The Circus Maximus - 1098 Words

The Circus Maximus The Circus Maximus, located in the Vallis Murcia (valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills) in Rome, was an ancient hippodrome and mass entertainment venue for the citizens of Rome. The Circus Maximus was first utilised for public games and entertainment by the Etruscan kings of Rome. The first games of the Ludi Romani (Roman Games) were staged there under the rule of Tarquinius Priscus, the fifth Etruscan ruler of Rome. They were in held in early September at the end of the military year. The games began with a religious ceremony that opened with what Ovid describes as â€Å"a golden procession of all the most important religious and civil authorites†. Statues of the Gods were paraded and sacrifices made before the†¦show more content†¦Contraptions invented to indicate the number of laps that had been run were positioned at each end of the stadium. At one end seven wooden eggs, representing Leda’s eggs from which Zeus’ twin sons, Castor and Pollux were said to have been born. These were erected by the censors Fulvius Flaccus and Postumius Albinus in 174 BC to indicate the laps completed. At the opposite end, seven dolphins, made of bronze, honouring Neptune, the patron of the equites (horses and riders), were added by Agrippa in 33 BC. (Evidence provided in Source 2.) This shows that the Circus Maximus was not only used for entertainment purposes but also as a form of propaganda, and allow powerful men to make their mark on Roman society and ensure they were not forgotten. Most of the charioteers, known as auriga were slaves or freedmen, but if they survived they could become very wealthy. The horses were from stud farms in the provinces and brought from Africa and Spain. The Roman officials demanded that only the best horses should compete in their races at the Circus Maximus. Halfway down the right-hand side of the barrier, a white line extends across the track, this was known as the linea alba (finishing line). To win a race, a team must be the first to cross this line at the end of the seventh lap. In front of the finishing line a temple is built into the stands on the Aventine hill, presided over byShow MoreRelatedCircus Maximus1976 Words   |  8 PagesCircus Maximus It is nearly impossible to look at the field that holds the remains of the Circus Maximus and understand what it once held without the aid of a vivid reconstruction. The remains of Circus Maximus lie in the Valley between the Aventine and Palentine hill. Traditionally, the history of the Circus Maximus began with chariot races held in honor of the God Consus in a less permanent structure in the area near Consus’s altar. In later years, this lead to the construction of a circus underRead MoreThe Life Of The Circus Maximus1823 Words   |  8 Pages the Circus Maximus do not launder just money which they skim from casinos or wherever to build up their coffers as part of a slush fund. No, they also launder other things,† mentioned Walther. â€Å"I am talking about something else besides millions of dollars in hard and liquid assets such as gold and silver bullion, gems, bank notes and securities.† â€Å"Like what?† the Wise Man asked, demanding answers. Brà ¼nnhilde began to describe to the Wise Man about the other things that the Circus Maximus considersRead MoreRome And Rome : Colosseum, Circus Maximus, And Hippodromes1610 Words   |  7 Pagesfacilities and how they were structured it can be breath taking and offer a wealth of knowledge. Some of the greatest facilities still stand today and others are being built. Some of the most famous facilities being in Greece and Rome: Colosseum, Circus Maximus, and Hippodromes. The Colosseum is one of the greatest buildings ever built. It was built around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian (Colosseum). In A.D. 80 the Colosseum was opened up for games (Colosseum). Some of the games being played were gladiatorialRead MoreThe Roman Spectacle Of Ancient Society891 Words   |  4 Pagesfifth king of Rome in the sixth century BC commission a place for such events to take place the Circus Maximus would be constructed using the natural geography found in Rome. In between the hills Aventine and Palatine a small stream had carved out a depression. This site would become the largest sports arena the world has ever known. The Circus Maximus would seat around 100,000 spectators. The Circus was designed for chariot racing, but other events were held there, including gladiatorial combatsRead MoreRoman Entertainment1201 Words   |  5 Pageswere held for the Romans to watch. Watching was free so that everyone could come. The events held almost always involved death and destruction. There were the gladiators, the feeding of people to lions, animals fighting animals, animal hunts, animal circus acts, and mock sea battles, where the Colosseum was flooded with water. The animals used in these events were kept below the Colosseum and an estimated 5,000 animals were killed the day the Colosseum opened. The animals were kept under the ColosseumRead MoreThe Mistreatment of Circus Animals1561 Words   |  6 Pages Imagine being in a circus ring watching tigers and lions leaping through blazing rings of fire, elephants standing on their heads, and monkeys riding red bicycles for a colossal crowd of screaming, ch eering fans. The elephant’s exhausted, worn body is swamped with intricately designed drapes. The sweet, endearing smell of fresh cotton candy and popcorn fills the air with excitement. When the show has reached the grand finale and has come to an end, a trainer arrives with a bull hook and thrustsRead MoreAncient Roman Art Of Entertainment1561 Words   |  7 Pageshow they were formed or who cultivated them. Displays of mass public entertainment took on a number of different forms, from festivals such as ludi Megalenses, ludi Ceriales, to â€Å"ludi Circenses, (chariot racing in the circus) Venationes (games with animals, also in the circus, but later they took place in the amphitheater as well) and theatrical performances, ludi Scaenici† (Potter and Mattingly, 206). Although the games were religious in origin, they gradually acquired secular and political importanceRead MoreThe Rise and Fall of Ancient Rome656 Words   |  3 Pagesimportant useful invention was the aqueducts. They carried in water to drink. The water was also used for water plant that provided food. They even used water to wash away dirt to get minerals from mining. One big public entertaining place was the Circus Maximus. It could hold 150,000 people and the arena was 2,037ft in length and 387ft in width. Gladiator, chariot racing, athletics, plays, and ceremonies were held there. The Coliseum could hold 50,000 people and was 615ft long and 510ft wide. DeadlyRead MoreThe Legacy of the Ancient Roman Civilization Essay1665 Words   |  7 Pageswas originally dedicated to the Gods, and it was coined the â€Å"temple to all Gods.#† Roman entertainment was filled with drama, glory, defeat, and blood shed. The main aspects of entertainment lied on the grounds of the Circus Maximus and the Coliseum. The Circus Maximus was the most famous of all of the hippodrome structures. #It stood 600 meters long and 200 meters wide. It was so large that it could hold nearly one quarter of the entire Roman citizenship. Seats ran in rows around the oval-shapedRead MoreExotic Animals in Entertainment: the Pros and Cons3621 Words   |  15 Pageslegal aspects, organizations involved, public image, and the controversy of the industry will be covered as the primary goal of the research. The truth behind the entertainment industry will be revealed by examining historical archives such as the Circus Maximus in Rome, studying mass media records, and laws. The research highlights the controversy pertaining to the use of exotic animals in the entertainment industry by discussing the solutions available and also the negative and po sitive aspects of both

Should Marijuana Be Legalized - 2278 Words

The debate over legalization of marijuana for recreational use is an issue that has polarized many Americans. On one hand of the spectrum are the marijuana advocates that campaign for the government to lift the ban on the drug, citing beneficial uses for it for the economy and for medicine. On the other side are people who believe that marijuana legalization would serve as an addictive gateway drug for many people and would pose health hazards for people that uses it recreationally. My stance on this issue is that legalizing marijuana should be viewed as a correct decision and a step forward for America and I will elaborate why later on. By analyzing the economic aspects of marijuana legalization, I will argue my case that decriminalizing marijuana will generate billions in revenues for this country’s economy and on the same token save this country billions of dollars on prohibition enforcement. Therefore, I firmly support recreational marijuana being legalized because it is a drug that has the potential to boost the American economy and at the same time save billions of dollars on arresting and incarcerating people with illegal procession of marijuana. My first reason for supporting the legalization of recreational marijuana is that it will provide an economic boost for state governments and their economies. According to a Huffington Post article, if all 50 states were to legalize marijuana today, they would be â€Å"collectively raking in more than $3 billion a year inShow MoreRelatedShould Marijuana Be Legalized?849 Words   |  4 Pageswhether marijuana should be legalized. Around 23 states have legalized marijuana for medical and recreational use. In the state of Illinois, medicinal use of marijuana has been passed on April 17, 2013. Since January 2014, patients are able to obtain marijuana with a doctor s recommendation. The new debate is whether marijuana should be legalized for the general public as a recreational drug. Although some believe th at marijuana is harmless, and that it has beneficial medicinal uses, marijuana shouldRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1715 Words   |  7 PagesMarijuana in Society Cannabis, formally known as marijuana is a drug obtained from the tops, stems and leaves of the hemp plant cannabis. The drug is one of the most commonly used drugs in the world. Only substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol are used more (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). In the U. S. where some use it to feel â€Å"high† or get an escape from reality. The drug is referred to in many ways; weed, grass, pot, and or reefer are some common names used to describe the drug (â€Å"Marijuana† 1). Like mostRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1489 Words   |  6 Pagescannabis plant or marijuana is intended for use of a psychoactive drug or medicine. It is used for recreational or medical uses. In some religions, marijuana is predominantly used for spiritual purposes. Cannabis is indigenous to central and south Asia. Cannabis has been scientifically proven that you can not die from smoking marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized to help people with medical benefits, econo mic benefits, and criminal benefits. In eight states, marijuana was legalized for recreationalRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1245 Words   |  5 PagesMarijuana is a highly debatable topic that is rapidly gaining attention in society today.   Legalizing marijuana can benefit the economy of this nation through the creation of jobs, increased tax revenue, and a decrease in taxpayer money spent on law enforcement.   Ã‚  Many people would outlaw alcohol, cigarettes, fast food, gambling, and tanning beds because of the harmful effects they have on members of a society, but this is the United States of America; the land of the free and we should give peopleRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1010 Words   |  5 PagesThe legalization of marijuana became a heated political subject in the last few years. Twenty-one states in America have legalized medical marijuana. Colorado and Washington are the only states where marijuana can be purchased recreationally. Marijuana is the high THC level part of the cannabis plant, which gives users the â€Å"high† feeling. There is ample evidence that supports the argument that marijuana is beneficial. The government should legalize marijuana recreationally for three main reasonsRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1231 Words   |  5 Pagesshows the positive benefits of marijuana, it remains illegal under federal law. In recent years, numerous states have defied federal law and legalized marijuana for both recreational and medicinal use. Arizona has legalized marijuana for medical use, but it still remains illegal to use recreationally. This is absurd, as the evidence gathered over the last few decades strongly supports the notion that it is safer than alcohol, a widely available substance. Marijuana being listed as a Schedule I drugRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1350 Words   |  6 Pagespolitics in the past decade would have to be the legalization of marijuana. The sale and production of marijuana have been legalized for medicinal uses in over twenty states and has been legalized for recreational uses in seven states. Despite the ongoing support for marijuana, it has yet to be fully legalized in the federal level due to cultural bias against â€Å"pot† smoking and the focus over its negative effects. However, legalizing marijuana has been proven to decrease the rate of incrimination in AmericaRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?1145 Words   |  5 PagesLegalizing Marijuana Marijuana is a drug that has been actively used for centuries. This drug can be traced back to 2737 BC by the Chinese emperor Shen Nung. He spoke about the euphoric effects of Cannabis and even referred to it as the â€Å"Liberator of Sin.† Since early on, marijuana was seen as a medicinal plant that was recommended for medical uses. Marijuana is currently in schedule I, which means that physicians are not allowed to prescribe it in the United States (Hart, Ksir 2013). This drugRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized?997 Words   |  4 PagesLegalize It: The Benefits of Legalizing Marijuana Should marijuana be legalized? Many Americans have been asked this question or have heard some type of news about the issue. Marijuana is commonly known as cannabis which refers to the dried up hemp plant cannabis sativa, even though marijuana is a plant and has no chemical additives it has been a tropic of controversy for many years but nowadays it is in the spotlight more than ever. For centuries, marijuana has been used by people throughout theRead MoreShould Marijuana Be Legalized? Essay1457 Words   |  6 PagesSHOULD MARIJUANA BE LEGALIZED? Marijuana is a drug that has sparked much controversy over the past decade as to whether or not it should be legalized. People once thought of marijuana as a bad, mind-altering drug which changes a person’s personality which can lead to crime and violence through selling and buying it. In the past, the majority of citizens believed that marijuana is a harmful drug that should be kept off the market and out of the hands of the public. However, a recent study conducted

Leadership Lessons from D-Day A Book Review Free Essays

For this book review, I chose Victory Principles: Leadership Lessons from D-Day by Leonard Kloeber, Jr., a retired army officer. This book is not only a mere history book but it also provides a lesson on leadership principles based on what was applied by the Allied leaders during those crucial moments that characterized D-Day (also known as Operation Overlord) from the planning stage to the actual execution of the operation which was a success and eventually led to the liberation of Europe from Nazi occupation. We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Lessons from D-Day: A Book Review or any similar topic only for you Order Now The first part is more of a historical narrative.   The Kloeber narrates the important events that were considered the defining moments of D-Day which are organized into chapters.   The prelude in included to set the tone and help put the reader on the proper perspective in approaching the book and what it is all about. Each chapter mentioned important leaders during the operation, not just for trivia but describing what they did that made success possible.   These are leaders who were actually there with the men as they saw action. Such senior leaders were Brigadier General Norman Cota, assistant division commander of the 29th Infantry Division which landed on Omaha Beach and received the brunt of the fighting. It also featured junior leaders such as Lieutenant Richard Winters, of Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne who led the company to neutralize an enemy gun emplacement menacing the beaches (Kloeber, Jr., 2009, pp. 61-62, 83).   What these leaders had in common was they made crucial decisions under fire but since they were in the thick of the action, they had a grasp of the situation and came up with crucial decisions that led to victory. Part Two provides an analysis as Kloeber spelled out what he called â€Å"Victory Principles† which were applied by the above-mentioned leaders which were key to the success of D-Day. One example of these principles was resilience which was demonstrated by Generals Cota and Roosevelt when their men were under fire. They did not panic and maintained their composure which was the glue that kept the men together even though they were taking casualties (Kloeber, Jr, 2009, pp. 208-209). Another principle discussed was making timely decisions as applied by Lieutenant Winters when he and his men carried out their mission which was successful (Kloeber, Jr, 2009, p. 186).   It can be seen that the author did a great job organizing his ideas by telling the story first and discussing the relevant principles.   He was able to establish a connection between the two parts. Part Three is what military leaders call the â€Å"Staff Ride† where military students would tour the battlefield to get a feel of what has happened though not necessarily during actual combat as part of applying the lessons learned in the classroom. The purpose here is to immerse them â€Å"spiritually† and by making them picture themselves being there and it is proven to be an effective method when understanding the principles.   An appendix is added which provides supplemental details on D-Day. Overall, Kloeber’s book is not only for history students but also those who wish to be enlightened on leadership principles and the author has done a good job identifying them and showing how they were applied as well as mentioning their applicability in any kind of situation which need not be about combat. Reference Kloeber Jr., L. (2009). Victory Principles: Leadership Lessons from D-Day. Garden City, New York: Morgan James Publishing, LLC. . How to cite Leadership Lessons from D-Day: A Book Review, Essays

Business Ethics and Value Of Tris-Pyjamas Manufacturer - Samples

Question: Discuss about the Business Ethics and Value Of Tris-Pyjamas Manufacturer. Answer: They should give equal-consideration into all people-preference. Although it is understandable for Tris-pyjamas manufacturer into dump those unsold pajamas, they should at least provide some compensatory steps toward avoid second harm toward the parents or family members, such as giving allowance or finding more solution for a better way toward dispose those carcinogenic-pajamas toward prove the respect on human life, by not just putting all the users health on risk for the profit sake. Also, consumers have the right through sue the manufacturers on this case and they should have been ready into receive any deserve outcome, such as people resist into buy their products anymore or being an infamous company. In this case, Tris pajamas dump those harmful productions in other countries will actually cause a lot of bad effect that might minimize the happiness of users as their health condition were being threaten by using the chemical-contained-pajamas (Albertine 2014). The manufacturers should have known their products were harmful at first before the products were sold. Also, the manufacturers of Tris pyjamas should actually apply the theory of utilitarianism as this theory mentioned about producing maximize pleasure or happiness for greatest number of people during an act. In this theory, people who promote greatest-human-welfare are-praiseworthy and people who live not-are-blameworthy. Besides, Kants Ethics of Duty Theory will do suitable through apply in this case, whereby this theory emphasizes-on-the respect for persons and provides a strong based for-rights, such as human right cannot do violated (Cohn 2017).They should work hard in coming out with ways into solve the problem but not just into dump their pajamas at their own-self-interest. Thus, the action that the manufacturers take were actually arguable depending on the point of view with that governs by certain department. While from the theory of-Socialism, its an economic-system that oppose from the capitalism. Based on the Ownership-Theory, the objective for a company into run its business is toward maximize returns into their shareholder, whereby the shareholders interests are-supreme-and the most important (Demeneix 2014). Also, according into the theory of Capitalism, the major-decision of operation-and distribution are often made by private-enterprises which exist-separately from the people-associated with them and have private-ownership of the major production like machines, land and so on. They are able toward set their own-rules as well as-regulation and are mainly motivated by profit where maximizing the shareholders wealth are-outweighing any other-obligations. In the perspective of pajamas manufacturers, they were just performing their task through max imize returns into its investor as well as into reduce the losses (Farhat 2013). Hence, it is understandable for the manufactures of Tris-pajamas into dump their unsold and problem pajamas into other countries. They might not do legally wrong as dumping in certain countries are considered legitimate as well as private enterprise should live free from undertake public-responsibilities that properly-belong through the government, based on Milton-Friedmans view. It operates by the public ownership-of-property and a planned-economy where dumping is not right and much more difficult than in a capitalism economic system as it is governed by a central government in a better and tighter controlling system (Leonard 2015). They have toward weigh between the losses into their profit and also the cost through the social, environment and the public. This action is considered as dumping, which is an unethical action, into sell or export the same goods at a price lower than in domestic market or where goods have been-banned-or known as-hazardous in home country into overseas. However, most corporate today will often see their profit as priority and everything else except from benefit will live mostly disregarded such as the corporate social responsibility and the ethical issues (Lu et al.2017). The manufacturers of the Tris-contained pajamas were worrying about their mass inventory and tend into sell all the stocks at a very low price toward the exporters who were-willing to-purchase in order through clear the excessive amount of stocks and minimize their financial losses. as well as through recall millions of pairs that being sold. This shocking news expanded quickly and their sale of pajamas were banned b y the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in most businesses in this world have the common aim in maximizing their profit as well as shareholders wealth by increasing their sales volume (OR and Lee 2015). They aim toward lower cost as well as minimize their financial losses in every business so as toward achieve their ultimate goals. However, it is found that the pajamas were contained with harmful chemical, known as Tris, which can cause kidney-cancer-in children. While allude into profit, ethical responsibility often become the main discuss topic into the organization as well as the public. For instance, based on the case study, the fire-retardant childrens pajamas were being manufactured at first for the precautious of childrens safety. Case even went worse when they tried through dump the carcinogenic-pajamas on overseas market. This case is considered morally wrong. In Tris-contained pajamas-case, the corporate as well as the manufacturers practiced egoism by showing their selfishness for the desire of making profit. They were dishonesty in the process of gaining profit by putting the childrens life at risk which contained of harmful chemical that can cause kidney cancer through the children. They sold about 200 hundred million pairs of pajamas in the fact; they should take initiative approach into make compensation through the victim as well as providing clearly about the material of the products before selling it so that consumers are able into is research before purchasing it. It is an act of egoism, which ignores all-blatant-wrongs (Phillips 2016). Egoism claimed that one pursuit an action based on the advantages, and it is only wrong if it hurts or bring disadvantage through other individuals long-term-intere st. They ignored ones safety for the purpose of gaining profit and minimize losses. They did not educate the public about the consequences of using their products as well as did not take further action into compensate to the victim. However, the theory of egoism can do also applied on this case where the corporate or individual view self-interest as coincides-as-the-morality. Also, I will provide compensation into the victim as well as medical fees toward make sure the victims is in a safe condition. Although dumping in overseas are profitable, it is however immoral and might affect consumers welfare as referring through Kants theory, we must always act in a way that respects-human rationality and treat-humanity as an end, never as a means. Besides, I will try the best through recall all sold pajamas and dispose them in a right manner, for example through use them as industrial wiping cloths. With this, businesses can often produce product which is universally-favorable and do responsible through the social as well as the consumers (Plimpton 2016). Corporate should always believe in admirable outcomes come after admirable intention. Hence, if Tris-pajamas manufacturer were given a chance again on this case, they should really consider it seriously as successful companies live not only focus on the profit but also the ethical practice when leading a company. Thus, all company should actually do ethical while they face problem so as toward become a successful company that favored by the public. In conclusion, doing business in an ethical way is hard, it is however necessary. Corporate should try their best toward live business in an ethically way into help create-long-lasting-positive-effects-for-a-company, including-the-ability-to-attract-and retain highly-talented-individuals as well as to-maintain-a positive-reputation within-the-community (Shaw and Barry 2015). This is into ensured that the level of Tris chemical being used is at an ace level and will not threaten humans life. I would practice the due care theory, where businesses are responsible into protect the consumers from any risk that is foreseeable in business people will always face the common ethical dilemmas such as the conflict of interest and the responsibility into stakeholder like how it shows at the case of Tris-impregnated-pajamas. It involved the trade off in the profit and the social corporate responsibility. In my opinion, if I am the manufacturer of Tris-impregnated pajamas, I would first research properly on how Tris chemical can harm the humans health before produce and sell it so as toward avoid a big mistake like this.), such as conducting a scientific test as well as hire a professional on this field toward test on the products through ensure the safety of the usage of products. Hence, when there are consumers who suspect the products safety level, the manufacturer s are able through prove themselves confidently that they are within the safety level and also into become a company that are not only profit oriented, but ethically and responsible into the social (Shaw 2016). Conclusion Above all, there are different kinds of dumping that many countries engage in and without ethical consideration of the parties that are injured in the process. The case of Made in the U.S.A dumped in Brazil, Africa, Iraq demonstrates that dumping is a market strategy used to develop a new market, expand market share and sometimes force competitors out of foreign markets. This dumping practice becomes illegal and unethical when lives are lost through consumption of dangerous products. From my perspective, dumping is only legal when and if government has made the product legal and safe for other countries who are willing to buy them. References Albertine, V., 2014.Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.: A Memoir. Macmillan. Cohn, V., 2017. Endocrine Disruptors and Neurobehavioral Disorders.Endocrine Disruptors, Brain, and Behaviors, p.149. Demeneix, B., 2014.Losing our minds: how environmental pollution impairs human intelligence and mental health. Oxford Series in Behavioral Ne. Farhat, A., 2013.In ovo Effects of Tris (1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP) and Tris (1, 3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCPP) Flame Retardants on Chicken Embryo Toxicity and Gene Expression(Doctoral dissertation, University of Ottawa (Canada). Leonard, E.B., 2015.Crime, Inequality and Power. Routledge. Lu, S.Y., Li, Y.X., Zhang, T., Cai, D., Ruan, J.J., Huang, M.Z., Wang, L., Zhang, J.Q. and Qiu, R.L., 2017. Effect of E-waste Recycling on Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Flame Retardants and Plasticizers and Their Association with Oxidative Stress.Environmental science technology,51(4), pp.2427-2437. OR, P and Lee, 2015. TSCA Work Plan Chemical Problem Formulation and Initial Assessment Chlorinated Phosphate Ester Cluster Flame Retardants. OR, P., 2015. TSCA Work Plan Chemical Problem Formulation and Initial Assessment Chlorinated Phosphate Ester Cluster Flame Retardants. Phillips, N.M., 2016.Distraction: Problems of Attention in Eighteenth-Century Literature. JHU Press. Plimpton, G., 2016.Paper lion: Confessions of a last-string quarterback. Little, Brown Shaw, W.H. and Barry, V., 2015.Moral issues in business. Cengage Learning. Shaw, W.H., 2016.Business ethics: A textbook with cases. Nelson Education.

The Social Construction of Difference

Introduction Social constructionist inquiry is concerned with explaining the processes by which people come to describe, explain, or account for the world in which they inhabit. Social constructionist attempts to articulate common forms of understanding as they currently exist, as they have existed in prior historical periods and generally, as they might exist should creative attention be so directed (Gergen and Gergen, 2003, p.15).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Social Construction of Difference specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In essence, what humans’ regards and take to be experience of the world does not in itself dictate the terms by which the world is understood neither does what is regarded to be knowledge of the world constitute a product of induction or of the building and testing of general hypotheses. The construction position suggests that the process of understanding is not automatically driven by the forces of nature but is the result of an active, cooperative enterprise of people in relationship. Social constructionism has evolved to become a theoretical orientation to socio-cultural processes that affect humans’ basic understandings of the world. In addition, the concept of social construction as evidenced in many literatures is fundamental to a social science approach to the analysis of social problems. Therefore, the goal of this essay will largely be to unpack the complexity of social life by employing techniques of observation and analysis using sociological perspectives. Understanding the concept of social construction A lot of literature has addressed the issue of social construction especially concerning social problems whereby different explanations have been forwarded. To this level, the dividing line in social construction specifically of problems has occurred in terms of definition, interpretation and explanation of a range of social issues (Sar aga, 1998). As a result, the basic dividing line between different social constructions is the distinction between the natural and the social whereby ideas and concepts about the natural basis of social arrangements or social problems are widespread. An example is given by Yen Le Espiritu (in Foner and Fredrickson, p. 219) on how various social groups have tried to define themselves through their racial identity, for instance, the Asian Americans including the Japanese, Chinese, Koreans and Filipinos joined hands to resist American imperialism and racism despite them having different political and economic ideologies.Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This notion is echoed by Tehranian (2009, p. 67) while narrating on how historical grouping contributed to the creation of races, more so the creation of white-black American conflicts based on skin color. Many thoughts about the nat ural basis of society or of social problems within the society refer to a set of claims about the universal laws of biology or evolution that determine how people might behave. The ideas, in most instances, place an emphasis on competition, conflict, and struggles for the evolutionary success where they identify a range of attributes as the biological basis of human society, and usually insist that these are unchanging and unchangeable. The claim of this understanding is that natural, which are biological attributes emerge as explanations of social patterns hence biological differences between men and women are drawn upon to explain differences in social behavior or patterns of social inequality. The above analysis of natural in relation to social widens our understanding of distinctive type of social construction where the claim has been that, humans’ social world is formed and constrained by a variety of natural causes and conditions (Saraga, 1998). Emphasis on natural in t his form of social construction provides a strong claim to authority and truth by referring to a world of natural laws that appear as universal and immutable. As a result, many of the social constructions that refer to natural conditions or causes tend to warn against attempts to change or tamper with these natural laws. On the other hand, social interference is likely to have undesirable and unnatural impacts. Despite the existence of this distinction between ‘natural’ and ‘social’, both types of approach to social issues provide excellent examples of social construction and each provides a way into defining, interpreting and acting in the social world that humans inhabit (Saraga, 1998). Moreover, the two types provide a framework within which events, actions, and types of people become meaningful, which in turn gives people the opportunity to position themselves in relation to them. Social constructionism Social constructionism posits that anything in the world that possesses a meaning in people’s lives originates within â€Å"the matrix of relationships in which we are engaged† (Gergen and Gergen, 2000 cited in May and Mumby, 2005, p.35). The theory claims that meaning arises from social systems, and humans have no role of assigning such meaning. The conviction of the theory is that â€Å"humans derive knowledge of the world from the larger social discourses† which generally vary across time and place, which in turn represent and reinforce dominant belief systems (May and Mumby, 2005, p.35). At the same time, the theory â€Å"stress the significance of language to construction processes, including its ramifications for identify development† (Leeds-Hurwitz, 1995 cited in May and Mumby, 2005, p.35).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Social Construction of Difference specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to Hruby, social construc tionism strives to understand how humans create knowledge (cited in May and Mumby, 2005, p.36). Accordingly, the theory postulates that knowledge is an effect of social processes and humans construct the world through social practices. Social constructionism rejects the essentialist explanations that â€Å"certain phenomena are natural, inevitable, universal, and biologically determined† (DeLamater and Hyde, 2001 cited in May and Mumby, 2005, p.36). Social constructionism holds some assumptions that have guided how social world has been understood. The assumptions include: 1) there should be critical stance towards taken-for-granted ways of understanding the world, where the theory encourages people to be suspicious of how they understand the world and themselves. In this regard, the theory advises people to challenge categories of social identity such as gender and race because the categories do not reflect the real and necessary divisions (May and Mumby, 2005). In this case , questions need to be asked as to why people highlight and classify some aspects of personhood and not others. 2) All knowledge is historically and culturally specific where labels, classifications, denotations, and connotations of social identity in many cases constitute products of their times and that the outlined processes of constructing social identities depend greatly on social, political, and historical factors. In addition, humans depend on current ideologies to establish social identity categories and their meanings. 3) Social constructionism sustains knowledge, and uses language for purposes of reproducing knowledge as humans enact numerous roles within the various contexts. Further, language become essential in helping people to make sense of the world as it allows the people to share experiences and meaning with one another; lastly 4) social constructionism indicate that knowledge and social action are largely interconnected (May and Mumby, 2005). Essentialist perspect ive In 1970s, Saul Kripke and Hilary Putnam ignited a renaissance of essentialist thinking which rested on the understanding of meaning that relied heavily on the concepts of modality and possible worlds. For instance, this perspective by the two founders made many people to be convinced that water is basically H2O, tigers are generally animals, heat is solely molecular motion, material objects could not have been originally constituted differently from how they were originally constituted. In addition, an animal could not have originated from a different sperm and egg to the ones it actually originated from, and perhaps mind is not identical with the brain (Oderberg, 2007).Advertising Looking for essay on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Many writers have argued that essentialist group beliefs are central to racism. The different forms of racism presented such as racial and ethnic are natural, inevitable, and hence unchangeable. These categories in many instances are adopted to represent human types indicating that an individual is fundamentally a certain kind of person. In its nature, racism attempts to fix social groups in terms of essential, quasi-natural properties of belonging within particular political and social contexts (Verkuyten, 2005). Certain traits of mind, character, and temperament are usually considered to be an intrinsic part of an ethnic or racial group’s nature (Davis, 2001) and therefore give definition to ethnic or racial fate. More research done indicates that there are still traces of biological forms of essentialism, and contemporary discourses focus on culture (Verkuyten, 2005). For instance, Blum (2002) describes the belief in cultural inherentism among different groups as follows: â€Å"these people (Jews, whites, Asians) just are that way (stringy, racist, and studious): it is part of their culture† (Verkuyten, 2005, p.124). Other researches done on new or cultural racism show that the idea of fundamental and inherent cultural differences is used to exclude and abnormalize ethnic minority groups. Racism and Ethnicity Before exploring the concepts of race and ethnicity first, social construction is viewed as the way people make ‘reality’ of everyday happenings in their environment. People and groups interact together in a sort of social system form where over time the people provides definitions to â€Å"concepts or establish mental representations of each other’s actions, and these concepts after some time become habituated into reciprocal roles played by the actors in relation to each other† (Davis, 2001, p.1). James Davis, narrating an interview that was conducted by a blind, black anthropologist, he writes quoting the wor ds of the black anthropologist as, â€Å"I am not black and you are not black either, if you go by the evidence of your eyes† (Davis, 2001, p.1). From this statement, it becomes clear that construction of race is ambiguous. For instance, all white people do not look the same, there are situations it is becomes difficult to tell who is a black and who is a white, since many people who have been labeled black could as well qualify to be white due to their physical characteristics. However, Lee and bean (2004) reflect on the differences in identity that existed in American, whereby one was viewed as either black or white in respect that, if one was not a pure white, they were viewed as black regardless of their ethnicity. According to Gwaltney, (1980), â€Å"looks do not mean much the things that make us different is how we think, what we believe is important and the ways we look at life† (cited in Davis, 2001, p.1). According to Haney-Lopez (2006), ‘white’ a s a category of human identity and differences is an extremely intricate phenomenon since races are not biologically differentiated groupings but rather social constructions. Race is seen to exists alongside a multitude of social identies that shape and are themselves shaped by the way in which race is given meaning. Accordingly, people live race through class, religion, nationality, gender, sexual identity and so on. Like just other social categories race is highly contingent, specific to times, places and situations and as such being white or black turns to be where one is. The essence here is that, how is a person defined as a black, both socially and legally in countries such as United States of America. As a nation, the adoption of definition of who is black or white has been contentious in USA, for example, some individuals defined as blacks in essence could pass as white and vice versa. Who therefore has assumed the role of defining the race? In USA, the state and federal cou rts have determined and in partial capacity tried to define ‘whiteness’ and ‘blackness’. Haney-Lopez (2006) asserts that courts for a time in deciding racial prerequisite cases have generally relied on both rationales to justify their decisions. However, from 1909, the trend changed, and subsequently the Supreme Court decisions favored common knowledge a situation that demonstrated the court regarded the issue of race categorization to originate in social practices. On his part Richard Alba, observes that the racist caste system was sanctioned by the U.S.A Supreme Court in 1896 during the Plessy vs. Ferguson case, in which the court found out that, â€Å"separate but equal facilities met constitutional tests† (Alba, 2009). In December 1985, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals reinforced a district’s court decision noting that no one could change the racial designation of his or her parents or anyone else’s (Davis, 2001). During the same period, the appellate court also affirmed the necessity of designating race o birth certificates for public health, affirmative action and other important public programs. Concluding about the role of law in race construction, Haney- Lopez observed that, â€Å"the operation of law does far more than merely legalize race; it defines as well the spectrum of domination and subordination that constitutes race relations† (Haney- Lopez, 2006, p.xxi). Apart from the courts other key institutions of social, political and economic have in their actions defined race. For instance, U.S.A Bureau of the Census enumerates blacks and I doing so does not provide any scientific definition but relies on one accepted by the public and by the courts (Davis, 2001). The Census Bureau in actual sense counts what the larger nation wants counted and although various operational instructions have been tried, the definition of black being used by the census reflects the nation’s cultural and le gal definition. As such, racism has operated at the macro level of the society and in its operation ha shifted away from a conscious personalized conviction of the inferiority of ‘another’ race. Such conviction has expressed itself in attitudes of prejudice and acted out in discriminatory behavior and thereafter follows social practices that become depersonalized through institutionalization. Over time, prejudice may decrease but patterns of discrimination may persist supported by the inertia of custom, bureaucratic procedure, impersonal routine and also the law. Obama as a Black president The issue of race and how it is perceived in society differently came to the forefront during Barrack Obama’s quest for president. There are those who saw him as ‘white’ since he belongs to the educated elite, others postulated he was a black due to his originality to a black father, while others were convinced that Barrack was a multiracial. According to Lee and B ean (2004), the impression that people are racially defined by their color may not hold water as it may propel some people to classify the Blacks as a racial group, while others recognizing Latinos and Asian Americans as white. Writing such as, â€Å"is Barrack Black/White enough† filled newspapers and other media sources. People question and investigated his identity; but to Barrack, the issue of race identity as he narrates in his book, â€Å"Dreams of my father† has preoccupied his minds, he candidly says that questions such as, who am I, confronted him a lot. Obama was born to an American mother and an African father before spending his childhood in Hawaii not forgetting that he was in Indonesia for about four years. However, how is Barrack race issue constructed? In 2009, the National Association of Black Journalist, in their article titled, ‘Acting White: Is Obama Black Enough?’ asked whether Obama was an African America. To them Obama did not portra y the physical and intellectual experiences of black people, Obama’s ‘degree of blackness’ was questionable, Obama’s characteristics and behaviors were totally different of those Africans, and that Obama was highly-educated, self-responsible and overachieving a rare element in most Africans. Therefore, their conclusion was that Obama was not an ‘African enough’. On the other hand, there are those who saw Obama as neither black nor white but multiracial (mulatto). Further, there are those who say Obama as totally An African, and articles such as, ‘Is America ready for a black president? ‘Between gender and race: which is more acceptable? Is America at crossroads: black or woman? All this statements represented one thing, that Obama was an African America. But narrating in his book, ‘Dreams from My Father, Obama writes that, â€Å"I learned to slip back and forth between my black and white worlds, it is an interior journal foc used on a boy’s search for his father, and through that search a workable meaning for his life as a black American† (cited in Harris, 2010, p.132). As later, Obama would be asked, in which category he belongs to, Obama candidly answered, â€Å"both† (Harris, 2010, p.132). What is evident is that before Obama wrote this book, he did not see his life as a representative of either the black experience or the American experience, but towards elections in 2008, this perception changed and Obama felt that his identity was representative of both. Obama’s case shows how the issue of race/identity is fluid where he is able to accept his identity as an African American, American and multiracial. This circumstance shows how the issue of race changes with time, political expediency and even cultural orientation. As it was evident, Obama would fit in both categories comfortably depending on time, circumstance, or political situation. Therefore, the way race is able to change and modify indicates that as a social constructed phenomenon it disqualifies to be biological. Haney Lopez, writing in ‘The Social Construction of Race’ says that the concept of race categorization is a social construct whereby it occurs because of human interaction and not as a natural differentiation. Analyzing Lopez’s position, it can be deduced that, race is a social construction since people as social beings participate in interaction and through it; they are able to construct its abstract significance (cited in Howard, n.d, p.1). Lopez therefore advices that due to the volatility in the definition of race, the same should not form the basis of trying to provide the classes into which human beings fall. Conclusion Today, different theories and approaches exist used to address the modern world social problems, patterns of social differentiation and organization of social welfare. Of note is the fact that all these approaches have to operate in a social world in which meaning of things shape how people act. What is evident is that, people and not nature create and conform to the different identities created, such as racial and ethnicity, and as created categories in society, they have a cultural and historical origin. They are in essence social and not biological in nature. This assumption does not mean that they do not exist but they are live and health in modern society and in understanding them it is wise to investigate them from the perspective of cultural and social interaction than from the biological perspective. References Alba, R. D. (2009). Blurring the color line: the new chance for a more integrated America. NY, Harvard University Press. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=AUiVwEe6Xv4Cpg=PA285dq=America%27s+Changing+Color+lines,hl=enei=DhykTN-hNcyZ4AaWuNnIDQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=America%27s%20Changing%20Color%20lines%2Cf=false Davis, F. J. (2001). Who is black? One na tion’s definition. PA, Penn State Press. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=9d9FC-gcWaACpg=PA222dq=Who+is+Black%3F+F.+James+Davishl=enei=rCSTTOb7GtPi4ga6grzTBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCgQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=Who%20is%20Black%3F%20F.%20James%20Davisf=false. Espiritu, Y. L. Asian american panethnicity: Contemporary national and transnational possibilities, in Foner, N and Fredrickson, G. M. (2005). Not Just Black and White: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Immigration, Race, and Ethnicity in the United States. NY, Russell Sage Foundation. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=uHmccaV4MuACpg=PA217dq=Asian+american+panethnicity:+Contemporary+national+and+transnational+possibilitieshl=enei=53qoTP7kL8uUOrKw2LYMsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=Asian%20american%20panethnicity%3A%20Contemporary%20national%20and%20transnational%20possibilitiesf=false. Gergen, K. J. and Gergen, M. M. (2003). Social construction: a reader. CA, SAGE. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=eKgEoZNjr1QCprintsec=frontcoverdq=the+social+constructionhl=enei=FOaRTKW8M4qN4Qb40PmWBAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CC4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepageqf=false. Haney-Là ³pez, I. (2006). White by law: the legal construction of race. NY, NYU Press. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=gxYqorjC4gUCpg=PR21dq=%27race%27+and+the+construction+of+Human+identity,hl=enei=jxmkTNGNH4n_4AaWoqj_DAsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CDIQ6AEwAjgK#v=onepageq=%27race%27%20and%20the%20construction%20of%20Human%20identity%2Cf=false Harris, H. E. (2010). The Obama Effect: Multidisciplinary Renderings of the 2008 Campaign. NY, SUNY Press. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=XyUdS8NzDQACpg=PA132dq=Obama+as+blackhl=enei=STmnTLDuNJXP4AaMsbCoDQsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CCkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=Obama%20as%20blackf=false Howard, J. (N.d). On the Social Construction of Race. The Occidental Quarterly Online. Retrieved from http://www.toqonline.com/2010/06/on-the-social-construction-of-race-2/ Lee, J. and Bean, F. (2004). Immigration, Race/Ethnicity, and Multiracial Identification. Annual Review of Sociology, Vol. 30 pg. 221. Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0sid=5srchmode=1vinst=PRODfmt=3startpage=-1vname=PQDdid=691458491scaling=FULLpmid=18604vtype=PQDfileinfoindex=%2Fshare3%2Fpqimage%2Fpqirs101v%2F20101003084130759%2F20023%2Fout.pdfsource=%24sourcerqt=309TS=1286109693clientId=29440 May, S. and Mumby, D. K. (2005). Engaging organizational communication theory research: multiple perspectives. CA, SAGE. Oderberg, D. S. (2007). Real essentialism. NY, Routledge. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=gO_40ZwgdkMCpg=PA21dq=essentialisthl=enei=5hGSTPKHJ4aROJqIofoGsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=2ved=0CCoQ6AEwAQ#v=onepageq=essentialistf=false. Saraga, E. (1998). Embodying the social: constructions of difference. NY, Routledge. Retrieved from http://books.google.c om/books?id=kEkbPIX-mxkCprintsec=frontcoverdq=the+social+construction+of+differencehl=enei=78uRTPGMBc614AbGvfjYAwsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=7ved=0CEcQ6AEwBg#v=onepageq=the%20social%20construction%20of%20differencef=false. Tehranian, J. (2009). Whitewashed: America’s invisible Middle Eastern minority. NY, NYU Press. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=OCI5SvjKRw8Cpg=PA64dq=from+friendly+foreigner+to+enemy+race:+selective+racialization,+coveringhl=enei=DYaoTOHlBYyZOvHMxY8Msa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=1ved=0CCUQ6AEwAA#v=onepageq=from%20friendly%20foreigner%20to%20enemy%20race%3A%20selective%20racialization%2C%20coveringf=false. Verkuyten, M. (2005). The social psychology of ethnic identity. NY, Routledge. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/books?id=GzpkIa0U6bYCpg=PA126dq=essentialisthl=enei=5hGSTPKHJ4aROJqIofoGsa=Xoi=book_resultct=resultresnum=3ved=0CC8Q6AEwAg#v=onepageq=essentialistf=false. 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Halloween essays

Halloween essays Trick or treat, scream children on October 31. Trick or treat, what is does that mean? Halloween has not always been about handing out candy and playing jokes on people. In fact, Halloween has changed in numerous ways over the years. Halloween first originated from a Celtic fire festival called Samhain, or summers end, that represented the New Year beginning on November 1. The Celts believed that when a person died they went to Tirnan Og, the land of eternal youth and happiness. The Celts believed that turning points, such as the turning of one year into the next, were magical events. The Celts believed that time and space came to a halt, during Samhain, thus allowing the dead to mix with the living. With this belief, the still-living, not wanting to be possessed, put out fires in their homes. This would make their house undesirable to the spirit. The extinguishing of the hearth fires symbolized the dark half of the year. The re-kindling from the Druidic fire was symbolic of the returning life that was hoped for in the spring. (Rupert, 2004) There are many inaccurate Christian teachings about Halloween and the Celts. For instance, Christian literature teaches us that Samhain was the Celtic God of the dead that was worshipped by the Druids with dreadful bloody sacrifices at Halloween. When in fact, Samhain was not a god and is defined in McBains Etymological Dictionary of the Gaelic Language says that Samhain means summers end. Many Christian organizations teach that Halloween originated as a satanic festival, which has yet to be backed up with evidence. There is also no evidence that the Celts ever dressed in costumes on Halloween. There were many significant changes in the middle ages that made Halloween that way it is now. When the Romans conquered Celtic lands in the first century A.D., there were drastic changes to fire festival. ...

Deaf culture and disability Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Deaf culture and disability - Essay Example In the first part of your essay, assume you are an attorney representing the interests of a nine-year-old child that has been deaf since the age of three. Argue that it is in the best interest of the child to receive a cochlear implant. Wikipedia states that "In December 1984, the Australian cochlear implant was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration to be implanted into adults in the United States. In 1990 the FDA lowered the approved age for implantation to 2 years, then 18 months in 1998, and finally 12 months in 2002"( Wikipedia.net) Another reason is if the child is having severe to profound sensorineural hearing impairment in both ears, having a functioning auditory nerve, having lived a short amount of time without hearing, having good speech, language, and communication skills, or in the case of infants and young children, having a family willing to work toward speech and language skills with therapy, not being benefited byother kinds of hearing aids, having no medical reason to avoid surgery, living in or desiring to live in the "hearing world" , and has the support of friends. (Ibid) Another advantage of using cochlear ear implant is that the deaf can now use his or her hands to freely write or to make mathematical computations or even to caress the deaf's girlfriend or boyfriend with more intimacy. A person has the human right... tes that the implementation of the inalienable rights of all members of the human family" (Universal Declaration of Human Rights http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/index.htm. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights calls on nations to respect the rights to life, liberty, and security (Article 3). This Declaration also states that everyone should enjoy the right to be educated and to basic standards of living. The same declaration calls on nations to provide for all of their citizens without discrimination. Human rights, in substance, are protections against abuses by all states, and guarantees that people shall receive benefits from states ( Cornell law) The CIGI stated that has stated that "Cochlear Implant Association Inc., while cognizant of the fact that the cochlear implant has materially enhanced the lives of a great many children, is not recommending the cochlear implant for all children" (http://www.cici.org/postat.html). The above data have increased the weight of the weighting scale towards USING the cochlear implant. In the second part of your essay, take the opposing side and write in opposition to the cochlear implant. Your essay should be equally divided between the two arguments. Some of the reasons why the child should not use cochlear implants are:In the year 2003, "the CDC and FDA announced that children with cochlear implants are at a slightly increased risk of bacterial meningitis (Reefhuis 2003). Many users, audiologists, and surgeons also report that when there is an ear infection causing fluid in the middle ear, it can in fact affect the cochlear implant, leading to temporarily reduced hearing." (Wikipedia)Another reason is that some deaf children feel overall worse off with the implant than without them in place. Still another

This is my final essay so it has to be good Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

This is my final so it has to be good - Essay Example However, the major challenge was on how to put down this information in written form so as to communicate it to the intended readers. I always found myself making several drafts before giving a final paper. This made me spend a lot of time to come up with a piece of writing that effectively communicated what was intended. One of my major challenges at the beginning of the course was grammar. Being an international student, I did not have adequate knowledge on grammar rules in English. Particularly, tenses were very difficult to understand. Because different words have different ways of how to change their tenses, I always found myself making mistakes. I mixed different tenses in my writings which confused readers. Additionally, determining the right preposition to use in different situations was difficult. It was difficult to determine when to use by, on and in. Even more challenging was using these prepositions to correctly come up with phrasal verbs. From this course, I learned that passive sentences are used in academic writing. I had difficulties changing active sentences into passive sentences. Wrongfully mixing active and passive sentences in my writing made me fail in academic writing. Secondly, ensuring coherence in writing was a challenge. It was difficult to connect sentences and even words together to come up with an appropriate text. I learned about conjunctions and how they are used for this function. Each of the conjunctions learned have different purposes and can only be used for the specific purposes that they should meet. Some like and, also and additionally are used to show addition while others like however and but show that the argument is opposing what was stated earlier (Gangal 53). Selecting which conjunction to use in a given context was challenging at times, especially when they were to be placed at the beginning of the sentence. Therefore, I always found myself using conjunctions used to contrast when I intended to use

Entrepreneurial Management and Leadership Assignment

Entrepreneurial Management and Leadership - Assignment Example We can promote corporate entrepreneurship through human resource management practices, which establish relationships among employees, promotes risk acceptance, nurtures informal entrepreneurial behaviors, and matches individual employees to the job situation (ORourke 1). Additionally, strategy can also enhance corporate entrepreneurial activities by addressing all dynamics that may hinder the success of corporate entrepreneurial activities. Moreover, structure and culture can prevent corporate entrepreneurial activities by creating cultural differences and organizational differences in corporate entrepreneurial activities. The United Food Industries Corporation addresses entrepreneurship by having a vision statement, which seeks to make UFIC one of the leading Arab and International companies in the manufacturing and marketing of food products (â€Å"Deemah† 1). Moreover, the company has a research and development department, which limits the company’s operations to advancements in design, products, and style. Indeed, the company seeks to improve existing food products, and to assess new ways of producing the food products. Indeed, the company produces and markets high quality products with competitive prices to satisfy customers’ needs and trust on UFIC products (â€Å"Deemah† 1). Notably, the United Food Industries Corporation corporate strategy is open to ideas generated from different units that are not part of the corporate strategy. Corporate entrepreneurial intensity relates to how entrepreneurship varies by degree and frequency, and how this variance affects the personal well-being and corporate performance. UFIC has recorded major expansion in manufacturing a processed cheese line and a vital processing and packaging dimension to the operation (â€Å"United Group Logistics Center† 1). Specifically, UFIC took in Lactalis as a

Definitions of Sprituality

Definitions of Sprituality Finding a universal definition of spirituality is challenging and problematic. According to Maher and Hunt (1993): â€Å"what makes the process of defining spirituality so elusive is the nature of the term itself. It is value laden and seemingly so cultural, religiously and ethnically bound, that any meaningful definition appears to be an exercise in futility (p.22)†. Nevertheless, the challenges associated with defining spirituality have not prevented an explosion in the development of (supposedly) spirituality measures. Hill and Hood (1999) carried out an extensive review of spirituality measures and found more than 120 definitions of spirituality. Yet, how these researchers define spirituality is a question that still needs to be answered. Unruh et al. (2002) carried out another review of the literature to look into different meanings of spirituality and religiosity and identified seven themes highlighting how spirituality is defined in health literature including: (1) tran scendence or connectedness to a belief or higher being; (2) existential, not of the material world; (3) relationship to God, a spiritual being, a higher power, or a reality greater than oneself; (4) not of the self; (5) a life force of the person, integrating aspect of the person; (6) meaning and purpose in life; and (7) summative, including definitions that included many of the abovementioned themes, as well as values and motivations. Furthermore, McSherry and Cash (2004) also carried out another review to look into the different definitions of spirituality and concluded that it would appear that there is no such thing as a universal definition of spirituality and the theoretical probability of creating one is virtually impossible. Given that Unruh et al. (2002) and McSherry and Cash (2004) carried out an exhaustive review of the available definitions of spirituality, it is not relevant to undertake another review of how spirituality is defined in my study. However, for the purpose of this thesis three principles for considering an appropriate definition of spirituality have been adopted. These principles were originally identified by Spilka (1993) and allow for an individual, multidimensional and subjective operationalization of spirituality. Hill et al. (2000) summarized these principles as follows: (1) spirituality as grounded in a belief in a higher being (i.e. God), which considers spirituality to be relevant to the thoughts and practices that underpin theologies either broadly or narrowly defined; (2) spirituality as grounded in self-fulfilment, a conceptualization of spirituality that focuses on human achievement or potential; and (3) spirituality as grounded in the connecting of oneself to a larger â₠¬Ëœsystem’, which focuses on one’s relationships with the broader reference group, nature or ecology. Although these are not definitions of spirituality per se, each of them offer a contemporary understanding of spirituality. In my thesis, a number of definitions of spirituality were identified and evaluated according to Spilka’s (1993) three principles. Considering the first principle, Pargament (1999a) describes spirituality as, â€Å"a search for the sacred (p.12)† whereas religion is â€Å"a search for significance in ways related to the sacred (p.12)†. According to Hill et al. (2000) the ‘sacred’ is an entity (e.g. God or Ultimate Being), object, principle or concept that transcends the self, that is, set apart from the ordinary and is worthy of worship. Operationalizing this definition, Pargament suggests that the self transcends through searching for the sacred. Hence, search for the sacred may not include an intermediate ‘sacred’ acts such as the pursuit of academic excellence, or the like as worthy of worship, or self-fulfillment and personal satisfaction (Pargament, 1999b). In this definition, Pargament suggests that spirituality is placed within the broader domain of religion suggesting that it can be influenced by the beliefs, values and principles of a specific religion. However, t his is challenging and asserts the difficulty in determining a universal definition of spirituality considering that there is no one universal religion practices throughout the world. The fact that different religious doctrines have adopted diverse and often competing religiosities may therefore render a universal definition of spirituality (Moberg, 2002). Moreover, placing spirituality within the domain of religion restricts research to a narrower and more traditional conceptualization of God (Stifoss-Hansen, 1999). Taking into consideration that there are various types of religions and that although the majority of UK’s population follow a more traditional Anglo-Celtic (e.g. Catholic) religious beliefs and practices (59% of the UK population is reported as being Christian) (UK Census, 2011), there are many who follow other religious beliefs and practices. Pargament’s definition of spirituality might not therefore be applicable to peoples following Islam, or peoples of a Dharmic (e.g. Buddhism) origins, for instance (McSherry and Cash, 2004). Hence, the ongoing use of Pargament’s definition of spirituality could be argued to be limited. Considering the second principle, Stifoss-Hansen (1999) provided a different definition of spirituality to that of Pargament. Stifoss-Hansen (1999) proposes that spirituality includesdifferent characteristics that are not in line with Pargament’s definition of spirituality. These characteristics include connectedness, authenticity, existentialism, meaning if life, holism and self and community, which are considered as aspects of an individual’s spirituality indicating that spirituality must be considered a broader, not a narrower, concept to religion. According to Stifoss-Hansen, â€Å"spirituality is people’s search for meaning, in relation to the big existential questions (p.28)†. Operationalizing this definition, it seems broader than that provided by Pargament and goes beyond the possibly narrow limitations of traditional religion. Yet, there remains a question whether searching for existentialism can result in one living a spiritual life. Pargament (1999a) debates that it may might and also it may not. For Pargament, finding meaning in life, which might be considered as part of existentialism, is not spiritual in nature or complexity. Further consideration of Stifoss-Hansen’s definition of existentialist spirituality suggests that one seeks to know the self, free from beliefs, feelings and identities or labels created upon fear of losing one’s physical and psychological identities (Ho and Ho, 2007). Seeking the self has a higher degree of complexity and may therefore require a lifetime dedication and self-discipline to master (if mastering the pursuit is, truly, possible) (Hamel et al., 2003). Hill et al. (2000) offered another definition of spirituality adopting Pargament’s definition as a foundation. Hill and his colleagues stated that spirituality is â€Å"thoughts, feelings and behaviours that arise from a search for the sacred (p.66)†. They even developed a criterion for considering Pargament’s definition of spirituality. According to Hill et al., â€Å"the term ‘search’ refers to the attempts to identify, articulate, maintain, or transform while the term ‘sacred’ refers to the divine being, divine object, Ultimate Reality, or Ultimate Truth as perceived by the individual (p.66)†. Opposing to Pargament’s definition, Hill et al. suggest that even though an individual’s spirituality can be expressed through religion, it does not essentially need the institution of religion. In this definition, Hill et al. (2000) consider the role of a Being or Purpose that is superior to the individual; namely the Trans cendent which might or might not involve God as the Higher Being. One’s Higher Being or Purpose may be placed within or beyond the individual, or that the transcendent may be external to the individual, a recognition of something more superior to the individual (Mahoney and Pargament, 2004). With regards to the third principle identified by Spilka (1993): spirituality as grounded in the connecting of oneself to a larger ‘system’, Reed (1992) offered a definition of spirituality that focuses more on the individual relationships with self, others, nature and a power greater than the self. According to Reed: ‘‘Specifically spirituality refers to the propensity to make meaning through a sense relatedness to dimensions that transcend the self in such a way that empowers and does not devalue the individual. This relatedness may be experienced intrapersonally (as a connectedness within oneself), interpersonally (in the context of others and the natural environment) and transpersonally (referring to a sense of relatedness to the unseen, God, or power greater than the self and ordinary source (p.350)†. In this definition it appears that spirituality is firmly centered on interpersonal relationships and the community; where nature or the environment has a central role in one’s experience of spirituality. Contrary to some other definitions of spirituality offered, the one offered by Reed suggests that one can only know who they are after they have achieved connectedness with others, not independence (Tacey, 2003; Hamel et al., 2003). Considering Reed’s definition of spirituality further, by its very nature, it appears to be holistic. It demonstrates that spirituality means an awareness of oneself and our relationships with everything that is not the self (Meehan, 2002). It highlights that individuals seeking spirituality must identify, understand and value the essential socio-spiritual fabric connecting them with all others and nature (Fraser and Grootenboer, 2004). Such a definition of spirituality implicitly takes into account a level of awareness that is post-convent ional in orientation. Reviewing each definition of spirituality presented so far, if spirituality is considered as a universal phenomenon relevant to all persons (Helminiak, 2008), then it is critical that research arrives at a universal definition of spirituality. However, it appears that there are different perspectives to what spirituality ‘is’ and, thus, in my thesis I adopted the definition that was developed during the European Association for Palliative Care Congress in Vienna with the aim of identifying one definition of spirituality in Europe. According to Nolan et al. (2011): â€Å"Spirituality is the dynamic dimension of human life that relates to the way persons (individual and community) experience, express and/or seek meaning, purpose and transcendence, and the way they connect to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, to the significant and/or the sacred (p.88)†. This definition of spirituality agrees with the three principles highlighted by Spilka (1993) and are in line -in part- with the other definitions; however it is more comprehensive. This definition is also in line with the spiritual well-being framework identified by Fisher (1998) which states that spiritual well-being is not limited to only religious or spiritual behaviours (e.g. belief in God, reading the Bible, church attendance, or praying) and experiences, but extends to the affirmation of life in relationships with oneself (personal), others (communal), nature (environment), and God (transcendental others). Given that it could be argued that while no one definition of spirituality is possible, Nolan et al.’s (2011) definition of spirituality is used as a working definition of spirituality in my study to find out whether the definitions of spirituality offered by participants fits with this definition and to find out how participants in my study viewed spirituality and how it links to their well-being. The next section now moves on to present the literature review aims and questions.

We Must Make Changes in AIDS Education :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

We Must Make Changes in AIDS Education Due to the fervent efforts of health educators, young people today have a very intimate knowledge of HIV and AIDS. These students were born in the early eighties at the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. Teachers guided students through years of health classes in their junior high and high school years and informed students about the destructive nature of the AIDS virus and ways in which it can and cannot be contracted. Health educators made sure that students were well-informed about HIV and presented the topic as being gender neutral. Although pop culture and the media claimed that homosexual males were responsible for the epidemic, this idea was never presented in the classroom. Though I am grateful for this aspect of AIDS education, it seems that there was an important aspect missing from the curriculum: the more numerous negative effects that the disease has for women. Health education needs to present the effects of AIDS to women and encourage them to be more concerned about contr acting and living with the disease. In spite of this need for reform, however, health educators may feel uneasy about changing their curriculum and argue that there are a number of reasons to keep HIV and AIDS curriculum the same. One reason that they might have for maintaining the current curriculum is that they fear that presenting HIV as more of a woman’s issue could decrease awareness of the disease in men. However, this probably will not happen. Many people, though not necessarily health educators, already view HIV as more of a man’s disease. In fact, according to Allen E. Carrier of Aids Project Los Angeles, gay men aged 17-24 are at a very high risk for HIV infection and realize the dangers of unsafe sex but continue to engage in high-risk behavior (DeNoon "National"). In other words, most men are aware and informed but some are choosing to ignore some of the education that they received. In reality, men need to make as many changes as women in order to stop the AIDS epidemic. Peter Piot, the execu tive director of the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, says that "[m]en have a crucial role to play in bringing about this radical change" (Henderson). Therefore, the new AIDS curriculum would be encouraging both men and women to change their attitudes and actions in order to bring about changes.