidence in ones understanding, an important skill for retaining knowledge is critical thinking. Attributes of critical thinking, as discussed by Warren (1995) are checking for factual claims, assumptions, observations, compare and contrast of works, looking for clarification or challenging arguments, as well as maintaining an open mind, sensitivity, decisiveness and willingness to investigate the claims made. Warren describes critical thinking as an aspect of reflective thinking- the three components are critical and creative thinking and content knowledge. By analysing and evaluating articles for oneself, the knowledge is set deeper into cognitive perception and fosters deep learning. There is no simple, straight forward method to successfully transmit knowledge between individuals. Universities accommodate a large array of individuals: there are different cultures, back grounds, family units, social experiences and prior knowledge which all influence how the individual may learn or instruct. As there is such a great diversity in the types of people within the university, there needs to be great diversity in the teaching methods for successful academic results. Providing students and teachers with a common language in academic discourse fosters effective communication. The use of various modes of content delivery accommodates for various types of learners. Acquiring further skills such as critical thinking enhances the students learning experience by fostering deeper thought and investigation into the information provided to them. By delving further into information, greater understanding is harnessed. By sharing this understanding with others, in tutorials, group discussions, team efforts and the like, this understanding is set into ones mind. Knowledge is transmitted by various means and received by various means, and it is up to the individual to apply themselves as best they can to create the best understanding they can for academic success.

Drug and Alcohol Essay -- Drugs, North West of England

The purpose of this essay will be to discuss and focus on the relationship between drug, alcohol and health issues and reference made to the North West of England. Liverpool and the Wirral peninsular will be looked at with regard to the health and social repercussions and the implications drug and alcohol use has on the local communities. A broader look at the United Kingdom and the United States of America along with other parts of the world will also be used to provide a comparison. This essay will start by looking, briefly, at the history of drug and alcohol use and then move on to the problems caused by their use. The essay will then show how the environment and culture play a big part in the rise of illegal drug and alcohol use to date along with the connection with crime rates. The essay will move on to show how the region has come to address these issues and how collaboration between members of the community and public servants, police and local authorities, and National Healt h Services work together to provide positive outcomes. The essay will also show how members of the public form powerful groups that lobby governments and influence legislation. Due to recent legislation and proposed social care reforms, it will be necessary to look at how these could affect the current resources and how they could affect future needs. Where appropriate the essay will use interviews with members of the public, N.H.S staff and service users to provide depth and insight into aspects of the discussion. The assignment will end with a summing up and conclusion to the essay. The history of drug and alcohol use can be traced back many years, Hanson (1995) Informs us that the discovery of Stone Age beer jugs established that alcohol use e... ...ime rates and criminal activity does rise in these areas but there are lots of variables contributing to these factors. The essay looked at particular parts of the North West of the UK and it was seen that as a direct result of rising unemployment and local poverty the increase in drug and alcohol use escalated to epidemic proportions with social exclusion following. At that particular time drugs were readily available and authorities appeared powerless to stop it. The essay moved on to different accounts from other authors, some for the legalization of drugs others proposing more legislation. Generally speaking both sides gave valid arguments to the discussion. In answering the essay question it was felt by the student that drug and alcohol issues are capable of change, however, there are many contributing factors that need to be in place before this happens.

Recovering Addicts in the Field of Substance Abuse Counseling

RECOVERING ADDICTS IN THE FIELD OF SUBTANCE ABUSE COUSELING Is Substance Abuse Counseling a good career for a convicted felon and recovering drug addict? A person’s past mistakes in life can sometimes prevent that person from getting certain jobs later in life. With a prior criminal record some employers may not consider that individual as a good candidate for the job. Substance abuse counselors can be needed in hospitals, institutions, rehab centers, schools, and other government ran facilities.With a felony conviction against your criminal back ground check, government ran facilities normally will not hire convicted felons due to higher risk of a liability. Personal background checks are sometimes required as well and if that individual has a past known drug addiction, employers may seem skeptical of hiring. It has however been acknowledged that a recovering drug addict will make a better candidate than someone with no past drug addiction. A recovering drug addict has experi enced personally the addiction, struggles, and with drawls that are present when trying to become sober.Close to 100,000 people in the US work in recovery related jobs earning their living as drug counselors,†techs†,or social workers at the hospital treatment programs and thousands of rehabs across the country. Most people who enter the field of substance abuse counseling have some kind of personal connection with the problem. More than 50% are recovering drug addicts themselves or have family members or close friends that are addicts. A strange twist on the famous Hunter S. Thompson’s quote â€Å"When the going get weird, the weird turn pro. With a personal connection to a past life of drug/alcohol use it usually tends to mean substance abuse counselors are incredibly passionate and dedicated. There is however a downside. Many addicts even significant amount of sober time, are at risk of a relapse. When substance abuse counselors stumbles, the consequences are o ften more crucial than that of someone who is not in that type of career. Cynthia Moreno Tuchy, the EXECTUCTIVE DIRECTOR of THE NATIONAL ASSIOCATION OF ALOCHOLISM AND DRUG ABUSE COUNSELORS (NAADAC) puts a rather fine point on it. We (chemical dependency professionals) do very well treating clients in general; we don’t do so for the professionals in recovery. We tend to blame the victim –we say you have a disease, but we are not recognizing relapse is part of that disease cycle. Why would we not do for addiction counselors as we would for everyone else? † She says. Most graduate programs in chemical dependency require applicants to have significant time free-typical a year or two-from chemical use and in most states licensing boards require similar amounts of clean times.When a substance abuse counselor relapses, they violate that condition and normally lose their jobs. The climb back tends to be quite steep. While relapse of a counselor poses danger to patients, the biggest threat is actually to the person who relapses. â€Å"Anecdotally the recovery rate for persons who work in the field that relapse is abysmal. † Says Chuck Rice. Counselors who do relapse, may continue to escalate with their relapse for fear of losing their job and can go untreated and hit rock bottom once again, which could have been a simple slip up if treatment was assemble as sought.Many people, who make a living in the recovery field, complain over time, it can become easy for professionals to blur the line between demands of personal recovery and the demand of their job. Giving the low success rate at many rehabs, burn out is a major issue. â€Å"When you work in the field,† says John Leonard, â€Å"The last thing you want to do when you get off work is to go to a meeting. † Furthermore, recovering substance abuse counselors get used to being the one with the answers, the experiences, and creditability. It’s easy to confuse work with thei r own personal recovery programs.The irony is that support and safety nets that exist for other professionals who fall victim to addiction does not exist for people who work in this field. â€Å"Sobriety rates of monitored professionals exceed 90%† Says Chuck Rice, â€Å"A rate far above the average general population. † Touhy estimates that 85,000 people in the addiction work force an as many 30,000 are recovering addicts. Without a national monitoring system and strong areas of informal support, these professional who work every day helping others to a clean life will go without the support they need and deserve.As the recovery field grows, so will the need for the professional working to help make the system work. If a system such as this is established I believe it is possible and a good choice career for a recovering addict to pursue a career as a substance abuse counselor despite the risk and triggers that can lead to relapse many counselors and people working in the addiction field can relate to current addicts lifestyles and be grateful they are not on that path themselves. Having desired to help others recover from addiction because they themselves re in recovery there is hope in knowing that recovery is possible because they have achieved it. There was an incident that happened in 2009 that captured the national news. Adam â€Å"DJ AM† Goldstein, host of MTV GONE TO FAR intervention reality series, was found dead at his New York City apartment from a drug overdose. DJ AM had just finished filming the MTV intervention reality series when he himself relapsed and died from a drug overdose. He had been sober for eleven years and had hoped to help others beat drug addiction.Goldstein admitted before his death that watching the videos filmed by Gone to Far’s addicts and loved ones was a â€Å"terrifying† experience. Goldstein stated,† I am a recovering drug addict. When I see and I am in their room and the paraphern alia and the whole lifestyle and everything, I still, eleven years later, have little thing in my head that starts thinking, Oh, Where’s that? , I wonder what that is? And I look at it in this way, And I have to constantly remind myself why I’m here and remember what it was like. â€Å"There’s no better way to remember what it was like at my bottom than to see someone at their bottom, and to help them and lift them up. † Nick Zybko wrote that nearly 40% of substance abuse counselors relapse over the course of their career. The need for substance abuse counselors is growing in today society. With economic failures and job layoffs, more people today are at a greater risk in turning to drugs or alcohol to escape and run from their problems. Counselors and other professional workers in the addiction fields are continuing to search for roles to help society deal with substance abuse.Counselors are aware of the destruction it causes to individuals, families, bu sinesses, and other organizations caused by dependency on alcohol or other drugs. One factor in important quality needed in a successful intervention and recovery with counselor and patient is empathy, genuineness’s, warmth, immediacy. Paired along with effective helping skills, such as questioning, comforting, self-disclosing, clarifying, and other skills common to the counseling process.Most substance abuse counselors who are recovering addicts can relate to the patients on a more personal level and a patient-counselor trusting relationship can be better formed. Each organization and treatment facilities differs from state to state as to what credentials you need to pursue a career as a substance abuse counselor. All facilities I have researched are accepting to recovering addicts as long as there is a sobriety of one to two years. Most recovering addicts have a criminal background record as well due to the â€Å"addiction disease†.There are some rehabs a treatment f acilities that only hire certified substance abuse counselors who are in fact recovering addicts even with a criminal record. As long as the substance abuse counselor is not on probation or parole this type of career is perfect for a recovering addict with a criminal past who has the desire to help others recover from addictions. As with any career and everyday life, a recovering addict is always at risk of relapse because of the disease. Perusing a career as substance abuse counselor has it downfalls as well as its advantages.Living a drug free life and remaining in recovery is important no matter the choice of career. I have pondered throughout most of my life as to what type of career I want in life and now that I am at a point in my life to making positive changes, I feel substance abuse counseling is an excellent choice for myself and perhaps others who have lead a similar life to myself and have the want and desire and even personal experience and knowledge to help others reco ver from their addictions to live a healthy happy life without drugs or alcohol. Sally Hughes [email  protected] phoenix. edu

Probability of Going to Jail in Monopoly

Probability of Going to Jail in Monopoly In the game Monopoly there are a lot of features that involve some aspect of probability. Of course, since the method of moving around the board involves rolling two dice, it is clear that there is some element of chance in the game. One of the places where this is evident is the portion of the game known as Jail. We will calculate two probabilities regarding Jail in the game of Monopoly. Description of Jail Jail in Monopoly is a space in which players can â€Å"Just Visit† on their way around the board, or where they must go if a few conditions are met. While in Jail, a player can still collect rents and develop properties, but is not able to move around the board. This is a significant disadvantage early in the game when properties are not owned, as the game progresses there are times where it is more advantageous to stay in Jail, as it reduces the risk of landing on your opponents’ developed properties. There are three ways that a player can end up in Jail. One can simply land on the â€Å"Go to Jail† space of the board.One can draw a Chance or Community Chest card marked â€Å"Go to Jail.†One can roll doubles (both numbers on the dice are the same) three times in a row. There are also three ways that a player can get out of Jail Use a â€Å"Get out of Jail Free† cardPay $50Roll doubles on any of the three turns after a player goes to Jail. We will examine the probabilities of the third item on each of the above lists. Probability of Going to Jail We will first look at the probability of going to Jail by rolling three doubles in a row. There are six different rolls that are doubles (double 1, double 2, double 3, double 4, double 5, and double 6) out of a total of 36 possible outcomes when rolling two dice. So on any turn, the probability of rolling a double is 6/36 1/6. Now each roll of the dice is independent. So the probability that any given turn will result in the rolling of doubles three times in a row is (1/6) x (1/6) x (1/6) 1/216. This is approximately 0.46%. While this may seem like a small percentage, given the length of most Monopoly games, it is likely that this will happen at some point to someone during the game. Probability of Leaving Jail We now turn to the probability of leaving Jail by rolling doubles. This probability is slightly more difficult to calculate because there are different cases to consider: The probability that we roll doubles on the first roll is 1/6.The probability that we roll doubles on the second turn but not the first is (5/6) x (1/6) 5/36.The probability that we roll doubles on the third turn but not the first or second is (5/6) x (5/6) x (1/6) 25/216. So the probability of rolling doubles to get out of Jail is 1/6 5/36 25/216 91/216, or about 42%. We could calculate this probability in a different way. The complement of the event â€Å"roll doubles at least once over the next three turns† is â€Å"We don’t roll doubles at all over the next three turns.† Thus the probability of not rolling any doubles is (5/6) x (5/6) x (5/6) 125/216. Since we have calculated the probability of the complement of the event that we want to find, we subtract this probability from 100%. We get the same probability of 1 - 125/216 91/216 that we obtained from the other method. Probabilities of the Other Methods Probabilities for the other methods are difficult to calculate. They all involve the probability of landing on a particular space (or landing on a particular space and drawing a particular card). Finding the probability of landing on a certain space in Monopoly is actually quite difficult. This sort of problem can be dealt with by the use of Monte Carlo simulation methods.

Russian Soviet Politics †Foriegn Government Research Paper (300 Level Course)

Russian Soviet Politics – Foriegn Government Research Paper (300 Level Course) Free Online Research Papers Russian Soviet Politics Foriegn Government Research Paper (300 Level Course) Russian politics is dominated by a structure of political elites who are remnants or byproducts of the Soviet Era. Coupled with the oligarchs and the organized crime syndicates, political elites make it extremely difficult for Russians who live in rural areas to effectively participate in Russia’s relatively new experiment with democracy. Rural Russians have very little recourse in influencing the current state of Russian Politics. This paper will focus on the perceptions and opinions rural Russians have about their prospects for meaningful engagement in Russian politics. Included in the discussion about politics will be the level of involvement these people have with the state economy and the extent to which the state plays a beneficial role in their lives. Also examined will be the nationalistic feelings still held by many of these people with respect to how government should function and what their ideal view of governmental affairs should be. Lastly, focus will be shifted to rural issues and in what fashion they figure into political debate. A first important point about political engagement in rural Russia is the attitude towards the government that many people hold. Russian nationalism, the attitude of Russia being a major power in the world, and of a state able to provide everything for the people still holds a powerful allure for the citizen who has been the beneficiary of the planned economy and who took pride in knowing or believing they were a cog in the works of the great Russian empire. In making the transition to embracing the democratic system, it is more difficult for Russians to accept change. Piirainen writes, â€Å"The Russians lost an empire, the other nations became independent from an empire and this makes a big difference for the formation of national consciousness and for the popular attitude towards the institutions of the new national state (Piirainen: 1997, 244).† The rural Russian psyche is reflective. The citizenry is not actively engaged in working for a better future, rather their consciousness is centered on the failing of socialism and the loss associated with being part of a world superpower. This nationalistic view of Russia does not bode well for progress. The market economy is centered on individualism and entrepreneurship. The majority of rural Russians have earned their living directly or indirectly through the collectivization programs of the planned economy. These people are used to being given the commodities necessary for making a living: livestock, tractors, seed, and tools. The transition to democracy and the market economy has left a staggering portion of the population without the education, job skills or capital required to compete in a market economy. Democracy requires a transition from the private sphere to the public sphere, the citizenry must be actively interested, informed, and opinionated on public matters. The Soviet society promoted a system where the individual was a subordinate of the state. In the United States, everyone feels that the government is held accountable to the people by the power of the vote. Unfavorable actions by government officials result in the incumbent exiting office. The Soviet model of government was one where the people were subordinate to the state as opposed to citizens of the state. The argument is made that the people were deeply concerned with matters in the private sphere and that as a result, things of a public character were disregarded (Piirainen: 1997). An understanding of political engagement and participation in Russia must first be prefaced with an examination of Russian political culture. Russians have a tradition of authoritarian government that stretches back for centuries. Historically, Russians have been concerned with the state providing order and stability. This is so due to geographic concerns related to security and also because Russia has been a step removed from the more liberal political developments of Western Europe (McCormick). Attesting to this favoritism for strong leadership is the fact that many older Russians view the atrocities of Stalin as necessary and as acts that were required at the time. Also, Yeltsin’s forays with and around the Russian legislature and his military actions were met with a rise in his approval rating. (Brown and McCormick). Another struggle Russians face in adapting to democracy is their history of closed politics. Closed politics were described as â€Å"the basic identifying characteristic† of the Soviet political system in the 1970’s. This tradition of strong leadership, the one party system, and the risk of reprisal under authoritarian regimes remains a serious impediment to political engagement. Compounding the problems associated with closed politics is the individualism inherent in a democratic society and lacking in Russian society. Russian society has been and remains largely group oriented; a collective society has existed for decades in Rus sia. Russian political tradition is the equivalent of intense political repression in western liberal democracies. The transition from serfdom, to the Soviet era, to the contemporary managed democracy, where the president exercises enormous powers makes any embrace of tangible democratic participation by the average citizen difficult. In order not to be unfair, the changes in the Russian political system are extremely recent in the context of Russia’s long history of authoritarian rule. There is not the inborn grasp of how democratic institutions function and with which methods these institutions may be influenced that is natural and identifiable in societies accustomed to democracy. However, this transition will only come with time. It must also be considered that the historically conservative Russian citizens are less inclined to challenge or meddle with the political system. Chaos has been an ever- present danger to Russia with the World Wars and the fall of the Soviet Union, the succession of satellite states, the kidnapping of political adversaries. Political parties emerge and fade in Russia leaving the same ideology in power. The grooming of successors in Russia has left the ruling ideology in power (stable opposition parties have yet to surface). The citizenry (in particular the older people and the rural population) are adverse to democracy because its forms and ramifications distance Russia from its past. This proves interesting due to what western world as atrocities under Stalin and political oppression. However, ideas such as free speech and even questioning the government are foreign to Russians and the collective society mold that has permeated their society for so long. Having said this, change is occurring in the Russian political culture, but the vast majority of this change is occurring in urban areas where younger Russians have greater entrepreneurial opportunities and less attachment to Russia’s past. Many individuals without traditional ties to a village or a closed social network find the transition to representative government easier to accept because rural Russians don’t have the exposure to political developments that urban Russians do. A crucial component of Russian political participation is the legitimacy and establishment of law. Russia’s current constitution did not provide for the power of the court until 1993 and the court structure wasn’t clearly outlined until1994 (McCormick). Russia must establish a viable legal system to reign in not only organized crime, but also the government itself. It is imperative that the court serves as a check on the executive. The supranational facets of the Russian executive must be reigned in by the constitutional court, which can gradually align the cogs of the relatively infant constitution and democracy into a political system that can be meaningfully influenced by the average Russian. Legitimate political participation in the form of strong political parties, unbiased media exposure, and political mobilization at a grassroots level are dependent upon the legal system being both responsible, prudent, and legitimate. Appointees to the Congressional Court are appointed for twelve-year terms, perhaps an advantage in effecting change more rapidly as lifetime appointments would probably cause the Court to be excessively conservative for years to come. An examination of the relationship between the public and private is instructive when examining the new relationships Russians have with the State. Under Soviet rule, the standard of living was predictable and stable. Democracy is a complete reversal of the Soviet social program. Capitalism and the entrepreneur are the forces that drive democracy. The freedom and opportunity for upward mobility in an established democracy are lost on a Russian populous who had the security of a job and health care the basic elements of life. Under Soviet rule after the Stalin era these things were ensured. Job security existed at a level that is impossible in a market economy. This stability is a product of a bygone regime and the change associated with this loss is a central lament of the adjustment to democracy. Political recourse seems unthinkable to most rural Russians. Some statistical bearing: â€Å"According to the official statistical information of the Russian Federation, 46.5 mi llion Russians, i.e. almost one=third of the population, had in June 1995 an income that was lower than the minimum subsistence level† (Piirainen, 55). The argument can be made that these figures are inflated due to the magnitude of the informal economy. Yet, â€Å"The life expectancy of Russians dropped from 70 years in 1987 to the astonishingly low level of 64 years in 1995† (Piirainen, 189). This stark statistic makes the relative success of nationalistic and communist parties more understandable. The bad government that ruled the Soviet Union was better able to provide for Russian citizens than the infant stages of democracy have been able to. The underdevelopment of civil society is a root cause for many of the problems that plague contemporary Russians. Everything revolved around the state in the Soviet era. There was no public sphere, there existed the state, which controlled everything and then there was the private the network of family and community, which provided indirectly in the areas where the state did not. Democratic development in Russia is closely linked to the role political elites play. Patrimonialism – patron/client relationships – have been a central fixture of Soviet and Russian politics. Governors no longer enjoy the immunity and the opportunity for participation associated with their former status as Duma representatives. Putin has steadily siphoned more and more tax money under the arm of the Federal Government so that he may exercise greater discretion in allocation of these funds. In 1998 47 percent of tax revenue was transferred to the federal government, in 2002 that figure had jumped to 63 percent (Steen, 104). Governors are more liable to appease the president as he begins to exercise considerably more influence in the distribution of funds. The separation between regional government, local government, and federal government is a large problem because authority is being exercised from the top down in a disproportionate manner. With the weakening gov ernors who have been hampered by both the legislature and the election of Putin (Yeltsin was much more liberal) the governors have seen their political clout significantly decrease. Russia has for all intents and purposes a one-party system. Any action deemed adverse to the presidential agenda makes it highly unlikely any regional official will advance to the upper levels of the federal political hierarchy. Russian politics is dominated at the federal level. Distinctions between how to levy taxes and whom is responsible for collection and which branch of government disburses the funds; all these issues are so new and vague that participation at the root level seems futile. The government must be able to collect enough tax revenue to guarantee public services to the common citizen. The welfare system, pensions, infrastructure, education, providing for the military; all these areas must be properly funded. If they are not the populous will simply turn to the informal economy, w hich has been both easiest viable source of survival/prosperity for decades. This is the central issue in addressing the meaningful political engagement of the rural population. Until these basis needs are addressed, the informal economy, which robs the state of both legitimacy and effectiveness, and also robs the citizen from a shot at real upward mobility political participation will, democracy will remain a synonym for traitor in rural Russia. In urban areas democracy is being accepted and adapted too at an accelerated rate in comparison with rural areas. Urban Russians are apt to be younger, have less traditional views on politics and change, and also have more opportunity. The rural populations have continued to live in the collective way of life by working and joining large farm cooperatives, by continuing a subsistence way of life through barter and by holding on to the past. Rural Russians have the perception that the state is not in their sphere of influence (and it probably is not for the time being); they view the state of Russia affairs as being a fluctuation of the state. The state is separate, they don’t identify with the fact that they are the state. They are the public, they are the government, but they don’t realize the importance of suffrage. One party rule during the Soviet era was so absolute that the ramifications of the vote are lost upon those who view the new experiment with democra cy as merely a downturn in national fortune. Now, after considering a the social and historical factors that make democracy a challenge to the Russian, focus will be shifted to what is actually occurring at the lowest strata of Russia society. How do persons ill equipped to adjust to this new system feed their children, pay their bills, feel about politics? The press often latches on to the oligarchs and their exploitation of national resources when privatization occurred, this exploitation occurs at other levels of Soviet society as well. A farm chairman responded to a journalist’s questions in 1990, â€Å"we’ve got democracy now so I don’t have to ask anyone’s permission. The district Party committee used to order me to respond to criticism so I responded, but now I don’t owe anybody anything† (O’Brien, 329). The problem with rural Russia is how to move forward in a climate which doesn’t allow for long harvest seasons, four to five months at max (which naturally encourages collective farming). Of rural areas O’Brien writes, â€Å"They still lag behind metropolitan areas with respect to economic and social development.† Totalitarian societies view competing loyalties and associations as a threat, suppression of competing social organizations occurs. Competing social organizations are what brings progress and improvement; the government views social organization as a threat as well. The de facto one party system in Russia continues to discourage this type of association even though the government has proved itself incapable of providing basis social services for the rural population. Rural populations do not have access to the normal governmental channels to improve their situation, due to this fact they seek redress â€Å"outside of the tax code† (O’B rien). Individuals rely on their interpersonal channels for success not only due to traditional conservatism, but also because they do not have faith in the government or new economic actors introduced by democracy. This recalcitrance to barge into a formal market economy is based upon good business sense as much as a resistance to change. The same theme keeps running through the problem of Russian political engagement and meaningful involvement and faith in the government. The government has not done a good enough job of providing in rural areas so the government is rejected. Why pay taxes to a government via the formal economy when an interpersonal network of contacts can provide a more stable and higher standard of living. Why embrace a government and pay taxes when conscripts into the Russian Army are dying because they cannot be fed and clothed by that same government. Why sell commodities for rubles when the exchange rate is not consistent enough to ensure that food will be on the table tomorrow. Why vote? Why vote when political actors are simply men in suits on television? Rural persons have good thoughts and intentions, but hold their self-interest above all else. This is not a unique situation. Rural persons operate on a micro-economic scale, until the government figures out and shows a legitimate ma cro-economic strategy, very little will change. The government has used a conservative strategy or reform strategy – promoting collective farms and a reform strategy alternately – private farming. A consensus among the rural population is that the government has done little to attempt to understand the intricacies of rural social and economic networks. This lack of understanding and consistent inability of the government to provide basic social services renders the legitimacy of the government shaky. It also leaves the power of the vote negligible. Why vote? Research Papers on Russian 19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraTwilight of the UAWComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever Product

Signs youre stuck in the rat race

Signs youre stuck in the rat race We’ve all heard the phrase rat race before- it refers to a seemingly never-ending, pointless, and even self-defeating pursuit, and it’s often used when referring to one’s job or career. Individuals who are stuck in the rat race are unhappily going through the motions in life, trudging through the daily grind of their workday feeling unfulfilled, unchallenged, and uninspired until they go home at the end of the day- only to repeat the whole process again. Individuals who are stuck in the rat race are more than just unhappy- they’re actually negatively affecting their health and well-being. According to a recent Forbes article, individuals who hate their jobs face some serious consequences, including increased risks for stress, sleeplessness, illness, and mental health issues. An article by The Atlantic  even goes on to suggest that workplace unhappiness can shorten your lifespan!Obviously, individuals who are stuck in this unfortunate situation have every good reason to try and get out of it. Are you one of them? The truth is, sometimes people get so busy and wrapped up in the responsibilities and activities they have going on in their daily lives that they fail to take stock of their current situations. You may very well be stuck in the rat race and not even know it!Use the following signs to determine if you need to make some changes to your daily life.1. Your energy and enthusiasm levels are low.Are you like the energizer bunny when you get up in the morning? Do you go through an average workday full of â€Å"get up and go† enthusiasm for what lies ahead? Or maybe you’re more like a wilted flower or droopy basset hound who practically needs to be dragged through the day, and can’t wait to get back home so you can†¦lie around and do absolutely nothing. We all have good days and bad, but if more often than not you’re facing each day with a real lack of energy and enthusiasm, that’s a good sig n your stuck in a rat race and may need a change.2. You’re stuck in the past.Do you spend more time thinking about â€Å"past glories† than future opportunities? Do you gladly reminisce about days gone by and what you have done at the expense of what lies ahead and what you will accomplish? Individuals who are stuck in the rat race avoid thinking about the present and the future as a protective mechanism- keeping them from having to confront an unhappy reality or an uncertain tomorrow. If this sounds like you, you might just be stuck in a rut.3. You lack purpose.Folks who are in happy places in their lives are fueled by a sense of purpose and gamely tackle each day, along with the challenges and goals they’ve set for themselves. Those stuck in less fulfilling situations? Not so much. And it’s not hard to imagine the vicious spiral this creates, leading you to accomplish less and less as the days drag on. Don’t get stuck in a rat race spiral!4. Youà ¢â‚¬â„¢re noticing changes in your health and wellness.We’ve already touched on this one- when you’re stuck in the grinding gears of the rat race you’re going to experience a negative effect on your health and well-being. The ravages of stress, tension, sleeplessness, anxiety, and more will begin to gnaw away at you- and you’ll notice it. Tack on to this that people stuck in the rat race often make poor diet and exercise choices and it’s easy to see that this is a road to ruin.5. You feel powerless to effect change or think there’s nothing better out there for you.One of the real tragedies of being stuck in the rat race- as if we haven’t mentioned enough of them already- is that it robs you of the very ability to see a way out of it. It’s common for those stuck in a rut to feel that there’s simply no way out or have such a negative raincloud following them that they can’t even fathom that there’s something better out there. It’s not a good place to be.If after reading this you’ve realized that you’re stuck in the rat race and are starting to worry or panic- take a deep breath. It’s always better to know the truth and it’s never too late or a bad time to figure out where you are with your job situation- good or bad- and make a change!

Has globalization transformed the pattern of global poverty and Essay

Has globalization transformed the pattern of global poverty and inequality In what ways - Essay Example Based on the assumption that comparative advantage of nations can offer countries an advantage over others, open markets and liberal trade can result into improved trade as well as capital flows and thus help improve the poverty and achieve economic prosperity. It is generally argued that Globalisation can reduce poverty if nations follow the open liberal policies and focus upon achieving sustained level of trade with developed countries. However, considering the inherent differences between developed as well as developing countries, it is also suggested that whether the distribution of flows generated as a result of Globalisation is fair or not. Inequality is also considered as another important issue regarding Globalisation (Moseley and Gray, 2008). This paper will argue and discuss as to whether Globalisation has actually resulted into transformation of poverty patterns and inequality and if yes, in what ways it achieved both the ends. Globalisation, Poverty and Inequality Globali sation is a relatively diverse term as it not only suggests an integration of ideas, products and economic flows but also signifies an integration of the culture also. ... Globalisation essentially suggests that poor as well as rich countries can actually trade with each other as poor or developing countries are considered as abundant in raw materials as well as cheap labor. Large global organizations, due to their sheer size as well as the improved communication and transportation infrastructure, can actually establish their manufacturing facilities in developing countries and subsequently transport back the finished goods to their own parent countries for subsequent sale. The overall economic logic is based upon the assumption that developing countries not only have the cheap and abundant raw materials but also have the cheap labor. Combining this two, it is assumed that it becomes relatively more cost effective for the global organizations to actually trade with poor countries (Goldin and Reinert, 2007). Poor countries on the other hand allow developed countries to enter into their countries with the assumption that such trade will generate employme nt, improve the level of skills of their workforce and will also result into transfer of technology to them. Apparently, Globalisation promises an equal access to the market for everyone, improve capital flows and ensure development and transfer of technology however, the actual results may suggest a widespread economic divergence between the developed as well as developing countries since the Globalisation forces started to dominate the economic policy making in countries (Kaplinsky, 2005). The overall evidence regarding the impact of Globalisation on poverty as well as inequality is relatively diverse in nature. There are two important cases in point which suggest that

Theme is innocence and epiphanies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Theme is innocence and epiphanies - Essay Example According to a New York Times piece this January, the normal child, ages 8-18, uses over 7 ? hours a day with technology gadgets almost 5 hours of TV and films, equaling 2 ? hours of music, three hours of video games and internet, and only 30 minutes of traditional reading. This technology use, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, sums up to an overwhelming 75 hours a week (Stone 1). This information is not just sheer figures. However, they are a manifestation of the way the world is heading. There is a direct connection of the amount of time spent with gadgets and poor grades, obesity, violence, impatience, and mainly a loss of family interest. Therefore, it is safe to argue that children today still experience epiphanies from their daily experience within a technologically infused society (Stone 1). â€Å"Thinking, the ability to reason and reflect accurately, draws conclusions derived from our experiences, insights and knowledge. Thinking is what makes us human and has perm itted us to create, communicate, build, progress and become civilized. It encompasses so many phases of who our children are, as well as what they do, from learning, observing, questioning, remembering, and judging to innovating, deciding, arguing and performing† (Taylor 1). Families are being hurt by all of the new innovation. When a cluster of 4-6 year olds were asked to select between watching a television program and spending quality time with their parents along with siblings, 54% of them considered watching TV (Stone 1). In addition, according to a similar survey reported by the A.C. Nielson Company, the normal parent spends three and a half minutes only in a week to have meaningful discussions with their children. Technology is shaping a generation gap, which makes parents feel left out as they cannot relate to what their children are doing (Stone 1). Whether child recognition of their parents’ experiences or students paying attention in class, a child’s i mmediate surrounding establishes the kind of attention, which he/she will develop. In generations past, for instance, children dedicated considerable sums of their time to studying, an activity which offered few interruptions and needed both intense and sustained attention, memory and imagination (Taylor 1). The arrival of the television among other gadgets altered that concentration by providing children visual incentives, disjointed attention, as well as little need for imagination. Then the Internet was established, and children were propelled into an immensely different environment in which, since entertainment is the culture, consistent concentration is impractical, imagination is needless and memory is subdued. â€Å"Technology sets the mind to pay attention to information extremely differently compared to reading. The metaphor, which Nicholas Carr adapts is the difference between jet skiing and scuba diving. Book reading is similar to scuba diving whereby the diver is submer ged in a silence, visually controlled, negligent setting with few interruptions, and, as a result, is forced to focus intently and think intensely on the restricted information, which is available at that time. In comparison, using the Internet is similar to jet skiing, whereby the jet skier is skimming extremely fast along the surface of the water, open to

Mobile Computing and Social Networking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mobile Computing and Social Networking - Essay Example For the same reason, health industry has always been a hot spot for research and development thereby attracting lots of investment and renovation. Monitoring of Patient Vital Signs Technology has revolutionized the health care sector to such an extent that one’s blood pressure, blood sugar levels, oxygen levels or respiratory levels all can be measured using mobile technology. Thus the perils of a patient travelling to a doctor’s office for these physiological states to be tested, manual documentation of the readings by a nurse or a clinician and the occurrence of errors while recording the readings etc can be avoided. Above all the greatest advantage is saving the most valuable resource- time. A scenario resembling a science fiction movie where sensors implanted under ones skin detects ones blood sugar level and alerts the doctor is not very far if technological explosion happens at this pace. Today’s technology has made patient’s care very effective. Sma rt phones and broad band enabled devices has allowed patients to do their own monitoring of vital signs and body functions and upload them to their medical provider’s clinical servers. Videoconferencing with their doctor via phones is possible. Not only the patients but also the hospitals are benefitted by the technology. Devices like ECG machines, ventilators, oxygen sensors, blood pressure sensors are connected to the hospital server that records and transmits to the doctor or the nurse to ensure the best care possible. As Shahriyar, Bari, Kundu, Ahamed and Akbar (2010) point out, the use of bio sensor based mobile monitoring system collects data from the patients, mines the data, predicts the patient’s health status, and provides feed back through their mobile phones. So they can access their health information anywhere and anytime. This monitoring system is called Intelligent Mobile Health Monitoring System (pp. 5-6). Advantages As Smith (2011) points out, enhanced patient doctor interaction, accessibility of health care to geographically remote patient, greater exchange of information, increased accuracy of patient records, saving time with diagnosis and treatment of illness, freedom of patience from smoldering hospital rooms and cumbersome medical devices are some of the advantages of monitoring vital signs using mobile computing technology. Wireless networking enables the transmission of signals from the monitor of an ambulance to the emergency room so that the staff is alert to treat the patient as soon as they arrive. The use of mobile technology informs the doctor about the early symptoms of his patients before acute attacks occurs. This is a boon to patients who are reserved in nature as they can express their problems without face to face interaction with the doctor. Doctors also can provide more assistance regarding the treatment and medication which otherwise would have been shortened due to lack of time. Doctors are benefitted in a way that they can focus more on priority tasks. These technologies make the health care system personalized and thereby improve its quality. Disadvantages This technological advancement may not be always an easy task for not so technologically savvy people, especially the older generation. The chances of going offline can cause unprecedented delay in communication between the doctor and the patient. There is a high risk of patient

Sab 334 unit 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sab 334 unit 8 - Essay Example Without doubt, women sports will become a core agenda in the sports fraternity contrary to the present preoccupation where men dominate the field. Title IX was a great milestone in ensuring a proper representation of all sexes in the activities that receive federal funding. As a portion of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the provision totally bans the exclusion of anybody from participation of any program that receives federal aid (Suggs, 2005). The success of this enactment in achieving gender parity has indeed been realised in several sectors of life in the United States. However, most people are not normally aware of the limits of this act and in most cases its execution is normally hampered by the lack of information. The challenge in the implementation of Title IX came with the general feeling that it was seen to compromise the quality of certain sports like athletics where male dominance was seen as a core revenue earner for the United States. On that regard, several amendments were proposed to exclude certain sports from the general coverage of this enactment in order to ensure male dominance in these areas. Whichever the case, challenges normally emerge in this implementation as the provision affected the sports teams’ representation in most colleges across the country. The implementation of the enactment was further limited by the initial feeling that most school programs were not affected. However, Title IX covers all educational institutions and therefore requires that all college teams and their gender representation to be made open in order to determine the aspects of gender representation. Rampant sex discrimination dominated most fields like math and science education and in sports activities. In that respect, Title IX applies to all schools that receive federal funding. All the activities in such schools like sports are also included in this enactment even though they do not receive

Commercial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Commercial Management - Essay Example However the first stage of the project brought certain problems in the competition and thus before beginning of the second phase of the project it is important to address these for successful execution of the project. The lessons learned include: 1. Project Management The management of a project requires discrete attention to the managers i.e. the actions at an individual level. Spekman, Theodore, Lynn, & Thomas, (1998) claim that â€Å"little is known about the managerial requirements of the different life cycle stages through which alliances pass† and too little attention is given to the alliance manager as a central figure in determining the success/failure of an alliance†. Similarly, heavy reliance on the firm level analysis and the relationships between the parent companies often leaves out of consideration the actions of the individuals that are embedded in these relationships (Granovetter, 1985). Considering the above argument the project management team establish ed comprised mainly of the senior resources from both the companies however the overall in-charge of the project was from Inter-Optics plc where the Chief Engineer was reporting to the project manager. Since, the project was initiated the initial stages of the project were very slow and there turned out to be a lot of differences when working on site. The project manager was merely involved in the whole process and the decisions and solutions were taken by the on-site engineers in agreement with the local contractor. The overall project management essentials were not practiced and the project was late 7-8 weeks. In such situations it is the responsibility of the project manager to oversee all the activities in the so that everything goes well as planned and if problems may arise as it did in this case, a resolution is immediately implemented. In order to do so the eight essential steps for project management should be adopted for its successful execution these include (Westland, 201 0): i. Team Assembly - In project management the proper assembling of a team is quite crucial as it is a collaboration of different minds working together and they work together to come up with cohesive ideas and mutual strategies that are required for successful execution of the project. Although the teams were formulated for the project however it lacked collaboration and cohesiveness as the selection of the team members was not appropriately planned. ii. Project Initiation – The project initiation phase requires a complete understanding and identification of the project definition, objective and approaches to be used in the project. This project lacked planning and scope as when it was initiated the foreman did not have any direction, there was no understanding of the country and hence problems arose. iii. Project Planning - This phase of the project management is quite crucial and often serves as the backbone of any project. A complete and thorough planning serves as a me ans to prevent the chances of setbacks and problems along the course of the project. The project between Inter-Optics and SOI lacked planning as the project

Jihadism constituted a radical break from earlier traditions of Essay

Jihadism constituted a radical break from earlier traditions of Islamism - Essay Example Jihad has a very long history in Islamic world and it started since it was allowed under the basic tenets of Islam. This was done in order to allow Prophet (PBUH) so that the religion can be spread and the power and strength of Islam as a religion and Muslims as a community can be established. In order to understand the concepts of Jihad as outlined in the Islam and as they are being practiced now, it is really critical to understand the overall concept of Jihad and how it has been outlined by the Islam in it original principles. Further, it is also critical to explore as to how the Jihad is being conceived and practiced now and whether there is a drift from the earlier established principles or not. It has been argued that the Jihad as it is practiced now is a complete shift from the earlier traditions of Islam and is now believed to be practiced in a manner which marks a complete shift from the same. Whether this is the case or not or whether Jihad is exactly practiced the way earl ier traditions outlined is the topic which this paper will attempt to explore and discuss. The literal meaning of the word Jihad in Arabic is struggle and is a noun in Arabic language. The word Jihad has appeared in the Quran for more than 40 times however, indirect references to the metaphysical meanings of the word have also been made in Quran on various occasions. Quranic interpretation of Jihad therefore indicates a struggle in the way of Allah and is considered as one of the important religious duties for the Muslims. There are various instances in Muslim history in which Prophet (PBUH) has considered doing Jihad under different conditions. The overall importance which has been attached to it is because it is not only mentioned in Quran but it was also practiced by the Prophet (PBUH) himself. (Burgat & Dowell, 1993) There are various instances in the Islamic history wherein Prophet (PBUH) has specifically mentioned that the greater Jihad is the struggle against one’s own desires. Based on this, Jihad is therefore often divided into two categories i.e. lesser Jihad and greater Jihad or Jihad e Akbar. Greater Jihad is often referred to the notion where a pious Muslim has to strive against his wishes and ego and make a complete surrender to the Will of Allah. Such surrendering to the will of Allah and renunciation of the worldly wishes is therefore given a greater significance in Islam as compared to the waging a lesser Jihad in the way of Allah. It is also argued that Jihad has also been named as a process to bring a balance between Islam, faith and righteous living. This so called spiritual struggle is still considered as one of the fundamental aspects of defining the Jihad and its right context. This concept is relatively more critically in order to accurately trace down the differences between the Jihad as described in the earlier traditions of Islam and how it is being practiced now. The visible differences between the approach of the moderate Mu slims and more fundamentalist Muslims towards the interpretation of Jihad and its actual place in ordinary Muslim Life is one of the fundamental arguments which need to be discussed further. Jihad is often used within three different contexts i.e. jihad or struggle to correct oneself and fight with oneself in order to correct the faith of an individual, Jihad in order to improve the Muslim society and Jihad as a holy war. It is this third concept of jihad as a holy war which has attracted much of the significance and importance over the period of time because of its direct and indirect influences on the other communities i.e. non- Muslims. The original concept of Jihad and its allowing in Quran is often considered as the time

Sab 334 unit 8 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sab 334 unit 8 - Essay Example Without doubt, women sports will become a core agenda in the sports fraternity contrary to the present preoccupation where men dominate the field. Title IX was a great milestone in ensuring a proper representation of all sexes in the activities that receive federal funding. As a portion of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the provision totally bans the exclusion of anybody from participation of any program that receives federal aid (Suggs, 2005). The success of this enactment in achieving gender parity has indeed been realised in several sectors of life in the United States. However, most people are not normally aware of the limits of this act and in most cases its execution is normally hampered by the lack of information. The challenge in the implementation of Title IX came with the general feeling that it was seen to compromise the quality of certain sports like athletics where male dominance was seen as a core revenue earner for the United States. On that regard, several amendments were proposed to exclude certain sports from the general coverage of this enactment in order to ensure male dominance in these areas. Whichever the case, challenges normally emerge in this implementation as the provision affected the sports teams’ representation in most colleges across the country. The implementation of the enactment was further limited by the initial feeling that most school programs were not affected. However, Title IX covers all educational institutions and therefore requires that all college teams and their gender representation to be made open in order to determine the aspects of gender representation. Rampant sex discrimination dominated most fields like math and science education and in sports activities. In that respect, Title IX applies to all schools that receive federal funding. All the activities in such schools like sports are also included in this enactment even though they do not receive

Jihadism constituted a radical break from earlier traditions of Essay

Jihadism constituted a radical break from earlier traditions of Islamism - Essay Example Jihad has a very long history in Islamic world and it started since it was allowed under the basic tenets of Islam. This was done in order to allow Prophet (PBUH) so that the religion can be spread and the power and strength of Islam as a religion and Muslims as a community can be established. In order to understand the concepts of Jihad as outlined in the Islam and as they are being practiced now, it is really critical to understand the overall concept of Jihad and how it has been outlined by the Islam in it original principles. Further, it is also critical to explore as to how the Jihad is being conceived and practiced now and whether there is a drift from the earlier established principles or not. It has been argued that the Jihad as it is practiced now is a complete shift from the earlier traditions of Islam and is now believed to be practiced in a manner which marks a complete shift from the same. Whether this is the case or not or whether Jihad is exactly practiced the way earl ier traditions outlined is the topic which this paper will attempt to explore and discuss. The literal meaning of the word Jihad in Arabic is struggle and is a noun in Arabic language. The word Jihad has appeared in the Quran for more than 40 times however, indirect references to the metaphysical meanings of the word have also been made in Quran on various occasions. Quranic interpretation of Jihad therefore indicates a struggle in the way of Allah and is considered as one of the important religious duties for the Muslims. There are various instances in Muslim history in which Prophet (PBUH) has considered doing Jihad under different conditions. The overall importance which has been attached to it is because it is not only mentioned in Quran but it was also practiced by the Prophet (PBUH) himself. (Burgat & Dowell, 1993) There are various instances in the Islamic history wherein Prophet (PBUH) has specifically mentioned that the greater Jihad is the struggle against one’s own desires. Based on this, Jihad is therefore often divided into two categories i.e. lesser Jihad and greater Jihad or Jihad e Akbar. Greater Jihad is often referred to the notion where a pious Muslim has to strive against his wishes and ego and make a complete surrender to the Will of Allah. Such surrendering to the will of Allah and renunciation of the worldly wishes is therefore given a greater significance in Islam as compared to the waging a lesser Jihad in the way of Allah. It is also argued that Jihad has also been named as a process to bring a balance between Islam, faith and righteous living. This so called spiritual struggle is still considered as one of the fundamental aspects of defining the Jihad and its right context. This concept is relatively more critically in order to accurately trace down the differences between the Jihad as described in the earlier traditions of Islam and how it is being practiced now. The visible differences between the approach of the moderate Mu slims and more fundamentalist Muslims towards the interpretation of Jihad and its actual place in ordinary Muslim Life is one of the fundamental arguments which need to be discussed further. Jihad is often used within three different contexts i.e. jihad or struggle to correct oneself and fight with oneself in order to correct the faith of an individual, Jihad in order to improve the Muslim society and Jihad as a holy war. It is this third concept of jihad as a holy war which has attracted much of the significance and importance over the period of time because of its direct and indirect influences on the other communities i.e. non- Muslims. The original concept of Jihad and its allowing in Quran is often considered as the time

From marketing to image, to branding Essay Example for Free

From marketing to image, to branding Essay Introduction My presentation is based on branding as a business tool for marketing. The presentation will provide the concept of brand based on the strategies, importance, and influence of branding and to the consumers and towards the end provide a case study of McDonald’s Company for the case study of branding. Firstly, Hill (2002, p. 79) defined brand as a symbol or a name that businesses use in order to identify their products and use them to separate from the competitors. He further argues that brand development forms a foundational piece of the business marketing communication industries cannot do without. Reasonably, speaking, there are numerous brand types that may either represent a corporate or personal brand. We must note that in the current globalization and technology driven world, branding has become increasingly significant than over the previous decades. My research on business branding features the collection of science and psychology to form a premise mark as opposed to a trademark. The brands of the business convey the information of credibility, uniform quality, and experience of the business. Brands have life cycles, valuable and outlive the products. Today, numerous companies invest the value of the business in their brand and it has appeared in their balance sheet. The world has become online and numerous markets are growing across nations that have seen the consumers use brands in their purchases. The importance of brands is, therefore; Assisting in the identification of the business. The business that uses branding can clearly be seen, quickly identify and sought after-products. Branding allows time and energy saving through practicality through loyalty and identical purchasing. The customer is guaranteed of finding the same quality irrespective of time and place of buying the product Branding provides common self-image that is presentable to others It allows for satisfaction brought through intimacy and familiarity with the brand that the consumers have using for years. Branding provides ethical standards in business due to satisfaction linked to the responsible brand behavior in its societal relationships. Branding Strategy This refers that firms mix and match the name of their brand and the products they offer. The degree of synergy between the product brand and the corporate brand depends on the architecture of the brand (Hill 2002, p. 124). I found the following brand strategies as identified by scholars; Corporate and individual branding House of brand and brand house, including sub-brands and endorsed brands Weak endorsement, no endorsement, strong endorsement, and medium endorsement. Delineated three types of brand strategy, continuum monolithic strategy, branded strategy, and endorsed brand strategy. Endorsement brand strategy, token endorsement, and weak endorsement. Influence of Branding to Consumers and Business The legally protected brands are significantly important in the modern marketing. Branding has several influences on the business and the customers. Firstly, branding brings psychological effect that affect the consumers by urging them to choose a specific product over the other based on perception rather than hard facts. I read from the work of Hill (2002, p. 143) that indicated that brands can automatically activate the goals of purchase in individuals without conscious or awareness intent. Likewise, Hill (2002, p. 143) further writes that brands offer promise of performance by the business by assuring the customers of the quality, safety, and other ethical obligations of the product. Further, it is indicated that the socio-culturally based brands present the role of brands through research. Brand satisfaction is a good reason for a customer to choose a specific product over the other. Case Study of McDonald’s Branding Success The case study I used was a well-known industry across the globe. With the globalization era, currently; it is easier for brands to show their presence globally in various cultures. Reading from Hill (2002), business operation in a foreign cultural atmosphere comes with changes in the strategies of the business, advertising, functioning and branding campaign. A case study of the McDonald’s different marketing strategies can best exemplify the global marketing strategy. The company originated in the U.S. in 1940 as a street restaurant and currently serves in 199 countries across the globe. According to Kulkarni, Lassar, Sridhar and Venkitachalam (2009, p. 12) the company’s brand is supported by a highly successful brand campaigns.   In each of all the branding campaigns of the McDonald’s Company, it has prioritized on social values of the target audience that has made functioning as a resilient possible. The comparison of the branding campaign in two completely economically and culturally diverse countries, India and Australia, shows the company’s effective resilience. My investigations reveal that the company ventured in India in 1996 and in Australia in 1971, but there exists a considerable gap in chronology. It is understood that the company adopted the dissimilar marketing strategies using similar brand values that were quality, service, cleanliness and value (QSC V). Using this strategy, the company excelled in both the markets in a way that the societies never thought that it was an American brand. The reasons for brand success of the case study company were, perhaps, numerous (Encyclopedia of global brands 2013, p. 677). However, excellent market research tops the list. The ever-growing process of market research has assisted the marketers to analyze the environment of marketing and define the marketing strategies and product-market fit. Through market research, Light, Kiddon, Till, Heckler, Mathews, Wacker, Brunner, Emery and Hall, (2012, p. 67), writes the company realized the obligation to involve in the local culture. Social marketing, according to McDonald’s (2013, p. 221) assisted the company develop the socially accepted product and satisfies the customer needs better than that of the competitors. Currently, the company runs 780 outlets in Australia and 300 outlets in India. Therefore, the best achievement of the company is through its branding that successfully transformed itself into the local image and fulfilled the brand promises. The people believed in QSC V that was fulfilled and the TV campaigns often focused on customer relationships. References Encyclopedia of Global Brands. (2013). vol. 2, K-Z,  Ã‚   2nd edn, St. James Press, pp. 675-680 Hill, C. W. L. (2002). International business competing in the global marketplace. New York, McGraw-Hill Irwin. KonecÃŒÅ'Nik Ruzzier, M., Ruzzier, M. (2007). From marketing to image, to branding. IV Seminari Internacional DInnovacioÃŒ  I Turisme Turisme Branding: La Clau Per Al Desenvolupament TuriÃŒ stic, Palma De Mallorca, 26, 27 I 28 Setembre 2007. Kulkarni, S, Lassar W, Sridhar C Venkitachalam A. (2009). McDonald‟s OngoingMarketing Challenges and Social Perception in India‟, Online Journal of International  Case Analysis, vol. 1, Issue 2, last viewed 23 Sept 2013,  http://ojica.fiu.edu/index.php/ojica_journal/article/view/19/18  11. Light, L., Kiddon, J., Till, B., Heckler, D., Mathews, R., Wacker, W., Brunner, R., Emery, S., Hall, R. (2012). Branding strategies for success. [Upper Saddle River, NJ], FT Press. http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com/?fpi=9780133039030.

The Importance Of Irrigation Agriculture Environmental Sciences Essay

The Importance Of Irrigation Agriculture Environmental Sciences Essay The importance of irrigation agriculture for a country having agricultural lead industrialization policy and rainfall dependent community to cultivate is not far from anybody. Ethiopia recently has a population of over 80 million. Of these 80 percent are living in rural area and their day to day breath is depend on rain-fed agriculture and not food self sufficient. To make theses community food self sufficient irrigation agriculture can be one way conjunction with rain-fed agriculture. The country has huge water potential that can be used for irrigation. Thought the countries water potential for irrigation is high, due to many reason the countrys capacity to support agriculture through development of irrigation has been weak (Mengistu, 2000). Ethiopia endowed with relatively higher amounts of rainfall in the region and has a surface runoff of about 122 billion m3 of water and 28,000 Mm ³ ground water (GoE,1999). The abundant water resources have earned Ethiopia the name the water tower of East Africa (United Nations Development Programme 2006). However, even had this estimated water potential, the country cannot assure its food self-sufficiency. If the country uses all its efforts to collect all available water resources for crop production, there is a possibility that the country can cover its food deficit and can also export some crops like oil crops and cereals. Thought water resource potential is significant in Ethiopia, use of this resource especially for irrigation agriculture is not that much as its water potential. Cognizant to this fact, the government has taken initiatives towards developing irrigation schemes of various scales (Desta, 2004) Recently the government look at towards irrigation development projects from small scale to large scale to become food self sufficient. Ethiopia indeed has significant irrigation potential. Realizing the potential irrigation development can contribute towards food security and improved welfare, the Government has embarked on wide range of water development efforts throughout the country. In the last decade, small-scale irrigation and rainwater harvesting were the government agricultural policy to increase crop productivity and reduce water shortage for crop and animal production. In some parts of the regions, where there are scarce and erratic rainfall, there is evidence that irrigation has achieved positive impacts: better opportunity for production, better income, reduction of risks, and hence generated benefits for poor rural communities. Ethiopians population increases averagely 3% per year. To feed these rapidly increase population as a country rain fed irrigation alone can not a solution rather intervention of irrigation agriculture can be a solution for the country having huge water potential for irrigation. Many developing countries cannot meet their food consumption using rain fed agriculture that is why many of them Intervening irrigated agriculture in the economy to feed their rapidly increased population (Hailemariam, 2008). Irrigation is needed at any time when the moisture of the soil is not capable for plant growth while the water is available. Once if the soil moisture cannot supply enough moisture to the plant, the plant cannot grow or if it grows it cannot bring expected production. Therefore to avoid crop production failure due to moisture stress and increase crop production applying water to the crop is important. But the main determinant of irrigation projects in developing countries are its need of high cost of initial investment capital and operating and maintenance cost in case of construct huge dames or high river diversions. On the other hand if we see small scale irrigation projects they may not asking huge investment capital and operation and maintenance and it should be recommended for those developing countries which cannot stand with two legs in irrigation agriculture sector. But when we start intervening irrigation to the area we should start from suitability of available water resour ces. The country has highly-diversified agro-ecological conditions which are suitable for the production of various types of crops. The crops are produced under rain fed and irrigated condition. The government of Ethiopia(2010) in its Agricultural sector and investment framework policy, 2010-2020 stated that Cereals dominate Ethiopian agriculture, accounting for about 70 per cent of agricultural GDP Over the past decade, cereal production has more than doubled to nearly 15 million tones, as a result of horizontal expansion and increased yields. Even thought the government of Ethiopia (2010) in its Agricultural sector and investment framework policy, 2010-2020 stated that the food self sufficiency issue is still critical for many households and for the country as a whole (Tadesse, 2009). To challenge food security problem recently promotion of irrigation agriculture is given priority (Mekuria, 2003).Thus, implementation of small scale irrigation including hand dug well construction has become one of the activities both by the individuals as well as the government according to water potential of the area (Tadesse, 2009). Agriculture and rural development has been the central pillar of successive national development and poverty reduction plans and remains so under the new five year growth and transformation plan (FYGTP) announced in August 2010. There is a need, however, to increase development efforts and resources targeting high-potential rain fed areas and irrigation development, in order to accelerate productivity growth, agricultural led industrialization and long-term food security. Thus groundwater has become an important source for irrigation and it has become an integral part of the irrigation strategy to overcome food scarcity in many developing countries including in Ethiopia. Such efforts have helped to expand irrigation with time particularly from 1950s the expansion has been rapidly increasing (Rosegrant et al., 1999). Most agricultural production is used to meet household consumption needs and, for a very large number of households, there is a prolonged hunger season during the pre-har vest period. In all increasing productivity in smallholder agriculture is Governments top priority, recognizing the importance of the smallholder sub-sector, the high prevalence of rural poverty and the large productivity gap. Productivity enhancement however, must be complemented by efforts by introducing effective practices towards the farmer to help farmers from purely subsistence farming to semi-subsistence/ semi-commercial status practicing farming as a business and to adopt more sustainable natural resource management practices in order to arrest and reverse environmental degradation. But this may not achieved only by using rain fed agriculture, rather by conjunction use of surface water and ground water without affecting the environment. Therefore In order to achieve these far-reaching and ambitious objectives, Irrigation development perceived as one of the strategies with the potential for solving this problem and to be food self-sufficient. The government of Ethiopia has an irrigation development strategy, which aims to develop over 470,000 ha of irrigation by 2016 as promulgated in the Water Sector Strategy of 2001. Of this development, 52% will be large and medium scale schemes while the remaining 48% will be small-scale schemes (Government of the Republic of Ethiopia 2001). Because of the ambitious government plans to expand small scale irrigation in Ethiopia, and in view of increasing demand of water for various purposes like agricultural, domestic, and industries, a greater emphasis is being laid for a planned and optimal utilization of water resources. Even if Ethiopia has high surface water potential, due to uneven distribution of rainfall in both time and space, the surface water resources are unevenly distributed coupled with increasing water user sectors, may lead to conflict among water users, especially agricultural sector. To narrow this gap and increase productivity per drop of water, surface water alone is not the best solution. Considering this issue; giving emphasis on development of ground water resources for those areas having high ground water potential is crucial. Problem Sstatement Water for agriculture is increasingly recognized as a major constraint to improving the lives of the rural poor and is an important component of rural livelihood programs that need to be yet strongly established in Ethiopia. Irrigation has contributed significantly to poverty reduction, food security, and improving the quality of life for rural populations. The majority of existing traditional and modern irrigation schemes are micro level in size. Most of these schemes are used stream, river and lake diversions but some may be dependent on small dams and perennial springs which show ground water potential for irrigation did not get emphasis. Fogera is one of Blue Nile basin area in Ethiopia and known by flooded plain. The woreda has high ground water potential. Now a day there is irrigation practice in the area for production of vegetables, horticulture (onion, tomato and purple) and in some extent maize. Even if there is such practice in the area, beside high ground water potential almost all farmers are used two perennial rivers called Rib and Gumara as a water source for their irrigation crop production using motorized pump. But the beneficiary farmers are those having farm land near or around streams, while those farmers bounded with these rivers and have not farm land around the stream waiting until the rainy season to cultivate crops. Recently increasing in number of water users for crop production and other uses; the stream flow become drying the downstream especially starting from February to April. This leads to crop failure and reduction in crop production plus conflict among the up- stream and downstream water users. To solve this problem and participate on irrigation those farmers have not farm land around the streams and bounded by two streams, conjunction use of ground water and surface water for irrigation crop production is important. However, to assure these identifying opportunities and major constraints of the community that makes passive on ground water uses for irrigation crop production is primary task to the area having high ground water potential. Researchable Qquestions For a specific study of ground water constraints linking with issues of the use for irrigation crop production, a number of questions can be raised. The study tries to address the following major research questions: What are major constraints of the community to use ground water for irrigation crop production? Are the communities aware about their ground water potential for crop production? What types of practices were implemented in the area to promote ground water uses for irrigation crop production by different Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations? General and Specific Oobjectives In the Fogera plain groundwater is important source that can be used for irrigation crops year around. Reducing dependency on rainfall and stream water for crop production little has known about the potential use of ground water in the area. Rain fed agriculture alone cannot be insuring food self-sufficiency for the country having uneven distribution and erratic rainfall. Rather in addition to rain fed, implementing irrigation schemes according to water source potential weather surface or ground water is important. For those areas having high ground water potential, ground water may serve as a water source for irrigation crop production and increase income. But to use this precious natural resource actively and efficiently tackling obstacles related to ground water use for irrigation crop production is the primary task. This paper will investigate constraints in the Fogera Woreda on ground water uses for irrigation crop production. In particular it will:- Identify major constraints why farmers are not used ground water for irrigation crop production. Identifying major constraints of the community on ground water use for irrigation crop production, makes easy to decision makers to understand communitys problem on ground water irrigation and searching methods to solve the communitys problem on it. Evaluate communities awareness about the area ground water potential uses for irrigation crop production. It is important to the community to make them self-confident about their natural resource. If they are sure about their resource potential for irrigation crop production, they can through their doubt about ground water production potential and can cultivate crops like any perennial (chat) or seasonal which makes them profitable using ground water. Assessing best practice if there is, to promote ground water use for irrigation crop production in the area by different Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations. Assessing best practice done in the area on ground water use for irrigation is important for the community to scale up from one kebele to another. These practices also stimulate communities towards ground water use. Significance of the Study The government in the Plan for Accelerated and Sustained Development to End Poverty policy (PASDEP, 2010) states to increase its total area of irrigated land from the current 640,000 hectares to about 1.8 Mha to the next five years. The intervention of the plan is to address most of the supply-demand gap within 15 years time through increasing the number of large, medium and small-scale irrigation schemes. But to make this dream fact the government should also use all available ware resources including surface and ground water. Fogera woreda has huge potential of ground water and an area of 76%flat which is suitable for irrigation. So the main objective of the study is identifying opportunities and major constraints of ground water use for irrigation crop production in the ground water rich area. once identifying major constraints and solve them the community involved completely on the use of ground water use for irrigation crop production and can play their role to the government pl an pulse increasing their income. The use of available water resources especially stream water is critical issue in the area for irrigation crop production and is source of conflict in the area. The study can also important to avoid and manage conflicts and ensure the participation of low level communities in the area if we can solve the communities problem on ground water use for irrigation. Scope and Limitation of the Study The study covers the time period of 2010/11in Fogera flood plain to identify opportunities and major constraints of the community on ground water use for irrigation crop production. There are more than 27 kebeles in the Fogera woreda but only six of them which are Kokit, Kideste Hana, Sena,Shaga,Nabega and Wagetera are only part of the study because of their natural location on the flood plain. But to do this the study also has its own limitation including, unavailability of ground water recharging rate and other related issue of ground water to show ground water potential of the study area, proper document on of training that farmers took on irrigation, yield of last season production of the farmers because farmers are not comfortable when they ask about their amount of income, The specific types of soil at the flood plain, water yield of wells and others. However to hit the target of the study, the study uses main questions and available secondary data which are use fill for the study.