Integrating Music Experiences In The Classroom Education Essay

Music is a worldwide phenomenon. An enjoyment and grasp of music is apparent in every civilization, yesteryear and nowadays. Adults and kids likewise listen, perform or compose music in a assortment of ways for cultural and personal grounds. In resort areas, places and schools kids dance, drama and sing for enjoyment and societal interaction. In Queensland province schools a specializer music instructor provides pupils with hebdomadal chances to actively prosecute in vocalizing, playing, reading and composing music. However the function and importance of the non-specialist schoolroom instructor to supply music experiences should non be undervalued. By incorporating music activities into day-to-day schoolroom life instructors can make community, enhance acquisition experiences and construct an grasp of Australian and universe civilizations. By supplying chances for pupils to sing, play and make music the schoolroom instructor acknowledges the of import function music plays in the life of every kid. Music and motion activities can be shared experiences that make kids experience portion of a group, promoting cooperation, teamwork and making a sense of community within the schoolroom. As suggested by Carlow ( 2008, p. 4 ) ‘as kids take part in musical activities together, their encephalons, organic structures and Black Marias are engaged and singularly focused in an knowing conjunction activity. ‘ Children can develop societal accomplishments whilst playing musical games necessitating cooperation such as†¦ .. Emotional consequence of music is an plus in the schoolroom. Stress alleviating affects can be utilised to alter the temper in the schoolroom, aid with transitional activities and alleviate subject jobs. Singing or listening to music can be used as a basic schoolroom direction technique to welcome pupils, cue the beginning or terminal of an activity or relax pupils after interruption ( Carlow, 2008 ) Music can enrich and inspire lessons.f rom The benefits of musical activities for kids with physical or cognitive disablements is good researched and can help in making an inclusive schoolroom environment that engenders a shared sense of humanity. Music and motion experiences help develop both sides of the encephalon, an of import determination in recent encephalon research, and contribute to kids ‘s physical, cognitive and linguistic communication development. Experiences with music, which frequently involvement motion every bit good, are memorable because they are non restricted to the mind but besides touch the emotions and affect the senses. Music can heighten the creativeness, assurance and quality of schoolroom acquisition experiences for all pupils. Music accommodates for multiple acquisition manners including kinesthetic through motion and dance, mathematical-logical through bring forthing and listening to music and interpersonal through playing and executing for others. Musical activities and games can help pupils to better their beat, balance and fluidness ( Singer, p. 54 ) . Research suggests that simple exercisings such as walking on a balance beam to a membranophone round will assist better both physical and reading sleight. Using a assortment of beat and pacing may help pupils reading eloquence as a connexion is made and internalised between the ocular words ( length of words ) and the auditory ( words and beat beats ) and the kinesthetic ( body motion ) Singer, p. 54. Comparisons of sounds of assorted music instruments helps pupils to ticket tune their hearing accomplishments and audile favoritism ( Singer, p.55 ) . Music expresses human feeling, kids should see music in such a manner that they are progressively cognizant of composers have used sound to show deeper inner feelings, which like thoughts have transcended people, topographic points and civilizations. It is in the schoolroom that kids can see composition and improvising and doing music for a assortment of times and topographic points. Sense of how humanity expresses itself with sound. Cognitive development, kids solve jobs whilst engaged in music and motion activities, which instrument can be used to do the sound of boom. They create forms with the words they sing or chant, with the gestures they make with their organic structures, and with musical instruments. Children learn about figure constructs as they clap their custodies to a round. They think symbolically when they pretend to walk like an elephant to music.. Music experiences can be organised around jobs, issues or subjects derived from existent life state of affairss, in which precedence is given to active acquisition and significance devising movable and connected to reliable mundane life fortunes ( Eisner, 2004 and Davis, 2005 as cited in Temmerman p. 39 ) . †¦ . Music can heighten our apprehension of ourselves and the universe. Music from different civilizations contributes to our apprehension of both others and ourselves. As pupils sing, drama instruments and listen to music kids are encouraged to see, regard and appreciate the parts of people, civilizations and eras different from their ain. Songs composed or jury-rigged provide kids with a agencies to border the universe through their ain ability to do significance. As suggested by Joseph, p. 27 our universe is progressively going interdependent and all pupils should understand their function in a planetary society. As suggested by Nieto, 2002 cited in Joseph p. 27 â€Å" The boundary lines between civilizations, communities and societies are continually film overing and music serves as an of import ingredient in our multicultural society † . As a cultural passage, the humanistic disciplines embody a states individuality, and music signifiers a large portion of this individuality. Music can be a critical portion of acquisition and find, chances to learn about cultural consciousness and values, understand our cultural heritage every bit good as past and present universe civilizations. Waltzing Matilda has introduced pupils to national history, vocabulary and folk vocals ( Singer p. 55 ) The map of music in the course of study is a facilitative 1, where lessons are a beginning of acquisition and experience that form merely portion of a kid ‘s musical universe and individuality. The specializer music instructor and the schoolroom instructor can value music as a portion of mundane life.MUSIC 1Lesson Title:Year Degree:Time Duration of Lesson:Focused Context for Learning:Specific Learning Objectives for this Lesson:1.2.3.Wayss of WorkingKnowledge and UnderstandingPrior KnowledgeTime in mins Phases of sequenced activities Group organisation/ safety considerations ResourcesORIENTATERhythmic reverberation bangs Singing GreetingENHANCEAnts Go Marching InSts. ask for their Year 1 brother category to sing and execute actions to the vocal. Stairss for activity? Sts. keep custodies with Yr. 1 brother pupil†¦ ( March around etc. ) Mexican Woodpecker ( New vocal ) Teach words & A ; rhythm merely in this lesson.Dragon vocal activityQuestions:What do you cognize about firedrakes? How are firedrakes perceived in Chinese civilization? Watch picture cartridge holder Tchr. explains by the terminal of the unit sts. will be making their ain firedrake vocal, music and actions.. Sts. watch a picture cartridge holder demoing a traditional Chinese firedrake dance. Sts. insight thoughts, features of the Chinese firedrake ( Dragon song thoughts ) Watch picture cartridge holder Sts. usage list of words ( Dragon song ideas ) to make 8 short lines of text about the Chinese firedrake. Tchr points out up/down moving ridges of motion. Appendix 1.1 Appendix 1.2SynthesiseAssessment Techniques and Instruments Teaching Resources Specific for this Lesson MentionsMUSIC 2Lesson Title:Year Degree:Time Duration of Lesson:Focused Context for Learning:Keeping the round to short vocals Know and understand assorted meters ( 2/4, A? , 4/4 )Specific Learning Objectives for this Lesson:1. Perform a round and rhythmic form utilizing organic structure percussion2.3.Wayss of WorkingKnowledge and UnderstandingPrior KnowledgeDragon vocal: Sts. have created 8 lines of text and arranged them in a suited order during a literacy block. Time in mins Phases of sequenced activities Group organisation/ safety considerations ResourcesOrientateENHANCEMexican WoodpeckerGo over words and learn actions in a individual line? The Aardvark ( New Song ) Thatch wordss: Tchr. chants the vocal through one time whilst sts. click fingers to the round. Tchr chants lines 1 and 2 and sts. repetition Tchr chants lines 3 and 4 and sts. repetition Sts. and Tchr. intone the vocal in unison. Teach actions: Tchr. demonstrates actions line by line and sts. transcript Line 1, cast pess Line 2, bang surrogate articulatio genuss with custodies Line 3 bang custodies together Line 4 chink fingers Practice vocal: Sts. and tchr. sing the chant and maintain the beat with organic structure percussion. Dragon Song Activity ( continued ) Divide category into 8 groups. Each group is allocated 1 line from the Dragon vocal they wrote in a literacy block. Making the music ( Dragon song endorsing path ) Sts. listen to CD path 55 Questions: How many beats can you hear in each form? Do you like the sound of the tune? Tchr. explains that endorsing music repeats a steady 5 round concomitant utilizing the pentatonic graduated table Sts. put up a glock with a C pentatonic graduated table and listen to the notes. Each group invent a tune for their line of the vocal devising certain it fits the 5 round form..Appendix 2.1SynthesisePlay a tune to the backup path Each group play their musical concomitant to the 5 round backup path Assessment Techniques and Instruments Teaching Resources Specific for this Lesson MentionsMUSIC 3Lesson Title:Year Degree:Time Duration of Lesson:Focused Context for Learning:Specific Learning Objectives for this Lesson:1.2.3.Wayss of WorkingKnowledge and UnderstandingPrior KnowledgeTime in mins Phases of sequenced activities Group organisation/ safety considerations Gathering groundsOrientateTchr./ pupil recognizingENHANCEThe Aardvark ( rhythmic chant – sing in unit of ammunitions ) Sts. intone the vocal whilst maintaining the beat utilizing organic structure percussion. Divide category in to 2 groups to execute chant as a 2 portion unit of ammunition. Divide sts. into 4 groups and execute chant as a 4 portion unit of ammunition. Mr Noah Rap ( New Song ) Sts. listen to the blame on the Cadmium ( Track 19 with words and carnal noises ) Sts. listen to CD once more clapping the steady round throughout ( 4/4 ) Sts. pattern clapping the round and stating the sound for each animate being Tchr. hands out rhythmic pattern sheet for each animate being Without the Cadmium sts. pattern stating the carnal sounds whilst clapping a steady round.Questions:How many beats does the serpent ‘s hushing spell for ( 4 beats ) What does the crocodile say on each round? ( snip/snap ) How many snip-snaps will we hear for the 4 beats? Class is divided into 6 groups ( one for each of the animate beings mentioned in the blame ) Sts. sing along to CD ( Track 20 – words but spreads where the animate being noises are so sts. can infix )Mexican Woodpecker:Practice vocal and actions togetherChinese Dragon Song:Practice vocalizing and playing to endorsing path In same groups sts. pattern vocalizing and playing their phrase in clip with the 5 steady beats. In groups sts. pattern vocalizing and playing, one group after the following, each get downing on the first of the 5 round form. As each group sing and play their phrase they continue playing the glock to the 5 round form to make melodious phrases that overlap each other. Sts. are familiar with vocal & A ; actions. New activity for sts. start with 2 portion unit of ammunition and so travel to 4 portion unit of ammunition. Observe sts. ability to intone rhythmic forms in unit of ammunition Appendix 3.1 Rhythmic carnal form sheet for each pupil. Wordss to the vocal on IWB.SynthesiseAssessment Techniques and Instruments Teaching Resources Specific for this Lesson MentionsMUSIC 4Lesson Title:Year Degree: In-between Primary ( 3-5 )Time Duration of Lesson:Focused Context for Learning:Specific Learning Objectives for this Lesson:1.2.3.Wayss of WorkingKnowledge and UnderstandingPrior KnowledgeTime in mins Phases of sequenced activities Group organisation/ safety considerations Gathering grounds.OrientateENHANCE:Mr Noah Rap:Clap 4/4 round ( 1, 2, 3, 4 ) ( hands/knees )Q. What vocal have we been larningwith this round? ( Please, Mr Noah ) Organises sts. into 6 groups ( animate beings ) Tchr. We have been utilizing our voices to stand for the animate beings – today we will utilize instruments†¦Q. I have some instruments here, which group shall I give them to?Hand out instruments to each group Tchr. Ask each group to play instruments to their animate beings beat ( all in form on board ) Play â€Å" Mr Noah ‘s Rap † Track ( Optional ) Sts. Singing Mr Noah Rap Each group plays their instrument at the appropriate clip in the vocal maintaining a steady 4/4 round.Ants Go Marching InWith Year 1 brother categoryDragon SongSts. practise Chinese Dragon vocal Go over of import points for a category public presentation Watch music director ( tchr. ) carefully Dressed ore Start and finish with silence Sit mutely when non playing/singing Smile and have funSynthesiseSts. execute their firedrake vocal for Year 1 brother category. Assessment Techniques and Instruments Teaching Resources Specific for this Lesson

Development of Modern Middle East Essay

The purpose of this paper is to give a synopsis of the life history and work of Muhammad, son of Abdullah, the prophet of Islam. It will also seek to address the persecutions he underwent at the hands of his own clan. Muhammad was and remains one of the most influential people the world has ever seen. He was a mortal, illiterate man who has changed world history and left an indelible mark on the history books. He was the last of the prophets and one of the few with scriptures. The scripture (Qur’an) is one of the most read and revered books on the face of the earth. His work has over one billion followers worldwide comprising people from all races, social status, sex and age. He acknowledged every prophet before him and discriminated against none (Qur’an 2:285). He was a human rights champion. In this paper Quraysh and/or Mecca will mostly refer to unbelievers in Islamic monotheism at the time of Muhammad. MUHAMMAD: – BIRTH and CHILDHOOD Muhammad the son of Abdullah and the grandson of Abdul Muttalib (leader of the Quraysh tribe and custodian of al-Ka’aba) is the prophet of the Islamic religion. Muhammad was born in Mecca in the year 570 c.e. which is also known as the Year of the Elephant. This is the year that Abrahah, the king of Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia) sent a powerful force to destroy al-Ka’aba because he viewed al-Ka’aba as a rival since it was attracting more pilgrims than his newly constructed temple in Yemen. According to history, on approaching Mecca the lead elephant of Abrahah’s convoy refused to enter the city. Then birds filled the skies stoning the army with pebbles so much so that they had to retreat in defeat. Muhammad was a descendant of Abraham through his son Ishmael. His father Abdullah died few months before Muhammad’s birth. His mother Aminah sent him the countryside to be nursed and nurtured as was the custom in Arabia. It’s believed that the children learn the qualities of self-discipline, nobility, and freedom better in the countryside than in the urban areas. It also gave them the opportunities to be speakers of eloquent Arabic spoken by the Bedouin. Aminah did not have much money to pay for the care so most of the caregivers would not take Muhammad until she met Halimah a poor Bedouin woman who became Muhammad’s nurse. One day while playing with his child peers, two angels appeared to him in human form, laid him down, opened his chest and purified his heart. For fear of what might have happened next, Halimah and her husband Harith returned Muhammad to his mother. (Britannica) Aminah died when Muhammad was only six years old. His grandfather (Abdul Muttalib) took custody of him, then two years later Abdul Muttalib fell sick and suspected he may not survive the illness, so he asked his son Abu Talib to take charge of Muhammad. Abdul Muttalib had many sons some of whom were richer than Abu Talib but he was the kindest and most respectable among his brothers. Abu Talib treated him very well and respectfully. ADOLESCENT to MARRIAGE At a young age he joined Abu Talib’s caravan to Syria. On this Syrian trip a Christian monk (Bahira) saw the signs of prophethood on him, invited him and his uncle to dine with him. He saw the prophet seal on his back and told Abu Talib to protect him from the Jews and Christians because might kill him if they realize his was the foretold prophet to come after Jesus (Qur’an 61:6) And [mention] when Jesus, the son of Mary, said, â€Å"O children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad.† But when he came to them with clear evidences, they said, â€Å"This is obvious magic.† Muhammad was said to be a young man of unusual physical beauty and generosity of character. He was revered in Mecca due to his sense of fairness and justice that people often went to him for arbitration, hence the title al-Amin (the Trusted One). His uncle Abu Talib recommended him to Khadija to work on her caravan. He did so well that Khadija retained his service and made him the head of her caravan and proposed marriage to him through her friend. They got married when Muhammad was twenty five years old and Khadija who was forty years old. During marriage they had two sons and four daughters. The two sons both died young and only Fatimah among the daughters grew up to have children of her own. At age thirty five, Muhammad took his cousin Ali who was five at the time into his household and raised him. He later gave his daughter Fatima to Ali in marriage and it was through this matrimony that his progeny came. (Britannica) All these time although an illiterate, he was not satisfied with the spiritual lives of the Meccans. He started retreating to the mountains for meditation. He has seen, heard, and dreamed of miraculous things and beings. He maintained in his mind that there must be a supernatural being somewhere who is responsible for all these creatures. (CARM) CALL to PROPHETHOOD Muhammad continued his daily retreat in the cave on the mountain. One day, generally believed to be the night of power (Laila tul Qadr) in Ramadan at age forty in the year 610 c.e. while in the cave on mount Hira, the archangel Gabriel appeared to him in human form and asked him to recite. Muhammad told the angel that he did not know how to read but Gabriel insisted he recite the name of thy Lord (Qur’an 96:1-5) â€Å"Read! In the name of your Lord (Cherisher and Sustainer), He who created — created man, out of a leech-like clot: Read! And your Lord is Most Bountiful. He who taught (the use of) the Pen, taught man that which he knew not.† The appearance of Gabriel to Muhammad confirmed his call to prophethood which also marked the beginning of Islam, and added another important chapter to Arab and world history. Among the first converts to Islam were his beloved wife Khadija, Ali his cousin and later son-in-law, and his friend Abu Bakr. The words that Gabriel taught him became the first verses (Ayat) of the scriptures (Koran) which later developed to one hundred and fourteen chapters arranged from the longest to the shortest except the opening chapter (al-Fatiha) which is short. The Qur’an was revealed in a period of twenty three years (610-632 c.e), the first thirteen years in Mecca and last ten in Medina. Although not arranged in chronological order, the shorter chapters are the early revelations. The Qur’an is one of the most revered and read books on earth today. It is the most sacred book for the Muslims; they believe it is God’s own words (the original copy in heaven) and that Muhammad is the last of the prophets hence the other title the â€Å"Seal.† In this case Muhammad and the Qur’an are both completely beyond criticism (reprimand) in the Islamic world. The Muslims will go any length to defend both regardless of the consequences. (Britannica) EARLY DAYS of ISLAM and PERSECUTIONS For the first three years Islam had about forty followers (Muslims). Muhammad and the Muslims faced a lot of persecutions at the hands of Mecca pagans, who viewed the new faith as a threat to their polytheistic lives, and the religions of their forefathers. He was still preaching in private even after three years. He preached a lot about kindness to the poor and the weak (women and children), equality of races, equality of men and women before God. Muslims started gaining ground slowly but surely. Since Mecca frequently had visitors, the elders feared that the new faith might quickly spread if strangers started accepting it, so they had to hatch a plan to stop the spread. They continue to defend their religion but offered little new to the challenge Islam brought to them. Abu Lahab (Muhammad’s uncle) and Abu Sufyan gathered eloquent poets from the tribes and started a propaganda war. The poets coined choice phrases and recited well-crafted verses to ridicule Muhammad and call into doubt the veracity of his beliefs. Muslim converts with poetic skill began to construct rebuttals and soon there were dueling poets all over the city. People began approaching the once highly respected Muhammad in the streets shoving and asking him to perform miracles (predict market prices, turn mountains into gold, make angels appear, and etc.) like the earlier prophets did. Many Qur’an verses came down to him to answer the many challenges he faced and those that question the authenticity of the Qur’an. Muhammad frequently reminded them that he was just a mortal man and the Qur’an was his miracle. Another thing that puzzled the opponents was that Muhammad was not a poet, and his sudden eloquence and verbosity was inexplicable. The Meccans admitted to the fact that Qur’anic verses were nice to listen to and its contents were impassioned and appealing. Some clan elders began sitting outside Muhammad’s window at night to hear him reciting his beautiful verses. They enjoyed the verses and knew that those verses could not have come from even the best poet let alone an illiterate man. This continued until they shamed each other into stopping because that will mean they are encouraging Muhammad and admitting that he was on the right path. (Emerick Yahiya) He continued (Qur’an 7:194-198) speaking against asking idols for help even though the idols could not see, hear, speak, or protect themselves. These Qur’anic verses made idol worship look foolish. These assertions did not settle well with the Quraysh, so they approached Abu Talib (head of the Banu Hasim) and asked him to stop Muhammad or relinquish his protection of him so they could take care of him because he attacks their religion which was Abu Talib’s too. Abu Talib knew that to take care of him meant they wanted kill Muhammad. Remembering the promise he made to his father to protect Muhammad he politely told the clan elders that he would continue to extend his clan’s protection to Muhammad. Muhammad was preaching that slaves were equal to their masters at a time when slavery was at its height in Arabia. This alarmed the Quraysh leaders which prompted them to reason with Abu Talib for the second time, they took along an able-bodied young man (Umarah) to be Abu Talib’s adopted son in exchange for Muhammad. Abu Talib strongly rejected the offer. Meanwhile Muhammad continued his preaching and people continue converting to Islam. (Emerick Yahiya) The Quraysh elders tried a third time to reason with Abu Talib only this with an ultimatum and that was â€Å"Stop Muhammad or we will fight him and you.† Abu Talib did not want to cause trouble for his clan, called Muhammad to a private meeting and said to him â€Å"Save me and save yourself.† Muhammad politely responded his uncle by saying â€Å"Uncle by Allah, if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left and ordered me to give up this cause, I would never do it until either Allah has vindicated me or I perish in the attempt.† When the response was conveyed to the clan leaders, they ordered redoubling of efforts to persecute Muslims. Abu Talib assured him of his unflinching support no matter what he preached and called the Banu Hashim and Banu Abdul Muttalib clans to swear to an oath to protect Muhammad. The Quraysh then sent Utbah, a conciliatory Arab leader to Muhammad asking him to stop preaching his religion or at least make accommodation for idol worshipping, then the Meccans would compensate him whatever he wished. Muhammad recited Chapter 32 of the Qur’an, which outlines the truth of monotheism, Allah’s purpose for creation, and the way He chooses prophets to convey His message of salvation. Utbah was convinced that Muhammad was not crazy and that he should be left alone. Persecution of Muslims then increased to an alarming rate. Muslims were tortured, starved, left to die in hot desert sands, and even murdered. MIGRATION to MEDINA (HIJRA) Due to the persistent persecutions from the people of Mecca, Muhammad accepted the invitation from Yathrib (modern day Medina) to be the head of the city and arbitrator for the warring factions. He could also have freedom to practice and preach about his faith. He migrated to in the year 622 c.e. with his family and some followers. When he was leaving his house Muhammad recited (Qur’an 36:9) â€Å"We have covered them so they cannot see,† he slipped out passing unnoticed by the men assigned to kill him. He left his cousin Ali to sleep in his house. Upon arrival at Yathrib, he and his companions were welcomed with loud cry of delight; a chorus of girls sang a welcome song for them. From that day Yathrib was renamed Medina (city of the prophet). The migration is known as Hijra which also marked the beginning of the Islamic calendar. (CARM) Islam started growing rapidly as a dominant political force in Medina and Muhammad assumed the role of a de facto head of state. Both men and women (including but not limited to Safiya bint Abdul Muttalib, Asma bint Abu Bakr, and Fatima bint Muhammad) played important roles as activists and teachers to make a homeland for Islamic monotheism a reality. Many women began to vigorously support the new movement, for Islam presented a great leap forward in both women’s rights and status. Islam was now going through radical changes. The changes included opposition to idolatry, improving personal morality, establishing personal relationship with God, and regulations for public and social life. The Qur’an laid new rules for the conduct of business and commerce, the compulsory 2.5% welfare tax (Zakat) from annual savings to be given for the benefit of the poor and needy. Fasting (abstinence from worldly pleasure during daylight) in the month of Ramadan was established. The five daily prayers were now held in congregation in the mosque. (Mission Islam) With the arrival of Sawdah and marriage to Aisha, Muhammad started to establish a stable household in Medina. Sawdah was a widow of ********* and one of the early converts to Islam. She got married to Muhammad after the demise of Khadija. She was said to be a very kind and humorous woman. Aisha may have been twelve years or so at the time. She lived in her own apartment by the mosque and spent her leisure entertaining visitors and walking the streets of Medina. Aisha was a quick learner and soon became a sought-after teacher on Islamic issues as the years progressed. Sawdah also had her own apartment and did not encroach upon Aisha’s domain. She took the inexperienced Aisha under her wing and guided her in her role as a wife. (Inter-Islam) WARS against DISBELIEVERS Muhammad and his followers fought many wars against Islam’s foes from Mecca, Jews and the tribes. The first of the great wars was the â€Å"Battle of Badr.† The Muslims were outnumbered by Meccans almost three to one. The Meccan army was headed by Abu Jahl a staunch enemy of Islam and the person of Muhammad. The Meccans lost their camp and its wealth and supplies, and about fifty men including Abu Jahl and many other leaders who died in the war. The Muslims took about seventy Meccans prisoner. The Muslims had fourteen casualties. Muhammad announced that Allah’s help allowed them to win (Qur’an 8:9 and 8:17). While the Muslims continued to celebrate their win in Medina, the Meccans were humiliated by the Battle of Badr at home and wanted to revenge. This will mean a change of events for the Muslims (Qur’an 3:140) â€Å"If a wound hath touched you, be sure a similar wound hath touched the others. Such days (of varying fortunes) We give to men and men by turns: that Allah may know those that believe, and that He may take to Himself from your ranks Martyr-witnesses (to Truth). And Allah loveth not those that do wrong†. This leads to the Battle of Uhud. The Meccans used the proceeds from Abu Sufyan’s great caravan to procure weapons for next campaign against Muslims. They had three thousand well-armed fighters divided into three massive columns. The women’s group was led by Hind, Abu Sufyan’s wife who vowed not to mourn the deaths of her father, brother and uncles, and also promised not to sleep with her husband until she had her vengeance against the Muslims. Abu Sufyan trying to convince his wife of his own bravery also promised not to bathe until he defeated Muhammad. Many women decided to come along to encourage their husbands and fathers and watch the battle. Hind, Abu Sufyan’s wife stated â€Å"We will indeed accompany the army and no one can stand in our way or force us back into our homes, if the women were present at the Day of Badr soldiers running away would not have happened.† At the head of each Meccan regiment were men who wanted to see Muhammad dead. Among them were Khalid ibn al-Walid famous Meccan cavalry general who wanted glory and accolades. Abu Sufyan and his brother-in-law Ikhrimah, the son of Abu Jahl were seeking blood to fight for glory. The women made it clear that if their men struck down the enemy they would be embraced and w0uld spread rugs for them. If you turn your backs we will avoid you and we will never come back to sleep with you. (pbs.org) The Prophet instructed fifty archers to protect the Muslims backs and not to move from their posts until they saw the Muslims entering the enemy camp, if the Muslims were being beaten they should still stay at their posts and avoid trying to help so that the enemy could not come behind them. However, the archers left their posts allowing the enemy the chance to get behind them which caused the Muslims to be overwhelmed by the much larger enemy (Qur’an 8:27-28) â€Å"O you who have believed, do not betray Allah and the Messenger or betray your trusts while you know [the consequence]. But when he came to it, he was called, â€Å"Blessed is whoever is at the fire and whoever is around it. And exalted is Allah, Lord of the worlds.† The Prophet himself got struck by a thrown rock that knocked one of his teeth off and he fell to the ground. He was quickly surrounded by Muslims to protect him from the charging Meccans. The Prophet tried to get up but fell into a pit, Ali and another man lifted him out of the pit. The Muslims suffered about seventy casualties and many others were severely wounded, and the Meccans lost hundreds. However, the Muslims admitted defeat because of high number of casualties and wounded including the prophet with regard to the size of the ir army. The Meccan women led by Hind enraged by their near defeat began to mutilate and deface the fallen Muslims. They cut off noses and ears and made them ornaments or necklaces moving over dead bodies like ghouls. Hind found Hamza’s dead body, ripped open his chest and chewed on his liver, fulfilling her vow. Hamza was Muhammad’s uncle and the one who killed Abu Jahl, the father of Hind. Hamza was killed by a slave whom Hind promised to set free if he killed Hamza. (Emerick Yahiya) After the battle of Uhud the Muslims position in Medina was precarious and the hypocrites capitalized on this situation to strengthen their position. Most of the tribes were now emboldened since they realize that the Muslims were not invincible. Many times, Muslims who were sent on missions got massacred and this brought about a lot of sadness among surviving compatriots. Muhammad explained the change in their fortunes as God’s way of testing their resolve and sincerity. (Qur’an 2:15 5-156). The Jews who had signed treaties with the Prophet broke the terms of the treaties and they were exiled from Medina. The Jews incited other tribes and Mecca to go to war with Muslims to wipe out Islam. The tribes and Meccans made up an army of about ten thousand fighters to attack the Muslims. The Prophet and other Muslims dug a trench at the south entrance of the city to protect Medina from the menacingly large army attack, since the other side was Mount Uhud and the back was the Jewish fortresses. The army arrived but could not enter the city of Medina so they laid siege for three weeks. This was called the siege of Medina or Battle of the Trench. This was a difficult time for Muslims because their food supply was running out and their Jewish neighbors (Banu Qurayza) had cut the food supply. However, after about three weeks in the cold desert nights the army started feeling weary. One night a raging winter storm befell the army, and the weather was so harsh that they decided to leave. (Emerick Yahiya) CONQUEST of MECCA and PASSING of the PROPHET Despite all the troubles Muslims faced, Islam was steadily growing. In the year 628 c.e the Muslims and the Quraysh signed the treaty of Hudaybiyah, and the Muslims defeated the Jews at the battle of Khaybar. In the year 629 Muhammad led a lesser pilgrimage to Mecca and Khalid ibn Walid converted to Islam. In the year 630 c.e the prophet marched unto Mecca with over ten thousand followers. They faced very little resistance from the Meccans. The prophet and the Muslims destroyed and removed all the idols that filled al Ka’aba and established prayers in the place. Abu Sufyan the last strongest Quraysh leader converted to Islam. (Emerick Yahiya) In the year 632 c.e the prophet went to Mecca with over one hundred thousand followers to perform farewell pilgrimage (hajj). This was to be his last hajj and this was where gave the farewell sermon (address), which reads â€Å"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I don’t know whether, after this year, I shall ever be amongst y ou again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you carefully and TAKE THIS WORDS TO THOSE WHO COULD NOT BE PRESENT HERE TODAY. O People, just as you regard this month, this day, and this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your LORD, and that HE will indeed reckon your deeds. ALLAH has forbidden you to take usury (Interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived†¦ Beware of Satan, for your safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things. O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have right over you. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery. O People, listen to me in earnest, worship ALLAH, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. You know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. YOU ARE ALL EQUAL. NOBODY HAS SUPERIORITY OVER OTHER EXCEPT BY PIETY AND GOOD ACTION. Remember, one day you will appear before ALLAH and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not astray from the path of righteousness after I am gone. O People, NO PROPHET OR APOSTLE WILL COME AFTER ME AND NO NEW FAITH WILL BE BORN. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand my words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the QUR’AN and my example, the SUNNAH and if you follow these you will never go astray. All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. BE MY WITNESS O ALLAH THAT I HAVE CONVEYED YOUR MESSAGE TO YOUR PEOPLE.† After the prophet concluded his final sermons the following qur’anic (ayat) verse was revealed to him (Quran 5:3) â€Å"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My Grace upon you, and have chosen Islam for you as your religion.† Muhammad died in the year 632 c.e. after a short illness two years after he conquered Mecca and destroyed the idols in al-Ka’aba. He was buried at Medina in the Mosque (Masjid Nabawi). â€Å"There is no forcing anyone into this way of life. Truth stands clear in the from error† (Qur’an 2:256) Sources Gelvin James L, (2011) The Modern Middle East- A History, Oxford University Press, New York Emerick Yahiya, (2002) The Life and Work of Muhammad, Alpha Books, Indianapolis Britannica Online Encyclopaedia- Muhammad (The Prophet of Islam). Retrieved on September 23, 2012 www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/396226/Muhammad PBS-islam: Empire of Faith-Profiles-Muhammad. Retrieved on September 25, 2012 www.pbs.org/empires/islam/profilesMuhammad.html Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM). Retrieved on September 30, 2012 http://www.carm.org/muhammad Inter-Islam Home. Retrieved on October 12, 2012 www.inter-islam.org/Biographies Mission Islam. Retrieved on October 15, 2012 www.missionislam.com/knowledge/zakat.htm

What barriers are there to the effective prevention of genocide and Essay

What barriers are there to the effective prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity - Essay Example The media should have special program to spread protection and prevention measures against genocide. Victims protection should be enacted to ensure they are not exposed to more danger and also to be assisted in re-organizing their lives afresh According to Valentino (2003) he argued that there are several barriers to prevention of genocide by the international community. The United States failed to stop the Rwandan genocide until it was too late and by the time they intervened, 800,000 lives had been lost and many persons displaced. Slow and gradual speed of taking action has led to wide spread of genocides in many countries. Scenarios witnessed in Sudan remained unabated, leading to millions losing the lives and property despite the effort to prevent genocides and crimes against humanity in the world. President Clinton apologized to Rwanda expressing regret due to the untimely intervention by the Americans to prevent the mass killing that has gone in history as the worst of the rece nt decades. The international community together with African nations is responsible for this tragedy. All states must be willing to forecast and plan in future on ways of preventing crimes against humanity and genocides. ... Research done on why the international community has failed to fulfill the commitment of protecting humanity has found out that those responsible are high ranked government and military officials. They have well organized militia groups with access to government intelligence hence a big challenge to deal with. Belgium had interest in the country and had trained many Tutsi militias. It can be seen that former colonial masters want to serve their interests by causing genocides while pretending to be committed in maintaining peace (Valentino, 2003). Frate stated that lack of credible justice systems, which do not incorporate ways of addressing traditional injustices, and solving communal. Past injustices committed to victims of wars and the impact of victimization has led to negative results to the efforts being made to prevent genocides and crimes against humanity. Failure to implement laws to prevent these effects has also made it impossible for the efforts made to resolution of the c onflict. Corruption has increased in complexity in society and has become a stumbling block to justice systems by having investigating of offences, prosecution and trial of the offenders compromised. Failure to address community differences by mobilizing the society effectively has increased tension in leading to frequent sprout of conflicts which if not urgently may spread in greater proportions resulting to mass killings and destruction of property. Victims should be protected through criminal laws that are able to advocate for social security by adequately investigating in details the causes of the crimes and the possible way of addressing the differences that caused genocides and how harmony can be brought into the society. Many countries have not

How is nursing different from medicine Research Paper

How is nursing different from medicine - Research Paper Example Karen et al (2009) observes that medicine and nursing differ mainly in terms of the assistance that they present to an individual. In regard to their origin it is stipulated that they are different based on their inception. This essay is a critical analysis of the differences between nursing and medicine. It is important to the profession of nursing in order to help nurses to understand what their role is, and what is expected of them by the society. It will also assist nurses in understanding the disconnection between them and medical doctors. The developmental theory in nursing draws around the growth and advancement of individuals, which is a systematic and conventional progression that begins as a simple combination of cells that is the beginning of life, and eventually ends through decease. From the developmental theory, the main factor that serves as an indicator of the disparity between nursing and medicine is that nursing tends to concentrate on issues that have an impact on growth and development. Some of these factors are inherent while others originate from the environment in which a person grows. The manner in which an individual associates with the other members of the society determines the rate of growth and development in a person (Pierce et al 2006). In regard to issues that affect normal body functions such as visual impairment, a physician may not offer much assistance especially when the problem is not curable. The nurse tends to come in handy in assisting an individual to learn how to take care of him/herself in spite of living with the problem. People suffering from physical impairment acquire skills that are necessary for survival and also improve on the quality of their life. Care is therefore core in nursing. The more people are able to care for themselves the more they become capable of avoiding harm hence living a better

Introduction to business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Introduction to business - Essay Example The expansion and diversification of consumer market with time has established the need for employing a diversified workforce that can satisfy the diversified demand of today’s consumer. The world’s demography is changing constantly, now no country is a complete blend of one race and ethnicity. Due to increased migrations, the minorities are increasing in world developing countries. With all of these changes, it has become important for countries to have a diverse workforce that represents all aspect of the society; this representation projects a better image of the organization in the society. A major advantage of an organization attempting to acquire diverse workforce is that it have access to a large pool of candidates by which it can hire the best possible person for the job. An organization that places importance on skills and talent over characteristics like age, gender, race etc is able to achieve competitive advantage over other organizations. Another advantage of diverse workforce besides projection of better image is that it helps diversified consumer to believe that they share common grounds with the company and it helps to increase their trust in the organization. Furthermore, employees with different perspective can provide the organization with different and varied objectives helping to identify unmet needs and new opportunities. Recruitment of a diversified workforce and creating a welcoming environment for these employees helps to increase motivation and commitment of employees towards the organization. This is because these employees feel valued. Recognition and acceptance of an employee’s unique perspective helps to create a comprehensive work environment, which is very beneficial for the organization. It is evident from the above discussion that the benefits of a diversified workforce far out-weigh the cost of it. It is an essential utensil for

The Yengishiki(Shintoism) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Yengishiki(Shintoism) - Essay Example The prayers are used in the text to reflect the intertwinement of the spiritual nature and feelings of the Shinto people. In fact, the text begins by a prayer, â€Å"I declare in the presence of the sovereign gods of the Harvest†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"The Yengishiki† par. 1). The article reveals that in Shinto culture, there is no absolute right or wrong and nobody is perfect. The article also shows that Shinto is not a pessimistic faith as they view human beings to be fundamentally good and that evils are caused by evil spirits. From the article, it can also be seen that the main purpose of the majority of rituals used in the text is to keep evil spirits at bay through prayers, purification, and offerings to Kami, their ancestor. The Harvest Rituals The harvest rituals are basically a form of religious rituals of the ancient culture of the Shinto people. The harvest rituals were performed by the Shintos as a way of thanking the gods for enabling them to have a bounty harvest. The culture of the Shinto required that a harvest ritual be celebrated on the fourth day of the second month every year at the office, where people would gather and worship the gods of Shintos. This was also expected to be practices down at the local administrative provinces by chiefs. The text, however, does not reveal who exactly the harvest gods were; instead, they are only specified as Kojiki. It appears that it is a common practice among the Shintos to offer the first fruits obtained from harvest to Kojiki (â€Å"The Yengishiki† par. 1). The Ritual for the Wind-Gods The ritual for the wind gods is a form of ritual which was performed by the Shinto people by giving offerings to their god to stop the bad winds and rough waters from destroying their properties and belongings. The rituals are performed alongside prayers declared before the wind god, whom they believe to fulfill his praises at Tatsuta. Unlike in the Harvest ritual, where the first fruits are sacrificed to the gods, here it is five sorts of grains, herbs, and leaves that are offered. Other things offered during the ritual include clothing of all sorts: bright, glittering, soft and coarse (â€Å"The Yengishiki† par. 2). Fire Rituals The fire rituals, according to the Shintos, are performed to the gods for purification purposes. They believe that once someone has done wrong, he is supposed to undergo purification before he can be allowed to fit into the society. This is mainly done with the help of the priest as people praise the god at a designated place. The different forms of offerings given include cloths which are bright, soft, and rough as well as other five different things, mainly aquatic things (â€Å"The Yengishiki† par. 7). The Ritual for Evil Spirits Shintos believe that evils are the works of the evil spirits. They also believe that diseases and catastrophes are caused by the evil spirit. Therefore, when such happens, a special ritual known as the ritual for the evil spirit is to be performed by giving offerings to the gods so as to chase the evil spirits away from the society. Different forms of offerings were given to gods such as cloths, beer, swords, a horse, and both sweet and bitter herbs, among items (â€Å"The Yengishiki† par. 10). The Road-Gods' Ritual This form of ritual is mainly performed in the presence of the priest who recites a prayer to the gods as an

Describing a depth experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Describing a depth experience - Essay Example . . 1 For those of who still maintain religious belief in these troubled times, this formulation sounds very familiar. It is far too easy to lose ourselves in the material world and forget that there is something more out there—something that means more than what we can see around us. Accordingly, in this essay, I will try to describe my own experience with â€Å"depth.† When I was around sixteen years old, I was very troubled. I had many doubts about myself and about the world in general. I was confused and somewhat unhappy. I had lots of friends and played many sports, but nevertheless I was sometimes left at a loss as to how to explain the world to myself. Some days everything would just seem to be too much for me, and I would go to a quiet place to be alone and think about things. One spring my family and I took a vacation to the island of Malta. Malta is a small island in the Mediterranean near Sicily. It is only about 300 square kilometres in size but there are many people living there. The island is very historic, with many old churches and a deep and abiding faith in Catholicism. When I first arrived in Malta, I didn’t like it very much. It seemed too cramped and small. Although the weather was sunny and warm, the food was not very good and many of the cars and buildings seemed old and decrepit. So I had gone to Malta with a closed-mind and it was hard for me to appreciate it. One day, when I was walking by myself on a beach, I stopped to buy a soda from an old man who was selling drinks near the water. He must have been in his eighties; the skin on his face looked like battered leather. As I was paying for the soda, the man asked me, â€Å"Tell me, son, why do you look so lonely and lost.† I was a bit taken aback. I told him I was just walking along the beach for fresh air. He said, â€Å"Have you come to Malta on a pilgrimage? Did you know this is a very holy place? Many famous men have come to his island to discover something about themselves.

Healthcare statistics error type I & type II Assignment

Healthcare statistics error type I & type II - Assignment Example Type II error would however mean scarcity of resources and while it offers no financial benefit in the scenario, it risks inability to offer care services and therefore threatens quality of health. Type I error would therefore be preferred because of it guarantees healthcare objectives while type II error can hinder realization of care objectives (Grove, Burns, and Gray, 2012). The affordable care act’s provision for review of applications for insurance premium increases is one of the policies that push insurance companies to avoid one type of error. With a null hypothesis that proposed premium increment is not excessive against an alternative hypothesis that the proposed value is excessive, an insurance company will avoid type II error. This is because type II error can lead to excessive increment of premium and the consequence is legal actions against an insurance company for breach of law (The United States Department of Health & Human Services, 2015; Grove, Burns, and Gray, 2012). The United States Department of Health & Human Services. (2015). Premiums: Rate review. The United States Department of Health & Human Services. Retrieved from:

Capital Punishment Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Capital Punishment - Term Paper Example From the research it can be comprehended that the doctrine of birth and death are the most obvious and the unpredictable events in the Nature. Since time immemorial such has been the nature of occurrence. With the spread of civilizations, the greed and lust of mankind reached an epitome and uncontrolled desire of achievement lead to loss of human values. The seriousness of the degradation leads to crimes, wars, battles and loss of innumerable human life. The concept of punishment came into existence among humans and even life of people was not spared in providing penalty for their ill deeds. The age –old theory of capital punishment was immensely popular among the Phoenicians, Persian, Egyptians, Romans, Greeks, Chinese civilization, where the brutal act of convict prosecution was done by taking away their life. The process of killing was carried out in horrendous fashion, which turned the punishment to be more excruciating. Modes of capital punishment were innovated with diff erent procedures and the shameful act was carried out unremittingly. Ironically the modern era also did portray their interest and used modern technologies to kill the convicts in atrocious manner. Significantly the act of capital punishment was even carried among the juveniles till the last decade, and surprisingly the proclaimed super power developed nations of the world were a part of this severe in-humanitarian policy. Thesis Statement Capital punishment should be abolished from the world and in particular the act of juvenile capital punishment needs to be barred, as this extreme measure does not preclude the miscreants from committing further crimes. Capital punishment: A brief history The history of Capital punishment or death penalty is quite enriched with events and the start of the timeline of capital punishment begins in eighteenth century in Babylon under the regime of King Hammaurabi. The law related to death penalty covered 25 different crimes. Crucifixion, drowning, im palement, beating to death were some of the measures of providing capital punishment. In the sixteenth century, burning, beheading, drawing and quartering carried out executions. 222 crimes were listed under the execution of capital punishment in Britain, which even included mere acts of cutting down a tree. Lingering death was provided to the serious convicts on account of heinous crime where as lesser degree of criminal acts by the convicts resulted in quick and painless death (Introduction to the death penalty, n.d). In China during the medieval period many cases of death through thousand cuts and slow slicing were noted. The colonist in America induced the capital punishment in the state and 12 capital crimes were identified. The range of capital punishment varied across different part of the states. Some of the states provided limited control. The Northern colony limited its use. Idolatry, blasphemy, traitors were dealt under the jurisdiction of capital punishment. In spite of the less enthusiasm followed in some parts of America regarding capital punishment, but the massive colonization in America made capital punishment popular all over the country. The major reason cited for the implementation of capital punishment was to control the rate of occurrence of crime. However in the end of eighteenth century, only incidents of first-degree murders were punished till death. In the southern states the punishment was imposed to control on the actions of slaves. Evidence of racial discrimination prevailed in the process of atonement as the white people committing same sort of acts was relieved by mere compensation whereas the law of capital punishment was enforced on the other civilians of the society. The age-old tradition of capital punishment continued to leave its impact in the present modern era. Boundary of capital punishment though reduced and imposed on serious crimes, new methods were invented to carry on with the execution. Guillotine, Gas chambers, el ectric chairs, lethal injections became popular as modes of homicides. The incidents of capital punish

Intro to Ethics Study Guide Essay Example for Free

Intro to Ethics Study Guide Essay 1. social contract theory is to give up right to have a government, animals come in the public court of opinion. Animals are involved †¦ implicit †¦ it can be inferred they contribute to human beings and killing them would interfere with the balance in the ecosystem 2. virtue ethics-aristotle would argue that if you were to kill an animal without morality would be immoral. Using too much compassion or too little. Doing the right thing because it is the right thing. 1st categorical imperative. If that maxim is able to become a universal law. A maxim would be to care for animals 3. Util- it depends on the situation who it makes happy more who is satisfied? Can you do better with your time 2. If John has a day off from work and stays home all day getting drunk, then Utilitarianism would say that it is okay for john to do that seeing that he is home alone and he is not bothering anyone. His family and friends are not aware of what he is doing and he decided to get drunk which makes his happiness the highest. Yet, it must be considered what John could have done in that period of time that could have been most beneficial to the community. The morally right thing action brings the highest net or overall happiness which John did not provide. This brings up Hedonism where the right actions only have best results that are measured so the goal should be to maximize the total measure of happiness. John could have done other things throughout that day like volunteering at a hospital or visiting his family. According to Utilitarianism, John decided to get drunk which is not following through with the Utilitarian right of action by doing something that would give the most happiness. Morality is the effort to guide one’s conduct by reason and have the best reasons for doing them. So, if John’s drinking is not backed up with the best reasons possible for doing them, then John’s decision is not morally correct according to utilitarianism. 3. 4. We are obligated to keep our promises according to all four theories. Utilitarianism: If my happiness outweighs the net happiness of the person of whom I want to break the promise with, then utilitarianism would say that it is okay to break the promise seeing that it would give me the most amount of happiness. But, if you break that promise and continue to break promises you made to your friend, then that would eventually lead to your best friend being unhappy with you and break the friendship apart unless that friend does not care about broken promises. Kantian ethics: We should keep our promises because we are to act only according to that maxim by which it will at the same time become a universal law. If we were to promise to pay someone back and never planned to pay them back for real and broke that promise, then if that was to become a universal law no one would trusts each other or believe people when they say they will owe them back. Thus, this will break friendships and leave the world with broken promises. Social contract theory: depends if the person lying is doing something for good virtue ethics: practical wisdom on which virtue to use. Knowing what virtue to use in what situation. 5. Kant thought lying was immoral because our behavior should be guided by universal laws which are moral rules that hold true in all circumstances. Kant says that lying under any circumstances is â€Å"the obliteration of one’s dignity as a human being† Even a small white law is unacceptable. His argument consisted of it being okay to lie or lying becoming popular. You should act in a way if it was to become a universal law so this universal law of lying would lead to everyone lying and the purpose would be self-defeating, no one would believe each other, and no one would pay attention to what you say. Essentially, Kant believes that we should only do the actions that conform to rules that we would adopt universally. 7.virtue is a state of character that lies between by doing a virtuous act you will become virtuous because it will become a habit coward-courage 8. If known murder comes to your home searching your friend, A virtue theorist would tell the truth. Although he has virtues like loyalty and honesty which he want to keep true, I would have to choose between one or the other. Virtues are desired states of character that are also excellence that brings into good conditions therefore people strive to have these virtues. The friend must choose to whether tell the truth to the murderer which is a virtue of having honesty or tell a lie to the murderer to help his friend which is a virtue of loyalty to their friend. Although both virtues are important and one would not want to participate in the murder of their friend, a virtue theorist would essentially tell the murderer the truth since lying is treating a person as mere means because you are using them to lie instead of using them as endsvirtue is a state of character concerned with choice and so lying in a mean would be determined by the rational principle which can only be determined by a man of practical wisdom.-virtue looks for what is intermediate.

Australia And The Global Financial Crisis Economics Essay

Australia And The Global Financial Crisis Economics Essay The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) was caused by various factors which impacted the Western worlds economies. It resulted from providing too many loans to people who could not afford to repay the loan and the packaging up of loans to on-sell (securitisation in the USA). The greed of consumers, bad investments, rising property prices, the wide spread distribution of income, and the overall poor regulation of monies also contributed. The Australian government takes credit for avoiding this recession by implementing Keynesian theory of fiscal and monetary stimulus by intervening early and a willingness to stimulate the economy. This stimulus was aimed to stimulate aggregate demand through increased consumption and investment expenditure the minority of this stimulus being monetary policy and the majority being fiscal stimulus. However this stimulus when compared to other contributions to change in GDP expenditure was not the major contributor to avoiding the recession. Net exports were t he most significant contributor during the GFC. This means that the stimulus did not save Australia from the recession. The net exports contributed greatly but when a consideration is made of all the National Income Measures (NIM) not just the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Australia did have a mild recession. It is clear that the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has created a recession not only all over the western world, but in Australia as well and the main contributor to its mildness was Australias net exports. The Australian government has used fiscal policies to smooth out the economic fluctuations caused by the GFC and to reduce its impact on consumers. Fiscal policy uses changes in government spending and/or reduces taxes to influence the level of aggregate demand to impact the general direction of the economy. When Australia was threatened by the global financial crisis, the government took the action of implementing the largest fiscal stimulus in the world (Makin 2010:5). The government spending was used for infrastructure projects for the purpose of stimulating the workforce during the GFC recession especially when the construction industry is particularly depressed. In addition, the government is spending on transfer payments to people under the Employment Insurance and Welfare programs increase during a recession and thereby providing more support to the level of aggregated demand. These stimulus packages (Government spending) include the Economic Security Strategy,  the Nation B uilding Economic Stimulus, the Nation Building and Jobs Plan and a Nation Building Infrastructure measures which have reached a more than $55.6 billion (Makin 2010:5). Most of this funding was targeted to support local jobs throughout Australia by building new projects and facilities that will have lasting benefits across the nation including (ALP 2011). Australia went through the GFC economically with the strongest growth of any advanced economy through 2009 (ALP 2011).  With the government stimulating the economy resulting in a multiplier effect, the planned aggregated expenditure increases. The Australian government also stimulated the economy with the aid of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to increase the planned aggregated expenditure by the use of monetary policy. The RBA sets the interest rate on overnight loans in the money market which affects other interest rates in the economy to varying degrees, so that the behaviour of borrowers and lenders in the financial markets are affected by monetary policy (though not only by monetary policy). This can be seen in the figure 1below as the supply curve shifts to the right which meant that the RBAs influence could be used to reduce the burden of the GFC. This could be done by three measures; the first measure was to provide extended opportunities for the banks to borrow from the RBA. This provided sufficient liquidity for banks to support them through the GFC. The second measure was to provide loans or make direct purchases to support certain markets. This allowed for mortgage-securities to be bought back and provide s hort-term stabilities. The third measure was the use of guarantees to stabilise markets, support banks in raising debt and to avoid a run on the banking system. This helped to increase the willingness to lend, since lenders were only willing to lend at short maturities. The ability to modify rates at any time provided the RBA with the flexibility to stimulate the economy in a downturn and prevent an overheating boom. Thus in the GFC the decrease in interest rates reduces the cost in borrowing resulting in increased planned aggIt regate expenditure. Figure 1: A Monetary Injection and How It Will Affect the Supply and Demand of Money. The Australian government increased government spending to increase private and public consumption by the use of monetary and fiscal policy to counter the negative contributions from public and private investment. The recorded contribution from direct Australian government consumption to a change in GDP(E) in the December 2008 quarter was  actually negative  (-0.1 per cent), followed by nil contribution in the March quarter. These were offset by negligible positive contributions from State and Local consumption spending. This was due to the result of administrative delays in implementing infrastructure spending causing the total public spending not to increase until the end of 2009, but only after the worst of the GFC had passed. During the time of the GFC from the September 2008 to the March 2009 quarters, the main contributors to expenditure were not private and public consumption but net exports which detracted from real expenditure growth in quarters before and after the GFC struck. The strong net export result can be explained by a sustained real exchange-rate depreciation of over 25 per cent in trade-weighted terms during the December 2008 and March 2009 quarters, which made exports substantially cheaper for foreign buyers and imports more expensive for domestic buyers. There was also sustained demand for commodities from key Asian trading partners, including China, over this time. The Australian strong economy can be credited to its net exports rather than government spending, to maintain a positive GDP during the GFC. Table 2: Contributions to GDP Growth (percentage points per quarter, seasonally adjusted) Federal Government Consumption State and Local Govt Consumption Federal  Government  Investment State and Local Govt Investment Statistical Discrepancy Real GDP Jun-2008 0.0 0.1 0.3 0.3 -0.1 0.2 Sep-2008 0.1 0.1 -0.2 -0.1 -0.1 0.4 Dec-2008 -0.1 0.1 -0.2 -0.1 0.0 -0.7 Mar-2009 0.0 0.1 -0.1 0.0 -0.9 0.7 Jun-2009 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.1 -0.3 0.5 Sep-2009 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.2 -0.1 0.3 Dec-2009 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.0 1.0 Source: Makin, A 2010, Did Australias Fiscal Stimulus Counter Recession?: Evidence from National Accounts, pg. 10, A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2010. A recession can be determined when there are two consecutive negative quarters of GDP and also when there is a 1.5% rise in unemployment within 12 months. The nominal GDP fell in the March 2009 and June 2009 quarters implying there was a contraction in national income. The reason the average volume measure of GDP remained positive in the March quarter, while the current price value measure shrank, is that there was a sharp fall in the implicit price deflator (or overall price level), due in no small part to heavy retail discounting of goods for sale at this time. Meanwhile, real GDP per head, the single most important indicator of recession, fell successively over three quarters by a total of 1.3 per cent. The real GDP (E) measure in Table 1 is the only conventional GDP series that did not record at least two consecutive negative outcomes. Average real GDP was not negative for two successive quarters because the GDP (E) measures were sufficiently positive to make GDP (A) positive. He nce, the claim that fiscal stimulus enabled Australia to avoid recession according to the media definition of recession, in the end depends on the nature and robustness of the real GDP(E) measure for the March 2009 quarter. But Australia did have over 1.5% rise in unemployment, 1.1 per cent in the September 2008 and 1.5 per cent in the June 2009, meaning unemployment had a 1.5% rise in unemployment within 12 months meaning Australia had a recession. Table 1: Conventional Measures of Gross Domestic Product (percentage growth per quarter, trend basis) Real GDP-Expenditure Real GDP-Income Real GDP -Production Real GDP-Average Real GDP per capita Nominal GDP Jun-2008 0.3 0.3 0.7 0.4 0.1 2.8 Sep-2008 0.1 -0.2 0.2 0.0 -0.5 2.1 Dec-2008 0.4 -0.2 -0.2 0.0 -0.5 0.6 Mar-2009 0.7 0.2 -0.2 0.2 -0.3 -0.8 Jun-2009 0.9 0.5 0.1 0.5 0.0 -0.7 Sep-2009 0.9 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.2 0.7 Dec-2009 0.8 0.6 0.9 0.8 0.3 2.2 Source: Makin, A 2010, Did Australias Fiscal Stimulus Counter Recession?: Evidence from National Accounts, pg. 8, A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2010. The claim that Australia avoided a recession rests on the definition of recession as two consecutive quarters of falling GDP. This definition is popular with media commentators and market economists and is tacitly approved by the Australian Treasury and the Reserve Bank of Australia. However, it lacks support from academic economists and policymakers abroad because it is too narrow. If a consideration is made to all the National Income Measures (NIM) not just the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) indicators of macroeconomic activity can broaden the margin for error that is always subjected to the economy-wide data especially in the face of a major shock such as the GFC, as evidenced by large statistical discrepancies in the national accounts. As shown above in Table 1, two successive quarters of negative growth  were  recorded in nominal GDP, the real production and income-based measures of GDP, and real GDP per head. The real GDP (E) measure was the only series that did not fall over two successive quarters. Alternative national income series for Australia gleaned from the most recent set of national accounts are included in Table 3, all of which reveal at least two successive negative quarterly outcomes. Though routinely ignored in economic commentary, the real gross and net domestic and national income series are especially important measures of Australias international macroeconomic performance because they reflect the impact of the terms of trade (or ratio of prices received for exports to prices paid for imports) on the economy. Derived by adjusting the volume measure of GDP for changes in the international purchasing power of national income which, in Australias case, occurs due to fluctuating export commodity prices, these series are broader measures of national economic wellbeing than the standard real GDP measure used in the media definition of recession, which can assist in a more accurate decision whether Australia is in a recession or not.   Table 3: Other National Income Measures (percentage growth per quarter, trend basis) Real Net Domestic Product Real Gross Domestic Income Real Gross National Income Real Net National Disposable Income Real Net National Disposable Income per Capita Jun-2008 0.3 2.2 2.5 2.7 2.2 Sep-2008 -0.3 1.2 1.6 1.5 1.0 Dec-2008 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.5 -1.1 Mar-2009 -0.1 -1.2 -1.2 -1.8 -2.3 Jun-2009 0.4 -0.5 -0.6 -1.0 -1.5 Sep-2009 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.1 -0.3 Dec-2009 0.4 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.2 Source: Makin, A 2010, Did Australias Fiscal Stimulus Counter Recession?: Evidence from National Accounts, pg. 13, A Journal of Policy Analysis and Reform, Vol. 17, No. 2, 2010. Fiscal policy uses changes in government spending and/or reduces taxes to influence the level of aggregate demand to impact the general direction of the economy. This resulted in a multiplier effect which increased the planned aggregated expenditure that monetary policy also contributed too. But the main contributors to expenditure were not private and public consumption but net exports which detracted from real expenditure growth in quarters before and after the GFC struck. A recession can be determined when there are two consecutive negative quarters of GDP and also when there is a 1.5% rise in unemployment within 12 months. Average real GDP was not negative for two successive quarters because the GDP (E) measures were sufficiently positive to make GDP (A) positive. Hence, the claim that fiscal stimulus enabled Australia to avoid recession according to the media definition of recession. If a consideration is made to all the National Income Measures (NIM) not just the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) indicators of macroeconomic activity, all of which reveal at least two successive negative quarterly outcomes, Australia did have a recession. It than becomes clear that the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) has created a recession not only all over the western world, but in Australia as well. Thereby in the short-run, increases in households discretionary income and increase in spending results in a sudden increase of disposable income to help fight the downturn. The Australian strong economy can be credited to its net exports rather than government spending but government spending did help maintain investment and consuming confidence that help to maintain the flow of monies.

Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. Prepares for Cultural Diversity Essay

Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. Prepares for Cultural Diversity Abstract Worldwide Telecommunication, Incorporated (Inc.) is a growing telecommunications company that has an international workforce which changes continuously. As the company’s international personnel base expands, the needs of the employees will vary and become more diverse. As new employees come aboard, the organization will see that not all workers have the same requirements or requests. Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. must be able to fulfill the needs of staff at all levels regardless of any potential cultural barriers. Whether the employees’ needs are basic or complex, Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. is positioning itself for the challenge. Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. Prepares for Cultural Diversity Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. is an innovative company which offers communication solutions to customers all over the world. Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. provides long-distance service and equipment, cellular phones, satellite TV, computers, pagers, calling cards, email, voicemail, wireless services, web services, and more. Due to global availability of the offered products and services, the company has determined the need to employ a universal workforce. Multicultural workforce will allow Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. to effectively operate and service all customers both locally and internationally. As an equal opportunity-employer, the company employs individuals regardless of their ethnicity, creed, gender, or social class. However, the common element of all employees is that they possess the required skills, knowledge, and experience to carry out the job requirements. As a result, the mixture of multicultural barriers does affect teamwork and communication within our large company. The culturally connected obstacles range from language barriers to individual selective perception. Throughout the course of this paper, we will analyze these barriers and conclude how Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. will benefit from a diverse workforce. Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. is an amazing company in which to pursue a lifelong career. The organization is profitable and business focused, yet still understands the special needs of its employees and customers. â€Å"Successful, expanding organizations often face the threat of losing the strong and unique cultures that... ...r employees. Making the commitments to ensure that each employee is understood will guarantee that the company is successful. Cultural diversity can bring a whole new environment to a company. Changing the atmosphere with trading and understanding could lead to the success or failure of Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. There is so much that each employee can bring to the company it is important to know each individual and his or her contributions outside of their cultural differences. Works Cited Barnett, J. H., & Weathersby, R. (1995, Winter/Spring). Shedding cowboy ways for global thinking. Business Forum, 20(1/2), 9-14. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from EBSCOhost. Gayeski, D. M. (1998, April 11). How to create Learning systems to sustain strong organizational cultures. Retrieved April 18, 2005, from http://www.omnicomassociates.com/culture.html Powers, B. E. (2004). Culture-driven diversity requires a passionate commitment; nine tips to harnessing diversity for business growth. Retrieved April 19, 2005, from http://www.refresher.com Rau-Foster, M. (2000, April). Conflict in the workplace. Retrieved April 18, 2005, from http://www.workplaceissues.com/arcomflict.htm

Solving HealthCare’s eMail Security Problem Essay -- essays research p

Solving HealthCare’s eMail Security Problem Abstract While healthcare organizations have come to depend heavily on electronic mail, they do so without a significant email security infrastructure. New Federal law and regulation place new obligations on the organizations to either secure their email systems or drastically restrict their use. This paper discusses email security in a healthcare context. The paper considers and recommends solutions to the healthcare organization’s problem in securing its mail. Because email encryption will soon be a categorical requirement for healthcare organizations, email encryption is discussed in some detail. The paper describes details and benefits of domain level encryption model and considers how PKI is best deployed to support secure electronic mail. Motivation It is a simple fact that the US healthcare industry has come to depend heavily on electronic mail to support treatment, payment and general healthcare operations. Such use, though, is something of a badly kept secret as most healthcare organizations have explicit policy which either prohibits or seriously restricts the use of electronic mail for the transmission of any ‘patient identifiable’ health information. Historically, the industry has deemed patient identifiable health information as deserving of special protection, since, by its very nature, such information is highly confidential. Accepting the ‘inherent insecurity’ of electronic mail, healthcare organizations have done little to develop security infrastructure supporting use of electronic mail for confidential communication and instead adopted policies forbidding such use. It speaks to the utility of electronic mail, that even in spite of such policy, as much as 40% of all electronic mail emanating from healthcare organizations contains health information. A very small percentage of this email is encrypted or otherwise protected to ensure its confidentiality and authenticity. Federal law will prohibit future ‘unsecured’ use of electronic mail for transmission of health information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (a.k.a. Public Law 104-191; a.k.a. HIPAA) obligates healthcare organizations to implement ‘reasonable and appropriate’ technical safeguards to ensure that the confidentiality and integrity of health information is preserved. While ‘reasonable and appropriate’ i... ...tration, â€Å"45 CFR Part 142 - Health Insurance Reform: Security and Electronic Signature Standards† Federal Register Vol 63, No. 155 August 12, 1998 (1998): 43242-43280. URL: http://aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp/nprm/secnprm.pdf 11. Partner, Chris and Glaser, John â€Å"Myths about Healthcare IT Spending† Healthcare Informatics, July 2002 URL: http://www.healthcare- informatics.com/issues/2002/07_02/myths.htm 12. Perigee.net Corporation , â€Å"Perigee.net (Home Page)† URL: http://www .perigee.net/main.html 13. Ramsdell, Blake â€Å"S/MIME Version 3.1 Message Specification - draft-ietf-smimerfc2633bis- 03.txt January 16, 2003 URL: http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-ietf-smime-rfc2633bis-03.txt 14. Dean, T and Ottaway, W. â€Å"RFC 3182 - Domain Security Services using S/MIME†. October, 2001. URL: http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3183.txt?number=3183 15. United States Code, Title 18, Part I, Chapter 119, Section 2511† URL: http://www 4.law .cornell.edu/uscode/18/2511.html 16. Whitten, Alma and Tygar, J.D. â€Å"Why Johnny Can’t Encrypt:- A Usability Evaluation of PGP 5.0† Carneigie Mellon University School of Computer Science Technical Report CMU-CS 98-155. December, 1998 URL: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~alma/johnny.pdf

Niccol? Machiavelli - The Qual :: essays research papers

Machiavelli’s views on human nature are unjust; nevertheless, his philosophy, or rather instructions, is reasonable in capturing the selfishness of men. As written in The Qualities of the Prince by Machiavelli, “Men are ungrateful, fickle, simulators and deceivers, avoiders of danger, greedy for gain; and while you work for their good they are completely yours, offering you their blood, their property, their lives, and their sons… when danger is far away; but when it comes nearer to you they turn away.'; Machiavelli’s generalization demonstrates his low opinion on the nature of men because he views them as selfish and lacking in both loyalty and honesty. Machiavelli’s general opinion that men are selfish contains an underlying truth to the human nature. Inside every human being, there is a sense of selfishness that lay dormant until given cause to awake. It is a truth that many will not be willing to admit or acknowledge. Many will even say that there are people who are or were selfless in their actions. Yes, there are, but when the situation comes, normally no one can take away their selfishness to still act like “saints'; when they cannot even save themselves. Selfishness is an ugly trait among people; however, disloyalty is probably the most offensive trait found in human nature. Machiavelli’s says, “when it comes nearer to you they turn away';, which clearly establishes where a person’ true loyalty stands. Loyalty is more consistent to oneself rather than to others. Past events in history supports Machiavelli’s opinion with Julius Ceasar and Brutus as an example. Brutus’s loyalty to his most trusted friend, Caesar, went astray when a problem arose among his Roman peers, and the betrayal was committed against Caesar which resulted in death. A lesson worth learning from this example is that a person’s loyalty can never be trusted unless it is proves to stand strong through any situations. As Machiavelli wrote, “a prince must be cautious in believing and in acting…';. His instructions for the prince stand true for almost everyone nowadays. Unlike disloyalty, dishonesty, according to Machiavelli, is an important factor in the relationship of all human beings. Machiavelli wrote, “princes who have accomplished great deeds are those who have cared little for keeping their promises and who have known how to manipulate the minds of men by shrewdness; and in the end they have surpassed those who laid their foundations upon honesty.

Marine Protected Areas: Are They Generally Effective

Whether coral reef marine protected areas actually protect at risk species is an important issue to consider. Knowing the answer could lead to a better ability to answer other questions about marine environments. For example, a more defined correlation could be made between the increasing number of shark attacks in coastal areas and the overfishing of marine populations on which sharks subsist. The effectiveness of marine protected areas (MPAs) is of key importance in assessing whether certain efforts to protect at risk species actually work. Given that 70% of the planet is covered in ocean, species in terrestrial habitats are certainly affected by the biological status of marine environments. The growing degradation of biodiversity and biomass in earths’ marine ecosystem could be driving sharks to find more fulfilling meals in non-traditional feeding areas – coastal areas that humans use for recreation. The topic therefore deserves research because the very actions of terrestrial species, like humans, may generate harmful long-term effects. In essence, users of marine resources are demonstrably interested in the relative short-tem gains from marine ecosystems while ignoring long-term effects of over-usage. Yet, setting aside areas to protect after or from over-usage does not necessarily mean all marine species are protected. More important, the enforcement of marine protected areas (MPAs) conflicts with socio-economic issues in communities that currently fish them or did so in the past. The mainstream article â€Å"Marine-protected Areas: It Takes a Village, Study Says,† looks at just how much society may assume about the extent of protection at risk species receive. When told an area is protected it is logically assumed that no fishing takes place in an MPA. To that end and by way of explanation, this article posits that the issue of protection actually depends on the consideration of at least three factors. The factors are as follows: (1) how affective is the management of a MPA; (2) whether management takes into account socio-economic effects on local communities; and (3) whether the socio-economic effects will complicate enforcement of an MPA. In essence, the article attempts to tell the audience that MPAs are made more effective for the consideration given local socio-economic issues. The article implies that on average MPAs are not as effective as hoped and even hazards and explanation. For example, government controlled MPAs, invisible to a community; propose two immediate dangers to the MPA by reason of invisibility. The community is both unaware of the benefits of avoiding overfishing and equally ignorant of methods of MPA enforcement. The article ultimately surmises that on a large scale, consideration being given to all marine protected areas, the most effective means of preserving species diversity, number and size would involve applying both the methods of traditionally managed systems (MPAs for small areas) and permanent marine protected areas (usually large). In such a scenario permanent MPAs would benefit species with slow overfishing recovery times while rewarding small communities for their efforts at conservation and allowing them to see its direct benefits. The source for the mainstream article was a study published in Current Biology, entitled â€Å"A Comparison of Marine Protected Areas and Alternative Approaches to Coral-Reef Management.† This article naturally takes a more scientific approach in making its argument. Therefore, it is unsuitable for a mainstream audience reading at different levels of comfort with scientific and statistical terminology. It looks at four types of MPAs in addition to four reasons why the areas presumably offer ineffective protection for certain species. Its use of graphs and tables, largely meant to reify the study’s argument for a scientific audience, all support the argument that the success of MPA enforcement decides its effectiveness. The mainstream article apparently makes use of the summary and conclusion in the scientific article’s content but glosses over its conclusions. The scientific article never implicitly states, as does the mainstream, that a combination of traditionally managed systems and permanent MPAs are important to protecting biodiversity. Rather, the mainstream article calls for a more simplified approach to what the scientific article implies is quite complicated. The institution of effective MPAs are complicated by how enforcement will be carried out in the face of the social, economic, and cultural context of communities in the center of areas designated as important to the maintenance of coral reef biodiversity. To some extent the mainstream article captures the essential points of the scientific article. For example it accurately conveys to readers that enforcement of MPAs is more complicated than designating an MPA. The mainstream article, despite its brevity, also manages to inform readers that there are different kinds of MPAs and that they work differently to solve problems. Take permanent MPAs which protect species at risk from overfishing. However, the mainstream article is guilty of minor sensationalism. The research this article is based upon looks at solutions for small, isolated communities as well as the benefits of permanent MPAs. It does not, as the mainstream article erroneously extrapolates, propose a combination of methods of traditionally managed systems and permanent MPAs, toward achieving biodiversity. A possible improvement upon the essentially good summarization, provided by the mainstream article, would include a definition of an MPA at its beginning. A more satisfactory conclusion would include a reminder that the findings of the study it summarized, applied to small, economically isolated communities. The conclusion could also inform readers of the larger implications of the study by referencing the fact that California is enjoying moderate success in its establishment of MPAs along its entire coast (â€Å"Transforming Ocean Policy,† 2006). The above would then provide supporting evidence for the highly probable tendency of mainstream readers to assume findings in the study are applicable outside of the small communities it examines. With regard to California’s efforts to establish MPAs along its coast only time will indicate success, hence, the importance of routinely researching the effectiveness of any efforts in wildlife conservation. It is particularly important to assess the enforcement of MPAs in the effort to maintain coral reef biodiversity as terrestrial and marine species do not operate in mutual exclusivity of each other. To that end, enriching one’s understanding of the interdependence of terrestrial and marine ecosystems requires a measure of caution. Mainstream readers may get a fairly accurate but slightly sensationalized view of a scientific finding. In essence, readers are tempted to consider findings applicable beyond the parameters of the experiment for which they exist. In my experience, media representations of science deserve a measure of skepticism and any findings consideration only within the parameters of the study they relate to. References McClanahan, Timothy R., Marnane, Michael J., Cinner, Joshua E., & Kiene, William E. (2006). A comparison of marine-protected areas and alternative approaches to coral-reef management. Current Biology, 16, 1408-1413. â€Å"Marine protected areas: it takes a village, study says.† (2006). Wildlife Conservation Society. Retrieved October 4, 2006 â€Å"Transforming ocean policy: doing for oceans what Teddy Roosevelt did for the land. (2006). The Ocean Conservancy. Retrieved October 4, 2006 from http://www.oceanconservancy .org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8731&news_iv_ctrl=0&abbr=issues_&JServSessionIdr007=hg383i2kx3.app7b.

Human societies Essay

In understanding human beings and human societies, no subject is more important than social stratification and its relationship with wages. A system of social stratification helps shape how people live, their opportunities for a better life, their mental health and how long they will live. Generally it is a system of social stratification has an important influence on events like wages, unemployment and inflation. Most people know that some people are rich and some are poor, but people in general are usually not aware of the systematic social forces that create the outcome of where they are placed on the ladder or why they are paid what they are. Most believe they take what they get. This type of belief is strong among the nonpoor and white of the United States and in recent times with immigration. Employers of immigrants will pay less, even less than minimum wages because of that person is illegal. Most people are unaware of the fact that some individuals have more influence than others that can shape the general social welfare. Those people usually are the least aware of how a system of stratification forms the basis for these influences and this is a possible factor in why wages follows social stratification differences. To begin we need to define the difference between social differential and social stratification. Social differential is a necessary precondition for social stratification. Social differential is the distinct individual qualities and social roles. This is very important when looking at reasons for unequal pay in American Society. People are differentiated by biological characteristics such as sex, size, strength, and agility. In every society they are differentiated by social roles, work tasks, or occupations. Some people do the hunting others chop wood and others care for children or gather plants. As societies become more complex technologically, the division of labor increases the number of tasks, occupations, and roles will grow too. An increased division of labor means more differentiation. Several arguments for unequal pay include the differences between men and women as reasons. It stated that women live longer than men so they should be paid less to balance this out. Another said that women were more likely to have tardiness and absences which added to labor cost and in order to balance this out women are paid less. Health care and medical insurance costs needs to become more balanced because women live longer and can become pregnant life (Barber, 1957). Social inequality is the condition that people have unequal access to valued resources, services and positions in the society. Such inequality can come in terms of wages and how individuals or groups are themselves ranked and evaluated by others most importantly; social inequality in wages is related to differing positions in a social structure. Social inequality often rises from social differentiation for two reasons. First because of the human capacity to apply meaning to events and things and to develop judgment of what is good or bad, social evaluation is often applied to differences. This could explain why the wages are unequal across the board. Individual characteristics and different positions or roles may be valued unequally or ranked from superior to inferior that is why social inequality is looked at in terms of prestige or honor for more pay. Inequality may rise from social differentiation because of some roles or social positions place some people in a position to acquire a greater share of valued goods, services and pay (Giddins & Held, 1982). Two of the most important types of inequality are inequalities of income and wealth. These two are of major importance because it is income and wealth that bring other valued goods and services, not to mention the basic necessities of life. Income and wealth are generalized commodities that depending upon the quantity and how they are used by bring power and influence. By income I mean money, wages and payments that are timely made and received as returns from a job or investment. Income is usually the means by which most Americans obtain the necessities and simple luxuries of life. A wage or salary, rather than investments, is what sustains the vast majority of people in this country. Wealth is accumulated assets in the form of various types of valued goods. Wealth is anything of economic value that is bought and sold. Most Americans have little or no wealth, whatever they have gotten in the form of wages and salaries cannot be saved because it must be used for immediate necessities. Income is distributed in a highly unequal manner in this country, but wealth is distributed even more unevenly (Liao, 2006). The majority of people in this country must depend upon some type of employment for their income and the occupational structure is of primary importance in creating this unequal distribution of income. Part of the inequity between men and women is due to simple sexism. The standard of living and real income of people in the United States have generally increased over the years. But the distribution of total income has remained stable since the middle 1940’s. There is data showing that income inequality was reduced somewhat during the 1930’s and early 1940’s due to Depression reforms and full employment during World War II. Among noncommunist industrial nations the United States can generally be ranked about midway in terms of income inequality. France is the highest amount of income inequality(Barber, 1957). The most commonly recognized class inequality is income. The usual assumption is that working class people receive below average incomes, the middle class receives average incomes, and the upper middle class professionals and managers receive above average to high incomes. The more traditional assumptions about class income inequalities are much closer to the truth. This is the belief that working class people have made substantial income gains relative to the middle class is incorrect because of two facts. That high working class incomes are not your typical income and also that even though some blue collar workers pay is high it is usually because of it being seasonal or insecure (Giddins & Held, 2006). There is no simple explanation between income and class position because of the many variables that help determine income attainment. The first problem has been that in the past occupational status or occupational skill level alone was assumed to indicate class position. There is no argument that much of the income inequality between men and women or whites and minorities can be explained by the historical conditions of racism and sexism in our society. But much of this race and sex discrimination operates through the established class system. Income inequality in general is related to positions within authority structures. So if we find sex and race differences in relation to these other factors affecting income inequality in general we have located other sources of sex and race inequality operating through the class system (Hulme & Toye, 2006). The main point is that race and sex income inequality is explained by class, although racism and sexism do play a part. Race and sex inequality are in large part class issues and operate through class divisions made up of occupational, authority, and property divisions in the overall system of stratification in this country. As with income the condition of work is stratified. Those on top are generally better off, while those in the middle can look down upon those at the bottom with a feeling that their own condition could be worse. Income inequalities, job satisfaction, conditions of work, and different amounts of political and economic power are the most important consequences of class in the United States (Rimashevskaia & Kislitsyna, 2006). A central belief in the conflict perspective of social stratification is that groups with strong common interests will work together to ensure that these common interests are attained and maintained. This is true for groups on the bottom as well as for those on top. But this is only true to the extent that a group with common interests is able to recognize its common interests, and has resources with which to gain it common interest. Those on the top of the stratification system are usually able to have both of what was mentioned. But those that are below the top are usually powerless, passive or non participants in the conflict process of reward distribution in the society (Barber, 1957). The global view of social stratification shows that it is in many ways similar to domestic systems of stratification. There are some differenced between the two types of systems. For one the phenomenon of nationalism can produce less international class unity and more of an overt class conflict between the core and the outside. It is more difficult to maintain the world stratification system through ideological justifications because of cultural differences and communication differences. But it can be seen as a property structure and occupational division of labor that stretches around the globe that isn’t related to bureaucratic authority structures. One should note that it isn’t the differences domestically and globally on social stratification it is the similarities that are surprising (Hulme & Toye, 2006). Works Cited: Barber, Bernard. Social Stratification a Comparative Analysis of Structure and Process, New York: Harcourt, (1957). Giddins, Anthony & Held, David. Classes, Power and Conflict: Classical and Contemporary debates. Berkeley: University of California Press, (1982). Hulme, David, & Toye, John. â€Å"The Case for Cross Disciplinary Social Science Research on Poverty, Inequality and well being. † Journal of Development Studies 42. 7 (October 2006): 1085-1107. Liao, Tim. â€Å"Measuring and Analyzing class Inequality with the Gini Index Informed by Model-Based Clustering. † Sociological Methodology 36. 1 (2006): 201-224. Rimashevskaia, N. M. & Kislitsyna, O. A. â€Å"Income Inequality and Health. † Sociological Research 45. 3 (May/June, 1006): 43-62.