Organized Crime Exam 2 Study Guide

Exam Review 3/28/13 10:32 AM Rockefeller and Standard Oil (2) Proliferation of organized crime caused by: †¢ Collapse of Soviet Union †¢ Explosion of global markets Primary businesses †¢ Drugs †¢ Arms †¢ Human Trafficking – 3rd largest growing criminal industry o Article Handed out – On Test o 2 Components ? Labor ? Sex Trafficking o 1/3 of human trafficking resources come from craigslist Globalization and nexus of terrorism, differences from org crime †¢ Terrorism is inherently an organization that destroys politics, organized crime nurtures and infiltrates politics.Terr subvert government, org crime wants to maintain and run a parallel organiztion Where organized crime groups thrive †¢ Tri-border coiuntries – ability to cross, human trafficking, etc. Al Queda †¢ Using La Comorra to forge documents 3 different types of traditional organized crime †¢ Sicilian †¢ La Comorra from Sp prisons †¢ L’Ndranga? Popular in Australia and Canada, origin in slums of Collabria, Italy 4 types †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ of terrorism Criminal – profit, psychological gain EcoterroristsIdeological terrorism – effort to change political power. Mubarak in Egypt Nationalistic terrorism – terr activity that supports the interest of an ethnic or ____ group EX Afghanistan †¢ State sponsored terrorism – state threaten to use violence internationally, N KOREA Theories behind org crime †¢ Anomie – normlessness by Angle Durkheim. Robert Murton picked up on that theory. Break down his concept into GOALS and MEANS. 5 Categories of ppl o Conformity o Innovation o Ritualism o Retreatism o RebellionEdwin Sutherland Theory of_____ †¢ Close, intimate personal groups teach you mechanics and justification for criminal behavior Shawn McCay †¢ Concentric circles, Zone 2 the Zone of transition, where most crim activity is identified Theory of Olin – theo ry of relative deprivation and differential opportunity †¢ 3 categories o Retreat o Conflict o Criminal Ethnic succession concept Motorcycle Gangs †¢ 1%ers †¢ Probate, Citizen, Run, Colors, Significance of Harley Davidson repair manual †¢ 4 most notorious gangs †¢ Who Sonny Barger isLatino Organized Crime †¢ Columbia – world’s primary cocaine industry. o Political strife, civil war between wealthy landowners la Valencia o Castro overthrows Batista, how many narcotraffickers settle in N America o How Columbians began to export cocaine to Cuba, but eventually Cuba becomes their own organization o Medallin – first significant Columbian Cartel (Criminal Network resembling a holding company or corporation). Ocha family, primary family in the medallin cartel. ? Pablo Escobar – 1970s nothing but a drug dealer.By 1980s, emerged to such power that he attempted to engotaiot with Columbian govt to forego xtradition. They refused, he con tinues to promote drug organizeiton until he was assassinated o Followed by Cali Cartel ? Elmhurst Jackson Heights in Queens NY – little Columbia ? The Rejula brothers founded it. Incarcerated †¢ Mexico o PRI rule mexico for 70 years. Taken over by opposition party under Vicente fox †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ o Drug trafficking – initially working with Columbians, ****For every 2kilos brought in, Columbians gave 1 free**** Eventually Mexicans establish their own contacts – grow a majority of cocaine in Bolivia and peru, operate independently of Columbia o Amazucas Cartel – distinct notoriety in Methamohetamine o Sonola Cotel – Gusman/El Chapo / Shorty – mentioned in an ARTICLE ? How most powerful drug traffickers run their business o Tijuana Cartel – borders San Diego. ? Operated by 7 brothers, 4 sisters. o Sonora Cartel – borders Arizona Dominican Republic o Notorious transshipment point o Uptown manhattan pa rt of Washington Heights Known for moving large amts of heroin and crack cocaine v powder coke MS13 o El Salvador formed o Notoriously violent in el Salvador and N America La M o Prison based gang o Rely on wholesale violence o Now rivals a second Mexican-American Gang LA NUESTRA FAMILIA o Mexican Mafia still fueds with them o Primary business since it was formed in prisons is providing heroin in the Mexican prison system ARTICLE A JOURNEY INTO HELL – Not on test ***** 3/28/13 10:32 AM 3/28/13 10:32 AM Organized Crime Exam 2 Study Guide Exam Review 3/28/13 10:32 AM Rockefeller and Standard Oil (2) Proliferation of organized crime caused by: †¢ Collapse of Soviet Union †¢ Explosion of global markets Primary businesses †¢ Drugs †¢ Arms †¢ Human Trafficking – 3rd largest growing criminal industry o Article Handed out – On Test o 2 Components ? Labor ? Sex Trafficking o 1/3 of human trafficking resources come from craigslist Globalization and nexus of terrorism, differences from org crime †¢ Terrorism is inherently an organization that destroys politics, organized crime nurtures and infiltrates politics.Terr subvert government, org crime wants to maintain and run a parallel organiztion Where organized crime groups thrive †¢ Tri-border coiuntries – ability to cross, human trafficking, etc. Al Queda †¢ Using La Comorra to forge documents 3 different types of traditional organized crime †¢ Sicilian †¢ La Comorra from Sp prisons †¢ L’Ndranga? Popular in Australia and Canada, origin in slums of Collabria, Italy 4 types †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ of terrorism Criminal – profit, psychological gain EcoterroristsIdeological terrorism – effort to change political power. Mubarak in Egypt Nationalistic terrorism – terr activity that supports the interest of an ethnic or ____ group EX Afghanistan †¢ State sponsored terrorism – state threaten to use violence internationally, N KOREA Theories behind org crime †¢ Anomie – normlessness by Angle Durkheim. Robert Murton picked up on that theory. Break down his concept into GOALS and MEANS. 5 Categories of ppl o Conformity o Innovation o Ritualism o Retreatism o RebellionEdwin Sutherland Theory of_____ †¢ Close, intimate personal groups teach you mechanics and justification for criminal behavior Shawn McCay †¢ Concentric circles, Zone 2 the Zone of transition, where most crim activity is identified Theory of Olin – theo ry of relative deprivation and differential opportunity †¢ 3 categories o Retreat o Conflict o Criminal Ethnic succession concept Motorcycle Gangs †¢ 1%ers †¢ Probate, Citizen, Run, Colors, Significance of Harley Davidson repair manual †¢ 4 most notorious gangs †¢ Who Sonny Barger isLatino Organized Crime †¢ Columbia – world’s primary cocaine industry. o Political strife, civil war between wealthy landowners la Valencia o Castro overthrows Batista, how many narcotraffickers settle in N America o How Columbians began to export cocaine to Cuba, but eventually Cuba becomes their own organization o Medallin – first significant Columbian Cartel (Criminal Network resembling a holding company or corporation). Ocha family, primary family in the medallin cartel. ? Pablo Escobar – 1970s nothing but a drug dealer.By 1980s, emerged to such power that he attempted to engotaiot with Columbian govt to forego xtradition. They refused, he con tinues to promote drug organizeiton until he was assassinated o Followed by Cali Cartel ? Elmhurst Jackson Heights in Queens NY – little Columbia ? The Rejula brothers founded it. Incarcerated †¢ Mexico o PRI rule mexico for 70 years. Taken over by opposition party under Vicente fox †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ o Drug trafficking – initially working with Columbians, ****For every 2kilos brought in, Columbians gave 1 free**** Eventually Mexicans establish their own contacts – grow a majority of cocaine in Bolivia and peru, operate independently of Columbia o Amazucas Cartel – distinct notoriety in Methamohetamine o Sonola Cotel – Gusman/El Chapo / Shorty – mentioned in an ARTICLE ? How most powerful drug traffickers run their business o Tijuana Cartel – borders San Diego. ? Operated by 7 brothers, 4 sisters. o Sonora Cartel – borders Arizona Dominican Republic o Notorious transshipment point o Uptown manhattan pa rt of Washington Heights Known for moving large amts of heroin and crack cocaine v powder coke MS13 o El Salvador formed o Notoriously violent in el Salvador and N America La M o Prison based gang o Rely on wholesale violence o Now rivals a second Mexican-American Gang LA NUESTRA FAMILIA o Mexican Mafia still fueds with them o Primary business since it was formed in prisons is providing heroin in the Mexican prison system ARTICLE A JOURNEY INTO HELL – Not on test ***** 3/28/13 10:32 AM 3/28/13 10:32 AM

Let your life speak Essay

Questions for Reflection During which moments/activities do you feel most alive? What are your feelings about someone doing the right thing for the wrong reason? In what ways do you hear from God? What kinds of things most drain you? Stress you? What activities give you the space to reflect on what is going on inside you? How often do you do them? Consider the aphorism â€Å"Your greatest strength can also be your greatest weakness.† What is the connection between your strengths and your limits? Suggested Activity Pray through St. Ignatius’ Prayer of Examen. See www.marshill.org/groups/hc/ Select the link titled Prayer of Examen in the Practices section. Parker Palmer Let Your Life Speak Chapter 2-Now I Become Myself Quotes to think about â€Å"What a long time it can take to become the person one has always been. How often in the process we mask ourselves in faces that are not our own† [p. 9]. â€Å"We ourselves, driven by fear, too often betray true self to gain the approval of others† [p. 12]. â€Å"But inspected through the lens of paradox, my desire to become an aviator and an advertiser contain clues to the core of true self†¦clues, by definition, are coded and must be deciphered† [p. 13]. â€Å"If you seek vocation without understanding the material you are working with, what you build with your life will be ungainly and may well put lives in peril, your own and some of those around you† [p. 16]. â€Å"In the tradition of pilgrimage†¦hardships are seen not as accidental but as integral to the journey itself† [p. 18]. â€Å"I saw that as an organizer I had never stopped being a teacher-I was simply teaching in a classroom without walls. Make me a cleric or a CEO, a poet or a politico, and teaching is what I will do† [p. 21]. â€Å"People like me are raised to live autonomously, not interdependently. I had been trained to compete and win, and I had developed a taste for the prizes† [p. 22]. â€Å"Because I could not acknowledge my fear, I had to disguise it as the white horse of judgment and self-righteousness† [p. 28]. â€Å"Self care is never a selfish act-it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on the earth to offer to others† [p. 30]. â€Å"They decide no longer to act on the outside in a way that contradicts some truth about themselves that they hold deeply on the inside† [p. 32]. â€Å"Some journeys are direct, and some are circuitous; some are heroic, and some are fearful and muddled. But every journey, honestly undertaken, stands a chance of taking us toward the place where our deep gladness meets the world’s deep need† [p. 36]. Questions for reflection What role does gaining the approval of others play in how you live your life? As Palmer recalls his childhood, he is able to uncover clues to his true self. Parents, siblings, and even spouses are great sources of information to find out what you were like when you were younger. What were your childhood fascinations? Were you an artist? Were you building forts in the woods? What sorts of things held your attention? Are there connections between the things that fascinated you then and the life that you want to live now? Half-truths go hand in hand with fear. In our fear, it is much easier to look at another person, institution, or situation and point out shortcomings than it is to look at our own. Fear may motivate us to do the right thing for the wrong reasons. What are some of the fears that â€Å"trigger† you to lash out at others? Palmer says that â€Å"self care is good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift that I was placed on earth to offer others.† He goes on to say that a lack of self care hurts not only the individual but others as well. What does â€Å"self care† look like for you? What restores you? What are the things in your life that make your soul tired? Who are the Martin Luther King Jr.’s, the Rosa Parks’, and Gandhis: of your life? Who are the people that you admire so much that you seek to model aspects of your life after them? Why these people? Learning who you are doesn’t simply mean learning your strengths but also your limitations. â€Å"Who are you?† is a very broad and difficult question to answer. I may not be able to tell you â€Å"who I am,† but I’ve got a list of stories to tell you who I am not! Finish the sentence â€Å"I could never_____ it’s just not me.† Suggested Activity Palmer says that â€Å"clues are coded and must be deciphered.† Turn a blank sheet of paper on its side and draw a straight line from the left side to the right side. The line will serve as a chronological timeline of your life from birth until now. Place significant experiences and events that have shaped who you are today on the timeline. Examples: family of origin, deaths, births, school and work experiences, relationships, spiritual journey, great moments of joy, or great moments of sadness. Take time to share with one another about what is on your timeline and why it is significant. Parker Palmer Let Your Life Speak Chapter 3-When Way Closes Quotes to think about â€Å"There is as much guidance in what does not and cannot happen in my life as there is in what can and does-maybe more† [p. 39]. â€Å"If you are like me and don’t readily admit your limits, embarrassment may be the only way to get your attention† [p. 42]. â€Å"As Americans†¦we resist the very idea of limits, regarding limits of all sorts as temporary and regrettable impositions on our lives†¦We refuse to take no for an answer† [p. 42]. â€Å"When I consistently refuse to take no for an answer, I miss the vital clues to my identity that arise when way closes-and I am more likely both to exceed my limits and to do harm to others in the process† [p. 43]. â€Å"There are some roles and relationships in which we thrive and others in which we wither and die† [p. 44]. â€Å"It took me a long time to understand that although everyone needs to be loved, I cannot be the source of that gift to everyone who asks me for it† [p. 48]. â€Å"When I give something I do not possess, I give a false and dangerous gift, a gift that looks like love but is, in reality, loveless-a gift given more from my need to prove myself than from the other’s need to be cared for† [p. 48]. â€Å"Our strongest gifts are usually those we are barely aware of possessing. They are a part of our God given nature, with us from the moment we drew first breath, and we are no more conscious of having them than we are of breathing† [p. 52]. â€Å"Limitations and liabilities are the flip side of our gifts†¦a particular weakness is the inevitable trade-off for a particular strength. We will become better teachers not by trying to fill the potholes in our souls but by knowing them so well that we can avoid falling into them† [p. 52]. â€Å"If we are to live our lives fully and well, we must learn to embrace the opposites, to live in a creative tension between our limits and our potentials. We must honor our limitations in ways that do not distort our nature, and we must trust and use our gifts in ways that fulfill the potentials God gave us† [p. 55]. Questions for reflection Can you identify a moment in your life when God used a â€Å"closed door† instead of an â€Å"open door† to guide your life in the direction it needed to go? Discuss your experience.  Palmer says that embarrassment is sometimes the only way we become aware of our limitations. Identify and discuss an embarrassing moment that helped you become aware of your limitations. How does humor get used to avoid dealing with our shortcomings? In American culture, weaknesses and limitations are often viewed as things that need to be turned into strengths. Palmer seems to argue that in trying to turn our weaknesses into strengths we become something that we are not and end up living outside of ourselves. How does the idea that weaknesses should be identified and honored rather than turned into strengths strike you? If our strongest gifts are usually the ones that we are most unaware of, what types  of things do people tell you are your strengths that you feel unaware of? Suggested Activity Identify and write down two recent moments in your life. 1. A moment when things went so well that you felt confident that you were born to do whatever you were doing at the time. 2. A moment when something went so poorly that you never wanted to repeat the experience again. Break into groups of two or three people and share these moments. In the groups, begin by helping one another see the strengths that made the great moment possible. After doing that, reflect with one another about the moment that went poorly. Instead of offering critiques, think about the strengths discussed in the first moment. Knowing that our strengths and weaknesses are often opposites, help each other identify if there is a connection between the strength of the first moment and the weakness of the second moment. How are they two sides of the same coin? When everyone has finished gather back together as one group and discuss what you discovered. Parker Palmer Let Your Life Speak Chapter 4: All the Way Down *Before your discussion of chapter 4, it is very important to lay a framework for your discussion. Anytime people are discussing their brokenness, it must be done in a place of safety and confidentiality. Ask the group to be attentive to not try to â€Å"fix† one another as you interact. If you sense this beginning to happen, remind everyone that you are not trying to fix one another but to help one another hear. Also, be sure to communicate how important it is that what is discussed remains confidential. Quotes to think about â€Å"I had no choice but to write about my own deepest wound†¦I rarely spoke to him about my own darkness; even in his gracious presence, I felt too ashamed† [p. 57]. â€Å"Second, depression demands that we reject simplistic answers, both  Ã¢â‚¬Å"religious† and â€Å"scientific,† and learn to embrace mystery, something our culture resists† [p. 60]. â€Å"I do not like to speak ungratefully of my visitors. They all meant well, and they were among the few who did not avoid me altogether† [p. 61]. â€Å"Depression is the ultimate state of disconnection, not just between people but between one’s mind and one’s feelings. To be reminded of that disconnection only deepened my despair† [p. 62]. â€Å"I heard nothing beyond their opening words, because I knew they were peddling a falsehood: no one can fully experience another person’s mystery† [p. 62]. â€Å"One of the hardest things we must do sometimes is to be present to another person’s pain without trying to â€Å"fix† it, to simply stand respectfully at the edge of that person’s mystery and misery† [p. 63]. â€Å"Functional atheism-saying pious words about God’s presence in our lives but believing, on the contrary, that nothing good is going to happen unless we make it happen† [p. 64].  Ã¢â‚¬Å"First, I had been trained as an intellectual not only to think-an activity I greatly value-but also to live largely in my head†¦Ã¢â‚¬  [p. 67]. â€Å"I had to be forced underground before I could understand that the way to God is not up but down† [p. 69].  Ã¢â‚¬Å"One of the most painful discoveries I made in the midst of the dark woods of depression was that a part of me wanted to stay depressed. As long as I clung to this living death, life became easier; little was expected of me, certainly not serving others† [p. 71]. Questions for reflection Identifying our wounds is a critical part of the inward journey. Think back to the timeline you drew in the Chapter 2 activity. What are the wounds you have suffered? In what ways does shame cause you to hide who you are from others? Discuss the following statement: Sometimes not having answers to some of life’s questions can be comforting. Do you agree? Why or why not? Do you feel it is important to â€Å"show up† when others experience hardship or tragedy? Why or why not? Discuss Palmer’s suggestion that no one can fully experience another person’s mystery and misery. How is the phrase â€Å"I know exactly how you feel† a positive statement between two people? How is it a negative statement? How do you see â€Å"functional atheism† in the world around you? In your life? What does â€Å"the way to God is down† mean to you? Palmer says â€Å"part of me wanted to stay depressed.† Why do you think we hold onto our pain despite the fact that we want it to stop? Suggested Activity Have someone read Job 2:9-13. What can we learn about how Job’s friends respond in these few verses? Read Job 4:8 and then Job 13:5. What is Eliphaz suggesting about Job in 4:8? What can be learned from Job’s response in 13:5? Parker Palmer Let Your Life Speak Chapter 5-Leading from Within Quotes to think about â€Å"I lead by word and deed simply because I am here doing what I do. If you are also here, doing what you do, then you also exercise leadership of some sort† [p. 74]. â€Å"Why must we go in and down? Because as we do so, we will meet the darkness that we carry within ourselves-the ultimate shadows that we project onto other people. If we do not understand that the enemy is within, we will find a thousand ways of making someone â€Å"out there† into the enemy, becoming leaders who oppress rather than liberate others† [p. 80]. â€Å"But why would anybody want to take a journey of that sort, with its multiple difficulties and dangers? Everything in us cries out against it-which is why we externalize everything. It is so much easier to deal with the external world, to spend our lives manipulating materials and institutions and other people instead of dealing with our own souls† [p. 82]. â€Å"Why would anyone want to embark on the daunting inner journey about which Annie Dillard writes? Because there is no way out of one’s inner life, so one had better get into it. On the inward and downward spiritual journey, the only way out is in and through† [p. 85]. â€Å"But extroversion sometimes develops as a way to cope with self-doubt: we plunge into external activity to prove that we are worthy-or simply to evade the question† [p. 86]. â€Å"the knowledge that identity does not depend on the role w e play or the power it gives us over others. It depends only on the simple fact that we are children of God, valued in and for ourselves† [p. 87]. â€Å"A few people found ways to be present to me without violating my soul’s integrity. Because they were not driven by their own fears, the fears that lead us either to â€Å"fix† or abandon each other†¦Ã¢â‚¬  [p. 93]. Questions for reflection Palmer suggests that anyone who is alive is a leader. He broadens the typical definition of leadership to include things like family dynamics and relationships. Discuss your thoughts on this.  What monsters do you need to â€Å"ride all the way down?† What might that look like?  What activities have you been part of in order to prove your worth or value? Palmer finishes the chapter by saying that it is possible for communities to be with one another in a way that is safe and honoring. What do you think makes communities feel unsafe? We are meant to support and journey with one another. What alternatives are there for journeying together beyond â€Å"fixing or abandoning?† Suggested Activity  Read Matthew 15:2,10, and 11.  Have someone wrap an empty box as you would a birthday or Christmas gift. Decorate the exterior with ribbons, bows, and other gift decorations. Set the gift in the middle of the room and ask people to make observations about the wrapping: What can we tell about the person who wrapped the box based on the wrapping? After several minutes of observation, have someone open the  gift to reveal the empty box. Jesus observes that the Pharisees are so concerned with the exterior that they neglect what is inside. How is this true in our lives? Parker Palmer Let Your Life Speak Chapter 6-There Is a Season Quotes to think about â€Å"Animated by the imagination, one of the most vital powers we possess, our metaphors often become reality, transmuting themselves from language into the living of our lives† [p. 96]. â€Å"We do not believe that we â€Å"grow† our lives-we believe that we â€Å"make† them† [p. 97]. â€Å"We are here not only to transform the world but also to be transformed† [p. 97]. â€Å"In my own experience of autumn, I am rarely aware that seeds are being planted† [p. 98]. â€Å"In retrospect, I can see in my own life what I could not see at the time-how the job I lost helped me find work I needed to do, how the â€Å"road closed† sign turned me toward terrain I needed to travel, how losses that felt irredeemable forced me to discern meanings I needed to know† [p. 99]. â€Å"There is in all visible things†¦a hidden wholeness† [p. 99]. â€Å"Until we enter boldly into the fears we most want to avoid, those fears will dominate our lives† [p. 103]. â€Å"If you receive a gift, you keep it alive not by clinging to it but by passing it along†¦If we want to save our lives, we cannot cling to them but must spend them with abandon† [p. 105]. â€Å"Authentic abundance does not lie in secured stockpiles of food or cash or influence or affection but in belonging to a community where we can give those goods to others who need them-and receive them from others when we are in need† [p. 108]. â€Å"Community doesn’t just create abundance-community is abundance. If we could learn that equation from the world of nature, the human world might be transformed† [p. 108]. Questions for reflection  What season do you feel that you are currently in? Why? In your mind, what is the weirdest most obscure animal in all of God’s good creation? Why do you suppose God is so detailed and extravagant with his creation? What things contribute to the loss of imagination? In what ways do you â€Å"make your life† rather than listen for what God desires to make of your life? God asks that his people join him in redeeming and restoring the world. How are you joining God to redeem and restore the world? Remember that God is about details and extravagance. We can sometimes feel that the way we join God is small and insignificant compared to the way others do. But it isn’t. God created you to be a gift to Him and to the world and you have something to offer. What is it? How is this process transforming you? The way of Jesus, which is the way of the cross, compels us to use our freedom and abundance for the benefit of others. What does it look like for you to live for the benefit of others? What does it look like for your community? Suggested Activity After discussing what it might look like for your community to live for the benefit of others, finish by holding hands in a circle and reciting the Lord’s Prayer. [Matthew 6:9-13].

Introduction to China Essay

IntroduMing emperor Yung-lo and commander in chief of the Chinese expeditionary fleet to the South Seas in the early years of the 15th century. Born into a family named Ma, presumably of Mongol- Arab origin, In central Yunnan Province, Cheng Ho was selected to be castrated by the general In charge of recruiting eunuchs for the court In 1381, when he was about 10. Assigned to the retinue of Chu Tl, who later became emperor, Cheng accompanied him on military campaigns, culminating in the usurpation of the throne by Chu Ti in 402. Ma Ho proved himself to be an exceptional servant to Prince Zhu Di. He became skilled in the arts of war and diplomacy and served as an officer of the prince. Zhu Di renamed Ma Ho as Cheng Ho because the eunuch’s horse was killed in battle outside of a place called Zhenglunba. (Cheng Ho is also Zheng He in the newer Pinyin transliteration of Chinese but he’s still most commonly called Cheng Ho). Cheng Ho was also known as San Bao which means â€Å"three Jewels. † Cheng Ho, who was said to have been seven feet tall, was given greater power when Zhu Di became emperor in 402. One year later, Zhu Di appointed Cheng Ho admiral and ordered him to oversee the construction of a Treasure Fleet to explore the seas surrounding China. Admiral Cheng Ho was the first eunuch appointed to such a high military position In China. Because of a report that the former emperor Hul-tl had fled overseas, but probably with other good reasons, such as promoting Chinese influence or trade opportunities, Yunglo sent out expealtlons overseas unaer cneng’s command. In a perloa 0T 2 years, from 1405 to 1433, Cheng directed seven expeditions and visited no fewer than 7 countries, stretching from Champa in the east to the African coast in the west. In preparation for these expeditions, some 1,180 ships of various types and measurements were constructed. The size of the fleet varied from voyage to voyage. The first expedition consisted of a 27,800-man crew and 62 large vessels and 255 smaller ones carrying cargoes of silk, embroideries, and other valuable products. Cheng took personal command of each voyage, but he often entrusted his lieutenants to undertake side trips away from the main itinerary. The countries visited ranged rom the nearby states, such as Champa, Sumatra, and Java, to the faraway lands to the East, including Arabia and places on the east African coast, such as Mogadishu and Brawa. The purpose of these trips was to assure foreigners of China’s friendliness, extend imperial gifts and greetings to the chiefs of the foreign kingdoms, and report the conditions of these distant lands to the court. But at the same time, Cheng’s fleet also managed to annihilate a powerful Chinese pirate, interfere in a Javanese war, and reinstate a legitimate ruler in Ceylon. Yielding loads f exotic native products, the expeditions were often followed by tribute-bearing envoys from across the sea. Nonetheless, these voyages were criticized by Chinese officials as useless and wasteful of resources. After Yunglo’s death in 1424, the expeditions were suspended, and Cheng was made a garrison commander of Nanking. The last voyage (1432-1433) took place under the auspices of Emperor Hs?an-te. Cheng is customarily said to have died in 1435/1436, at the age of 65, but one source holds that he died early in 1433. Cheng’s expeditions, undertaken almost century before those of Christopher Columbus and Vasco de Gama, not only strengthened China’s influence over its neighbors but also marked a unique achievement in the history of maritime enterprise. A navigational chart attributable to the expeditions has been preserved and translated into English. First voyage (1405-1407) The first Treasure Fleet consisted of 62 ships; four were huge wood boats, some of the largest ever built in history. They were approximately 400 feet (122 meters) long and 160 feet (50 meters) wide. The four were the flagships of the fleet of 62 ships assembled at Nanjing along the Yangtze (Chang) River. Included in the fleet were 339-foot (103-meter) long horse ships that carried nothing but horses, water ships that carried fresh water for the crew, troop transports, supply ships, and war ships for offensive and defensive needs. The ships were filled with thousands of tons of Chinese goods to trade with others during the voyage. In the fall of 1405 the fleet was ready to embark with 27,800 men. The fleet utilized the compass, invented in China in the 1 lth century, for navigation. Graduated sticks of incense were burned to measure time. One day was equal to 10 â€Å"watches† of 2. 4 hours each. Chinese navigators determine latitude through monitoring the North Star (Polaris) in the Northern Hemisphere or the Southern Cross in the Southern Hemisphere. The ships of the Treasure Fleet communicated with one another through the use of flags, lanterns, bells, carrier pigeons, gongs, and banners. The destination of the first voyage of the Treasure Fleet was Calicut, known as a major trading center on the southwestern coast of India. India was initially â€Å"discovered† by Chinese overland explorer Hsuan- ‘sang In tne seventn century. I ne meet stopped In Vietnam, Java, ana Malacca, ana hen headed west across the Indian Ocean to Sri Lanka and Calicut and Cochin (cities on the southwest coast of India). They remained in India to barter and trade from late 1406 to the spring of 1407 when they utilized the monsoon shift to sail toward home. On the return voyage, the Treasure Fleet was forced to battle pirates near Sumatra for several months. Eventually Cheng Ho’s men managed to capture the pirate leader and take him to the Chinese capital Nanjing, arriving in 1407. second voyage (1407-1409) A second voyage of the Treasure Fleet departed on a return trip to India in 1407 but Cheng Ho did not command this voyage. He remained in China to oversee the repair of a temple at the birthplace of a favorite goddess.

Human Resource Systems Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Resource Systems - Assignment Example Empowering employees and organizing around teams are aimed by BMW for facilitating communication and making it easier for decisions to be made. It helps the company to respond quickly to customer's needs and it's competitor's challenges. It helps them learn to prioritize tasks and reduce job stress. A workforce that is knowledgeable and skilled at doing complex things keeps a company competitive and attracts investments. Improved productivity means fewer people, less money, less time, less space and fewer resources. Bonuses are given to workers on giving superb ideas related to cutting cost savings, as they are directly involved in production. BMW prefers increased participation from the worker's side. They must give at least three ideas with eight hundred pound for each idea and to qualify for full annual bonus up to two hundred and sixty six pounds. This is done to save 3.6 M annually. The company has also increased workers pay from 2,500 pounds to 4,500 pounds. Many of the workers are hired on temporary basis and working days are fixed to seven-day operation. Working time account was introduced in the company and workers were paid even when the plant remained shut for retooling. The hours missed were made up later. The company provided ease to the workers by giving them the opportunity to take off over time later as holidays. The company saved more than six ... The main goal of the company is to cut cost and improve productivity. BMW consider people as a source of competitive advantage. There is quality of work life at the company that is; employee participation, career development, conflict resolution, communication, wellness, job security, safe environment and pride. Staffing, retention, development, adjustment and change management are the activities, which are successfully implemented at BMW. It maximizes the corporate profits through the better management and use of people as a result of which the company has achieved high profits. As workers are directly involved in production and they have more knowledge about the technical aspects so they are involved in decision making by telling them to give ideas related to cutting costs. Incentives are provided on each idea and the implementation of these ideas gives pride and satisfaction to the workers. BMW believes that happy and satisfied workers are more productive. The workers enjoy social security as fair compensation plans are used by the company to reward workers. The company facilitates and encourages performance by providing sufficient rewards that employees really value. Employees are not over burdened by making them to work for long hours. The environment facilitates their work. Thus competency-based pay is provided to them based upon their skills, depth of knowledge and the work accomplished by them. Performance incentives are provided to them and they get reasonable chance to gain high salary. The link between performance and rewards is high. Workload standards have been set in the company and the work is assigned equitably. There is a philosophy of co-operation and involvement. By successful implementation of HR Systems and practices BMW has achieved enhanced

Criminal defence of provocation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Criminal defence of provocation - Essay Example A proposed bill however is pending in Parliament which seeks to remedy the ills of the law. Called the Coroner and Justice Bill, the proposed law is set to abolish provocation as a partial defence and introduce the ‘loss of control’ law in its lieu, using more stringent and specific language that will hopefully narrow down the application of the law and remove the hindrance to a more just application of the partial defence. The doctrine of provocation is a common law doctrine, which has been altered by the statutory law. As embodied in the Homicide Act of 1957, the doctrine works to serve as a mitigating factor in the crime of murder. Section 3 of the said Act specifically delegates the task of determining its existence to the jury in murder cases. Thus: There are, therefore, two things that a jury must do relative to the above provision: determine whether the defendant acted out of loss of self-control, and; whether a reasonable man would have similarly acted as the offender. The case of R v Camplin [1978] 2 All ER defined a reasonable man as â€Å"a person having the power of self-control, to be expected of an ordinary person of the same age and sex as the accused, but in other aspects sharing such of the accused’s characteristics as they think would affect the gravity of the provocation to him† (qtd Slapper & Kelly pp 108-109). The doctrine of provocation acts as a partial defence, which if successful results in partial responsibility or in simple terms, reduces murder to manslaughter. The doctrine is not applicable to any other kind of offense (Ashworth & Mitchell pp 72-73). Provocation is raised by the defence and the judge himself directs the jury to consider the element. The judge has to determine first the acts done or words uttered that directly affected the defendant’s self-control and provoked him/ her to kill (Stone 68). In the case of R v Cocker [1989] Crim LR 740, for

Why is Charlemagne considered to be the Imperial Father of Europe Essay

Why is Charlemagne considered to be the Imperial Father of Europe - Essay Example He implemented the livre caroliniene standard based upon a pound of silver as the currency of his region. As an economic innovator, he also lay the groundwork for standard accounting practices and computations used for record keeping. Such great accomplishments for a man who was known to many as being uneducated. Though not formally educated himself, the man had a thirst for knowledge and learning. Which is why his reign gave particular importance to growing the academic successes of his people. He is credited with having ushered in the Carolingian Renaissance era that is embodied by the continuous growth of scholarships, literature, and art during his reign. Allowing for a free exchange of knowledge and experience between the countries of his conquering that increased the number of schools and book copying centers in France. Though he worked hard to establish the stability of his empire on both the political and religious front, Charlemagnes attempts to find the perfect balance between the relationship of Church and State was a tenuous one as his reign was based upon the loyalty, efficiency, and support, of his subjects. Religious pressures aside, he still managed to implement what he felt were important political reforms in the realm for the benefit of his subjects. Such were the documented accomplishments of Charlemagne throughout his life that it is easy to see how he could easily have come to be known as the â€Å"Imperial Father† of Europe even if the Roman Catholic church had not bestowed the same title upon him in an apparent political move meant to give the church the upper hand when it came to empire

Sociology class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Sociology class - Essay Example So what does sociology actually imply? For me, based on my own understanding, sociology is concerned with individual action that is unavoidably connected to the action and behavior of other people. Hence, the focus of sociology is quite extensive, encompassing all issues of our social behavior. Nevertheless, the abovementioned description of sociology can be confined. Take for instance an aspect of behavior like a consumer’s decision to buy a product. In general we would view this behavior as an economic act in the sense that it involves a monetary transaction. However the consumer’s choice to buy can also be regarded as being a sociological act, because it definitely has personal significance for the consumer, and it is directed towards the assumed and actual conduct of other actors such as salespeople, other consumers, etc. So what is the importance of sociology? Why do we have to learn about it? Sociology becomes increasingly important nowadays due to the sweeping progress of globalization. This event led to the far-reaching transformation of the globe’s political landscape. The traditional state was displaced by a completely new form of ‘nation state’ founded on transnational institutions, areas, and metropolises. Hence, because of this, sociology becomes indispensable to the understanding of the effects of globalization on the current standing of the nation state. However, some argues that sociology loses its importance because of globalization. I do not think so. Sociology will never lose its importance in present-day civilizations. While long-established societies and cultures were displaced by the new systems, a contemporary sociology embracing them displaced traditional sociology. Certainly, the similarity between traditional sociology and the contemporary one is that as the former emerged in reaction to contained modernization, observed through the occurrences of industrialization and, later on, urbanization, contemporary

Online Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Online Education - Research Paper Example Recent findings that compare classroom and web based learning experiences have found that online teaching was superior to the traditional classroom instructive methods, with regards to declarative knowledge outcomes and was equivalent with regards to procedural learning outcomes (Bender, 2008). On average, students involved in online-teaching conditions are more likely to perform better than students who receive face-to-face instructions. These differences, however, are not necessarily rooted in the utilized media. Generally, advantages of online instruction reflect the differences in learning time, pedagogy, and content (Karacapilidis et al, 2012). Direct comparisons between blended and online learning conditions did not find any significant difference regarding student level of learning. Effectiveness or efficacy of pure and blended, online education processes is dependent on the instructive elements of the two methods. Usually, blended delivery instruction, or face-to-face instruc tion, provides more opportunity for collaborative learning not received by students who are ion control situations (Karacapilidis et al, 2012). Online readers that spend more time on the activity compared to face-to-face conditions find a greater benefit in learning. It is vital to note, however, that the research done so far on blended vs. online instructional methods is not very conclusive. However, there is an argument that the medium of learning is simply a bearer of content that has minimal effect on the process of learning per se. As a matter of fact, gender and SAT scores are stronger predictors of college student performance on the post-test with procedural and conceptual items than was the form of online unit to which the student was exposed (Weller, 2012). In... This report talks that on average, students involved in online-teaching conditions are more likely to perform better than students who receive face-to-face instructions. These differences, however, are not necessarily rooted in the utilized media. Generally, advantages of online instruction reflect the differences in learning time, pedagogy, and content. In order for online learning to become more acceptable as a mode of teaching, a few best practices need to be carried out. Online quizzes or videos have minimal influence on what students are able to learn in class. Additionally, there should be a course moderator to instruct the discussion groups when the students need to respond to a given scenario. Finally, there should be social scripts that structure the modes of interactions between students. This paper approves that 21st century higher education certainly has taken to online education, with US President Obama talking about expansion of access to higher education. The evidence shows that, for those who want to learn and demonstrate their academic knowledge, online education is an affordable and workable alternative to the more traditional methods of getting a post-secondary education. Online learning will allow students from all classes of the economy to take advantage of opportunities, which might have been otherwise out of their reach. Best of all, students will no longer need to take, on unmanageable and excessive debt to study. Online education will level the playfield somewhat in the higher education sector.

Opposition to Medical Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Opposition to Medical Marijuana - Essay Example Over the past two decades, however, a growing controversy has arisen regarding the classification of marijuana as having no legitimate medical purpose. There is growing support among the public and the medical community to rewrite the laws currently prohibiting use of marijuana so that its medical benefits can be of use for those with no other outlet. Marijuana has been used for medical purposes in the U.S. since at least the 19th century. Legal at the time, the drug was instantly popular as a treatment for pain ranging form headaches to menstrual cramps. Of course, simply using a drug to treat pain is not the same as evidence that it does treat the pain. Proponents of legalizing marijuana use for medical reasons raise evidence that marijuana has been proven effective in treating everything from glaucoma to cancer. It has even been hailed as being capable of prolonging the life of Aids patients. Closer scrutiny of the available scientific research, however, reveals that marijuana simply falls far short of what is commonly considered a medical treatment. Dr. Lester Grinspoon, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard, is one of those leading the call for reclassifying marijuana so that it can be used as a medicine. ... on would be unthinkable." Grinspoon is apparently willing to ignore that at one time or another throughout history a large majority of doctors were firm believers in treatments that run directly counter to the overwhelming majority opinion today. Indeed, the very idea that just because a minority of doctors would make a suggestion then that makes strengthens your case is fallacious. After all, if 44% said they would recommend marijuana treatment, doesn't that by definition mean that 56% of doctors would advise against it Grinspoon certainly does not rest his case based solely upon physician surveys, but the fact that puts such stock in the findings does not help his credibility. The credibility of the pro-medicinal marijuana movement cannot help but be considered a large issue. Opponents typically take the argument that the movement to allow legal medicinal use is just the first step in a plan to decriminalize marijuana entirely. This perspective has not been helped by certain facets of the pro-legalization movement. A former director of Director of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), Keith Stroup, addressed the true motivation of the push to legalize marijuana for medicinal use as far back as 1979 when he gave a speech at Emory University audience that "medicinal marijuana would be used as a red herring to give marijuana a good name" (Souder, and Zimmer). Richard Cowan, a writer for the pro-marijuana High Times Magazine, would be even more explicit, explaining in no uncertain terms how the pro-legalization movement has used "medical model as spearheading a strategy for the legalization of marijuana by 1997" (Souder, and Zimmer). The movement suffered a major setback in 1997 failed to get a ballot initiative passed in

Non-Democratic Regimes for Transition Assignment

Non-Democratic Regimes for Transition - Assignment Example In other countries, the transition to democracy stuck and the countries reversed from becoming democrats to non-democratic countries. However, this transition and the latest setback are only temporary. It is important to consider why democracy transition countries are in trouble as well as the conditions under which democracies can function and survive best to transit become to the democratic states. Democratization can occur anywhere even the most unexpected countries thus it is important to note though consolidation and stable democracies are hard to achieve due to ineffective governments in the associated countries. The answer to the argument that is raised above will point to essential areas needed in ensuring that the development ought to be successful. These can be described as the conditions for venturing into a stable democracy and ensuring that the development is a success. This condition includes the countries having a relatively high and stable level of the economy, having a vibrant civil society and a strong civic authority. For the non-democratic country to have a smooth transition, it is necessary for them to have a strong civil authority as well as a firm level of the economy. These necessary conditions are characterized by the old and stable democracies that have stable democracies (Juan J Linz and Stepan, 269). However, they remain not the only things that are lacking in the most of transitioning and third wave countries. Rather, another the attributes that these states are lacking is the provision of a coherent and stable functioning state. Democratization in a country is likely to become a success when the new state regime is distinguished from the former regime.  

Elements of Religious Traditions Essay Example for Free

Elements of Religious Traditions Essay The term religion can bring up mixed emotions in people. Many people have different religious views and their traditions usually follow that religion. Religion is very vast and there are many different forms, views, traditions, and beliefs within each religion. Certain religions are monotheism, some are polytheism, and others are pantheism. Each religion encourages relationships with the divine, sacred time, sacred space or the natural world, and relationships with others. Relationships with the divine According to Molloy (2010), â€Å"All religions are concerned with the deepest level of reality, and for most religions the core or origin of everything is sacred and mysterious† (p 7). Each religion often calls the sacred by name such as Divine Parent, Great Spirit, the Divine, and the Holy to name a few (Molloy, 2010). Monotheism is a term that means belief in one God (Molloy, 2010). Polytheism is the belief in many Gods or Goddesses; the multiple Gods may be separate or a multiple manifestation of the same sacred reality (Molloy, 2010). Pantheism is the belief that the sacred as being discoverable within the physical world, in other words nature itself is holy (Molloy, 2010). Recently there are people who tend to deny the existence of any God or gods which is described as atheism (Molloy, 2010). Relationship with Sacred Time According to Molloy (2010), â€Å"Our everyday lives go on in ordinary time, which we see as moving forward into the future. Sacred time, however, is the time of eternity†(p 43). Many people have different names for this measurement of time such as the Artic people refer to it as â€Å"distant time†, Australian aboriginals refer to it as â€Å"dream time†(Molloy, 2010). Although there are many different names for sacred time they all refer to the time of eternity and each religion has a different theory on sacred time. Some people believe that sacred time is cyclical and returns to its origins for renewal. Others feel that by recalling and ritually reliving the deeds of the gods and ancestors (Molloy, 2010). Indigenous religions even structure their daily lives to conform to mythical events in sacred time which creates a sense of holiness in their daily lives (Molloy, 2010). Certain religions strongly encourage a relationship with sacred time and others tend to not worry about sacred time. Christianity for instance knows that someday Christ will return to earth however most Christians do not center their lives on waiting for this day. However some Christians live everyday as if it will be the day He returns and strive to be worthy in His eyes when that day does come. Relationship with Sacred Space or the Natural World Just like ordinary time there is also ordinary space. Sacred space refers to the doorway in which the other world of gods and ancestors can contact us and we can contact them (Molloy, 2010). Sacred space is often considered the center of the universe where powers and holiness are strongest; where we can go to renew our own strength (Molloy, 2010). In certain native religions sacred space is a mountain, great volcano, or other striking natural site. In Australian aboriginal religions Uluru (Ayers Rock) is their sacred center (Molloy, 2010). Sacred space can also be constructed into a certain shape, special building, or a boundary. For some religions, sacred space is often in the form of a church where people go to worship, pray, and learn about God; some churches are even built extremely tall to be â€Å"closer† to God. Critical Issues What should we study in order to properly understand religions? What attitude should we have when we study the religions of others? How can researchers be objective? These are just some of the complex questions that researchers should ask before attempting to study religions. Some of the issues in the first century included inability to travel, incomplete scriptures, or the translation they depended on were not accurate (Molloy, 2010). One of the main critical issues when studying religion is forming a prior opinion that can create a bias on the research. If a Buddhist is studying Christianity his opinion could be bias because of his own personal opinions on religion or a preference of his own beliefs versus the other. Conclusion Religion is sometimes defined as to join again. According to the common dictionary the word religion is defined as â€Å"a system of belief that involves worship of a God or gods, prayer, ritual, and a moral code† (Molloy, 2010 p 5). Within each religion there are specific beliefs, traditions, and values. Many religions encourage the relationships with the divine, sacred time, sacred space or the natural world. It is also crucial to identify critical key issues when studying religions. Whether someone worships one God, many gods, goddesses, or denies any existence of God or gods it is important to look inside each religion with an open mind. References Molloy, M. (2010). Experiencing the world’s religions: Tradition, challenge, and change (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

The ethical theories of natural law and situation ethics Essay Example for Free

The ethical theories of natural law and situation ethics Essay There are two main approaches to ethics which are held by Christians today. Over the years it has proved to be a very controversial and widely debated issue. Catholics and certain other strict denominations of the Christian church hold the view that natural law should be the means of making ethical decisions, whereas more liberal Christians consider situation ethics as a more suitable ethical system to go by. Natural law was advocated by St Thomas Aquinas in the thirteenth century. It states that all ethical decisions should be made by looking at the absolute moral laws which have been laid down for us by God. For Christians these stem from The Ten Commandments. Believers in this are known as Ethical Deontologists. They maintain that an action is intrinsically good, bad, right or wrong. When faced with a moral dilemma, one should refer to the Law, irrespectively of what the outcome will be. It is suggested that the human purpose of life is to live and reproduce, to live harmoniously, to learn and to worship God. Problems can arise when the consequence of the decision causes more harm than good. An example of this can be found in Catholic moral theology abortion is immoral and can never be permitted. A loophole in this law means that a surgical procedure may be acceptable even if the result of it leads to the death of a foetus. In this case abortion isnt the primary intention, but is a by-product of the primary objective. This makes it permissible, but can lead to further problems if there are more biological complications. It is at points such as this that the basic natural law approach begins to fall apart. In this day and age it is becoming increasingly difficult to apply absolute moral laws to every situation that arises. On the basis of the principle, it could be argued that it is acceptable to kill thousands of Afghans so as to avoid the deaths of a few Americans. Evil effects can be easily justified by claiming that they are by-products of ones actions. This brings us to the question of whether God has laid down firm and unalterable rules or whether as human beings, we need to make our own moral decisions. As a result of the major flaws that appear in the theory of natural law, a Teleological approach to ethics was later introduced by the Anglican theologian, Joseph Fletcher, although the basic ideas of situation ethics have a much longer history. This relative theory of ethics is based on consequentiality the outcome of an action. The main principle of this theory is that for an action to be ethical, it simply has to be carried out in a loving manner. Nothing is intrinsically good except for love. Actions are good if they help human beings and they are bad if they hurt people there are no other criteria. What is right in one case may be wrong in another. The individual and the situation are the only important thing when making a decision, rather than applying a principle (for example thou shalt not kill). The following quotations help to summarise situation ethics, There is only one ultimate and invariable duty, and its formula is Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. How to do this is another question, but this is the whole of moral duty. (William Temple) The law of love is the ultimate law because it is the negation of law; it is absolute because it concerns everything concretethe absolutism of love is its power to go into concrete situations. (Paul Tillich) Even though the teleological approach is a relative theory of ethics, it still involves an absolute law which is to do everything in love. However, the relativity of this theory allows room for exceptions to rules. Relativism doesnt imply that anything goes. For something to be relative, youve got to have something to be a benchmark, and situation ethics states that it should be relative to love. Fletcher said that it relativises the absolute, it does not absolutise the relative! Jesus and the apostles replaced the Torah, the strict Jewish Law with the principle of love. In the New Testament Jesus condemns the Pharisees for taking the Jewish Laws to such extremes because it loses the spirit in which the Law was written. This Christian love that Jesus taught and lived is known as agape. Agape does not depend on being loved in return. The command of love calls individuals to a high level of personal responsibility. Agape is not selective and doesnt have favourites it is a matter of attitude not feeling. It desires the good of others, not of the self. Above all, Christian love is practical (James 2:14-26). Jesus tells us that we should love our enemies our neighbour is anybody and everybody. As with just about every theory of morality, situation ethics is open to a considerable amount of criticism. The notion of basing actions on consequentiality is not always helpful because it can be difficult to determine the outcomes of certain situations, especially in the long-term. Humans also tend to look at situations subjectively so it becomes easy for selfishness to taint love. It can be difficult to assess a situation with objectivity. Even some actions dont necessarily become good just because they are done from a loving motive. The two theories that I have looked at are in stark contrast to one another. I think that it is difficult, if not impossible, to say that there is one approach that should be used at all times to justify every ethical decision that needs to be made. Each situation can throw up unexpected technicalities and difficulties that we have to contend with, but that doesnt mean to say that we shouldnt make decisions on the basis of our own moral beliefs. Bishop John Robinson once wrote, There is no one ethical system that can claim to be Christian and I completely agree with that. A supporter of the natural law approach asks what the law says and the situationist asks what is the best decision to help human beings, but why cant there be a middle ground? We should be able to use what was once the Law as a guideline when making ethical decisions rather than sticking rigidly to one approach just for the sake of theological argument. The Pope believes that the Law is Gods revealed will but it could be said that God revealed his will most fully through Jesus time on Earth. Not only did He preach on the importance of love, but He also showed us perfect examples of it throughout His life. It is the subtle difference between these doctrines that lies at the heart of many issues which are in hot debate at the moment. If the Church could ignore these theological ambiguities and become reunited, perhaps they could then learn to fulfill their purpose in Christ.

A Strategic Analysis Of J Sainsbury Marketing Essay

A Strategic Analysis Of J Sainsbury Marketing Essay J Sainsbury plc  consists of Sainsburys a chain of 509 supermarkets and 276 convenience stores, Sainsburys online, Sainsburys property and Sainsburys Bank. Sainsburys Supermarkets is the UKs longest standing major food retailing chain, which opened its first store in 1869. The Sainsburys brand is built upon a heritage of providing customers with healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food. Today it differentiates itself by offering a broad range of great quality products at fair prices with particular emphasis on fresh food, a strong ethical approach to business and continuous leadership and innovation. At Sainsburys products are improved and developed to ensure the company leads in terms of the ingredients used and integrity of sourcing. Sainsburys goal  is to improve quality shopping experience for customers with great products at fair prices. Their aim is to exceed customer expectations for healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food, making the customers lives easier every day. Sainsburys brand Values-passion for healthy, safe, fresh and tasty food, their focus is on delivering great products at fair prices, they have a history of innovation and leadership and a strong regard for the social, ethical and environmental effects of their operation, and this has continued to stand the test of time. Sainsburys five principles are at the core of their business:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The best for food and health  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sourcing with integrity  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Respect for our environment  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Making a positive difference to our community  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A great place to work. And at Sainsburys they believe that these principles provide differentiation from their major competitors and define and direct all their activities. Sainsburys business priorities are:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Great food at fair prices  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Accelerating growth of complementary non-food ranges  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reaching more customers through additional channels  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Growing supermarket space  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Active property management The organisation that has been selected to examine and analyse is Sainsburys.  Ã‚   Sainsburys has started its journey in 1869 and since then it has gradually established itself as the third largest supermarket chain in UK. Over the past few years its parent company   J Sainsbury plc   has prolonged its business and now owns a whole range of other companies like Sainsburys Supermarkets, Sainsburys Local, Bells Stores, Jacksons Stores and JB Beaumont, Sainsburys Online and Sainsburys Bank. The increasing figures of Sainsburys  Ã‚   global sales and purchasing operations contributes to a significant rise in the business competence and productivity. However, this report will be examining Sainsburys position in the retail industry, explaining the role of interaction within the macro and micro environment, drawing up a detailed competitive advantage of the organisation and the strategies that influence the business policies to survive in the competitive market. Analysis of Financial data Gross Profit Margin (GPM)- Due to the intense competition in the supermarket industry margins are generally low. See the following table for comparators which shows relatively poor margins for Sainsbury even compared to other retailers ; Company Industry ROA Profit Margin Marks Spencer Retailer and Financial Services 4.43% 3.91% J Sainsbury Retailer and Financial Services 5.60% 3.61% Thorntons Retailer of Chocolates etc 8.43% 6.45% Next Retailer of Clothing 26.14% 13.82% Dixons Group Retailer of Electronic etc Goods 19.78% 14.41% Yates Group Retailer of Food 9.13% 13.34% Safeway Retailer of Food 7.24% 4.14% Morrisons Retailer of Food 12.93% 5.87% Tesco Retailer of Food and Household Goods 9.99% 5.72% Strategic analysis of Sainsbury PLC using Porters 5-Force Model SWOT Analysis A  SWOT Analysis  is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate the  Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,  and  Threats  of an organization. With the help of this SWOT analysis we will be able to find out the positives and negatives of Sainsburys. Strengths: Sainsburys has had thirteen straight quarters of growth showing real turnaround in its business. Even for 2007 it has shown an increase of 7% in turnover and a huge 450% increase in profit after tax (Annual Report 2007).It has an extremely experienced leadership team. Sainsburys seems to be very well placed on green and environmental issues due to its various recent initiatives, like buying fair-trade bananas (economist.com 2008 [online]). Furthermore its help in closing down gang master has had a positive effect on the public in general. It has a positive consumer brand and its liked by both green activists and consumers. It is one supermarket chain that has a clear celebrity endorsing products, leading to increased sales. With Jamie Oliver, it has been simple for Sainsburys to see uplifts in sales of specific ingredients that have been featured in ad campaigns. The supermarket had to order nine tons the equivalent of two years supply of nutmeg to meet demand when it appeared in one of Jamie Olivers ads. Weakness: The takeover bid by the Qataris Private equity firm last year can have some implications as people are gravitating towards British companies and the prospect of Sainsburys being governed by a foreign firm can lead to consumers switching loyalties. Unlike Tescos expansion plan (economist.com [online] 2008), Sainsburys is not present in markets other than the UK. This can lead to trouble especially if there is some problem within food retailing in the UK or if there needs to be a source of extra growth. Opportunities: Sainsburys alternative business presents a great opportunity for future growth. Its investments in property and a goal of  £40 million profit through its bank seem like a good strategy to pursue. Online sales are a great opportunity as well, since online margins are higher and investments are not huge. Threats: There needs to be continuous heavy investment in environmental and green issues without immediate benefits. The problem lies in maintaining a balance e.g. Bio-fuel is an important tool to curb global emissions and its use affects Sainsburys supply chain directly, so Sainsburys should support it. However, a spurt in bio-fuels has made corn dearer (independent.co.uk [online] 2008) affecting its prices within the UK and making Sainsburys consumers bear the brunt. Sainsburys operations are subject to a broad spectrum of regulatory requirements particularly in relation to planning, competition and environmental issues, employment, pensions and tax laws and in terms of regulations over the groups products and services. This  concludes  that with the help of this SWOT analysis Sainsbury would now know where they stand. This will also allow them work on their opportunities, weaknesses and threats and build up on their strengths giving them a cutting edge. Macro-Environment: At this present phenomenon the nature of the retail industry is changing its image dramatically and the importance to survive with the competitors and remain as a leading company in the market has reached its highest peak. However, there are some issues which may have some impacts on the business.    Political factors: At present the changing trend of globalised business could be a challenge as well as an opportunity for the Sainsburys because they would have to compete against new forces from all over the world to maintain best quality of the products and services they offer. Customer may get a negative impression because of the investigation going on price fixing as Sainsburys is listed in the top four retailers in UK (Rigby 2008). The UK Government is to reduce corporation tax rates from 30% to 28%, which will help Sainsbury, to save large amount of money (HM Treasury 2008).    Economical factors: The rising food prices because of global food crisis may have impacts on the business of Sainsburys as it will definitely increase their purchasing and production cost (economist.com 2008). And eventually it will increase the overall price of the products in the super market     Supply chain of Sainsburys may get affected with the rising cost of fuel which may lead to an overall increase in prices.   The credit crunch will cut the purchasing power of the consumers as they would have less money to spend on luxury products. Therefore, automatically it is going to decrease profit margins for Sainsburys. On the other hand Sainsburys operates financial services company with HBOS (Annual Report 2007) and also a bank. However, both of are directed affected due to recession. As the competition in the market is really high other big competitors like ASDA ,TESCO ,MORRISON ,LIDL , ALDI are cutting down their product prices and giving lot of incentives to customer which may bound Sainsburys to drop their prices to survive in the market. (Annual Report 2008) SOCIAL FACTORS: Sainsburys may introduce new recipes to cook easy and healthy food because now a days consumers tend to eat fresh food and   seem to be more health conscious. According to the health department the obesity rate in UK is increasing (department of health 2008). And because of that reason the UK government has emphasised on healthy eating (eatwell.gov.uk 2008) which gives Sainsburys to an opportunity to manufacture more healthy foods at a cheaper price to match the ongoing trend. Technological: It is predicted that by 2011 the online retail sales in Europe will hit approximately 263 Billion Euro because of the rapid increase of internet shopping in which the shoppers in UK may accounting for more than a third of all revenue.   Sainsburys can take the advantage of utilizing internet as an advertising media as 8% of the global advertising is spent on the internet and the percentage is increasing day by day (The Economist, 2007).  It will be very cost effective and help the company to globalize very easily. Self checkout machines may increase customer loyalty as they dont have to wait in long queues sometimes for very few products. It saves their time and increase comfort while shopping. It can also be very cost effective as it will require less worker to work and can be in operated 24 hour shops which will boost up the sales figure. RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) is a new technology yet to be popular but can play vital role in supply chain management fort the company. It can benefit big companies like Sainsburys to save their valuable time as it requires less inventory and offers more efficiency. (Directions magazine 2008) Environmental factors Environmental factors are one of the key issues these days.   Every company has to ensure that they contribute in reducing carbon footprint and to increase energy efficiency (Bream 2008) which means big companies like Sainsburys would have to invest more money to sort out Green issues. With the growing ethical issues such as selling organic foods and treating animals in a good way may have impacts on the business of Sainsburys because they would have to retain their customers   and   balance their pricing after   maintain all the environmental issues. Legal factors: Sainsburys would have to develop its packaging and labelling policies to meet all the implications of LAW on food and drinks. Which will add extra cost to their overall budget. As Sainsburys operate a bank and is involved with financial services they would have to be more concerned about the legal issues and risks involved with their business. Porters 5 Forces Competitive rivalry-The retail market is enormously competitive with a very crowded market. Now, as more and more companies are trying to get into non food sectors it further intensifies the competition. Sainsburys has a market share of 14.9% in 2007, steadily increasing since its restructuring programme that started in 2004 (Annual Report 2007). This is a positive trend but it lags well behind the runaway market leader Tesco, showing that there is considerable distance to cover. Tesco, Asda, and Morrisons are the other three big supermarket chains in the UK retail sector. All of them have a different competitive advantage over their competitors. Sainsburys reach in the convenience stores makes it have a larger customer reach. Banks and building societies compete with Sainsbury bank but it is not a core business for Sainsburys. Barriers for entry-Barriers to entry are extremely high in the food retail market due to a number of factors. Firstly, organised retail is amongst the most sophisticated sectors within the UK and needs a lot of investment, along with significant brand development, which takes years to establish. Secondly, retail is also at an advanced stage within the UK and most of the western world, which means there is little scope for new entrants to establish themselves. Local knowledge is extremely crucial within the food retail sector, something that is difficult for foreign firms to replicate. This is corroborated by the presence of few global supermarkets within UK. Threats of Substitutes-  The threat of substitutes in the food retail industry is a low one simply because consumers view it as a necessity, especially in the developed world and increasingly in the emerging markets. The retail market is always trying to converge and assimilate new innovations with respect to food products or alternative businesses, to make shopping an extremely pleasurable experience. This makes them extremely difficult to substitute. The only major threat of substitute is an internal industry threat whereby one supermarket can lap up the business of other supermarkets. Buyer power-  Buyer power is high in this industry simply due to the presence of so many competitors selling the same products. It is only differentiated in price and consumer loyalty and increasingly on green credentials. Moreover, the switching costs are low for consumers. As the economy goes further towards recession consumers needs are likely to be given more weight, increasing their power considerably. Supplier power-  Supplier power is usually more complicated as it is difficult to categorise it. It is safe to call it a mutually dependent relationship as suppliers are in itself huge companies, like PG, Unilever, Cadbury etc. with huge brand appeal. It can be argued that if supermarkets do not sell their products consumers will shift loyalties, making suppliers very powerful. However, if the products of big companies do not reach supermarkets, their sales volumes will be affected hugely. The relationship might change depending on the situation of the big branded supplier, for example, when sales of Cadburys dairy milk increased through the successful Gorilla ad campaign. Supplier power of smaller suppliers will not be considerable because of their sales volumes on dependence on these supermarkets. Competitive advantage: Sainsburys has got some competitive advantage which made its business so successful all over UK and established the 3rd  food retail chain in United Kingdom. The competitive advantages are discussed below: Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  16 million customers visiting every week Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  More concerned with the environmental issues such as green house effect , reducing fuel emission , providing 15 million reusable bags , 8 million car stickers and fridge magnets to remind and encourage people to use environmental friendly resources. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Performing social responsibility while working with Comic Relief to raise money and help poor neighbourhood. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  22% market share makes them one the power key player after Tesco in the British retail industry. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They have established a brand image and are considered to have the supermarket power which is Locations. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sainsburys marketing strategy is   to attract the middle class consumers   with an affordable cost   while maintaining   particularly   quality of the food they simultaneously. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They are promoting a new section name Active Kids to help school kids and teachers to overcall child obesity.http://www.bitc.org.uk/resources/case_studies/afe_1343.html) Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sainsbury is the first super store to start One Hour Delivery slot outside of London. In addition if the y fail to do so on time customers will be paid  £10 next time they do online shopping.  (http://www.sourcewire.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=19562hilite Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sainsburys bank loans ranked 13 out of 16 in the Ciao top list as The Best Loan Lenders   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.ciao.co.uk/Sainsburys_Bank_Loans__6914648) Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Developing customer service is a key advantage for Sainsbury. They discovered their highly skilled employees focus on their duties rather than Customers. So therefore , they changed the strategies and focused more to   improve customer service to get extra advantage. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The adoption of RFID has brought new competitive advantage as only few companies has the privilege to use this innovative technology. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Making Sainsburys store more accessible for its customer while keeping in mind about some facts such as geographical aspects, ever changing lifestyles, and   Government restrictions. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cutting cost , giving incentives and introducing constant innovative products is a core advantage over competitors. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sainsbury manufacturers their own products and has their own brands which helps them to produce products in a bulk quantity at a cheaper price. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The company has a unique core competency which is they promote value by providing good quality products at a competitive price. Æ’ËÅ"  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Vertical integration in between buyers and suppliers has managed to organise and run a healthy supply chain system for the company which may help them to expand their business in future. . Limitations inter-related with the PEST Analysis: In analyzing the macro-environment, it is important to identify the critical factors that might have affect on the business. A number methods of have been developed so far. PEST analysis happens to be one of the key tools to determine those factors in a various way. Kotler (1998) claims that PEST analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. The utilization of PEST analysis could be considered effective for the corporate benefit and strategic developments of the company. Although everything has its own Pros and Cons , PEST analysis as a tool is not unlikely to them. It can be said that Pest Analysis are sometimes done on simple assumptions which may not even exist in real. The reason behind may be the facts we take into account while doing a PEST for any company. It may not be considered on specific area or may be they less possibility to happen reality. It is also considered that PEST analysis doesnt really emphasise on critical factors and it one of the major lacking of this method is it only covers external issues without concerning the internal environment of the company and position of competitors in the industry. Another disadvantage for PEST would be it is not done on a regular basis as the rules and regulations, currency rate , variables , foreign investment and   economic figures etc .change quite often. Indeed to make it more realistic and practical it is important to gather information and obtain different perspectives based on individual point of view which is going to increase cost thus, results as a limitation for this vastly use d tool. The current position of the company in the market is quite strong though with the booming recession and business expansion of   other competitors may cause some difficulties in future.  Sainsburys being   one of the largest supermarket company in UK should set some standards to achieve outstanding performance as a overall company. Moreover,   Sainsbury should introduce some new business policies to expand its business outside of UK and explore the new markets like China, India , USA, Australia. Conclusion: From this investigation it can be seen through the various analyses methods used; Marketing Audit, Porters 5 Forces and SWOT, that Sainsburys is an iconic British food brand, well loved by its consumers and importantly profits, have improved tremendously. Although it has shown steady growth it is important for Sainsburys to go the next level by challenging Tesco, a competitor identified in the Porters 5 forces analysis, either by thinking of international expansion or on price. This in conjunction with its increasing property portfolio and alternate businesses should help in continuing the strong growth path, as well as tiding over threats (SWOT) in its external environment.

Medical Malpractice :: Medicine Lawsuits Canada Health Care

Medical Malpractice The doctor-patient relationship has been defined differently through the years. In the beginning it developed into a "common calling" which meant doctors practiced medicine as a duty to their patients. Laws were developed to protect patients, therefore doctors used proper care and expert skill. In the past six centuries, medical malpractice has increased, which lead to revision and addition to the law. Liability was introduced along with the "GIANT of all torts", negligence. Now in today's society, a doctor's duty is to use reasonable care, skill and judgment in the practice of his/her profession and when negligent, take full responsibility. What is malpractice? Malpractice is negligence. Negligence is a tort. A tort is a civil wrong, therefore malpractice is a civil wrong. In its simplest terms, malpractice has four essential elements: 1) Duty. Every health care provider assumes a duty when starting consultations, diagnosis, or treatment of a patient. The duty arises from an expressed or implied contract. 2) Breach. For example, if you fail to make a correct diagnosis once you have assumed the duty to do so, you have created a "breach of duty", due and owing to the patient. 3) Causal Connection. Your failure to correctly diagnose, ("duty" you "breached") the duty due and owing to the patient and as a direct and proximate cause of your breach, caused damages. 4) Damages. The result of your failure to diagnose correctly, the patient sustained damages in the form of an additional hospital stay, complications that may or may not be of a permanent and continuing nature. (Brooten Jr., Kenneth E. p. 1) Negligence is the most common civil suit filed against doctors. Liability for negligence will not be found unless the following factors are present: (a) the defendant must owe a duty to the plaintiff to exercise care; (b) the defendant must breach the standard of care established by law for his/her conduct; (c) the plaintiff must suffer loss or injury as a result of this breach; (d) the conduct of the defendant must be the "proximate cause" of the plaintiff's loss or injury. ( Picard, Ellen I. p. 29) In the case of Adderly v. Bremner (Picard, Ellen I. p. 461) the defendant physician was negligent in not changing the syringes to vaccinate 38 patients and instead used one needle for every two patients. As a consequence, the plaintiff was infected with septicemia (blood poisoning). This doctor failed to give the required standard of care. Any reasonable doctor would have in fact changed the syringe after each patient and would have foreseen the consequences for not changing them.

How To Write An A Essay :: essays research papers

An â€Å"A† Essay   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With these simple steps, anybody can write an â€Å"A† quality essay. All it takes is a well written introduction, body and conclusion. These steps are a lot easier than most people make them out to be.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first, and most important, step to writing an â€Å"A† essay is the introduction. The purpose of the introduction is to get the reader’s attention. The introduction should also let the reader know the contents of your essay. To get the reader’s attention use a lead-in. a lead-in is a sentence or phrase that captures the interest of the reader. One way to do this is to appeal to the emotions or feelings of the reader. A lead-in can be in the form of a question, a shocking statement, a headline, or a statistic; as long as it gets the attention of the reader. A thesis statement should also be included in the introduction. The thesis should inform the reader as to the contents of the essay and how the essay is organized. The reader should be able to read the thesis statement and find a specific topic in the essay without having to read the entire essay. This can be done by organizing the body paragraphs in the same order as the items in the th esis statement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Step two, in writing an â€Å"A† essay, is writing effective body paragraphs. In order for them to be effective, they must support the thesis sentence. The worst thing to do is to go off on subjects that have nothing to do with the essay. To avoid getting off the subject, try not to use stories as examples or to prove a point. Every body paragraph should have a topic sentence. The other sentences in the paragraph should support the topic sentence. The paragraph, as a whole, should support the thesis sentence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third and final step to writing an â€Å"A† essay is the conclusion. The conclusion should summarize the entire paper in a few sentences.

Managers, Programming, Web Source and Technology :: essays research papers

Why should managers become better acquainted with programming issues, web source and technology? Abstract Summary Now more than ever, the marketplace has created a strong connection between information technology and managers due to the markets in depth involvement with technology. This is the reason why there’s been a recent requirement for managers to have somewhat of understanding of information technology, basic programming knowledge, and familiarity with source codes. The abstract clearly explicates how due to alterations in the dynamic market, it is essential for a multi talented manager to deal with updates and modifications. In return, they increment their skills and add programming and web technology to their skills. Programming argument The overall concept of this argument is that programming skills will eventually improve project management team analysis’s and enhance the management decision-making which results in better management. According to statistics, approximately one out of five people in the U.S. population have to deal with programming issues and program writing. In the long run, everyone will eventually need to learn some type of programming regardless the field their affiliated with. Programming Simplicity and Programming and language problems This Section explains how the basis of programming hasn’t really changed for nearly fifty years; perhaps a few words here and there have been changed, but in essence programming has been kept pretty simple. For example, a program is a set of instructions telling the computer what to do. Programming consists of three foundations, Sequence, decision-making, and repetition. These steps are known as the control flow. A waterfall can be used as an example to have a better understanding of what programming really is. A waterfall that starts at the top and flows directly to the bottom is the sequential control flow, where there is only one path. If the water reaches a point where it will change its direction, this point is referred to as decision. When the flow returns to the top, Software engineering Focuses on how an overabundance in programming resulted in web chaos and anarchy. This eventually led to software engineering paradigms. This was in essence a software crisis. Y2k Compliance Managers who had insufficient knowledge of programming and other technological aspects had caused a drawback in the authority of managers. Not only did programmers instruct managers on what to do, but programmers with no managerial training were running the show. WEB CHAOS, SPAM, SPIM SPIT Refocuses on how you can regulate and prevent web disasters from occurring.

Discussion Post

Watson made a major contribution to the world of personality psychology when he introduced behaviorism. After reading this week’s selections and watching the assigned video on learning, discuss a specific area in the practice of psychology where behaviorist theory and treatment is valid in modern psychology. Describe how this theory is applied. Support and explain your opinion as to why behaviorism is valid in this specific area. Post should be at least 300 words. Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings by Day 7.B. F. Skinner was an American psychologist that expanded behaviorism. According to Berecz (2009) â€Å"Skinner is to behaviorism what Tiger Woods is to golf he did not invent the game, raised it to a new level of excellence. † Skinner believed that for behavior to be shaped there had to be rewards as well as consequences. Skinner believed that consequences are the most important aspect of changing behavior. Skinner’s operant conditioni ng is still valid in today’s modern psychology.Skinner argued that operant conditioning is changing behavior by the use of reinforcement that is used after the behavior has been displayed. Skinner states that there are two operant responses that follow behavior reinforce, and punishers. â€Å"Reinforcer’s are any consequence which increase the likelihood of a response, and any consequence which decreases the probability of a response is a punisher† (Berecz, 2009 Pg 77). The core of Skinner’s behaviorism is the ABC’s of operant conditioning.Berecz (2009) states that â€Å"operant conditioners have repeatedly shown that if a particular behavior (B) is immediately followed by a pleasant or rewarding consequence (C), this behavior will almost increase in frequency. † For example, operant conditioning could be applied to a child in school. If a child is doing extremely well in school and brings home a good report card in operant conditioning his or her parent’s would reward and praise the child in which Skinner calls positive reinforcement. Skinner argues that the positive reinforcement will help the child to continue bringing home good reports cards.On the other hand, if the child is not doing well in school and brings home a bad report card in operant conditioning his or her parent’s would distribute negative reinforcement by enforcing an unpleasant consequence to teach the child the behavior of getting a bad report card will not be tolerated. Skinner would state that if a negative consequence would not be enforced the child would continue to bring bad report cards. Eysenck was a British psychologist that argued that trait theory consisted of three broad super factors that were universal, and each made up of narrower traits.According to Berecz (2009) Eysenck believed that personality is composed of specific responses, habitual responses, and traits all organized into more or less stable and enduring configur ations of a person’s temperament, intellect, and physiology that characterize unique adjustment to the environment. Eysenck’s trait theory spelled the word PEN. Eysenck stated that the three broad super factors are psychoticism, extraversion, and neuroticism. A person high on psychoticism shows aggressive, cold, egocentric, impersonal, impulsive, antisocial, unempathic, creative, tough-minded traits.People high on extraversion are seen as active, assertive, carefree, dominant, lively, sensation seeking, sociable, surgent, and venturesome. Individual high on neuroticism are described as anxious, depressed, irrational, moody, emotional, shy, tense, and experiencing guilt and low self-esteem (Berecz, 2009 Pg 117-118). Berecz (2009) states that â€Å"E covers normal range of traits, while N and P encompass traits more commonly encountered in clinical problems such as neurosis, pyschosis, and psychopathy. † An example of Eysenck trait theory could be used in a game o f one on one basketball.An individual that is playing a game and is fouling and being extremely aggressive and cold with other players on a daily basis would be viewed as being high on psychoticism. If the same individual would play one on one basketball on a daily basis with his friend would be viewed of having a personality of an extraversion. If an individual would be playing a game of basketball and would be extremely emotional, and tense would display the personality of neuroticism. Through evaluating Eysenck’s trait theory it is based on physiology and genetics.Eysenck was considered a behaviorist of learned behavior, but he also considered personality as a genetic inheritance. I believe that Eysenck’s theory had a lot of merits through being able to add both behaviorism, and biology. Eysenck is a legend to trait theory and made a lot of valid points is his theory the only drawback I felt was his extreme dislike for psychoanalysis. I believe that in psychology ev ery theory has some validity. Berecz, J. M. (2009). Theories of personality: A zonal perspective. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

African American Culture and Traditions

The African American Culture and Traditions A Research Study and Facts That Will Take Us Into What Makes This Culture So Unique. Jeanette C. Council Dr. Jefferson Rackley COUN 504 5 May 2012 Liberty University Abstract The purpose of this research is to identify the uniqueness and diversity of people and practices of the African American culture. Each culture in life has some similarities and some differences. The similarities and differences that are present in a culture is what make the culture what it is.When dealing with a culture, race, ethnicity, of a people or religion it has a history of where it originates and or a heritage that that culture or people can relate to and always go back to, because this is what sets a group apart from the next. We will look at the key factors that contribute to family patterns found in my family of origin, which is the Jewish culture. We will also compare and contrast the similarities and differences between my family origins, which is that of the African American origin. Introduction There are many cultural groups and ethnicities in the world.Each and every person has a background and culture in which they come from, derive, or exist into. We don’t have any control over whether or not we have one culture in our families or many, but that’s what makes us diverse or unique and that’s what gives us the culture African American, Jewish, Asian, or Latino. As I have read and researched many diverse cultures during this course, it has taught me a lot about culture and having respect for mine as well as anyone else’s. We define the word culture â€Å"as the totality of the human experience for social contexts.This experience is mediated by biological, psychological, historical, and political events. Culture also includes behaviors, attitudes, feelings, and cognitions related to our identities living within the world (Hays, 2010). † As I explore my background, I will then learn more about who I am and the beauty of the culture that I originate from. My Family Genogram As I looked into my family history and called relatives to gain information about my background, I learned a lot and yet still want to know more about my family history and background.I was able to search and find four generations in my family tree on my mother and father’s side of the family. My family consists of a mother, a father, four sisters and one brother. One pattern in particular that I notice in my family is that there is a history of preachers and pastors stemming from my father’s side of the family, but as far as I can see the ministry started with my father. My mother’s side of the family has strong roots in the church and of being saved for long periods of time.The one most characteristic that I can remember is that my parents both took us to church, bible study, Sunday school, and any service that could go on in the course of the week. My father was not only a preacher, bu t also a pastor for all my life. Now my brother is an ordained elder as well as my sister and myself. I not only have preachers in my immediate family but I have several cousins in my family that are preachers and pastors. I believe that not only were we called into the ministry; the culture that began in my father trickled down to us. It was a behavior that was taught to them and it continued in us.We were taught how to love the Lord and how to be saved. Once we were taught the way to go then my parents help us to practice this behavior on a regular basis and it became a part of our daily life, even at a young age. What was taught to us is now a way of living; it is not forced but a true way of life. Proverbs 22:6 states, â€Å"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it†. I like what is said from mental health professionals, â€Å"Mental health professionals are increasingly aware that a strong spiritual base can enhance persona l resilience.The values, including sensitivity to others’ feelings, responsibility for one’s actions, personal fulfillment and satisfaction, self-discipline, forgiveness of others, healthy sexual fulfillment, and striving for a sense of purpose†(Bergin, 1991). As I think about this pattern I think about how my parents taught us the way in which we should live as well as teaching us the ways of God. Now that both parents are deceased, the understanding and truth about our beliefs and choice of a relationship with God came from the values, strengths and beliefs that have been instilled in each and every one of my sisters and brother.The African American Culture As I researched and talked to relatives concerning my background, heritage and culture, it made me want to know more about my family and where it all began. I had fun putting Together my family tree or Genogram and I see why it is important to know who we are and where we come from. I am an African American and both my parents are of African American decent. In the African American culture, many of our ancestors came to America by capture and not by choice.It is said that many African Americans were slaves and were a part of slave trade that was increased between the 15th and 19th centuries (Bennett, 2003; Van Sertima, 1976). Many African Americans were brought here to make their white or European owners money and cause them to be prosperous in areas of agriculture. There were white indentured servants, who could have worked to till the ground and make the harvest plentiful, but it wasn’t enough, so plantation owners saw it profitable to use African slaves as a solution to the problem (Zinn, 2003, p. 5). My father grew up in Alabama, which is known as the Deep South and he experienced more racial discrimination then did my mother. My father grew up poor and lack things that we as the fourth generation did not. My father always said that he would provide and make sure that we had a better life then what he had to experience. I also know that my father’s side of the family were sharecroppers and was a part of several other sharecroppers that were denied aide for their crops during times when racial discrimination was on the rise.Everything during that time was considered bad if your skin color was dark or black and if your skin color was light or white you were considered good or superior according to European Americans. Not only was black or dark skin considered inferior or bad, but European American were said to be Christian and black or dark skin was considered non-Christian. â€Å"Prejudice against skin color became the justification for brutality and hatred, and racism became important in building the nations of the Americas† (Zinn, 2003). One important aspect of the African American culture I would say would be that of the Underground Railroad.This was an important way out for many slaves in African American history. There is no way those we call African Americans could talk about slavery or being free without talking about the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad, lead by Harriet Tubman, was a way of freedom, or in other words a network that helped escaped slaves to make their way to the free states as well as Canada. â€Å"Between 1810 and 1860 as many as 100,000 enslaved African Americans were guided to freedom by the workers of the network, such as William Wells Brown, and Josiah Henson† (Koslow, 1999).Another great leader and activist for the African American culture would be that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. Martin Luther King was not only an activist and a leader for African American, but he was also a minister and pastor in the Baptist church, which is a pattern of my family background and culture. His children also walked in his footsteps, as did my sisters and brother in my father’s footsteps in the ministry. One cannot be apart of such a great movement and not be affected by i t in a positive way. I know that my father as well as Martin Luther King Jr. ould be pleased to know that the values, beliefs and morals that they instilled in us did not go in vain or return void. I believe the culture that I grew up in and around help strengthen my faith and belief I God. We not only grew up in a household with these values and morals, but in our culture there was not too many people in our family that were not saved and had a relationship with the Lord. If I went to my aunt’s house I was around salvation and a strong belief system that God is in charge of my life. If I went to my great grandmother’s house it was the same.We all shared this belief in common, a relationship with the Lord and a belief that God was the head of each of our lives. I learned at an early age to love the Lord and study to know why I believed in what I believed. I believe that on a personal level, the cultural values and systems that were instilled in me at an early age help to make me the person that I am now. I believe that being a Christian has caused me to be a lover of people, all people and regardless of their religion or background it has caused me to be open-minded.My father has always been a helper of people and he has always loved people no matter what and I truly thank God for that. I remember when I was a young child; my father would bring people to the house, all kinds of people. He did not mind and he did not care what the socio economic status of the person was, whether or not they were bi-racial, pregnant out of wedlock or an alcoholic, it did not matter to him. Now that I am writing this paper, it is giving me nothing but revelation into my true destiny in counseling. I know that my father was a counselor as well as all the other titles and positions that he held.I always knew at an early age, or during my teenage years that I was to help people. I know that because my father was the way he was it manifested into my siblings and myself. My sisters and brother and myself are natural helpers and counselors now that I think about it, wow! I never really thought about it this way until I began to write this paper. My mother would always be hesitant when my father would bring all types of people home. I remember one Christmas when my father brought home a distant relative that was an alcoholic, and he sat right beside me at the dinner table.On another occasion my father was on his way home, and he saw a couple standing at a bus stop arguing, they were young and the girl was pregnant, my father stop to talk to them and he ended up bringing them home and he ministered to them. He gave them money to get to where they were going and took them back to the bus station to get back home. My mother would always tell my father how nervous she was because he would not care who he brought into the house around us, but he was concerned about their well-being and their soul.He was a prime example of the word of God when it tells us: â€Å"And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled† (Luke 14:23). I now see the same characteristics that were in my father. I believe that I am a helper by nature. I currently work as a high school teacher, and they remind me each and everyday that I am supposed to be counseling. I guess they see the natural instinct of the gift of helps in me and they utilize it everyday, and I enjoy helping and counseling them. Spirituality has historically been an important factor in the lives of Africans.There was a myth that Africans did not have God and was without a sense of spirituality, but this is not true, this myth was made up by the slave owners and those that had anything to do with bringing slaves her to America. This myth was put out to make slave owners consciences to be at ease and to allow them to feel better about what they were doing (Billingley, 1992). Other Culture Patterns There are s ome other culture patterns that I have noticed in my background in the fourth generations that I have not seen in any other generation in my family, and that is in the area of divorce.I have divorced almost 4 years now, my sister is divorced, my brother is divorced, but now remarried, and two of my first cousins are now divorced, and one of those cousins has been divorced twice. I not only see this as a pattern, but I am wondering if it is a generational curse somewhere in the family line. This is not a part of my culture in particular, the things that I have learned from my parents as far as relationships and family is concerned is not about divorce. We have an example of longevity in marriages, and they are still together until this day.As far as a counseling aspect would be, I would be able to encourage longevity as well to my clients. I believe that there are so many issues in relationships today that cause people to stray away from the family unit and break ties easier than hen my parents were alive. It was our heritage to stay together and love no matter what, that’s the heritage that I grew up around. One thing I remember was my parent being in love and if there was a problem or situation that was troubling, they didn’t let us know about it. I believe that the day and time we live in today is so unlike the day and time when my parents were married and living.I believe it is a generational aspect that allows couples to leave so easy instead of staying together, it was unheard of then and the relatives that I have that are still married now are still married from the third generation. I want to be like my parents were in my next marriage. Another pattern I see in my family is a biological one. That pattern is multiple births; this is a generational characteristic in my family. Multiple births have been seen throughout the generations in my family, stating with my great – great aunt. During a time when doctors could not detect multiple births, it was not known until a woman gave birth.During that time my great-great aunt had multiple births, some triplets and some twins, but she would lose them at the time she was due to give birth because of the technology that is here no was not here then and doctors could not prepare for the births that were to take place. I have twins throughout my family now, I have a cousin from the third generation that had two sets of twins that are two boys, and then she had a boy and girl, fraternal twins. My mother has a twin sister, who is also fraternal twins, and my mother had twins fraternally, which is my brother Jevon, and my sister Jewel.