Adoption by lesbian couple Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Adoption by lesbian couple - Essay Example Consequently, this has prompted the state to intervene via devising measures whose core purpose is to ease quick placement of the adoptees and reduce augmenting numbers in the adoption agencies. This essay via utilizing Jacqui and Anne’s case, seeks to highlight various aspects and obstacles that have rendered adoption process to be complex despite some measures imposed by the agencies not emphasized by the law. The first obstacle encompasses cultural differences amid the child on one side and would-be adopters. Since, both the parties emanate from varied cultures whereby the child may not be able to integrate well with the couple as necessitated and feel secured while under their care. Unaccompanied asylum seekers before arriving in UK, most of them have experienced untold sufferings to the extent of some traumatized (Coghill, 2009). Hence, the relevant authorities (adoption agencies) insist on presenting them to the individuals whom they deem beyond doubt will avail them the necessary care, comfort and love. Since, these children have to learn the state’s language besides embracing the new culture different from theirs, which is entirely diverse and may pose a challenge to them (Manchester City Council, 2013). Therefore, the social worker’s showing of displeasure was due to the pair’s plea to adopt despite their economic instability (Coghill, 2009). Cultural difference may pose a great challenge to the adopting parents because besides helping the child to embrace that of UK, they will not be able to understand the child’s former traditions. For instance, suppose the child emanates from Africa where child’s nurturing is exclusively diverse from the western states (Manchester City Council, 2013). Most African cultures regardless of a one’s sex usually deem the mother has more responsibilities in nurturing the child until the males reach the initiation age where the fathers take over. This is divergent to the UK w here the couple assumes all the roles jointly and it may have significant adverse impact especially if the adoptee is a teen (Coghill, 2009. Besides, the child may doubt the relationship of the adopting parents, (adoption) which conflicts what he or she has all through deemed to be right (Coghill, 2009). Since, in African or other regions like Asian, same sex union aspect is a taboo that may affect the child (Coghill, 2009, p. 54). This is especially when one is aware of what their culture dictates regarding marriage. Hence, prompting the social agency to reject Jacqui and Anne’s plea. Besides, according to their narration, there is no prove they will be together until the child attains his or her independence stage (Coghill, 2009). This is because they argue to be living together but no documents to prove their union (Coghill, 2009). Another obstacle regards the preference of race, which by extension they offered to have, whereby the adoption agency will be reluctant in lett ing the pair get the adoptee of their choice (Allen, 2005). Since, this may add up to worsening the child’s state besides the distress or severe experiences, he or she might have experienced (Allen, 2005). Probably, this was the reason that displeased social worker to the extent of not hearkening to their plea and declined to offer them any apparent reason (Allen, 2005). Because the adopters may perceive the agency operates on racial bases, which is not tolerable in UK. The UK statutes have mandated agencies to act in any case in the favor of the child irrespective of who may be intending to act as adopters (Allen, 2005). This implies the child’

Encountering the Old Testament Essay Example for Free

Encountering the Old Testament Essay I continued my study in pursuit of the doctoral degree in Biblical Studies by reading the text, Encountering the Old Testament. Little did I know when I began reading this text that it would so completely satisfy two of my greatest pleasures; studying the Word of God and studying people’s history. I am an ardent historian. Knowing and understanding the history of peoples and nations is more than exciting or simply interesting to me. It is necessary. My favorite people and times to study are the ancient Egyptians and American history as it relates to the African Diaspora and slavery. My great grandfather, John Burdette, instilled in me a hunger for knowing our family history and in 2008 I was blessed to publish a factual account of that history. He once said to me, â€Å"Promise me you gone tell da ones to come. ’Long as we keep tellin’ it, we keep it alive. Dey gotta know who dey are. † It was not until I was studying Encountering the Old Testament that I realized he instilled in me a need to know about humankind. Hence, Encountering the Old Testament was an exciting theological and historical journey. All Bible references in this paper come from the New King James Version of the Bible, except where clearly noted by the student). Chapter 1: What Is the Old Testament and Why Do We Study It? Canon: What is the Bible? The Bible is a collection of sixty six books; thirty nine in the Old Testament and twenty seven in the New Testament. But there are some sacred works that are not included in the Bible and the questions of which books should be included in the Bible raises the issue of canon. Tests for canonicity of the Old Testament must focus on three factors: author, audience and teaching. To be included in the Bible as part of the canon, a book had to be written by a prophet or prophetically gifted person, should be relevant and speak to all generations and would not contradict the messages of earlier writings God had revealed. By applying these principles the Hebrew people determined which books belonged in the Old Testament and the Council of Jamnia officially confirmed the books most had recognized for generations. Inspiration: How Was the Bible Written? The Bible confirms its inspiration in several places; for example 2 Timothy 3:16. Unfortunately, the Bible does not describe precisely how God inspired human writers. Four of the most recognized theories are: neo-orthodox theory, dictation theory, limited inspiration theory, and plenary verbal inspiration theory. The neo-orthodox theory holds that God is completely transcendent; he is absolutely different from us and far beyond our comprehension. Neo-orthodoxy asserts that the Bible is a witness to the word of God or contains the word of God. Evaluation of this theory is critical in that the Bible is more than a witness to God’s word. It is God’s word The dictation theory suggests God simply dictated the Bible to human scribes; individuals chosen by him to record his word. This theory asserts sometimes God communicated a precise dictation and other times he allowed the writers to express their own personalities as they wrote. The Holy Spirit insured the finished work accurately communicated God’s intention. Thus the dictation theory accounts for some of the biblical evidence but not all. Limited inspiration theory says that God inspired the thoughts of the writers but not the exact words. Some statements are difficult to reconcile. The plenary verbal inspiration theory asserts the Holy Spirit interacted with human writers to produce the Bible. The entire Bible is God inspired down to the very words the writers chose but God allowed those writers freedom to write according to their distinct styles and personalities. Textual Transmission: How Did We Get the Bible? Scribes who copied the biblical text believed they were copying the very words of God. One group of scribes committed to preserving God’s word was the Masoretes. They did three things to preserve the text they received: (1) they developed a system for writing vowels; (2) they developed a system of accents for the Hebrew text; and (3) they developed a system of detailed notes from the text. The majority of the text was written in Hebrew, the remainder in Aramaic. The most important Hebrew copies of the Old Testament are the Masoretic text (the most reliable), the Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls. The Samaritan Pentateuch contains only Genesis through Deuteronomy and originated with the Samaritans. The Dead Sea Scrolls contains part of every Old Testament book except Ester. The Old Testament was also translated into other languages. The Septuagint, a translation in Greek, has been helpful in resolving some portions of the Pentateuch and the Targums helps us understand early Jewish interpretations. How Do We Interpret the Bible? Use the Grammatical-Historical Method Following the rules of hermeneutics helps us interpret the Bible. The grammatical historical method seeks to determine what the text says grammatically and what it means historically. In order to arrive at this understanding we must first consider the context in which the text was written. Understand the Context There are three kinds of context: immediate, remote and historical. Immediate context refers to the words or phrases in the verses closest to the word or statement one is trying to understand. Remote context describes the biblical material in the surrounding chapters and beyond. Historical context refers to the setting in history in which the writer wrote the Bible passage (p. 30). Determine the Type of Literature Next we must understand the type of literature or genre in which the passage was written. The various types of literature used in the Old Testament are stories, prophecy, parables, and poetry. Interpret Figurative Language Just as we do today, the prophets of the Old Testament used figurative language to convey meaning. One example of this is â€Å"The trees of the field will clap their hands† in Isaiah 55:12. Let Scripture Interpret Scripture Sometimes we find that one passage of Scripture will contradict another passage of Scripture. When this occurs we should find a different passage that presents clear teaching on the topic and interpret the difficult passage in light of the clear one. Discover the Application to Modern Life The principles of the Old Testament apply to our lives today. To receive the full benefit of the application we must understand what issues in our modern life parallel the issues in the Bible passage we are studying and then apply the Bible’s teaching to our modern situation. It is our responsibility as Christians to study, apply and share the Word of God with a dying world. Chapter 2: Where and When Did the Events of the Old Testament Take Place? God revealed his truth in the Old Testament in specific times and places and to a specific group of people, the Israelites. Ancient Israel was a small part of the ancient Near East, now called the Middle East. The three geographical regions of the ancient Near East—Mesopotamia, Egypt and Syria-Palestine—were joined by an arch of rich soil called the Fertile Crescent. The four subregions of Israel consisted of the coastal plains, the ridge or central mountain range, the Jordan rift, and the Transjordan highlands. Highways of the Ancient Near East Two important highways and communication routes of the ancient world were the Via Maris (way of the sea) and the king’s highway. What Events Does the Old Testament Describe? The history of the Old Testament spans nearly two millennia, in contrast to the New Testament which covers a century. One significant event in that history that occurred during the Early Bronze Age is the invention of writing; cuneiform, in Mesopotamia and hieroglyphics in Egypt. Although precise dates for the lives of Israel’s patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) are impossible to determine, it is believed they began generally during the Middle Bronze Age. Israel’s Beginnings: Moses and Joshua Sometime during the Late Bronze Age, while Israel suffered under the burden of slavery to Egypt, Moses was born to the tribe of Levi. Moses was called and prepared by God to lead the Israelites out of their bondage from Egypt. The Israelites’ exodus occurred sometime during the New Kingdom Period of Egyptian history. Joshua succeeded Moses and led the nation of Israel in conquest of the promised land, fulfilling the promises to the patriarchs. Israel’s Statehood: David and His Dynasty A group of newcomers who probably fled from Mycenaean cities in Greece arrived in the Near East. Known as the Sea People, their presence brought political change and instability for the Israelites. The constant threat of military invasion from various other groups caused Israel to call out to God for a king. The prophet Samuel, led by God, first anointed Saul as the king of Israel. However, Saul failed to maintain a right relationship with God and was rejected as king. Samuel was instructed by God to anoint David as the next king. Under David’s strong leadership, the nation thrived and experienced a time of stability. Although internal strife existed among the nation, David left to his son, Solomon, a unified kingdom. Under Solomon’s reign, the borders of Israel expanded northward to the Euphrates and southward to Egypt and he brought great wealth and prosperity to the nation through international trade. Solomon, like Saul, allowed his heart to turn from God and shortly after his death, the nation split into two weaker nations. Israel in the north and Judah in the south became the divided monarchy. The Davidic dynasty continued in Judah for almost 350 years. The Assyrian empire emerged and for a while dominated the political landscape of Syria-Palestine. When Assyria began to experience internal weakness, the divided monarchy led by Jeroboam II in Israel and Uzziah in Judah, experienced a time of prosperity. Moral decay and social injustice began to consume the soul of Israel and Judah. This was the backdrop for the first of the classical prophets: Amos, Hosea, Isaiah, and Micah. God raised up his servants to warn the nations of impending doom and to call them to repentance (p. 53). Assyria rose again to full strength and was â€Å"ready to be used as God’s instrument of destruction against the rebellious northern Israel† (p. 54). Babylonia emerged as a formidable foe against Assyria and eventually captured Jerusalem, taking King Jehoiachin into exile, along with many people of Jerusalem, including Ezekiel. They destroyed the city and tore down the temple, effectively ending the Davidic Dynasty. The loss of temple and kingship was a dominant and formative event in the Old Testament history. It forced the nation to re-think theological assumptions and re-formulate Israel’s earlier religious convictions, especially the nature of God’s covenant. Thus, emerged some of Israel’s most significant prophetic figures: Jeremiah, Habakkuk and Ezekiel.

Skills and Science of Doctoring Essay -- Medicine Medical Health Essay

Skills and Science of Doctoring â€Å"Students, like all human beings, have a moral obligation to prevent serious harm when they can do so at little risk or cost to themselves† (Primum non tacere). I agree that a medical student, more than the average citizen, has an obligation to service all people, regardless of nationality, religion, or sexuality. However, medical students are in contact with ill patients more than the average citizen and this constant interaction with the sick make medical students more susceptible to acquiring disease. This fact alone increases the fear that a medical student has about treating certain illnesses, and it may cause him to deny treatment to a sub-population of patients with a specific illness. You might be wondering whether such a denial is ethical, and according to the American Disabilities Act, physicians cannot discriminate against a subset of patients with a specific illness simply because they (physicians) are fearful of acquiring the disease. Withholding treatm ent from a select group of patients on the basis of fear is unlawful for a physician, and perhaps even unethical. Is it, however, unethical for a medical student to withhold treatment simply because of fear? The American Disabilities Act does not mention medical students, and the title â€Å"medical student† is not synonymous with the title â€Å"physician†, so students, unlike physicians, are not bound by the law to serve any ill patient. The law and ethics, however, don’t always coincide, so let us evaluate a medical student’s choice of placing his well being over that of a patient. Medical students are on their way to becoming physicians. They are sometimes referred to as â€Å"physicians-in-training†, and as such, they should feel... ...ally, if this alternative doesn’t work, I think suppressing one’s fear is the next choice. It’s a difficult pill to swallow, since students are exposed to illnesses daily and don’t have enough knowledge or training to adequately protect themselves. In addition, fear is a powerful, natural emotion that is not easily ignored. However, students must learn medicine and they cannot always learn it on their terms. Hopefully, future third and fourth year medical students will have understanding supervisors, and if not, will have the strength to treat patients whose diseases they fear. If, however, you are a medical student who does not have either, my final suggestion to you would be to find a nice spot in the bathroom in which to hide. Works Cited Dwyer, James. Primum non tacere: An Ethics of Speaking Up: Hastings Center Report. 24, no.1, (1994) 13-18.

Pros and Cons of green technology Essay

Green technology is a term that is being was from the time when Mother Nature started to reflect the consequences of the human’s actions. Since the global population start to grow rapidly, the demand of services and products have grow as well, so the human have to had to think more about how to do a better use of the nonrenewable resources. This problem has carried the continuous development of methods and materials that do not affect the environment. Nowadays expertise, companies and government are working hard on the generation of mechanisms and techniques to avoid and diminish environmental contamination. However, green technology has some disadvantages that do not allow people to afford it, and support more this environmental cause. The origin of the use of green technology start when according to Walsh, Mayor Michael Bloomberg tried to force those drivers to go hybrid before New York City ever had its yellow fleet of gas-guzzling taxis. There was a thriving electric-taxi company at the turn of the 20th century that served the entire metropolis, and green technology was considered something of the future. By that time there to clean up an economy that has been inexorably built on fossil fuels on coal, oil and gasoline-powered automobiles. However, today big businesses do care about the future of the world if any measurable actions are not taken care, and executed. The first advantage of using green technology is that with the use of renewable resources future generations are not going to be threatening for the lack of natural and clean resources, like clean air and clean water. Implementing sustainable materials and methods that meet society needs in manners that do not deplete natural resources, guarantee the life of the planet. This new kind of technology brings the creation of sustainable materials that reduce the impact on the environment. These materials improve indoor air quality, energy efficiency, water conservation, and affordability. Talk about sustainable materials includes green buildings. The requirements that build green building includes energy efficiency, renewable energy water, water efficiency, environmentally building materials and specifications, waste reductions, toxics reduction,  indoor air quality and smart growth and sustainable development. Stated in (Energy in Green Building) buildings in United States involve 35 percent of direct energy use, of that 35 percent, 64 percent goes into heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; 24 percent heats hot water; 13 percent provides lighting; and electrical appliances are beginning to cut a significant wedge into the pie. In terms of carbon dioxide production, in total, buildings are responsible for 48% of all greenhouse gasses. Strategically placing windows and skylights can eliminate the need for electrical lighting during the day and reduce from 20 to 30 percent the energy use. The creation of sustainable materials is one of those challenges of the companies nowadays. In fact all the products of manufacturing companies need to have a conformity certification, and that guaranty to the costumer a product with quality. This is an job of Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is one of the labs that awards manufactured products to be within the standards parameters, now is bestowing a sustainable materials certificate. Supplies such as pencils of reforested certified wood by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) assure people that this pencil was from a renewable resource, also the crayons made petroleum free. Environmentalists suggest using paper rolls and paper pad recycled. Also using paper bags from recycle paper helps the environment. Besides there are different supplies made from organic cotton that are free of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Eco friendly paints are a good option not only for the environment but also for the people that live in this house or apartment. Paint free of VOC will reduce the pollution in the house due to the poisonous gases that the paint gives off even when is dry, and cause an immense destruction to the environment. Another good decision is a cork floor is an inexpensive and durable material. Green technology has carried a lot of innovation of technology that does not affect the environment, and also has cause changes in patterns of production and consumption. Going green is also an advantage in a difficult economy when the recycle is place in practice, for example, According to NRDC, Bank of America reduced the weight of its ATM receipts from 20 pounds to 15 pounds, saving paper, transportation, storing and handling costs, to the tune of $500,000 a year. Coca-Cola’s efforts to cut down on packaging saved it $100 million. The use of renewable energy is economically and environmentally viable. In the United States, wind farms are going up across the nation, providing electricity at the competitive wholesale rate of three to five cents per kilowatt-hour (Energy in Green Building). Shell Oil estimated that for the â€Å"by 2010 commercial energy from biomass could provide five percent of the world’s power.† The value of that energy production could be over $20 billion. The environment pollution in the use of fossil fuels is causing sicknesses and diseases in the human health. â€Å"Air pollution is causing more deaths than HIV or malaria combined,† Kandeh Yumkella, director general of the U.N. Industrial Development Organization said. A 2012 World Health Organization (WHO) study found that 3.5 million people die early annually from indoor air pollution and 3.3 million from outdoor air pollution. Toxic particles shorten lives by causing diseases such as pneumonia or cancer. â€Å"Still, it means more than 6 million deaths every year caused by air pollution,† said Neira. â€Å"The horrible thing is that this will be growing† because of rising use of fossil fuels. On the contrary part green technology has some disadvantages. The first reason why no many people or industries choose green technology is for the highest production cost that this represents. Eco-friendly products need new research and technology that might be invested in the searched of new materials and ways of production that do not affect to the nature. The higher cost is due to the small amount of eco-friendly products on the market, so for the manufacturers complicated the cost-cutting. For example Consumer Search estimates that you will pay about $1,000 more for a furnace that’s 90 percent efficient than one that’s 80 percent efficient. Over the life of the furnace however, you will likely save much more than $1,000 in fuel costs if you choose the more efficient unit. According to MSN, a fuel-efficient vehicle costs up to $4,000 more upfront than vehicles with standard fuel efficiency. Even though more efficient vehicles can lower fuel costs for years and help protect the environment, many buyers are just not willing to invest in efficient (Cost of Going Green). Stated by Jon Kaplan, owner of Greenworks Cabinetry, a Florida company that manufactures eco-friendly furniture products, he must get many of his building materials from the West Coast and even Asia, which  leads to higher prices for the consumer. Since the 2008 a company named Nstar initiated a program that supplied energy coming from wind farms in Maine and upstate New York. At the beginning of the program customers decided to paid 1.4 cents more per kilowatt per hour, increase the price of the kilowatt from 12.5 to 13.9. At the beginning the number of customers was 8,368 customers in January 2010, but this number that decreased to 6,163 people using the NStar Green service. Some green alternatives like environment-friendly toiletries, wood furniture and organic materials cost more than non-green products. The use of bio-fuel can provide a number of advantages over conventional forms of energy. Meanwhile using fossil fuel increase the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and in the United States (GHG) represent about a third of total U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, the use of bio-fuels can reduce significantly the greenhouse effect. On a full fuel-cycle basis, corn ethanol has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 52% over petroleum-based fuels using bio-fuels such as coal, natural gas, and biomass will reduce however this can represent a problem due to the raise of the prices of certain kind of food. Using food crops to produce ethanol will raise the nutritional problems (â€Å"Environmental Benefits of Bio-fuels†). According to the World Health Organization, nearly 60 percent of the people on earth are currently malnourished. This means that the use of corn for ethanol production will increase the price of the beef, eggs, white meat and fish. Pimentel States that the hungry problem rise in the mid –century from 8 to 9 million because the lack of food because it was burned more grain as fuel. Another fact that can be attributing to the use of bio-fuel is the inconsistence of some of the available renewable options of fuels is inconsistent. For example if it is wanted to produce energy from the wind, the space require to install wind turbines need to be large, this will reduce the space dedicated for harvest and food production, and cattle. Moreover there are certain places where the wind is not as good for energy production, as if the turbines are installed near the ocean, this will restrict the tourism growth, and at least 16 feet waves are required for the turbines’ efficiency. Wind energy is also noisy and that’s the reason why they are constructed in areas far away of human life. This is a threat to the wild life. The use of solar energy is very expensive and only works during the day. Photovoltaic batteries can be used,  but the price of them are increasing, and also the location of the solar panels is very important, so they must be installed in areas where the shadows of other buildings do not affect its efficacy. The third con of going green is in put up in green buildings. Likewise green buildings have a high cost in its construction, it is contradictory that the main purpose of it it is the money saving. Thus this is because most of the materials are not available in America, so the importations increase the price of them immediately. Nevertheless not only this, green buildings do not affect directly to the environment but for the people inside the building it does. This is because basically all the recycle materials used have harmful chemical products that emit toxins and affect the indoor air. For example the fluorescent lights used emit radiations which affect the health. Work Cited Beach, Emely â€Å"Cons of going green† Apr 29, 2011, Web. Apr. 17, 2013. Doyle, Alyster. â€Å"Air pollution scourge underestimated, green energy can help: U.N.† Web Apr 17, 2013 < http://www.reuters.com> Walsh, Bryan. â€Å"The Surprisingly Long History of Green Energy† Apr. 06, 2011 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-are-the-disadvantages-of-green-buildings.html The Disadvantages of Going Green for a Corporation by Chris Joseph, Demand Media http://smallbusiness.chron.com/disadvantages-going-green-corporation-3318.html The high cost of going green Premium for NStar wind program rises sharply BY: Bruce Mohl November 29, 2012 Greening Business Earthshare.org. http://www.earthshare.org/greening-business.html

Nature and Nurture in Frankenstein Essay

For centuries, there has been enormous controversy over whether inherited genes or environmental influences might affect one’s personality, development, behavior, intelligence and ability. While it is clear that physical characteristics are hereditary by nature, nurture is mostly in control when it comes to an individual’s manners and character. Nature and Nurture are both major contributors to the development of the monster’s behavior in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Since the beginning of life, nature and nurture have influenced all living things to learn, live, and survive. Nature represents the biological qualities that organisms inherit at birth, while nurture represents the qualities that organisms acquire from society. In the novel, Frankenstein, Mary Shelley portrays the theme of nature versus nurture through characterization, setting, and irony in order to show that the creature created by Frankenstein would not have been a monster if society had not influenced him to be that way. The theme of nature versus nurture is portrayed through characterization of both Frankenstein and his creature. It is a certainty that no one is able to have a kind and amiable stance on life when even its own creator or parent rejects it. Throughout Frankenstein, Victor Frankenstein rejects his creature that he had previously been so obsessed with. After spending months toiling over the creation of his product, the creature finally comes to life; but instead of being ecstatic and delighted, Victor is frightened by this and flees from the creature that so desperately needs him. He abandons the creature out of disgust because of its deformities and therefore initiates its long reign of terror against Victor’s friends and family. Because Doctor Frankenstein refuses to have anything to do with his creation, the creature is immediately afraid to trust and must learn the ways of life on his own. The creature is thrown into a world of misunderstanding and prejudice. It begins its life as any other baby, hungry for attention and the need for love and compassion. He, the creature, approaches humans in hopes of being accepted, but is beaten and unwelcome in return for his unguarded advance. He does not understand this, and is hurt and broken by the events that took place. In contrast to Victor Frankenstein, the creature longs for acceptance of society and its company. The creature is more emotional and more sympathizing than his maker (Bloom). Upon the brutality he receives from the village, he hides in a family’s farm. He gains intellect and many abilities such as speaking, reading, writing, and even the understanding of chores and poverty by simply observing this family known as the De Lacey’s. Although he is known to readers of Frankenstein as a monster, it is clear that the creature did not begin that way. After spending time watching and observing the De Lacey’s, the creature is amazed by these wonderful people. He is kind towards them and even assists them by picking their vegetables and shoveling pathways for the girl known as Agatha. â€Å"My heart yearned to be known and loved by these amiable creatures; to see their sweet looks directed towards me with affection was the utmost limit of my ambition† (127). The creature cares for this family and shows signs of consideration. It is not until the creature presents himself to the family he admires so greatly and is beaten and rejected by them that he declares war against the human species. The idea is made apparent by Mary Shelley that the monster was not born a monster until society refused to nurture him and pushed him to his breaking point. Another factor that played a very significant role in the theme of nature versus nurture in Frankenstein is the setting of the novel. Much of the creature’s beginning takes place near Ingolstadt. Upon leaving the dormitory in which he was created, he ventured to a nearby village and was at once beaten and rejected by the people who surrounded him. That was a recipe for a poor outlook on life for the creature. Later it says about the situation, â€Å"The whole village was roused; some fled, some attacked me, until, grievously bruised by stones and many other kinds of missile weapons, I escaped to the open country and fearfully took refuge in a low hovel†¦. † (100). The creature was given all the worst circumstances from the very beginning, which eventually led to him lashing out for revenge towards humans, who all despise and hate him. Perhaps if the creature were introduced to an accepting environment and setting, it would have acted more appropriate with respect to the humans that surround him. Aside from the miserable environment of people the creature was placed in, part of the setting which influences the readers’ feelings toward the creature is the time period that the novel is set. Mary Shelley set the novel in the time period of her day, which makes the creature and the story’s events much more realistic and lifelike than if it were set in the middle ages like most other romantic novels of her time (Griffith). Doing so causes readers to better understand the despair and sadness the creature feels and allows them to understand why the lack of nurture towards the creature influenced it to behave the way it did. The setting including both the place and time period play a huge role as to why he was mistreated and not nurtured; therefore causing him to be a monster. A final but still very important aspect in the theme of nature versus nurture is the wide array of irony included in the novel. Although it would be expected for Victor Frankenstein to take full responsibility for his actions and to try to correct the problem, he does not. In fact, he considers himself a victim and even free of all guilt. â€Å"I felt as if I had committed some great crime, the consciousness of which haunted me. I was guiltless, but I had indeed drawn a horrible curse upon my head, as mortal as that of a crime† (158). It is horrendously ironic that he does not believe he should be to blame for the deaths of his family members by the monster when it is he that created it. If he would have taken care of his creation and raised it properly in the first place, there would be no victims and therefore nothing to take any blame for. It could have been brought up similarly as any other human, with kindness and happiness towards others, if Victor had just given it the time and effort. The creature requires love to become kind but because love is denied him, he is a monster indeed (Oates). Blame is entirely on Victor Frankenstein for the deaths in his family since he created the creature in the first place, but he refuses to take fault. The irony of Victor essentially murdering his own family makes it ludicrous for him to take no liability and place the entire fault on the creature that he obsessed over to create. Mary Shelley shows the theme of nature versus nurture using various techniques throughout the novel of Frankenstein. It was the initial rejection of the creature’s creator that led to its thirst for the vindication of the unfairness with which he had been treated. If the creature had been treated with decency and had been nurtured by his designer, it would never have become the monster it is viewed as today. Living things naturally need some source of guidance and nurture to become their greatest. Nature and nurture play leading roles in every organism’s life, including those even too hideous to fit in. Works Cited. Bloom, H. â€Å"Frankenstein: or, The New Prometheus. † EXPLORING Novels. 2003. Gale Group Databases. Northwest High School Library, OH. 28 November 2007 . Griffith, G. â€Å"Overview of Frankenstein. † EXPLORING Novels. 2003. Gale Group Databases. Northwest High School Library, OH. 28 November 2007 . Oates, J. â€Å"Frankenstein’s Fallen Angel. † Critical Inquiry. 1984. Gale Group Databases. Northwest High School Library, OH. 28 November 2007 . Shelley, M. Frankenstein. St. Paul: EMC/Pardigm Publishing, 1998.

Free Essays on Short Term Choices, Long Term Repercussions

Most people can pinpoint one or two times in their lives when the choices they made had long term repercussions. Such is the case for Briony Tallis in Ian McEwan’s book, Atonement. In the book, the concept of maturity is treated masterfully by the shift of a character’s perceptions, belief systems and social realities. Bryony Tallis is the younger sister whose literary skills are often belittled by her older sister Celia. As the book opens, she creates a play for her cousins and herself to perform. The family’s dynamics are at once set as the reader finds the mother remote and as distant as the father, who seems to spend most of his nights in London, rather then at home. As the evening’s events unwind, the small details and insignificant happenings of the day are spoken about, but the undercurrent of tension is building. Later, one of the cousins is assaulted on the grounds of the house and Briony, still stinging from an insult earlier, tells the authoriti es that it was Robbie, their childhood friend and Cecilia’s boyfriend. Briony witnesses her sister strip down to her undergarments and dive into a family fountain with Robbie looking on. Not comprehending what was going on between the two, she goes down to the fountain after the two have left. It is at this point that she begins to glimpse a bit of her future, and cleverly, McEwen foretells the tale. Briony had her first, weak intimation that for her now, it can no longer be fairy-tale castles and princesses, but the strangeness of the here and now, of what passed between the people that she knew. Though she does not understand what has happened, her imagination fills in what she supposes to be the gaps. It is this assumption that leads to the terrible culmination of events which destroys them all. Briony decides she has witnessed a scene that is sinister; that Robbie has somehow forced her sister to get naked. In this first section of the book, the reader is treated to the s ... Free Essays on Short Term Choices, Long Term Repercussions Free Essays on Short Term Choices, Long Term Repercussions Most people can pinpoint one or two times in their lives when the choices they made had long term repercussions. Such is the case for Briony Tallis in Ian McEwan’s book, Atonement. In the book, the concept of maturity is treated masterfully by the shift of a character’s perceptions, belief systems and social realities. Bryony Tallis is the younger sister whose literary skills are often belittled by her older sister Celia. As the book opens, she creates a play for her cousins and herself to perform. The family’s dynamics are at once set as the reader finds the mother remote and as distant as the father, who seems to spend most of his nights in London, rather then at home. As the evening’s events unwind, the small details and insignificant happenings of the day are spoken about, but the undercurrent of tension is building. Later, one of the cousins is assaulted on the grounds of the house and Briony, still stinging from an insult earlier, tells the authoriti es that it was Robbie, their childhood friend and Cecilia’s boyfriend. Briony witnesses her sister strip down to her undergarments and dive into a family fountain with Robbie looking on. Not comprehending what was going on between the two, she goes down to the fountain after the two have left. It is at this point that she begins to glimpse a bit of her future, and cleverly, McEwen foretells the tale. Briony had her first, weak intimation that for her now, it can no longer be fairy-tale castles and princesses, but the strangeness of the here and now, of what passed between the people that she knew. Though she does not understand what has happened, her imagination fills in what she supposes to be the gaps. It is this assumption that leads to the terrible culmination of events which destroys them all. Briony decides she has witnessed a scene that is sinister; that Robbie has somehow forced her sister to get naked. In this first section of the book, the reader is treated to the s ...

Should I Go to a College Near Me

Should I Go to a College Near Me SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Location is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a college. So how do you decide whether to go to school close to home or far away? It’s not an easy choice, and a lot of it depends on your personality and what you want to do in college. In this article I’ll go through the positives and negatives of attending college close to home and how you can decide whether it’s the right choice for you. Overview There are some positive and negative aspects of going to school close to home that will most likely apply to any student. Here’s a quick rundown of the pros and cons. The Positives: You can get supportfrom your family through stressful times and illnesses. You already know the area well, so you’ll feel more comfortable and secure. If you’re going to a state school near home, in-state tuition will run you an average of about $15,000 a year as compared to out of state public school tuition, which is $25,000 a year on average ($35,000 if you’re looking at private schools) You’ll save about $10,000 a year on room and board if you choose to live at home while you go to school, not to mention the money you’ll save on food and laundry. If you live and school and start feeling homesick, you can just go home for the weekend! You'll be able to see your high school friends more frequently. Packing for college won’t be as stressful;if you forget anything, you can go home and get it or have your parents bring it to you without too much hassle. The Negatives: If you’re hoping to get some distance from your parents, it will be difficult to prevent them from coming to see you all the time. You may not have as many new and diverse experiences because you’re already familiar with the area. You mighthave trouble assimilating into the college community because you'll be able to see your old friends so frequently. It's tempting to go home on weekends instead of hanging out with people at college. You might not get as much exposure to what it’s really like to live on your own if you visit home frequently (being able to do laundry is a valuable skill!). You may get stuck in an emotional rut if your living situation doesn’t change between high school and college. Figuring Out Your Needs After weighing these pros and cons, the most important thing to ask yourself is â€Å"what do I want?†Your personality and goals for college may be more or less suited to living close to home depending on a couple factors.You should ask yourself these three questions: 1. Do You Handle Change Well? If you’ve ever switched schools before, think about whether it was easy for you to adjust to a new environment.If you haven’t actually moved, you might consider the transition from elementary to high school and how it affected you.If you relied on support from your family and took a while to make new friends, you might consider going to school closer to home in case you have a similar experience as a college freshman. This is a tough call though. Keep in mind that going to school close to home could impede your ability to integrate yourself fully into the college community and give you less motivation to make new friends.You might look at schools that are within driving distance of your hometown but not so close by that you’ll be tempted to go home every weekend. Have you ever been away from home for a significant period of time before (2 weeks or more)? If so, how did it feel? Were you eager to go home at the end?Maybe you’ve been to an overnight camp or gone on an exchange program in high school.That experience might be a good model for how you can expect to feel at the beginning of college.If you felt significant homesickness, consider going to school somewhere relatively close by so that you can visit home sometimes. Many people need a more gradual transition from living at home to living at college. Change is scary. 2. Is Cost a Concern for You? As mentioned earlier, you can save a lot of money on tuition and housing if you attend a school near you.If you’re worried about paying for college, nearby schools make great options. State schools usually have a ton of resources for motivated students and offer many merit scholarships in addition to a lower tuition price tag. Try not to base your college decision solely on cost though; this should be considered in conjunction with other reasons for attending your state school.If you really don’t want to go there and you’re just choosing it because it's cheaper, the sacrifice won't be worth the money you’ll save. 3. What Do You Want to Accomplish in College? You also should ask yourself about the resources available at nearby schools. Will they fulfill your needs?Certain areas may have more or less opportunities for jobs and internships.Schools nearby may or may not offer the programs or campus setting you’re looking for.Think about what type of environment you'll prefer in college (urban or rural or somewhere in between) and your tentative major plans to inform your decision. I’ll give you some resources in the next section that will help you understand the characteristics of different schools so you can decide whether a college close to home is really the right choice for you. How to Find Nearby Colleges So, you’re thinking about going to college close to home. How do you find schools that fit your criteria?The simplest way to start is to go to College Navigator, which allows you to search for colleges by zip code or state.You can specify how many miles away from your zip code you want to be and what type of program you’re looking for (you can also search for specific schools, but if you're just checking your options, zip code or state is the place to start).If you click on â€Å"more search options† you can also specify the price range you’re looking for as well as student enrollment, campus setting, and more. This search will give you a comprehensive list of schools along with relevant statistics so you can see whether they'll be good fits for you. You can also compare schools side by side when you add them to your â€Å"favorites† to figure out which is the better option.You can compare schools by price, admissions, enrollment, and retention and graduation rates: College Navigator is a good tool for compiling an initial list of nearby schools that interest you.Once you find a few that sound promising, you might consult other college choice sites to find out more about them.Cappex is the site that I usually recommend because it has hard data about schools as well as student reviews. Go there next to learn more about other factors that might impact your decision.You can create a profile and search for schools that you already found on College Navigator, or you canget matched up with schools on Cappex by creating a profile and specifying how far away from home you want to be and which majors interest you. Conclusion College is a huge transition, and many students feel more comfortable attending school close to home to make it a little less stressful.There are positives and negatives to going to college close to home, but what really matters is how you feel about it.Ask yourself if you're ready for such a dramatic change in your life and if you might need more or less support from your family and old friends.You should also think about the cost of college and whether it’s worth it for you to go out of state and spend more on tuition. What are your goals for the next four years? What do you want to accomplish?Do some self-examination and college research to make sure you're choosing a school that will give you all the opportunities you want for youreself. What's Next? If you're still not sure of the best way to go about your college search process, read my guide to choosing the right college! You should also look at this list of the best online resources for conducting your college search. If you're thinking about attending your state school, read this article on how to get merit scholarships and honors at state schools. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Biography of Frederick Douglass

Biography of Frederick Douglass The biography of Frederick Douglass is emblematic of the lives of slaves and former slaves. His struggle for freedom, devotion to the abolitionist cause, and lifetime battle for equality in America established him as perhaps the most important African-American leader of the 19th century. Early Life Frederick Douglass was born in February 1818 on a plantation on the eastern shore of Maryland. He was not sure of the his exact birth date, and he also did not know the identity of his father, who was assumed to be a white man and likely a member of the family who owned his mother. He was originally named Frederick Bailey by his mother, Harriet Bailey. He was separated from his mother when he was young, and was raised by other slaves on the plantation. Escape From Slavery When he was eight years old he was sent to live with a family in Baltimore, where his new mistress taught him to read and write. Young Frederick demonstrated considerable intelligence, and in his teens he was hired out to work in the shipyards of Baltimore as a caulker, a skilled position. His salary was paid to his legal owners, the Auld family. Frederick became determined to escape to freedom. After one failed attempt, he was able to secure identification papers in 1838 stating he was a seaman. Dressed as a sailor, he boarded a train northward and successfully escaped to New York City at the age of 21. A Brilliant Speaker for the Abolitionist Cause Anna Murray, a free black woman, followed Douglass northward, and they were married in New York City. The newlyweds moved onward to Massachusetts (adopting the last name Douglass). Douglass found work as a laborer in New Bedford. In 1841 Douglass attended a meeting of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society in Nantucket. He got onstage and gave a speech which riveted the crowd. His story of life as a slave was delivered with passion, and he was encouraged to dedicate himself to speaking out against slavery in America. He began touring the northern states, to mixed reactions. In 1843 he was nearly killed by a mob in Indiana. Publication of Autobiography Frederick Douglass was so impressive in his new career as a public speaker that rumors circulated that he was somehow a fraud and had never actually been a slave. Partly to contradict such attacks, Douglass began writing an account of his life, which he published in 1845 as The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. The book became a sensation. As he became prominent, he feared slave catchers would apprehend him and return him to slavery. To escape that fate, and also to promote the abolitionist cause overseas, Douglass left for an extended visit to England and Ireland, where he was befriended by Daniel OConnell, who was leading the crusade for Irish freedom. Douglass Purchased His Own Freedom While overseas Douglass made enough money from his speaking engagements that he could have lawyers affiliated with the abolitionist movement approach his former owners in Maryland and purchase his freedom. At the time, Douglass was actually criticized by some abolitionists. They felt that buying his own freedom only gave credibility to the institution of slavery. But Douglass, sensing danger if he returned to America, arranged for lawyers to pay $1,250 to Thomas Auld in Maryland. Douglass returned to the United States in 1848, confident he could live in freedom. Activities In the 1850s Throughout the 1850s, when the country was being torn apart by the issue of slavery, Douglass was at the forefront of abolitionist activity. He had met John Brown, the anti-slavery fanatic, years earlier. And Brown approached Douglass and tried to recruit him for his raid on Harpers Ferry. Douglass though the plan was suicidal, and refused to participate. When Brown was captured and hanged, Douglass feared he might be implicated in the plot, and fled to Canada briefly from his home in Rochester, New York. Relationship With Abraham Lincoln During the Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, Stephen Douglas taunted Abraham Lincoln with crude race-baiting, at times mentioning that Lincoln was a close friend of Frederick Douglass. In fact, at that time they had never met. When Lincoln became president, Frederick Douglass did visit him twice at the White House. At Lincolns urging, Douglass helped recruit African-Americans into the Union army. And Lincoln and Douglass obviously had a mutual respect. Douglass was in the crowd at Lincolns second inaugural, and was devastated when Lincoln was assassinated six weeks later. Frederick Douglass Following the Civil War Following the end of slavery in America, Frederick Douglass continued to be an advocate for equality. He spoke out on issues related to Reconstruction and the problems faced by newly freed slaves. In the late 1870s President Rutherford B. Hayes appointed Douglass to a federal job, and he held several government posts including a diplomatic posting in Haiti. Douglass died in Washington, D.C. in 1895.

Is Nationalism best understood as a rational phenomenon Essay

Is Nationalism best understood as a rational phenomenon - Essay Example The specificity of nationalism, that which distinguishes nationality from other types of identity, derives from the fact that nationalism locates the source of individual identity within a â€Å"people†, which for its part has been acknowledged as the bearer of sovereignty, the central object of loyalty, and the basis of collective solidarity. The foundation of nationalism, argued Liah Greenfeld (1992), without which no nationalism is possible, is an idea; nationalism is a particular perspective or a style of thought and that the idea of the nation lies in it core. (p. 3-4) Scholars are at odds as to when did nationalism emerge. However, they are in unison in saying that it started in Europe. For instance, there are those who argue that nationalism came out of Britain in the sixteenth century. There are those who believe such as Andrew Vincent (2002), that nationalism’s groundwork was established during the French and American revolutions. (p. 46) Nonetheless, the concept has signified the beginning of modernity, corresponding with the growth and modernization of states. This does not mean, however, that there were no instances of group loyalty and allegiance in the past. They were not simply considered nationalist as we understand the term today. The membership of an individual in a country is not a voluntary issue, though some times it is said to be voluntary. Nationalism is involuntary when a member of a country is born in a particular nation. It was not a choice to be born there, so it is involuntary. People who decide to change their citizenship and get that of another country are voluntarily members of their country of choice. This argument has become significant when we talk about ability to consider and choose between alternatives, which â€Å"entitle one to decide what was best for oneself and was the basis for the recognition of the autonomy

Do innovations really make us lazier Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Do innovations really make us lazier - Essay Example Certainly, vehicles and other means of transport are inevitable in the current world; however, their discovery has greatly contributed to laziness. Humans are too much dependent on vehicles and bicycles, they go to sporting events, go to work, shopping and market through vehicles. Because of the changes, innovation has led to lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure and obesity, hence a significant deterioration of the physical health (Anthony, 2012). In the education sector, students no longer get the full benefit and experience of expediting ignorance. Instead, computers, mobile phones and internet have replaced the role of students in learning. Computers have literally eliminated the ability of learners to spell words correctly and engage teachers in different subjects. Gradually, students are forgetting the role of hard work, but rely on the discretion of innovation to handle all problems. The on-going process seeks appliances that make hair, cook, wash, teach and facilitate security (Koschatzky, Kulicke & Zenker, 2001). Therefore, instead of technology making life easy and solving life challenges, it continues to make people

The Future of Natural Medicine Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

The Future of Natural Medicine - Essay Example This led to its near extinction in United States and U.K., while in Germany, China and India it got sidelined. Today there is a renaissance going on in medical herbalism throughout the world. W.H.O. estimated that more than 80% of the world population depends primarily on herbal medicine for their healthcare needs. In U.K. a recent survey revealed 1/3 of the people do use herbs regularly. [Herb Harvest] In U.S.A. there is a 380% increase in herbal medicine between 1991 and 1997. [Eisenberg et al 1998] The resurgence of the interest in herbal remedies is largely consumer driven. [70% took herbal medicine by their own information- Eliason et al 1977] This comes by the increasing interest shown by the public and confidence in self medication [Blenkenstop and Bradley 1999] Increased media coverage of the beneficial effects of herbal medicine also played a role in this. Sales of Herbal Medicine increased in U.K.from 27.8 million pounds in 1991 to 38 million pounds in 1996.This is an under estimation since Mintel excluded Garlic and Ginkop from medical category. Actual figures will show this to be 7 times more. European Union registered 7000 million dollars retail sales of herbal medicine in 1996. In Germany sales of herbal medicine in 1997 was 1.8 billion dollars (I.M.S. 1998) which comes to 1/3 of the O.T.C. [over the counter] sales. In U.S.A. 1994 sale was 1.6 billion dollars while 1998 sales rose to 4 billion dollars.[Brevoort 1998] In France it was 1.1 billion dollars in 1997, 28% of the O.T.C. market [I.M.S. –Institute of Medical Statistics-1998] Reasons for this increased use- An Herb is (also called botanical) a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor, and / or therapeutic properties. They can be used singly or in combination. NCCAM [National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine] brought forth a Fact Sheet for creating

Learning objectives Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Learning objectives - Assignment Example The skills learnt during the first objective attainment were observation skills, learning the prevailing theories in HR field, updating my knowledge base for working in HR department and problem solving skills. In HR, it is important to have good observation skills so that the employees’ performances can be monitored and in order to motivate them, it is important to have up-to-date information about market trends regarding employees’ pay and need to be proactive in solving the HR problems. I recommended the HR head to develop a policy in which the HR problems are solved by a separate committee so that time of other employees in HR department is saved. There were twenty employees in the HR department and when some issue was raised, ten employees were assigned the task of resolving it. Hence, my suggestion was taken into consideration and five employees were given the responsibility of resolving any HR related issue. Initially, I faced some problems as my writing skills were not strong but eventually I learnt how to communicate the message correctly and clearly. I was partially able to complete my learning objective at the end of my internship programme. When working in HR department, it is important that one has good communication skills as it helps employee to communicate with each other effectively and understand other employees with whom you are working as a team (Torrance, 282). During my internship, I had to interact with many employees and my supervisor used to give me the responsibility of communicating HR policies to employees in other departments via emails on Intranet. While fulfilling this objective, I learnt how to effectively use the communication tools such as emails to inform other employees in the company about changing policies or introducing them to new rules and regulations. At times, I had to face criticism as I was weak in communicating the message correctly but eventually I

Therese of Lisieux Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Therese of Lisieux - Essay Example She almost shares this trait with another woman mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582). As Carol L. Flinters point out â€Å"Over and over in the lives of these women, perhaps most explicitly in Teresa and Therese, we come to see the incredible strength that comes of starting with â€Å"the little things† (Enduring Grace, Introduction, PP12). These saints gave away their lives for the sake of God and for others. Saint Therese was born in France in 1873 with a strange background of parenthood. Her father wanted to be a monk and her mother a saint. Thus after marriage they decided to go for celibacy. It was a priest who convinced them otherwise and they had nine children. Five children who survived were all girls. Therese lost her mother when she was just four. Her sixteen year old elder sister, Pauline was her second mother. But she lost this mother too as Pauline joined the Carmelite convent with in five years. Later after a few months when she fell ill and when every one thought that she was dying, she prayed at the statue of Mary in her room and found that Mary was smiling at her. She got cured. Carole L. Flinters points out that, such periods of illness and solitary sufferings are seen in the lives of most of these women mystics including Saint Teresa of Avila.

Journal 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Journal 6 - Essay Example In total, the theories of crime explain that people commit crime because of some social, ecological, cultural or subcultural factors such as financial and social deprivation, bad living conditions, ill social background, people’s assumption that some illegalities are positive and their teaching to their family. In my perception, every city or neighborhood has some forms of organization/disorganization. In my locality, there are very few incidents of delinquency or crime while if I consider the city, there are many forms of disorganization such as theft, mobile snatching, vehicle snatching, murders and many others as no place is perfectly free from crimes. Poverty is the basic reason for making people to commit crime as they are unable to even get their due rights. In our neighborhood, people try to keep an eye on delinquent people or people that are doubted to do wrong so that they can be checked while committing a wrong deed, which is a form of organization. Parents teach their children to follow the law and keep away from bad company even then, there can be some problems such as children fight and small disputes between neighbors, etc. Anderson’s code of the street is applicable on the story of Willie Bosket in All God’s Children: The Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence because he belongs to a family that can be called street family. While being nourished and brought up in such a family, the protagonist performs such illegal deeds that are previously done by his father and forefather and is unable to consider the aftereffects of his doings. According to Anderson, parents teach children to be aggressive when they try to control their children by punishing them physically or showing violence before them. In Willie Bosket’s life, he has witnessed and listened about aggressive attitudes of his ancestors due to which, he also

Therese of Lisieux Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Therese of Lisieux - Essay Example She almost shares this trait with another woman mystic, Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582). As Carol L. Flinters point out â€Å"Over and over in the lives of these women, perhaps most explicitly in Teresa and Therese, we come to see the incredible strength that comes of starting with â€Å"the little things† (Enduring Grace, Introduction, PP12). These saints gave away their lives for the sake of God and for others. Saint Therese was born in France in 1873 with a strange background of parenthood. Her father wanted to be a monk and her mother a saint. Thus after marriage they decided to go for celibacy. It was a priest who convinced them otherwise and they had nine children. Five children who survived were all girls. Therese lost her mother when she was just four. Her sixteen year old elder sister, Pauline was her second mother. But she lost this mother too as Pauline joined the Carmelite convent with in five years. Later after a few months when she fell ill and when every one thought that she was dying, she prayed at the statue of Mary in her room and found that Mary was smiling at her. She got cured. Carole L. Flinters points out that, such periods of illness and solitary sufferings are seen in the lives of most of these women mystics including Saint Teresa of Avila.

The rule in Salomon v Salomon & Co [1897] AC 22 has been described as Assignment - 1

The rule in Salomon v Salomon & Co [1897] AC 22 has been described as one of the corner stones of English Company Law. Discuss the rationale and impact of the decision on company law - Assignment Example Furthermore, through the extension of the advantages of incorporation to small companies, this case of Salomon manages to promote fraud, and the evasion of certain legal obligations. This article explains the impact that Salomon vs. Salomon has had on companies and corporations. On a general perspective, the judgment by the House of Lords was a good decision. This case is recognized all over the world as a good authority, regarding the principle of a corporation being a separate legal entity. Under this case, the House of Lords firmly established that after incorporation, a new and a separate artificial organization comes into existence. Under the law, a company is a distinct person, and it has its own personality, which is separate and independent from the people who created it, invested in it, and those who direct and manage the operations of the company2. From the principles established in this case, the duties and rights of a corporation are different from the duties and rights of the directors, members, or the stakeholders of the corporation. These people are always obscured by the concept of the corporate veil, which normally surrounds the company. A corporate veil refers to a legal concept which is responsible for separating the personality of that of a corporation, from the personality of the shareholders of a corporation. Furthermore, this personality protects the managers and shareholders of a corporation from personal liability of the company’s debts, and any other obligation that the company may face3. However, this protection is not impenetrable or iron clad, and this is mainly because the court can rule that the activities of a company are not conducted as per the provisions of the legislation that guides the operations of a company, or the managers or shareholders of a company were engaged in carrying out illegal a ctivities. Based on these facts, the courts may hold the

Evolution of the Nation & the Civil War Essay Example for Free

Evolution of the Nation the Civil War Essay The end of the Civil War brought about political and economic reform to the United States. Reforms in the Reconstruction Period were passed to foster and maintain economic activity, creating industries and expanding businesses, contributing to the boom of Industrial Revolution in the country. Years of political clout and debate remarkably laundered constitutional amendments for the black man’s rights (Oberholtze, 1917). Inventions paved the way to the development of new industries such as telecommunication, transportation, electricity and construction. The discovery, access to and processing of raw materials -facilitated by technology- allowed products to be transported from manufacturing factories to populated areas for distribution. Such enterprise development measures were supported by the improvement of the transport and communication system via paved roads, bridges, canals, railroads and the telegraph. New jobs were created to cater to the needs of the fast growing economy and population. Enormous infrastructures were built to accommodate the growing city dwellers and workers. Increase in profits of manufacturing industries encouraged a steady influx of immigrants working in the production lines (Engerman, 2000). Competition and increasing market goals forced companies to expand trade and operations in other countries, imperialism’s objective. Altogether, technological advancement, cheap labor and availability of capital led to America’s heavy industrialization. This period of rise and fall largely contributed to America’s development into a superpower. However, as a young nation, America was set back with undesirable impacts of industrialization. As production staff volume increased, conflict between workers and management grew. Industrial achievements due to aggressive marketing of manufactured goods and increased foreign trade introduced more white collar jobs facilitating corporate operations. Management and administrative work were better rewarded than assembly-line work, providing better opportunities for educated and powerful who came to enjoy lucrative lifestyles; while creating inequalities of wealth, discontent and rousing uprisings from laborers who formed unions to pursue their rights. Marxist leaders helped reshape capitalist thought and corporate laws. Growing market demand meant increasing supply needs leading to resource exploitation in some areas leaving irreparable damage to the environment. Concern for increased production overshadowed the seemingly abundant resources. Even large corporations who came to have leverage in policy-making used their power to generate more profit. Developments in transportation made it easy for people to move about creating a melting pot of US residents and migrants, gave way to explosion of population in urban areas, forming cities. The attraction of immigrants made uprisings in social injustices -competition and aggression- between old American settlers versus the new immigrants. Urban legislators targeted services to win the votes of increasing foreign workers maligning the democratic electoral process. Too aggressive amassing and building of wealth and power triggered the economic crash of 1873 when the government’s major investment bank, financer of government reconstruction loans and the Northern Pacific Railroad, crashed (Bancroft, 1902). For many years, new business management styles were practiced by corporations, every time cleaning up failed ventures with hopefully better alternatives. Many times, the finance and investment sector failed but lessons were dealt with outmost concern for capital and development-oriented sources. As population grew in cities, people moved to occupy the western territories. Development gradually followed increasing the number of states joining the union. At the same time, America had growing concern for the rapid growth of the British Empire. Following British example, America colonized territories and expanded the home base and also the market for its produce. American industrialists pushed for westward progression, integrating the continent-wide unified market reducing production cost and increasing value per output of production enabling American working class to earn higher than counterparts across the globe. Higher wage was initially purported by higher bid of wage levels experienced in the pre-industrialization era using slave-labor and eventually sustained by capitalism during the reconstruction period despite the increase in laborers and economic conflict many years after. Nevertheless, the labor force and farmers suffered greatly being dependent on businesses that supported their sources of income (McElvaine, 1993). The years of depression was a roller coaster ride for most corporate giants who still reap the most benefit even during economic downfall. During World War I, America tapped the international market (McElvaine, 1993). They penetrated into countries that did not have resources for food production. US production increased to cater to the needs of incapacitated economies. With its strong capitalist foundation, the US took advantage of World War I devastation across Europe and Japan (Olson, 1988). Forced to reduce trade barriers, Europe, Japan and their colonies were opened to globalization, with efforts initiated by American powers. Development of farm machinery automated farming practices and increased US production. The US became the world’s foremost producer of agricultural products in power economies like Europe and Japan were destroyed. The downside, farmers became all the more dependent on new businesses offering loans, transportation, equipment manufacturers and middle men who facilitated crop entry into international markets. Though, when the war ended, competition became stiff forcing America to make internal changes to beef up industrial efforts. This led to the development of advertising and marketing strategies encouraging people to consume. People wanted to get away from the prolonged depression and rode with the bandwagon, buying what advertisers offered. A mass culture of consumerism proliferated. This was made possible even for people who would not afford through the credit system, promoting instant access to commodities and luxuries and deferring payment with terms (McElvaine, 1993). Many US bankers reached across the globe and lent European countries for post war reconstruction. Economic instability after war did not go along US banks’ objectives and increased the risk of non-payment of loans. This would eventually lead to the Great Depression affecting businesses and communities worldwide. The entire financial industry suffered leading to property and business closures (Olson, 1988). The imposition of higher taxes on imports caused local markets to patronize locally manufactured goods. However, other countries retaliated by imposing high taxes on US exports, resulting in less foreign trade profits and eventually less power in international market penetration (McElvaine, 1993). The growing rate in stocks investment of major industrial companies caught the attention of many. Stock buying became a trend, relying in the belief that this will make people rich. The Stock Market Crash of 1929 marked the domino economic disruption made vulnerable by unequal distribution of wealth and banking problems. Renewed global strategy in achieving international trade through humanitarian and democratic efforts became America’s initiative to promote global security. Priority was also given to secure citizens through provision of social welfare. State-governed economic planning organized nationwide industrial regulations to propel the rise from the Depression. Powerful American businesses have lobbied for rights in exploring resources in other countries despite conservative and anti-colonialism proponents in US government limited US economic expansion. However, open trading between economies leveled the playing field in production and markets. The Progressive Era marked a turning point of US imperial power into a more humanist and democratic torch bearer in an effort to resolve the problems and issues brought about by industrialization and urbanization. Leaders focused on long-term goals, core values and implementation of development programs. Reformists, including President Franklin Roosevelt in the New Deal, sought to end monopolies, destroy political corruption and lessen the gap between the affluent and poor. Through the New Deal, authorized nationwide assistance to socio-economic development of individuals. Agencies were set up to provide employment, regulate mortgage and housing conditions, administered social security, consumer rights and raised funding for education, food and drug safety. Concerns of the working and business class were brought together (Mintz, 2006). Progressive ideologies affected political, social and cultural movements in the local and eventually made impacts on international human rights revolution and the initiation of international governing bodies to secure international relations in politics and economics. Radical changes in international standards and relationships were fostered. The UN and the NATO was founded in 1945 and 1948, respectively. The US became stronger despite its diversity. Operation Breadbasket was launched to increase employment of cultural minorities. From its indistinguishable character, America’s economic, social and technological transformation continues to awe the world. Today, its mandate for democracy and freedom still thrive and inspire other nationalities. References Bancroft, H. (1902). The Financial Panic of 1837. The Great Republic By the Master Historians Vol. III. Retrieved 11-5-2008 from http://www. publicbookshelf. com/public_html/The_Great_Republic_By_the_Master_Historians_Vol_III/thepanic_ce. html Engerman, S. and K. Sokoloff. (2000). Technology and Industrialization, 1790-1914. In The Cambridge Economic History of the United States, Vol. II. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. McElvaine, R. S. (1993). The Great Depression: America 1929-1941. Three Rivers Press. Mintz, S. (2006). Learn About the Progressive Era. Digital History. Retrieved 11-5-2008 from http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/modules/progressivism/index. cfm. Oberholtze, E. (1917). A History of the United States since the Civil War, Vol. 1. Macmillan. Olson, J. (1988). from World War I to the New Deal, 1919-1933. Historical dictionary of the 1920s. New York : Greenwood Press.

Main Differences Between Realism And Liberalism Politics Essay

Main Differences Between Realism And Liberalism Politics Essay Thinking about the number of high-stake political issues and the wide variety of aspects in which people have tried to understand these issues and come up with effective ways of resolving them are all packaged in different intellectual traditions and worldviews. This essay approaches the question from fundamental assumptions and theories of international relations built on a distinctive set of arguments put forward by realist and liberalist theories, each trying to understand and get a clear view of international politics. The first part of this essay introduces realism and liberalism as theories of international relations showing the claims made by each theorist in defend of their traditions. The assumptions and implications are shown in the second part. Finally, the conclusion is drawn from the contradictions seen during the arguments. Realism is a paradigm based on the premise that the world is essentially and unchangeably a struggle among self-interested states for power and position under anarchy, with each competing state pursuing its own national interests. Realists believe in state security and as such cannot afford credibility in terms of securing a state to international governing body such as the United Nations. Rather, major powers such as the United States manipulate other states with their military and economic strengths. The game of international politics revolves around the pursuit of power: acquiring it; increasing it; projecting it, and using it to bring others to ones will (Kegley, 2007: p 29). Among the principal prophets of this worldview were E.H Carr, George F. Kennan, Thomas Hobbes, and Niccolo Machiavelli. At the risk of oversimplification, realisms message as summarized by Kegley (2007) is in the form of ten assumptions and related propositions: People are by nature narrowly selfish and ethically flawed and cannot free themselves from the sinful fact that they are driven to watch out for themselves and compete with others for self-advantage. Of all peoples evil ways, none are more prevalent, inexolerable, or dangerous than their instinctive lust for power and their desire to dominate others. The possibility of eradicating the instinct for power is a utopian aspiration. International politics is- as Thomas Hobbes put it a struggle for power, a war of all against all. The primary obligation of every state the goal to which all other national objectives should be surbodinated is to promote national interest and to acquire power for this purpose. The anarchical nature of the international system dictates that states acquire sufficient military capabilities to deter attack by potential enemies and to exercise influence over others. Economics is less relevant to national security than its military might; economic growth is important primarily as a means of acquiring and expanding state power and prestige. Allies might increase a states ability to defend itself, but their loyalty and reliability should not be assumed. States should never entrust the task of self-protection to international security organizations or international law and should resist efforts to regulate international behavior through global governance. If all states seek to maximize power, stability will result by maintaining a balance of power, lubricated by shifts in the formation and decay of opposing alliances that counters each other expansion motive (Kegley, 2007: p 31). Liberalism on the other hand, is a paradigm predicated on the hope that the application of reason and universal ethics to international relations can lead to a more orderly, just, and cooperative world, and that international anarchy and war can be policed by institutional reforms that empower international organizations and laws. At the core of liberalism is an empahsis on the impact ideas have on behavior, equality, dignity and liberty of the individual, and the need to protect people from excessive state regulation. Liberalism views the individual as the seat of moral value and virtue and asserts that human beings should be treated as ends rather than means. It emphasizes ethical principle over the pursuit of power, and institutions over capabilities as forces shaping interstate relations. It defines politics at the international level more as a struggle for consensus rather than a struggle for power and prestige. Pioneers of Liberalism include David Hume, Jean Jacques Rosseau, Im manuel Kant (Kegley, 2007: p 31). Collectively, the post-World War 1 liberalists embraced a worldview that emphasized the power of ideas in controlling global destiny, based on the following beliefs as postulated by Kegley (2007). Human nature is essentially good or altruistic, and people are therefore capable of mutual aid and collaboration through reason and ethically inspired education. The fundamental human concern for others welfare makes progress possible. Sinful or wicked human behavior, such as violence, is the product not of flawed people but of evil institutions that encourage people to act selfishly and to harm others. War and international anarchy are not inevitable and wars frequency can be reduced by strenghtening the institutional arrangements that encourage its disappearance. War is a global problem requiring collective or multilateral, rather than national, efforts to control it. Reforms must be inspired by a compassionate ethical concern for the welfare and security of all people, and this humanitarian motive requires the inclusion of morality in statecraft. International society must recognize itself in order to eliminate the institutions that make war likely, and states must reform their political systems so that democratic governance and civil liberties within states can protect human rights and help pacify relations among states (Kegley, 2007: p 26-27). Even with the emergence of liberalism and the rapid rate with which it is being accepted, realism is more convincing. Realism is a perspective of international relations that treat issues from a practical point of view. Following this notion, realists draw a sharp distinction between domestic and international politics (Baylis et al., 2008: p 93). Realism has being influential in explaining international politics and it is clearly seen in historical conflicts when states struggle for the same goal. The relative power position of each state becomes the most reliable option. One can argue that the main distinctive feature of liberalism is its assertation that peace is possible and can result from a properly coordinated peace managed process by institutions such as the United Nations. For liberals, peace is the normal state of affairs: in Kants words, peace can be perpetual. War is therefore both unnatural and irrational, an artificial contrivance and not a product of some peculiarity o f human nature (Burchill et al., 2009: p 58). Accordingly, liberals also reject the realist notion that war is the natural condition of International politics. They also question the idea of state being the main actor on the world political stage. Liberals stress the possibilities for corporation and the key issue becomes devising an international setting in which corporation can be achieved (Baylis et al., 2008: p 5). Several instances which can be classified as realist act in response to the liberalist argument includes the beliefs that human being are naturally fixed, deeply flawed, and crucially selfish. To think otherwise is to make a mistake and it such a mistake that the realist accused the liberalist of making (Baylis et al., 2008: p 5). This viewpoint presents a systematic arrangement. If the assumption by realist is that human nature is naturally fixed and crucially selfish, then the whole idea of human generating an ideally perfect state is absurd. No institution can be s uperior to the qualities of the parties constituting it. Hence international peace becomes an objective beyond the limitation of any individual state party. Just as an individuals decision cannot be controlled by another, ones state integral disposition cannot be decided by another. Influence can be a compelling force sometimes, but the authority to make the decision always lies with the unitary entity. In words of Cranmer (2005), liberals also begin with the assumption that states are unitary and rational actors. However, liberals do not share the realist assumption that power is the means by which a states security is guaranteed, that states are the primary units of international politics. Liberal institutionalists, however, insist that the realist perspective does not exhaust the list of constraints on war over which states can and do exercise some control. States do not fight all others at all times and places where the realist constraints are weak (Dunne et al., 2010: p 96). In argument to this, defensive realist such as Waltz argues that states are profoundly defensive actors and will not seek greater amount of power if that means jeopardizing their own security. An aspect of this realist theory was clearly seen at the end of the Cold War between the United States and Soviet Union. The actions of the United States under President Ronald Reagan exemplified defensive realism, wh ile the actions of the USSR under Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev exemplified offensive realism. At some point during the Cold War, it became clear that the United States was in a relative power position when President Reagan started making concessions to the Soviet Union. Defensive realism accounts for this action. The behavior of the Soviet Union on the other hand, can be linked to offensive realism (Costa, 1998). Offensive realist such as Mearsheimer argues that the ultimate goal of a state is to achieve a hegemonic position in the international arena. States, according to this view, always desire more power and are willing, if the opportunity arises, to alter the existing distribution of power even if such an action may jeopardize their own security (Baylis et al., 2008: p 101). The proposition to this theory is the expectation of a state to decline in seeking power to gain greater amount of power if that means jeopardizing their own state security. The introduction of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) by the United State president out-spaced the Soviets and the reaction of the Soviets Union leader in recalling the Red Army from Eastern Europe conforms to the expectations of offensive realism (Costa, 1998). The Cold War, in this account was not caused by anyone but was the natural result of bipolarity. Soviet expansion into Central and Eastern Europe arose from neither vicious rulers in the Kremin nor rabid anti-communists in Washington. The War in Vietnam was criticized by leading realists such as Niebuhr and Morgenthau. Robert Tucker (1985) opposed the Reagan administrations support of armed counter revolution in Nicaragua. And not a single prominent realist supported the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. These examples suggest a very important interpretation point. There are number of Quaker realist-as well as for War. Reality provides a theoretical account of how the world works. It can be used for peaceful purposes. For example, hundreds of thousand s of lives might have been saved, and millions of injuries avoided had the United States pursued a realist bipolar rivalry with the Soviet Union rather than ideological Cold War (Burchill et al., 2009: p 36). Liberals believe international laws and institutions reduce War frequency and create a more orderly and just global system. Realists are of the opinion that the task of self -protection must not be entrusted to either international institutions or international laws. Realist critiques of international institutions, however, do raise two important questions. How much of an impact can international institutions have in principle? And what effects do they in fact have in contemporary international relations? John Mearsheimer (1994/95) in a well-known provocative essay, The False Promise of International Institutions develops a strong and uncompromising argument that institutions have minimal influence on the state behavior. Institutions, according to this argument, can easily be ignored because they rarely exert a significant influence on the interest or interactions of states in anarchy (Donnelly, 2000: p 132). It is largely on the basis on how realists depict the international environ ment that they conclude that the first priority for state leaders is to ensure the survival of their own state. International politics is one of anarchy, and for this reason, the survival of a state cannot be guaranteed by any form of international arrangement. Self-help is the principle of action in an anarchical system where there is no global government. Realists do not believe that it is prudent for a state to entrust its safety and survival on another actor or international institution. Unlike in domestic politics, there is no emergency number that states can dial when they are in mortal danger (Baylis et al., 2008: p 93). It was commonplace during the 1990s for pundits and scholars to proclaim that the world was rapidly becoming peaceful and that realism was dead. International politics was said to be transformed with the end of the Cold War. Many argued that democracy was spreading across the globe and, because democracies do not fight each other, we have reached the end of history. Though international institutions have been proved to be useful in terms of reducing War and it frequencies and, despite the opinion expressed by its critics, that optimism was faded with the wake of September 11, if not disappeared altogether and realism has made a stunning comeback and has continued to be the dominant theory used to explain the nature of international relations throughout history. Its resurrection is due to the fact that almost every realist opposed the Iraq War, which has turned to a strategic disaster for the USA and the UK. But, more importantly, there is little reason to think that globalization and international institutions have crippled the state. Indeed, the state appears to have a bright future, mainly because of nationalism, which glorifies the state, remains a powerful political ideology (Dunne et al., 2010: p 92). As evidenced by most recent behavior of the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq, powerful states are able to overturn the non-intervention principle on the ground of national security and world order (Baylis et al., 2008: p 100). What was the position of the United Nations in Rwanda when 800,000 Tutsi were slaughtered by the Hutus? In Bosnia, the U.N. declared safe areas for Muslims but did nothing to secure them, letting the Serbs slaughter thousands in Srebrenica. The organizations meddling was worse than useless, its blue-helmeted troops were used as hostages by the Serbs to deter a military response from the West (Boot, 2000). These illustrations has assumptions of realism, in that states ensure its security and survival of its own, even if it has to go to war to achieve it. It does not seem realism has lost its esteem the way many proponents of liberalism argue. In the review of the theory that works best, realism seems to give a better explanation than liberalism. As argued above, it is likely that the 21st century will be a realistic century. Despite efforts of federalists to rekindle the idealist flame, Europe continues to be as divided by different national interest as it is united by a common good. History already foretold how the US policy-makers will react in the event that China maintains its economic growth by 2020 (Baylis et al., 2008: p 105). If powerful states such as the US could adopt a realistic posture, my opinion remains that realism, should be seen as a good manual for understanding international politics.

The Power Sruggle in the Film, Matewan :: Film Movies Business Management

The Power Sruggle in the Film, Matewan The film Matewan brings to life the workings of a small West Virginia coal-mining town in the 1920's. Stone Mountain, as the town was called, existed for mining exclusively. Every resident of the town worked for the Stone Mountain Coal Company. The company was the dominant force in the community, acting as a feudal lord. It owned all the land, residential areas and restaurants. In this particular town residents had no other choice than to work for the Coal Company because it had monopoly control over all the resources thus creating a feudal economic system. The miners were forced into a bondage contract with the company, because of the lack of choice they had regarding their employment, which is a fundamental element in a feudal system. The owners of the Stone Mountain Coal Company who profit from the coal generated never actually stepped foot on the Stone Mountain mine land. They had no idea who worked for them and what their situations were. The workers never knew their employer instead the owners sent two representatives to ensure the excavation of the coal happened. The representatives became a third force necessary for the existence of feudal economy in Matewan. They were sent from the company to manage the organization and production of the mine. The representativesÕ primary job was to enforce the rules that the company had established in order to maintain power of the town, mine and essentially the workers. They used threats to induce fear in the miners as a way to stimulate and motivate them to work, because the miners had little significant reason to work besides basic survival. The Coal Company exploited the workers by underpaying them and restricting their freedom as consumers. The miners were forced to buy their own tools, clothes, food, etc. from the Ôcompany storeÕ many times at higher prices than necessary. This created circulation of money from the company to the laborer back to the company. The miners worked for obvious reasons: to supply themselves and their families with shelter, food and clothing. They relied on company power to supply a means of employment. However, the company in turn relied on the laborers, because without them the company would have no means by which to excavate the coal and continue the production process.

Financial Accounting Exxon Shell Case Essay

Objective: Understanding the effect of inventory valuation assumptions on financial statements. Assignment summary: You are taking the role of a security analyst who recently started following the Oil and Gas industry. The analyst has a task to draw a comparison of several financial indicators for two industry leaders: Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell, based on their income statements and balance sheets (attached at the end of this document) as well as the information from the notes to the financial statements summarized below. The two companies appear to be quite similar and are similar in size based on total assets. A private investor notes, however, that some financial ratios appear to be different. Your task is to guide an investor through the basic steps that will help them understand the effect of inventory valuation assumptions on the financial ratios. The following information is based on Exxon’s and Shell’s 2011 Annual Reports. Exxon Mobil Background information. Exxon Mobil Corporation was incorporated in the State of New Jersey in 1882. Divisions and affiliated companies of ExxonMobil operate or market products in the United States and most other countries of the world. Their principal business is energy, involving exploration for, and production of, crude oil and natural gas, manufacture of petroleum products and transportation and sale of crude oil, natural gas, and petroleum products. NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Inventories. Crude oil, products, and merchandise inventories are carried at the lower of current market value or cost (generally determined under the last-in, first-out method – LIFO). Inventory costs include expenditures and other charges (including depreciation) directly and indirectly incurred in bringing the inventory to its existing condition and location. Selling expenses and general and administrative expenses are reported as period costs and excluded from inventory cost. Inventories of materials and supplies are valued at cost or less (i.e., lower of cost or market). The aggregate replacement cost of inventories was estimated to exceed their LIFO carrying values by $25.6 billion and $21.3 billion at December 31, 2011, and 2010, respectively (Convert LIFO to FIFO).