Evaluation of Journal Article: Heijes, C. (2010) Cross-Cultural Perception and Power Dynamics Across Changing Organizational and National Contexts: Curacao and the Netherlands, Human Relations, 64 (5) 653-674.

Evaluation of Journal Article: Heijes, C. (2010) Cross-cultural perception and power dynamics across changing organizational and national contexts: Curacao and the Netherlands, Human Relations, 64 (5) 653-674. Introduction This essay critically evaluates Coen Heijes’s paper on power differences in cross-cultural perception and how power imbalance across diverse organizational and national contexts result in various cross-cultural perception between two particular ethnic groups, namely European Dutch and African Curacaoans.To be more specific, this review is critically discussed for the following parts. First of all, the theoretical framework development is briefly examined from dimensional approach to contextual approach. After that follows the research approaches that Heijes adopted and puts forward the advantages and disadvantages, as well as, considering the limitations of them. Eventually, the potential implications for individuals should be involved and particularly wheth er they positively relates to intercultural working in cross-cultural management.Brief description of the article In this article, Heijes (2010) presents a comparative analysis of cross-cultural perception between European Dutch and African Curacaoans in Netherlands and Curacao respectively, as well as including two organizations namely the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the police, each of which owns diverse power dynamics. Through using the exploratory case studies, which enable to test the â€Å"emerging findings in wider survey-based research† (Cassell and Symon, 2004, p. 27), the author tends to illustrate how power differences impact on cross-cultural perception. In order to provide more exactly evidence, Heijes applied a set of various methods in collecting data. Most of data were gathered from interviews between Curacaoan and Dutch employees in IRS and police. Moreover, choosing different interviewers was taken into consideration with the purpose of avoiding inter viewer bias; it is mainly due to the fact that ethnic background of the interviewer plays a dominant role in determining the respondents’ answers.After that, it is followed by participant observation to supply further data. Then data were categorized into four groups and based on an iterative process for checking and interpreting the findings. As for findings, from the anthropological perspective, Heijes concluded that cross-cultural perception between two ethnic groups that are relatively similar, that is because the same external background of the two countries and differs due to the internal context of two different organizations.However, the cultural differences were not very much; therefore, the findings indicated that power dynamics plays a crucial role in influencing the cross-cultural perception not only in internal organizational context, but also in external national context. In other words, taking the power dynamics between different groups into consideration is mu ch more essential for determining cross-cultural perception and cooperation than only rely on a value-based approach.Theory and Literature This article based on Hofstede and McSweeney’s theoretical framework for understanding the power dynamics and cross-cultural perception alongside changing organizational and national contexts. Heijes broadly illustrates the dimensional approach, which one of the most acknowledged and comprehensive cultural typologies is that put forward by Hofstede (Chiang, 2005), is â€Å"monolithic and rather static description of national cultures† (Heijes, 2010, p. 653).In spite of widely application and its popularity, it also challenged by â€Å"a more contextual approach based on actual interaction† (Heijes, 2010, p. 654). The literature assists the author in developing theoretical frameworks through quoting â€Å"many methodological and theoretical criticisms† (Chiang, 2005, p. 1545) surrounding the dynamics of cross-cultural p erception. Firstly, in terms of Hofstede‘s framework, Hoecklin (1996) points out that this framework not only enable to analysis national culture, but also especially focus on understanding the effects of cultural differences in organizations.However, due to â€Å"reduce the complexities of culture† (Deschepper et al, 2008, p. 2), Jackson (as sited in Heijes, 2010, p. 654) correctly argues that dimensional approach unable to address the â€Å"dynamics of cross-cultural interaction within the complexity of power relationship†. Furthermore, the methodological flaws of Hofstede’s model are pointed out by McSweeney (2002), whose critique maintains whether culture can affect differences in behaviour between people from diverse countries (Williamson, 2002).Finally, Marrewijk (1999) makes clear that power imbalances might influence on cross-cultural perception, as well as bringing about different behaviour determined by using contextual approach. Having considere d all the arguments above, this exploratory article through using comparative analysis of cross-cultural perception and emphasising on various contexts between different organizations and countries, which own different power dynamics, to demonstrate how power differences impact on cross-cultural perception.Heijes’s critique of dimensional approach is relatively convincing, however, there are some concepts that the author may be overlooked. For instance, power dynamics and cross-cultural perception are relatively important concepts that the author should be explained. Because of power dynamics related to the Hofstede’s dimensional approach, which is very essential for understanding the main idea of this journal. Moreover, power dynamics, that is, are not very easily to observe and even unconscious occasionally (Boonstra and Gravenhorst, 1998). As Gajewska-De Mattos et al. as cited in Heijes, 2010, p. 654) has argued that â€Å"dimensions were non-commensurable with dat a on actual cross-cultural perception†. Research Approach: In order to demonstrate the research question: â€Å"How power differences impact on cross-cultural perception† exactly, the author adopts a comparative analysis of perception alongside â€Å"two changing axes namely external national context and internal organizational context†, both of them within the home countries of Curacaoans and Dutch, and in two specific organizations: the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the police.According to Yin (2009), the reason why choose case study as research method is that questions tend to explain some present circumstance and acquire â€Å"the holistic and meaningful characteristics of real-life events† (p. 5). Moreover, the case is well suited to examine â€Å"complex contemporary phenomena† (Ogawa and Malen, 1991, p. 274) in depth and â€Å"within its real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evi dent† (Yin, 2009, p. 18).The unique advantages of the case study is enable to deal with various evidence namely â€Å"documents, interviews and observations†, which superior to other research methods (Yin, 2009, p. 11). Another advantage can be to provide more opportunities for â€Å"the researchers that they would not have otherwise†, however, the disadvantages of the case study are obviously, that is the results enable to apply to other individuals (Lanthier, 2002). Interviews, as one of the most significant sources of the case study information, removed gender within the organization and treated all espondents as male (Heijes, 2010). In this journal article, the interview started with open-ended questions. These complex and long questions are too difficult for respondents to answer as well as too difficult to gather the information for interviewers due to the fact that the â€Å"respondent fatigue† (Bryman and Bell, 2011). After interview with open-ende d questions, the interviewers moved to semi-structured interviews that â€Å"interviewer and respondents engage in a formal interview† (Cohen and Crabtree, 2006).On the other words, the interviewers follow some specific questions that have already prepared and the list of questions needs to be covered during the interview in a particular order. Semi- structured interviews usually last for approximately an hour, which might be in full accordance with that of 80 minutes. Another question about whether should record the content during the interviews or not. A study by Yin shows that â€Å"using recording devices is a matter of personal preference†, moreover, recording can provide more accurate information than any other method (2009, p. 09). But a recording device is not permitted to use in some particular situations. In this journal article, the author employed interviewers who differed not only in gender, but also own diverse ethnic background in order to avoid bias of the interviewers; this is a significant way to improve the degree of accuracy. Besides interviews, participant observation is a special mode of observation that should â€Å"assume a range of roles within a case study situation and actually participate in the events being studied† (Yin, 2009, p. 111).The participant-observation research method has already widely used in anthropological studies in terms of different cultural or social groups, which is suitable for using in this journal article (Becker and Geer, 1957). Moreover, one of the most advantages of participant observation is that some topics may be no way to collect information other than through participant-observation (Yin, 2009). Dewalt (as cited in Kawulich, 2005) rightly points out that it has ability to enhance the quality of the data collection and interpretation. However, the limitation of the participant-observation is much obviously.The researcher must consider the â€Å"gender, ethnicity, class and theoret ical approach†, which may impact on observation, analysis and interpretation (Kawulich, 2005) Findings and Conclusions After the process of data collection and analysis, as for Curacaoan context, Heijes can be confirmed that power dynamics between the two groups plays a significant role in determining the perception. That was concluded from the results of the research that cross-cultural perceptions within the groups are relatively similar, that is mainly due to the fact that they own the same national culture and only influenced by the different contexts.However, in colonial area, the cross-cultural perception was effected by the postcolonial setting as well as the power imbalance. Finally, the findings consistent with the argument, which is power imbalance effects cross-cultural perception, after than lead to different behaviour depending on different contexts. Considering the main findings and the arguments, it can be concluded that these findings are valid.In terms of Dutc h context, the findings illustrate that power dynamics impact on cross-cultural perception not only in organizational contexts but also including the national and postcolonial contexts. That means we should take both aspect of contexts into consideration when determine the relationship between power imbalance and cross-cultural perception. Furthermore, the findings demonstrate that culture contexts are relatively similar between these two groups, and have no impact on the relationship between cross-cultural perception and power dynamics.In the conclusion, Heijes puts forward the limitations of the approach and research method, as the exploratory case studies only pay attention to the effect of power imbalance on perception between two countries as well as within two organizations. Furthermore, the author even recommends further investigating other cases about how power dynamics of postcolonial context impact on cross-cultural perception and how these areas interrelate to each other. Moreover, this research would provide assistance in understanding the significant interrelationship between power dynamics and culture.

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Key cost relationship in Ryman Healthcare: The cost relationship can be best expressed in Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis (CVP).Function y is variable cost and x is number of village unit, then y = f(x). We assume that variable cost is straight-line function, which means when village units increases, the variable costs (costs to run the villages) increase in the same trend. In reality, when running a retirement village, it has a minimum cost regardless how many units are occupied. We call this minimum cost is M. We also use C as cost to run each unit, the total variable costs can be represented as: Y = M + C x X Y: variable cost M: minimum cost to run a village, it is fixed cost C: cost to run one village unitX: number of village units From the financial statements of Ryman, it has $40 million profits last year, way above break-even point, so we will focus on minimising the total cost. In the above function, if we increase the number of units X, and keep fixed cost at a certain level, then the average fixed cost per unit will reduce. Here we also assume that cost to run per unit is hard to reduce and unchanged at a certain level of village units, and used as constant here. In this CVP analysis, CEO of Ryman Healthcare can deeply understand the cost relationship between fixed cost and variable costs.

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The quote brings up the point that Caesar Augustus is the son of God (Apollo), how he has brought peace among the Roman Empire, and how Augustus has and will continue to spread the empire. The quote also provides a sense of assurance by saying that Augustus was meant to be the ruler before he was even born. Throughout Book Two of the Aeneid, over the destruction of Troy, Aeneas shows his great characteristic of piety à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ the loyalty to the gods and to family. In the book, he rescues his father and the Trojan gods, the Penates, from destructive mayhem at Troyà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s fall by carrying them by himself on his shoulders. These brave acts are clear example of piety. This reflects positively on Augustus, who is also well known for his piety. It is a trait that Augustus spent much of his leadership showing to the people of Rome by creating a more family-friendly and religious city by building more housing, temples, and places for socials gatherings. The text shows a connection between both Augustus and Aeneas, where both of these men put piety high into their priorities. It also prophecies that Augustus will be a great leader for Rome just like Aeneas was for the Trojans. Another Character trait they both share is that they seemingly the lack the desire for power. After showing no signs of wanting to lead others Aeneas says, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½From all sides they had come there, ready at heart, with their chattels, for whatever lands I might take them to, over the sea.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ And Aeneas, even after all the encouragement, hesitated to accept for a awhile before accepting to be leader of the Trojans. This is an obvious parallel with Augustus. Augustus was extremely reluctant to accept the position of consul several times even though he was elected. Looking at this parallel allows the explanation that in both cases the people unanimously wanted Augustus or Aeneas to lead them, However neither preferred to lead at first. This trait can be looked at in a positive or negative manner, however there is a clear connection be Augustus and the Virgilà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s character, Aeneas. However, in Book Four less positive notions are being placed upon the view of Augustus. In her final madness, Dido curses the Roman people for an à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½unknown avengerà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ to à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½to follow the Trojan settlers fire and with sword, to-day, to-morrow, whenever strength shall be givenà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½.(624) It seems likely that she speaks of true events to come. Representing the wars between Rome and Carthage which was to never end until one or the other was destroyed. In Book One, Virgil talks about Carthage describing it as a Republic structure much like Romeà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s. And since Rome did come out victorious the curse of Dido symbolizes the destruction of Carthage. Back to Book Two there are some more pessimistic observations within the text. Virgil describes the scenes of the assassination of Priam during the destruction of Troy by saying the following: à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Then Pyrrhus repliedà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Now die.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ The trembling old man, who slipped in his sonà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s very blood; In his left hand he coiled Priamà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s hair, with his right drew aloft his glittering blade, and sank it in Priamà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s side right up to the hilt. So perished the fortunes of Priam; Such his allotted end, to see Troy set afire and Pergamus fallen, he who aforetime was lord of Asia, adorned with so many a nation and land. He lies on the shore now, a mighty trunk and a head shorn from its shoulders, a body without a name.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (545) The death of Priam marked the fall of Troy. However, this gruesome death is very similar to that of Pompey when he assassinated by the orders of Julius Caesar. Mills describes the parallel by saying, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½As the death of Pompey marked the end of the end of one period in Romeà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s political struggles, so the death of Priam also marked the end of an age in history.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ (165) Therefore, Augustusà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ father Julius Caesar was the killer Pompey and therefore, ultimately the killer of the Republic. Since Augustus is the adopted son of Julius Caesar, it brings up a negative point towards Augustus by saying that he could become like Caesar and kill anyone one who stands in his way without any remorse against his enemy. Turnus appears as a somewhat humble character, who initially denies the option of going to war against the Trojans and does retain a lot of pride despite his power. However, the intervention of Allecto, causes him to launch the attack on the Trojans. But, Turnusà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ humble character is shown at the conclusion, when Turnus pleads and begs for Aeneas to save his life and keeps no pride. He is unarmed, but is still wearing a trophy item from a man of Aeneas that he killed, thus Aeneas kills him in rage. In the last line of the Aeneid Virgil writes, à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½He angrily buried his sword full in the breast of his foe; the body of Turnus grew limp and cold, and down to the shadows below, moaning in protest against it, his soul fled away.à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ When looking at Aeneas like he is Augustus, the story ends very pessimistically. Aeneas had gone against his fatherà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s word that he should be merciful and this is also very counter-Roman by acting is such a barbaric manner. This is implying Augustus uses tactics that are not respected or supposed to be used by any Roman in order to receive his political power and military strength. Virgil is claiming that Aeneas went about his way to getting his desires in a very immoral manner. Simply put, Augustus receives his power in the same way as Aeneas receiving his reward of the princess Lavinia through the unjust murder of Turnus. Perhaps one of the most pessimistic, but subtle text is the one about the Gate of Ivory in Book Six. Virgil refers to the journey of Aeneas exiting the underworld. Aeneas has the choice between two specific gates in order to leave the underworld. One called the Gate of Horn which would simply bring him back to the real world and the other is called the Gate of Ivory where those who enter, enter a world of false dreams. And with the guidance of his father Aeneas walked through Gate of Ivory. When using the representation of Aeneas as Caesar Augustus, Virgil does not view Augustus as a wise man or great hero. By sending Aeneas in the Gate of Ivory Virgil claiming that Augustus is using his power in a manner that is virtually filled with false dreams, and that he convincing citizens and senators to follow him by giving them false hope. This might also create false hope among all of the empire. This text clearly disagrees with almost everything that Augustus stands for. With Anchises guiding him foreshadow of what disappointments are sure to occur. Anchises attempts to warn Aeneas to be merciful to everyone showing how Virgil disagrees with Augustusà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ methods of unnecessary violence and foreshadows Aeneas killing Turnus.

My Passion is to Teach Essay -- Teaching Education Philosophy Essays

My Passion is to Teach Every child thinks about what to do when they grow up, and every child changes their mind about a hundred times. I admit that I changed my mind frequently until I started high school. I wanted to be everything from a princess to a firefighter, but in high school I decided that one day I would be a teacher. I wanted to be a teacher because I think that our nation is lacking in teachers that want to teach. We have an abundance of teachers that teach because it is their job, not their passion. I want to teach, guide, and most of all I want to make a difference. Whine in elementary school I remember the students that were left behind because individuals simply gave up on them. I want to give those children a chance to shine. I want to be the role model that many children have never had the chance to look up to. Before I had any idea ho, I knew that I wanted to help people. Helping people happens in many ways, but the approach that I plan on taking is through the riddance of ignorance. Many children will never fully understand ...

The Book of Kells by R.A. Macavoy Essay -- The Book of Kells Christian

The Book of Kells by R.A. Macavoy The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript from the eighth century. It is currently located at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. The images and icons in this book of gospels are Christian; however, the style of the work is pre-Christian in origin. Since the illustrations show both Irish and Germanic influences, they are referred to as Hiberno-Saxon art. The Book of Kells is called an insular manuscript, because its script is in a style known as â€Å"Insular majuscule,† a style that was common at that time in Ireland (Meehan 9). The Book of Kells represents a high point in the development of Hiberno-Saxon illumination. In the words of the art historian Carl Nordenfalk, the manuscript is a work of â€Å"exquisite perfection† (118). This paper will discuss the Book of Kells in an effort to examine its artistic and historic contribution. In the sixth century, the Christian Church began spreading its influence by establishing monasteries throughout Europe. The people of Ireland had begun converting to Christianity, as early as the fifth century, and by the seventh century, the nation had become an integral part of the Church’s international monastic system. The monks of the Irish monasteries took religious texts and decorated them, thereby creating what are today known as illuminated manuscripts. The ornamentation of these texts included large, ornate initial letters, interlace patterns, human, animal and religious figures, and various symbolic and iconographic motifs. There were many Irish illuminated books of this period; however, the Book of Kells was the most magnificent of all (Meehan 9-10). The Book of Kells, is a Latin version of the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Book of Kells, was quite large and was usually placed at the altar (NGA 2000). Although the Book of Kells is Christian in theme and principle, its illuminated decorations illustrate a pagan origin. The Irish monks who produced the illuminated manuscripts retained local artists to do the artwork (Nordenfalk 109). The designs and motifs that the, recently converted, artists used were similar to those used by traditional metalworkers and goldsmiths of the time. Therefore, many of the designs of Christian manuscripts have a likeness to the embellishments found on helmets, shields and other ancient pagan artifac... ...ging Christian and pagan motifs, the end result was the creation of an entirely new art form. The Book of Kells and other insular gospels of that time made an influential contribution to the further development of illuminated manuscripts. Thus, it is apparent that the Book of Kells had an important influence on later artists. In addition, because the Book of Kells provided an artistic treatment of the Christian gospels, it helped further the spread of Christianity in Europe. Works Cited Henderson, George. From Durrow to Kells: The Insular Gospel- Books, 650-800. London: Thames and Hudson, 1987. MacCorkill, Nancy A. â€Å"Scottish Highlands and Islands – The Celtic Site.† 1 June 1997. http://members.aol.com/heather130/celtic.html Meehan, Bernard. The Book of Kells: An Illustrated Introduction to the Manuscript in Trinity College Dublin. London: Thames and Hudson, 1994. National Gallery of Australia (NGA) Official Website. â€Å"The Book of Kells and The Art of Illumination.† 2000. http://www.nga.gov.au/kells/Index.htm Nordenfalk, Carl. Early Medieval Painting from the Fourth to the Eleventh Centuries. Lausanne, Switzerland: Editions d’Art Albert Skira, 1957.

Human Services Essay

What needs do each agency meet and what demographic does each agency serve? The department of social services caters to anyone who in in need of assistance as long as basic requirements are met. The DSS mainly caters to women and children .This resource helps with food through a program named SNAP which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The main role of this service is to supplement the incomes of the people who are having issues providing food for their family. This is done by Social services issuing an electronic benefit card also referred to as EBT card to distribute stamps on a monthly basis until the family is able to provide for their family with no assistance. They having other programs in place to assist with the needs of child care and some clients’ qualify to receive a cash allowance on a monthly basis until the family no longer qualify for the benefit. The program is a federal mandated program put into place to assist the country people that are vulnerable to having a poor quality of life. The other agency that was selected was CAASTL this program is very similar to the department of social services but on a much smaller scale. The Community action agency does not off monthly benefits for food and living expenses. However they do have food pantry that is used to help family eat healthy meals and they offer assistance with utility instead of issues out a monthly allowance. This service mainly cater to families with small children and elderly people in need of assistance. This program was put in place to assist with need of the people who lived in the county and did not qualify for services which were located in the city. Both agencies are there to help people that are in need the department of social services has more funding that CAASTL because it is a program that only receives funds to help pay for resources that would be used to assist people living in that community Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment.

Halftime in America: Chrysler Commercial Essay

The Chrysler commercial during the 2012 Super Bowl was extremely well done. It stars Clint Eastwood delivering a muscularly optimistic message about Detroit and its auto industry. Clint talks about America and how it has been hurting due to the poor economy and the unemployment rate. He does this through an interesting allegory of football and halftime. Chrysler does well targeting a very broad audience of American auto consumers. This particular commercial uses a fear tactic through a lowly lit background and the unmistakable growl of Clint Eastwood to reach the target audience. Chrysler attempts to tug at the proverbial heart strings or emotions of the auto consumer by playing on the fears of people and their lack of faith in the American economy. Americans want to believe that America is great and will pick itself up from the dire straits it is in. This commercial does a good job at trying to light that patriotic fire. This commercial was definitely well thought out. At a cost of $3. 5 million per 30 second time slot (halftime in America was 2:00 minutes long) Chrysler spared no expense. The 2012 Super bowl had 111 million viewers, a calculated move no doubt (â€Å"Super Bowl Ads Cost Average Of $3. 5m†, 2012). Detroit has been a long standing icon of American ingenuity and manufacturing; Clint Eastwood is an American acting icon; so it is no surprise that Chrysler put the two together to make a commercial. Chrysler, being rooted in America is reaching for brand recognition though perceived â€Å"Americanism†. It is an effectively persuasive tactic, though tasteless in my opinion. I say this for the simple fact that auto industry is no longer bound by borders; it is a global industry where many â€Å"American† autos are made with parts manufactured overseas. â€Å"For the third straight year, Toyota Camry, a product of Japan’s largest automaker, is the â€Å"most American car,† as determined by Cars. com’s formula. Honda Accord, the flagship of Japan’s second largest automaker, is second. † (â€Å"Report: The Two ‘Most American’ Cars Are Japanese†, 2011). I elieve that although the commercial was well thought out and constructed, Chrysler is rather tasteless in its tactics and disguises the tastelessness very well. In general, Americans are a proud and patriotic people; playing on this is a clever way to sell cars. Using American icons to sell cars is clever. In short, Chrysler gets an A+ for resourcefulness and creativity, but gets an overall failing grade for the hanky-panky thrown in the consumers face to disguise their real motives.

Micronutrient Study Guide Essay

Vitamin C 1. Vitamin C is a required vitamin for the synthesis of collagen, norepinephrine, and carnitine. Collagen is a crucial component in the structure of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bone. Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter which is critical for proper brain function. Carnitine is a small molecule that is essential for transporting fat into the mitochondria of cells to be later converted into energy. Vitamin C is also used as a highly effective antioxidant to help protect key organs from the effects of free radicals and reactive oxygen. 2. The most severe malady related to a deficiency in vitamin C is scurvy. Symptoms of scurvy are easy bruising/bleeding, hair and tooth loss, and pain and swelling of joints. These symptoms are related to the deficiency of collagen which results in the weakening of blood vessels, connective tissues, and bones. 3. Adequate intake of vitamin C can help to prevent diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, cataracts, gout, and toxicity from lead. 4. For individuals with cardiovascular diseases, treatment that includes daily vitamin C dosages of atleast 500mg per day has been shown to improve vasodilation. It also helps to increase vasodilation in individuals with diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Vitamin C has also been shown to be useful in the treatment of cancer in terminal patients when administered intravenously. 5. Vitamin C supplements are available in a wide variety of forms. Supplements can come in the form of natural or synthetic L-ascorbic acid, mineral ascorbates, with or without bioflavonoids, metabolites, and ascorbyl palmitate. 6. Most studies that have been conducted on high vitamin C intake were based on invitro experiments. The outcomes included genetic mutations, birth defects, cancer, atherosclerosis, kidney stones, excess iron absorption, vitamin B12 deficiency, and dental enamal erosion. Folate/Folic Acid 1. Folates are vitamins that naturally exists in our foods and in metabolically active forms in our body. Folic acid is the more stable form that does not occur frequently in food or our body. However, folic acid is the form that is most often used in supplements and fortififed food. Its functions include the metabolism of one-carbon units, DNA, amino acids, vitamins B12 and B6. 2. Deficiency of folate is usually caused by inadequte dietary consumption. Deficiency can also occur due to alcoholism, pregnancy, or certain medications. Not consuming enough folate can lead to an increase of blood homocysteine levels. Inadequate supply of folate also leads to fewer and larger red blood cells being produced, which causes megaloblastic anemia to occur. 3. Folates can be used to help prevent many things. It helps in the prevention of pregnancy complications, such as neural tube defects, heart defects, limb malformations, premature delivery, low birth weight in infants, miscarriages, and preclampsia. Folates also help in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases caused by elevated homocysteine levels, colorectal and breast cancers, Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive impairment diseases. 4. To help eliminate and prevent diseases and conditions caused by a deficiency in folates and folic acid, it is recommended that adults 19 years old and older consume atleast 400mcg/day of Dietary Folate Equivalent (DFE). 5. Folate can be used in supplemental forms. Folate supplements come in the form of folic acid and are available in single and combination products. 6. There have not been any reported adverse affects of excess folate intake from foods. However, there are concerns with excess levels of synthetic folic acid intake in individuals with vitamin B12 deficiency, which may lead to a condition known as megaloblastic anemia. High intake levels of folic acid in these individuals leads to a correction of the anemia, without correcting the underlying vitamin B12 deficiency. Untreated vitamin B12 deficiency puts those at an increased risk of developing irreversible neurological brain damage. Fluoride 1. Fluoride is used in our body to harden tooth enamel and stabilize bone mineralization. 2. The biggest condition related to a fluoride deficiency is the increased risk of developing dental cavities and tooth decay. 3. Adequate intake of fluoride is useful in the prevention of dental cavities and tooth decay by enhancing remineralization of tooth enamel and making teeth more resistant to demineralization. It has also been found to be useful in the prevention of osteoporosis when consumed at levels higher than that of recommended levels for tooth decay prevention. 4. Osteoporosis can be eliminated with very-high dosages of fluoride. It has been shown to produce large increases in bone mineral density in the vertebrae of the lumbar spine. 5. Fluoride supplements are only available by prescription. They are only intended for children who reside in areas with low water fluoride concentrations. It is given to them for the purpose of increasing their fluoride intake to about 1mg/day. 6. High fluoride intake (for the treatment of osteoporosis) is associated with the side effects of gastrointestinal irritation, joint pain in lower extremities, and the possible development of calcium deficiency, which leads to stress fractures. Acute fluoride poisoning is especially possible in children when consumed in excess through fluoride fortified products. Skeletal fluorosis, the changing of bone structure, can occur with excessive intake occurring over a long period of years. Dental fluorosis is also possible when given in excess to children who have not yet produced permanent teeth. Potassium 1. Potassium is the most abundant positively charged ion contained in the fluid inside of cells. It is a part of an electrochemical gradient known as the membrane potential. It works along with sodium to maintain ion pumps within the cell membrane that use ATP to pump out sodium in exchange for potassium. Potassium is also required for a number of enzymes that require it for activation. 2. The biggest disorder related to potassium deficiency is hypokalemia, which results from excessive loss of potassium through occurrences such as prolonged vomiting, diuretic usage, some kidney diseases, or metabolic disturbances. Hypokalemia symptoms include fatigue, muscle cramps, muscle weakness, and gastrointestinal problems related to intestinal paralysis. 3. Diseases that may be prevented with adequate potassium intake are stroke, osteoporosis, and kidney stones. 4. Potassium intake has been shown to help in the treatment of high blood pressure when consumed through a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables. 5. Supplements containing potassium contain no more than 99mg per serving. Higher dosages are prescribed for the treatment and prevention of hypokalemia and potassium depletion, and should only be used under the guidance of a medical professional. Potassium supplements are available in many forms, including potassium chloride, gluconate,bicarbonate, and citrate. 6. The most common side effect caused by potassium supplementation is gastrointestinal problems. This reaction includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort. These sides effects may be avoided by consuming potassium supplements with a meal. Using potassium chloride tablets coated with enteric has also reportedly lead to intestinal ulceration.

Your development and Environmental Influences

The personal development as a child had an impact of my social perception as an adult that provided me with a sense of awareness of culture. The family unit experienced at childhood provided a platform that interacted with siblings and a mother and father. The positive and negative relationships between siblings produced a challenging environment for social learning. The atmosphere was unbalance that could also be defined as fractured during the most intense interaction with family members. The relationships between my mother and father provided a stern perception of leadership and organization within the family unit (Winnicott, 2003). The perceived leadership and organization model my parents incorporated showcased my mother very unsocialable and connecting to her children. This in part relationship created an uneasy atmosphere that limited the social connectivity with outside members of the family. An ongoing challenge for development was to take what was not given as child into adulthood. The relationship with my mother was focusing on the bread and butter of survival. Those areas of focus were keeping food on the table and a place to call home – that did not include a social connection with her children. In doing so, the skills needed to learn how to connect and interpret behavioral trends were not development as a child. The language opportunity that normally begins during childhood didn’t offer much of advancement. Mainly, the reason for the limited language skills was due to my mother being raised in a small town that had limited resources or highly educated people. Therefore, the need to expand on learning strong language was not encourage or sought after to better the existence of her children. The relationship with my father was limited as well as to develop critical social identity development that he was hardly around. The limited interaction provided a sense of loss to self identity and the self concept due to no real foundation developed with my father. The relationship was not a consisted bridge between my mother and father because there was no parallel universe of social building towards their children. Instead, my father felt that my mother should lead and make the decisions of connecting with the children to present a hard approach at all times. My father would take the occasionally approach to put his foot down but were more interested in other matters that centered on his existence. The family unit experience was a major deficient in the social identity development needed for the growth of an individual. The interactions between family members instill the psycho-social-culture environment that translates adulthood. The limited social building relationships as a child provided my teenage years quite difficult due to trying to understanding the definition of the human being. The combination of the relationships between my families provided an incorrect prism of the actual world that was corrected as an older age approached. The fundamental basis of social rendering is the understanding of how our family structure is one out of many ingredients to defining who we really are as individuals. In addition, the family unit is important only on the basis for providing an identity to how adults and children interact that are genetic related. This biological relationship poses an in-depth psycho-social-culture awareness to making sure the trends, styles; perceptions are embedded in one’s mind. Moreover, the benefit of the family unit impression on a child is an opportunity to redefine one’s individual perception on other people as well as experiences (Winnicott, 2003). The developmental psychology stage is crucial to allowing the child to grow as an adult with the basis of the family unit influence, however, the experiences later on in life provides a chance to create a new reality. The stages of individual’s development that opens up a perception windfall to present a newer understanding to interpersonal skills – that encourages the needed growth for long-term achievement. The benefit of understanding the roles that our family units play in the beginning actually empowers us to being able to restructure later years of maturity. In reaching the plateau of achievement for social growth is the number of experiences that human beings encounter that has additional impact as the family unit. The overall focus of what our mother and father did not do is not as important as compared to allowing newer experiences to redirect our mindset. The core vision to be focused on is the ability to learn the lessons that our family unit as a child presented and provide a deeper psychology terminology that doesn’t limits the journey (Winnicott, 2003). The most influential groups that assisted in the growth of social developmental growth is the church, community organizations, school parenting groups of development, and toastmasters. The organizations provided an opportunity to grow as child, teenager, and later on as an adult that empowered my mindset. The benefits of associating with the organizations provided a sense of what is most important to human growth – that learning something new that is different than something is a good thing. The overall perception also allowed a chance to redefine what was shown and taught as a child to create a different observation. The experiences as an adult introduced new and exciting individuals that opened up a wonderful projection to what was true and not a false pretense. Furthermore, the connection of meeting new people and experiencing new episodes of life provided a wealth of new understanding. The final analysis is that the key is having the willingness to learning a new perspective of social interaction that nurtures one’s human growth.

Postmodern Cultural Studies Essay

Cultural Studies and the Academy 1. Cultural studies in the academies of the advanced capitalist countries has transformed the object of studies in the humanities. In particular, in English departments, cultural studies has challenged the predominance of the governing categories of literary studies (the â€Å"canon,† the homogeneous â€Å"period,† the formal properties of genre, the literary object as autonomous and self-contained) in the interest of producing â€Å"readings† of all texts of culture and inquiring into the reproduction of subjectivities. To this end, pressure has been placed on disciplinary boundaries, the methods which police these boundaries, and modes of interpretation and critique have been developed which bring, for example, â€Å"economics† and â€Å"politics† to bear on the formal properties of texts. In addition, the lines between â€Å"high culture† and â€Å"mass culture† have been relativized, making it possible to address texts in terms of their social effectivity rather than their â€Å"inherent† literary, philosophical or other values. 2. The two most significant categories which have supported these institutional changes have been â€Å"ideology† and â€Å"theory. † Althusserian and post-althusserian understandings of ideology, which defined ideology not in terms of a system of ideas or â€Å"world view† but in terms of the production of subjects who recognize the existing social world as the only possible and â€Å"reasonable† one, made possible the reading of texts in terms of the ways in which the workings of ideology determined their structure and uses. Marxist and post-structuralist theories, meanwhile, focused critical attention on the conditions of possibility of discourses, and upon the exclusions and inclusions which enable their articulation. In both cases, critique becomes possible insofar as reading is directed at uncovering the â€Å"invisible† possibilities of understanding which are suppressed as a condition of the text’s intelligibility. 3. I support these efforts to transform the humanities into a site of ultural critique. I will argue that what is at stake in these changes is the uses of pedagogical institutions and practices in late capitalist society. If pedagogy is understood, as I would argue it should be, as the intervention into the reproduction of subjectivities, then the outcome of struggles over â€Å"culture† and â€Å"cultural studies† will determine whether or not the Humanities will become a site at which the production of oppositional subjectivities is made possible. Historically, the Humanities has been a site at which the contradictions of the subjectivities required by late capitalist culture have been addressed and â€Å"managed. † For example, the central concepts of post-World War Two literary criticism, such as â€Å"irony,† have the function of reducing contradictions to the â€Å"complexity† and â€Å"irrationality† of â€Å"reality,† thereby reconciling subjects to those contradictions. 4. However, these recent changes in the academy have been very partial and contradictory. They have been partial in the sense that much of the older or â€Å"traditional† modes of literary studies have remained untouched by these developments, or have only made some slight â€Å"accommodations† to them. They have also been contradictory in the sense that cultural studies has accommodated itself to existing practices, by producing new modes of fetishizing texts and preserving conservative modes of subjectivity. In this way, cultural studies continues to advance the ideological function of the modern Humanities in a changed social environment. . The right wing attacks these changes, charging–as in the ongoing â€Å"PC† scare–that the Humanities are abandoning their commitment to objectivity and the universal values of Western culture. My argument is that these commitments and values have been undermined by social developments which have socialized subjects in new ways while concentrating global socio-economic power within an ever-shrinking number of transnational corporations. The intellectual and political tendencies coordinated by cultural studies, then, are responding to these transformations by allowing academic business to go on as usual, and providing updated and therefore more useful modes of legitimation for capitalist society. 6. The contradictions of these changes in the mode of knowledge production need to be understood within the framework of the needs of the late capitalist social order. The emergence of â€Å"theory† and (post)Althusserian understandings of ideology reflected and contributed strongly to the undermining of liberal humanism (in both its â€Å"classical† and social-democratic versions) as the legitimating ideology of capitalism. The discrediting of liberal humanism, first under the pressures of anti-colonialist revolts and then as a result of the anti-hegemonic struggles in the advanced capitalist â€Å"heartlands,† revealed a deep crisis in authority and hegemony in late capitalist society. This discrediting also revealed the need for new ideologies of legitimation, free from what could now be seen as the â€Å"naivete† of liberal humanist universalism, now widely viewed as a cover for racist, sexist and anti-democratic institutions. 7. The institutional tendencies which have produced the constellation of practices which can be termed â€Å"cultural studies† have, then, participated both in the attack on liberal understandings and in the development of new discourses of legitimation. The liberal humanism predominant in the academy has increasingly been seen as illegitimate because it depends upon an outmoded notion of private individuality-that is, the modern notion of the immediacy with which the privileged text is apprehended by the knowing subject. In this understanding, literature is understood in opposition to science and technology, as a site where what is essential to our â€Å"human nature† can be preserved or recovered in the face of a social reality where this â€Å"human essence† (â€Å"freedom†) is perpetually at risk. However, the more â€Å"scientific† methods (like semiology) which have undermined the hegemony of â€Å"new criticism† in the American academy, largely through the use of modes of analysis borrowed from structuralist anthropology and linguistics, have themselves been discredited by postmodern theories as largely conservative discourses interested in resecuring disciplinary boundaries (for example, through the classification of genres) and protecting an empiricist notion of textuality. 8. Cultural studies, then, is the result of the combination of the introduction of â€Å"theory† and the â€Å"politicization† of theory enabled by these social and institutional changes. However, the postmodern assault on â€Å"master narratives† (â€Å"theory†) has responded to the discrediting of both structuralism and Marxism in a conservative political environment by redefining â€Å"politics† to mean the resistance of the individual subject to modes of domination located in the discursive and disciplinary forms which constitute the subject. This has opened up the possibility of a new line of development for cultural studies: one in which the local supplants the global as the framework of analysis and description or â€Å"redescription† replaces explanation as the purpose of theoretical investigations. I will argue that the set of discourses which have â€Å"congealed† into what I

Discussion board forum Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Discussion board forum - Assignment Example the required limits in law may keep corporations out of courts, but businesses are ware that holding themselves responsible to a high standard will stand them in good stead as far as their employees, customers, suppliers, communities, regulators and shareholders are concerned. This therefore means that any enterprise if at all it wants to be sustained over a long period of time must maximize its proceeds; nevertheless it should do so in a way that meets the requirements of its stakeholders who in essence allow it to stay viable. When there is a change of those requirements, corporations have got a responsibility to become accustomed to their actions accordingly, if at all they wish to survive. This is the aspect missed by Friedman’s argument. The game and its rules have changed in indispensable ways –and customers today anticipate and even demand more of a corporation than basically that they increase their returns without coming to anguish by some breach of law. Custom ers require and anticipate attributes from what they purchase-safety, value, quality-which of course depends on the price they have paid (Bryan, 2010).Employees on the other hand require more than just a paycheck and the society needs the enterprise to be a better corporate citizen and employ from the community. Regulators require corporations to adhere to the legal line, communities frequently require companies to go an extra mile and do more than is needed of them; leading to a lot of strategic philanthropic efforts that are an aspect of ,but nevertheless don’t by themselves comprise a responsible company, particularly if they seem to be like giving back for a business culture or model that is not desirable (Bryan, 2010). Break-even point is that point at which a product stops costing Sarah’s company/enterprise money to produce, and sell, and thus starts making a profit for the company. Her total expenses for this enterprise are ($12,000+148000=160,000) plus her salary of $35,000.The

The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Corporal Essay

The Relationship Between Socioeconomic Status (SES) and Corporal Punishment - Essay Example Despite significant support for such broad generalizations, many questions remain regarding relations among SES, parenting, and child growth. The expressions physical punishment and corporal punishment are employed here as synonyms to refer to an action by parents intended to cause the child physical hurting, but not injury, for purposes of correction or control of misconduct. The 1975 and 1985 National Family Violence Surveys discovered that about 95% of American parents use corporal punishment as just cleared. This is consistent with a large number of other studies (Straus, 1991) and with the faith that corporal punishment is used by parents with tots or young children. Public health advocates have described corporal punishment as "a form of interfamilial violence associated with short and long-term adverse mental health outcomes" (Stewart et al., 2000, p. 257). Corporal punishment in the United States presents a complex picture, with high but decreasing rates of general approval, and a population increasingly divided regarding its use (Straus & Mathur, 1994). The approval of corporal punishment in the United States decreased dramatically from 94% in 1978 to 68% in 1994 (Straus & Mathur, 1996). Whereas in 1978 there was almost universal approval in the United States for parents spanking children, regardless of demographic variables, by 1994 disagreements were evident, with greater approval noted among African Americans, Southerners, and those with fewer years of formal education (Straus & Mathur, 1996). Unfortunately, data concerning Latinos are limited. Frequently, Latinos are simply excluded from the sample or are miscoded as African American or White (Ortega, Guillean, & Najera, 1996). The actual use of corporal punishment in the United States is also decreasing (Dart & Gelles, 1992; Straus, 1994). Even so, corporal punishment is still used widely, and Giles-Sims, Straus, and Sugarman (1995) have reported that "almost all children in the United States are spanked by their parents at some point in their lives" (p. 170). For parents to give up corporal punishment, they need to establish an effective alternative system of instruction and discipline. Research supports the notion that three kinds of parenting behaviors constitute such a system: those that promote the parent-child relationship, those that reinforce positive behaviors, and those that decrease undesired behaviors (Howard, 1996). Parents who resort to frequent or severe corporal punishment are likely to rely too much on punitive techniques, without using the other methods. They may underutilize other ways to gain compliance: through building their relationship with their children, reinforcing positive behaviors, and decreasing undesired behaviors through means other than punishment (e.g., distracting the child). Male gender, lower socioeconomic status, comorbid analysis of ADHD, positive parental history of mental illness

Why was there so much violence in Rome in the late Republic Essay

Why was there so much violence in Rome in the late Republic - Essay Example 140) Caesar’s rise to power and his eventual assassination demonstrate the violence that permeated Rome’s late Republic. Caesar was pivotal in the increase in violence as he helped militarize the Roman city. Earlier, Rome was plagued by anarchy and that Cnaeus Pompeius was entrusted with the restoration of order. He achieved this by bringing legionaries into the center of the city, the first time that serving soldiers have been brought there for this purpose, except in times of civil war. (Lintott, p. xiv) After order was restored, these legionaries remained in Rome for two more years under Pompeius’ command. Now, this was used by Julius Caesar as a reason to invade Italy with the pretext of defending his own status. This invasion would bring the Republic to an end. The transition from armies that were fighting in the battlefield to gangs fighting in the streets has sparked the violence in the late Republic. Such transition was disastrous and it is not difficult to understand why. Cicero argued in favor of arming the Roman citizens in his defense of Milo. However, this proved disastrous as more and more people became violent with their arms up to the point that the government could no longer control them. By the time the Roman Senate passed legislation to control bearing arms for violent purposes in the public realm, it was already too late. A specific example of the most controversial disturbances happened in 59 B.C., when the consul Bibulus tried to block his colleague Caesar’s legislation. According to Crook, Lintoot and Rawson’s account: Bibulus offered religious objection to Caesar’s proposals in the traditional way, according to the process known as abnutiatio: he appeared in the Forum and declared to the presiding magistrate that he had seen evil omens†¦ As the year went on, however, civil disturbances increased and Bibulus became the object of such violent assaults that he took refuge in his house and merely issued messages that he was

Information management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Information management - Essay Example Its primary focus in the past years has been becoming a wellness, health and a nutrition company through the new acquisitions and existing brands (Dickersbach et al. 2009, p181). The brand portfolio of Nestle covers almost all the beverage and food categories. These categories include nutrition (healthcare, infant, weight and performance management), dairy and milk products, breakfast cereals, ice cream, beverages, coffee, chocolate, culinary products (cooking aids, prepared dishes, sauces), pet care, bottled water, and confectionery. Many of these brands have category leadership in the local and global market. Among the international best-known brands include Nestea, Purina, Nescafe, Maggi, Nestle and Buitoni. Revenues for Nestle exceeded 100 billion United States dollars for the year 2007 (Dickersbach et al. 2009, p181). The company is run through a decentralized group of companies that promote and rely on the organizational learning of the Group. The headquarter offers guidance, consultancy, and leadership to the local and regional organizations. Identification of the opportunities within the Businesses and Markets are done by the central competence units and they help the local management in the improvement of business performance (Dickersbach et al. 2009, p181). The company has numerous supply chains, a number of methods for predicting demand and infinite variety of ways of collecting payments and invoicing customers. The complexity of these processes has become very difficult to manage and they have been a bottleneck for the company. The Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s Chief Executive, Peter Brabeck standardized the operations around the world in 2003 in order to overcome some of the difficulties faced by the company. GLOBE (Global Business Excellence programme) was then initiated and its aim was to bring all the Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s operations to utilize a single computer system for all of its financial, manufacturing and sales operations (Barnes

As Project Management evolves a new set of issues is demanding Essay - 1

As Project Management evolves a new set of issues is demanding attention - Essay Example Consequently, complexity and drastic change build a high-risk environment wherein decision makers have little faith about the future. They view experiences through dense perspectives and base their decisions on guesswork and small measures of certainty (Lewis 2007). Making things more difficult is the aggressively competitive environment that has emerged with the introduction of the Internet and the spread of globalisation. This competitive environment has motivated a fascination with winning customers’ hearts and minds. In the contemporary business environment, customer satisfaction rests at the core of most business endeavour (Lewis 2007). This paper will explore the new business climate and their implications for project management. The traditional saying â€Å"the only constant is change† (Frame 2002: 26) ceases to be a witty oxymoron and is now a prevailing reality in contemporary business life. Untapped change is a primary determinant of project failure. Changes in markets, technology, regulations, budgets, and personnel motivate changes in project requirements and demands. Project personnel discover themselves operating in ‘rubber baselines’ (Frame 2002: 26). The abundance of alternatives is obvious in project management. For instance, there are several workable ‘scheduling software packages’ (Howes 2001: 13) being recommended by suppliers. How does an individual choose from such diversity? A great deal of the complexity of present projects is linked to the diversity of alternatives confronting all project actors, from customers to team members to project managers. These alternatives cover all project features. For instance, consider the alternatives related to the buying of a product or service (Howes 2001). Practically any product or service to be used on a project has a variety of suppliers or providers, each with its distinct qualities (Frame 2003). In

Discussion 2 Week 10 Contract Termination Liability Risk Assignment

Discussion 2 Week 10 Contract Termination Liability Risk - Assignment Example ssionals on adequately addressing potential termination risks on their contracts, and on how potential termination costs would be funded in the event of a termination† (GAO, 2011, p. 11). The recommendations are consistent with the findings which allegedly cause potential termination practices. As emphasized, NASA does not observe consistency in application of detailed and specific instructions for the implementation of FAR clauses. As such, the contractors assume diverse interpretations of reported â€Å"risks and financial responsibilities related to potential termination liability, which may be due in part to NASA’s inconsistent practices† (GAO, 2011, p. 10). As such, the recommendation requiring NASA professionals to monitor potential termination costs would only be successful if and when the root cause of the dispute and inconsistency in practices is addressed. Thus, first and foremost, NASA should be able to design structured and consistent policies and prac tices concerning termination liability funding to avoid problems ensuing from contract termination in the future. One alternative to reinforce consistency in contract termination practices is to enforce review and monitoring of long term government projects and contracts within a definite time frame, say, every three years. Any need for changes, adjustments, and updates which are not within the original scope of the contract should be identified within that stage of progress. As such, as early as possible, when termination costs are not yet significant, the government and contracting parties should already set the stage for appropriate action (either termination or proceed with the contract) within a maximum ceiling (costs) stipulated. The changes and conditions should be subject to the regulations set in terminations for default and convenience (OConnor,

Statistics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

Statistics - Essay Example In this case, we will get the stats of one of my favorite players Anthony Carmelo from New York Knicks. He scores 25.7 points per game, 7.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists. This is supported by career season high or the highest score he got in these respective areas. He got a career high of 30.7, rebound high of 10.3 and an assist of 5.2 (NBA, 2013). These numbers are what is called in statistics â€Å"averaging† or adding up all the scores and other relevant statistics and divide them by their quantity. For fans like us, it gives us a snapshot of the player’s performance from field goals, rebounds, assists. This can even further be broken down to other sub-area such as field goals, three point shots and free throws to give us detailed information on how a player performed. The statistic used in this game is founded in good math but it is not intimidating and easy to understand that makes us appreciate the game

Muhammad & Hadith Essay Example for Free

Muhammad Hadith Essay Muhammad, whose name was taken from the Arabic word hamada which means â€Å"to praise, to glorify,† was born in Mecca, Western Arabia, in 570 CE to Abd bin Al-Muttalib and Amina bint Wahb. His parents were believed to be descendants of Abraham and Hagar, the Egyptian slave who mothered Abraham’s son, Ishmael. The story goes that Abraham fled to Mecca with Hagar and Ishmael after his wife, Sarah, also gave birth to a baby boy (Isaac) and became extremely jealous of Hagar and Ishmael. It was with the assistance of Ishmael that Abraham later built the Ka’bah, Islam’s holiest sanctuary, in Mecca. It is now the destination of pilgrims during the hajj (Fisher. 2005). Muhammad married at the age of twenty-five to Khadijah, a forty-year-old businesswoman who owned the caravans which he was managing at the time. His wife later became his main source of support when he was experiencing difficulties during the early years of his mission. Muhammad recounted an incident which happened when he was forty years old. As his story went, an angel appeared to him when he was in a cave in Mt. Hira during one of his spiritual retreats and told him to recite something. Because he was illiterate, he reportedly refused three times. However, the angel insisted and when Muhammad, at last, relented, the angel gave him the words that would later become the Qur’an’s first words. That was the first of a series of revelations, the exact words of which had been: Proclaim! (or Recite! ) In the name Of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created – Created man, out of A (mere) clot Of congealed blood: Proclaim! And thy Lord Is Most Bountiful,- He Who taught (The use of) the Pen,- Taught man that Which he knew not (Fisher, 2005). That first revelation undoubtedly referred to the creation. It was followed by more revelations which occurred intermittently. Muhammad described the revelations as follows: â€Å"Revelation sometimes comes like the sound of a bell; that is the most painful way. When it ceases I have remembered what was said. Sometimes it is an angel who talks to me like a human, and I remember what he says. † Initially, Muhammad only shared what was revealed to him with his wife and the few people who believed him. However, after three years had elapsed, he was instructed to start preaching to the public what he had received from the revelations (Fisher, 2005). Although he succeeded in winning converts to Islam, his group was persecuted by the Qurayshites (the aristocrats) in spite of the protection provided by his influential uncle, and exiled to an isolated place where they were forced to eat the leaves of trees and the wild foods they could gather in order to survive. The persecution persisted even after his band of Muslim converts was allowed to go back to Mecca after three years. The darkest period in Muhammad’s life was when he turned fifty. It was called the â€Å"Year of Sorrows† because his wife and his uncle who was protecting him died. The Islamic tradition explained that it was approximately during that period of hardship that the â€Å"Night of Ascension† occurred. It was claimed to be the occasion when Muhammad was supposed to have ascended into heaven and met the earlier prophets like Adam, Abraham, and Jesus Christ in Divine proximity, observed what hell and paradise were, and was later blessed by the Divine Presence (Fisher, 2005). As a consequence of the persistent Qurayshite persecution that they experienced in Mecca, however, Muhammad and his Muslim followers decided to leave Mecca and head for Medina in 622 CE. Their migration, which was referred to as the hijrah, is now considered as the beginning of the Muslim era. (Risher, 2005).

The Mid Autumn Moon Festival Theology Religion Essay

The Mid Autumn Moon Festival Theology Religion Essay China is among the well known countries in the world for a variety of desirable tradition of folk art and traditional festivals (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The culture of the country is filled with unique symbols which are widely enjoyed by Chinese people and people in other countries who had cultural exchange with China. According to Morrissey and Lee (2006), the festivals are not only celebrated by Chinese people but also celebrated by people in other countries such as in Asia who share Chinese culture. This paper seeks to identify and discuss some of important festivals which are important to Chinese tradition. The second part of the study will compare the Chinese festivals with Indonesian festivals. Chinese Festivals As acknowledged in the introduction, China enjoys a variety of festivals; each of the festival has a unique meaning to the Chinese people and people who share Chinese culture. One of the widely celebrated festivals in China is Mid-Autumn Moon Festival known as Zhongqiu Jie in Chinese language (Morrissey Lee, 2006). This festival is used to mark the appearance of new moon in every mid-September. That is the same time when Chinese people celebrate good harvests of that year. During this time moon appears near the horizon which makes it appear bigger and round than usual. People spare their time and join their families and loved ones to watch the new moon (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in other words the Moon Festival is a special event in China observed to honor female goddess of the moon called the Chang E (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The festival honors the female goddess of the moon, the females or the women in the families are the ones supposed to prepare for the celebrations. Morrissey and Lee (2006) points out that, the women hung moon papers on doors which are posters made of bamboo. The posters are called Yueguang maer in Chinese local language. The bamboo posters are split into three parts including a picture of Chang E at the top, moon goddess at the center of the poster and a picture of Jade Rabbit believed to live in the moon (Pan Tang, 2004). During the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival Chinese people and those who share Chinese culture buy rabbit sculptures and statutes for their families and loved ones at home (Morrissey Lee, 2006). As a sign of gratitude and sharing of joy, many kinds of offerings and special foods are prepared to mark the Moon-Autumn festival. During that festival celebration, women prepare Yue Bing which is a round moon-cake (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The cake is decorated with different sweet filings including walnuts pastes, dates pastes, and mashed beans to make the cake as sweet as possible for the people. According to Morrissey and Lee (2006), the moon cakes are very popular especially in the southern China. Other ingredients such as coconut, lotus seed paste and egg Yolk are put at the center of the cake to symbolize the moon. The cakes are usually eaten the same night when the moon appears in the horizon as people celebrate (Pan Tang, 2004). The other equally significant Chinese festival is the Dragon Boat Festival called Duanwu Jie in Chinese local language. This festival started approximately two centuries ago in southern China. It is used to honor the dragon god believed to control rivers and rainfall in China. During this festival, people pray through Dragon god for the rain to feed their rice plants (Morrissey Lee, 2006). The Dragon Boat Festival in China has not been forgotten to date; the festival is currently an exiting event across the country and is used to celebrate the beginning of summer in the country. To mark this festival, people parade in rivers with their boats where they organize boat contests or race to entertain people (Morrissey Lee, 2006). During that day people also prepare different special meals. The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on every fifth day of the fifth moon which mostly happens on the 21st day of June every year (Morrissey and Lee, 2006). This festival is also used in remembrance of QuYuan who was a very famous Chinese patriotic poet. The boats used in the competition in the lakes and rivers are usually made taking the shape of a dragon. The capacity of the boats is approximately 80 people (rowers) (Morrissey and Lee, 2006). The rowers paddle as drums are played to make the event as entertaining as possible. According to Chinese customs, the dragon day or the fifth day of the fifth moon is a very dangerous time. The day is associated with evil. The dragon races are therefore meant to protect people from such evil. At the end of the competition, those who were participating in the race are supposed to throw offerings into the river and lakes. That is believed to drown all the evils thus making people secure (Chambers, 2004). Before people live for the celebration, they tie different crops such as sweet-flag, garlic and mugwort on their front doors to protect their loved ones from evil. During the dragon boat festival people also carry xiang bao which are sachets with sweet-smelling flowers and herbs to guard themselves from the evil. Another very important festival in China is the Clear Brightness known s as Qing ming Jie in Chinese local language. That day which is also called the Tomb Sweeping Day is used to mark the beginning of spring and the end of winter. The festival mostly occurs on the 4th, 5th, or 6th day of April each year (Chambers, 2004). To mark this day, Chinese people and those who share Chinese custom take time to remember their common ancestors and loved ones who passed away in the previous year. They usually visit the tombs or graves where those people were buried. When visiting the graves, people are very happy making the occasion very cheerful, they usually prepare foods for the ancestors and go to clean and weed the tombs (Chambers, 2004). According to Chinese customs, the dead people are not separated from the living, the living and the dead are usually connected in many ways. The dead or the ancestors are supposed to be very much respected and not forgotten lest they harm the living. During the Clear Festival, people and relatives clean family graves, take beautiful flowers to the graves and burn paper money to please the spirit of the dead. Wine and foods are also taken to the graves as a symbol of love and concern for the ancestors and their late loved ones. Most important to note is the point that, people do not just move to gravesites together, different groups go to different sites (Pan Tang, 2004). Grandparents, aunts, uncles an cousins have their rseparate grave sites where they go during that festival. The coffins are not buried underground but left outside the tombs placed on mounds of earth commonly called the burial mounds, this Chinese traditional practice begun 1,500 years ago. Moreover, the ancestor worship in Chinese culture is a sign of respect for the dead. During such worshiping event, the ancestors are treated like living beings (Pan and Tang, 2004). The ancestors are worshiped to please them so that they do not harm the living. However, the ancestors are not believed to be as powerful as gods and therefore they cannot punish the relatives but gods can do. During the Clear Brightness Festival, the ancestors are supposed to try their best to help the living if they are requested to do so (Pan Tang, 2004). If the ancestors fail to help the living people up on request during that festival, the living abandons or ignore them implying that they no longer offer fruits, paper money or other foods to them (ancestors) (Pan Tang, 2004). In any case if the ancestors are ignored, they become external ghosts and they start loafing around in search of food. Chinese also celebrate dengjie or the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of every first month of the year. The festival is used to mark the end of a year and the beginning of a new year. The lanterns are carried in the streets during the last night of the New Year holiday (Pan Tang, 2004). Thousand of people celebrate all over the streets being hopeful of the New Year fortunes and end of the may been hardships of the just ended year. This festival began 1400 years ago in the history of China (Sievert, 2006). People carry lanterns made from all materials some made of papers, glass other of wood and in different sizes and shapes. Often such festival is mostly celebrated in the city of Harbin located far north of China. The lanterns used in the city for this festival are made of ice taken from rivers. As pointed out by Sievert (2006), the lanterns are usually painted with different Chinese symbols, historical scenes or characters while other lanterns are made in shapes of important anima ls in Chinese traditions such as dragons and crabs. The lanterns are made during the year in preparations of the festival. The lion dance also called the shi wu in Chinese local language and long wu (dragon dance) are performed to mark the Lantern Festival (Chambers, 2004). On this special day, men put on colorful lion heads to disguise themselves. The dragon to serve in this festival is made of bamboo rods with colorful cloth, 20 to 30 feet long (Chambers, 2004). The manmade dragon is then held up on poles to make it firm thus possible to be moved along the streets as people celebrate. The culture of dragon dance is not only practiced in China but also in San Francisco. Another remarkable Chinese festival is the Lunar New Year Festival locally called the Xinnian. This is celebrated each year in the history if China (Wei, 2011). It is a very cheerful day longed by many people both Chinese and who share Chinese culture. It is celebrated during the first day of first new moon. According to Chambers (2004), the event lasts for two weeks during which people share their joy with their families and friends. The 1st day of January marks the beginning of a new year in China. However, the New Year Festive follows the lunar calendar. The festive begins on the night preceding the lunar month and continuous until the 15th day of the Lantern Festival (Wei, 2011). To mark this festival, people worship different gods and spirits. People take their time during the celebration to clean their homes (Flanagan, Zhurkina Labbo, 2004). During this the New Year Festive people also clear their outstanding debts to ensure they start the New Year without debts. The elders al so distribute lucky money (Hong bao) in closed red envelops to children to make the New Year a year full of opportunities (Flanagan, Zhurkina Labbo, 2004). The young person visits their friends and businesses are closed for days to celebrate the New Year. The markets are not left out during the New Year festival, every corner of the market is filled with special foods and different decorations. As argued by Flanagan, Zhurkina and Labbo (2004), the fireworks are used to electrify that New Year holiday. Lively music, lion and dragon dances are used to entertain people during the New Year Festival. According to Wei (2011), families also decorate their doors with beautiful pictures of lucky symbols and gods. People come together to wish for the new year to be full of happiness, riches and good fortunes for their families and loved ones (Flanagan, Zhurkina Labbo, 2004). Comparison between Chinese festivals and Indonesian festivals Festival celebrations in Indonesia are mostly religion-based. The country consists of many ethnic groups including Hindu, Christians and Muslims and has varied local traditions. Nearly every month in Indonesia there is a certain festival event (Ver, 2010). Just like in China, some of the celebrations are used to mark the end of a year and a beginning of a new. The following are popular festive seasons celebrated in Indonesia in close comparison to Chinese festivals. The people of Indonesia just like does the Chinese celebrate the New Years Day. The festive day is called the Tahun Baru in Indonesian local language and it is the 1st public holiday in every year in the country (Backshall, 2003). This event is what the Chinese refer to as Xinnian. Just like in China where people welcome the New Year by celebrating in streets, in Indonesia the New Year is celebrated with fireworks, street celebrations and other kinds of celebrations (Ver, 2010). Just like Chinese people visit relatives in New Festival celebrations. People Indonesia and mostly Christians visit each other on the wake of New Year and also go to churches to wish good fortunes for the New Year. Just like Chinese celebrate QuYuan; a popular and patriotic poet on the 21st day of June, in Indonesia people mark the end of March and beginning of April by celebrating Garebeg Maulad which is a festive meant to remember the birth day of Prophet Muhammad (Vaisutis, 2007). On that day, Muslims move in big towns reciting Koran (Backshall, 2003). This celebration begins seven days before the actual event and lasts for one month. Just like people in China go to nearby lakes and rivers during the Dragon Boat Festival where they give offerings and the evils are believed to drown in the water, in Indonesia, a public holiday called Nyepi or the solar New Year is held at the spring equinox (Backshall, 2003). During that day, every business in the island and people remain silent. That was meant to prevent thwarts by evil annoyed by the previous nights activities (Lexus, 1997). It is believed that the spirit would assume there were no people in that island and will leave the island causing no harm to the people. The day before the Nyepi Festival, special people carry offerings and sacred objects and go to lakes and rivers to give offerings wishing for blessings for their people (Backshall, 2003). As discussed in the Chinese customs, any person could go to rivers and lakes, watch the dragon boat race and from there the contesters just like special people in Indonesia were supposed to give offerings believed to help in drowning evil spirit thus preventing them from harming the people (Backshall, 2003). Unlike in Chinese traditions where people are free to move up and down during Dragon Boat Festival, in Indonesia during the Nyepi Festival people have to observe some rules (Zuehlke, 2006). For instance, visitors are not allowed to move for twenty hours during that festival. They should remain in their visiting restaurants, or choose not to visit the island during Nyepi Festival celebration (Rasmussen, 2010). Just like the Chinese people celebrate Clear Brightness also known as Qing Ming Jie to remember their dead loved ones and common ancestors, in Indonesia, every fifth month of the year (May) people celebrate Waisak Day. That festival marks the birth and death of Buddha at Candi Mendut in Yogyakarta (Zuehlke, 2006). In the same way Chinese people move to graves carrying flowers and foods to remember their dead relatives and common ancestors, in Indonesia people carry flowers, candles and images of Buddha. That is meant to commemorate the Ascension of Buddha (Rasmussen, 2010). In Indonesia ancestors or the dead are connected with the living. The same traditions are present in Chinese traditions where ancestors are believed to influence the lives of the living people. The only differences are the names where in Chinese traditions the common dead people are ancestors while in Indonesia are referred to as prophets (Backshall, 2003). For instance, in Indonesia, Prophet Mohammad is believed to speak with God and return to earth with important instructions for the people (Zuehlke, 2006). The prophet thus influences the lives of the living in many ways just like ancestors in Chinese traditions are believed to influence the daily activities of the people. During Maulud Festival in which people celebrates the birth day of Prophet Mohammad, people also visit the tombs of famous religious leaders just like Chinese people would visit tombs of common ancestors. Zuehlke (2006) points out that, in Indonesia the foods prepared are not taken to graves like done in Chinese traditions, the special foods prepared during the Maulud Festival are given to people who attends the celebrations either in Mosques or in streets (Zuehlke, 2006). Rice decorated with cakes and burns are the common types of foods prepared for that festival. In the same manner the Chinese traditions observe the appearance of the new moon or Moon Festival also called the Zhongqiu Jie, Indonesian people celebrate Wesak on the day of new moon in the spring (Zuehlke, 2006). The day marks the birthday of Buddha as well as the day he passed away. People go to temples to celebrate together marking that important festival. Gongs and drums are played just like drums are played in Chinese traditions during Dragon Boat Festival. The event also involves dancing while keeping a distant from the statute of Buddha. During this event, the rich people give free food not to ancestors but to the poor people who pass by (Backshall, 2003). Conclusion A close look in the Chinese festival and the Indonesian festival shows that, while Chinese festival concentrated much on traditions and mostly on ancestral believes, the Indonesian festivals are mostly based on religions. In Indonesia most of festivals are meant to commemorate prophets inform of birthday celebrations. On the other hand the Chinese festivals are linked with marking end and beginning of seasons such new years where people meet to wish for fortunes and protections from evil. However, in the two countries, the festival celebrations use similar symbols like cakes, fireworks, and moon during the festival. The differences are possibly due to ethnic compositions of the people in the two countries where Indonesia is multi-ethnic country with Christians, Hindu and Islam who are the majority. China on the other hand comprises of majority Chinese people with widely common traditions.