Electronic Gadgets

Issues in Information Systems Volume 13, Issue 1, pp. 225-231, 2012 IS THE GROWING USE OF ELECTRONIC DEVICES BENEFICIAL TO ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE? RESULTS FROM ARCHIVAL DATA AND A SURVEY Taylor S. Drain, Washburn University, taylor. [email  protected] edu Lakeisha E. Grier, Washburn University, lakeisha. [email  protected] edu Wenying Sun, Washburn University, nan. [email  protected] edu ABSTRACT In this study, we investigate the relationship between academic performance and the use of computer technology.We test our hypothesis which proposes that the growing use of electronic deveices is academically beneficial to high school students' standardized test scores and GPA. Our method of data collection includes both a survey of high school students in the Midwest area and an analysis of national SAT scores in the years before computing and in years with computing. Analysis of SAT archival data shows a negative correlation between scores pre -computing and scores post-computing (with computing influences), meaning that as scores before computing were decreasing, scores with prevalent computer technology are increasing.Our survey data also displayed a positive correlation between time spent on electronic devices for school purpose and GPA. Keywords: Computer Technology, Academic Performance , SAT, GPA, Electronic Devices INTRODUCTION The availability and use of electronic devices continues to grow. Over 420 million smart phones were sold worldwide in 2011 [6]. Almost 400 million computers were sold during 2010 , and that figure is expected to increase to over 1 billion units which will incl ude computers and smart phones by 2014 [3]. With the development of Wi-Fi hotspots, it is now easier for people to stay connected with their portable devices.Since electronic devices continue to be adapted to be friendlier to the end users, we want to research how the increased use of computer based technologies both in the classroom and at home impacts the academic performan ce of students. The following research question is posed: â€Å"Is the increased use of computer based technology improving the academic performance of students? † In order for us to investigate this question, we have analyzed two sources of data. The first being SAT test scores over the last 30 years. The second source is from data we collected from a survey that we presented to high school students.This study is important because it shows that the increasing use of electronic technologies for schoolwork is improving students’ academic performance. Computer technology is everywhere in the society, and most of the high school students in the U. S. own or have access to computer technology on a daily basis. We hope to show appropriate use of these technologies will increase learning. The remainder of the paper is organized as follows. We provide a literature review on related research. We then discuss the data analysis and present the results. The last section provides discussions of the results along with the implications of this study.LITERATURE REVIEW Our literature review suggests there are contradictory conclusions from various studies regarding whether computer use improves academic performance. Some studies state that computer use improves academic performance. Others propose that academic performance has nothing to do with computer use. A few studies suggest that computer use is a distraction to school studies and negatively impacts academic performance. 225 Issues in Information Systems Volume 13, Issue 1, pp. 225-231, 2012 One study claims that there exists evidence that Internet-time is harming children’s academic performance.This study was done by economists at the University of Munich named Thomas Fuchs and Ludger Woessmann who surveyed students in 31 countries. They created a very thorough, detailed survey in order to eliminate other possible causes of the downward trend of academic performance . They state in their results th at the â€Å"sheer ubiquity of information technology is getting in the way of learning† [7]. Another study hoped to find correlation in Internet/ Gaming Use and its numerous effects on adolescents. They analyzed not just academic performance, but social skills, relationship s, sense of reality and violent behavior.Their conclusion regarding internet use and its impact on academic performance was â€Å" although playing specific computer games has immediate positive effects on specific spatial, iconic, and attentional skills used b y the game, we need more research to see if long term computer and Internet use (both game and nongame) can lead to long term improvements in cognitive skills and academic achievement† [8]. Another study investigated the relationship between academic achievement and computer use. The focus was students in the 10th grade. They did a survey of three high schools in Ohio.This study had the students keep a log of how much time they used the comp uter for several different categories of activities. The study did not focus on any testing scores. Everything was measured against the students GPA. It did not find computer use at home and GPA to have a significant relationship [5]. A final study analyzed the impact of owning a computer at home and not necessar ily using it to assist in the classroom. They concluded that â€Å"home computers are associated with a 6-8 percentage point higher probability of graduating from high school† [2].They also discussed that their statistics supported the idea that owning a perso nal computer or having access to one at home had a positive correlation with grades and a negative correlation with suspension. While many studies, experiments and discussions continue to dwell around this topic, we will specifically analyze the impact of computer technology on high school students’ standardized test scores and determine if we can further support the idea that computing benefits learning . RESEARCH METHODOLOGY We gathered data from two sources. One was external and compiled from publicly reported standardized test scores.The second was collected from a survey of high school students we conducted. Our first data source is compiled ACT and SAT scores from their respective institutions statistical data archives. [1,4] We have access to ACT scores from 1994 to 2011 and SAT scores from 19 78 – 2011. SAT scores were not separated by state until 1998. We choose one state from each of the following regions to represent the United States: Midwest (Kansas), New England (Massachusetts), Southwest (Texas), Pacific Coast (California), Southeast (Florida), Mid -Atlantic (New York).We chose Kansas to represent the Midwest, as we knew our survey data would be gathered from that state. As for selecting representative states for the other regions, we took into consideration that we wanted the most general, unbiased data. Therefore we selected states with the largest population s in hopes that those who took the standardized tests would be a more thorough and accurate sample of that state. Prior to 2005, the SAT did not contain a writing section to the standardized assessment. In order to make our data comparable, we only compared the verbal and math scores for all the years we analyzed .We took the mean of the SAT, per year, per region (state), to the mean of the GPA that is recorded that year. For the ACT, we compared the scores for each year, for each region, to the national mean of that year and observed the trends present. We determined ACT data to be unusable for our study due to the fact that the year s and breakdown of the scores was very limited. Our second source of data is the responses from a survey that were distributed to high school students in the Midwest area. We took several steps to conduct this survey. First, we designed the survey instrument.This included several rounds of determining more refined questions and formatting for the best presentation. Our survey questions were divided into two categories. One category was general demographic information including: gender, age, and 226 Issues in Information Systems Volume 13, Issue 1, pp. 225-231, 2012 grade level. After looking at common survey questions, we were able to word these basic demographic questions to be clear and concise. The other category included data that would directly relate to our theory: GPA, SAT score, ACT score, time spent on computer for entertainment, school, and other purposes.In order to eliminate potential human error problems or difficulty reading participants' answers, we provided answers with checkboxes for every question except for the computer usage question. Our survey questions were divided into two categories. One category was general demographic information including: gender, age, and grade level. After looking at common survey questions, we were able to word these basic demographic questions to be clear and concise. The other cat egory included data that would directly relate to our theory: GPA, SAT score, ACT score, time spent on computer for entertainment, school, and other purposes.In order to eliminate potential human error problems or difficulty reading participants' answ ers, we provided answers with checkboxes for every question except for the computer usage question. Next, in order to survey students, we had to have our research project approved by our university's Institutional Review Board. This process included an extensive application requiring a description of potential participants, reason for research, research plan, survey instrument, and how the participation of students would be used.Shortly after submission, our application was approved, allowing us to rea ch out to local schools and begin our surveying. Third, we conducted a trial run of the survey by asking seven high schools students to take the survey and report any suggestions for improvement or problems comprehending the questions. F ourth, we distributed copies of the surveys to high schools in the area. We contacted principals to get their permission and delivered them to the schools that were willing to participate.The following pieces of data were collected: hours spent using an electronic devices on school days and non schools (for educational, entertainment or other purposes), SAT score, ACT score, GPA, age, gender and opinion of the effect of technology on their personal learning on a 7 point Likert Scale. Before analyzing the survey data, we prepared the data for analysis. We converted non-numerical data into a comparable numerical format. We declared 1 as representing Male and 2 representing Female. We used 1 – 7 to represent strongly disagree to strongly agree on the Likert scale.We assigne d numbers to the ranges of ACT and SAT scores starting at 1 for the lowest range and ending at 13 for ACT and 14 for SAT. For GPA, we assigned numbers for the ranges, 1 for less than 2. 0, 2 for 2. 0 – 2. 49, 3 for 2. 5 – 2. 99, 4 for 3. 0 – 3. 49 and 5 for 3. 5 – 4. 0. We then used SPSS to determine correlation between both GPA and standardized test scores and computer usage and GPA. We analyzed our data using a T -test For Equality of the Means to compare each region to the significant region of the Midwest. We consider this region to be significant because it is where our survey data is collected.The analysis of our survey data and SAT and ACT collected data is discussed in the next section. 227 Issues in Information Systems Volume 13, Issue 1, pp. 225-231, 2012 Figure 1. Survey RESULTS Archival Data We used the years 1972 – 1987 to represent prior to popular computer use and the years 199 5 – 2010 to represent the emergence of computer technology and increased use of it for educational or other purposes. Using SPSS, we found significant negative relationships between these time periods with both Spearman’s and Pearson’s correla tion tests. The Spearman test between these two 15 year periods of scores was -. 59 and (p-value = 0. 01). The Pearson test between these time periods was -. 764 (p-value = 0. 01). We graphed the Combined Verbal and Math scores for both the pre-computing time period (1972 – 1987) and for the with-computing time period (1995 – 2010). Figure 1 below shows the National SAT score trend for a fifteen year period before computing was prevalent among high school st udents (1972 – 1987). The data illustrates a negative trend for this time period. Figure 2 below shows the National SAT score trend for the fifteen year period 228 Issues in Information Systems Volume 13, Issue 1, pp. 25-231, 2012 with computing among high school students (1995 – 2010). The data for this time period illustrates an initial upward trend for the first ten years. Figure 2. National SAT scores from 1972-1987 Figure 3. National SAT scores from 1995-2010 Survey Data 102 complete surveys were returned and the demographics of the respondents are shown in Table 1. The sample population had slightly more males (52%) than females (48%). The sample population had various ages including 12 years (1%), 14 years (14. 7%), 15 years (26. 5%), 16 years (20. 6%), 18 years (21. 6%), and 19 years (1%).We had students from four grades; 9th had 33 (32. 45), 10th had 29 (28. 4%), 11th had 10 (9. 8%), and 12th had 31 (30. 4%). Students spent an average of 5. 36 hours using computer technology on school days and 8. 45 hours on non -school days. 229 Issues in Information Systems Volume 13, Issue 1, pp. 225-231, 2012 Gender Female Male Grade 9th 10th 11th 12th Table 1. Demographics of the Respondents Age Avg Comp Use 49 (48%) 12 1 (1%) School Days 53 (52%) 14 15 (14. 7%) Std. Deviation 15 27 (26. 5%) 33 (32. 4%) 16 21 (20. 6%) Non-School Days 29 (28. 4%) 17 15 (14. 7%) Std. Deviation 10 (9. 8%) 8 22 (21. 6%) 31 (30. 4%) 19 1 (1%) 5. 36 hrs 3. 91 8. 45 hrs 4. 81 We analyzed our data with SPS S and ran tests against variables in order to note correlation among factors that were recorded in our survey data. Several significant relationships were evident in our survey data. All of the results listed below use Spearman’s correlation test between two variables. We had a . 223 positive correlation between reported GPA and Computer Use for School on School Days (p-value = . 05). There was a . 213 positive correlation between GPA and Computer Use for Other on School Days (p-value = . 05).No significant correlation was found between computer use for school on Non-School Days and GPA, due to the fact that the majority of our respondents reported that they did not spend any hours on schoolwork on Non-School Days. We found a . 663 positive correlation between GPA and ACT scores (p-value = . 01). We also found a positive correlation of . 224 between GPA and sex. Finally, we found a . 241 positive correlation between students that felt that computer use was beneficial to their personal academic performance and those that utilized technology for school purposes had a p-value of . 5. Table 2 summarizes these correlations and highlights the significant correlations. School Days Entertainment School Other Total Hours Non-School Days Entertainment School Other Total Hours GPA GPA -. 125 .223 .213 .107 -. 157 .099 .085 .003 1 Table 2. Correlations p-value ACT Score p-value .237 .084 .657 .034 -. 070 .714 .044 -. 055 .774 .304 .058 .761 .137 .352 .428 .977 -. 033 .027 -. 190 -. 129 .663 .863 .889 .314 .497 .000 Opinion .030 .241 -. 080 .068 p-value .778 .020 .447 .509 -. 055 .061 -. 050 .015 .010 .598 .561 .638 .887 .920CONCLUSION In this study, we aimed to answer the following research question, â€Å"Is the increased use of computer based technology improving the academic performance of students? † We analyzed standardized test scores, the SAT, in the years before prevalent computing (1972 – 1987) and in the years with prevalent and ever-increas ing computer use (1995 – 2010). We also surveyed local high school students asking for computer usage in hours, standardized test scores and GPA. The analysis of SAT scores reveals an evident negative correlation.This significant correlation illustrates that in the first time period, 1972 – 1987, SAT scores were decreasing, but that in the years with computing, 1995 – 2010, scores were increasing. It can be inferred, without regarding other external factors, that computing has benefite d student performance in standardized testing, specifically the SAT. A thorough comparative analysis of our survey data indicates several significant correlations. First, the positive relationship between the hours of computer use for school purposes and GPA demonstrates the idea that use of electronic devices for school urposes benefits academic performance. Second, those with high GPA's also had high standardized test scores, such that it can be inferred that appropriate use of electronic devices also benefits students 230 Issues in Information Systems Volume 13, Issue 1, pp. 225-231, 2012 in their standardized testing. Finally, students who had the opinion that use of electronic devices improved their personal academic performance utilized those tools, which are shown by the significant correlation between students who held this opinion and used electronic devices for schoolwork.These significant correlat ions imply, in our sample, that use of computing, or electronic devices for school work and the like, benefit students in both their GPAs and their standardized test scores. Our survey results and standardized test score analysis show an improvement in academic performance with increased computer usage. Specifically, our results show that students who spent more time using their electronic devices for school purposes did better in school than those who claimed they used their devices for other purposes.This result in our survey sample group illustrates o ur theory that â€Å"intelligent use† of electronic devices improves academic performance of students. LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH This study has a few limitations. First, in our analysis of standardized test scores, we decided against including the Writing section of the ACT as it made comparing scores between previous to 2005 and after 2005 inaccurate. This limited our ability to determine the improvement of devolvement of writing skills based upon increase in computer usage.Also, in our analysis of standardized test scores we did not include ACT scores in our results section because there was a very narrow amount of data available before prevalent computer use. Finally, we only surveyed students in local area high schools. In order to make a more accurate and generalized conclusion, we would need to have a further reaching and larger sur vey size. Further research must be conducted in order to determine if our results could be duplicated in another sample group and to rule out external factors. REFERENCES 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. . 231 ACT Incorporated. (2012). ACT national and state scores. Retrieved from http://www. act. org/newsroom/data/ Beltran, D. (2008). Home computers and educational outcomes: Evidence from the NLSY97 and CPS. Retrieved from Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Web site: http://www. federalreserve. gov/pubs/ifdp/2008/958/ifdp958. pdf Clark, N. (2011). Annual computer sale to pass 1 billion by 2014. Retrieved from The Independent Web site: http://www. independent. co. uk/news/business/news/annual -computer-sales-to-pass-1-billion-by-20142187923. tml Collegeboard. org Incorporated. (2012). Retrieved from http://professionals. collegeboard. com/data-reportsresearch/sat/archived Delgado-Hachey, Maria, et al. (2005). Adolescent computer use and academic achievement. Adolescence, 40(158), 307-318. Epstein, Z. (2011). IMS: Annual smartphone sales to reach 1 billion units by 2016; Apple, Samsung winners so far. Retrieved from BGR Web site: http://www. bgr. com/2011/07/27/ims-annual-smartphone-sales-to-reach-1billion-units-by-2016-apple-samsung-winners-so-far/ Ferguson, S. (2005). How computers

Differences in Socioeconomic Status

Three social factors that most impact the scenario are social stratification, socioeconomic status, and class differences. Social stratification ranks individuals and families on the basis of their income, education, occupation, wealth, and power in society. This social stratification can be seem in the eighth grade boys that showed up at the Valentine’s Day dance with the rented tuxes that their parents had agreed to and paid for. These parents are mentioned to be among the more affluent in the community. Socioeconomic status is determined by a family’s income and wealth. This is demonstrated in the students that did not have the money to rent the tuxedos and the rumored limo. These students being from a different socioeconomic background and could not afford the expensive attire. Class differences are demonstrated because of some students wanting to boycott the dance because they were told only the nerds and the geeks would show up in anything less of a tux or formal dress. Their parents do not have extra money to spend on such elaborate things. The other students express behaviors and dress standards far from what the school has seen before. A variable solution to the Differences in Socioeconomic Status scenario would be for the school administration to intervene the situation. They could decide to make it mandatory that only a certain type of dress will be considered acceptable for the Valentine’s Day dance. They could change it to where all students would be able to afford the required attire. This way all students would feel equal. Also the kids that wanted to rent the limo would probably change their mind because of it not being such a formal event. It would seem sort of silly to rent a limo for a casual Valentine’s Day dance. This issue of what attire should be addressed in a school assembly to let all students know of the dress code for the dance. This way it will not be such an issue in the years to come afterwards. Students will already know what to expect and be prepared for it.

Leading Teams

Part I: Explain how you perceive your leadership style within the context of (a) the team you were assigned to during the course and (b) any another team you were a member of. The term leadership has been defined in many ways according to Howard Gardner (1995). President Harry Truman, an infamous leader could lead people to do what they do not want to do yet like it (Gardner, 1995; cited in Parker &ump; Begnaud, 2004).Eileen Ford from a well-established modeling agency defines leadership as the â€Å"ability to convince people to do what you want them to do as if they have thought of it themselvesâ€Å"(Karns &ump; Bean, cited in Parker &ump; Begnaud, 2004). Leadership guru Warren Bennis describes leadership as â€Å"those who make a contribution makes a difference in the organization, thus giving meaning to his or her work† (Czarnecki, 2010). In our times of innovation and change, my personal leadership have style involves a great deal of flexibility.At work, as the princip al of the Child Learning Center in the Saudi National Guard Health Affairs, I have strived to create an environment that is warm and inviting as well as nurturing. In my team during this course, I tried to look for what is best in each team member. One of my favorite quotes is by Albert Einstein states that â€Å"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. † I believe that you have to respect not only people’s needs, but also their pain and their vulnerability.From my work experience I have found that a lot of battles are about very personal things. I try my best to be attuned to the unspoken needs that people play out in the workplace and teams. People are people in whatever setting — they bring their luggage of stuff, we all do — and the dynamics in the workplace are a function of the interaction of what we all have in our suitcases. I can’t change that. Y ou can acknowledge it. You can give it space. You can give it air and light.In the end, it can’t rule the day, either, because in the workplace there are higher things and rules that are going to guide what we need to do here. It’s helpful to know that, and be aware of it as a leader, and it’s even better if your team is aware of it and feels that you’re not trying to change who they are. I believe that a team leader impact the team’s mood by modeling a positive state. Attitudes are contagious. When you smile, you make others happy. When you concentrate on being the positive factor in your team's day, their productivity goes up.When you seek out good things to say about others, you will find more good things about them. This is not coincidental. This is the power of being positive. My attitude has the power to not only lift me up or pull me down, but affect my team in the same way. I try to look for the positives in situations. And remember, as the saying goes, that I need â€Å"to accept the things I cannot change, and the courage to change the things I can†. I simply need the wisdom to know the difference between the two.I try hard to focus on only the things I can directly influence. Work at making a positive difference on those things. In Goleman, Daniel â€Å"Leading Resonant Teams† interview he mentioned that â€Å"The emotional system of the brain — unlike any other biological system in the body — is designed to be regulated not just internally but externally, in our relationships with other people. The circulatory system is a closed loop. But emotions are an open loop system. In other words, our brain is designed so that other people can help us manage our emotions better. Therefore, as a leader I must establish a set of ground rules for the way we work together, both by example in my own behavior and by commenting on the behavior of others and helping people do better. In other words, as a leader I need to help the team become more self-aware. Self-awareness is a prerequisite for the team’s ability to manage its own emotions, and deal with issues rather than burying them. Another component that is an important part of my leadership style is the ability to understand change. In my observation, change is a given.We are in a fast changing environment so therefore to manage it more effectively, as a leader. I must first accept it. An effective leader must be able to know what to do at all time. I must always have a plan but also be willing to change it. I realize that there will be bumps in the road that I do not expect and I must be willing to make changes to combat those changes. I believe that each of us can access our inner resources to become a more effective leader in our own field. But first we must be willing to take initiative and stand for something we believe in passionately.We must be ready to take the heat. Many of us avoid the responsibility of lead ership primarily because we are too sensitive to criticism. But when we know who we truly are and we live from an inner core of values, criticism can be filtered to take in only what is true and helpful to our growth. Part II Explain how you studied during this course and how you performed during this course in? class. Provide details of how you approached the course material, including all activities you did in relation to learning the concepts of teams.During this course I made sure that I finish reading all the required materials, I found the website (leader to leader) to be very helpful, especially the interview with Goleman, Daniel. I skimmed through the reading first and looked at the section headings so that I know the types of information that I'm going to be looking at because I know that the brain can only learn between 5 and 9 new concepts in a session. So I give myself several days to repeatedly rehearse and go over the material. I have read once that it takes about 24 h ours for the brain to process information to make it permanent, the more rehearsal, the more permanent it'll be.What I learned was that, some things are best done by a group than by an individual. I found that sometimes its ok delegate to other members tasks which are not my forte and concentrate on the one's I am good at. Being in a group made me experience different roles, if my idea was the one that the group agrees on, I got to be the leader, sometimes I get to follow other member’s plan. Being a Team leader does not mean managing the team, but help the team solve problems in order to be more effective.Rather than optimal leadership style, I leaned that different types of leaders are useful in different situations, and leaders are more important in some situation than others. But as much as possible, I learned how to be a good listener and patient when other members talk. We found it to be very helpful to set deadlines to get things done. Conflict is better handled when y ou talk it out with the people involved and let them understand how their roles impact the project and how this conflict affects the team’s goal. Finally I think that good communication it’s the key to successfully finish any project.

Sexual Harassment (Violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of Case Study

Sexual Harassment (Violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964) in Burger King - Case Study Example the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that Carrols employees subjected women in dozens of restaurants to unwanted touching, obscene comments, strip searches, exposure of genitalia, and rape. As will be illustrated in the paper, sexual harassment results from unwelcomed conduct that is of sexual behavior. This paper also relates this case to the ideas and issues of human resource management as we have learnt in class. It commences with an introduction of what happened, then relation to human resources and my personal assessment, and finally my recommendation to the individuals and organizations involved in the case. Burger King Restaurants, the largest franchisee is paying $2.5 million in order to settle federal claims of sexual harassment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says the agreement with Carrols Corp. covers 89 female employees around the country. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged that Carrols employees subjected women in dozens of restaurants to unwanted touching, obscene comments, strip searches, exposure of genitalia, and rape. However, the Burger King Restaurants Company did not admit any wrongdoing and said in a statement that it settled the case to avoid litigation costs. This particular settlement required Burger King Restaurants to improve its ability to respond to harassment charges. Syracuse, N.Y.-based Carrols owns and operates more than 570 Burger King Restaurants in 13 states. Carrols was accused of sexual harassment and a widespread violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Burger Kings largest franchisee--Carrols Restaurant Group Inc. a greed to a $2.5 million settlement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on Tuesday, this marked the end of a 14-year sexual harassment case in which Carrols was accused of widespread violation of Title VII of The Civil Rights Act. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the money will go to 88 former employees and one current

Creation vs Evolution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Creation vs Evolution - Research Paper Example Ultimately, even those in State of Kansas which has decided to teach both, all of society will accept that there is no debate but it will likely be a long time in coming because society itself evolves very slowly. The teaching of creation in public schools simply fulfills the purpose of protecting specific underling religious beliefs. If creation is to be taught, it is solely the responsibility of parents and the church because teaching the religious theories of creation in schools not only violates constitutional precepts. This issue invokes intense passions from those driven by their religious faith and those who would stand up for the Constitution and those that gave the lives of their loved ones to protect it. The First Amendment begins with â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"The Constitution†) The idea of creation is undeniably religious doctrine. The government, therefore, cannot promote it in classrooms as science without infringing on the First Amendment. The Supreme Court has held that instructors may not teach that humans were created by God and must present only scientific e xplanations for the history of life. Creationism can not be presented as scientific fact. In addition, it is also unconstitutional to compel teachers to teach creationism and schools may not refuse to teach evolution in an effort to avoid offending religious individuals. The idea of disclaimers placed in school books such as ‘the teaching of evolution is not intended to influence or dissuade the Biblical version of Creation or any other concept’ has been lawfully established to be unconstitutional (â€Å"Freiler†, 2000). An instructor also has the constructional right to teach evolution (â€Å"Epperson v. Arkansas†, 1968). Religious theories of creation may be incorporated into school

POL2000 AMERICAN GOVERNMENT WK 3 ASSIGNMENT Coursework

POL2000 AMERICAN GOVERNMENT WK 3 ASSIGNMENT - Coursework Example Liberals advocate equivalent access to medical care, housing, as well as education for every resident. In short, noninterventionists seek to expand opportunities to everybody, in spite of how underprivileged they might be. If needed, they support raising duty to attain these goals. Within the recent medical care reform discussion, liberals supported a public alternative insurance plan offering something similar to Medicare for each citizen. Belief in clandestine property civil liberties and free venture are cardinal features of modern-day conservatism. Conservatives desire to enhance entity liberty by maintaining government small, particularly the national administration, although they prop up a strong countrywide defense. They retain that people require strong headship, firm regulations, and strict ethical regulations. Conservatives are categorically pro-business. They support levy cuts and defend against all but the least antitrust, trade, as well as environmental laws on corporati ons. A number of Conservatives concentrate less on finances and more on ethics and standard of living. Conservatives for years have emphasized dissimilarities with liberals on societal and ethical matters. The thought that the USA ought to be a continental country getting to the Pacific Ocean from the Atlantic was known as marked destiny. What is more, plentiful and available land assisted in the fostering of the point of view that the USA had an evident destiny to turn into a continental state that reaches the Pacific deep-sea from the Atlantic. Early settlers utilized this idea to rationalize taking property from indigenous Americans, Canadians, as well as Mexicans, in particular the huge land acquired subsequent to victory within the Mexican-American Warfare (Magleby, Light, & Nemachek, 2010). The gender, race, as well as age roles, have an effect on participation within ballot casting. Concerning gender, women have characteristically divided their ballot between the two major pa rties. Nevertheless, in current elections, women have been more probable compared to men to cast their votes for egalitarian presidential aspirants. Al Gore’s voting share amongst women was 12 percent more elevated than amongst men. In the year 2004, women favored Kerry to Bush by 51 percent to 48 percent. The sexual category break was even more extensive in 2008, where 56 percent of women voted for Obama and 43 percent for McCain. Men additionally gave Obama extra votes compared to McCain, with 49 percent of men casting their ballot for Obama and 48 percent for McCain. Native Americans, who are the original residents of what turned out to be the USA, have played a significant function in its account and persist to be imperative to states politics, for instance, Oklahoma, South Dakota, as well as New Mexico. One-third of indigenous Americans, along with Alaskan inhabitants have incomes lower than the level of national poverty. African Americans, along with Hispanics, have har dly any resources to utilize in tough times and are not as much apt to have the funds to help a youngster pay for university. The African American populace is greatly younger compared to the white inhabitants. After World WarII, African drew closer to observe the Democrat like the civil liberties party. African Ameri

Nosocomial Infections and Intervention Strategies Assignment

Nosocomial Infections and Intervention Strategies - Assignment Example This research will begin with the statement that Good Health Hospital has proved to be among the best hospitals in the region since its inception. The medical professionals and all members of staff are always committed to ensuring delivery of quality services to patients. The hospital has had a good reputation for excellent staff, good patient relations, and top quality services. In the recent past, several cases of E. coli have been reported at Good Health Hospital. E. coli exists in a variety of types but most varieties a less harmful to human health. Research by medical professionals has shown that E. coli bacteria live in the intestines, for both people and animals. Symptoms of E. coli infection include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting. E. coli emanates from taking contaminated food and water. E. coli may lead to death or permanent health problems if appropriate measures are taken on time. Nosocomial diseases can be termed as an infection that a person gets while attending to in a health institution. The goal of this task is to explore the nosocomial infections, intervention strategies, and recommendations on how to control and manage the various types of nosocomial infections. Records of Good Health Hospital show that a number of nosocomial diseases have been reported. Among the commonest nosocomial infections at Good Health Hospital includes surgical site infection, pneumonia infection, and unitary tract infection among others. It is crustal for medical professionals and other people involved in providing health care to understand the different types of nosocomial infections and how to prevent them. The period between 2009 and 2011 recorded about 10,000 cases of skin and soft-tissue infection. The people surveyed were African Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans. The patients included both males and females of the age between 5-18 years, 50-65 years and those above the age of 65 years.

Discuss the various reactions that the Choragos and Chorus undergo Essay

Discuss the various reactions that the Choragos and Chorus undergo throughout the play at various key points in Oedipus Rex - Essay Example Character development through the first part of the play allows the writer to introduce desired qualities and attributed related to the role played by that character later. In this case, it makes it easier to develop and maintain a given theme within the major sections of the tragedy. Oedipus Rex Play comprise of categorized characters each assuming an inherent role in depicting an actual ancient Greek society. In this context, one character in the play is Chorus, also commonly referred to as Choragus in plural. Within the play, Chorus refers to a group of elders representing the voice of society in general. In the event of response and reactions, Chorus addresses the theatre as an individual. However, the voice of that individual incorporates responses of all the other elders making up that team. Chorus acts as the judge or a third party reflecting on developments taking place within the play (Ley 12). The group questions the moral and philosophical inclination of other characters i n the play. In addition, the group advice kings and other leaders in authority during decision making process. Chorus possesses theatrical freedom since their role as a group can operate both within and outside the plot’s boundaries. ... As stated earlier, Sophocles develops distinct character traits at the beginning of the play. The tragedy adopts and maintains these developed characters in creating defined and sustainable themes throughout the plot development. With respect to Chorus, the group reacts to plot subjects in an almost consistent manner. As representatives of the larger society, Chorus inclines their objective responses to desires of peace and stability within the subject society. Chorus vehemently disapproves actions of Antigone’s brother in their struggle for leadership positions. Within the first section of the play, Chorus reactions support Antigone’s actions and decisions. Creon, who was the King as this part of the play, gave a decree preventing any member of the kingdom from staging a burial ceremony for Polynices. According to the king, Polynices proved their disloyalty and betrayed the empire; hence does not deserve respect even at burial (Sophocles 201). At this section, Chorus r eacts to Creon’s decree by insinuating that the new king plans to abuse power. The group of elders emphasize on the importance of respecting the law of the land and those of gods by leaders. At the beginning, Chorus praises Creon and the Greek people at large on the manner in which man can achieve desired goals through concerted efforts. The group illustrates man’s ability by describing the manner in which Greek men tamed horses, snared birds and cross vast seas during winter (Sophocles 36). However, the tone of their ode changes towards the end of this first part. Chorus reacts by insinuating that man can misuse power in a manner likely to compromise law of gods and that of the

PP3003 Research Question Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

PP3003 Research Question Paper - Essay Example Milward suggests that the founding fathers of the EU actually intended their states to maintain sovereignty in the system and that only by binding the economies of the states to some extent together could their independence in a rapidly changing world be maintained. As Milward wrote in his The European Rescue of the Nation-State, "The reinvigorated nation-state had to choose the surrender of a degree of national sovereignty to sustain its reassertion . . .† (Milward 1992) The post-war system was such that European states would have had a harder time existing if they did not rely on one another. Without the EU they would not have as much independence as they have today. This is an interesting argument but is not a convincing one. It is one that makes more sense in the 1990s than it does in the aftermath of the recent expansion and economic crisis. The truth is that by overreaching, the EU has come to damage the independence of the nation state. Countries such as Greece and Irela nd have given up a great deal of sovereignty in recent months (Brown 2011). The EU bureaucracy and power have grown dramatically and eclipsed weaker countries. The EU has become, in some senses, a monster that has a life of its own. Nation states are vanishing within its bailout mechanism and refusal to allow individual devaluation. Milward's argument may have made more sense when he first made it but time has not been kind to it. Bomberg, E. (2003): The European Union: How Does It Work? (The New European Union Series). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Brown, JM (Jan. 2011): "How the Celtic Tiger Lost its Roar", Prospect. Milward, A (1992): The European Rescue of the Nation-State. New York: Routeledge. 2) What impact did the ECJ’s rulings in the Van Gend en Loos and Costa cases have on the development of the EU legal order? The rulings led to the establishment of the fact that the treaty creating the EC also created a new legal order, effectively creating a supra-national bod y of law. The Van Gend en Loos case related to tariffs between companies (Barnard 2007). One country wanted to raise a tariff on a chemical but this was found to breach EC law, as the purpose of the treaty was to reduce tariffs between countries. For the first time, it was determined that countries were required to obey rules higher than those created in their own legislatures. The countries of the EC were binding themselves together with new laws that in many senses encroached upon their independence and sovereignty. This case created the doctrine of direct effect, which was perhaps not foreseeable some of the new signatories to the EC treaty, whereby provisions in the treaty could have direct legal effect and overpower their own domestic law. Costa is a case that confirmed this idea. EC/EU law is paramount where a conflict occurs between the two laws. This has since been somewhat weakened by many national courts which suggest that this type of paramountcy only really occurs when t he EU law is in sync with the national constitution of the affected country. Not every EU law will therefore be paramount over every national law. There is some room to manoeuvre (Kent 2001). We can see from this important rulings by the ECJ the beginning of the legal order of the EU superstate. There were many unforeseen consequences to the signing of the first treaty and the beginning of ever closer union. Many legal

Automobile Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Automobile - Essay Example conditioning with climate control, audio anti-theft protection, smart card or smart key manual with central locking, and BMW’s customized RDS audio system among others. Car color comes in alpine white, imola red, jet black, and so on. On Chrysler’s front, the M3 may be matched with the Sebring and 300C. However, Chrysler’s Sebring may prove to be an inferior counterpart as it only comes with a 2.4-liter in-line 4-front engine that may produce only 150 horsepower at 5,500 rpm. Nevertheless, the Sebring model is rendered more economical with a fuel consumption of about 30 mpg for highway cruising and 22 mpg for city driving. The 2006 Chrysler Sebring has interior standard features comprising of cruise control, driver and passenger front airbag sensors and ventilation system. Similarly, the Chrysler 300C model may falter in comparison to BMW’s M3 in terms of engine power. This sedan has a 2.7-liter V6 front engine that can generate 190 horsepower at 6,400 rpm. With the lower engine power, this model also has lower fuel usage at 28 mpg and 21 mpg for highway and city driving, respectively. This sedan is built-in with audio anti-theft protection, cruise control, illuminated entry system and ventilation system with recirculation setting, among others. For the artistically inclined, both the Sebring and 300C come in a variety of colors in clearcoat and pearlcoat such as bright silver metallic, brilliant black crystal, inferno red, satin jade, linen gold and stone white. Price conscious car buyers may opt for these Chrysler models, which are marketed at a relatively lower price. The Sebring 2006 series is currently valued at $20,000 to $28,000 depending on the specifications. The 300C ranges from $23,000 to $39,900 for the latest series. On the other hand, the BMW M3 has a relatively higher price tag of $56,600 for the 2006 base two-door convertible L6, and $48,900 for the latest coupe L6 model. Among the M series, BMW’s top-of-the-line model is

Tax Policies Essay Example for Free

Tax Policies Essay Taxes are financial charges or levies impose by a government on companies or individuals as a source of government revenue. Government needs revenues to cover their expenditure, which include enforcement of law and order, security, public works and infrastructures. The government also finances education and health care systems. Taxes are levied to transfer wealth from the richer people in society to the poor. They are also effective in addressing externalities. Generally taxes are used for distribution and allocation purposes. Taxes are beneficial for the economy. (Phillipe H and Norberg K, 1994)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Taxes designed to discourage harmful activities to the environment benefits the community as a whole. For instance taxes on harmful gas emissions act as incentives to reduce pollution, which can be disastrous to the health of individuals. Carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are responsible for global warming which has adverse effects to the whole world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tax policies can have short term or long-term effects to the economy. Taxes can reduce people’s incentives to work, save or invest. Taxes could be consumption taxes, income taxes and taxes on international borrowing. Other types of taxes include corporation taxes, estate and social security taxes. (Gupta A, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The wealthy people in society are subject to inheritance taxes and estate or gift taxes. Personal income taxes apply to taxes imposed on individuals or families while corporate taxes apply to corporate earnings. Proportional taxes ensure equitable distribution of resources in the economy. Taxes benefit the community through the services the government is able to provide from revenues earned through taxes. (Gupta A, 2002). The community attains health and education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Increasing tax rates acts as a disincentive for laborers. On the other hand, if tax rates are lower, people will be motivated to work and their productivity levels will be higher. Taxes can encourage or discourage production of certain goods. (Gupta A, 2002). To encourage the production or consumption the government imposes higher taxes on the goods in question. On the contrary taxes are deducted to promote the production and consumption of preferred goods. Therefore taxes affect the production of goods and services and therefore influence people’s consumption patterns.    An increased income tax reduces people’s disposable incomes making them ‘poorer’ as their purchasing power is reduced. Taxes on producers of goods and services translate to higher prices for them as the said producers transfer the costs to their consumers. People tend to avoid goods that are costly. (Phillipe H and Norberg K, 1994) Again, they can substitute the expensive or costly goods thus promoting the reduced disposable substitutes. This is referred to as the substitution effect of taxes. With reduced disposable incomes individuals are forced to operate on constrained budgets and their consumption trends will be affected. This is the income effect of taxes. (Gupta A, 2002).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Taxes regulate or restrict certain types of business practices, products or services. Income, sales and property taxes are revenue taxes while excise and import duties are regulatory taxes. Taxation is a very important source of government revenue. Other sources of government revenue include borrowing and charging for services. Payroll taxes benefits the community as they are used to finance social insurance programs like social security. The elderly unemployed and the disabled benefit from these taxes. Consumption taxes are levied on sales of goods and services. Taxes imposed on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages are excise taxes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Taxes affect people’s saving power or ability. When taxes are levied on interests or dividends they reduce the benefits that would have been felt if saving was done. Taxes can therefore influence a people’s saving ability. Taxes can influence the physical investment for businesses when tax rates put in place are higher in certain places than in others. Businesses will locate their premises where tax rates are lower so as to increase their profitability levels. Taxes are added costs for the business. Reduction of people’s purchasing power reduces their ability to obtain necessities, comforts and luxuries. (Gupta A, 2002). If the tax burden falls on the poor they are likely to feel a strong impact. Their standards of living will be lowered and thus their efficiency and ability to work will be reduced.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The rich in society may not feel the impact as taxation. Taxation for them mostly affects luxurious goods, which don’t influence their efficiency or ability to work. Tax policies affect people’s ability to save. Incomes determine the amount of savings. Reducing people’s incomes automatically reduces their saving power. The richer people have higher marginal propensity to save, as their incomes are higher than their expenditures. Taxes on the poor greatly reduce their ability to save. Ability to save affects investment and capital formation in the economy. Effects of income on distribution affect income generation as well as income distribution. The tax rates and the type of tax influence the effects to be felt. Governments must incorporate effective taxation policies that promote equity and growth in the economy. References: Alka Gupta. 2002. Public Finance and Tax Planning. Anmol Publications PVT. Hoffman Phillipe and Kathryn Norberg. 1994. Fiscal Crises, Liberty, and Representative Government, 1450-1789, p. 238.

My Best Friend Essay Example for Free

My Best Friend Essay Everyone has a friend with whom you feel like sharing every moment of your life. I am lucky that I found one .We have known each other since I was in grade 7. To me, he is really special boy. Not only does he has a good appearance, he also has a good personality. He is smart and handsome. However, the thing that makes everybody like him the most is his personality .He is always very positive, cheerful and modest. Hes one of the best student in my class. Hes good at every subject, but she never showed pride in his abilities and always tried to learn harder. Besides, hes always ready to help her friends in their study. Thats why many people in my class cherished him. Furthermore, he is very warm-hearted and friendly .Though he is bit different from every guy I have met so far, he fails to express himself most of the times , apart from this he is very caring, kind, and makes friends selflessly. Moreover, to me, he is a great friend who always knows how to take care and share. Whenever Im sad or cheerful, happy or in sorrow, hes always next to me to share with me. Sometimes, I get into trouble, which makes me tired , worried and discouraged, he is always willing to come beside me, help me calm down, give me helpful advice so that I can come over. Not only that, he is very reliable, I can share my secrets with him without a bit worries. He is really a person who always listens to me, understands me every time and every where, though he has different attitude to tackle things. Thats why he became my close friend. I always feel proud because of having a great friend likes him on my side.

Legislation to Safeguard Child Rights in the UK

Legislation to Safeguard Child Rights in the UK Steven Howells CYP Core 3:3 1.1 Because the well – being of all children and young adults is so important, organizations in the United Kingdom and around the world have created policies and legislation’s to ensure a structure of security. This structure ensures that everyone in an educational environment is safeguarded. Some of the main policies include: The Children’s Act 1989 – This policy was designed to make all the laws that relating to children and young adults less complicated. It also brings many organizations and authorities together to ensure that children receive the assistance they require. The Children’s Act 2004 – This Act is an update that was put into place after the death of Victoria Climbie. The information was reviewed by multiple services and yet they failed to work together which resulted in this child’s suffering, and eventually her death. Rules and regulations were put into place to allow services to share the information accordingly to ensure that anyone under the age of 19 years old who may be at risk could be helped and not overlooked. Children and Young Persons Act 2008 – This Act changes the structure of the care system. It pushes services to provide the best care as quickly as possible to children and young people. It also enables children and young adults to be capable of achieving the same as a child who is not in care. Sexual Offences Act 2003 – This policy covers a large scale of offences, but is designed to cover against, sexual offences or rape in the United Kingdom or in some circumstances abroad. Adoption and Children Act 2002 – This act was put into place to ensure that children were going to homes that hold the best intentions for them. It also gives a more reasonable approach to single people and unmarried couples who would like to adopt and provides more assessments to ensure the child is going to the best home for them, but to also ensure that a family is adopting a child best suited to their current environment (i.e. if a family already has children, they will not be put at risk by putting a child with history of severe mental illness in the same home). United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1989 – â€Å"Protecting children from violence, exploitation and abuse is an integral component of protecting their rights to survival, growth and development† UNICEF, (2011) The Education Act 2002 – The policy was designed to create a structure for anyone in educational services to help with safeguarding. The helps protecting children and young people by ensuring a safe place to study. It also helps protect children and young people by identifying anyone who could be / already at risk in a school environment or at home. Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 – The act covers many areas of protecting victims of crimes. It also covers new rules and regulations to give bailiffs the power to use forcible entry to property if a child or vulnerable person is at risk of death. Vetting and barring scheme – After the conviction of Ian Huntley in 2003, further examination into Huntley’s past showed that he had been had been investigated and charged for other offences. But because of the structure of the original checks, he passed and was allowed to work in a school environment. Afterwards, the structure of the checking system was changed in order to ensure this would never happen again. The new checking system now covers every offence, investigation and charges to ensure that individuals with any form of criminal record and/ or any possibility of committing an offence can no longer work in an environment where there is a risk to children, young adults or adults who are vulnerable. 1.2 Child protection is only one piece of a larger concept of safeguarding. The health and safety of children and young people is paramount. It protects those who are young and vulnerable nearly every form of mistreatment like being neglected raped or abused mentally or physically. It helps to prevent those who could later suffer results of impairment of any form from the hands of mistreatment. Risk assessments to ensure a safe home and place of study are part of this. Making sure that schools are governed correctly and a structure of policies, rules and regulations are put in place and kept up to date. Ensuring any safeguard issues are dealt with properly, ensuring all staff are up to date with all aspects of training and also promoting the best development for all its students.The development of the children can include tests like the CAF to ensure that children receive any additional learning required, or other tests that ensure health and well – being of its students. 1.3 Every School and local authority has their own policies concerning child protection. All of them put the same ideals into action which are: â€Å" Be healthy Stay safe Enjoy and achieve Make a positive contribution Achieve economic well-being. â€Å" In order to make the community aware of child protection issues, campaigns and other similar methods are used. All communities have to be monitored to ensure that all targets and policies are met, also to ensure that all issues are being dealt with appropriately. It keeps a healthy communication with local services to ensure the best methods are used to benefit students. Also to report any signs of cruelty, neglect or abuse. This creates a better success rate of child development. If everybody knows what methods work best for a single / group of student(s), there I more chance for students to progress rather than regress in development. External health and safety management teams are put into place as another form of monitoring. This time they monitor the buildings and the possibilities of risks. Also health services visit to make children aware of what is healthy and unhealthy. To summarise, every student is protected by a large structure formed from all the acts that are implemented by the government. They all follow these acts to achieve this structure. When this structure is followed correctly there is less chance for a student to be at risk of many outcomes ( i.e. risk of harm, risk of being neglected or risk of failing to progress in development). 1.4 If a child is being neglected, abused or worst case scenario has died as a result of either, the child welfare officer should be notified in order in order to find out what happened to prevent this from happening again. They will access every aspect in order to achieve the most accurate of reports. When the report is finished, it will be reviewed and from this the government will decide what went wrong, why it went wrong, how they will improve their service in order to make it better. This in my opinion is the wrong approach to take because to me it seems like the government want to wait for it to happen and then study why it happened. I believe there is many forms of serious child abuse that are not considered as neglect or abuse due to the current status of the country. The government believe that just because a child lives in a home with a water supply, fridge – freezer and oven they have what they need. But this does not include food or clothing which should be included wh en raising a child. 1.5 All personnel must keep confidentiality in accordance of the Data Protection act 1998 (See TDA Section 4). This keeps all information private and helps to safeguard everyone who attends or work’s at the school. In order to keep full confidentiality, all staff are only permitted to discuss personal details, circumstances, or school work connected to their own child(ren). A parent will be able to discuss their children’s work and grades but will not have access to them. The only information that is shared is when a child has reached the age to attend secondary school. The secondary school will require information that is relevant in order to help the student maintain progression through this phase.

Julius Caesar Essay -- Roman History

Ever wondered what it takes to be a good king or ruler? Julius Caesar is one of the most famous rulers of all time. He was one of Rome’s greatest and most powerful leaders. His changes to the empire helped take Rome to new levels of success. The life of Caesar was short, yet great. It is important to learn about this great man and his many accomplishments. Gaius Julius Caesar was born on July 13th, 100 B.C. to a poor, Patrician family in Rome (â€Å"Julius Caesar†; Gruen 12). For most of his young life, Caesar lived in an apartment type house in one of the poorest districts in Rome. He was a strong student and studied such subjects as oratory, philosophy, and even martial arts. Coming from a family that is believed to have a long ancestry of Roman royalty, Caesar quickly found success in Rome at a young age. Caesar married Cornelia, his first wife, at age 17 (â€Å"Julius Caesar†; Gruen 12). The first of many political offices that Caesar would hold in Rome was the office or praetor. Elected in his first time to run, Caesar was elected to this position in 62 B.C. He also was elected this way when elected consul in 59 B.C. Even with other Roman senators trying to keep him out of office, Caesar continued to hold power and make alliances with other political leaders such as Pompey and Crassus (â€Å"Julius Caesar;† Gruen 13). Pompey himself helped Caesar in becoming consul because Caesar gave land for the poor and Pompey’s troops (Combee 95). After success and alliances with other countries’ leaders, Caesar went to Gaul in an attempt to conquer more land and further stretch his power. Conquering many lands in Gaul, Caesar took nine years to finish his campaigns. By treating the Gauls fairly, Caesar became very well-li... ...ese are just a few accomplishments made by such a successful man. In conclusion, Julius Caesar lived a very successful life. Many years after his death, Caesar’s accomplishments are still credited even today. While many people consider Caesar to be a poor leader, we can still learn from his many successes and use them to better our lives today. In his years of ruling Rome, Caesar made many changes to the empire that led it to even more success. When will the next leader with power such as Caesar’s emerge? The world can only wait and see. Works Cited Combe, Jerry H. History of the World in Christian Perspective. Pensacola, FL: A Beka Book, 1995. Print. Gruen, Erich S. â€Å"Caesar, Julius.† World Book Encyclopedia. 2009 ed. Print. â€Å"Julius Caesar: First Man of Rome.† 4 Jan. 2010. Web. March 2010 .

Economic Condition :: Economics

Economic Condition Economy from anywhere it could be from the United States or even from the UK it self. Can have a huge impact on the firm. The main economical influences on a firm are:- 1) Inflation 2) Exchange rates 3) Unemployment 4) Interest rates 1) inflation In some things the price of them could go up. It's because prices in things when time past generally goes up. For example a time piece costing  £1000 today mite go up to  £1050 in about a years time, But that is if they area no scratches and it's in a perfect condition. 2)Exchange Rates Exchange Rates is the rate of exchange between currencies in different countries for example.  £1 is worth about $10 in Hong Kong. 3)Unemployment Unemployment is a amount of people who are unemployed but are willing to work and that are actually looking for work or that they can work but they can't find any. But it could be lots more reasons too. 4)Interest rate Interest rate is the way that bank makes money. What they do is when people needs money to buy a house or a car they will need money so they get loan from a bank. The bank will lend them money but they want a repayment in a certain amount of time and they also want another amount of money which is called interest. So for example if a person borrows  £1000 to buy a car they mite have to pay back  £1100 back to the bank. So that is 10% on the interest rate. But people can also befit from interest rates too. Because if some one or company puts their saving in a bank they will get interest from it. If they keep the money in a certain amount of time. Could be something like half a year to a year. And the more you pay in the more you will get back from the bank. Inflation Inflation can have affects on businesses too and below I have listed some of the different types of inflation. 1) Cost of raw material 2) Sales will go down 3) Further consequences:- * Reduce costs, * Lower wages, * Dismiss some staff, * Eventually bankrupt Interest rates (increase) Interest rates can have a affect on a company too. That shows anything can small can have a big effect on a business. That why it is hard to have your own business. Below I have listed different types of interest rates:- * Firms cost of borrowing will increase also that means less likely to invest in new equipment. * Consumers will spend less. A) because they are encouraged to save more so you get better interest rate.

Iago as a Character in Othello :: essays papers

Iago as a Character in Othello Perhaps the most interesting and exotic character in the tragic play "Othello," by William Shakespeare, is "Honest" Iago. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him and moves him closer toward his goals. He is the main driving force in this play, pushing Othello and everyone else towards their tragic end. Iago is not your ordinary villain. The role he plays is rather unique and complex, far from what one might expect. Iago is smart. He is an expert judge of people and their characters and uses this to his advantage. For example, he knows Roderigo is in love with Desdemona and figures that he would do anything to have her as his own. Iago says about Roderigo, "Thus do I ever make my fool my purse." [Act I, Scene III, Line 355] By playing on his hopes, Iago is able to swindle money and jewels from Roderigo, making himself a substantial profit, while using Roderigo to forward his other goals. He also thinks quick on his feet and is able to improvise whenever something unexpected occurs. When Cassio takes hold of Desdemona's hand before the arrival of the Moor Othello, Iago says, "With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio." [Act II, Scene I, Line 163] His cunning and craftiness make him a truly dastardly villain indeed. Being as smart as he is, Iago is quick to recognize the advantages of trust and uses it as a tool to forward his purposes. Throughout the story he is commonly known as, and commonly called, "Honest Iago." He even says of himself, "I am an honest man...." [Act II, Scene III, Line 245] Trust is a very powerful emotion that is easily abused. Othello, "holds [him] well;/The better shall [Iago's] purpose work on him." [pg. 1244, Line 362] Iago is a master of abuse in this case turning people's trust in him into tools to forward his own goals. His "med'cine works! Thus credulous fools are caught...." [pg. 1284, Line 44] Iago slowly poisons people's thoughts, creating ideas in their heads

Herbert Butterfield Essay

In this book, the author focuses more on the works of Herbert Butterfield rather than his personal life and explores Butterfield’s influence that reaches beyond what he perceived as â€Å"presentmindedness†. McIntire uses Butterfield’s private papers giving the reader a very close accounting of this historian’s thoughts and writings. His career in the academic field was impressive. Graduating from Cambridge in 1922 he went on to become regius professor, master of Peterhouse, and serve as vice-chancellor of the university. He grew up in the industrial town of West Riding where he and his family came from a Methodist background. His first job offer that he applied for after graduating was at the secondary school in Lampeter. He did get the job, but turned it down because he believed the teaching position would have been a dismal and uninspiring job. Butterfield believed, according to the author, that it would not have helped his writing. He had previously considered becoming a Methodist preacher, like his father. Even discussing the matter with the principal of Wesley House, and together decided he did not have the qualities of a preacher. He had aspirations of Knighthood and becoming president of the Historical society, this and all that was just part of McIntire writings of the man, Herbert Butterfield. The author takes the reader through each step of Butterfield’s careers throughout his life. In 1979, McIntire had his own encounter with Herbert Butterfield while he was editing and publishing part of the historian’s essays on Christianity and history. McIntire is able to use secondary sources with friends, critics, colleagues and family that do fit into his writing quite well. Butterfield had an early exposure to Harold Temperley and his writings reflected this, McIntire wrote in his book. Butterfield’s experiences inspired his first academic publication on the minutiae of Napoleonic diplomacy. Butterfield explained that the research technique he used as free of religious, ethnic, and ideological partisanship. A scientific history approach was his theory, but there is an interesting fact that Butterfield did not write another book from 1929 to 1968 on that subject or anything to enhance that topic. Another interesting fact was in the next fifty years of his life he kept assuring everyone that he was working on a book about Charles James Fox, but that book never came about. In addition, it caused guilt throughout Butterfield’s career, McIntire wrote. Soon though with Butterfield’s love of the legacy of Lord Action, his attentions focused from technical history towards the broader questions of historical thought. McIntire shows how all of Butterfield’s major works came from â€Å"The Wig Interpretation of History† and out of that came his numerous other writings â€Å"The Origins of Modern Science†, â€Å"Man on His Past† and his inaugural address as Regius Professor, â€Å"The Present State of Historical Scholarship†. In the book, the author points to Butterfield’s status as an outsider that influenced his behavior as being a dissenter. â€Å"His idiosyncratic Methodism reinforced his sense of self as a clever lower middle class grammar school boy with a funny Yorkshire accent immersed in an academic environment filled with Anglican gentlemen bred at exclusive public schools. The result was a reactive compulsion to every rule; an attitude that did not always serve Butterfield well for it contained elements of the childishness. As J. H.  Plumb noted, deep down he loved to shock† (McIntire 86). McIntire portrayal is more of a shy and humble man, instead of what many viewed him. They considered his views as more of a moral and intellectual vanity of a self-centered person. In addition, believing that â€Å"his own views as the wave of the future in historical study† (McIntire 151) once again showing his complex problem. At one point, Butterfield publicly praised Marxist historical method but many believed he did not know what he was talking about when he said it. In the 1930’s Butterfield publicly praised Marxist historical method, although it is not clear from the author’s writings if Butterfield, a devout Christian, really understood the core of Marxism. During the era of appeasement, Butterfield criticized any moral judgments directed at Nazi Germany, wishing instead â€Å"that the enemies of the Fascists could be gentler† (McIntire 105). He never lived down his foolish decision to undertake a lecture tour of Germany after the 1938 Munich Conference. The question he gave seemed to blame Britain for the conflict. â€Å"What did we do wrong? What could we have done to prevent the Germans from feeling that they must turn to Hitler? † (McIntire 112). Butterfield admitted proudly that he almost never voted. Political quietism supposedly came from Butterfield’s principled insistence upon the segregation of history from moral and political questions, the core of his argument in â€Å"The Whig Interpretation of History†. In the 50’s and 60’s, Butterfield vocally denounced U.  S. foreign policy, while demanding with Soviet Russia and unilateral disarmament by the West. He denied any inconsistency saying, â€Å"I am as an historian against all governments† (McIntire 170). I felt the book was more of the moral standings of the man. Butterfield did write on science, religion, and historiography, but I felt the author lacked showing the connection it had to events in Butterfield’s life and how the connection was to the academic or scientific community. The reader swims through explanation after explanation of the same concept as McIntire analyses a succession of publications in chronological order, with not enough of Butterfields’s own words to support. Maybe that way some light on the thoughts of the man instead of McIntire’s interpretations. The book was difficult to follow and the length of the book made it tough to read. I was not impressed with the book, but I did get to know another viewpoint of another historian, on a subject I knew nothing about.

Why were Witches women?

For over three centuries, early modern Europe was largely dominated by witchcraft persecutions, the scale of which such atrocities had never been witnessed before. These persecutions arose from various significant instabilities of the times. Tens of thousands of executions were carried out, especially within Central Europe and the vast majority of deaths were attributed to women. This is what was most remarkable about this period; the fact that so many women were recognised as practitioners of witchcraft. I shall be closely following the reasons for such large-scale prosecutions within the early modern period. In particular, I shall be looking at the different sub-categories concerning reasons for such a rise in the nature of witch prosecutions. These categories will be broken up as follows; the Church's view on maleficia, whom the witches were, the effect society had on the arrival of witchcraft, literature's perspective, natural thought and freethinking, and the confessions of witches. The Church was integral to the whole belief system within modern day Europe and was the main, driving component for social, economic and religious conformity. However, the Catholic Church as a unit had been threatened through ‘The Reformation' and theological perceptions and ideas were changing. People's interpretations and prior beliefs were now being challenged, criticised and there was now total religious uncertainty and unbalance within society. ‘This consequently led to the powerful ‘Counter Reformation' in which the Catholic Church began an attempt to not only counter the Protestant Reformation, but also to eliminate corruption, educate clergy and inspire faith in the common people'- (B. P. Levack, 1995). The combination of these two ecclesiastical revolutions induced the inevitable religious disorder, which in turn would spur the rise and development of more numerous and more extreme witch-hunts. In addition, these two reformed religions placed a renewed importance upon individual morals. ‘This issued many with the desire to place the burden of sins upon someone else, and in effect to acquire a scapegoat'- (B. P. Levack, 1995). Throughout history, such scapegoats have generally been the rejects of society, the loners, the sick, and the poor. This age was no different and in their search for a victim, someone to hold responsible, they found the witches. This period of great religious, social and economic transformation combined with the prevalence of epidemics and natural disasters now had a target on whom to lay all the blame upon; a physical embodiment of the evil that had been endured. Furthermore, as well as Martin Luther and Jean Calvin highlighting and condoning the burning of witches as ‘whores of Satan', the Church as a whole was responsible for accepting witchcraft as part of society, essentially forming the moral backing needed for such large-scale atrocities. So then, in 1485 the Catholic inquisition authorities published ‘Malleus Maleficarum'. This was essentially a book, confirming women as those responsible for witchcraft, as those capable of evil and temptation. ‘Women are by nature instruments of Satan†¦ they are by nature carnal, a structural defect rooted in the original creation' The bible also condemned witchcraft, or so people thought. Within Exodus 22:18 it orders, â€Å"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live†. It is then this mixture of Church and theological backing that gave the people of Europe the authority to act upon the ‘witches' within society, and to destroy anyone suspected of witchcraft. ‘It is interesting to note then that this period of witch-hunting was most intense within Germany, Switzerland, Poland, and Scotland, where the countries were religiously heterogeneous'- (G. Geis, 1997), comprising a mix of numerous Protestant and Catholic believers. Moreover, the witch-hunts themselves have long been seen as part of a ‘war against women', conducted overwhelmingly by men and particularly, by those in authority. Infact, Deborah Willis notes that â€Å"more polemical† feminist accounts â€Å"are likely to portray the witch as a heroic protofeminist resisting patriarchal oppression and a wholly innocent victim of a male-authored reign of terror designed to keep women in their place. † – (D. Willis, 1995, in web page). Holistically speaking, the Church's contribution to witchcraft fears and prosecutions led to the general belief within society that demons actively interfered upon the Earth and that witches were hugely prevalent concerning the interactions with and/or the dealings with such forces upon the Earth. In general, there was a greatly intensified and invigorated belief in the supernatural. For those who did not believe in such ideas, it still remained a plausible and effective tool for shifting the blame onto the women within society. It is now important to fully recognise whom these witches were and to discern the types of women victimised for such ‘crimes against humanity'. In general, it was the women from the lower sections of society who were seen as those who had the opportunity to commit harmful acts. Those who were widows and so were therefore able to conceal things and to hide within the cloak of darkness; to practice their magic and to meet with their familiars and even with the Devil himself, were often susceptible to prosecutions. In addition, these women were seen as ‘vessels of nature' and much closer to the environment and conditions of nature than men, and so more able to dominate the elements. The number of unmarried women was also increasing and this was another cause for fear within society. These women were considered a burden on society. The other group vulnerable to witchcraft accusations were midwives. One of the ostensible practices of witches was the execution and cannibalism of infants, especially those who had not yet been baptised into the Christian faith. Therefore, it is of no surprise that this particular group was especially focused upon in terms of prosecutions. It was essentially a way for grieving families to be able to lay blame upon the midwife for the death of their child, particularly within times of increasing infant mortality and occasional infanticide. The general view however was that witches were often cited as those ‘outsiders of society', reliant upon community relief and benefits, draining the land of it's wealth. Additionally, women were often cited with sorcery because of their traditional roles as cooks, nurses, midwives and keepers of the home. Witches were often associated as those who were in league with the Devil and as those who would meet at ‘Sabbats' to create spells, curses, practice killings and take part in lewd sexual acts with one another and with Satan himself. Single women were particularly focused upon for prosecutions concerning sexual abominations, as they were seen as more easily seductable and by far more sexual by nature. Indeed, the fact that the Devil was depicted as being the very form of a man highly extenuated the belief that women did take part in such acts. Society also saw women as being weaker in every sense of the word. They did not have the political power or physical capabilities to defend themselves. Therefore, they were thought to use magic to defend themselves and additionally make pacts with the Devil to achieve various things against their enemies. However, ‘the great witch hunts of the medieval period were long depicted as a ‘war against women', conducted mainly by men, especially those in central authority' (Willis, Malevolent Nurture, p. 12). The reason for this was ostensibly that men wanted to keep women in their rightful place within society, largely pacified and subdued. This came with the great fear of feminist accounts, which started to take place within this period. The subject of women projected as witches was widely held in belief within local communities and often formed the deciding factor in disputes within local communities. So if a particular person has had a bad harvest, or their child has dies in the night, the climate of Early Modern Europe was conducive to such accusations and provided the ammunition with which to prosecute. The times of the period were one of extreme economic turbulence and poverty. Across Western Europe in particular, the gulf between the rich and poor was consistently growing and there was a general decline also in the living standards of much of Europe. These conditions may however have persuaded people to contemplate using magic to help themselves and to achieve monetary or land gains, but on the other hand, it also maintained that accusations would be at a new high. Below is a table showing the relevance of monetary/land/food disputes within local communities and the effect being a widow within society would have concerning such disputes and jealousies in Essex, 1564-89: Kinship Relationships Husband and Wife * 4 Unspecified Quarrels (2) Sexual Jealousy (1) Broken Marriage Contract (1) Stepfather and Stepchild 1 Over Inheritance Grandmother and Grandchild 1 Obligation to collect wood Total 6 Neighbourly Relationships * (Object of dispute) * Food/Drink * 12 Animals 4 Money * 8 Implements 4 Unspecified loans 3 Boundaries/Land * 4 Children 3 Total 48 The difference shown in number between kinship quarrels and disputes within the community is substantial. It demonstrates the heightened debates and tension with local communities and supports the view that widows were particularly attacked within these times as defenceless, unimportant people of the community. Another crucial part of women being persecuted as witches, developed through another mind controlling and prevalent technique within this time period. This was the use of literature, so covering everything from the bible and Church readings to pamphlets and novels written within the time. It is not surprising that the ‘Malleus maleficarum' had such an influential effect upon the rise of women as victims of mass witch prosecutions. Shakespeare also wrote within this time period and included a wide range of texts, often shadowing events and topics within Europe at the time. One of the key texts he wrote was that of ‘Macbeth', where Macbeth and his wife gradually murder various people in line to the succession of Kingship for their own gratuitous ends. The central factor towards their warped ideals and evil dealings was that of the witches within the moors. These of course were depicted purely as women, with similar characteristics to those generally seen as witches within this same period. The very fact that Lady Macbeth had to effectively become a man and get rid of her female characteristics in order to succeed, parallels the social view of women within this time and further extenuates the likelihood of women as victims. Indeed, it is the prophecies of the witches that initiate the murder, corruption, greed and lies that manifest with Macbeth. The famous line of ‘is that a dagger I see before me' spoken by that of Macbeth represents the conjuring of illusionary magic, produced by the witches of the time. Furthermore, the witches and his wife are inextricably linked together, in that they both influence Macbeth, and so the social view of women being manipulative, a natural temptation (as referred to in the Malleus maleficarum), a necessary evil etc is evidently shown within the literature of the time. The Catholic Church concentrated specifically upon the natural sin and evil within the individual and as mentioned previously, people saw the ‘witches' as scapegoats, a group to blame for their sinful nature. The bible in particular was another greatly recognised and taught book within society and the very story of creation within Genesis demonstrates the sinful, easily tempted and generally weak nature of women. Also, within Revelation (the concluding chapter of the Bible), the sinful woman of ‘Babylon†¦ he Great Prostitute', was also another indication of the weakness of women and showed this to be the case from the very beginning of creation to the very end. In general, the people of Europe saw the massacre of the ‘witches' as a religious war of enacting justice on those directly against the will of God. One notion spread throughout literature was that of witches contacting and serving Diana, the ‘Goddess of the Moon'. Women were hence seen as the most likely persons to communicate with ‘Diana' as a league of women joined together. Some confessed to actually riding with Diana and taking part in various activities, however they were later recognised to be delusional. Overall, the introduction of the printing press and the generally increasing availability of literature to the masses, allowed for more rapid transfers of elite beliefs in witchcraft and especially women as active participants. The trials of women within this period serve to reinforce and validate the beliefs transmitted through popular literature. One of the most confusing and baffling aspects of the ‘women as witches' theme is that many actually confessed to charges against them. This of course did not help the assumption that ‘women were witches' and served to just heighten the prosecutions and fuel the killings. Many ‘witches' claimed that their experiences had been worthwhile and showed virtually no remorse whatsoever for their supposed actions. This was the case all over Europe and not just England, even though the killings were much more prevalent and torture much more extreme on the continent than in England. However, P. Levack described this fact as less surprising when various other considerations were taken into account. Such as the ‘women often being brought up to believe that they were indeed instruments of Satan and that they were the only imperfection within God's creation' (P. B. Levack, 1995). This however was simply society's effort to instil such beliefs so as to relieve the worry of female independence and to of course resume the scapegoat it had found within the period in question. It is particularly interesting to note that many women actually testified against others within the community. They made up 43 % of witnesses against other women. Briggs' notices that ‘women were active in building up reputations through gossip, deploying counter-magic and accusing suspects' (Briggs, 1995). Women were completely surrounded by each sector of society and it was virtually impossible for them to escape punishment of some sort if they had first been accused of witchcraft. Ecclesiastically, the whole Church acknowledged the position of women as witches within society; and this simply gave the general public the opportunity to lay the blame for all the famine, disease, deaths and religious intolerance within previous years. The elite simply kept maintaining this strongly held belief in witchcraft and furthermore sustained the prosecutions and provided the literature and ethics with which to support these beliefs. What is key to this topic is that most prosecution cases actually refer directly to traditionally female aspects, such as the home, the kitchen, and the nursery; and on ‘culturally defined female tasks or occupations such as feeding (poisoning), child-rearing (infanticide), healing (harming), birth (death)' (Christina Hole, date unknown). Furthermore, women within society were very much pacified throughout this time and this meant that they were easy targets for attack. These poor victims of attack simply existed within a delicate age of uncertainty, confusion and anger. Society believed in the existence of witchcraft and in the exponents of maleficia, the women of the times. On a more local scale too, communities widely looked to the accusation of witchcraft as a means to a specific end, whether it concerned land disputes or money disputes etc. These were very testing times, times of extreme economic struggles and religious disputes. In conclusion, it is interesting to note that as standards of living vastly improved and religious irregularities disappeared, prosecutions decreased dramatically and people suddenly began to notice that most prosecutions were actually highly nonsensical and irrational. Society gradually came to accept that it had indeed made many mistakes.

How to Respect Your Parents

How to respect your parents? There are many days set aside in non-Islamic societies to honour and appreciate special people; examples of these are Father's Day, Mother's Day, Memorial Day and Labour Day. In Islam, however, respecting, honouring and appreciating parents is not just for a single day of the year, but rather for each and every day. Parents in the Quran: A Muslim child should respect and appreciate his or her parents on a daily basis. Allaah mentions that human beings must recognise their parents and that this is second only to the recognition of Allaah Himself.Throughout the Quran, we notice that parents are mentioned with appreciation and respect. In the Quran, there is a very beautiful description of how parents are to be treated; Allaah Says (what means):  Ã¢â‚¬Å"And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as] ‘uff' [i. e. , an ex pression of irritation or disapproval] and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say: ‘My Lord!Have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small. ‘†Ã‚  [Quran 17:23-24] The recognition and respect of parents is mentioned in the Quran eleven times; in every instance, Allaah reminds children to recognise and to appreciate the love and care that they have received from their parents. One such example is when Allaah says what means:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"And We have enjoined upon man goodness to parents†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  [Quran 29:8 & 46:15] 3. In Chapter Al-An'aam, Allaah reemphasises that people should be kind to their parents; He says what means:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Say: ‘Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you. He commands] that you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, good treatment†¦ ‘†Ã‚  [Quran 6:151] Mother First Among parents, it is usually the mother who makes the most sacrifice and endures the most hardship in the care of her children. She gives birth and looks after them. Islam recognizes this fact, offering more honor to the mother as a parent. Muhammad once said, â€Å"Paradise is placed at the mothers' feet,† so high is their status and regard. The Qur'an reminds people of the sacrifices and hardships that mothers face on behalf of their children. â€Å"And e enjoined upon mankind concerning parents: his mother carried him in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is two years. Therefore show gratitude to Allah and to your parents† (Qur'an 31:14). On another occasion, some people asked the Prophet Muhammad, â€Å"To whom should we show kindness first? † He answered, â€Å"Your mother. † Then he was asked again, â€Å"And after that, then whom? † Muhammad again replied, â€Å"Your mother. † He was asked yet again, and he gave the same reply again: â€Å"Your mother. † Only af ter that, when he was asked one more time, did he answer, â€Å"Then, your father. Duties to Parents Our life would not be possible without the sacrifice and hard work of our parents, who cared for us and met all our needs when we were young. The Qur'an addresses this point in one touching verse: â€Å"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and that you be kind to parents. If one or both of them attain old age during your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor repel them. But address them in terms of honour, and lower to them the wing of humility, out of mercy, and say, ‘My Lord!Bestow on them Your Mercy, as they did bring me up when I was young’† (Qur'an 17:23–24). Muslims are advised to treat their parents gently and respectfully. They should always strive to please them and never become impatient or rude with them. Muslims consider it an honour and a blessing to be able to care for their parents in old age. After all, it's th e least we can do to repay them for all of their hard work and sacrifice. Nursing homes and hospice care are new phenomena in the Muslim world, and they are not widely accepted.Elderly and ill family members almost always remain in the homes of children or relatives, cared for and respected until death. Muhammad encouraged his followers to treat their parents well and to be mindful of their needs. Once, a young man came to him and wanted to join the Muslim army on the battlefield to defend the community from attack. Muhammad asked him if his parents were living. When the young man said they were, he told him: â€Å"Then go back to your parents, serve them, and deal with them kindly.This is as good as fighting for God's sake. † Muslims consider their parents' opinions about important matters, such as choosing a career path, spouse, or place to live. As a Muslim gets older, any income she earns is partially used to support her parents and meet their needs. A Muslim prays that a fter their deaths, God will forgive her parents and show mercy toward them. Also, you should always listen and obey to the commands that your parents have told you to do. Always take care of them afterall to have them is a big gift.

Costco

The average Cost customer is found to be a college graduate earning an estimated $100,000 a year, twice the national average. This shows that their customers are ones ho can afford the yearly membership fee and to spend as they please in the warehouse as most customers find that they tend to overspend as they shop about Cost. Cost is able to create value for its customers by creating a sense of adventure and mystery for the customer who relates a shopping experience at Cost as akin too â€Å"treasure hunt†.Another value Is the low prices of items that customers can buy at no more than 15 percent mark ups as compared to departmental stores that mark up merchandise by 50 percent and supermarkets that mark up their Items by 25 percent or more (Lutz 2013). At times, Cost has special deals for customers by selling branded goods Like Pravda handbags, Carrier watches, Kristin Kelly wedding gowns, barrels of whiskey or even engagement rings, all at specially discounted prices (Lulling 2014). The first area of Cost's value-chain analysis will be the primary activities of inbound logistics and marketing and sales.Cost is extremely proficient and efficient in their procurement system, integrating a mix of human and technical skills and capabilities. One such instance is the development off competent technique of delivering inbound cargo to their designated warehouses within the pan of less than a day to ensure there is no time and cost wastage of leaving the items in the delivery trucks (Cost Wholesale 2010). This leads to higher sales and enables Cost to achieve quicker inventory turnover. As of June 2014, Cost Wholesale Corporation Is reported to have an Inventory turnover of 1 1. Times the national average (Bloomberg Businesswomen Bibb and compared to Wall-Mart Stores Inc which has an inventory turnover of 8. 1 times of the industry average (Bloomberg Businesswomen 2014). Cost is unique because they do not advertise but prefer to save that two percent of he budg et and channel it into more productive areas like employee benefits (Greenhouse 2005). Sales and service-wise, as mentioned previously Cost does not mark up its prices by more than 15 percent and it achieves this by buying in bulk and stocking only a limited assortment of products.A typical supermarket may have about 50,000 different Items for customers to choose from; Wall-Mart has an enormous selection of about 100,000 products but a typical Cost wholesale outlet stocks only about 4000 Items, of which most can be bought In bulk, a small portion as compared to competitors. Castoffs low merchandise count means It carries only choice brands and items and often only in one size. The executives at Cost believe making and confusion and eventually they walk away without purchasing, thus Cost only provides the best brands for each product (Logan and Abeyant 2012).The only gripe about Cost's service is that the lines are always taking too long, seeing as most customers end up over-spending and buying most items in bulk. Procurement is an essential aspect of support activities in the value-chain analysis of Cost. Cost builds strong relationships with its suppliers and tries to ensure that TTS suppliers are providing the best and lowest prices in order for Cost to do the same for its customers. Potential suppliers have to go through long dealing periods and stringent tests are carried out on their products to ensure it suits the needs and wants of Cost's customer base.An example would be thousands of toys waiting for the Cost team to hand-pick over five days the hundred fifty or so final products that will make the cut onto Cost's end-of-year holiday shelves for children. In the name of providing the best prices for its customers, Cost sometimes resorts to hardball arraigning when dealing with the suppliers such as in 2009 when Cost temporary ceased inbound shipments of Coca-Cola beverages as it stated on its website and shelves that Coca-Cola had not provided Cost wit h competitive pricing and Coca- Cola products would not be available until prices were lowered.Coke beverages returned to Cost's shelves in a few prices, but this shows Cost's procurement strength even when dealing with a main supplier (Harvard Law School 2010). The Cost Collaborative Retail Exchange (CRUX) program is a real-time software that allows Cost and selected suppliers to update the inventory anytime anywhere, especially when inventory for an item falls below a reorder point, the supplier is notified and stock is sent out to ensure it meets market demand.Once a product is scanned, the program is updated and inventory managers are notified if the product is close to the reorder point (IR 2013). For the demographics of Cost's customer base, it is divided by income, household size and age. A research done on Cost by a New Zealand market research firm finds that a whopping eight-five percent of wholesale club shoppers belong to the upper income market that are either â€Å"liv ing comfortably' or â€Å"affluent†.Subsequently, seventy-two percent of wholesale club shoppers are typically from a two to four person household. It is also noted that about three-quarters of female wholesale shoppers are younger than 55 years. (Acropolis Research Ltd. 2004) In conclusion, Cost Wholesale has a strong reputation and brand name, provides value through its low prices and for creating an adventure for its customers. With a large market share, it has considerable procurement strength but maintains relationships with suppliers.