Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Family Separations And Its Effects On Family Relations

In the United States today, one-fifth of the country s kids are experiencing childhood in worker homes. During the time spent movement, families experience significant changes that are regularly confounded by augmented times of partition between friends and family—from more distant family individuals, as well as from the atomic family. In spite of the fact that numerous families are included in these transnational plans, there has up to this time been little feeling of the commonness of these types of family separations, nor of the impacts on family relations. Further, such research has by and large been led with clinical populaces utilizing Western theoretical structures and viewpoints of families, restricting its relevance to outsider†¦show more content†¦In spite of the fact that conceived in the United States, on the off chance that they experience childhood in nonEnglish-talking homes, they enter schools expecting to get English similarly as they are figuring out how to peruse. This spots them at a fleeting hindrance in the event that they are not given sufficient instructive backings (O. Garcà ­a, 2009). Thought about with the original, be that as it may, settler starting point understudies of the second era have some special points of interest. All are naturally U.S. nationals, and some won t have the dialect obtaining obstacle, especially on the off chance that they live in neighborhoods where they are routinely uncovered to English-dialect models (C. Suà ¡rez-Orozco Suà ¡rezOrozco, 2001). Yet the second generation may be disadvantaged, as they are less buffered by immigrant optimism (Fuligni, 2011; Kao Tienda, 1995; C. Suà ¡rez-Orozco Numerous foreigners adjust well to their new living conditions. They do as such by exploring various sociocultural settings in positive ways that add to their prosperity furthermore, accomplishment in the United States. Thinks about recommend that migrants may not encounter more emotional sickness or mental pain than nonimmigrants (Alegrà ­a, Canino, Stinson, and Grant, 2006), however it is imperative to note that displaced people are an especially powerless subpopulation of outsiders. At the point when outsiders do encounter emotional well-beingShow MoreRelatedFrederick Douglass Essay1377 Words   |  6 Pagesseparated families when children were young and took advantage of childbearing women, leading to a long-lasting detrimental effect on African American family unity. Although slavery is commonly known to have taken place in 18th and 19th centuries, family values from slavery have trickled into recent times, as spoken of Barack Obama in (date). Well after the historic end of slavery, pieces were written about the distorted family values between previously enslaved families, one being The Family RelationRead MoreDivorce and Its Effect On Children Essay1500 Words   |  6 Pagesthat has many implications for those involved. The situation becomes even more consequential when children are considered. As divorce has become more commonplace in society, millions of children are affected by the separation of the nuclear family. How far-reaching are these effects? A nd is there a time when divorce is beneficial to the lives of the children? This paper will examine some of the major research and several different perspectives regarding the outcomes of divorce for the children involvedRead MoreDivorce Is Becoming A Worldwide Occurrence1530 Words   |  7 PagesDivorce is becoming a worldwide occurrence, notably affecting children’s well being. It radically alliterates their future causing damaging effects. According to (Julio Cà ¡ceres-Delpiano and Eugenio Giolito, 2008) nearly 50% of marriages end with divorce. 90% of children who lived in the USA in the 1960s stayed with their own biological parents, whereas today it makes up only 40% (Hetherington, E. Mavis, and Margaret Stanley-Hagan, 1999). Many children after a split of parents are exposed to a numberRead MoreNorth and South Korea: One Country, Divided Essay1642 Words   |  7 Pageslies a family of four. The mother and father, who thinks they are a better parent than the other, s eparates in half. The mother takes the daughter, and the father takes the son. Although the parents think the complete opposite, the two children do not wish such separation and would want to become a whole family again. Instead of becoming one happy family, the parents decide to ignore the children’s thoughts, and the daughter and son are never to see each other again. Resembling this family, the dividedRead MoreDivorce Issues Essay examples1567 Words   |  7 Pagesdeciding to start a family. It is these children of the divorcees that seem to bear the brunt of the stress and discomfort that is often accompanied by this devastation. We as a community and society can aim to set higher standards for marriage as well as value the sacred commitment to a much higher degree. While striving towards the achievement of these goals, we are able to dismantle and prevent many of the ailing stresses and pains that immediate family members face inRead MoreWhy Parents Should Not Leave After The Divorce Essay1673 Words   |  7 Pagesstates recognize some form of joint or shared custody that afï ¬ rms the decision-making and caretaking status of more than one adult. This essay will illustrate reasons why parents should not relocate after the divorce looking at positive and negative effects on children. Furthermore the divorce of parent’s signiï ¬ cantly weakens their children’s sense of security and stability (Gindes, 1998). As it alluded to in the above paragraph, two people upon whom the child is dependent are no longer equally accessibleRead MoreEffects Of Being Mixed Race On The Rural South Essay1715 Words   |  7 Pages Effects of being Mixed Race in the Rural South The mixing of races in the rural South was frowned upon up by society beginning as early as the start of slavery. Although the practice of mixing races was seen as a taboo, slave owners often had children with their slaves. The children of the slave owners and slaves were of mixed race, known as the mulatto, having half black and half white genetics. When races continued to be mixed, measurements were created by the Creoles of Louisiana as a systemRead MoreStructural Family Theory Literature Rev Essays1019 Words   |  5 PagesStructural Family Theory Literature Review Structural family theory is a technique employed by social scientists that offers perspectives and tactics that strengthen and examine the familial unit (Walsh, 2014). Developed by Salvador Minuchin, structural family theory looks at the unspoken rules within a family and how they affect the organization of the unit. It is the job of the social worker to accurately identify the patterns, presented rules, and their effect on the family. StructuralRead More Children and How They are Affected by Divorce Essay1269 Words   |  6 Pagesthe parting of different family members or the breakup of the family unit, as well as effect it may have upon the children or the other spouse.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When the family is broken up it can lead to divorce and ultimately many negative implications. It may have effect on the mental stability as well as create even more conflict and tension between others. Research evidence has shown that marital distress and conflict within a marriage causes a wide range of negative effects on the children of the feudingRead MoreChildren Should Be Too Great For Their Parents886 Words   |  4 PagesBetween Parents: Adult Children’s Relations with Parents and Subjective Well-Being,†. Journal of Marriage and Family. Afifi, T. D. (2013). Analyzing divorce from cultural and network approaches. Journal of Family Studies, 240-253. Amato, P. R. (2010). Research on divorce: Continuing trends and new developments. Journal of Marriage and Family. Amato, P. R. (2014). Estimating the Effects of Parental Divorce and Death With Fixed Effects Models. Journal of Marriage Family, 380-86. Brown, S. (2010). Marriage

Monday, December 23, 2019

The Pathophysiology Of Lyme Disease - 1564 Words

The Pathophysiology of Lyme borreliosis Lyme borreliosis or Lyme disease can be devastating both physically and mentally for victims. The disease is transmitted by a vector, specifically a tick, which infects their host by biting and infecting them with pathological spirochete bacteria known as Borrelia burgdorferi (Muschart Blommaert, 2015). There are several species of Borrelia globally, and as a group, the bacteria are referred to as Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Pearson, 2015). The disease originated from, Lyme Connecticut, of which it was named, after a patient was mistakenly diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when the cause of their disease was B. burgdorferi or Lyme disease (Snow, 2013). Lyme disease is classified as one of the most common and growing vector-born disease in the United States as well as Europe (Snow, 2013). Understanding how Lyme disease progresses through the body as well as the disease’s signs and symptoms are essential to understanding how t o treat the disease and stop it from spreading throughout the body with destructive results. With a disease as potentially devastating as Lyme disease, early treatment is required for a better outcome (Pearson, 2015). This research paper will discuss the pathophysiology of three Lyme conditions known as Lyme arthritis, Lyme neuroborreliosis, and Lyme carditis and provide an overview of the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease and treatments, and how to prevent infection. The pathophysiology ofShow MoreRelatedLyme Disease Is The Most Common Tick Borne Illness1713 Words   |  7 PagesHistory Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in the world. This disease has been reported in all 50 states, mainly the New England states (Khatchikian, 2015). Lyme disease has also been reported in China, parts of the Soviet Union, Europe, Japan, and Australia. In 1957, a group of children and adults in the Lyme, Connecticut area, and surrounding areas had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (Shiel, William C). Dr. Allen Steere began researching to solve this problem. SteereRead MoreLyme Disease : A Chronic Medical Mystery1429 Words   |  6 PagesLyme Disease: A chronic medical mystery Introduction One of the most common Tick communicable diseases plaguing the United States today is a human transferable infection called Lyme disease, which is spread by Deer Ticks Ixodes scapularis, they are small arthropods often found in wooded areas of eastern United states (Orkin.com â€Å"Deer ticks† accessed may 8 2016); transmission of the infection occurs when an contaminated deerRead MoreLyme disease, a common illness prevalent in the United States and Canada, is a bacterial infection1900 Words   |  8 PagesLyme disease, a common illness prevalent in the United States and Canada, is a bacterial infection caused by the bite of a â€Å"deer tick† (WebMD, 2012). A â€Å"deer tick† or Ixodes dammini, frequently carries the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi which causes Lyme disease (American Journal of Public Health, 1992). â€Å"Deer ticks† infected with this disease spread the bacteria through a bite which allows it to enter the blood stream of the host. Patie nts with Lyme disease often have a history of tick exposure,Read MoreSymptoms And Treatment Of Lyme Disease1897 Words   |  8 PagesBackground: Definition of the condition: Lyme disease is named after the town of Old Lyme in Connecticut, where the first cases of Lyme disease (LD) were discovered in 1975. About twelve children, who lived in the same area of this town, were diagnosed with arthritis which was discovered to be caused by Lyme disease (Levi et al., 2012). In 1982, a scientist named Willy Burgdorfer and his coworkers, established the link between ticks and the transmission of Borralis bacteria which is proven to resultRead MoreA Summary On The New York1922 Words   |  8 Pagesflu-like symptoms with muscle achiness and joint pain that has progressively gotten worse over the past 10 days. J.R. also states that he has a difficult time gripping his pen when writing his column for Outdoor Life Magazine. PMH: No hx of previous diseases. Pt recently diagnosed with mild HTN. Up to date with all immunizations, including a tetanus shot nearly 3 years ago. Social HX: Single living alone. Spends many weekends camping in the mountains of upstate New York, brainstorming for his columnRead MoreZagazig University. Faculty Of Medicine . Rheumatology1373 Words   |  6 PagesZagazig University Faculty of Medicine Rheumatology and Rehabilitation Department Serum Interleukin-23 Level in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis and its Correlation with Disease Activity and Severity Protocol of thesis Submitted for partial fulfillment Of M.Sc. Degree In Rheumatology and Rehabilitation By Enas Tawkal Eldesoky MB.B.Ch Resident of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation At Dekrens General Hospital Under supervision of Pro. Dr. Read MoreHow The Patient Meets Criteria For The Disorders And Other Intellectual Capacities Are Changing After Some Time1321 Words   |  6 Pagesrecently typical movement of Maturing it is frequently exceptionally troublesome when it kicked the bucket you holding up side effects to draw an obvious conclusion to the fitting determination. sicknesses and ailments, for example, dementia diabetes Lyme infection dejection thyroid illness all can have an indistinguishable sort of side effects from individual having Alzheimer s malady. it is critical that early determination of this specific sickness is done as such that it is not misdiagnosed forRead MoreClassification Of Chronic Persistent Pain1483 Words   |  6 Pageschronic pain conditions and therefore was not given its own category in table 1. CPP is pain that was expected to resolve, but lasting longer than 3 months, or beyond the usual course or disease causing the pain. The pain, and its causes are frequently multifactorial, and maybe exacerbated by pathophysiology, psychosocial, environmental (loss of work) factors, and physical disability.12,13 Pain can aggravate other medical, and psychological conditions;14 conversely co-morbid medical, and psychologicalRead MoreA Brief Note On Lou Gehrig, The Greatest New York Yankee Baseball1967 Words   |  8 Pagesphysicians, he arrived at the Mayo Clinic where he was diagnosed with a â€Å"rare disease† – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Mitsumoto, 2001). Today ALS is no longer considered rare and is widely recognized as a relentless and devastating neurodegenerative disease. In recent years the media has covered ALS to promote awareness and support ongoing research to enhance diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life. Unfortunately, the disease is incurable and t reatment options are currently limited. Epidemiology/IncidenceRead MoreDepression Of A Herbal Clinic3293 Words   |  14 Pagesâ€Å"affectionately† called it his â€Å"black dog† (WHO, 2012). Is it widely known that October 10 is World Mental Health Day? (WHO, 2014) Given the prevalence, death toll and disease burden - mental health is of great significance in a modern herbal practice. By 2030, depression alone is projected to be the single leading cause of overall disease burden in high-income countries (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 2012). Aristotle pinpointed â€Å"black bile† as causing melancholia – the depressive state

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Johnny Depp Film Star Free Essays

Johnny Depp John Christopher  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Johnny†Ã‚  Depp II  born June 9, 1963, was born in  Owensboro, Kentucky. He was raised in  Florida as the youngest of four children. His mother was Betty Sue Palmer, a waitress, and John Christopher Depp, a  civil engineer. We will write a custom essay sample on Johnny Depp Film Star or any similar topic only for you Order Now The family moved frequently during Depp’s childhood, and he and his siblings lived in more than 20 different locations, settling in  Miramar, Florida, in 1970. In 1978, Depp’s parents divorced when he was fifteen. His mother married, as her second husband, Robert Palmer, whom Depp called â€Å"an inspiration to me†. A year after his parents’ divorce, Depp dropped out of high school to become a rock musician. He attempted to go back to school two weeks later, but the principal told him to follow his dream of being a musician. He played with The Kids, a band that gained local success. The Kids set out together for Los Angeles in pursuit of a record deal, changing their name to Six Gun Method, but the group split up before signing a record deal. Depp engaged in  self-harm  when he was young, due to the stress of dealing with family problems, which resulted in several self-inflicted scars. In a 1993 interview, he reflected on his self-injury by saying â€Å"My body is a journal in a way. It’s like what sailors used to do, where every  tattoo  meant something, a specific time in your life when you make a mark on yourself, whether you do it yourself with a knife or with a professional tattoo artist†. (Johnny Depp Biography 1) On December 24, 1983, Depp married Lori Anne Allison, the sister of his band’s bass player and singer. During Depp’s marriage, his wife worked as a makeup artist, while he worked a variety of odd jobs, including a  telemarketer  for pens. His wife introduced him to actor  Nicolas Cage, who advised Depp to pursue an acting career. Depp and his wife divorced in 1985. Both Depp and his subsequent fiance  Sherilyn Fenn  auditioned for the 1986 film  Thrashin’  and they were both cast, with Depp being chosen by the film’s director to star as the lead, which would have been Depp’s second major role. Depp was later turned down by the film’s producer, who rejected the director’s decision. (Johnny Depp Biography FAQ) Johnny Depp  is an American actor, film producer, and musician. He has won the  Golden Globe Award  and  Screen Actors Guild  award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series  21 Jump Street, becoming a  teen idol. Unhappy with that status, Depp turned to film for more challenging roles; he played the title character of the acclaimed  Edward Scissorhands  (1990) and later found box office success in films such as  Sleepy Hollow  (1999),   Charlie and the Chocolate Factory  (2005),  Alice in Wonderland  (2010),  Rango  (2011) and the  Pirates of the Caribbean  film series  (2003–present). He has collaborated with director and friend  Tim Burton  in eight films; the most recent being  Dark Shadows  (2012). Depp has gained acclaim for his portrayals of such people as  Ed Wood, in  Ed Wood,  Joseph D. Pistone  in  Donnie Brasco,  Hunter S. Thompson  in  Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,  George Jung  in  Blow, and the bank robber  John Dillinger  in  Michael Mann’s  Public Enemies. Films featuring Depp have  grossed  over $3. 1  billion at the United States box office and over $7. 6  billion worldwide. He has been nominated for top awards many times, winning the Best Actor Awards from the  Golden Globes  for  Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street  and from the  Screen Actors Guild  for  Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. He also has garnered a  sex symbol  status in American cinema, being twice named as the â€Å"Sexiest Man Alive† by  People  magazine  in 2003 and 2009. He has been listed in the 2012  Guinness Book of World Records  as the highest paid actor with $75 million. Johnny Depp Biography 2) Other notable random trivial facts I found about Johnny Depp on IMDB. com include Johnny in 1994, Depp was arrested and questioned by police for allegedly causing serious damage to a New York City hotel suite, he was arrested again in 1999 for brawling with paparazzi  outside a restaurant while dining in London. He adopted Goldeneye, the one-eyed Andalusian horse who played Gunpowder, Ichabod Crane’s steed in  Sleepy Hollow  (1999), thereby saving him from the glue factory. Johnny has residences in multiple places including France, Los Angeles, and an island he owns in the Bahamas. He divides his time in France between Meudon, a suburb of Paris and a villa in Plan-de-la-Tour, an hour outside of St Tropez in Southern France. On November 19, 1999 Johnny received a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a child, he was allergic to chocolate. He is the only actor to be nominated for the Oscar in the Lead Actor category in a Disney film (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl  (2003)). Johnny is often found citing Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl  (2003)) and  Edward Scissorhands  (1990) as the favorite characters that he has played. He is a godfather of  Tim Burton  son Billy Ray Burton. A few things that Johnny is scared of are clowns, spiders, and ghosts. He turned down the role of Bruce Banner in  Hulk  in 2003. Johnny Depp is the only actor to appear in 3 of the 10 films to gross $1 billion with  Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest  (2006),  Alice in Wonderland (2010) and  Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides  (2011). IMDb) A complete filmogophry would be Nightmare on Elm Street (1984), Private Resort (1985), Slow Burn (1986), Platoon (1986), Cry-Baby (1990), Edwards Scissorhands (1990), Freddy’s Dead:The Final Nightmare (1991), Benny ; Joon (1993), What’s Eating Gilbert Grape (1993), Arizona Dream (1993), Ed Wood (1994), Don Juan DeMarco (1995), Dead Man (19 95), Nick of Time (1995), Cannes Man (1996), Donnie Brasco (1997), The Brave (1997), Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998), L. A. Without a Map (1998), The Ninth Gate (1999), Sleepy Hollow (1999), The astronaut’s Wife (1999), Chocolat (2000), Before Night Falls (2000), Blow (2001), The Man Who Cried (2001), From Hell (2001), Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Happily Ever After (2004), Secret Window (2004), Finding Neverland (2004), The Libertine (2004), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) Corpse Bride (2005), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End (2007), Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Public Enemies (2009), The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009), Alice in Wonderland (2010), The Tourist (2010), Rango (2011), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stanger Tides (2011), The Rum Diary (2011), Jack and Jill (2011), 21 Jump Street (2012), Dark Shadows (2012) , The Lone Ranger (2013), Transcendence (2014), Pirates of the Caribbean (2015). (IMDb) Sources: †Å"Johnny Depp Biography 1. †Ã‚  Bio. com. A;E Networks Television, n. d. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Johnny Depp Biography 2. †Ã‚  Johnny Depp. Bio, n. d. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. â€Å"Johnny Depp Biography FAQ. †Ã‚  Johnny Depp Biography ; FAQ. N. p. , 27 July 2011. Web. 12 Apr. 2013. How to cite Johnny Depp Film Star, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Strategy and Globalisation

Question: Identify and discuss in detail political, economic and socio-culture aspects of global expansion. Answer: Globalisation can be defined as a process through which integration among the countries across the globe takes place. Major reasons of globalization are international trade and exchange of different cultures of different nations. It raises interdependency within the countries globally. Global expansion is a phenomenon through which one country can influence another country economically, politically, socially, technologically and environmentally as well. After globalization came into play, it became easier to operate countries at large scale. Main aim of globalisation is to generate higher growth level, improving standard of living etc. Globalisation leads to income convergence across the nations, raising quality of life, access to knowledge, technology (Beck, 2015). Economic impact of globalisation: Globalisation has a significant impact on economic growth of a nation. Globalisation leads to free international trade; as a result there exists free movement of goods and services beyond domestic territories. It enhances better opportunities for developing countries as they get wider market. Inflow of human capital, technology rises. Countries can focus in their comparative advantage, it leads to higher export and that can accelerate the economic growth of a nation. Globalization helps to create wealth (Lizardo, 2015). Globalisation has always been a disputed topic. Many economics has argued that only developed countries are reaping the benefits of globalisation, as there is significant rise in their export level. It has increased the gap of income inequalities. The countries which have weak financial system, easily gets affected by the volatility of capital inflows. Globalisation leads to competition among the developing countries to attract foreign firms, which leads to environment degradation. Political impact of globalization: Globalisation impacts one nation in various ways and one major impact is seen on the political condition of a state. From the time globalisation came into play it has been observed that there is substantial decline in the importance of nation state. Many international organisations such as WTO, IMF controls the financial systems. It reduces the controls of one nation in decision making with respect to their country. One can see immense intervention of these international institutions, and that reflects in their decisions. Nongovernmental organisations are also impacting in public policies like humanitarian aid, developmental efforts. Global expansion has lead to significant rise in terrorism also. Political stability can be achieved with the implement of democracy; however globalisation leads to corruption, lack of transparency and inefficiency (Hirst et al., 2015). Social impact of globalisation: One major impact of globalisation reflects in the pattern of society. Social impacts refer to the impact of globalisation on the life and well being of people and societies. Society on a nation is influenced by economic and political movement. The concept of social justice is a farfetched dream to achieve. Aim of social justice is to establish the fair and equitable practice with the values of human rights. Globalisation has increased women employment but not women empowerment. It has failed to reduce gender inequality. Every society had its own culture, social norms, but with the advent of globalisation and extensive use of media, it has influenced millions of people at the same time (Isin, 2013). Globalisation can be seen as an ongoing process. Goal of expansion is to achieve growth and stability in economic, political and social sense. References: Beck, U. (2015).What is globalization. John Wiley Sons. Hirst, P., Thompson, G., Bromley, S. (2015).Globalization in question. John Wiley Sons. Isin, E. F. (2013).Democracy, citizenship and the global city. Routledge. Lizardo, O. (2015). The Effect of Economic and Cultural Globalization on Anti-US Transnational Terrorism 1971 2000*.Journal of World-Systems Research,12(1), 149-186.

Friday, November 29, 2019

New Age spiritualities

Introduction For a long time in human history, organized religions have put a lot of emphasis on the forms of worship and discipline on their followers. Lack of a room for questioning has lead to what can be described as blind following.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on New Age spiritualities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Most of the worshippers do not understand the essence of what is being worshipped (Wuthnow, 2004, p. 160).people`s religious or spiritual code of beliefs and the evidenced rites are observable reflection of the personal true or perceived right faith. The result of this is the emergence of a sectarian perception (Walker 2007, p. 219. This kind of thinking poses a great danger of religious violence and sectarian wars. It is becoming essentially vital for all the faiths to be reconciled top reduce the variance in the religious views across the globe. Despite the justification for the dif ferent faiths, human living in harmony with one another is an essential path that all beings would like to pursue. The major challenge though is how to harmonize the diversity. Religion Religion has and continues to play a crucial role as far as human development and civilization is concerned (Clark, 2006, p. 443). The exists differences in dimensions in human spirituality and other aspects such as the metaphysical speculative line of thought, the practice of the rituals and rites, the modern philosophical mode of ethics and the existing myths of imaginations that have taken the lead in the history of mankind. In its role as a myth elaborator and a foundation of ethical and social norms, Religion could be said to be the bedrock upon which all human civilizations are built (Bloom, 2005, p 77). Religious beliefs, theories and practices have acted as the fabric that binds the society together. It has also given man tools to live orderly and ethically. It acts like a framework that help s humans to make meaning out of life (Enroth, 2005, p. 135). Religion and New Age All over the world and particularly in western countries; Christians often come into contact with varied aspects of the â€Å"New Age† phenomenon. Majority of the people feel the need to understand how best to approach situations which at times is so alluring, complicated, elusive and even, disturbing. In so doing Christians attempt to address two objectives.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More These generally give some pointers to the aspects of the new age developments that may be considered to be inconsistent with the fundamental elements of the Christian life or the Christianity as the religion in principle. It is agreeable that the differences are very clear and it is essential to address the variance that arise so that the religious foundations is streamlined and maintained to serve the fundamental purpose in human history. The following discussion is in support of the notion that New Age spiritualities are more suited to contemporary western life than the established, collective religions. The argument agrees to the fact that New Age approach is well-suited to the modern society, as it enables people to practice spirituality while avoiding the collective bondages imposed by the great world religions. Culture and the â€Å"New Age† â€Å"New Age† has been indicated as a very coherent current of thought. Also as a deliberate challenge to modern culture. It has also being argued to capture the diverse structure that includes the many diverse elements that human life is made up with. This is believed to be able to allow the individuals to share their interests with those who would be interested in subscribing to their views in various aspects of life. The degrees of commitments to various faiths are also seen to vary from one individual to anot her and across the various classes of people. New Age† religion can be viewed as a response to people’s religious concerns, needs and queries. This is an attempt of people to discover and rediscover a spiritual dimension in their lives. The New age religion takes into account the differences in people character, and genuine opinion about many things in life. Especially when it comes to the search of meaning and purpose of life , it is believed that many people are still struggling to make the very sense of existence and the new age religion aims at addressing such discrepancies. There is also very clear distinction between religion and spirituality in this line of thought. In many occasions, organized religion has been rejected on the basis that it has failed in their judgment to answer their needs. As a result they have sought to find spirituality elsewhere. At the core perceptions of â€Å"New Age† is the belief is the belief that some religious perceptions hav e been overtaken by time the time so that reference to it as a religion would be self-defeating to its own self-understanding. New-Age, However, can be considered in the broader context of esoteric religiousness, whose appeal continues to grow (Jelen, 2006, p. 343).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on New Age spiritualities specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The New Age movement is considered as an amorphous association of people who not most feel that â€Å"humanity is at the dawn of entering into a new form of consciousness†. Those who adhere and also associate with the â€Å"new age† have similar characteristics that may encompass the type of spiritual syncretism and there will to seek what they believe to be truth and the peace. Although a difficult spiritual development concept to understand and portray, as a religion of co modification (Bowman, 2008, p 156). With it merges with several med ical or psychological methods meditation, such as acupuncture, homeopathy,aromatherapy, astrology, environmentalism, Hermetic practice, Esoteric Christianity and Goddess Worship. this protean mix of nuance and the bizarre, the New Age itself remains among the more difficult of contemporary spiritual developments to comprehend and portray, but as a â€Å"religion of commoditization,† it parlays with any number of alternative medical or psychological methods ranging from (Campbell 2007, p. 255) . Campbell (2007, p. 278) adds that beneath the popular image of New Age, are antecedents derived from venerable aspects, called â€Å"cultic milieu.† . New Age arises from these settings. The concept inherits practice of channeling spirits from other dimensions’ it is also characterized by belief which associates illness and poverty as either illusions or diseases of the mind. It also borrows the understandings of karma and reincarnation (Tucker, 2007, p. 239). The â€Å" cultic milieu† incorporates esoteric and non-mainstream ideas borrowed from the East and blended with occult and pagan from the western countries Why Secularism? Secularism can be regarded as the foundation of modern civilization. Secularism goes beyond separating religion from state institutions (Karner, 2004, p. 30). In general terms, the concept is cognizant of the fact the affairs affecting a state are too important to be pegged upon the whims of ancient myths and superstitions (Geoffroy, 2004, p. 35). History acknowledges that, technological advancement is owed to the concept of secularism. Scientific development, which has led to all technical and economic benefits, is a product of increasing secularism. Geoffrey ( 2004, p. 36) further observes that secularism was the proven solution to centuries of religious conflict in Europe. Secularism has brought far reaching benefits. However, Tucker (2007, p. 238) asserts that this legacy seems to have been forgotten and suggests the need for learning. These days are long gone, but the sectarian consequences of our over indulgence of religious schools will be felt well into the future. Religious strictness has also acted as the major hindrance to economic growth of some economies across the globe and this has resulted in economic backwardness. Based on this premise, Ataturk, the victorious general at Gallipoli, abolished the Caliphate in favour of secularism on Turkey.Advertising Looking for research paper on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Provisions in the Turkish constitution, strongly mandates secularism while excluding any religious influence on legislation (Johnston, 2007, p. 39). Coincidentally, such countries don’t seem to have. In most cases, the religious laws cannot be amended by the elected law makers. In this case, democracy is elusive. It is no wonder efforts to establish democracy in Iraq has proved an exercise in futility. With such laws in place, Iraq is doomed to sectarian strife, oppression and endless economic and social deprivation. Apart from Iraq, politicians in many other parts of the world seem to be advancing their religious credentials. They seem to ignore the realization that populations have become less religious. The answer to this paradox is embedded in the nature of globalization and multiculturalism which has played a key role resolving conflicts among Judaism, Christianity and Islam (Marler, 2002, p. 297). Abandoning of secularism, especially amongst political elites, may b infl uenced by complex causes, but the outcomes are unbearable. Religion and religiousness would not have been contentious issues, if societies were more culturally homogenous (Kellner, 2002, p. 150). There would be no threat to cultural sensitivities. However, the world and even countries have become more ethnically diverse. , The ethos of multiculturalism is therefore necessary to achieve a sustainable tolerance and to support development of the minorities (Secor, 2002, p. 122). Social cohesion is realized through acceptance cultural diversity. Nevertheless, multiculturalism tends to undermine religions-considered as the cultural phenomena. Multi-cultureless has placed religious cultural effects beyond question. The result is that, religion has been shielded from the rational assessment as it was in the past. Conclusion Despite the many beliefs that quickly be placed under the general fabric of â€Å"New Age,† as a religious perspective, New Age is regarded as a shared attempt t o understand what constitutes the world, humanity and the supernatural and the relationships between them in ways that give meaning to participants’ lives and help them determine what is valuable within some sort of workable framework. The driving force behind New Age is the increasing awareness in today’s world of individual difference and cultural multiplicity which recognizes that religious choice is a personal decision. It is also worth mentioning that religious truth is no longer the monopoly of private elites or esoteric cabals, New Age religion may be said to represent a democratization of spirituality within the emergent. References Bloom, William, ed. Holistic Revolution, 2005.: The Essential New Age Reader. London: Allen Lane/Penguin. Bowman, Robert M., Jr. Orthodoxy and Heresy: A Biblical Guide to Doctrinal Discernment. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008. Explains simply, for those with no theological background, the importance of discerning orthodox from heretical t eaching and sets forth a broad evangelical approach to doing so. Campbell, Colin B. â€Å"The Cult, the Cultic Milieu and Secularization.† In Michael Hill, ed. A Sociological Yearbook of Religion in Britain 5. London: SCM Press, 2007, 119–36. Clark, Peter B., ed. Encyclopedia of New Religious Movements. New York: Routledge, 2006. 700-page secular academic reference work. Enroth, Ron, ed. A Guide to New Religious Movements. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005. Brief, up-to-date chapters on JWs, Mormons, Unification Church, Hinduism, the New Age movement, the Dalai Lama, Neopaganism, Baha’i, and the Nation of Islam Geoffroy, Martin 2004. ‘Theorizing Religion in the Global Age: A Typological Analysis’. International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society, 18(1):33-46. Jelen, Ted G. 2006. ‘Religion and politics in the United States: Persistence, limitations and the prophetic voice.’ Social Compass, 53(3): 329-43. Johnston, Jerry. Similarities and Differences of Non-Christian Belief Systems. Overland Park, KS: Jerry Johnston Publishing, 2007. Megachurch pastor provides information and analysis of heretical Christian sects, world religions, and other movements. Karner, Christian Aldridge, Alan 2004. ‘Theorizing Religion in a Globalizing World’. International Journal of Politics, Culture and Society, 18(1):5-32. Kellner, Douglas 2002. ‘September 11, Social Theory and Democratic Politics’. Theory-Culture-Society, 19(4): 147-159. Marler, Penny Long and C. Kirk Hadaway 2002. â€Å"‘Being religious’ or ‘being spiritual’ in America: a zero-sum proposition?† Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 41(2):289-300. Secor, Anna 2002. ‘Islamist politics: Antisystemic or post-modern movements?’ Geopolitics, 6 (3):117-34. Tucker, Ruth A. Another Gospel: Alternative Religions and the New Age Movement. Grand Rapids: Zondervan—Academie, 2007. Evangelical historian’s textbook is strongest on historical exposition of the origins and people involved in each religion Walker, James K., with the staff of Watchman Fellowship. The Concise Guide to Today’s Religions and Spirituality. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2007. Short definitions or descriptions for some 1600 entries of groups, authors, practices, doctrines, Wuthnow, Robert 2004. ‘Presidential address 2003: The challenge of diversity.’ Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 43(2):159-70. This research paper on New Age spiritualities was written and submitted by user Ashton Marsh to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, November 25, 2019

POLICE SUBCULTURE essays

POLICE SUBCULTURE essays Police officers are people the society should normally look up to as epitomes of discipline and protectors of law and order, however police behavior in recent years has been anything but exemplary thus rising rise to extreme resentment and distrust in the public. The public no longer trusts or respects police officers levying all sorts of charges against them. Police behavior is indeed despicable in some cases especially where When we delve deeper into the anthropological and psychological causes of this kind of behavior, we notice that police is influenced by a flawed subculture that profound affects the attitude and behavior of most police officers. On the one hand, this subculture teaches them certain values and beliefs and on the other, it turns the entire police community into a cohesive group that is essentially alienated from the general public. According to Adler, Mueller, and Laufer (1994) police subculture is a "set of norms and values that govern police behavior, brought about by stressful working conditions plus daily interaction with an often hostile public." Police subculture is responsible for giving officers a unique working attitude and mindset. Their character and personality is profoundly altered by the views and values that they learn from existing in this subculture. The one most important thing we notice about this subculture is the idea of insiders and outsiders that lies at the core of all its values. Police officers are constantly reminded of their role as protectors of peace and order which turns them against the general public as they view everyone outside the police department as a potential criminal or suspect. Police culture is also essentially characterized by violence as research indicates that, "Many officers are exposed to a subculture of violence in which they encounter death almost daily. The average citizen generally does not witness in a lifetime ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

In the documents which I upload Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

In the documents which I upload - Essay Example The power of the sound depends on the ability to create a known rhythm, harmony and style. The development of the music usage in documentaries, drama and other films has helped in the development of the quality movie following and in turn facilitate the development of the attraction and attention grasping of the audience. The Music that can be used in the film Golden age is a documentary sound effect because it does not have any physical character but relies on sound in character and plot development. The movies has an abstract presentation of images that cannot be clearly understood without linking the film to technological work such as the use of sound and effects will facilitate the development of theme and storyline which can be developed and be used to explain the occurrences and use of technology in films. The film presents the different approaches that can be used to address the issues of image creation. Music and sound use in the film Sound usage in the film is vital because it creates the necessary accompanying audio effect that influences the performance of the movies. Movies without the sound effect and music cannot be able to produce effects on the audience. Music is a vital aspect in the film production cycle, which leads to the development of attention in the audience. The absence of music has a profound effect on the film because music is used to enhance the drama. Without music and sound, it is impossible to illustrate the emotional content in the film (Larsen, 2008, p. 34). The development of the story line is not effective in the process leading to the development of misunderstanding of concepts. The employment of the Automated Dialog replacement is to improve the quality of the actor’s voices and reduce the effect of the surrounding noises or solve the problems of volume and quality. Music offers the guidance of emotions in the play through the development of the various means and styles of sound controls. The development of the variou s approaches with the main focus being on the use of sound is depicted in several movies. These movies present ideas and emotion by the use of dialogue, monologue and music usage. Music in films helps in improving imagery and intimates the drawings (Sherman, 2003, p. 78). The success of the music usage is dependent on choice and sound effects associated with the situation. Situation of horror and happiness is presented differently with the main focus of the sound effect being on volume and intensity. Despite the impact of sound and music use in the film, the influence may not be powerful, when it is not linked to the scene. The failure to develop the various mechanisms of sound and music control in the movie may lead to lack of relevance in the movies. The chosen movie does not have a sound tract as such it does not draw attention of the audience. Thus, the impact of sound usage can be easily evaluated by evaluating the film. The use of music and the sound tract improves the film qu ality by improving the understanding of the audience and increased attention to the plot development of the film (Wierzbicki, 2008, p. 63). The film has failed to include sound tracks for the purpose of evaluating the impact of sound in film creation and watching. Simulation coupled with sound usage makes the film successful if properly controlled. Soundtrack for the Film From the start of the film, to the 23rd second is the introduction part of the movie, which must be touching and captivating. The use of stringed instruments accompanied by

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Phase 4 Discussion Board Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Phase 4 Discussion Board - Assignment Example However, competitive ideas in automation will require innovative ideas, expert workforce, and structural capabilities. This means that automation will merge business activities and process will no longer be isolated. Automation was necessary for our company since it helps in speeding up the process; in essence, it develops processes that are simple, mitigate inefficiencies, and overlap workloads. The greater visibility will enable managers in diagnosing problems; prevent time-consuming process, and increasing efficiency (Sveiby, 2007). Statistics shows that businesses spent 70% of their time in planning and developing rules and processes. Arguably, this amounts to a lot of time that should be used by businesses in production process; therefore, business automation will help in allocating tasks, planning, and reducing time spent in production scheduling. In other words, production automation helps n making historical comparisons, predicting future trends, and analyzing business process (John, 2010). Process failures are attributable to unexpected events; hence, automation will enable businesses in increasing reliability. John (2010) state that automation is essential for our company since it enables quantification of data, explores the areas of improvement, and minimizes poor allocation of resources. Misallocation of resources leads to waste of resources that should be used in increasing productivity. In essence, automation helps in increasing relationship with stakeholders such as suppliers, customers, distributors etc. this is an effective strategy in boosting efficiency and increasing competitive advantage (John, 2010). In sum, business processes automation helped us in restructuring labor cost, integrating office applications, and redefining workflow. Simply, businesses needs to pursue strategies that will ensure time is saved, cost is reduced, and efficiency is increased. However, the decision to

Monday, November 18, 2019

Science Fiction, Technology, and Our Modern World Essay - 2

Science Fiction, Technology, and Our Modern World - Essay Example The brain in a vat scenario depicts a situation where all beliefs we hold about the world would presumably be false despite the fact that they are justified. Brain in a vat argument presents a situation where a removed human brain placed in a life-sustaining fluid and connected to computers that provide exactly the same impulses as the body. The computers effectively create a virtual reality. The person with the disembodied brain continues to have a perfect life without a relationship with the object of the real world. The person will not be able to discover the reality of their simulated world thus transferring my consciousness to a computer would make no difference, I will not mind. Q2. Metaphysics is concerned with the fundamental nature of reality whose hypothesis may claim the truth underlying physics. It may also say a thing about our mind’s nature or creation of the world. Matrix hypothesis is regarded as a metaphysical proposition with all the three elements. These are the reality underlying physics, nature of our minds and the creation of the world. Each of these elements is coherent, and cannot be ruled out conclusively and none of them is a skeptical hypothesis. Matrix and metaphysical hypotheses are similar in three-part version. The fundamental computation of the physical processes, the separation of our cognitive systems from physical processes while interacting with these processes and lastly the physical reality created outside the physical space. One may make various objections. For instance, one might argue that the matrix hypothesis implies a computer simulation where physical process exists but not simply that the physical processes themselves exist. Matrix hypothesis seeks to create consciousness in minds, which may or may not be fully aware that they are living in a simulation. Q3. Computer games and simulations are interactive multimedia whose

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Comparison of Positivist and Phenomenological Methods

Comparison of Positivist and Phenomenological Methods Describe, compare, contrast, and critically evaluate the effectiveness of both positivist and phenomenological methodology adopted when studying society. Sociology is the study of human society, including both social action and organisation. Sociologists use scientific research methods and theories, and study social life in a wide variety of settings, this offers not only information but also a distinctive way of looking at the world and the position humans play in it. Whereas most people try to explain events by analyzing the motives of those involved, sociologists encourage a look beyond individual psychology to many recurring attitudes, actions and how these patterns vary across time, cultures and social groups. To look at the different ways people act and behave in society, it has to be seen from a sociological perspective. Within sociology there is no single method, but many. As stated by Haralambos and Holborn (1995) Science appeared to be capable of producing objective knowledge that could be used to solve human problems and increase human productive capacity in an unprecedented way. This assignment will look at the two main me thodologies, used by sociologists, past and present, and compare the effectiveness of the two. When the task of comparing and contrasting the two methodologies of positivism and phenomenology, adopted within the study of society, there are many things that leap to mind: Firstly, there is the factor of time or circa and secondly is the influence of certain acclaimed sociologists within the two different approaches. Methodology within sociology is the study of methods and deals with the philosophical assumptions underlying the research process, using scientific quantitative data collection under those philosophical assumptions. The broad methodology positions, positivism and phenomenology differ hugely. Positivism contains the underlying philosophical assumptions of research in the most pure and applied sciences, physics, chemistry and biology, based on ideas of the objective reality of the physical world, scientific method and empiricism. Just as positivism arose out of rejecting speculation an alternative view has arisen out of rejecting the view that scientific empiricism can be applied to the social world. There is no one philosophical basis, but phenomenology, which can be seen as the basis for what is the assumption that society can only really be understood through personal actions such as language, feelings and emotions. As stated by Kirby, Kidd, Koubel, Barter, Hope, Kirton, Madry, Manning and Triggs, (2000), that although not perfect the link between the methodologies is that the structuralist-minded sociologists tended to adopt a positivist approach and social action based sociologists tend to adopt a phenomenological approach. The positivist versus the phenomenological approach to the study of man and society is considered in terms of one of the major debates in social science research. Many of the founding fathers of sociology such as Marx (1818-1883), Comte (1798-1857) and Durkheim (1858-1917) believed that it would be possible to create a science of society based on the same principles and procedures as natural sciences. Positivist theorists believed that this approach would reveal that the evolution of society followed invariable laws and that it would show that the behaviour of man was governed by principles of cause and effect which are just as invariable as the subject of natural sciences. Kirby et al, (2000) states that positivists believe that only by adopting a position of total objectivity towards the subject matter or phenomena can unbiased knowledge or theories be produced. Comte believed in the hierarchy of science and that each study of science is dependent upon another. His theory ranged from the simplest to the more complex forms of science and that sciences above rely on sciences below stating that sociology was more abstract and difficult than other sciences. Originating from his hierarchy of science, as stated in Haralambos and Holborn, (2004), Comte widely believed that industrialization and the growth of scientific knowledge would lead to secularization, therefore devising his contribution to the study of social dynamics in that, the rule of societies passing through three stages defined by their social relationships. Theological law was a belief in superhuman or divine powers, Metaphysical, a belief in the powers of the individual human mind and the positive law was based on truth produced by collaborative, quantitative and scientific work. An appeal of the positivist approach is that scientific knowledge does not contradict or surprise the ex perience of the everyday world. It argues that factors, which are not directly observable, such as meanings feelings and purposes, are not particularly important and can be misleading, they therefore, form, reliable quantitative data. Phenomenological theorists such as Simmel (1858-1918) and Weber (1864-1920) propose that the consciousness is the proper area of study, for its study will reveal meaning. They seek to sense reality and describe in words rather than numbers, trying to produce convincing descriptions of what they experience rather than explanations and causes. Weber disagreed with Comtes theory, he believed there could be as many sciences as needed, Quantitative and empirical studies cannot tell people what to do, and it is important to go beyond simply recording events and to explain the reasons behind them. When referring to Webers idea of puritanism, a case study in the empirical construction of the protestant ethic, Weber, as cited by Ghosh (2003), clearly states that empirical sources are not tablets of stone, eternally available to the truth seeking historian; rather they have a history of their own. Weber believed that values play a crucial role before during and after research and that social a ction is governed by the dynamic of individual needs. Weber was committed to the study of causality, the probability that an event would be followed by another event not necessarily of a similar nature. In addition to this Weber also analysed the levels to which rationality was becoming institutionally embedded in modern industrialised societies. Marxs view of bureaucracy was according to Weber a form of organisation superior to all others, Weber wrote in one of his many books, that without this form of social technology the industrialised countries could not have reached the wealth and extravagance that they currently enjoy, (Weber, 1928) as cited in Haralambos and Holborn, (2004). He believed that this capacity for social order would lead to the evolution of the iron cage, and as a result, a society that was technically ordered, rigid and dehumanized. As stated by Giddens (1997) Weber sought to understand social change. He was influenced by Marx but was also strongly critical of s ome of Marxs major views, rejected the materialistic conception of history and saw class conflict as less significant than Marx. From a positivist stance, Marx believed that ideas were expressions of public interest and that they served as weapons in the struggle between classes and political parties. Class for Marx, is defined as a social relationship rather than a position or rank in society. Class struggle and owners of production determined economic order. In Marxs view, classes are defined and structured by work, labour, possessions, production, and the class structures of capitalism consisted of class struggle, political power and the development of a classless society. Marxs theory of society consisted of two categories of class and that economic order was determined by the two; Bourgeoisie, the capitalist class, the hierarchy, the wealthy, the employers and the Proletariat, who are the workers or the lower class. His view was that as the bourgeoisie employed the proletariat, who has to fulfill his basic needs, the capitalist class could not exist without them. As cited by Haralambos and Holborn (1995), Marxism has sometimes been regarded as a positivist approach since it can be argued that it sees human behaviour as a reaction to the stimulus of the economic infrastructure. Although Weber agreed with Marx in part, that as methods of the organisation increased efficiency and effectiveness of production, Marxs theory threatened to dehumanise society. Webers theories, stratification and views on economic behaviour were rooted from Marxs view on the economics of a society. Another positivist view came from Emile Durkheim, whose impression of society was of structures that function apart from human purpose and will. While he considered society to be composed of individuals, his theory was that it is not individuals behaviours, thoughts and actions that construct society, but that society has a structure and existence of its own. His thought was, that society was to have developed from traditional to modern society, through the expansion and development of the division of labour, of course, it is individuals who act, but they do not act on a purely individual basis, they have obligations and duties and are strongly influenced by structure, tradition and the roles of our forefathers. Durkheim considered himself with the issue of social order and how modern society holds together, given that society is composed of many individuals each acting in an individual and autonomous manner. Durkheims classic study of suicide, (1970, first published in 1897), as cit ed in Haralambos and Holborn, (2004) is often seen as a model of positivist research and it does indeed follow many of the methodological procedures of positivism. Although supporting the two different methodologies of sociology, Durkheim was heavily influenced by Weber, who defined sociology as the study of social action between individuals. In contrast to Durkheims impression of society and view that society has an existence of its own apart from the individuals in it and so proceeds a proper object of study. As argued by Haralambos and Holborn (1995) where Marx was pessimistic about the division of labour in society, Durkheim was cautiously optimistic. Marx saw the specialised divisions of labour trapping workers in their occupational role, Durkheim saw problems arising from specialisation in industrial society, but believed the promise of the division of labour far outweighed the problems. While Simmel is generally not regarded as being as influential in sociology as were Marx, Weber and Durkheim, Simmels theories, had some similarities to Durkheims theory of problems of individuality and society, Webers dynamic of individual interests and Marxs theory of class structure. Simmel considered society to be an association of free individuals and that society could not be studied in the same way as the physical world for example, sociology is more than the discovery of natural laws that govern human interaction. His theory was that society is made up of the interactions between and among individuals and that, sociologists should study the patterns and forms of these associations rather that look for social laws. By defining sociology in this way, Simmel avoids the conflict about the nature of science whether it should be concerned with timeless, universal laws, instead, there are always multiple ways in which we can look at things. He argued that society was made up of soc ial facts, and these social facts coerce and shape the actions of individuals. He argued that in traditional societies, solidarity binds together individuals in order to allow society to operate. Social facts only come into being in an interaction, and do not exist within an individual consciousness. Durkheim (1970) as cited in Haralambos and Holborn (2004), stated that the determining cause of a social fact should be sought among the social facts preceding it and not among the states of individual consciousness, the causes of variations in suicide rates were to be found in social facts and in society rather than the individual. Therefore, social groups represent. He argued that societies that functioned well were societies that held a consensus sway over individuals; society, therefore, was something outside and inside individuals. As stated by Haralambos and Holborn (1995) to phenomenology, it is impossible to measure objectively any aspect of human behaviour, through language humans distinguish between different types of events, actions, objects and people. The process of categorisation is subjective; it depends upon the opinions of the observer. Statistics are simply the product of the opinions of those who produce them. The distinction between positivist and phenomenological approaches is not as clear-cut as this assignment implies. There is a considerable debate over whether or not a particular theory should be labelled positivist or phenomenological. Often many of the theorists lie somewhere in between, some taking views from either side. Haralambos and Holborn (1995) argue that in terms of sociology, the positivist approach makes the following assumptions; the behaviour of humans, like the behaviour of matter, can be objectively measured, just as the behaviour of matter can be quantified by measures such as weight, temperature and pressure. Methods of objective measurement can be devised for human behaviour, such measurement is essential to explain behaviour. Early Positivists such as Comte, and Durkheim argued that objectivity was attainable by adopting a scientific methodology. Marx also believed that his sociology was objective and scientific, although he saw society very differently. Weber did not think complete value freedom was possible, but he did believe that once a topic for research had been chosen, the researcher could be objective. He argued that sociologists should not make value judgments, that is, they should not state what aspects of society they found desirable or undesirable. It is plainly nonsensical to throw into one big pot labelled sociology all those researches which could have been satisfactorily conducted by national economy, history of civilisation, philosophy, political science, statistics, demography and ethics. That gives us a new name, but no new knowledge. Simmel, G (1858), cited in American Journal of Sociology [online]) (1898) Reference List Ghosh, P, (2003), Max Webers Idea of Puritanism: A Case Study In The Empirical Construction Of The Protestant Ethic, History of European Ideas, [online], 29;2, 183-221, Available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL_udi=B6V9C-48D2RD7-1_user=10_rdoc=1_fmt=_orig=search_sort=dview=c_acct=C000050221_version=1_urlVersion=0_userid=10md5=10803212fe05d9a06d9a7ce5cfaec919 [Accessed November 21, 2008] Giddens, A, (1997) Sociology, 3rd Edition, Polity Press, Cambridge Haralambos, M, Holborn, M, (1995), Sociology, Themes and Perspectives, 4th Edition, Collins Educational, London Haralambos, M, Holborn, M, (2004), Sociology, Themes and Perspectives, 6th Edition, Collins Educational, London Kirby, M, Kidd, W, Koubel, F, Barter, J, Hope, T, Kirton, A, Madry, N, Manning, P, Triggs, K, (2000), Sociology in Perspective, Heinemann Educational, Oxford Simmel, G (1898) The Persistence of Social Groups, American Journal of Sociology, [online], 5; 3, 662-663. Available at: http://www.brocku.ca/MeadProject/Simmel/Simmel_1897a.html [Accessed November 11th 2008]

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Designing Agile Organisations Essay -- Enterprise integration modellin

Abstract: We investigate the management system of the enterprise as an agent maintaining a system of objectives. We then analyse the organisation as a set of individual autonomous co-operating agents so that agenthood of the entire enterprise becomes an emergent property of the organisation. Important questions include: under what condition can agenthood emerge? how to create such an organisation?, and how to guarantee that change preserves agenthood?. Introduction It is increasingly important to devise faster and more reliable ways of designing purposeful, agile organisations (Bernus et al, 1997). We use the definition of the organisation as the human component of the enterprise, forming the human-organisational architecture (Williams, 1994). An enterprise can be thought of as consisting of an operational and a decisional system (Doumeingts et al, 1998), each implemented partly by humans and partly by machines (Bernus and Nemes, 1994). We borrow the definition of the 'planning agent' from artificial intelligence to describe the desired quality of the organisation. We demonstrate necessary conditions for the enterprise to behave as an agent, and also show the relationship of this view to concepts such as the fractal factory, holonic manufacturing, and others. The organisation as an agent Two crucial questions in organisational design are: 1) how to design the task structure of the enterprise to form a co-ordinated whole? and 2) what tasks allocation to humans (or groups) ensures that the enterprise will act to satisfy its objectives? The second question is typically not asked in business process engineering: it is assumed that the organisation will to what it is told to. An organisation should conduct a system of activities managed and controlled to satisfy a set of organisational objectives. This requires purposeful behaviour so that the organisation can be characterised as a planning agent. A planning agent determines a course of action to achieve its set of objectives. This course of action, or plan, is constrained by the agent's resources as well as the agent's own functional capabilities. The organisation follows, or appears to be following this plan while monitoring the effectiveness of the actions to actually satisfy the objectives for which the plan was made. If the plan fails in some way, then the plan or the objectives are m... ...319-332 Koestler,A.. (1989) The ghost in the machine. Arkana Books Tharumarajah, A., Wells,J., Nemes,L., (1996) Comparison of the bionic, fractal and holonic manufacturing systems concepts. Int. J. on Computer Integrated Manuf. (3) pp.217-226 Uppington,G., Bernus,P., Assessing the Necessity of Enterprise Change: Pre-feasibility and Feasibility Studies in Enterprise Integration. Int. J. of CIM, 1998 11(5) pp 430-447 Valckenaers,P., VanBrussel,H., Bongaerts,L., Wyns,J. (1997) IMS test case 5: holonic manufacturing systems. Journal of Integrated Computer-Aided Engineering, 4(3), pp191-201. VanHouten,D.R. (1990) The political economy and technical control of work humanization in Sweden during the 1970s and 1980s. Work and Occupations, 14, pp483-513. Warnecke, H.J. (1993) The Fractal Company. Berlin: Springer. Williams,T.J., (1994) The Purdue Enterprise Reference Architecture. Computers in Industry, 24 (2-3) pp141-158 Williams,T.J., Bernus,P., Brosvic,J., Chen,D., Doumeingts,G., Nemes,L., Nevins,J.L., Vallespir,B., Vlietstra,J., Zoetekouw,D., (1994) Architectures for integrating manufacturing activities and enterprises. Computers in Industry, 24(2-3) pp111-140

Monday, November 11, 2019

Evils of War Essay

There is no doubt that war is an evil one. It is the greatest catastrophe that can befall human beings. It brings death and destruction, merciless slaughter and butchery, disease and starvation, poverty and ruin in its wake. A particularly disturbing side of modern wars is that they tend to become global so that they may engulf the entire world. But though war is an evil, we must recognize the fact that it is a necessary, inescapable evil. A glance at the past history of the world will show war has been a recurrent phenomenon in the history of nations. We have had wars of all types wars lasting for a year or so and a war lasting for hundred years. Clashes of arms have always occurred. In a world war has ways been waged. War has indeed, been such a marked feature of every age and period. This has come to be regarded as part of The normal life of nations. Poet and prophets have dreamt of a millennium – an utopia in which war will not exist and eternal peace will reign on earth, but these dreams have not been fulfilled. The occurrence the Second World War however, conclusively proved that to think of an unbroken peace’s to be unrealistic and that no institution or assembly can ever ensure the presence of peace. The United Nations Organisation, with all the good work that it has seen doing, is not proving as effective as was desired. A large number of wars, The most recent ones behind the one in Vietnam, the other between India and Pakistan, or Ind-China war, Iran-Iraq war or Arab Isreal war. The fact of the matter is that, fighting is a natural instinct in peace. It is, indeed, too much to exact so many nations to live in a state of eternal peace. Besides, there will always be wide differences of option between various nations, different angle of looking at matters that have an international importance, radical difference in policy and ideology and they cannot be settled by mere discussion so that resort to war becomes very necessary in these cases.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Lamb to the Slaughter Essay

Rohal Dahl’s short story, ‘Lamb to the Slaughter’, set in the early 20th century, isn’t your typical crime-fiction story, a murder is brewing. As the detectives strive for answers, eating away their only clue, Dahl communicates to the reader that the contrast is unexpected. A housewife, Mary Maloney, is expecting her husband home after a long day at work; unaware to the news he carries with him. Dahl never reveals the news to the readers, but gives them clues by Mary’s reactions. As the author continues the story, the readers sense a mood between Mr. and Mrs. Maloney. This serves the purpose of foreshadowing by hinting at a future problem or disagreement. Dahl uses several writing techniques such as language style, characterization, point of view, plot structure and setting to make the story more exciting and enjoyable. Lamb to the Slaughter, is written in their person to take most of the character’s personal feelings out of the story. Writing in third person is a stronger, more forceful type of writing because the main points and events stand out them selves without feelings getting in the way. One of the reasons authors write in third person is to dis-include themselves from the story. By using words like they, she and he, Dahl has excluded both himself and the reader from the story, creating a stronger, more enjoyable story. The first character introduced in the novel is Mary Maloney. Because it is only a short story, Dahl has left most of the physical features of the character out and focused more in the idiosyncrasies and actions of each character. Along the way Mary’s features are described but not in dept. Another way characters are revealed is by the way others react to them and how much emotion each character puts in their speech. Dahl has made sure that the readers feel intrigued by Mrs. Maloney’s character and how she changes from such an innocent woman to an emotionless murderer.

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Free Essays on Inequality

The myth of a "classless" American society coupled with social stratification impedes race relations in the U.S. far more than any racial differences. The never ending struggle of the "have-nots" to become one of the "haves" produces a frustration and feeling of oppression that acts as a catalyst for spawning racial tensions. Minorities see the majority of wealth in the hands of the white population and feel that the wealth is unevenly distributed. Whites hear of government programs for minorities and feel as if they are lazy or just looking for a handout. This occurs and stereotypes are formed. Combine all of this with the United States system of "dual welfare"and the perfect environment for racial strife is created. In our "classless"society of false hope the working class and poor are continually seeking opportunities to excel that just aren't there. They have been led to believe that intelligence and ambition are key contributors to one's success. This belief lays blame on the un successful themselves, even if they do possess ambition and intelligence. These people are in a never ending cycle of struggle, followed by minimal rewards, which eventually produces a frustration that sometimes leads to desperate measures. Cornell West expands on this with the following statement : ". . . homicidal assaults by young black men on one another are only the most obvious signs of this empty quest for pleasure, property, and power" (Race and Racism p.123). This statement shows the extremes one will go to in his "empty quest" for a better life. This is not only happening 2 to blacks by blacks. It is happening to all races by all races. People hear of events like these and categorize them as a racial crime or a racially motivated crime just because the victims may be of a different race. As West's statement demonstrates the killings occur as a means to an end, the end being a better life. In our ever diversifying melting pot of a country, same race... Free Essays on Inequality Free Essays on Inequality As we prosper through time, inequality is slowly less evident. A lot of people don't realize that although things are improving with time, inequality is still prominent in our society. The people that are failing to realize that there still is inequality are the fortunate ones. They rise well above the poverty line, and usually live relatively economically sound lives. They are the people who are supplied with our society's benefits. On the other hand, the people that are in pursuit of social change, and constantly bring attention to issues of equal rights and privileges, are often the people that do not have them. This paper will illustrate some of the sociological facets of class, race, and gender, and how they are interwoven with other dimensions of social stratification. Some people believe that stratification has beneficial consequences. Of course, these people are on the higher end of the stratification hierarchy, which makes it easier for them to agree with that statement. â€Å"There seems no place where hierarchical status orderings aren’t discoverable.†(Fussel, Class, p.9) They believe that the harder one works the more they will achieve, thus promoting production in society. However, individuals at the lower end of the stratification system disagree with that. Their social status prevents them from achieving their best because all of their benefits and advantages are given to those of higher status, â€Å"certain limits have been placed on their capacity to ascend socially†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Fussel, Class, p.7) The lower class is instantly denied society’s privileges, which tends to discourage them, often leaving them feeling helpless. Unfortunately, this helplessness tends to be viewed by many higher classed people as lazine ss. What is not realized is that stratification is a character of society, and not just a reflection on individual differences. Stratification is universal but variable. It involves beliefs and persists over gene... Free Essays on Inequality 1. I’m in going into the business management field. If the economy continues to grow for the rest of my life, I think my income would raise considerably. I feel that business is a very important field, because business respectfully has to do with anything and everything that has to do with a business and the economy. If that does continue to grow and grow the income possibilities are endless. I feel that the occupation that I am interested in is closer to affluence than comfortable. If the economy stays level, I feel that, my income would be relativity the same as I am starting the profession. Then when I have established myself at a company for a long period of time my income would rise at a steady pace. If the economy starts to decline, my income would be stay basically the same. Only because I feel that studies have shown profession in the affluent field continue to raise not decline through out a long period of time. I feel that if the economy continues to grow, that everyone will benefit from a growing economy. There will be less poverty, and some of the comfortable people will go to the affluent class, and there will be less inequality. If the economy levels out, I feel that it will be a struggle for the working class and even for the comfortable class. The cost of living will go up and everyone, besides the affluent class will find it difficult to make ends meet and get the goodies in life. When this happens I’m am sure that you will see greater inequality. If the economy declines then it would be a loss for the comfortable class and the poverty class. I’m sure that everyone would be affected by the decline in the economy but the ones that would be affected the most would be the comfortable class and the poverty class. You would see people from the comfortable class drop into the poverty class. Hence you would see more people in the poverty class. You will see the rich g et richer and the poor will... Free Essays on Inequality The myth of a "classless" American society coupled with social stratification impedes race relations in the U.S. far more than any racial differences. The never ending struggle of the "have-nots" to become one of the "haves" produces a frustration and feeling of oppression that acts as a catalyst for spawning racial tensions. Minorities see the majority of wealth in the hands of the white population and feel that the wealth is unevenly distributed. Whites hear of government programs for minorities and feel as if they are lazy or just looking for a handout. This occurs and stereotypes are formed. Combine all of this with the United States system of "dual welfare"and the perfect environment for racial strife is created. In our "classless"society of false hope the working class and poor are continually seeking opportunities to excel that just aren't there. They have been led to believe that intelligence and ambition are key contributors to one's success. This belief lays blame on the un successful themselves, even if they do possess ambition and intelligence. These people are in a never ending cycle of struggle, followed by minimal rewards, which eventually produces a frustration that sometimes leads to desperate measures. Cornell West expands on this with the following statement : ". . . homicidal assaults by young black men on one another are only the most obvious signs of this empty quest for pleasure, property, and power" (Race and Racism p.123). This statement shows the extremes one will go to in his "empty quest" for a better life. This is not only happening 2 to blacks by blacks. It is happening to all races by all races. People hear of events like these and categorize them as a racial crime or a racially motivated crime just because the victims may be of a different race. As West's statement demonstrates the killings occur as a means to an end, the end being a better life. In our ever diversifying melting pot of a country, same race...

Monday, November 4, 2019

Entrepreneurship. What Have I Learned During The Program And How Can I Essay

Entrepreneurship. What Have I Learned During The Program And How Can I Apply This In My Future Career A Critical Reflection - Essay Example Alongside the development of marketing theory, other parallel streams such as commodity, functional and institutional also experienced tremendous development. The rapid evolution, that took place just after the Second World War further escalated in the 1960s. This time the thrust was mainly on organizational behaviour, behavioural sciences and operational management which also strongly impacted the theories of marketing. The concept of entrepreneurship also evolved during this phase and some of the scholars even deem the evolution of entrepreneurial discipline to be analogous with the theories of marketing (Hultman and Shaw, 2003). It all started with the definition of entrepreneurship provided by Richard Cantillion in the 18th century, where he mentioned an entrepreneur to be an innovator. With the course of time, several other practitioners have portrayed their perception and outlooks about the notion of entrepreneurship. Schumpeter (1934) â€Å"entrepreneur as innovator†, S ay (1845) â€Å"entrepreneur as coordinator†, Kirzner (1973) â€Å"entrepreneur as arbitrator and opportunity-seeker† and Knight (1921) â€Å"entrepreneur as uncertainty reducer† are some of the excerpt of the thoughts presented by the eminent scholars. However, currently the concept of entrepreneurship is widely accepted and is judged as a vital part of the contemporary world and a well established erudite discipline. Moreover, government of a number of countries also judges entrepreneurship as a mantra of success and development of the economy. A number of examples can be traced which prominently showcases, the significant contribution made by entrepreneurs to the economy of a country. The importance increases exponentially when it comes to a developing country (Hills and Hultman, 2011). According to Rae (2007, p.3) an entrepreneur is defined as a person who acts in an enterprising way, and who identifies or creates and acts on an opportunity, for example by s tarting a new business venture. On the other hand, entrepreneurship is defined as a subject of enterprise and entrepreneurs, encompassing the practical and academic knowledge, skills and techniques used in being an entrepreneur. In regards to this context, Lumpkin and Dess (1996) put emphasis on the fact that an entrepreneur can be best judged by comparing the five dimensions namely (1) risk-taking; (2) opportunity oriented; (3) innovativeness; (4) pro-activeness; and (5) autonomy. An average or more than the standard score in these five dimensions greatly augments the possibility of an individual to become an entrepreneur in the near future (Mohanty, 2005; Hills, Hultman, Kraus and Schulte, 2010; Hultman, 1999; Carson, Cromie, McGowan and Hill, 1995). This study is basically intended to critically reflect upon the learning I received from the teachers and trainers. In the course module, we have mainly read about the theories and importance of entrepreneurship and critical evaluatio n of what I have learned during the programme and how can I apply this in my future career. In order to do this analysis, self reflection methodology will be adopted. In this study, I will portray about what I have learned during the entire course and will reflect upon how I can use those learning for my professional career. In this study, I will also develop a career action plan to showcase my future personal development. Self Reflection of Academic and Professional Learning I always have high interest on computers since my childhood days. However, at that time I was completely unaware of the architecture of a computer. In addition, I was also unaware of the strong research and development activities that took place prior to the development of computers;

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Democratic Peace-International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Democratic Peace-International Relations - Essay Example Since World War II, realists have sought a balance of power between the US and the USSR as a means of maintaining the peace. Constructivists have sought to socially construct a new political reality based on liberal values, trade, and international organizations. In a world with weak international organizations, such as the United Nations, the world is left to anarchy. Veto power by selected member nations has left the UN as an impotent body to determine the lawful respect for sovereign states. The US War in Iraq is an example where a weakened UN was powerless to stop a unilateral action. According to Brown, "Anarchy alone does not create the insecure, competitive, and war torn world... Social structures and shared knowledge determine whether states are friends or enemies. The fact that social structures are socially constructed does not, however, mean that they can be changed easily" (xxxi). Institutionalists hold some hope for order, but "treat states as rational egoists operating in a world in which agreements cannot be hierarchally enforced, and that institutionalists only expect interstate cooperation to occur if states have significant common interests" (Brown 384). Common interests most often revolve around trade and commerce. Actors do not wish to disrupt trade agreements and lose economic benefits. In the post Cold War period of nuclear availability, realism presents some clear dangers. The break-up of the Soviet Union has left a Europe where nationalism could be problematic in a scenario where a nuclear balance of power exists. Realism, a pessimistic view of human nature, would lead to further tensions in Europe and while it may provide a temporary lull in hostilities, it is incapable of solving the complex social problems of immigration, religious zeal, global health issues, or world environmental problems. Humanitarian intervention has

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Economic Crisis in the United States Research Paper

Economic Crisis in the United States - Research Paper Example widespread failure in regulatory oversight) (Barclift, 2011, p. 450). However, deeper analysis of the crisis shows that though the crisis is financial in nature, the culprit is not financial as many have explained but structural; it is caused by the faulty macroeconomic strategies of US – the reliance on bubble economy and dependency on international credits and imports. I. Understanding the Crisis Experts, policymakers and observers (BBC, 2007; Zaman, 2009, p. 64; Katkov, 2011, p. 898) perceive the crisis in contending ways, depending on which spectrum one aligns. But as the events unfold, everyone seems to agree that the crisis has started to manifest itself in the burst of the housing bubble in 2007 followed by the financial market crash. How did this happen? This question must have been asked with the shocking realization that this actually happens in the US – the seat of world power and the home of distinguished economists, financial analysts, and bankers. But afte r understanding the events, one would probably say that this kind of crisis would be most highly probable in the US. Why? The answer to this would come later. Going back to the first question, to answer this requires one to understand the mortgage lending in the US. One good simple explanation on this is to understand the effects of the changes made on the traditional model of mortgage lending to the sub-prime model as illustrated below. The differences between the two models rest on three important factors: First, the reliance on real assets for banks to lend; second, the guarantee on the capacity of borrowers to pay; and third, the transparency in the conditions of loans – i.e. that sub-prime loans are usually adjustable rate mortgages (ARM); toxic instruments, like the collateralized debt obligations (CDO) that the biggest investment banks of the world pump out (BBC, 2007, p. 1). In short, there are solid bases by which banks and borrowers conduct business, giving both par ties clear indicators by which to act. Unfortunately, these three important factors on which banks traditionally operate are disregarded in the new sub-prime model. Though it is true that selling on the mortgages to the bond markets has given banks additional leverage to fund more borrowings, however, it has resulted to fraudulent practices, which banks no longer have the incentive to check (BBC, 2007, p. 1) – i.e., falsifying credit histories or income of borrowers by mortgage brokers to qualify borrowers so that brokers can earn fees and commission (Zaman, 2009, p. 65). Truly, the sub-prime model has succeeded in raising the demand for housing, which caused the housing bubble, but in the end caused the financial crisis. Freeman (2002) explained that the housing bubble created a hyperinflationary spiral, fuelling speculative investments in real estate. Consequently, this sent prices, assessments, real estate and mortgage credit volume also spiraling upwards. Such was actuall y the objective of the City of London-Wall Street financier and Fannie Mae. On the contrary, the productive economy that would have given debtors the capacity to pay and that would have given resilience to the US economy was staggering downward. (pp. 12, 17) Expectantly, as BBC (2007) reported, sub-prime borrowers, which make-up 22% ($1.3 trillion) of the $6 trillion mortgage

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Transformation Of American Psyche Through Bush Essay Example for Free

Transformation Of American Psyche Through Bush Essay Very few leaders today cause as many strong feelings as President Bush.   It seems that in his years leading the United States, people either view his leadership with reverence or repulsion, but very few view him with indifference.   In a December 2006 Associated Poll, Americans showed how divisive the president’s leadership is by not only voting him the hero of the year, but also its top villain. Political division is seen as a major cause of the contradiction, as Bush was the choice of 43 percent of Democrats for villain, and 27 percent of Republicans for hero, but 25 percent of all people chose Bush, the leader of the free world, as the top villain over both Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein (â€Å"‘Hero and Villain’: President Bush Sweeps AP Poll†).    The divisiveness he causes in the country, as well as the unilateral action he takes in foreign policy, which has squandered all of the international sympathy towards the United States after 9-11, are some of his biggest shortcomings, though only a few of many.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Cited by supporters and critics alike is the president’s refusal to bend on certain issues, including his religious beliefs that have continuously blurred the line between church and state.   According to former mayor of New York City, Ed Koch, â€Å"He sticks with his beliefs, no matter how intense the criticism and invective that are directed against him every day† (Koch).   While Christian conservatives support him, his personal beliefs have seriously held up scientific discoveries in the way of stem cell research by refusing to support federal funding; he has denied social advancements to gays wishing for equal rights to marry; he has spearheaded a renewed campaign to take away women’s right to choose; he has also been instrumental in creating a new paranoia over immigration, despite being the president of a country made of immigrants; and, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow, as the country finds itself poised on the brink of recession.   But, his greatest shortcomings are concerning the war on terror, which needlessly expanded, and his flippant abuse of federal power concerning the privacy of U.S. citizens.   For a president that uses the word â€Å"freedom† so frequently, he has done more than most presidents to take it away from his fellow countrymen.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Bush’s accomplishments are more difficult to ascertain.   The country has not had a significant terrorist attack on U.S. soil, which could be attributed to U.S. soldiers in the Middle East becoming the new terrorist targets.   The prescription drug benefit has also benefited some senior citizens, but health care reform still needs to take place.    While it would be nice to be able to list the accomplishments of President Bush, his presidency has largely been marked by war, with one necessary and one misleading. He has divided the country and relied only on his religious faith to curry favor with his base, and his performance in office is best reflected by his record low approval ratings, his fellow party members abandoning him, and the country’s fervent desire to elect a new leader that will be the complete opposite of him and usher in a new era of unity, honesty, and true freedom. The American public has loudly started to voice its opposition to the protracted war in Iraq, as recent polls and presidential approval ratings show that the public is increasingly upset with the direction the war has taken, even though support for the troops continues to remain high.   As it stands, opposition to the war also continues to grow and the polarization that marked the early days of the war is diminishing, as citizens, politicians, members of the armed forces, and even those in the Bush administration are realizing the errant decisions that led to and sustained the war have cost far too muchin billions of taxpayers’ dollars, international economic and political status, and most importantly the lives of tens thousands of Americans and many more Iraqis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Few issues have polarized the political community and general population in the United States as the sustained war in Iraq.   While most of the country agreed that invading Afghanistan was necessary to combat terrorism, the decision to invade Iraq was met with mixed feelings at best.   At the time, the Bush administration used everything in its power to convince the American public and the world of the righteousness in attacking Iraq. The many reasons, with varying degrees of honesty and accuracy, ranged from the threat of weapons of mass destruction to Iraq’s participation in terrorism to the plain fact that Saddam Hussein was a bad man.   Unfortunately, many Americans who would normally be in the middle of the road on such issues were blinded by the administration’s continued propaganda about having to support a president during wartime, regardless of the terrible decisions or unexplained actions he takes, and many also believed that Iraq was involved in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.    A Washington Post poll of 1,003 adults taken in August of 2003 found that nearly 70% of Americans polled believed that Saddam Hussein was personally involved in Al Qeada’s attacks on the United States; a Time/CNN poll conducted around the same time found Americans more closely split on whether the military action in Iraq was worth the price in America lives, taxpayer dollars and other costs — 49% said yes, 43% no and 8% were unsure (â€Å"Poll: 70% Believe Saddam, 9-11 Link†).   With its aims justified in the eyes of the misinformed American public, in March of 2003 the Bush administration got its wish to expand the war in the Middle East to include Iraq. This initial invasion was a showcase for the massive military industrial complex that provided scores of new technological advances in recent years designed to maximize death.   Memorable images from the invasion include the â€Å"shock and awe† campaign of large bombs and missiles tearing up Baghdad, the famous toppling of the Saddam Hussein statue by Iraqi civilians, and President George Bush landing in a fighter jet upon an aircraft carrier, only to give a speech in front of a large banner that read â€Å"Mission Accomplished!† The tragically comedic irony of that banner can only be understood in hindsight, and only by those fortunate enough not to have been in Iraq.   Over four years later, the mission has not been accomplished, unless the mission was to create the highest possible revenues for international oil companies at the expense of young American lives. Additionally, the Bush administration’s decision to invade Iraq eroded much of the international good will created by the September 11 attacks.   Many countries that supported the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan see the invasion of Iraq as unnecessary and nothing more than the act of a bully, the world’s lone superpower.   However, most Americans chose to dismiss the loud opinions of the international community as being shortsighted and not relatable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The economic impact of the war in Iraq is felt by all Americans each time they pump gas.   In the four years since the U.S. invaded Iraq, Iraqi oilfields and associated infrastructure have sustained 400 attacks, and oil production in the country has fallen from 1.95 barrels per day during the first quarter of 2007, short of the U.S. goal of 2.5 million barrels per day and the previous mark of 3.7 million under Saddam Hussein (Miller). It is also highly reported in the media and amongst citizens that companies like Haliburton, associated with Vice President Dick Cheney, have benefited immensely from the reconstruction contracts in Iraq, leading many to believe that the war is solely for oil.   The fact that oil companies are now making record profits seem to reinforce these ideas. But, another consequence of U.S. action in Iraq is that the dollar is losing its international value.   The dollar has weakened against the euro, gold, copper, and other assets, and when Bush came in to office, a dollar equated to .987 euros while now it is at .75 (Miller).   While oil gets more expensive, the dollar weakens, in large part due America’s overwhelming dependence on it and the massive expenditures of oil, resources, and money on the war in Iraq.   The business side of the war in Iraq seems to have little benefit for common Americans, who are really the ones paying the most for it in terms of dollars. Works Cited: â€Å"‘Hero and Villain’: President Bush Sweeps AP Poll.† Editor Publisher. 28 Dec 2006. 9 Jul http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id= 1003525882. Koch, Ed. George Bush is my hero. The Jerusalem Post. 31 Dec 2006. 9 Jul 2008. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFullcid=1167467631671. Miller, Ken. â€Å"Wall Street, Iraq and the Declining Dollar.† The Nation. 12 Jun 2007. 9 Jul http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070625/miller. â€Å"Poll: 70% Believe Saddam, 9-11 Link.† USA Today. 6 Sep 2003. 9 Jul 2008. http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-09-06-poll-iraq_x.htm.