Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Indigenous View Points

Question: Evaluate the extent in which aboriginal people are deprived from the government guideline and other human rights protocols. Answer: Introduction The purpose of this study is to evaluate the extent in which aboriginal people are deprived from the governmental guideline and other human rights protocols. This study consists of a vast literature regarding the people of Bagot community, which is a city of Darwin. The introductory section of this study consists of the background regarding whether government of Australia has taken proactive approach for providing proper human rights facility or not (Attorneys, 2010). Moreover, this section consists of the overall background regarding the aboriginals of Bagot community (Day, 2012). In the second section, it describes regarding the ethics protocol in order to access indigenous knowledge. Government of Australia has different legal guidelines for protecting people from different aspects such as intellectual property and human rights (Australia Human Right Commission, 2016). However, the aboriginal group of Bagot community has been deprived from these legal protocols and frameworks. The refore, this study will also emphasize on the issues faced by the aboriginals while protecting their intellectual properties. Background of Bagot Community The people of Bagot community are the backward class of the society. This particular community is not much civilized like the international communities and seems to be the most marginal and vulnerable community in the world (IAITPTF, 2012). Moreover, this community is not able to take advantages from the governmental legislations and polices of human rights. Therefore, people from civilized communities in Australia discriminate them and deprive from the other facilities such as medical attention (Salam, 2016). When it comes to the human rights facilities, this community is not able to gain positive outcome. Apart from that, protection of intellectual property is not valid for this particular community, which is the major issue faced by aboriginal people (Shah, 2008). Rationale for an ethics Protocol There are different issues faced by the aboriginal people in Bagot community such as discrimination, economic globalization, climate change, conflict areas, human rights violation, loss of land, poverty, bio-cultural diversity and other social issues (Brimblecombe et al., 2013). Following is the discussion regarding how aboriginal people are facing issues from the social and legal perspectives (Cusack, de Crespigny Wilson, 2013). The reason behind legislations implemented by the government is to protect the aboriginal people from unexpected social discrimination. The government is aimed to protect the cultural knowledge for which intellectual property right has been implemented by the government. Apart from that, the following discussion focuses on ethical perspectives, which should be considered for providing them a better community. Discrimination: Due to emerging trend of colonization, people spited in different communities in different geographical locations. Therefore, different group of people relies on different cultural aspects (Hayman Armstrong, 2014). From the beginning of civilization, people are trying to develop themselves. However, some communities are unable to achieve the same and gradually developed themselves at a low rate in respects of the other communities (Lord Alderdice, 2014). In case of the aboriginal people of Bagot, these people are not that much civilized in respect of the urban people of Australia. Thus, urban people of Australia sometimes discriminate the aboriginal community, which is the most important cause of not getting civilized (Molloy Grootjans, 2014). The aboriginal people are not allowed to vote and therefore, consumerism is not belongs to them. Moreover, this group is also not allowed to take advantages of the public services such as health, water, education (Parker, 2014 ). In order to reduce negative impact of discrimination, government of Australia has initiated different social campaign. In this manner, government of Australia addresses the human rights issue of aboriginal people of Bagot community. When it comes to the cultural aspects of the aboriginal people, the education system of Australia prevents the aboriginal people to learn about their traditional language (Royer, 2014). The dominant society of Australia discriminate this group of people and this is the major issue, which prevents them to maintain their traditional culture. Economic Globalization: The change in global economy tends the global organizations to extract natural resources from the aboriginals territories (Swannell, 2014). These activities of global organizations affect the well-being of the rural people. Moreover, the organizations are continuously acquiring aboriginals territories for expanding in global market (Zander, Petheram Garnett, 2013). This issue affects the existence of aboriginal people in Australia and therefore certain measures needs to be taken in order to prevent negative impact of this issue. Climate Change: The developed community of the society is directly responsible for changing the environment. In current era, use of technological equipments has increased and therefore, many industrial organizations are damaging the environment (Attorneys, 2010). On the other hand, the aboriginal society of Australia does not have any contribution in this environmental change. However, they face the bitter consequences of environment change such as flood, draught, earthquake and many more (Day, 2012). The Australian aboriginal people generally leave in suburb are of the country. Therefore, the chance of getting affected by the natural disaster is very high. On the other hand, government of Australia has implemented different policies for reducing industrial emission (IAITPTF, 2012). According to this policy planting corps and trees is the responsibility of some industrial organization, which is again a major threat to the aboriginal people (Salam, 2016). Conflict areas: Conflict in terms of globalization and political reasons is one of the common issues faced by the indigenous people (Shah, 2008). In case of Australian indigenous people, the community often gets involved in confliction with the global organizations and political organizations (Brimblecombe et al., 2013). Moreover, this community is not allowed to get the minimum rights, which tends the group to participate in violent conflicts. Loss of land: As indigenous people are not legal citizen of Australia, they do not have legal rights on their land. The international organizations of Australian market are targeting the land for expanding business (Cusack, de Crespigny Wilson, 2013). Therefore, existence of indigenous people is now under threat. The reason behind why organizations target these locations is high availability of resources. Therefore, the aboriginal community is running out of natural resources and migrating to the urban location for maintaining stable earning. The above issues shows that the government of Australia needs to incorporate some ethical protocols. In this manner, government of Australia will be able to reduce the issues faced by the indigenous people of community (Hayman Armstrong, 2014). While in case of legal framework, it is not possible to implement huge change (Lord Alderdice, 2014). However, incorporating ethical decision-making process will be effective for reducing risk factors for the rural community. Addressing issues of human rights, cultural rights and intellectual property rights Government of Australia has implemented different legislations for protecting the indigenous people. In order to protect human rights of indigenous, the government of Australia has implemented Aboriginal Protection Act in 1869. According to this legislation, the government of Australia is solely responsible for monitoring the social activities for providing protection to the rural people (Molloy Grootjans 2014). According to the human right protection, every human being should have proper access to the health care and other public services (Parker, 2014). Therefore, government of Australia has implemented Aboriginal Protection and Restrictions of the sale of opium Act in 1897. Moreover, the government has implemented Aboriginal Lands Act in 1970 for providing authentication for acquiring the land they leave (Royer, 2014). In this manner, the indigenous people can be able to survive and they will be able to maintain their tradition. In order to maintain this heritage society, the gov ernment has initiated National Parks and Wildlife Act in 1974. The aboriginal people of Australia are mostly affected by the global acceptance, because they often face issues regarding discrimination (Swannell, 2014). Therefore, the government of Australia has also implemented ethical protocols for improving the social environment of the country. Communication with the aboriginals is not that healthy and therefore, certain issues remain unchanged. However, the government has taken a proactive approach for increasing communication with the aboriginal society (Zander, Petheram Garnett, 2013). The recent change in social tread tends the aboriginal people to migrate in urban areas for searching work in order to survive. Government through not have any legal framework for allowing the people to participate in socially recognized profession (Day, 2012). In order to reduce negative impact of discrimination, government of Australia has initiated different social campaign. In this manner, government of Australia addresses the human rights issue of aboriginal people of Bagot community (IAITPTF, 2012). In order to improve this aspect even better, government of Australia has implemented Indigenous Advancement Strategy. This approach helps the aboriginal people to gain access to the public services along with education and job (Salam, 20 16). Apart from that, government has provided high provision to the aboriginal people to gain safety from the legal framework. According to this policy, organizations of domestic and international market are not allowed to acquire land of the aboriginal people (Shah, 2008). Therefore, it can be said that government has taken proactive approach for protecting the aboriginal people. However, the policies are not maintained by the local residence of Australia. The local residence of Australia use to dominate the aboriginal society, which prevents their development (Brimblecombe et al., 2013). The government has also taken proactive approach for maintaining the cultural behavior of the aboriginal people. In order to achieve this objective, government has not only implemented legislations, but also has implemented various ethical protocols (Cusack, de Crespigny Wilson, 2013). Cultural right refers to the tradition of social community. In case of aboriginal people, they are traditionally divided into two separate groups depending on gender. The changing trend of economical environment tends the aboriginal people to migrate in urban areas for earning currency (Hayman Armstrong, 2014). On the other hand, the female community is responsible for household responsibilities. The recent issue of aboriginal people prevents them to maintain their traditional culture along with the language. Therefore, government of Australia has provided them the provision of continue their cultural activities (Molloy Grootjans, 2014). It is the right of human being to maintain their cultural behavior long with the activities and linguistic behavior. Moreover, government has implemented different campaign in different locations for increasing awareness regarding aboriginal culture (Parker, 2014). In this manner, it is possible to spread social awareness to the people of urban are as. Therefore, it can be said that the government has taken positive approach for improving cultural aspect of the people (Royer, 2014). Apart from that, government has implemented policies regarding financial guidance to the aboriginal people. As this particular group is not that much civilized. It is obvious that people in this community are not aware regarding financial measures. Increasing awareness regarding this aspect allows aboriginal people to survive it his changing global economy (Swannell, 2014). According to the human rights policy, every human should have access to the public services such as education, health care and other necessary services (Zander, Petheram Garnett, 2013). Empowering the aboriginal society is the aim of these policies and therefore, it can be evident that the government needs to increase awareness among aboriginal and civilized people in order to gain positive outcome (Attorneys, 2010). The aboriginal society of Australia is deprived from the emer ging improvement. This particular society is not able to access the technological innovation (Day, 2012). Therefore, it is being difficult for this society to migrate to the urban area for improving their life style. On the other hand, government of Australia has implemented different policies for maintaining the cultural aspects of the aboriginal people. The term intellectual property rights refers to the process of providing minimum right of preventing intellectual property. In case of the aboriginal people, they are not allowed to take patent of their cultural activities such as tribal dance. However, it is the right of any social group to protect their intellectual property (IAITPTF, 2012). Indigenous Intellectual Property is a legal team, which monitors the ability of people for protecting their intellectual property such as cultural knowledge. The World Intellectual Property Organization is solely responsible for promoting the good practice of protecting cultural knowledge of the aboriginal people. Most of the time, cultural knowledge of the aboriginal people is not protected due to lack of knowledge. The people of rural location are not aware about the legal prospects and therefore, the cultural knowledge is not protected in many urban societies (Salam, 2016). Moreover, cultural property includes different traditional elements such as design, artifacts, historical sites, performing arts and artwork. The reason behind promoting protection of intellectual property helps the aboriginal people to maintain economical stability (Shah, 2008). Tourists can visit the aboriginal territories for amusement purpose, which can improve economical condition of people. Though, government of Australia has implemented ethical protocols for increasing awareness regarding protection of intellectual property (Brimblecombe et al., 2013). Many organizations are conducting social campaign for protecting the aboriginal society of Australia. In case of Bagot community, people of this location are now days recognized for their creative works. Apart from that, the cultural knowledge of these people is acknowledged by many countries. The international human right law shows that every community should have the right to protect their intellectual property and therefore, Australian government has taken proactive approach for addressing this issue (Cusack, de Crespigny Wilson, 2013). In order to address this issue, the government has conducted many social campaign in which the awareness regarding intellectual knowledge has been increased among the aboriginal society (Hayman Armstrong, 2014). The purpose behind increasing awareness regarding intellectual property protection is to provide financial stability to the aboriginal society. Apart from that, some of the countries have shown huge respect to their traditional culture (Lord Alderdice, 2014). However, the aboriginal community is partially unaware regarding their ability of protecting the intellectual property (Brimblecombe et al., 2013). Therefore, it is sometimes gets di fficult for the government to reduce negative impact of this issue. Conclusion While concluding, it can be said that aboriginal people of Australia faces different issues regarding their human, cultural and intellectual property right. The study shows that maintaining traditional lifestyle is being a difficult factor for the Australian indigenous. The major reason behind this issue is economical globalization, which prevents the aboriginal people to survive. The global business environment influences the organizations to incorporate innovative technologies to their business activities. Therefore, some organization has increasingly participating in environmental protection by reducing carbon emission. However, the sustainable practices are limited to their environmental report. Therefore, it affects the overall environmental quality and increasing chance of different natural disasters. It affects the well-being of the aboriginal people, despite the fact that they are not responsible for the environmental change. When it comes to the cultural right of the aborigi nal community, the government has implemented different policies in which government monitors the human right provision for the aboriginal people. Moreover, this study shows that Government of Australia has taken a proactive approach for increasing awareness regarding the importance of cultural knowledge. This study further includes many legislations of government for protecting intellectual property of aboriginal people. References Attorneys, C.A. (2010) Overview of intellectual property rights including patent, trademark and designs. Australia Human Right Commission (2016). Brimblecombe, J., Ferguson, M., Liberato, S., ODea, K. (2013). Cusack, L., de Crespigny, C., Wilson, C. (2013). Over-the-counter analgesic use by urban Aboriginal people in South Australia. Hayman, N. Armstrong, R. (2014). Health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: handle with care. IAITPTF (2012) International alliance of indigenous and tribal peoples of the tropical forests (IAITPTF). Lord Alderdice, J. (2014). The Nightmare for Aboriginal People and its Relation to Dreamtime.Int. J. Appl. Psychoanal. Molloy, L. Grootjans, J. (2014). The Ideas of Frantz Fanon and Culturally Safe Practices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in Australia.Issues In Mental Health Nursing,35(3), 207-211. Parker, R. (2014). Dementia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.Med J Aust,200(8), 435-436. Royer, L. (2014). Using Ones Right of Inspection: Australia, the United Nations, Human Rights and Aboriginal People.

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Earth Science Rocks Essay Example For Students

Earth Science Rocks Essay The 8 most common elements in the earths crust are Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminum, Iron, Calcium, Sodium, Potassium, ; Magnesium. They compose 98.5% of the total crust. A mineral occurs naturally, is a soli, inorganic, has chemical composition and a crystalline structure. Native minerals are single elements. Compounds are 2 or more. There are more compound than native. You can identify minerals by color, streak, luster, hardness, cleavage, and fracture. Minerals form by magma erupting and forming lava then cooling. They can also form by evaporation of water containing dissolved ions. Silicates are the most common group of minerals found in the earths crust. The structure of minerals are orderly. They form crystalline. A crystalline has flat faces and smooth surfaces. Igneous rocks are formed from magma. If they are intrusive (plutonic), they have large crystals and cooled slowly. If they are extrusive, they cool quickly, have fined grain. The structure of minerals are orderly. They form crystalline. A crystalline has flat faces and smooth surfaces. Igneous rocks are formed from magma. If they are intrusive (plutonic), they have large crystals and cooled slowly. If they are extrusive, they cool quickly, have fined grain. The scheme for igneous rock identification is based on texture, color, composition, and density. Sedimentary rocks are the 2nd step in the rock cycle. They are composed of bits and pieces of rock that have been watered by rain, water, and other things. They compress and cement on top of each other forming layers. When the water evaporates, the sediments are left behind and forms a new rock. This rock is either clastic (formed from igneous rock) or organic (formed from living remains). The other type of sedimentary rock is chemical which is formed by the evaporation of water and the precipitation on sediments form a new rock. Metomorphic rock is the recrystalization (change w/o melting) of rocks under extreem heat and pressure. Regional metamorphism occurs over large arieas where mountain building has taken place. Comtact metamorphism occurs when molten magma comes into contace w/ sourounding rocks. .

Friday, March 27, 2020

Why are poor people more likely to be obese

Introduction Obesity is a health condition that results from accumulation of fat in the body that has adverse effects on health of victims. It is caused by excessive intake of high-energy foods, genetic makeup of individuals, and lack of adequate physical exercise (Wolin 34). It reduces life expectancy and predisposes individuals to other health problems such as type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, and certain types of cancer (Wolin 35).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why are poor people more likely to be obese? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Individuals with obesity are more prone to diseases than individuals without obesity are. In olden days, obesity was associated with wealthy people. However, the situation has changed. Research suggests that poor people are more likely to be obese than rich people. Discussion One of the reasons why poor people are more prone to obesity than rich people is because of poor diet . A major cause of obesity is excess intake of high-energy foods (Smith 44). Many parents from poor households cannot afford healthy meals for their families. For example, they buy processed foods for breakfast and dinner. In contrast, rich people take time to prepare meals that are balanced in nutritive content. Fast foods and processed foods are usually rich in fat that is a predisposing factor to obesity (Pena and Bacalloa 51). Since fast foods are cheap and readymade, parents prefer them without considering their health implications Poor people have little or no access to health facilities such as gyms for workouts (Pena and Bacalloa 53). Rich people can afford to subscribe to health facilities for regular workouts. On the contrary, poor people rely on physical activities such as walking and running for exercise. However, with frequent intake of foods rich in high fat content, ordinary physical activities are not sufficient. On the other hand, parents from poor families do not p lay active roles in the lives of their children (Smith 47). They allow children do things on their own. As such, children eat junk foods because it is sugary and sweet. Many parents from rich families play active roles in the lives of their children. They ensure that their children eat healthy foods, and take them to the doctor for regular medical checkups (Levine 2667). In addition, poor people do not get time for exercise because at the end of the day, they are very tired from working. Many poor people work in manual jobs that are very tiresome and that pay small wages. Their little income denies them access to farmers markets that sell healthy foods (Levine 2667).Advertising Looking for essay on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Poor people prefer high-calorie foods because they keep them satisfied for longer. This helps them tackle hard times when they cannot get food readily. A research conducted by the Un iversity of Miami found out that whenever people realize that food was scarce, they turn to high-calorie foods that keep them satisfied for longer compared to healthier low-calorie foods (Drewnowski 8). Foods such as wheat, corn, and potatoes are cheap but unhealthy. It is easier to feed a family with fast food that costs little money than to purchase healthier foods that are more expensive. These high-calorie foods predispose people to obesity. Poor people prefer fast foods because they are cheap and can easily feed their families on small budgets (Drewnowski 10). However, their health implications are adverse and cause serious complications in the long-term. Another reason why poor people are more prone to obesity than rich people is level of education. Many poor people are uneducated and ignorant. Therefore, they possess little knowledge on importance of eating a balanced diet (Borland par2). They consider the cost of food first rather than its nutritive value. Poor people do not know the difference between healthy and unhealthy food. Nutritional knowledge would enable them differentiate between healthy and unhealthy foods. However, they know little about negative effects of various foods on health. Therefore, they consume foods based on how much they cost rather than their nutritive value (Borland par3). They opt for fast foods in order to save money. There is a direct relationship between income and obesity. Poor people prefer cheap food rather than healthy food. In contrast, rich people prefer healthy food even though it is expensive. Poor people buy the cheapest foods that they can get in order to save money (Borland par6). In today’s society, the cheapest foods are junk foods that are rich in high calories. Conclusion Poor people are more likely to be obese because the foods they can afford are unhealthy and cheap. They do not consider the nutritive value of food but its price. Junk food is the cheapest type of food sold today. In order to save money for other uses, poor people opt for junk food that has high calorie content. Other reasons include lack of access to health training facilities, and lack of knowledge on importance of healthy eating because of low levels of education. In addition, parents from poor families do not play active roles in the lives of their children. These factors predispose poor people to obesity more than rich people.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why are poor people more likely to be obese? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Works Cited Borland, Sophie. The poor are moirà © likely to be obese, says health minister. 23 Jan. 2013. Web. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2266796/Health-minister-Anna-Soubry-says-obesity-linked-class.html. Drewnowski, Adam. Poverty and Obesity: The Role of Energy Density and Energy Costs. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 79.1 (2002): 6-16. Print. Levine, James. Poverty and Obesity i n the U.S. Diabetes 6.11 (2006): 2667-2668. Print. Pena, Manuel, and Bacalloa Jorge. Obesity and poverty: a new public health challenge. New York: Pan American Health Org, 2000. Print. Smith, Patricia. Obesity among poor Americans: is public assistance the problem? New York: Vanderbilt University Press, 2007. Print. Wolin, Kathleen. Obesity. New York: ABC-CLIO, 2009. Print. This essay on Why are poor people more likely to be obese? was written and submitted by user Alani Shepherd to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Religion and Its Functions in Society

Religion and Its Functions in Society Introduction Religion in some form or the other has been with man for long. It is one of those few characteristics and activities of man which are independent of his animal nature. It has sprouted out of his mind, in response to his felt needs, external and internal. To trace its origin is impossible, and to define it is no less. It is evolutionary in character. Most of the definitions of religion oscillate round the concept of the super human; belief and practice; rituals and rites.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Religion and Its Functions in Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Every society possesses some conceptions of a supernatural order of spirits, gods or impersonal forces. These forces are different from and in some sense superior to those forces conceived as covering ordinary â€Å"natural† events and their nature and activities somehow give meaning to the usual, the frustrating and the rational ly impracticable aspects of experience. They are attributed in part at least to its agency, and the men devoted an important part of their time and resources for regulating their relations with this order as they conceive it. Analysis of Religion Religion seeks to interpret and control man’s relations with the forces of his physical and social environment. These forces are thought to be under the control of some supernatural power. The attempt to interpret man’s relations to these forces led to several forms of religions like superstition, animism, totemism, magic, ceremonialism and fetishism. Function of Religion Religion can serve certain functions in society including acting as the social cement that binds society together and suppresses conflict between social groups. It can be used as a form of social control. It is a source of legitimacy for society and its institutions. It is a source of identity. It provides a means for emotional expression and dealing with the difficulties of life. It also provides an explanation for the existence of the physical universe and how it functions. How has religion influenced politics? Religion and politics are dimensions of human experience engaged in a meaningful exercise of power. Both are patterns of power, dynamic processes of action and interaction, and systems of power relations that reinforce the general distribution of power within any society. One of the prominent scholars in the area of religion and politics asserts that, â€Å"Religion is concerned with the systemic ordering of different kinds of power, particularly those seen as significantly beneficial or dangerous.† In other words, religion is the way human being orient themselves to the multitude of powers that impinge upon their lives.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another author, Firth Raymond, agrees that, â€Å"R eligions are basically concerned with problems of meaning and power,† (21) furthermore, religion alone is not sufficient as a single variable to explain [political] conflict in any given state. Hence, religion is an element in the conflict between ethnic language groups. Ronald L. Johnstone further explains that ethnicity and ethnically based action are determined by political, economic, and cultural factors, (Ronald 2007) although the factors vary in importance according to specific historical and contextual conditions. The interplay of religion and politics is often described as a volatile mix; and political scientists and politician have long insisted that these two entities should remain separated from each other. Religion has had varied effects on embedded cultural and political assumptions, with regards to policy and political decision-making. Some of these effects have contributed to the emergence of norms and values that assist in the maintenance of peace and order wit hin the West, while others have influenced the emergence of cultural behaviors and assumptions that several social commentators claim have has a destructive influence on the environment and on the health and well-being of communities and individuals. The relationships of religion to politics are complex and paradoxical. Both try to secure power. Yet they are different in the aims and values set on power. The basic power envisaged in religion, whether immanent or transcendental, is of another quality from another world. Both politics and religion imply awareness of social relationship and emphasize integration. Politics is focused on the relationship between men, whereas religion is focused on the relationship of men with gods or spiritual beings. Both use calculation and appeal to emotion, but religion is grounded in revelation whereas politics tries to keep within the bounds of reason. In hierarchy of social activities, religion stands at a peak of evaluation, while politics may ha ve a low rate in the scale of public esteem. What is religious fundamentalism? Fundamentalism occurs in all the world’s major religions, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Buddhism. It is a very powerful force in the world affairs today. It occupies a position not dissimilar to that occupied by Marxism in the twentieth century. Like Marxism, it is not only a belief system but also a plan of action to transform humanity (Scott Jones1). In addition, the plan in question sometimes involves the use of extreme violence, exercised not only within but also across state boundaries.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Religion and Its Functions in Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Religious fundamentalism has become a subject of teaching and research. In North America, the events of 9/11 have added a sense of urgency to what otherwise would have remained a part of the sober study of comparative re ligion. Whether we like it or not, after 9/11, religious fundamentalism has become an issue of national security as well (Scott Jones 9). Fundamentalism can be defined as the creation, the categorial result, of modern ideological structures that have generated the concept in the process of interpreting and making sense of a much wider realm of social realities (Scott Jones10). From this point, the term â€Å"Religious fundamentalism† refers to extremism and politicization in all varieties of religion. Increasingly, fundamentalism has become a pejorative label, often used synonymously with terrorism (Scott Jones18). Firth, Raymond. Religià ³n: A Humanist Interpretation. New York, NY: Routledge, 1996. Print. Ronald Johnstone L. Religion in Society, A Sociology of Religion, eighth edition. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, 2007. Print. Scott Jones, Julie. Being the Chosen: Exploring a Christian Fundamentalist Worldview. Surrey, England: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. 20 10. Print.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Analysis of The Godfather Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analysis of The Godfather - Assignment Example It is worth noting that movie shows all violence graphically. There are brutal beatings, machine gun killings, betrayals, and bodies soaked in blood. The murders are not so long but their expressions of horror on the victim's faces make it truly gruesome. Nudity and sex is a part of whole melodrama where the focus in on power, money and crime. Michael is back from the World War II to attend his sister Connie Corleone's wedding. Michael is not interested in his fathers business and wants to pass a normal life. A drug dealer Virgil Sollozzo (Al Lettieri) who is backed by Tattaglia family in his ventures wants to collaborate with Vito so as to get protection from his political connections and furthering his drug business. Vito is against the drug business that any godfather will be in any civilized society. With the godfather status enjoyed by Vito, he refuses to strike any deal with Sollozzo realizing that it may devastate his reputation in the society. This drives Sollozzo crazy and tempts him to lead an assassination attempt on Vito. While Vito in the hospital, his eldest son Sonny (James Caan) takes to rein in his hand and gets Bruno of Tattaglias family killed. Michael hatches a conspiracy and invites Sollozzo and his associate to a restaurant and finishes them successfully. The movie The Godfather reflects about the gang wars, gruesome assassinations, killings and gun throbbing that happen in the real world. After all, it is a power game that causes one gang to fight against another to establish their supremacy and control over the business. It is so spontaneous that business rivalry turns into a personal revenge in no time among two criminally active gangs. Usually, a business stake is so much that one is out to finish other in the open gang wars circumventing state laws and regulations. Marlon Brando has played a memorable character called The Godfather. Equally effective have been the roles played by Al Pacino of the youngest son Michael and James Caan playing for Vitos eldest son Sonny.  

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Security Analysis and Portfolio Management Research Paper

Security Analysis and Portfolio Management - Research Paper Example The current global financial crisis makes one industry performs better than the other. For the purpose of this report, the selected industry is food industry, because it is the largest industry in the United States. And its importance could never be underestimated. Hence, this industry would be analyzed using the factors highlighted below: 1. Industry life cycle: Azevedo et al (2004) explained clearly that US Food industry has a very long life cycle in the sense that since it began centuries ago, it has flourished from year to year. Food industry, as a matter of fact, is as old as human beings. 2. Past Sales: The past sales volume of the food industry in the United States is in the excess of 900 billion dollars a year (Nestle, 2003). And that volume increases every year with the introduction of new kinds of foods. The presence of convenience stores aids quick and easy sales of food in the United States. Convenience Stores like Wal-Mart and Costco have billions of dollars as their turnovers from food sales. 3. Permanence of industry: There is no doubt that as long as there are people on this earth to consume foods, food industry won’t go out of operation: it would collapse. And the development of new forms of food makes the industry to be constantly appealing to the customers. And since the pricing system in food industry is quite flexible, the industry could conveniently serve many classes of people in the society. What this statement means is that both the poor and the rich could afford to buy a corn, for instance, even though the quality of the corns they bought are different, because of different prices. Enactment of business laws: By making laws that could make the business activities in the sector of food industry, the US government provides a comfortable atmosphere for the industry to grow successfully. Farm subsidy: The United States is still one of the developed nations that offer some encouraging subsidies for farm products. Since

Monday, January 27, 2020

Budgeting as a Performance Management Technique

Budgeting as a Performance Management Technique â€Å"Financial measures are inadequate for guiding and evaluating organisations’ trajectories through competitive environments.† Kaplan and Norton (1996: 24) In the introductory quotation, Kaplan and Norton, in their call for a balanced performance management scorecard employing financial, customer, internal business process, and learning and growth perspectives, cite one reason why finances, including budgeting, are increasingly ineffective when used to the exclusion of other factors. The Beyond Budgeting Round Table (â€Å"BBRT – Beyond Budgeting Round Table† 2007: n.p.), self-described as â€Å"an independent, international research collaborative†, and others have identified additional drawbacks associated with focusing on budgeting as a performance management tool. This essay begins by identifying and discussing those drawbacks then continues with a discussion and evaluation of a proposed solution proposed by the BBRT. Over the past two decades the pace of competitive change has been occurring at an ever-increasing rate, but the budgetary processes of many organisations have not changed (Coombs 2005: 34). Coombs suggests that traditional budgetary processes add little value because they limit an organisation’s ability to react to environmental changes. Increasing numbers of organisations recognise this problem as indicated by expressions of dissatisfaction with existing budgeting processes (Fraser 2001: n.p.). Fraser claims that, as organisations realise the diminished value of budgeting in performance management, they are acknowledging the increasing costs of, and time required by, the current budgeting process. Parmenter (2003: n.p.) claims that increasing numbers of organisations in Europe, Asia, New Zealand, and the United States believe that the budget is a hindrance to management. Fraser (2000: n.p.) contends that the budgeting process, as part of the conventional performance improveme nt model, is too rigid to respond to rapid changes in today’s economy. In â€Å"About Beyond Budgeting – The Budgeting Problem†, the BBRT (2007: n.p.) identifies and describes problems with the traditional budgeting process. These problems are associated with budget management time and cost, user value, shareholder value, flexibility, business costs, product and strategy innovation, focus, relationship to strategy, culture, and ethics: Budgeting Time and Cost. The budgeting process is time consuming. Estimates of time consumed are as high as five months for each cycle, occupying 20 to 30 percent of financial managers’ and senior managers’ time. As an example of the cost of the traditional budgeting process, Ford Motor Company calculated the annual cost of its budgeting at US $1.2 billion. User Value. Although the budgeting process provides an element of control to some managers, the people who actually use budget information realise little value. For instance, almost 80 percent of finance staff time is spent on lower value activities with the small remainder devoted to higher-order activities such as financial analysis. Shareholder Value. Budgets concentrate on internal targets, which are heavily influenced by prior period budget results, rather than focusing on maximising value to customers and shareholders. Flexibility. Budgets are often too inflexible to support quick responses to changing environmental factors. Only one-fifth of all organisations change their budgets within the related fiscal period. Business Costs. Not fully spending budgeted amounts is discouraged in many organisations leading to a failure to adequately question budgetary requests. In this way, unnecessary business costs are protected rather than reduced. Product and Strategy Innovation. Traditional budgetary practices discourage risk taking because emerging opportunities are too often not reflected in current period budgets. Focus. The focus of budgets is frequently on sales goals instead of customer satisfaction. Although most organisations recognise the importance of customer satisfaction, individuals are often not rewarded on this factor; rather, they are rewarded on achieving sales targets. Relationship to Strategy. Budgets are often â€Å"divorced† from strategic decisions due to the poor support that budgets provide to organisational strategy. Culture. Traditional budgeting creates and maintains dependency cultures in organisations because people are deemed successful when they strictly adhere to budget figures. Ethics. The high importance of meeting budgetary goals may cause people to behave unethically, even fraudulently. Fortunately, there is an alternative to the traditional budget model. Coombs (2005: 34) suggests that this alternative should create and support a â€Å"performance climate†. The alternative should empower managers and encourage entrepreneurship throughout the organisation; should be externally-, rather than internally-, focused; and should provide an environment that promotes individual motivation. Claiming that it is â€Å"at the heart of a new movement searching for ways to build lean, adaptive and ethical enterprises that can sustain superior competitive performance†, the BBRT has developed a solution to increase the effectiveness of performance management in the twenty-first century (Fraser 2001: n.p.). Two concepts underlie the BBRT solution (â€Å"About Beyond Budgeting – Concepts† 2007: n.p.): adaptive processes and devolved networks. The BBRT recommends replacing fixed budgets with adaptive processes incorporating ambitious, regularly reviewed targets based on benchmarks, peer goals, and previous fiscal period results. The BBRT also recommends replacing centralised decision-making and performance accountability with devolved networks, which are achieved through decentralisation, to increase productivity, motivation, and customer service. The BBRT’s concepts of adaptive processes and devolved networks each embody six principles (â€Å"About Beyond Budgeting – The Principles† 2007: n.p.). Adaptive process principles include: (1) formulating goals based on maximising performance potential, (2) evaluating and rewarding based on contracts for relative improvement, (3) conducting action planning in a continuous and inclusive manner, (4) ensuring resource availability, (5) coordinating actions across the organisation based on customer demand, and (6) basing management controls on effective governance and ranges of performance indicators. Devolved network principles include: (1) instituting a governance framework with clear principles and boundaries, (2) establishing a high-performance climate, (3) delegating decision-making authority, (4) assigning decision-making responsibility commensurate with authority, (5) expecting accountability for customer results, and (6) creating information systems that supp ort ethical behaviour. The inadequacy of traditional budgeting as a performance management tool, considering the ever-increasing pace of environmental change faced by most organisations, is well supported by research conducted by the BBRT and others. The concepts and principles offered by the BBRT seem solid if somewhat limited in scope in that the BBRT, in heavily focusing on budgeting, does not furnish a comprehensive solution for the array of performance management issues faced by today’s managers despite its implicit call for such a holistic approach in its purpose of â€Å"searching for ways to build lean, adaptive and ethical enterprises that can sustain superior competitive performance†. Perhaps incorporating the BBRT’s recommendations into Kaplan and Norton’s broader balanced performance management scorecard approach, (1996: 44)—financial, customer, internal business process, and learning and growth perspectives—would yield a significantly stronger and more comprehensive approach for modern organisations. References Beyond Budgeting Round Table (2007) â€Å"About Beyond Budgeting – Concepts†, available from http://www.beyondbudgeting.plus.com/BBRTweb4/bbconcept.htm [Accessed: 7 March 2007]. Beyond Budgeting Round Table (2007) â€Å"About Beyond Budgeting – The Budgeting Problem†, available from http://www.beyondbudgeting.plus.com/BBRTweb4/bbprob.htm [Accessed: 7 March 2007]. Beyond Budgeting Round Table (2007) â€Å"About Beyond Budgeting – The Principles†, available from http://www.beyondbudgeting.plus.com/BBRTweb4/bbprinc.htm [Accessed: 7 March 2007]. Beyond Budgeting Round Table (2007) â€Å"BBRT Beyond Budgeting Round Table†, available from http://www.beyondbudgeting.plus.com/BBRTweb4/index.htm [Accessed: 7 March 2007]. Coombs, Hugh (2005) â€Å"Budgets Should Be Geared for Rapid Response†, Western Mail, June 18, 2005. Fraser, Robin (2000) â€Å"Beyond Budgeting: Organizational Devolution and Performance Management†, Strategic Finance, October 1, 2000. Fraser, Robin (2001) â€Å"Figures of Hate: Beyond Budgeting†, Financial Management (UK), February 1, 2001. Kaplan, Robert S., and Norton, David P. (1996) The Balanced Scorecard, Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Parmenter, David (2003) â€Å"Abandon Budgets and Set Your Enterprise Free†, New Zealand Management, October 1, 2003.