Sicko A Scathing Critique of the American Healthcare System

1. Michael Moores documentary film Sicko explored the health care systems in the United States, Canada, England, France and Cuba. The United States is the only industrialized country in the West that does not provide universal health care coverage to its citizens. Using concepts of American political culture, please explain why it is that the United States does not provide universal health care to its citizens. Be sure to address how our political culture differs from those of the nations explored in the film. In Sicko, Michael Moore offers a scathing critique of the American health care system. The American health care system is built on a profit-driven business model, rather than one that is based on caring, compassion, and humanitarian ideals. Even the best interests of public health are not being served by the American health care system. To emphasize his point, filmmaker Moore explores how other countries address healthcare. Using Canada, England, France, and Cuba as examples allows for a multifaceted view on healthcare. However, the United States differs significantly from each of these countries in terms of its political culture and climate. The political culture, political climate, and political norms of the United States preclude Americans from being able to adapt a system of universal health coverage. When Moore interviews the American expats in countries like France, he shows how a person can be American and still believe in a different form of political

Social And Social Identity Theory - 1860 Words

Originally proposed by Tajfel and Turner, the Social Identity Theory (SIT) can be described as the comparison between the individual self and the social self. More specifically, it is the individual’s perception that is derived from their membership of a social group (ingroups and outgroups) or personal identities. The theory is divided into three different psychological mechanisms: social categorization, social comparison, and the tendency for people to use the group membership as a source to gain self-esteem. A theory is defined as a theory as long as it meets the two requirements: describing behaviors and the ability to describe/see the future behaviors of individuals. Since the behaviors of individuals can be based on the social†¦show more content†¦Individuals tend to over exaggerate the differences between the outgroups and outgroups, while they exaggerate the similarities between the ingroups. The Social Identity Theory demonstrates reliability in that it provi des an explanation for intergroup behaviors such as stereotypes. The theory is demonstrated within the study of Sherif et al (1954). The study was carried out in order to observe the creation of groups, attitudes, and the norms of the groups through group activities. Sherif intended to observe the reactions and attitudes between the individuals when there are two separate groups (realistic conflict theory). The researchers had 22 boys with similar backgrounds and boys in the age group of 11-12 years old. Boys were divided into two separate groups before the experiment began and the researchers used single-blind study in that the boys did not realize that they were participating in an experiment; the boys were there to attend a summer camp. The two groups were divided and each group participated in team bonding activities and the boys had created their distinctive identity as members of the Eagles or members of the Rattlers. Researchers created a game in which only one group benefite d in order to create conflict between the two groups. Unlike the decent start in the beginning, the members of each group portrayedShow MoreRelatedIdentity Theory And Social Identity1228 Words   |  5 PagesIdentity theory traces its root in the writing of G.H Mead, the American philosopher, sociologist and psychologist who says that the image or the feeling that a person creates for him or herself in a particular society is the result of other’s vision, which is created daily and is subjected to change. Richard Jinkens, the sociologist describes that social identity means who we are and who the others are and on the other hand what the other thinks about themselves and others. Further, Mead elaboratesRead MoreSocial Identity Theory861 Words   |  3 PagesSocial identity theory, it is a person’s sense that is based around the group they are in, either by their personal identity or with different kinds of social identities. That is, people will try to improve their own image of themselves. The theory was proposed by Henri Tajfel. People can increase their self-esteem by both their own achievement and interaction with a successful group of people. This shows the importance of social belonging. This theory is based around three mental processes, socialRead MoreSocial Identity Theory1399 Words   |  6 PagesSocial  identity  theory  is a  theory  which is intended to explain how people develop a sense of belonging and membership in particular groups, and how the workings of intergroup  discrimination  work. Social identity  theory  plays an important role in the study of  social psychology. To some degree, everyone is influenced by social identity theory. Social Identity Theory tries to explain such intergroup discrimination in the real world as well as in the circumstance of the minimal groups. The theoryRead MoreSocial Identity Theory And Social Interaction Theory Essay1907 Words   |  8 PagesSocial Identity Theory In 1979, Tajfel and Turner are recognized for the development of social identity theory (SIT) (Tajfel Turner, 1979). Through earlier studies, Tajfel attempted to understand mechanisms that lead to group members to discriminate against non-group members, which lead to evolution of SIT (Hogg, van Knippenberg, Rast, 2012). The Tajfel and Turner developed SIT with the purpose of understanding social group discrimination (Tajfel Turner, 1979). SIT is based on three concepts:Read MoreSocial Conflict Theory : Social Identity Theory And Conflict1410 Words   |  6 PagesSocial Identity Theory and Conflict Theoretically significant to conflict is social identity theory. It allows â€Å"predictions to incorporate who is likely to perceive and act in group terms, to remain committed to the group in times of crisis† Turner (1999), Doosje Ellemers, (1999). Bar-Tal stresses conflict exists when an incompatible goal exists between two groups. The question of when incompatibility sets become important in understanding the cause of inter-ethnic or communal conflicts for instanceRead MoreAssignment On Social Identity Theory Essay1158 Words   |  5 Pages TATA INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES MUMBAI GROUP WORK ASSIGNMENT ON SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY Submitted to: Professor Vijay Raman Enrollment No.: M2015CF026 SOCIAL IDENTITY THEORY The Social Identity Theory was developed by Tajfel and Turner in 1979. The theory was originally developed to understand the psychological basis of intergroup discrimination. Tajfel in 1971 attempted to identify the  minimal  conditions that would lead members of one group to discriminate in favour of the in groupRead MoreLimitations Of Social Identity Theory1673 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Social identity theory proposed by Tajfel Turner (2004) is a theory of group membership and behaviour which has made significant contributions in explaining in-group favouritism, out-group denigration, competition and other interactions of an individual among social groups (Korte, 2007; Brown, 2000; Tajfel Turner, 2004). Social identity theory can be defined as an individual’s sense of who they are based on the group that they belong to through a process of self-categorisation andRead MoreOutline Of Social Identity Theory1278 Words   |  6 PagesOutline social identity theory and with reference to recent research critically evaluate the strategies individuals or groups might use to achieve a positive social identity. Social Identity Theory (SIT) is a relational term, defining who we are as a function of our similarities and differences with others. It is shared with others and provides a basis for shared social action and the meanings associated with any social identity are products of our collective history and present. Therefore Social identityRead MoreNotes On Social Identity Theory1191 Words   |  5 PagesContextualizing BIRG: Social Identity Theory SIT (Tajfel et al., 1971; Tajfel Turner, 1979) has been explained briefly in the Introduction, which provided an overview on the nature of its construction (Galang et al., 2015) and its implications on ingroup inclusion, intergroup behavior, and self-esteem (Brewer Yuki, 2007). This theory is further discussed here, particularly its conception of group identification and esteem, to give context to BIRG and the framework of analysis that will be usedRead MoreConsequences of Social Categorization and Social Identity Theories1929 Words   |  8 Pages Consequences of Social Categorization and Social Identity Theories Vernon Smith BA426 Managing Cultural Diversity vsmith003@regis.edu Consequences of Social Categorization and Social Identity Theories Introduction In the modern world, workforce diversity has developed to be among the most imperative elements. Many organizations including Apple Inc. and all over the world have employed diversity managers to help develop effective workforce diversification (Podsiadlowski et al., 2013). The

Striving for Perfection free essay sample

Striving for Perfection The yearbook is a beautiful way of capturing the high school experiences all in one. However long ago it may have been, a yearbook lasts a lifetime. It is what is used to look back on from happy and sad memories, to long lost friendships and inside jokes. The yearbook is a huge gift to its school, but requires hard work to pull off. Many steps are needed to create this meaningful gift. Therefore there is a beginning, middle, and end. A yearbook carries a message. A message of happiness, fun filled memories, and accomplishments. The first step to the gift of a yearbook is to decide a theme. Whatever the theme is, it needs to be eye-catching, unique, and interesting. Make History. Once the theme is picked, elaborate the idea. Decide what symbols that would be used to convey the theme. Then layout the divisions that best represent the year. We will write a custom essay sample on Striving for Perfection or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Each section should flow the yearbook all together. And for the secret ingredient to a successful yearbook, is the staff. They need to be hardworking, trustworthy, and of course creative. Without those traits, there will be no finished roduct. What a yearbook consists of is looking back at the many events and happenings throughout the year. Whether the layout is by month or by subjects, collect stories for each one and focus on what made them memorable. Another way is to key in on one student that went above and beyond in a subject or a person that just makes the school diverse. Without the guts of the yearbook, it would Just be a book. It isnt complete until there is support and help. Advertising is the main way to earn money for the yearbook and utilities. Clients are essential, branch out and find any and every possible company or person willing to pitch in a dollar or two, it will be useful in the long run. To put it all together there needs to be design coherence. An exceedingly popular one now is the idea of a mod design. When there is a immense deal of white space and clusters of pictures on each page. Once the design is picked the rest will Just fall into place. The process is almost over. Final steps are first to check. Go though all the pages to make sure the pictures are the same distance away, ll names are spelled right, the font is the same, and so on and so forth. Also check with the staff to have assurance it is all done, there might be one small segment missing. The next step is to sell the creation. Devise a price and advertise. As the yearbooks are sold left and right the faces of the school light up with smiles. The hard work has paid off and now there is only one more step to do, celebrate. Enjoy the yearbook and the accomplishment of creating it. Congratulate the staff with a cake or cookies, anything to say thank you. As the festivities are in full swing, Just remember, there might have been changes that could be made, Just remember them for next year. The perfection can only get better year after year. The creation of the yearbook takes patience and hard work from the staff. But with every step of the way a beautiful thing is being created. Students will look back and be thankful, because it is the sum of their high school experience, which they have all been apart of. It is, and always will be, the last memory of their teenage years. By eregan4

Zen And The Zen Garden Essay Research free essay sample

Zen And The Zen Garden Essay, Research Paper # 8220 ; Enlightenment alterations nil and everything. Nothing is solved! Enlightenment is non a end but a province of being that has to be rediscovered on a continual basis. # 8221 ; Zen Principles and The Relationship with The Zen Garden Zen and Nipponese Culture Zen Garden History The manner of zen garden was developed 14 -16th century. Though it was created by zen monastics in the Zen temples, its manner was influenced by the political state of affairs and besides by the other faiths. The original signifier of zen garden can travel back to the ancient clip ( before fifth century ) , when people worshipped the mammoth stones on the mountain as the symbol of godly power or the topographic point where the God decend. This worship of stones determined the usage of stone in the garden. The worship of the stones in ancient clip was closely related to Shintoism, a faith which originates in the beginning of the empror household ( www. We will write a custom essay sample on Zen And The Zen Garden Essay Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page dxnet.net ) . In 6th century, the original signifier of the garden appeared in forepart of the house of the emperor. At that clip, it was merely a pool, which had a symbolic significance ( mirror ) and besides used for the rites by the emperor. The rites were fundamentally the mix of Shintoism and Buddhism, which already came into Japan. As Japan started merchandising with China in seventh century, the more sophisticated manner from China came into Japan. The design of the capital, the castle, the houses of the Lords, and the manner of garden were influenced by China. Besides, Buddhism and Taoism from China influenced Nipponese civilization. The influence of Chinese manner garden was apparent in the gardens in 7-9th century: the sauntering garden with a pool and an island inside the pool. The design normally represented the position of the Eden, which were frequently mentioned in Buddhist and Taoist thoghts ( # 8221 ; Zen, # 8221 ; The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion, 1989, edition 1. In late ninth century, Japan stopped the trade with China, and Nipponese bit by bit developped their ain manner based on their life style. Between 9th and twelfth century, the Lords gained the power and had become dominant in the centre of political relations. They developped their houses and gardens based on their rites, events, diversions and parties. The baronial # 8217 ; s house and garden would hold a broad infinite in forepart of the cardinal edifice for the one-year events and the rites, a H2O watercourse, which was used for the event of making verse forms, and sometimes they enjoyed boating on the pool and they watched dances and the theatre perfomances on the island. The combination of Buddhism and Shintoism was the dominant faith in Japan, and the design of garden was based on the representation of the Eden in Buddhist idea. By 12th century, the Lords and the emperor wholly lost their power and the warriors took charge of Japan. The political state of affairs had become unstable and there were wars everyplace. At that clip, the new signifier of Buddhism became popular. It was zen. Zen achieved its popularity among regular people and warriors by its simple pattern and apprehensible construct. As the warriors became more educated and sophisticated, they promoted the art influenced by Zen, such as picture, theatre, dance, and horticulture. The shoguns began advancing gardens which led zen monastics to further developped their accomplishment of making gardens. The garden was a infinite for those monastics to show their vision. Around this clip, the manner called # 8220 ; Kare-San-Sui # 8221 ; appeared. It means dry landscape garden, and it was the manner to stand for H2O withou utilizing H2O. It is believed to hold started as a manner to substitue for H2O because of the enormous labour required to make and keep a garden with H2O. This manner was further developped into the sophisticated manner ( www.csuohio.edu/history.html ) . The dry landscape manner was farther polished by zen monastics. As they appreciated gardens more, the garden came closer to the edifice and the infinite for the garden became smaller so that it can be viewed from inside of the edifice. The design of the garden was still a representation of nature, but it became much more condensed in much smalled infinite. Structure of the Zen Garden The two chief elements of a Zen or a # 8220 ; dry manner # 8221 ; garden are stones to organize mountains and sand to organize streamlined H2O. The # 8220 ; sand # 8221 ; used in Japanese gardens is non beach sand but a crushed gra nite and comes in changing sunglassess of white grey to beige Islands have a peculiar importance for the Japanese. Islands represent a symbol of the isles of the Blest immortal psyche and besides represent a symbol of length of service and go oning wellness. Most Japanese gardens have both individual stone islands and built up islands of stones and Earth. Often, the islands are built to resemble the form of two outstanding symbols of length of service ; the tortoise and the Crane. The tortoise is believed to populate for 10,000 old ages and the Crane 1,000 old ages ( www.zengarden.fi/history/index.html ) . Bridges are besides common in dry landscape gardens for they non merely function as a map of a way to traverse the # 8220 ; seas # 8221 ; , link islands to one another and besides open up alternate positions that may non be seen if non crossed. Finally, it must be understood that the Zen garden is onlycomplete when it is understood ( www.dailyzen.com ) . The Zen Garden in Relation to Zen ( the pattern ) In zen pattern, one hunt for the vision of their true being. Understanding the being, the true nature of the universe is the enlightenment. It is besides understanding one # 8217 ; s # 8220 ; self # 8221 ; , one # 8217 ; s ain # 8220 ; being. # 8221 ; To be able to see the true nature, one has to detach from oneself to see his/her ain being. Kare-san-sui manner ( dry landscape garden ) representation of nature was similar to the pattern of seeking for the true nature, true being of the universe. Besides, # 8220 ; see what # 8217 ; s non at that place, # 8221 ; Dry landscape garden # 8217 ; s construct: visualizing the H2O which doesn # 8217 ; t really exist, was the close mention for the pattern. Many Zen gardens represent the true nature of the universe, which we can non truly see in the existent universe. The gardens become a infinite where people can chew over on their hunt for their true being ( www.mirmir.net/brix.shtml ) . In Zen, clip exists minute by minute, so when 1 enters a zen garden the composure and repose of that infinite is really contributing to speculation. When you meditate by sitting in forepart of the garden, the garden becomes the infinite you undertakings your vision onto, and the stones become the object of focal point. You can concentrate on the stones, but you should non concentrate on believing what the stone is. You have to be in the province of being between concentrating but non believing. Therefore, the garden becomes a container and the stones become the point of entry, and it can be easier to visualize yourself or the universe. The abstract quality of the garden helps you understand that true being is non what you see in the existent universe. You have to take yourself off to understand yourself, your true being. It lets you take a smoother passage ( Newton, www.io.com ) . Another of import portion of Zen pattern is enlightenment, which is to sucessfully understand the true being of the universe. Often, zen maestro inquire their pupils inquiries to assist them understand or look into to see if they understood # 8220 ; being. # 8221 ; It is called # 8220 ; Ko-an # 8221 ; Some of them are the narratives of the Zen Masterss and the pupils from the old times, and sometimes it is a simple signifier of inquiry and an aswer. Most of those inquiries and their replies by zen diciples are irrational and absurd, or abstract because # 8220 ; being # 8221 ; can non be described by words and these are merely to assist to understand it better or to look into if # 8220 ; being # 8221 ; is understood. A zen Ko-an looks like this ; There was a tree whose branchlets and foliages were traveling with the air current. One said # 8220 ; The air current is moving. # 8221 ; Another one said # 8220 ; It # 8217 ; s the tree which is moving. # 8221 ; Then, the maestro who heard them, came by and said, # 8220 ; Actually, your heads are moving. # 8221 ; ( www.dailyzen.com ) Another celebrated Ko-an says ; # 8220 ; What does it sound like to clap with merely one manus? # 8221 ; ( www.dailtzen.com ) The garden becomes the container which carries the abstract linguistic communication that applies to anything. That # 8217 ; s the nature of # 8220 ; being # 8221 ; because being can be found in anything. Bibliography # 8220 ; Zen, # 8221 ; The Encyclopedia of Eastern Philosophy and Religion, 1989, edition 1. Newton, Steven. Zen Buddhist Text. www.io.com/ snewton.html ( 28 April 1999 ) . DailyZen. Roll the Garden. www.dailyzen.com ( 2001 ) Ward, Guildhall. The Zen Garden of Kanishi. www.mirmir.net/brix/zengarden.shtml ( 1998 ) Asti, Tahan. Zen Garden Records. www.zengarden.fi/history/index/html ( 1998 ) Gallup, Creighton. Avoiding Cultural Preconceptions. www.csuohion.edu/history/shiga96/pages/gcdg.html ( Dec 1996 ) . 334

business studies essays

business studies essays The 1974 Health and Safety Act summarises that it is every employers duty to ensure so far as is reasonably practical, the employees health, safety and welfare at work. It is your employers duty to assess the risks that the employees and none employees are exposed to at work. Because artwork is expressive, when we do think about the practical aspects, we usually focus on how to increase our ability to express our ideas, rather than on how these creative activities might affect our health and safety. In work with media, harmful factors can affect the body in three ways, through ingestion, inhalation or skin contact. Ingestion: Substances, and even small tools, can enter the body if a person is accustomed to eating or drinking while at work. Using kitchen utensils to mix art materials is a dangerous practice, as it is not always possible to remove all traces by simple washing. Not washing hands after working and before eating can allow harmful, material to enter the mouth. Inhalation: Many small substances can be carried into the body through the respiratory tract, and are then absorbed into the lungs. Some of the symptoms are immediate, such as sneezing, coughing, burning, dizziness or headache. Smoking while working can intensify the rate and the effects of inhalation. Skin contact: Some materials can be absorbed through the skin directly, or through cuts or breaks in the skin. A more common occurrence is skin irritation resulting in redness, rash, itching or blisters. Accidents, which can result from unskilled or careless use of sharp tools or power equipment, are a major hazard in the arts and crafts. Prevention includes knowledge of, and skill in the use of sharp tools or power equipment, as well as practicing preventive maintenance. The following list of procedures may help prevent a serious accident. Use goggles to protect eyes from particles and heat. Wear pro...

6 polite and professional ways to call out a lazy coworker

6 polite and professional ways to call out a lazy coworker It’s not your job to motivate or police your coworkers. If it were, you would be their boss. But if you have a lazy coworker it can be a drag on your department or a team project- and in large and small ways, a coworker’s laziness can grate on you and affect your work life for the worse. Mix in a sense of unfairness about what some coworkers get away with, and you have a recipe for frustration and job dissatisfaction. But you don’t just have to throw up your hands and despair- there are a few ways to make sure someone else’s laziness doesn’t create a dysfunctional work day for you.1. Be directThe worst thing to do would be to engage in passive-aggressive behaviors- jokes, subtle hints, and sarcasm rarely land the way you want them to and your message may not be taken seriously or received at all. Make it easy on yourself: sum up the problem and how it affects you in one sentence and ask to have a short conversation with your coworker. You donâ€℠¢t need to agonize over a carefully worded email. Don’t be too confrontational or accusatory; just keep it simple, like: Could you pay more attention to this? When you don’t, I have more work to do. Sometimes laziness continues precisely because no one points it out. The simple antidote? Be direct.2. Be quickNever call out a coworker when you are truly annoyed, because that will surely lead to unprofessional behavior. On the other hand, it’s best to address an issue soon after it happens, so your coworker is clear on a specific time they were engaging in lazy behavior, and they don’t perceive you as nursing a weird grudge. Waiting too long after the fact can make it seem like you’ve been stewing for days- and rehashing the past can add another toxic element to the mix, causing your coworker to become defensive. Again, be direct, and point out something concrete that will make things better, and help your coworker snap out of their lazy habits.3. As k a favorIf either of the first two options seem too confrontational, you can directly ask your coworker for help on a project. It’s easy for some to ignore a task; it’s much harder to ignore a human being asking for help. This puts the lazy coworker in an awkward position: either they have to take the strong stance of saying â€Å"No,† or simply help. Just something to keep in mind- a lazy person is not necessarily a discourteous person, but the favor will pit their laziness against their sense of decency to their coworkers.4. Set up check-in meetingsA deadline can be a great taskmaster for the go-getter. Why not try this out for the lazy? A check-in meeting where each coworker sums up their progress on a project creates a certain level of accountability. The lazy coworker will be lagging behind, have nothing to report, and it will be obvious to everyone in the room. In essence, the lazy coworker will call themselves out, and the burden won’t be on you.5 . Suggest a better workflow to your supervisorThis doesn’t mean rat someone out or complain about their laziness to a supervisor, because that may not appear professional either. This option acknowledges that it’s not your job to pick up the slack for coworkers, nor is it your job to get them to do their work. If you see a better way to divide and conquer a task and you suggest it, this shows you are taking initiative and can help change the dynamic of how your team or department works together.6. Form a bondSometimes the only real thing you can change about your work situation is how you react and feel about it. If your frustration over your coworker’s laziness has reached the boiling point, take it down a notch. You don’t know what personal life issues your coworker may be facing. Be friendly. Bond with your coworker and try to reach a better understanding of them on a personal level. This can help reduce your frustration and make it easier if you ever do need to call them out on their behavior in the future.

Digestion and diseases of Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Digestion and diseases of - Term Paper Example Digestion is a complex process involving mechanical and chemical processes. Different complex molecules in our food are treated differently by our digestive system, depending upon its composition such as fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals etc. All these compounds are important as they provide source of energy, for protein making, for growth and for all the activities that we carry. The digestion starts from the mouth by chewing of food called mastication. A cephalic phase starts in which a signal is transferred to stomach lining to produce acid. The enzymes and saliva (produced by salivary glands for moistening the food) also enters the complex food particles. The starch and fats starts to breakdown right from the mouth due to saliva. The esophagus transfers the chewed food to the stomach, and this ineffective barrier may cause the acid in stomach to come up to the esophagus and cause a disease called gastro esophageal reflux disease (GERD) which is very common nowa days. The stomach consists of fundus, body and antrum. The gastric phase starts when food enters into a large body called stomach. Here, the proteins start to break down to form peptides and acidic conditions in stomach prevent the microorganisms for further contamination. The fundus lining in the stomach produce hydrochloric acid when as the food enter in the lining of stomach, and by this acid the de naturation of proteins occur. The pepsinogen becomes activated in the form of pepsin after the formation of hydrochloric acid. The gastric lipase further hydrolyzes the fats in the stomach. The anturm stabilizes the acid produced and is a site for the grinding action. Food passing through pyrolic sphincter to the small intestine is called chime, while passing through the pyrolic sphincter, small intestine simulates hormones secretin and cholecystokinin, further resulting in the release of pancreatic juice from pancreas. The food enters the small intestine that is extended and has incr eased surface area for absorption. It contains folding called plicae, villi and microvilli. The sucrose, maltase and lactose hydrolyze di sugars. In the region called duodenum, the bicarbonates mix with chime decreasing its acidity. The pancreatic juice also helps in digestion. Iron and calcium are taken in duodenum, while most minerals and vitamins are absorbed in jejunum. The starch also digested in duodenum and jejunum. The liver produces bile that solubilizes fat. The ileums being the final part of small intestine do the final digestion. At the end of this process, 90 percent of food is digested. The large intestine conserves the water and salts. The remaining fibers in large intestine may remain there for up to 3 days. After the whole process, the unwanted food is defecated outside the body, from colon to rectum and then out of the body. The intestines are the important part of gastro intestinal (G.I) tract because most of the absorption and digestion is done in intestines, so it has vital importance in our body. Intestines are divided into small intestine and large intestine. The anatomy tells us that from which cells, the small intestines are made up of and then discuss the physiological role played by intestines. Small intestine is that portion of intestine which is connected to stomach and food contents from stomach come into large intestine via small intestine. Here, absorption, mixing and digestion takes place. Small intestine

Hinduism and Buddhism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Hinduism and Buddhism - Essay Example For Krishna, you can escape the rebirth in one of two ways, either by jnana-yoga or bhakti-yoga. This paper provides a vivid discussion and a comparison between the different concepts that are practiced in Hinduism and Buddhism. As already pointed out, in Hinduism, the powerful Krishna (Thompson 39 Ch.7, Verse 8), states that one can escape the rebirth in one of two ways, either the jnana-yoga or bhakti-yoga. The jnana-yoga basically denotes the path of self mastery and knowledge of Brahman and Atman as well as the realization of the unity of these two. Jnana-yoga uses the exercise and intellect as a way of understanding the true Self as well as being aware of the eternal Self, which is God (Thompson 29 Ch.5, Verse 27). Therefore, jnana-yoga helps n the probing of the nature of the Self by asking the question, "Who am I?† It is worth noting that jnana-yoga is not merely an intellectual exercise, but may involve intellect in realizing that God’s nature must be pure Beingness, but to know the Self, one must Be the Self or exercise what is referred to as being patron of oneself (Carter and Mahinda 31 Ch.XII, Verse 160). Jnana-yoga is mainly used when one intends to experience God’s omnipres ence and it also mediates through a focus on the question â€Å"Who am I?† On the other hand, bhakti yoga refers to the spiritual path and practice that is practiced by those that subscribe to Hinduism faith that focuses on building love and devotion for God (Thompson 45, Ch.2, Verse 9).

The Effect of Deregulation Policies Essay Example for Free

The Effect of Deregulation Policies Essay 1.1 Background of the study Organization, corporations or establishment, just like the governments are governed by rules and regulations, in the same way every economy set out goals, which it achieves, through various means. Vibratory and fiscal policies are the stimulant to any nation economic development, especially with regards to Nigeria. However, in this study, the attention of this is mainly on the influence of deregulation on banks profitability in Nigeria. The discussion on the deregulation can be effectively carried out without understanding what monetary policy is all about. In this content, monetary policy could be defined as a policy which deals with discretionary control of money supply by the monetary authorities in order to achieve stated economic goal of society. The performance of the Nigeria economy has on the decline for a long time now. However the central bank has been issuing series of policies through which she tries to stabilize price in the country. The central bank which came into operation since 1959, has introduced monetary measures for the achievement of the national economic objectives, which range from the maintenance of a health balance of payment control or moderation of inflation through the acceleration of the peace of the economic development to the stabilization of the exchange rate of naira with foreign currencies. Deregulation could be defined as the removal of the unnecessary control which tends to inhabit or prevent the effective and efficient programme of economic and business activities. The regulators and deregulation in the banking sector/ industry have favored some banks while some other banks could not stand the weir of constant changes in the monetary and banking policies. However, deregulation goes with its merit which includes; the removal of inhibiting controls on economic activities, encouragement on investment and assurance of efficient allocation of resources. Over the years, Nigeria economic has witnessed changes in its economic policies. These changes have been carried out by the government and the monetary, growth and development these changes in policies have taken different sectors of the economy, directly including the banking industry. The financial sector and the banking industry in particular, due to its critical position and functions in the economy, have been the major focus of economic reforms. Reforms in the banking industry have taken the form of regulation and presently deregulation prior to 1952: banking industry was devoid of government interference this period regarded by financial operation and analysis as the era of free banking. It was characterized by free entry and exit with minimum of regulated of activities of operations. However, the laissez fair attitude contribution to early bank failure experienced in the industry between the activation of banks given its role as financial intermediaries (claiming saving to investments) in order to build a second and viable financial system. Also, regulation is used to correct distortions in the pricing mechanism of market forces. The country of the activity of the Nigerian banking industry stated with the enactment of the banking ordinance of 1952, which was followed by the central bank act of 1958, the exchange control act of 1962 and the banking act of 1969, the aims of regulation and economic efficiency and effective allocation of resources sometimes, the aims are not fully realized and experience has shown, especially in developing countries, that exclusive control by the stagnation. This is what happened in Nigeria in the early 2008 when the country was facing economic crisis of general rise in price of goods and services, unemployment, external debt problem , fall in total output and dividing revenue caused by fall in oil price. In other to overcome these economic crisis the country in 2007 to 2009, adopted a form of structural adjustment program (sap) with the objective of sustaining economic growth and development, price stability, exchange rate stability, prevention of unemployment and appreciable if not level of employment. These objectives were to be achieved through a determined price system and deregulation of economy. Deregulation is regarded as a major policy or strategy for revitalizing the economy. This is based on the fact that determination which embraces the removal of inhabiting controls on business and economic activities, will encourage competition, increase the level of investment and efficient allocation of resources. The financial sector and the banking industry in particular regarded as the oil that keeps the wheels of economy moving, has continued to experiences the force of deregulation in different areas of it operations. The deregulation of the industry started in 1987, with the liberalization of interest rate. The reform exercise has affected other areas of banking activities, against this background. The study will focus on the deregulation on the banking industry, process of deregulation, dimensions of deregulation, evaluation of reforms and effects on the banking industry. In the process of analysis, reference will be on the zenith Bank plc and Diamond Bank plc. 1.2 Statement of the problem: The banking industry, due to its intricate nature has been encountering problems, such as capital inadequacies, excessive liquidity, bank distress and subsequent legibility in order to minimize and eradicate most of these shortcomings there have been constant manipulations of strategies with the aim of strengthening the base of the banking industry. To overcome the above mentioned problems, then these questions will be considered:- i. How has regulation and subsequent deregulation affected the performance of the banking industry? ii. Have the banks performed better in term of profitability maximization of customer’s welfare and shareholders wealth as well as affected the economy positively under deregulation. iii. Should deregulation be supplemented with regulation in order monetary authorities to be able to achieve their aim and objective? In other to achieve the government objectives, monetary policies and other banking regulations must be implemented. The banking industry which is a major participant in the implementation of government regulation and deregulation faces some problems in its performance which for their study is measured in terms of profitability. This research therefore is to evaluate the impact of deregulation policies on profitability of banks in Nigeria. 1.3 Purpose of the study. The writers want to ascertain the effect of deregulation on the performance of banks, particularly on their profitability. The study will deal at length with the various Operational component of the banking activities which deregulation has affected. The study is aimed at i. Investigating the need for changes in banking deregulation policies. ii. Investigating the range of policies, that has been implemented within the period of study (1999-2009). iii. Determine the instruments of banking deregulations that should be used to ensure profitability and growth in the banking industry. To enhance the study, zenith bank plc and diamond bank plc will be used as reference banks. 1.4 Statement of hypothesis Ho: Deregulation has no direct effect on banks profitability H1: Deregulation has direct effect on banks profitability. 1.5 The scope of the study. The study covers the period of deregulation in the country but with in- depth study of what happen in the banking industry between 1999-2009. The activities of the supervisory and regulating authorities, during their period will also be examined, As well as how deregulation of the industry has affected profitability of the banks. The commercial banks selected for study are zenith bank plc and diamond bank plc. The choice of this bank is necessary since they have passed through all the area of banking policies in the country. 1.6 The significance of the study. Banks, be they commercial, deregulation or mortgage in every economy, ensure that profit is made through their credit facilities, as a result of the prevailing regulations, instituted by the regulatory authorities. This work will go a long way by helping the banks know the appropriate time to give loans. Also, it is the belief of the research to the already existing literature on the impact of deregulation policy on the profitability of the banks in Nigeria. Moreover, this work will have positive influence on educational studies and will aid other researches 1.7 Definition of terms i. Deregulation: is the removal or simplification of government rules and regulations that constrain the operation of market forces. In other word is the reduction or elimination of government power in a particular industry usually enacted to create more competition within the industry? ii. Policy: a policy is typically described as a deliberate plan of action to guide the decision and achieve rational outcome. iii. Profitability: profit generally is the making of gain in business activity for the benefit of the owners of the business. iv. Banks: a bank is a financial intermediary that accepts deposit and channels. Banks are a fundamental component of a financial system and are also active player in an economic. v. Economy: Economies consist of the economic system of a country or other area, the labour capital and land resources, and the economic agent. vi. Rationale: the term rationale may refer to as the explanations on the basis or fundamental reasons for something. A justification or rationalization. vii. Interest rate: an interest rate is the price a borrower paid for the use of money they borrow from the lender, for instance a small company might borrow capital from bank. viii. Structural adjustment program: is an economic policy which countries must follow in other to qualify for new World Bank and international monetary fund CHAPTER TWO Literature Review 2.1 Introduction Over the years many outstanding scholars have conducted extensive studies on deregulation policies and financial system. In this chapter the researcher discusses briefly some of existing literature on deregulation policies and financial system. This chapter covers the overview of the Nigeria financial system, the Nigeria Banking system, an overview of commercial banking in Nigeria, problem of deregulation policies and lot more. 2.2Overview of the Nigeria financial system. The Nigeria financial system could be seen or defined as a set of rules, regulations, financial arrangements, institutions, agent and other mechanism whereby they relate to each other within the financial sector and the rest of other sectors of the economy†. Furthermore, financial system could be defined as a conglomerate of various institutions, market, instruments and operations interact within any economy to provide financial services (CBN 98/06 pi). These services provided may include resource mobilization and allocation, financial intermediate trade among others. In Nigeria, the financial system has undergone remarkable changes in terms of ownership structure, the instruments employed, the number of institution established, the economic environment and the regulatory framework within which the system operates the Nigerian financial system is made up of regulatory/supervisory authorities as well as banks and non-bank financial institutions. The federal ministry of finance(FMF), central bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria deposit insurance co-operation (SEC), national insurance commission (NIC), federal mortgage bank of Nigeria (FMB.N) and the national board for community banks (NBCB) are the regulatory and supervisory authorities, in Nigeria through the CBN report to the presidency through the federal ministry of finance in all monetary matter it has effectively assumed the leadership of all banking institutions in the financial system. To this effect, the CBN has the responsibility for the control and supervision of all commercial, merchant and co mmunity banks, people banks finance house, development banks and all discount house and other (ibid ppi-2) In recent times, the Nigeria financial system has witnessed some changes. Among these changes were financial malpractices in banks decree no.8 of 1994. The decree was promulgated to facilitate the prosecution of those who contribute to the failure of banks and to recover the debits used to the failed banks. Also, the inauguration of the financial services regulatory coordinating committee (FSRCC) by the central bank of Nigeria in 1994 to coordinate and standardize the regulatory policies of all financial institutions in the system. This committee is to ensure some level of co-operation among the regulatory agencies. However, in 1995 above, three (3) decrees were promulgated to further regulate the financial system. These were the money laundering decree, the Nigeria instrument promotion commission decree and the foreign exchange (monitoring and miscellaneous provision) i.e Decree no.3, no16, no17 respectively. The aim of decree no.3 is to prevent drug money and other illegally required asset from entering into the financial system, so that the damaging effect of such monetary injection is forestalled. This decree stipulated limited amount of cash dispositions or payment to be made or accepted in our banks to N500, 000 (five hundred thousand Naira) for an individual and N 2,000,000 (two million Naira) for a corporate entity, unlike the institution before this decree when one was forced to pay in or withdraw any amount of cash from the bank. The Nigerian investment promotion commission is challenged with the responsibility of encouraging. Promoting and co-coordinating investment activities in Nigeria. The commission is also empowered to institute and support the measures that would enhance the investment conditions for both Nigeria citizens and foreign investors too. On the other hand, the foreign exchange decree no.17 answers the CBN with the approval of the finance minister to issue guideline to regulate the producers for transaction in the ministry to market as well as other matter, which may enhance the effective operations of the market. The decree provides for any convertible foreign currency to be traded in the foreign exchange market. In 1994, the central bank of Nigeria –CBN decree no25 both of 1991 was amended. This includes the withdrawal of autonomy of the CBN with its supervision placed under the federal ministry of finance. The power of the CBN over the financial system was enhanced by this decree. This decree, also fixed the minimum capital requirement of both commercial and merchant banks at a uniform level of N 500m.(five hundred million naira) instead of the former N50m (Fifty million Naira) and N 40m (forty million naira) for commercial and merchant banks respectively. In addition, the Nigerian deposit insurance corporation (NDIC) decree no 22 of 1988 was amended to give more power to the corporation to deal with insured banks and act independently of CBN on matters affecting banks. 2.3 The Nigeria banking system Many countries of the world have for a long time now recognized the importance of banking services in the promotion of economic growth. In fact, to have a firm control of the economy, the entire financial system must be under control. In this order, a body, an entity or an agency must be in charge. In Nigeria, the central bank of Nigeria-CBN is the main organization that supervises the operation of the financial system; the CBN act of 1958 commenced its operations on 1st July, 1959 with the sole aim of making the monetary policies of the country. The CBN is the apex bank, the lender of last resort, banker’s bank, and it is responsible for the regulation of the entire banking operations. All these functions and more are being performed with directives from the presidency through the federal ministry of finance and in collaboration with Nigerian deposit insurance corporation (NDIC). One of the principle objectives of the CBN is to promote monetary stability and soundness of the financial system. To actualize this, CBN conducts regular supervision and examination of banks as a means of maintaining surveillance on banking operation to ensure compliance to decree spelt out by the industry authorities (CBN 2007). On the hierarchy of monetary management, the apex bank (CBN) comes first, then followed by other banks. These banks include commercial banks, merchant banks, development banks, people’s bank and community banks, amongst others. The peoples banks, has continue to increase in number from the date of establishment and as at 1996, the number of branches has come up to 175. The micro-finance bank is a self-sustaining or a group of communities. All the community banks are under the regulatory supervisory control of started in December 1990. As at 1996, the central bank of Nigeria (CBN) had given provisional license to 1366 community banks. The above is an x-ray of the banking industry in the country. An overview of commercial banking in the country is therefore relevant for a thorough understanding of the research. 2.4 An overview of commercial Banking In Nigeria A commercial bank could be defined according to section 41, subsection (1) Of the Nigerian banking decree of 1964, and paragraph (a) as â€Å"any person who transacts banking business in Nigeria and whose business includes the acceptance of deposits, withdraws able by cheque† The possession of a valid license duly granted by the commission of companies, duly incorporated in Nigeria is also a prerequisite for the transaction of banking business. Commercial banks are dual intermediaries in the domestic and international spheres. At the domestic level, the banks mobilize fund from the surplus sector or unity of the economy and at the international level, they provide the channel through which foreign exchange is transferred to or received from other countries of the world in the settlement of international transactions. Commercial banks are different from other banks because of the nature of services they render to their customers, which commercial banks started operation in 1982 and performed some functions. These Functions include acceptance of deposits, granting of loans and advances, the operation of payment and settlement mechanism. Merchant bank on their own are wholesale banks that take deposit and carter for need of corporate and institutional customers. Their main role is to provide a medium for long term financing by engaging in a activities such as equipment, leasing, loaning, syndication, debt factoring project financing. The first merchant bank in Nigeria is the Nigeria acceptance limited (NAL). This bank started operates in 1960. However, by December, 1996, there were about 51 merchant banks, with about 147 branches nationwide, while their total asset amounted to 111,206.9million compared with 91,803 million in 1995 (CBN OPP.5). On the other hand, the development bank in the country including the Nigeria Industrial Development Bank (NDIB) was established in 1964 to provide credit and other facilities to industries, especially to medium and large scale enterprises. The Nigeria bank for commerce and industry (NBCI) come into existence as a result of the promulgation of decree 22 of 1973, with the aim of developing indigenous enterprises particularly, the small and medium scale once. The Nigeria agriculture and commercial bank was established in 1973 mainly to financed agricultural development project and allied industries, Decree No22 of 1990 establish the people’s bank. The bank was ear-marked by the federal government in 1988 budget with an initial allocation of N 30m, through with legal statute in 1990. The bank was established to meet the credit needs of small borrowers who cannot satisfy the stringent collateral requirement being demanded by other banks. Other banks cannot do. These are the acceptance of saving account, current account and fixed deposit account from individuals, retail and corporate customers and the payment and collection of cheques. The service which commercial banks and other banks perform includes discounting of bills, undertaking of executorships and trustee services, safe custody of securities and other valuables. Commercial banks in the country have continued to dominate banking sector accounting for 82.6% and 90.4% of the banking industries total asset and deposit liabilities, respectively in 1996. The introduction of the structural adjustment programme (SAP) in 1987 brought about the establishment of many banks in the country and made banking business a lucrative nature. As at 1996, there were about 64 commercial banks in Nigeria with 2,402 branches as against 30 banks with 2397 in 1986. (CBN OPCIT P, E).The reason for this rapid growth is due to the introduction of SAP which led to the gradual deregulation of the economy. The increased number of banks notwithstanding, a significant proportion of the liabilities and assets of all commercial banks in Nigeria are still in the hand of 3 big banks (first bank, union bank, zenith bank and).since the event of global meltdown, they are the only banks in Nigeria capable to declared dividend. The control of the banking sector is in their hands and the rate at which they feel the impact of the monetary policies, bank regulation and deregulation would range from those of the smaller banks and the new generation banks. 2.5Monetary Policies in Nigeria Monetary policies could be seen as one of the policy tools available to the managers of the economy. It involves the variation in credit conditions- cost availability, impact with a view to achieving the economic objectives such as price stability that is prevention of inflation or deflection (as the case may be), economic growth and development, balance of payments equilibrium, high level of employment and equitable distribution of income. In other words, monetary policy could be defined as the regulation of the supply of money and bank credit for the promotion of selected economic objectives. According to Hanson (2007) â€Å"The purpose of monetary policy is to influence the supply of money in order to expand or contract the volume of the purchasing power in the volume of the purchasing power in the country. He went further to say that an increase in the volume of purchasing power is expected to stimulate demand and investment, increase output and reduce unemployment. The policies used by each country are varied in accordance with some economic laws, aimed at steering the economy towards a desired direction. However, these and other government directives or pronouncement are among the banking and deregulation policies.

Joe Clark in Lean On Me :: Film Movies

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  East Side High School was labeled a â€Å"cauldron of violence.† After they were designated this harsh term, Joe Clark becomes the head principal and changes it all around – or does he? Lean on Me is a story of hope, development, love, hate, and dependence. As a father figure and friend, Clark’s strict disciplining and harsh attitude helps heal, strengthen, and bring to life a struggling high school in New Jersey. But is this plot just a story for the movie screen? Did the true story really happen like this and end like this? Lean on Me might be moving and powerful, but we must look deeper into the real personality of Joe Clark and how he treated others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Crazy† Joe Clark does not get his name from out of the blue. He is violent, angry, and set in his own ways and beliefs. His wife that left him and the one friend that he has are all reflective signs of his horrendous behavior. He walks around the school with a baseball bat, rather than a clipboard or briefcase. The fear that he â€Å"earns† is more prevalent than the respect that the students and teachers have for him. He likes to be known as â€Å"HNIC† – the â€Å"head nigger in charge.† His absurd manners are strongly disliked by his fellow colleagues. He insults teachers in front of students and fires them when they do not comply with his harsh rules. The first disturbing aspect of this movie is Joe Clark’s personality; although he changes around the school, he does it in a bizarre and vicious manner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another bizarre aspect of the movie is how the director, ---, portrays East Side High. After there is a time change from the 60s to the 80s, East Side transforms from a nice, well-kept, and clean school to a graffiti filled, prison-like, school that resembles an alleyway, not a high school. There are fights in the hallway and the bathrooms every time class lets out. Drug dealers are let in by other students to exchange money and drugs. East Side is portrayed as a rundown and scary – to say the least – learning institution.

Cross Cultural Communication Barriers Essay

LaRay Barna (1982) has elaborated on the distinction between observations and interpretation in cross cultural communication. Five areas of practice constitute potential barriers. In order to overcome these barriers, postpone interpretation until you know enough about the other culture. In other words observed behavior but try not to attach attribution to it. First, there’s the obvious barrier of language differences. Language is much more than learning new vocabulary and grammar. It includes cultural competence: knowing what to say and how, when, where, and why to say it. Knowing a little of the foreign language may only allow you to make a â€Å"fluent fool† of yourself. Also, within the same language the same word may have a different meaning in different settings. Ways to decrease the language barrier are [1] learn the language, [2] find someone who can speak the language as an interpreter, and [3] ask for clarification if you are not sure what someone says. Second, there is the area of nonverbal communication such as gestures, posture and other ways we show what we feel and think without speaking. Our culture has taught us to communicate through unspoken messages that are so automatic that we rarely even think about them. An interviewer might put his or her own cultural interpretation on your hand gesture, facial expression, posture, clothing, physical closeness or distance, eye contact, or personal appearance, and that attribution may not be what you intended to at all. Ways to cross the nonverbal communication area are [1] do not assume you understand any nonverbal signals or behavior unless you are familiar with the culture, [2] don’t take a stranger’s nonverbal behavior personally, even if it is insulting in your culture, and [3] develop an awareness of your own and nonverbal communication patterns that might be insulting in certain cultures. Third, stereotypes are a major barrier to communicating across cultures. We try to fit people into patterns based on a previous experience. We see pretty much what we want or expect to see and reject the possible interpretations that don’t fit with what we expect. If we expect people from country X to be unfriendly to foreigners, we will probably interpret their behavior in that way. Steps to overcome this barrier resemble the familiar triad, awareness-knowledge-skills, (that we discussed earlier in the chapter): [1] make every effort to increase awareness of your own preconceptions and stereotypes of cultures you encounter, [2] learn about the other culture, and [3] reinterpret their behavior from their cultural perspective, adapting your own stereotypes to fit your new experiences. A fourth barrier is the tendency to evaluate behavior from the other culture as good or bad, to make a judgment based on our own cultural bias. Evaluation has been called a third stage of how we attribute meaning. The first two, observation and interpretation, lead naturally to it. Different attitudes about, for instance, food and drink can cause misunderstanding as we evaluate them. Ways to decrease the tendency to evaluate our [1] maintain appropriate distance, [2] recognize that you cannot change the culture (or yourself) overnight, [3] do not judge someone from another culture by your own cultural values until you have first come to know them and their cultural values. The fifth barrier is the high level of stress that typically accompanies intercultural interactions. Like every other unfamiliar experience, intercultural contact is likely to involve some stress. Ways you can decrease stress are to [1] accept the ambiguity of cross cultural situations in which you are not sure what others expect of you or what you can expect of them, [2] work to reduce other intercultural barriers, and [3] be forgiving of others and yourself, giving both them and yourself the benefit of the doubt. In intercultural encounters, then, there are several filters that can prevent us from accurately understanding what others are trying to communicate, and that can prevent others from accurately understanding what we are trying to communicate: our tendency to interpret and evaluate behavior before we understand it, and our willingness to stereotype groups of people, which prevents us from interpreting behavior accurately. When we are looking and listening, the remedy is to try and increase the range of our perception, to observe and suspend our interpretation [what we think] and evaluation [what we feel], and to ask for clarification when in doubt. When speaking, we should take care to clarify the intention behind our words and check to see if the message has come across correctly. In all cases, we should be prepared for surprises.

Nelson mandela Essay

in India, discriminatory attitudes towards men and women have existed for generations and affect the lives of both genders. Although the constitution of India has granted men and women equal rights, gender disparity still remains. There are limited opportunities for women in sectors which traditionally demand for men to participate, such as armed forces. Although women also have mostly off-front job opportunities within the army. There is specific research on gender discrimination mostly in favour of men over women. Due to a lack of objective research on gender discrimination against men, it is perceived that it is only women who are suffering. The research often conducted is selectively sampled, where men are left out of the picture.[1] Women are perceived to be disadvantaged at work, and conclusions are drawn that their capabilities are often underestimated. Discrimination towards Women Infancy to childhood Both women and men are important for reproduction. Sex is very important between a male and a female to ensure continuity of human species on the earth. The cultural construct of Indian society which reinforces gender bias against men and women, with varying degrees and variable contexts against the opposite sex,[3] has led to the continuation of India’s strong preference for male children. Female infanticide, a sex-selective abortion, is adopted and strongly reflects the low status of Indian women. Census 2011 shows decline of girl population (as a percentage to total population) under the age of seven, with activists estimating that eight million female fetuses may have been aborted in the past decade.[4] The 2005 census shows infant mortality figures for females and males are 61 and 56, respectively, out of 1000 live births,[5] with females more likely to be aborted than males due to biased attitudes. A decline in the sex ratio was observed with India’s 2011 census reporting that it stands at 914 females against 1,000 males, dropping from 927 in 2001 – the lowest since India’s independence.[6] The demand for sons among wealthy parents is being satisfied by the medical community through the provision of illegal service of fetal sex-determination and sex-selective abortion. The financial incentive for physicians to undertake this illegal activity seems to be far greater than the penalties associated with breaking the law.[7] Childhood to adulthood and education Education is not widely attained by Indian women. Although literacy rates are increasing, female literacy rate lags behind the male literacy rate. Literacy Rate Census of India 2001 and 2011 Comparison Literacy for females stands at 65.46%, compared to 82.14% for males.[8] An underlying factor for such low literacy rates are parents’ perceptions that education for girls are a waste of resources as their daughters would eventually live with their husbands’ families and they will not benefit directly from the education investment.[9] Adulthood and onwards Discrimination against women has contributed to gender wage differentials, with Indian women on average earning 64% of what their male counterparts earn for the same occupation and level of qualification.[10] Discrimination against women has led to their lack of autonomy and authority. Although equal rights are given to women, egality may not be well implemented. In practice, land and property rights are weakly enforced, with customary laws widely practised in rural areas. Women do not own property under their own names and usually do not have any inheritance rights to obtain a share of parental property.[1] D

The Manhattan Project Essays - Manhattan Project, Code Names

The Manhattan Project Essays - Manhattan Project, Code Names The Manhattan Project On the morning of August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber named Enola Gay flew over the industrial city of Hiroshima, Japan and dropped the first atomic bomb ever. The city went up in flames caused by the immense power equal to about 20,000 tons of TNT. The project was a success. They were an unprecedented assemblage of civilian, and military scientific brain power?brilliant, intense, and young, the people that helped develop the bomb. Unknowingly they came to an isolated mountain setting, known as Los Alamos, New Mexico, to design and build the bomb that would end World War 2, but begin serious controversies concerning its sheer power and destruction. I became interested in this topic because of my interest in science and history. It seemed an appropriate topic because I am presently studying World War 2 in my Social Studies Class. The Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings were always taught to me with some opinion, and I always wanted to know the bomb itself and the unbiased effects that it had. This I-search was a great opportunity for me to actually fulfill my interest. The Manhattan Project was the code name for the US effort during World War II to produce the atomic bomb. It was appropriately named for the Manhattan Engineer District of the US Army Corps of Engineers, because much of the early research was done in New York City (Badash 238). Sparked by refugee physicists in the United States, the program was slowly organized after nuclear fission was discovered by German scientists in 1938, and many US scientists expressed the fear that Hitler would attempt to build a fission bomb. Frustrated with the idea that Germany might produce an atomic bomb first, Leo Szilard and other scientists asked Albert Einstein, a famous scientist during that time, to use his influence and write a letter to president FDR, pleading for support to further research the power of nuclear fission (Badash 237). His letters were a success, and President Roosevelt established the Manhattan Project. Physicists from 1939 onward conducted much research to find answers to such questions as how many neutrons were emitted in each fission, which elements would not capture the neutrons but would moderate or reduce their velocity , and whether only the lighter and scarcer isotope of uranium (U-235) fissioned or the common isotope (U-238) could be used. They learned that each fission releases a few neutrons. A chain reaction, therefore, was theoretically possible, if not too many neutrons escaped from the mass or were captured by impurities. To create this chain reaction and turn it into a usable weapon was the ultimate goal of the Manhattan Project. In 1942 General Leslie Groves was chosen to lead the project, and he immediately purchased a site at Oak Ridge, Tenn., for facilities to separate the necessary uranium-235 from the much more common uranium-238. Uranium 235 was an optimal choice for the bomb because of its unusually unstable composition. Thus, the race to separate the two began. During that time, the work to perfect the firing mechanism and structure of the bomb was also swiftly underway. General Groves? initial task had been to select a scientific director for the bomb project. His first two choices, Ernest O. Lawrence, director of the electromagnetic separation project, and Arthur H. Compton, director of Chicago Metallurgical Laboratory, were not available. Groves had some doubts regarding the next best candidate, J. Robert Oppenheimer (Wood 2). Finally, Groves gambled on Oppenheimer, a theoretical mathematician, as director of the weapons laboratory, built on an isolated mesa (flat land area) at Los Alamos, New Mexico. After much difficulty, an absorbent barrier suitable for separating isotopes of uranium was developed and installed in the Oak Ridge gaseous diffusion plant. Finally, in 1945, uranium-235 of bomb purity was shipped to Los Alamos, where it was fashioned into a gun-type weapon. In a barrel, one piece of uranium was fired at another, together forming a supercritical, explosive mass. To achieve chain-reaction fission, a certain amount of fissile material, called critical mass, is necessary. The fissile material used in the Hiroshima model was uranium 235. In the bomb, the uranium was divided into two parts, both of which were

Practice in Using Commas and Semicolons Correctly

Practice in Using Commas and Semicolons Correctly This exercise offers practice in applying the rules for using commas and semicolons correctly. Before attempting the exercise, you may find it helpful to review these three pages: Guidelines for Using Commas EffectivelyHow to Use the SemicolonSemicolons, Colons, and Dashes Throughout the following two paragraphs, you will find a number of empty paired brackets: [ ]. Replace each set of brackets with a comma or a semicolon, keeping in mind that the primary use of a semicolon is to separate two main clauses not joined by a coordinating conjunction. When you are done, compare your work with the correctly punctuated versions of the two paragraphs on page two. Exercise: Pasta Pasta[ ] a large family of shaped[ ] dried wheat pastes[ ] is a basic staple in many countries. Its origins are obscure. Rice pastes were known very early in China[ ] pastes made of wheat were used in India and Arabia long before they were introduced into Europe in the 11th or 12th century. According to legend[ ] Marco Polo brought a pasta recipe with him from Asia in 1295. Pasta quickly became a major element in the Italian diet[ ] and its use spread throughout Europe. Pasta is made from durum wheat flour[ ] which makes a strong[ ] elastic dough. Hard durum wheat has the highest wheat protein value. The flour is mixed with water[ ] kneaded to form a thick paste[ ] and then forced through perforated plates or dies that shape it into one of more than 100 different forms. The macaroni die is a hollow tube with a steel pin in its center[ ] the spaghetti die lacks the steel pin and produces a solid cylinder of paste. Ribbon pasta is made by forcing the paste through thin slits in a die[ ] shells and other curved shapes are produced with more intricate dies. The shaped dough is dried carefully to reduce the moisture content to about 12 percent[ ] and properly dried pasta should remain edible almost indefinitely. Pastas can be colored with spinach or beet juice. The addition of egg produces a richer[ ] yellower pasta that is usually made in noodle form and is often sold undried. When you are done, compare your work with the correctly punctuated versions of the two paragraphs on page two. Here are the two paragraphs that served as the model for the punctuation exercise on page one. Original Paragraphs: Pasta Pasta, a large family of shaped, dried wheat pastes, is a basic staple in many countries. Its origins are obscure. Rice pastes were known very early in China; pastes made of wheat were used in India and Arabia long before they were introduced into Europe in the 11th or 12th century. According to legend, Marco Polo brought a pasta recipe with him from Asia in 1295. Pasta quickly became a major element in the Italian diet, and its use spread throughout Europe. Pasta is made from durum wheat flour, which makes a strong, elastic dough. Hard durum wheat has the highest wheat protein value. The flour is mixed with water, kneaded to form a thick paste, and then forced through perforated plates or dies that shape it into one of more than 100 different forms. The macaroni die is a hollow tube with a steel pin in its center; the spaghetti die lacks the steel pin and produces a solid cylinder of paste. Ribbon pasta is made by forcing the paste through thin slits in a die; shells and other curved shapes are produced with more intricate dies. The shaped dough is dried carefully to reduce the moisture content to about 12 percent, and properly dried pasta should remain edible almost indefinitely. Pastas can be colored with spinach or beet juice. The addition of egg produces a richer, yellower pasta that is usually made in noodle form and is often sold undried.

Is it ethical for a company to produce genetically modified crops Essay

Is it ethical for a company to produce genetically modified crops - Essay Example Indeed, many of today’s crops have been modified so much that the modern people might have a hard time identifying the original crop, such as maize. However, with developing of modern technology, genetic modification of crops has become so sophisticated that many people find it hard to come to terms with the drastic changes made to organisms. The ethicalness of companies producing GMOs has consequently become subject of the extensive debate internationally, and the possibility that GMOs may comprise a substantial portion of the food produced in the USA and UK has elicited a barrage of reaction from different circles where disparate views are held on the issue. This paper aims at examining the ethical issues around mass production of genetically modified foods by considering different points of view on the subject to determine if a company is ethically justified to produce the same. The ethical issues surrounding genetically modified food are motivated by a multitude of factors , chief among these are health concerns since there is not enough research to determine the long-term effect of GMOs. Despite the fact that GMOs have been the part of the American diet since 1992 (soybeans, corn, and cottonseed), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allowed them because they had not found them to have any threat to the human life. It claimed they were not the subject of regulation since they did not differ from ordinary seeds (Smith, â€Å"Spilling the Beans†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Later experimentation has come to show that many genetically modified foods are downright harmful to virtually every organ of the human body. According the American Organic Consumers, GMOs have been linked to 1000s of livestock deaths, allergic reactions and even deaths of humans over the years (Smith, â€Å"Spilling the Beans†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). The research by several other organizations has also come up with distressing results after using GMOs on rats that often suffered fatal consequences. A nother factor worth considering is that although we cannot explicitly prove they do not cause them, there is enough circumstantial evidence to require the reexamination of the corporate and federal positions on GMOs, consumption of which has coincided with increase prevalence in medical conditions, such as cancer and deadly allergy attacks. The companies producing GMOs are well aware of what they are doing; it is glaringly evident because of the fact that they continue to produce these products. This has consequently saturated the American market since the companies have no concern for the health of consumers and are driven by the bottom line. With this in mind, the ethical violations by any of the companies engaging in production of these products are unambiguous. The other ethical consideration is the fact that consumers are unaware of the effect and modifications done on the food they consume; hence, many eat such in full ignorance. To worsen matters, labeling is not allowed, so consumers have no hope of choosing whether they want to eat GMOs or not (Lendman, â€Å"Potential Health Hazards†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). This way, the companies are literally forcing millions of consumers to use these products without giving them enough information. Therefore, such attitude can be viewed as quintessence of unethical business practice. Another pertinent consideration is who will gain and who will lose in all this: who are the principal beneficiaries, is it

Business information system Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business information system - Essay Example In this report, the key problems being faced by the school system were identified. Some of the main issues included delayed processing of administrative tasks, duplicated purchasing of equipment, difficult access to information for teachers, poor interpretation of documents, and poor resource management. To tackle those problems, a business information system was proposed and discussed in detail using concepts from authoritative sources. In the end, the implementation plan was also given to help the management of the school in the implementation of the proposed system. 1. Introduction (Proposed System) Improved access to information is the key to success in today’s business world. Every company belonging to any particular industry needs information to excel and take critical decisions regarding different business matters (Earl, 1996). The importance of using information systems in businesses can be known from the fact that they help managers and employees in processing of info rmation, as well as in doing business analysis. Using an information system, users can retrieve required information in the form of well-structured reports. Moreover, they can also perform their job related tasks quickly and efficiently using information systems. ... 2. Literature Review As Oz (2009, p. 9) states, â€Å"information is the lifeblood of any organization†. It is impossible for the management of a school or any other company to run business and administrative matters without information. For good organization and management of information, business information systems offer proper solutions. In general, business information system refers to the management of information in such a way that it can be used by the staff easily to run different business activities. According to Abel (2008), information system is an important software application that makes use of information technology tools to help people in information processing and management. The main thing is that this system helps users in retrieving right information in a timely manner. Improved access to information is one of the most attractive features regarding the use of this system. Business information systems are able to perform all tasks related to management of in formation some of which include storing of data, editing of data, processing of data into required information, organizing information in a proper format so that it do not get duplicated, and generating relevant reports based on the stored data. This system also helps companies in inventory management. A business information system is a valuable part of internal business control system that helps staff in managing inventory, supplying required systems, and managing information and procedures (Martin, 2010). The importance of business information systems in businesses cannot be denied. According to Stahl (2008, p. 1), information systems improve accuracy, reliability, safety, efficiency, and optimal control of business processes. if we talk about the

Research on China's real estate housing price Paper

On China's real estate housing price - Research Paper Example Marketing research statistics that were taken in the past five years indicate that in the property market, role of pricing mechanism is to balance purchase and the rates of selling. In this study, we are attempting to examine the determinants of the housing prices in China, with a particular focus on the monetary variables. There are three main concerns, which motivate this study. These are the exploration of the general relationship that exists between the pricing of houses and the monetary policy, even though the Chinese experience might not be ideal. We also feel that it is important to use the non-linear modeling concept known as NARMAX that selects forms and lags structures in an automatic manner for the individual explanatory variables. Lastly, the study hopes to draw some essential policy implications for the housing prices management in China. BACKGROUND/HYPOTHESIS A fall in the housing prices that started in the year 2007 ultimately resulted to the worst economic recession a nd financial crisis in the world in nearly eight decades, or eighty years. However, underscoring this important debate is the more complex academic question regarding the relationship between asset price and monetary policy. The maintenance of price stability is largely considered to be the most fundamental monetary policy’s goal. In this framework, the price stability is usually defined as the consumer price index’s stability. In the years ensuing to the world financial crisis, the China experienced a period of fast growth in her Gross Domestic Product with modest consumer price index inflation. Thus, there was no need for the government to increase the rates of interest or even tightening the liquidity conditions. Since the global crisis, we find that there has been rising recognition among policymakers and economists that it is important that the central banks monitor asset prices together with the prices of goods. However, it is still not clear whether it is feasib le for the formal incorporation of asset prices into the objective function of monetary policy. Nevertheless, even if this is possible, it is quite difficult to control the asset prices as compared to the regulation of the prices of goods. In trying to establish real estate pricing in China, it is therefore important to consider answering the following question: What is the effect of monetary policy on asset prices? What are the determinants of real estate pricing in China? What are the trends in the house pricing in China? ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY/ LITERATURE REVIEW Hongli Z. 2011. The Relationship of House Price Rising Rate and GDP Growth Rate. Mason, OH, Cengage Learning. In this context it is well illustrated that the development of the real estate industry is very important to the people`s livelihood and the national economy. The real estate regulation is very significant content of the microeconomic regulation and it is also invariably controversial. The regulation of house pric e such as controlling the house price`s rising extent within the normal range is a Key to real estate regulation1. According to the calculations of the target range in house price regulation, the house price growth rate/GDP should be controlled within {- 0.31, 0.86} among the first-tier cities and [-0.42, 1.17] among the second inter-cities. China has made real estate regu

Political Structure Of The Roman Empire Theology Essay

Political Structure Of The Roman Empire Theology Essay The public sphere of Rome, which included religious norms, social settings, as well as some other cultural divides, has been known to greatly affect the Roman political system throughout, from its inception to its fall. Our world has seen many great empires and perhaps the most popular one by name is the Roman Empire. A great number of books have been written on this subject, many movies have been made, and the Roman Empire remains rich in our minds to this date. The Roman history involves some great moments as it recounts such great leaders as Julius Caesar (see Picture 1), the birth of Christ and his exploits, and then the setting up of the Church and the Vatican by Constantine. Just like any other state or empire, the Roman Empire was also much affected by the people that were its subjects. These people had their own religion throughout the various epochs of the Empire, and these people had their own norms and practices. The Roman citizen was instantly recognized by his toga (See Illustration 1) and the Roman army by his uniform (See Picture 2) The political structure of the Roman Empire was affected by the way that its citizens had behaved during the various times, including their religion, their social structure, gender relations and economics. This paper shall follow the course of the Roman Empire through history, from its inception to its decline and fall and relate how the various factors were able to influence the Empire in different ways. It is also important to realize that the Roman public was able to influence the political structure of the Roman Empire. The culture of the Roman Empire was influenced by many factors. The Roman Senate declared Augustus (See Picture 3) as the Emperor of Rome in 27BC. This was the beginning of the Roman Empire that was destined to last for the next five hundred years, adding more and more territories to its name. The diversity in the Roman Empire came because of the number of regions that it was able to incorporate into its boundaries. The Roman Empire included ancient Britain, Arabia, and Romania. Augustus was a good ruler and he was able to stabilize Rome both politically as well as socially. A lot of development in the areas of art, literature, and philosophy took place in the Roman Empire, as it continuously borrowed from various civilizations and cultures. Among the most important of things that came out of the Roman Empire include the religious and ethical elements of Judaism, the teachings of Christianity, the study of astronomy and astrology, and so much more information from other Eastern count ries like Persia and Egypt. This spread of information gave power to the Roman politics since they were able to use this knowledge to introduce new reforms in their political structure, as well as add some mystery to it. The Romans left such a mark of their culture on the world that people and artists, centuries later, such as Michelangelo in the 16th century A.D, This is how the Roman culture was able to spread its architecture and literature all over Europe, and we can still find their elements in various Western traditions today. One of the areas where we see the most of Roman influence is that of mathematics. Many of the theories and principles that are employed in mathematics have been the product of Greek/Roman minds such as Archimedes and Pythagoras. Their ideas have formed the basis of what we call geometry. Many innovations and inventions have been made based on these ideas and hence we see a large influence of Roman mentality in things like weapons and architecture. Much of theoretical as well as practical science has also been laid down by the Romans. They established the field of botany and many of the early Roman scientists worked to collect a horde of information about many of the plants that existed in the region. Aristotle and his Theophrastus (often referred to as the father of botany) classified and named these plants. Although no apparent connection exists between the advancement in mathematics and the political structure, we find that as more and more mathematical concepts were introduced and adopted in Rome, the politicians also were able to adopt their versatility. One of the concepts that arose out of mathematics was economics and the Romans were able to carry out trade on a better level. This gave a boost to the Roman Empire and the politicians were able to use mathematics to their advantage. Many of the ideas of economics and politics that the Western world follows toady have also been derived from Ancient Romans. The Romans system of the senate is still employed by many Western countries today. In addition, the Romans were the first ones to introduce the ideas of interest in business and loans and we all know that the whole economic arena of the world today works on the principles of interest. Many of the Greek/Roman philosophers, such as Aristotle and Socrates, also played their role in Roman influence and we see that many Western countries have their contemporaries who are always building upon the original ideas and concepts. The Roman influence on art is phenomenal. We find that many of the artists of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment era used to follow the art techniques of the Romans. Many of the sculptures and murals painted by Michelangelo (See Illustration 2) are evidence of the fact that he was motivated and inspired by Roman art. These theories, aspiration s, and ideas were passed from the Greeks to the Romans and then to other nations in Western Europe. The most comprehensive aspect of the social life and the Empire that the Romans were able to develop and spread to the rest of Europe includes the details of the Roman Law. The Romans were able to take the basic framework provided by the Greeks and transform it into an extremely sophisticated and scientific legal system. The history of Roman law spans almost a thousand years from the law of the twelve tables (449 BC) to Justinians codes (aroung 530 BC). The twelve tables still reflect a relatively primitive and pre-scientific legal system. However, from the 2nd century B.C, the Romans began to apply the methods and categories of Greek philosophy to legal problems (which the Greeks themselves had never thought of). A legal profession began to emerge and the production of scholarly treaties on Roman law started. It was in the second century AD that the Roman legal science was able to reach its peak. This happened when the economic and political conditions of the principate became favor able to the scholarly activity of Roman jurists. However, this classical age of the Roman jurists ended in the 3rd century and no one has been adequately able to explain that. The following centuries saw a general decline of Roman legal culture, which was not stopped by the efforts of emperor Justinian to revive classical Roman law in the 6th century. Justinian did manage, however, to preserve a great part of the literary legacy of the classical jurists by incorporating their writings in his codes. The Digest, which is the most important part of the codification and was published in 533, is a gigantic collection of fragments from classical text books and commentaries. While it was unknown in Western Europe in the early middle ages, it was rediscovered around 1070 in Italy. From that time onward, Roman law and especially the teachings of the classical jurists preserved in the Digest became the basis of continental European. It has been said quite rightly, that the Digest is one of the most influential books in European . Perhaps the most important aspect of the Roman culture that was able to affect the political structure the most was religion. Rome had grown up to be a formidable empire by 120 AD (See Map). The history of Rome is embedded with wonder. Much of what Rome was to become in the later stages of its life was due to the ancient yet colorful religion, one that is now known as Roman mythology. The Romans had gods and goddesses for every element, and for every occasion. These gods were in a continuous state of tension, balancing the good and evil, while keeping the humans happy as well. It is in this religion that we find the basic impetus for the Roman Empire, its political structure, and its social environment. Perhaps Ovid was best able to present this relationship between the gods and humans in his Metamorphoses. The first story of a human involves a sinner, punished for his offence against the gods. Lycaons case represents one example of the wickedness of all humanity in the Iron Age. Lyc aon (wolf man in Greek) is the reason for the flood, Jupiter explains, but not the origin of evil (Ovid does not mention the famous story of Pandoras box). Lycaons metamorphosis into a beast reveals his true nature; the description translates literally, his mouth gathered savagery from the man himself. The reaction of the other gods to Jupiters punishment of Lycaon resembles a senate of yes-men; at first it sounds as if the gods feel pity for humanity, but soon their selfish motives are revealed: without men they will lose their sacrifices. Jupiter claims that he wants to make the world safe for lesser divinities, nymphs, fauns, satyrs, but as we will soon see in the stories to follow, the biggest threat to pretty young nymphs are the amorous gods themselves After the ancient religions in Rome, came the slightly modern ideas that pertain to cynicism and stoicism. One of the most famous of the Stoics was Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (See Picture 4). His whole political system was dictated by the Stoic way of life as he was in favor of the human being devoid of all emotions, where things like envy, fear, etc were all thought to have come out of false judgments of the human minds. The focus of much of Aureliuss philosophy had to do with the ethics that were involved in the Stoic way of life. These ethics involved the four basic virtues of wisdom, courage, justice, and temperance. Aurelius was also an advocate of going through continuous meditation and exercises in order to keep the mind and the body in a state of togetherness. In Meditations, Book II, part 1, Aurelius writes: Say to yourself in the early morning: I shall meet today ungrateful, violent, treacherous, envious, uncharitable men. All of these things have come upon them through ignorance of real good and ill I can neither be harmed by any of them, for no man will involve me in wrong, nor can I be angry with my kinsman or hate him; for we have come into the world to work together This is not just him making a statement; rather it is giving the reader a practical technique of reminding oneself every day, repeatedly, of the problems that the person might face, and how they can be solved. This is somewhat reminiscence of what later became to be known as the self-fulfilling prophecy. This Stoic way of life was greatly reflected in Aurelius political structuring of Rome. But perhaps the one religion that had the most impact on the Roman empire and its political structuring is Christianity. The fall of the Roman Empire brought about a rise of Christianity and the Christian Church and this affected many changes in the view of the world. Some of the rulers of Christianity, like Saint Augustine (354-430 AD), upheld that the Bible should be considered the only legitimate source of information about important questions and this led to a great devotion to the Bible as the main source of intellectual reserve for the Western civilization for many years to come. Many of the Christians fell into the dark ages right after the fall of the Roman empire as well and only a few found salvation in the religion. The evolution of the Christian church in terms of contributions by various rulers are discussed herein. Constantine I (See Picture 5) was one who helped contribute a lot to the rise of the Christian church as he was one of the most advantageous advocates of the Orthodox Church. He was a Roman emperor who legalized Christianity and founded Constantinople, and by doing so he single handedly laid the foundations of the Greco-Christian Empire of Byzantium. He adopted Christianity as the religion of his state and gave freedom to the priests and bishops to practice Christianity without bounds. Another emperor who was instrumental in the expansion and vital to the race of Christianity was Theodosios I (born 347 AD). In 380, he proclaimed Christianity as the official religion of the state. He also convened the second Ecumenical Council and finalized the Articles of Faith. As with these two aforementioned Emperors, there was many who ruled Byzantine and helped it progress in terms prospective growth as well as religious development of Christianity. By the 11th and 12th centuries, Christianity saw a divide into the East and the West sections due to the vast land distances that the religion covered. There was hardly even any contact between the Christians of the East and the Christians of the West because of the great geographical distances between them. They did, however, remain to be the same religion, and were only kept apart in their cultural and historical upbringing by imaginary lines of directions. Thus were born many different independent and self-governing churches that answered to either the Western or the Eastern Orthodox Church. All these churches were in contact with each other and were bind together by the canon law and followed the same traditions, literature, ecclesiastical calendar, and customs. The Roman Empire remained a powerful one for more than 300 years, but it also met its doom when it disintegrated into two parts, the Western and the Eastern empire. No one is quite sure exactly when the division occurred but everyone agrees that it was a gradual transformation. It all started because of power struggles between the rulers of the area. There were many times in the history of Rome when the rulers were undecided as to the determination of successors to their thrones. After 330 A.D, Rome was often engaged in civil wars between martials, all of whom wanted to be the rulers of Rome. The Roman economy aslo played a vital role in its division. Eastern Rome found better uses for its slaves and there was a change in the social and economical system of that region. The Eastern part of the empire developed a different political system, one that resembled the fuedal system of today, and this gave a boost to their economy. The Western part, however, stuck to conventional norms and soon their middle class disappeared in the wake of excessive taxing and the Western Roman Empire fell. Since Byzantine was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, the region came to be known as the Byzantine Empire. The Eastern Empire survived because it had a more developed urban culture and it was not invaded as much as the Western one was. Since the Byzantine Empire had been a part of the grander Roman Empire, it retained much of the Roman laws and its heritage, although the legal code was updated. The official langiage of the region remained as Latin in the beginning and was changed to Greek later on. Many new churches, including the famous Church of Agia Sofia (Holy Wisdom), were also contructed. Some of Byzantiums contribution to Western Europe include great works of literature and art, a framework for an extremely efficient and highly centralized administration, and trading norms and regulations. Perhaps the biggest contribution comes out of the setup of the Orthodox Church that defined the cultural, political, social, and religios life of the region and its people for many a years to come. The Orthodox Church originated with Christ himself and can be said to be as old as Christianity itself. The Orthodox Church is geographically considered to be an Eastern Church because it is basically a creation Middle Eastern, Hellenic, and Slavic history and culture. Most of the growth and progress of the Orthodox Church, whether it is historical or spiritual, has been done on its own, almost entirely with segregation from Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. The divide between the two parts, the East and the West, cannot be easily identified, but this divide occurred mostly in the 11th and 12th centuries. There was hardly even any contact between the Christians of the East and the Christians of the West before this and because of the far greater distances of those, these two, however same religions, were kept apart in their cultural and historical upbringing by imaginary lines of directions. There are many different independent and self-governing churches that answer to the Easter n Orthodox Church. All these churches are always in contact with each other and are bind together by the canon law The Orthodox Churchs administration was directed over managing the people around the land, people, which were known as a community. There were many such communities all over the ancient Russian and Greek regions of the land and each city of the era had a community that served the Orthodox Church. The highest rank amongst the governors of these communities was the bishop, who was assisted in his duties by priests (or presbyters) and deacons. The idea of martyrdom was common to the people of the Orthodox Church as it attracted much persecution from the other forms of governments that were in operation in those times. The administrative ideas about holding a council were always very important to the Orthodox Church and they believed that the council was the only able body to administer the laws and rules of the Church unto the people of the area. These councils were setup so that any problem that could not be solved by one person alone was put to the vote and many able heads were put together to work out the will of God on the problematic issue. The first council was converged in Jerusalem and it was convened so that the Apostles could come to a decision upon a serious issue. Many different types of council were setup, local ones and the famous Apostolic Council. It was only in the fourth century, when an Emperor of Constantine embraced Christianity that the Christian Empire was founded. Another important aspect of religion that greatly affected the Roman Empire were the Seven Ecumenical Councils. The Seven Ecumenical Councils were the most important councils of the Orthodox Church. The first one was convened in Nicea in 325 A.D. By Constantine the great and the last one again in Nicea in 787 A.D. The main topics that the Councils addressed were mostly on the nature of Jesus advent on Earth. The first Council was very sure in its decision and it described the nature of Christ as being the same as of God Himself. The Father and Son image of God Jesus was discussed in the second Ecumenical Council held in Constantinople in 381 A.D and it decreed the Trinitarian ideology that there were three states of God: Father, Son and Spirit. The Macedonians were condemned as heretics in this second Council. The third Ecumenical Council was held in Ephesus in 431 A.D. Nestorians were deemed as heretics and Jesus was proclaimed to be both complete God and complete man in one person and thus Mary became theotokos, or God Bearer because she gave birth to both God and Man. The Third Council also declared that both the parts of the Creed were final and complete. The Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Councils were all on the debate of whether the Christ was God or man and all of them declared him as being both occurring in the same form. There were some ideas by the Monophysites and the Monoethlites that Jesus humanity dissolved in the presence of his divinity. So Jesus was only divine. There was vehement condemnation of this theory and all the Councils announced that Jesus is complete God and complete man. There was an intermediate council between the Sixth and Seventh one and it was called the Qinisext Council (Trullo) and was held in Constantinople 692 A.D. This council was held for the completion of the fifth and sixth one and it was held for purely administrative reasons from where the canons were ratified. The seventh Ecumenical Council was held in Nicea in 787 A.D and is also called The Sunday of Orthodoxy. The main debate of this council was what to do with all the images of God and Jesus. So, we find that just like any other political regime is affected by the way that the people orient themselves in it, so was the Roman Empire affected by the various cultural and social aspects of its citizens. And as it is with most of the states, we also find that religion had the biggest part to play in determining the political structure of the Roman Empire. This religious intervention had been instilled in the Roman culture and politics ever since the prehistoric times, where the ancient religions governed the way that the emperors would rule the empire. These religious undertones were also responsible in setting up the social structure of Rome, as it differentiated between the men of different classes. The elites in Rome enjoyed a privileged class where they were free to engage in artistic and intellectual ways of life. Some of the Romans, those who could afford to, would import slaves from distant land and would flaunt them as being more talented than the average Roman slave. This sophistication of the Roman citizens allowed for many other innovations in the social, and hence, the political system of Rome. It was required to make special laws for the foreigner and the slaves, and the elites also enjoyed some special rights. No slaves were allowed to enter the government, while it was the elites birth right to be a Senator. Thus, the more sophisticated the Romans became, so did their political structure. The reason for the public sphere being so much effective in influencing the political realm in the Roman Empire is because it was a very sophisticated empire. We tend to think of those times as being the ancient ages, yet the Romans were very ahead of their time and they were able to live a life that was essentially very different from those people who lived all over the rest of the world. The Romans had confidence, they had ability, and they had their pride, all of which made them into a culturally and socially strong nation. This strength of their nation was also reflected in their political sphere as their citizens were very closely tied up to the government (the senate was elected democratically from the common citizens). Thus the public sphere was greatly able to affect the political structure of Rome, as discussed above in this paper. Picture 1 Julius Caesar, perhaps the most famous Roman of them all Illustration 1 The Roman toga: dress sharp to be a politician Picture 2 The gladiators suit, a soldiers uniform Picture 3 Augustus, the first Roman Emperor Illustration 2 Michelangelos Ceiling of the Sistine Vault Map The Romans had conquered most of Europe by 120 A.D. Picture 4 Marcus Aurelius, the Stoic Picture 5 Constantine I, the Christian Roman Work Cited Aurelius, Marcus, Meditations Book II, Part 1, London: Modern Library, 2003 Ovid, Allen Mandelbaum, The Metamorphoses of Ovid, New York: Harvest Books, 1995 MacMullen, Ramsay, Romanization in the Time of Augustus, Yale University Press, 2000. Veynw, Paul, editor, A History of Private Life: I From Pagan Rome to Byzantium Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 1992 Wikipedia, Culture of Ancient Rome, Online, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_culture (Accessed November 28, 2005) Pictures and Maps Portrait Gallery, Online, http://www.roman-empire.net/republic/laterep-gallery-index.html (November 21, 2005) Reenactment Event at Corbridge, Online, http://www.cavazzi.com/roman-empire/diverse/reenactment-corbridge-2002.html (November 21, 2005) Rome: Map of the Empire, Online, http://intranet.dalton.org/groups/Rome/RMap.html (November 20, 2005) Wikipedia, Caesar Augustus, Online, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustus (November 21, 2005) Wikipedia, Constantine I, Online, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantine_I_%28emperor%29 (November 22, 2005) Wikipedia, Marcus Aurelius, Online, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aurelius (November 22, 2005) Wikipedia, Roman Culture, Online, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Toga1.png (November 21, 2005) Web Gallery of Art, Frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, Online, http://gallery.euroweb.hu/art/m/michelan/3sistina/1chapel.jpg (November 22, 2005)