Report of Virtue Ethics and Animals Essay

Prompt #1 Rosalind Hursthouse is a renowned moral philosopher who champions virtue ethics, one of the three major approaches in normative philosophy. In contrast to deontology and consequentialism, virtue ethics is an agent-centered approach that answers the question of â€Å"what should I be? † while does not provide clear rule or ethical answers on why one should/should not act. (Guidry-Grimes, 1/31/2013) Virtue ethics empathizes the role of moral character embodied by the moral agent for assessing his/her ethical behavior and character. In other word, we think what would a virtuous moral agent will act under given circumstance, and he/she typically does what is virtuous and avoid what is vice. The principles of virtue ethics are the â€Å"v-rules†, namely thinking in terms of virtues and vices, as a virtue person â€Å"do what is compassionate, do not what is cruel. † Applying the â€Å"v-rules† is highly contextual and heavily based on specific circumstances, under which the moral agent should evaluate what are virtuous to act and avoid actions of vices. Most importantly, in virtue ethics, although virtues and vices are given many vocabulary or ways to describe, there is no rule that specify what the type actions belongs to virtues or vices. For example, compassion can be a virtue or a fault depending on specific scenario (Hurtshouse, 126). Therefore, it is important to recognize that determination of virtuous character and what action would deem virtuous is not always forthright and clear. (Hurtshouse, 127) Having established what virtue ethics is, Hursthouse argues that the concept of moral status is unnecessary and irrelevant for applied virtue ethics. Both deontology and consequentialism, two other branches of normative ethics, are heavily depended upon the moral status concept which essentially divides everything into two classes: things with moral status that are within our â€Å"circle of concern† and worthwhile of moral principles and things without moral 1|Page Ye, Kening Prompt #1 status and are outside of the â€Å"circle†. Hursthouse has pointed out several issues related to the moral status arguments. It is hard to draw a fine line for determining what deem moral status. Things without moral status can become of our moral concern if they have sentient value and moral worth to those we concern thus they become valuable to us. If to expand â€Å"the circle of concern† to all sentient animals, it becomes over-simplified and problematic for our moral decision making as beings with moral status can make â€Å"competing claims† that may require us to further distinguish their features in order to justify our decision making (Hursthouse, 123). In addition, it is criticized as speciesim if to only keep human beings with moral status. Although Hurtshouse compares and contrasts the characteristics of speciesim and familysm, and concludes that giving moral preference for our species, namely human beings, is â€Å"sometimes wrong but sometimes right† (Hursthouse, 122), another issue is that we sometimes cannot avoid to evaluate the significance of moral worth among members of moral status. In short, the common consensus is that all humans are within â€Å"the circle of concern†. The moral status arguments not only give human being strong preference over nonhuman beings but also have instilled priority in decision making for moral agents. As Hursthouse argue, attaching the concept of moral status does not contribute to virtue ethics but only adds complications. If to apply the moral status conception into animal ethics, we are directed to act divisively upon two different groups, namely humans and nonhuman animals, in terms of our treatment and attitude. As such, our treatment and attitude toward the groups are often distinguished since preference is always given to human beings under universal circumstance. However, on the other hand, virtue ethics challenges us, as moral agents, to strive for virtues and deliver actions that are deemed virtuous in nature. This approach is heavily 2|Page Ye, Kening Prompt #1 Prompt #1 status and are outside of the â€Å"circle†. Hursthouse has pointed out several issues related to the moral status arguments. It is hard to draw a fine line for determining what deem moral status. Things without moral status can become of our moral concern if they have sentient value and moral worth to those we concern thus they become valuable to us. If to expand â€Å"the circle of concern† to all sentient animals, it becomes over-simplified and problematic for our moral decision making as beings with moral status can make â€Å"competing claims† that may require us to further distinguish their features in order to justify our decision making (Hursthouse, 123). In addition, it is criticized as speciesim if to only keep human beings with moral status. Although Hurtshouse compares and contrasts the characteristics of speciesim and familysm, and concludes that giving moral preference for our species, namely human beings, is â€Å"sometimes wrong but sometimes right† (Hursthouse, 122), another issue is that we sometimes cannot avoid to evaluate the significance of moral worth among members of moral status. In short, the common consensus is that all humans are within â€Å"the circle of concern†. The moral status arguments not only give human being strong preference over nonhuman beings but also have instilled priority in decision making for moral agents. As Hursthouse argue, attaching the concept of moral status does not contribute to virtue ethics but only adds complications. If to apply the moral status conception into animal ethics, we are directed to act divisively upon two different groups, namely humans and nonhuman animals, in terms of our treatment and attitude. As such, our treatment and attitude toward the groups are often distinguished since preference is always given to human beings under universal circumstance. However, on the other hand, virtue ethics challenges us, as moral agents, to strive for virtues and deliver actions that are deemed virtuous in nature. This approach is heavily 2|Page Ye, Kening Prompt #1.

Native Americans in the United States and African Americans Essay

Introduction Joel Spring’s Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality examines the educational policies in the United States that have resulted in intentional patterns of oppression by Protestant, European Americans against racial and ethnic groups. The historical context of the European American oppressor is helpful in understanding how the dominant group has manipulated the minority groups. These minority groups include Americans who are Native, African, Latin/Hispanic, and Asian. Techniques for deculturalization were applied in attempts to erase the oppressed groups’ previous identities and to assimilate them into society at a level where they could be of use to the oppressors. Techniques include isolation from family, replacement of language, denial of education, inclusion of dominant group world view, and provision of inferior teachers and poor facilities. Relationships between educational policy and instances of racism and patterns of oppression are explored in the following. A section will also compare my prior education to the one presented in Spring’s book. Formatting Understanding how European Americans have been able to perceive themselves as superior in psychological, spiritual, racial, and cultural terms is integral to seeing how cultural genocide has occurred in the United States. The basic program is taken from the Roman Imperium which delegates the authority to civilize others by erasing their laws and culture and simultaneously or subsequently installing new laws and mores from the dominant group into the minority group. This plan has been applied by U. S. educators and politicians in an attempt to carry out a perceived upgrade from an inferior cultural program to the superior Anglo-Saxon mixed with Protestantism point of view. This civilized versus uncivilized and Christian versus Pagan viewpoints reveal themselves throughout the history of U. S. education. Native Americans In the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, Native Americans were granted citizenship by the descendants of European immigrants who invaded their territory over 400 years ago. In the years before and after 1924, Native Americans have experienced cultural genocide, deculturalization, and denial of education (Spring, 2010, pp. 8-9). For example, the Naturalization Act of 1790 excluded Native Americans from citizenship, thus preventing them from having a political voice in their rapidly changing world. In 1867, the Indian Peace Commission made 2 requirements for U. S. citizenship: 1) rejection of native religions and 2) acceptance of middle-class American Christianity. The bases of a philosophy that uses superiority and inferiority include racial, linguistic and cultural differences. For European American educators, the â€Å"civilizing† of Native Americans included the installing of a work ethic, the creation of desire to accumulate property; the repression of pleasure, particularly sexual pleasure; the establishment of a nuclear family structure with the father in control; the implementation of authoritarian child-rearing practices; and conversion to Christianity (p. 14). The U. S. government’s program of Native American deculturalization was developed in part because it was less costly than fighting and killing them. Thomas Jefferson’s civilization program called for government agents to establish schools to teach women to spin and sew and men farming and husbandry (p. 18). Educational policies such as this set the stage for purchasing land and avoiding costly wars. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act authorized the President to set aside lands west of the Mississippi for exchange of Indian Land east of the Mississippi (p. 28). Cultural-ecological theory puts Native Americans in the category of involuntary minorities. They were conquered and forced into European American customs and beliefs. Replacing the use of native languages with English, destroying Indian customs and teaching allegiance to the U. S. government became major educational policies of the U. S. government toward Indians in the latter part of the 19th century. An important part of these educational policies was the boarding school designed to remove children from their families at an early age and thereby isolate them from the language and customs of their parents and tribes (p. 32). The Carlisle Indian School in Carlisle, PA became the first boarding school for Native American children in 1879. Here deculturalization methods were employed. From this methodology and perspective, the patronizing term cultural deprivation has come to imply that a group is without culture altogether (Nieto and Bode, 2008, p. 176). One of the perceived deficiencies of Native Americans was their propensity to share which caused the European Americans to label them as socialists which was anathema to the dominant group’s philosophy. Richard Pratt, the founder of the Carlisle School, sought to instill individualism and self responsibility in order to break Indians from a socialist style of sharing. All boarding and reservation schools taught in English with exceptions including some Choctaw and Cherokee schools that utilized bilingual education. In 1928, the Meriam Report reversed the philosophy that isolation of children was required. The new view was that education should occur in one’s family and community. Several decades later, from 1968 to 1990, a number of legislative acts addressed the mistakes of deculturalization. It was not until 1974 that Indian students were granted freedom of religion and culture by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Later, in 1978, Congress granted all Native Americans religious freedom. The Native American Languages Act of 1990 commits the U. S. government to reverse its historic position which was to erase and replace Native American culture. However, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 reverses attempts to preserve usage of minority languages (Spring, 2010, p. 135). The destruction of cultural self determination for Native American Indians is saddening. By breaking their connection to their native culture through reeducation camps, European Americans justified a world view that saw color of skin and dogma as beacons of superiority. African Americans. Historically, Africans have been involuntary immigrants who were brought to the U. S. to be slaves. They have faced numerous forms of educational oppression based upon perceived racial differences. For example, from 1800 to 1835, education of enslaved Africans was banned. Spring notes that plantation owners were in constant fear of slave revolts and consequently denied their workers any form of education (p. 43). Furthermore, because of the need for children as farm laborers, planters resisted most attempts to expand educational opportunities for black children (p. 57). Schools for African Americans were underfunded after the Civil War (Nieto and Bode, 2008, p. 44). Segregation of blacks and whites was the order of the day for most of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This resulted in a racial divide, unequal school funding, and inferior facilities. An exception to segregated schooling occurred in 1855 in Massachusetts when it became a requirement to integrate schools. In 1868, the Fourteenth Amendment included a clause that appeared to disallow segregation. However this clause has been used to implement segregation in schools also. African Americans from northern states helped those in the transition from slavery to freedom. However there was a division between the philosophies of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois. Washington negotiated for segregated schools while Du Bois, in 1909, formed the National Association of Colored People (NAACP) which worked for desegregation (Spring, 2010, p. 52). Washington established the Tuskegee Institute in 1881 after attending the Hampton Institute which was founded by General Samuel Armstrong. The Hampton Institute was an educational model designed to keep blacks subordinate. The primary purpose of the Tuskegee Institute was to prepare freed slaves to be teachers who could instill work values in other freed slaves (p. 33). The Tuskegee Institute received support from Industrialist Andrew Carnegie who saw the apartheid model in South Africa as a format for educating black southerners. Conversely, Du Bois and the NAACP fought against the status quo of a permanent African American underclass in education and the economy (p. 62). It was not until 1954 that the Supreme Court ruled that segregated schools were unconstitutional in Brown v. Board of Education. The court ruled that separate but equal has no place in education. The separate but equal legislation was from the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Title 6 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, established the precedent for using disbursement of government money as a means of controlling educational policies (p. 117). Additionally, much credit is given to Martin Luther King Jr. for helping move forward civil rights legislation of 1964. The Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act, in the 1950s and 1960s respectively, gave African Americans political equality as well as the right to vote. African Americans have made significant gains in the past 100 years; however, the pace of change has been painfully slow. The election of a part African American President is a strong indication that we as a country have come a long way. Hispanic/Latino Americans After the conquest of Mexican and Puerto Rican lands, the U. S. government instituted deculturalization programs to ensure that these new populations would not rise up against their new government (p. 84). As with other groups, the Naturalization Act of 1790 blocked them from attaining citizenship because they were not white. Despite the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1948, Mexican Americans were not given actual citizenship. Citizenship rights were abridged throughout the Southwest through limitations placed on voting rights and segregation in public accommodations and schooling (p. 89). Moreover, in many instances, U. S. farmers did not want the children of Mexicans to go to school, because they wanted them to work longer hours. Mexican students were forced to speak English in schools. In the last half of the nineteenth century, Mexican Americans tried to escape the anti-Mexican attitudes by attending Catholic schools. Here linguistic diversity was respected. Puerto Rico became a colony of the United States in 1898. Again, as with Native American Indians, government policy concluded that it was less costly to instill and replace culture in Puerto Rican schools than it was to employ force with the military. Teachers who only spoke English came from the U. S. to teach students who mainly spoke Spanish. U. S. educational policy in Puerto Rico attempted to replace Spanish with English as the majority language and to introduce children to the dominant U. S. culture (p. 100). Examples of deculturalization methods included U. S. flag ceremonies and studies focusing on the traditions of the dominant white culture of the United States. In 1912, the Puerto Rican Teachers Association resisted the educational policies of the U. S. and defended the use of Spanish in school. One’s native language is the foundation for future learning (Nieto and Bode, 2008, p. 235). In 1951, after 50 years of struggle, Puerto Rico became a commonwealth. Subsequently, Spanish was once again used in the schools without the dogma of English only laws. Additionally, in 1968, the Bilingual Education Act was passed. It was not until 1974 that the Equal Educational Opportunities Act gave protection to the language rights of students for whom English is not their native language (p. 243). Presently, there are many voluntary immigrants from Latin America. These students are often faced with an assimilation policy which is aimed at Americanizing them. Frequently hybridity is the order of the day for these students. Only blind arrogance could make a dominant group believe that they could go to an island of Spanish-speaking people and teach them a new culture in a new language. As with other groups, the denial of schooling or segregation was maintained in order to continue subordinating the minority. Asian Americans Asian Americans, many of whom were voluntary immigrants, include persons from China, Philippines, Japan, Korea, India, Viet Nam, Laos, Thailand and other counties. The combination of racism and economic exploitation resulted in educational policies designed to deny Asians schooling or to provide segregated schools (Spring, 2010, p. 68). In 1872 the California school code provided no public education for Asian Americans while in 1906, the San Francisco School Board created segregated schools for Chinese, Japanese, and Korean students. Finally, in 1974, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Chinese American parents in Lau v. Nichols. The decision required public schools to provide special assistance to non-English-speaking students to learn English so that they could equally participate in the educational process (p. 124). Each group of minority Americans has pushed for improvements in the educational system. By persevering, they have been able to move toward a more equitable educational system. However, there is still the dominant European American paradigm in place. As the percentage of minority Americans rises in the coming decades, I believe we will see a movement toward a more multicultural paradigm. Personal Comparisons My early education took place in an environment of white teachers and students. The furthest my exposure to different cultures went was going to school and growing up with my Catholic and Jewish neighbors. My elementary school and middle school were 100% white and my high school had 2 Hispanic students. For me, this was normal; I knew little of other cultures. When I reflect on my American History and Social Studies classes, I recall a sanitized story presented with many stories about honorable white men. Although I finished my high school education in 1977, I do not believe that Martin Luther King Jr. or Civil Rights was mentioned once. Moreover, a great deal of social upheaval obviously was occurring; however, the only topic related to the turmoil of the era that made it to my awareness was the war in Viet Nam. After high school, I attended a small private college in Pennsylvania where approximately 30 African Americans and 10 Hispanic students attended. I was acquainted with one of the Hispanic students who had a poster of Che Guevara in his room. All of my professors were apparently European Americans and I continued to study mostly dominant culture stories. Recognizing my own lack of personal direction, I dropped out of school and entered into my own version of home schooling. I purchased a bus ticket for Tucson, Arizona; however, I first stopped in Washington D. C. to visit my Aunt. She took me to a book store where I bought some philosophy books. I explored different philosophies and literature. I travelled, worked, read and explored my values and beliefs. I returned to my home town, Lancaster, PA, and decided to return to formal University life at Millersville State University. From 1984-1987, I again had European American professors. In 1991, I reentered Millersville University to take some graduate courses. I looked into getting a graduate assistantship and found an opening in a program called Upward Bound. I interviewed with the director, whom I knew from earlier years, and with a Filipino and African American student. I got the position and subsequently was working in a multicultural enterprise. I prepared lessons for high school children from multiple ethnic groups. The reason Spring’s history of minority Americans was not part of my education was because I was raised in a racially homogenous region. I think that I could have driven east 20 miles, south 15 miles or north 5 miles and everybody would have been white. Going west 2 miles would take me into the middle of Lancaster city where many African Americans and Puerto Rican Americans live. However, I lived a provincial life and did not interact much with people from other cultures in my youth. Furthermore, it was standard policy at that time to teach from a Eurocentric point of views. The effect on White Americans of an Anglocentric and Eurocentric perspective, which does not include minority Americans, is an incomplete and inaccurate understanding of self and world. The effects on minority Americans also leads to an incomplete and inaccurate understanding of self and world include, as well as increased dropout rates and resistance to education. Additionally, cultural discontinuities may contribute to negative academic outcomes (Nieto and Bode, 2008, pp 181-182). Another effect on minority Americans is clearly a net feeling of not being included in the past and possibly being excluded from present and future events. Exclusion’s result is well described in Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. In this book, the narrator is unable to be seen or recognized because he is black. From Spring’s book I learned about the many minority groups that were mistreated and intentionally harmed at personal and cultural levels. Furthermore, I was ignorant about the attempts at deculturalization of Puerto Ricans. Additionally, I knew little about the detailed history of denying education to Asian and Mexican Americans. While I knew about reeducation and denial of education of Native and African Americans, I did not know the extent to which political, economic, and social forces combined to prevent these groups from experiencing their historical culture or from participating in the dominant, European American culture. Conclusion European Americans have quashed cultures in the United States through education. Native American, African, Hispanic, and Asian minorities have witnessed a persistent attack on their beliefs, values, and languages by those who either 1) thought that they were better or 2) wanted to deprive others of their pursuit of happiness in order to support economic and political position. Consistent deculturalization efforts were made toward Native Americans by government agents establishing schools for Native Americans and by boarding schools. By controlling the content and context in which education took place, U. S. educators suffocated Native American Culture and resuscitated it with the European mores. The multiple cultures of Americans from African descent were hollowed through denial of education, physical intimidation, segregation, and inferior facilities. Persistent attempts to correct the status quo by the NAACP, Martin Luther King Jr. , and several other organizations and individuals have moved the U. S. government to redress some inequities in the educational system. Mexican Americans were also placed in English-only schools or no school at all. During the twentieth century, Puerto Rican students faced the same threats of deculturalization as did Asian Americans in nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Legislation in the latter part of the twentieth century has also redressed some inequities in educational opportunities for these groups while, the No Child Left Behind Act has reduced some of the multicultural gains in education which disappoints many in the teaching profession. References Nieto, Sonia and Bode, Patty (2008). Affirming diversity: The sociopolitical context of multicultural education. Boston. Pearson Education Inc. Spring, Joel (2010). Deculturalization and the struggle for equality. New York. McGraw-Hill.

Post Positivist Approach

Post positivist approach is a metatheoretical stance philosophically rooted in positivism. Whereas positivists believe in the existing reality apart from our own perception of it and the importance of empirical observation as well as rock-solid general laws, post positivists share some similarities with a softer, amended approach. Realist and the social constructionist are both taken as ontology by post positivist researchers in communication discipline.That is, it can be true that post positivist researchers believe that there is an empirical, unchallengeable reality independent of our perceptions, but limitations like the complexity of the reality and the biases of researchers still exist which causes our incomplete understanding of the reality. Even though, by applying the mutiple measures and observation, post positivist believe researchers can enhance the objectivity and attain a more and more fully apprehended reality.At the same time, post positivists also have faith in multip le realities which can be constructed by social collectives through communicative interaction in relatively patterned ways and its effects should be regular and predictable which in turn reified social constructions. Thus, post positivists study regularities and patterns. Post positivist researchers in communication base their assumptions largely on the so-termed modified objectivist which holds to the notion that causal relationships for regularities observed in the social world is the center of the search for knowledge. Textbook, chpt3) Nevertheless, post positivists largely reject the value-free inquiry and the absolute authority of scientific method. Instead, post positivists believe that with careful and systematic operations as well as awareness of values, scholars can strive to be as unbiased as possible â€Å"by using controls and statistical tests, insisting on replication, and so forth. † (Textbook, chpt3) Therefore, post positivism does not equal to qualitative app roach as many may assume. In fact, post positivists apply quantitative research methods largely to safeguard objectivity and to advance knowledge.Post positivist researchers consist that theories should try to reach beyond the observation level of individual events to attain the abstract quality with clear logical links to the empirical world. By operationally defining theoretical constructs, researchers can test the theoretical concepts with substitution of empirical indicators to verify or falsify the theory. Moreover, post positivists hold to the three interlinked functions of theories–explanation, prediction, and control. That is, theories should first of all explain behaviour in a causal relationship manner.In addition, theories should be able to predict future behaviour in a patterned way due to the abstraction of a certain phenomenon. At the end, good theories also provide information to control future events. Taking these functions into consideration, one can generate a set of criteria for evaluating and comparing theories from a post positivist stance. (* is explained at the end) I would like to explore more on the complex mental decision making processes involved in choosing to consume media (information-filtering-related theories) in this information age.I would imagine that selective exposure theory and active learner theory* would be two comparable choices to explain questions in this field and may provide reasonable predictions and relative control on future events. Selective exposure theory is accurate within its conceptual boundaries since many laboratory experiments have been conducted to test it so it is empirically testable. For example, in one study, when individual were placed in state of boredom, they selected arousing media messages and avoided relaxing fare to achieve an optimal level of arousal. ( Bryant, Zillmann, 1984).Selective exposure theory is consistent internally and externally because there is no contradictory propositi ons or widely held theories in the relevant domain. It is parsimonious because it mainly focuses on emotional states. However, because of this, researches have been conducted mostly upon mood management and selective exposure effects (first regulate emotion, then measure the media choice) which is not the real life situations. Thus, it is not in a very broad scope. In addition, in labs, participants only need to focus on limited choices but in the real world we face abundant media.In this case, selective exposure theory may have limited external validity. Nevertheless, this theory provide plausible explanations in media choosing and can somehow predict future behaviour (eg: people use media to alleviate boredom and other negative emotions) and also bring up future possible research questions (how about on positive mood other than negative?†¦ ). Therefore, in general, it is a better theory to choose other than the active learner theory because the latter one lack empirical tests and cannot rule out possible interventions.The active learner theory is a pseudo-theory I personally came up with rather than a really existing one. I can be totally/partially wrong or this can have been better explained by some mature theories. It is not even a theory but I still want to give it a try based on my understanding of this mental decision making process. I think the choice that one individual makes on media consumption can represent more than what it appears to be. It is not only a personal mood management process but also can involve social context and group judgment into it.As individual make choices, they can consciously or unconsciously go over the considerations of others' feedback judgments and possible consequences aftermath. For example, if one has the instinctive drive to watch porn to maximize pleasure, before making the final decision, (s)he may consider the possible feedback from roommates or parents or friends who may see his/her behaviour, therefore quick ly decide not to do so. People may gain this kind of thinking from previous learning from personal experience, peer talking or education.Or, imagine a group of girls surfing the Internet in the same room, one may want to log onto Angel and read some articles but others are more interested in gossip and entertainment. Even though this girl has her own laptop and can choose what she wants to read but she doesn't want to be â€Å"distinct† or â€Å"nerdy† so she conforms. Thus, I name people as active learner, that is, we can quickly adjust our behaviour and adapt to situations around us through more complex mental procedures besides mood management process consciously and automatically.

Fashion Istitute of Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Fashion Istitute of Technology - Essay Example The essay "Fashion Istitute of Technology" explores the Fashion Merchandising Management in the FIT. The use of the right colors and sketching has since been my passion. The details involved in every art work amazed me and that sowed the initial seeds of my interest in the field of fashion. Thus it was this interest in fine arts and detailing, which I had acquired at a very early age that instilled a sense of fashion within me. It subsequently urged me in my later years to take up designing as my field of study in my university study programme. I successfully completed a four year major course in interior design at the Udmurtskij State University, which is in my home town Izhevsk, Russia. This course helped me to study the detailing and finer aspects of fashion. Though it was pertaining to interior design the course however, gave me a broader perspective about fashion designing. Additionally, the course also included management concepts and helped me realize the importance of managem ent in the fashion industry. Later on, when I moved to the US and took up a bartending job initially, I got the opportunity to mingle with people and improve my basic communication skills. It was then I realized that I had a flair for communication and an interest to work with people. The job taught me people management and the different ways to interact with people. Though I had deviated from my interest of work, the bartending job gave me a first course in management. My decision to take up a course in fashion.

Building matrices ( to answer my PICO question) Assignment

Building matrices ( to answer my PICO question) - Assignment Example It would have been externally valid if it had selected a sample that would represent a larger population. However, it might be still useful as a primary source. The study yielded reliable and valid results, but it would have been improved by ensuring that a study group instead of the caregivers controlled the medications. Additionally, most caregivers are family members who have les education on the actual purpose of drug administration. Adler, G., Mueller, B., & Articus, K. (2014). The transdermal formulation of rivastigmine improves caregiver burden and treatment adherence of patients with Alzheimers disease under daily practice conditions. Int J Clin Pract, 68(4), 465-470. doi:10.1111/ijcp.12374 Arranz, F., & LÃÆ' ³pez-Pousa, S. (2013). Characteristics of patients with Alzheimer’s disease who switch to rivastigmine transdermal patches in routine clinical practice. PPA, 47. doi:10.2147/ppa.s38719 Andrade-dos-Santos, G., Canineu, P., Pardi, P., & GonÃÆ' §alves, I. (2011). Influence of Rivastigmine transdermal on butyrylcholinesterase levels in patients with Alzheimerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s disease. Alzheimers & Dementia, 5(4), 332-336. Gauthier, S., Robillard, A., Cohen, S., Black, S., Sampalis, J., & Colizza, D. et al. (2013). Real-life effectiveness and tolerability of the rivastigmine transdermal patch in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s disease: the EMBRACE study. Curr Med Res Opin, 29(8), 989-1000. doi:10.1185/03007995.2013.802230 Moretti, D., Frisoni, G., Binetti, G., & Zanetti, O. (2014). Comparison of the effects of transdermal and oral rivastigmine on cognitive function and EEG markers in patients with AlzheimerÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s disease. Frontiers In Aging Neuroscience, 6.

TRS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

TRS - Essay Example The story of Jonah is prophetic, the book of Jonah by itself is prophetic. Jonah was rescued from the belly of a large fish where he had stayed for three days until the fish spew him out. The New Testament illustrates the story of Jonah as symbolic to the death and resurrection of Christ. The sign was elaborated by Jesus in Matthew 12. As the greatest sign the world is given. The story of Jonah is therefore a testimony to the death and rising of Christ from the dead and that He conquered the grave and came out alive, the hope for which the early Christians lived for. The promise of God to Abraham was made to bless all the nations of the earth through the Seed of Abraham. Gal 3:15 indicates that the Seed was one and not many and that the Seed is the Son of God through who all nations will be saved from sin and reconciled to God by His death and resurrection. The Seed of Abraham was therefore a Chosen One and a Christ. The New Testament points out as well that the Christ was a son of Abraham. Gal 3:29 â€Å"if you belong to Christ, then you are Abrahams seed The gospels of Matthew and Luke begin the story of Jesus from His birth. The book of Matthew provides with the lineage of Jesus from the time of creation down to His birth as was among the Jewish people. Luke however begins his account with the events surrounding the birth of Jesus from the prophecy of John’s birth to Zechariah. The book of Mark accounts from the coming of John the Baptist. The three synoptic gospels are characterized by parables and speeches of Jesus along with the miracles and exorcism. The book of John on the other hand reflects discussions and reasoning where John himself imparts what he learnt to his audience. The book begins with the logos of the Word before creation and is characterized by involvement of the Holy Spirit directly (Kruse, 2004). Mathematical truth accounts for events using scientific evidence and experimental

Unit 5 speer review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit 5 speer review - Essay Example Par 5, line 2 and 3: â€Å"This irony here is that the product was at first quite a disaster†. The sentence is unclear or rather ambiguous. Despite its weak construction, the irony being referred to is nonexistent. Par 5, line 3: â€Å"Sven Mattisson, the man behind the technology stated:..† The extra information â€Å"the man behind the technology† should have been enclosed with commas. Moreover, instead of the colon efore the direct quotation, a simple comma should have been used. So the sentence should look like: â€Å"Sven Mattisson, the man behind the technology, stated, â€Å"†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . The content is quite appealing. The introduction is organized and guides the reader throughout the essay by providing an ostensible road map. While the content is profound, little has been done on the development of the Bluetooth technology. The inclusion of the stepwise development of the technology would have bolstered the quality of the essay and the argument being

Life after Hurricane Katrina Personal Statement

Life after Hurricane Katrina - Personal Statement Example I was forced to develop my critical thinking skills when I spent six months trying to find a job but got nowhere. I was at a crossroads where I needed to make a decision about whether my time was better spent continuing to look for work, which may or may not have been a fruitful search, or whether I should rededicate myself to pursuing academics in order to invest in my future and in my husband's future. The latter decision would be an enormous sacrifice. We really needed to make ends meet; and finding a way to boost my income rather than spending money on my education would have been the easy decision to make. Nevertheless, after seriously thinking through the options, I began to realize that making the choice to go to work now would have meant giving up on my future. I had to think critically about what I would be gaining and losing under both options. Working right away would have helped us to live more comfortably in the short term, but would have locked us into a situation where we would always be living on the edge of subsistence. Perhaps most importantly, I knew I would never really be happy. I had decided long ago that my happiness was directly linked to my work in the medical profession. I began to realize I would always harbor some resentment toward myself if I gave up on that dream in order to placate a temporary crisis in my life. Researching my options for breaking back into the medical profession led me to discover that this was the right course of action. It has been my lifelong vision to care for the health and the quality of life of other human beings. Ultimately, my ability to think critically led me to the conclusion that I needed to think with my heart and never give up on my hopes and dreams, regardless of whatever crises I might be confronted with in my life. Moreover, Katrina's impact on my life has led me to the conclusion that perseverance is the fundamental ingredient for achieving any kind of dreams that one may have. Perseverance entails not only a willingness, but an absolute resolve to stay the course in the pursuit of one's goals, despite even the most serious challenges that may arise. Without perseverance, it is easy to get side-tracked and lose focus on the ultimate objective. Perseverance enables a person to transform an apparent tragedy like Katrina into a real opportunity to further one's progress toward a goal. Without it, the ramifications of that hurricane would be affecting my life today to a much greater extent that it has been allowed to. Perseverance is the key tool for saying "no" to a tragedy: "you will NOT rob me of my goals and dreams!" Perseverance has also come into play in my life when other, less serious, challenges have arisen. It has enabled me to be true to my values at many points in my life. My values, including my prioritization of family, work and other responsibilities, my guidelines for my treatment of others, my principles for handling ethical dilemmas, and my overall life philosophy, have all been heavily influenced by various people, institutions and events in my life. Perseverance has enabled me to stay grounded in my values regardless of what life has thrown at me. There have been many experiences in my life that

Doing gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Doing gender - Essay Example We understand in this it is not so much an achievement. Also gender can be achieved only till the very early years after which it becomes static and unchangeable. The second term ‘constructed’ is perhaps of most importance to both anthropologists and social scientists who constantly lay bare the various apparatus working within a societal unit, be it a family, a state or a community which defines behaviour codes pertinent to a certain gender and anomalous to another. In this paper we shall take up the character of Monica Geller from the sitcom that gave television a trailblazer Friends and see how gender is constructed everyday through actions, through pre-conceived notions and through popular belief. The T.V show Friends had been on air from September 22, 1994 to May 6, 2004. During the course of which we saw the development and bonding of six friends Chandler Bing, Rachel Green, Phoebe Buffay, Monica Geller, Ross Geller and Joey Tribbiani. For a better understanding of the issue we shall deal in it becomes imperative to discuss in a nutshell the kind of relationship that the six friends share. Monica Geller and Ross Geller are siblings, Monica being the younger, Rachel is her high school friend who was dated by many guys unlike her. Ross too had a crush on Rachel in those days. Ross and Chandler are friends from college. Chandler who lives across the hall from Monica shares his apartment with an aspiring television actor Joey Tribbiani. Phoebe we learn later had been Monica’s roommate who had moved out but remained friends. From the very first episode Monica appears to be unlike her delicate form. Her personality exudes an aura of extreme strength. Her nature is extremely over powering and she’s used to getting her way in everything. She seems to be weather-beaten in that she knows the world more than her friend Rachel Green who in the pilot episode comes out as someone to whom the only way of not depending on the parents was by get ting married. This very idea accorded to Rachel is also gender specific. Even though we laugh at the momentary humour, it is in fact a gender construction that pretty women(or for that matter women in general) can spend their lives without having to earn their bread by depending on the patriarchy which primarily constitutes of the father and later the husband. That Rachel had been moulded into such an idea is also a form of interpellation by the society. That she finds nothing wrong with it her acceptance of her gender role as daughter and wife (in both cases dependant) is her way of accepting a concept of gender which is simply constructed. In contrast Monica who is said to be bossy and competitive is portrayed as a type which in the later seasons would verge on tomboyishness and trace back its roots to her obesity in her school years and the second-shot treatment she always received from her parents who would be too busy doting on their first born Ross. This preference of the male child over the female child is the most obvious kind of gender differentiation. But that Monica decides to fight back instead of accepting her place as the ‘second’

Policies & Regulations of Social Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 14500 words

Policies & Regulations of Social Media - Essay Example In social network, users (such as friends or acquaintances) with common interests often share hobbies, information and interests, depending on the privacy settings. Nowadays, Social Networking Sites (SNS) have become prevalent ways of communication. For instance, Government agencies are using SNS such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Orkut, to execute their e-government functions (McNamara, 2011). Currently, E-governance is widely accepted around the world, especially because it provides different opportunities such as encouraging delivery of service at the government level, reducing the cost of government operations and improving the effectiveness of government functions. Therefore, many governments have adopted e-governance and its related technologies to their perceived benefits. In this view of this, this study will analyse and highlight Saudi Arabia’s social media regulations and policies. 1.1 Aim The aim of this research is to evaluate social media policies and regulat ions in government organizations in Saudi Arabia, which is essential in ensuring effective adoption and usage of social media. 1.2 Objectives These are the main objectives for undertaking this study. To identify the existing social media policies (if any) among government organizations in Saudi Arabia. To document policies and regulations that facilitates and enhances the successful adoption and usage of social media in government organizations. To encourage the government organization in Saudi Arabia to use social media tools because none exists at the moment. To come up with recommendations regarding relevant policies and to control the use of social media 1.3 Research Questions Particularly, through this research, the aim is to answer four major questions regarding the use of social media in Saudi Arabia’s government organizations. These include the following: How are Saudi government organizations using social media? What are some of the difficulties reported in the use o f social media by both the staff and organizational heads? Are there policies and regulations that govern the use of social media in these organizations? If not, why not? What are some of the regulations and policies that can be adopted to enhance effective use of social media in Saudi’s government organizations? 1.4 Research Background In the 1990s, the Internet transformed people’s lives and now social media come with new horizon of sharing information and collaboration. However, to enhance the effectiveness of social media usage for government organizations, social media policy is fundamental. According to Hrdinova et al., (2010), with the increasing demand of the social media, many organizations are trying to cope with the current social media atmosphere and its recent transformation by changing the design of the old policy and regulations of Internet use. However, in these organizations, the manner in which social media has been used, has led to the development of social media policies. Therefore, the study will demonstrate the procedure of implementation, technological application and efficient policy of social media. However, to execute all these, Jana Hrdinova and Natalie Helbig (2011) suggested three core points by which social media can be efficiently used by the government agencies. First, to support the

Computerized Enrollment System Essay Example for Free

Computerized Enrollment System Essay Improvement in computer world means the act of making new arrangement or style of doing work, activities, and processes efficiently, effectively and faster from the past, that brings convenient to the people. Improvement is an opportunity for every one and in any organizations, the researchers want to have a part in this improvement either it be great or small, if there’s opportunity to be a part of this improvement the researchers wants to grab this opportunity. In this present world, technology is growing faster specially computer technology, using this kind of technology, information can be view very fast as well as to make reports out of this records through printing. In a school, computerized schedule retrieval is a great help to students, faculty and staff in terms of retrieving schedules of a student, subjects, instructors, rooms, and specific section and use it for a specific purposes. Using this kind of system can contribute improvements to the school. Look more:Â  example of perseverance essay In making schedules manually, it will take a long process since the staff assigned to it should assure that there is no conflict of schedules between rooms and instructors. The personnel should assure that the instructor should have not exceeded to the maximum load. The personnel should also assure that the schedules of those students should be distributed in regular school days, for night classes schedules should be in night time, and for weekend classes schedules should be in weekend days. Because of this the personnel becomes tired and sometimes when the personnel reviews the schedules, conflict of schedules occur, and posting the new schedules of every room can’t be done. And in the side of the students, they get tired writing the subjects and schedules in the form during enrollment. And finding vacant rooms in a specific time takes a time, since someone should go around and look for a vacant room. The researchers were hoping to reduce the time spent in creating the schedules, without conflict schedules, to reduce the time spent in getting schedules during enrollment, to access easily the schedules of rooms to find vacancy. Background of the Study Creating and retrieving schedules is not an easy job. It requires patience and perseverance. Patience in assigning every subject to a specific instructor in specific rooms, assuring that every schedules of every subject should be distributed in regular days, the personnel assigned to do this job assures that in every regular days a students should have a scheduled subject. The personnel assures that there’s no conflict of schedules like having 2 classes in the same room and time and Instructor is handling two classes at the same time. Perseverance that even if the personnel were very tired, he/she still needs to review the schedules to assure that all schedules were complete and no conflict of schedule. Many students get tired in writing their schedules with the same information in 4 different forms in every semester and in irregular students they find it difficult to add a subject, assuring that the schedule of the subject will not be conflict to the subject that he/she has. When the instructor was trying to find a vacant room in a specific time the instructor needs to look for the posted schedule in every room to find a vacant room and it takes time and energy finding for vacant room in the entire building. And sometimes because there’s not enough time new schedule of every room will not be posted. Because of these problems the system will hopefully give a solution for these problems.

Beliefs About Students Essay Example for Free

Beliefs About Students Essay It is undeniable that the beliefs about students and education have a profound impact on what is taught and how it is taught, just as the beliefs about life have a profound impact on how individuals live their lives. Educational beliefs are revised and refined and over time becomes stronger as they seem to serve us well and prove to be true. Thus, these beliefs ultimately become our philosophy of education. It is possible that every student that enters a classroom can succeed. However, in order for them to accomplish this, teaching should be student centered. Students should be encouraged to understand and appreciate their uniqueness and to be accountable for their learning and behavior. According to Ornstein and Hunkins (2004) Perennialism relies on the past; especially the past asserted by agreed-on universal knowledge and cherished values. Dunn (2005) also agreed that Perennialism is the oldest educational philosophy and is therefore traditional. It is believed that students are vessels to be filled and disciplined in the proven strategies of the past. This philosophy is supported by the realist philosopher John Locke, who was of the belief that at birth the mind is a blank sheet of paper on which the teacher could write knowledge (Tabula Rasa). According to the essentialist viewpoint, there are certain basic or essential knowledge, skills and understandings that students should master in order to function successfully in the society. These are reading, writing, computing and in today’s world, computer skills. Plato, who was the father of idealism, believed that both male and female are equal and should be educated equally. Therefore, the curriculum is the same for everyone and planning to execution of lessons are dominated by the teacher. However, one should not forget that these beliefs are teacher centered and tend to be more authoritarian and conservative and emphasize only the values and knowledge that have survived through time. Learning occurs through experience, Therefore students should be allowed to develop cognitively through experimentation and to reach their own personal potential instead of being shaped into a specific mould. Dunn (2005) cited Immanuel Kant who agreed that knowledge is rooted in the experience of mankind and can only be achieved by an active and exploratory mind, rather than one that is passive and receptive. Carl Rogers also believed in experiential learning. He believed that unlike academic knowledge, experiential knowledge is required to meet the needs of the learner in order to complete important real-life tasks such as learning to drive a car. Every student is different, no single set of learning outcomes is appropriate for all students. Thus a set curriculum will not be suitable for all. Students should be able to determine what they need to study with the guidance of the teacher. This will help them to arrive at their own understandings. Jean Sartre, a leader of existentialism believed that man’s responsibility is vested in man himself. He further stated that people are entitled to be human with dignity and is a human only when he or she is entirely free and accepts responsibility for his freedom. You may be led to believe that students are blank slates and learn based on mainly academic knowledge that has been tried, tested and proven and that all humans are equal and should be educated equally. However, do not ignore the fact that students are taking to the classroom, their own ideas and materials rather than receiving material in class as it is given. Students restructure the new information to fit into their own cognitive frameworks. In this manner, they actively and individually construct their own knowledge. They also are different thus, the same rigorous curriculum will not work for all students. From these facts one may conclude that in order to help students reach their full potential and gain the knowledge and skills that they will require in their daily lives as a democratic citizen of our society, the student centered approach to how students learn must be practiced. Therefore it is recommended that teachers facilitate students instead of being fountains of wisdom. The teacher should help students in their pursuit for knowledge and also help them acquire the communication, problem solving and critical thinking skills which will enable them to be life-long learners.

Assessment Brief No1 Operations Strategy Business Essay

Assessment Brief No1 Operations Strategy Business Essay There are lots of research and studies about the functions of multinational retail companies in all over the world. All these studies mainly focused on the operations strategy and performance analysis of these big companies. Yet, no studies in this area specifically discussed the operations strategy contributions of small to medium sized companies operating in the retail industry and other industries as well. The main objective of this report is to give an understandable, well structured and interesting management of operations management as it applies in a UK based family owned SME named Azam Super market. The report gives the logical path through the performance of operations management and perceptive of their strategic context. The purpose of this report is to critically analyse and evaluate of the current operations strategy of Azam Super market, with respect to operations typology (4vs). The three methods of analysis utilized in this report include trend, horizontal and vertical analyses as well as current situation like implementation of new changes, issues and organisational performance. Results of case study not only confirmed that the smaller UK retailers have the potential to challenge the big players successfully by utilising the IT facilities, new ideas and possibilities of internet and inventory management, but also provides the selected company owners are not old fashioned and they are ready to utilise the service of information technology such as designing company own website and online shopping etc. Azam super markets organisational performances are above industry averages. In particular, comparative performance is good in medium sized company sector. The most important thing is the company owners are aware of the new trends and the immense opportunities of the implementation of information technology in their business. A review of the academic literature on the obstacles of the functioning of the formulation of competitive role, position and objectives and operations strategies in general and particularly related to retail SMEs, recommended that significant difficulties can be found in implementing operations strategies. The study suggests that performance of operations strategy in an SME should have sizeable impact on operational performance if the progression for implementation is well structured. Introduction Azam Super market is a newly opened family business owned by siblings Jaswindher singh, Pervindher and Hardeep Kaur based in UK. Azam Super market is mainly focuses on grocery, offering a wide variety of Indian food and dairy products. The organisation has got 5 full time employees and 2 part time employees under the administration of Hardeep Kaur, as she looks after administrated related activities. At the mean time Jaswindher singh support the business related activities like marketing and advertising and Pervindher singh responsible for purchasing or approving of goods and services needed by the organisation. Within short span of time Azam super market gained the trust and value of the community around the area and become a strong SME in that particular area. Now business is going up to next level with a constant increase in number of customers. The owners are really busy with business promotion and the increasing number of customer becomes a difficult task for them to satisfy eac h and every customers need and to operate in their traditional way. This report discusses how operations management were selected and then implemented in a small to medium enterprise named Azam Super market. It then goes on to which stage of performance contribution has been reached. Little attention has been paid to the strategy-making processes of small and medium-sized firms (SMEs), or to the effectiveness of strategic planning in the SME sector. Planning often fails because of implementation problems often associated with SMEs lack of capability to determine and overcome potential barriers to strategic planning (Ghobadian A O Regan N , Effective Strategic planning in small and medium sized firms, Journal: Management Decision, Volume-40, Number-7, year- 2002, pp 663-671, Online www.emeraldinsight.com ). During this research it is obviously clear that Azam super market owners are not different from strategy making processes of compared to other SMEs, they clearly lack knowledge in information technology that affect the strategic planning of the firm and there is a little attention has been paid to the operations planning of the company. The tremendous growth in the nature of the industry demands to look up into different areas in which the business is operatin g. It has become very clear to accept more long term planning than short term strategy for the long run of the company. In the long run of the business it should become less competitive with its competitors and unable to develop the business until they revolutionize their present business operation of traditional way in the changing global environment. It has become more necessary for Azam Super market to recognize the importance of academic approaches to the operations management. Azam super markets formulation of competitive role, position and objectives Operations management is a management of the way organisation manage all activities directly related to the products and services (Slack et al. 2010 p-2). The term operations management also offered in a selection of areas which includes production and operations management, analysis for production systems and design and engineering of production systems (Shim J K and Siegel J G, 1999 pp 1-4) According to Slack et al (2006 p-8) Operations management has got a vital role in small organisations as it is in large one. Apart from their size, every organisation needs to have and deliver their products and services efficiently and successfully. The most basic function of operations management has to implement new strategies within the organisation. Azam super market is planning to open 2 more retail outlets with in the areas where Asian communities are living together. The owners of the organisation are really passionate about the business and they are now realized the importance of the e commerce and other internet related opportunities to improve the business operations and explore new opportunity in the complex global environment. Innovative ideas, planning and control should increase organisation performance like dependability and flexibility. It definitely leads improved customer service and customer satisfaction. It will help the firm to retain customers in long term. In addition, many researchers argues that the utilize of personal connections, an innovative selling focus, a strong understanding of some characteristics of formal marketing as the key features of what can be termed SME marketing. The main workforce in the SMEs scrutinized emerges to demonstrate normally entrepreneurial behaviour in the absence of founding owners. These characteristics of SME marketing are not well recognized or investigated and subsequently formed the basis of this study (Hill J, Online 1995). A General model of operations management Operations Strategic Objectives The operations competitive role and position Design Operations Strategy Input transformed resources Output Products and services Materials information customers Improvement Input resources Customers Facilities Staff Planning and Control Input transforming resources Environment Source: Kalathummarath A N 2010 in Slack et al., 2004 p-5 Above model clearly shows how it works in an organisation. The main objectives of operations management are to reduce operational cost and to increase organisation performance. In operations strategy 3 basic things are being considered vital such as design, improvement and planning and control. By considering the current set up of Azam Super market it is obvious that hosting website and other online facilities will bring more customers and eventually that gives Azam super market a competitive edge in this industry. The introduction of website and online purchasing or other online services will place organisation in a strong position in their industry. It will also help to increase internal performance of company such as facilities of employees will improve that also affect the performance of the organisation. Hypothetically, operations management is similar in any size of companies. Though, in practice, organizing operations in a small or medium size company has its own set of problems. Small organizations like Azam super market have exactly the same operations management problems as large ones but they can be more problematical to split from the collection of other issues with in the organization. On the other hand, small operations can also have considerable advantages. It means that smaller firms can keep up their viewpoint of excellence amongst everybody in the company and it means that they can respond very rapidly when the market demands it. (Slack et al. 2010 pp 7-11) Operations Typology (4 Vs) Volume: more than average number of customers from a special ethnic group and average number of customers from other ethnic group. Variety: Medium-high since Azam Super market introduce new Indian products that is not available in the UK and also exploring new opportunities by opening 2 other retail outlets and launching of new website. Variation: It purely based on the demand pattern of the customers. For example if customers demand for more traditional Indian foods product in a special occasions like diwali. Ramzan or other religious festivals or special parties or marriage functions it is likely to be higher than normal season. Visibility: High visibility and medium contact skill. Even though, Azam Super market is a new organisation their owners are well experienced in business and their customer contact skills and personnel interactions with the customers and other people should be an asset for the company. The implications of 4vs in Azam super market All these 4Vs operations have implications for the cost of generating the products or services. To some extend position of an operation in the four dimensions is determined by the demand of the market it is serving. However, most of the operations have some discretion in moving themselves on the dimensions. (Slack et al. 2010 p-22) Figure below show the implication of such positioning. Volume High Low Variety High Low Variation High Low Visibility High Low Source: Slack et al. 2010 p-23 Rising demand of Indian foods or SME super market in the UK Financial crisis severely hit the  £3 billion Indian food industry but Indians continued to be hooked on the quality ready meals and other Indian products from super markets or corner stores. Other ethnic group people are also like spicy Indian food so it has got a tremendous potential in UK retail store industry. The industry figures shows that demand for Indian meals or other grocery items increasing rapidly and super market chains are struggling to meet the demands of consumers (Anon, Online, 2009). According to wiki it is estimated that about 2% of total population of UK are Indians or Indian origins. Major cities like London, Birmingham and Leicester consist of big Asian communities it gives SMEs like Azam Super market a great opportunity to expand their business in that particular industry. Operation strategy perspectives Operations strategy concerns the pattern of strategic decision and actions which sets the role, objectives and activities of the operation (Slack et al. 2010, p-62) While, the operations strategy content is about What the key decision areas that need to be addressed in developing an operations strategy are (Slack et. al., 2010, pp 62-63). According to Slack and Lewis Operations strategy is the total outline of decisions which figure out the long term capabilities of any type of operations and their contribution to the overall strategy, through the reconciliation of market requirements with operations resources (Online, Wiki books) The four perspectives on operations strategy Different authors have slightly different opinions about Operations strategy. Operations strategy is undoubtedly part of an organisations total strategy but this topic has slightly different views and definitions. Operations strategy might come out in a top-down or a bottom-up method with look upon to business and corporate strategies. Likewise, an operations strategy can be built up in reaction to market needs or be based on the capacity of its operations resources (Slack and Lewis, 2002). Each perspective places a different emphasis on the nature of the operations strategy process. Below shown chart of 4 perspectives not giving the full picture of what operations strategy is. But together they provide some idea of the pressure which goes to form the content of operations strategy Top-down Perspective What the business wants operations to do What day to day experience suggests operations should do Bottom-up Perspective Operations resources perspective What operations resources can do? Market requirements Perspective What the market position requires operations to do Operations Strategy Source: (Slack et al. 2010, p 65) In the top down perspective shows that what the whole group or business wants to do? In the bottom perspective where operations improvements cumulatively build strategy. Operations strategy involves translating market requirements into operations decisions. Operations strategy involves exploiting the capabilities of operations resources in chosen markets. Source: (Slack et al. 2010, p 65) In this case study about Azam super market a SME, many researches reveals that the IT offers exciting new opportunities for SMEs to develop their customer base into the global environment (Tetteh E Burn F, Online). In order to achieve these advantages in global strategy Azam Super market needs to implement a completely different approach to the strategic planning and management. This will comprises what type of new ideas the management wants to adopt and what parts of the areas in the UK to operate and to open new retail outlets and how to allocate the finance in different areas of business. This case study reveals that Azam super market is going through top-down perspective of operations strategy. According to this perspective, the task for operations would be determined logically from the business strategy. Using five operations performance objectives is one way of articulating the operations task (Slack Lewis, 2002). Azam super market should adopt bottom-up perspective of operations strategy. The bottom-up perspective is one in which the organization learns from its experiences, developing and enhancing its operational capabilities as operations managers try new things out in an almost experimental fashion using their workplaces as a kind of learning laboratory (Slack Lewis, 2002). They already been in the market for some years and got valuable experience from the particular industry. So it has been recommended that to adopt bottom-up perspective of operations strategy. The management in the system is well aware about the opportunities of internet based business. Experience from this industry is a massive advantage for them to take up their business in to next level. The only problem they are facing is Azam super market is targeting mainly a particular ethnic group. It might be a problem for them to develop more areas in future. Operational stage diagnosis Two professors named Hayes and Wheelwright have developed four stage models which should be helpful to evaluate the competitive role and contribution of the operations function of Azam super market. Stage 1 Internal neutrality When evaluate with other stages of operations it is crystal clear that this is the poorest level of contribution by the operations function. This is inward looking and very little positive to donate towards competitive success (Slack et al. 2010, p 63). Stage 2 External neutrality In this second stage this function is least helpful for the companies to instantly get in to the market in first stage, but it could be evaluating itself against the competitors performance and trying to adopt suitable ideas from them. By taking the best ideas and norms of performance from the rest of its industry, it is trying to be externally neutral (Slack et al. 2010, p 63). Stage 3 Internally supportive In stage 3 operations they have almost reached the initial division in their market. They may not be superior to their competitors but they are generally up with the best. The operation is trying to be internally supportive by providing a credible operations strategy (Slack et al. 2010, pp 63-64) Stage 4 Externally supportive In stage 4 companies are one which observes the market operations function as giving the base for its competitive success and operations appear to long term (Slack et al. 2010, p 64). According to these theories, Azam Super market stands in stage 3 operations and they are among the best in that particular segment. . Yet stage 3 operations still aspire to be clearly and unambiguously the very best in the market. They achieve this by gaining a clear view of the companys competitive or strategic goals and supporting it by developing appropriate operations resources. The operation is trying to be internally supportive by providing a credible operations strategy (Slack et. al., 2007). They been in this business for few years and got very good knowledge and experience. But they neither comes up in the top performers category nor in the under performers category. These arguments show that Azam Super market clearly comes in Stage 3 internally supportive operations. Management decision to utilise the opportunities of internet related service and to open new branches with in the selected ethnic majority areas brings them to stage 4 operations. A stage 4 company is one which sees the operations function as providing the foundation for its competitive success. Operations look to the long term. If forecasts likely changes in markets and it develop the operations-based capabilities which will be required to compete in future market conditions. Stage 4 operations are innovative, creative and proactive and are driving the companys strategy by being one step ahead of competitors (Slack et. al., 2007) Conclusion The implementation of Information technology related services operations in SMEs brings them forward in to the global economy and it eventually gives them courage to face the competition from their opponents. Electronic related services and effective organising competence are shaping the competitive performance of SMEs in global economy. The internet has become a vital role in every part of human activities like education, business, advertisement, and communication with massive innovative technologies and ideas of human interactivity. Meantime, SMEs in the UK has increased their operations in internet to expand their business with the help of its global reach. The main findings in this case study are some positive approach from the management to accept and utilise the massive opportunities of internet related services and to open new branches in other areas to develop their business. Some limitations have been faced during the case study: Forecasting statistics are not provided nor do the current economic stability of the organisation. Recommendations Focus on other minority ethnic group ( Mainly Asian community) More focus on chilled or ready meal traditional foods

Dialogue Essay †Birdseye View of Life and Death :: Dialogue Conversation Essays

Dialogue Essay – Birdseye View of Life and Death Episode One. A Prologue of Sorts. The camera eye sees everything, and sees it calmly and objectively. It pans slowly around the room, beginning at the coffin and the cluster of black-clad mourners gazing down at the body then continuing clockwise catching two or three-person clusters scattered around the room. It sees the pale cream-colored walls and the scarlet carpet. It sees everything in the circle of its passing and calls attention to nothing but the whole, until it reaches me sitting on a loveseat to the left of the deep-red coffin, a girl about the same age as me to my left. It zooms in on my face as I sit there, all emotion drawn out and dried-up ahead of time. Laurie squeezes my arm and lays her cheek on my shoulder. But the camera continues to zoom in on my gaze and cuts to the focus, my mother. It saw her earlier, but now it is beginning to make sense of the situation, catching the subtle details that tell the story. In silence the camera eye peers at her, zooming in inch- by-inch. Like everyone else, she is dressed in black, and like me she is emotionally exhausted. She tries to smile and be strong, but there is nothing behind it but weariness. In her face, everything is weary. And every few moments she presses a white handkerchief to her eyes to dry tears that aren't even coming out any more. Next to her, with his arm around her slumped shoulders is a balding man with one chin too many and a blushed face and a smile that might be able to pass as greasy if it wasn't so creepy and intrusive. He pulls her face to him and gives her a strong hug and tries to be there for her dry-eyed weeping. The camera cuts back to me and sees in my face a glimmer of emotion growing stronger momentarily: disgust. He let go of Ma, and she stood up straight again. She hugged him one more time, briefly, and walked over to me. I quickly wiped the disgust from my face and tried to return the same weary smile she was giving me, but even in her worst moment, I couldn't hope to compare. I stood up. "Hello, Ma," I said. Laurie stood up with me, hugged me, and said, "I guess maybe I should go.

Anorexia Nervosa Essay -- essays research papers

Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by a refusal to maintain a minimal normal body weight. A disturbance in perception of body shape and weight is an essential feature of anorexia nervosa. It appears to be far more present in industrialized societies, in which there is an abundance amount of food and in which being considered attractive is linked to being thin. The disorder is most common in countries like the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan. More than 95% of cases of anorexia nervosa occur in females between the ages of 14 and 45 years. Most researchers agree that out of every 200 American girls between the ages of 12 and 18, one will develop anorexia to some degree. Therapists find that persons with anorexia usually lack self-esteem and feel they can gain admiration and attention by losing weight and becoming thin. There is no single cause of anorexia nervosa, because it’s a complex disorder with multiple causes that may be different for every person. From what is know it seems that this is a disorder of many causes that come together to produce the illness. These recognized causes include the nature of the personality of the girl herself, aspects of her family its members and relationships, and stresses and problems occurring outside the home, often at school. There is an increase risk in families in which there are other anorexics and this probably indicates a genetic cause also. Some theorists have pointed to socialcultural factors as potential causes ...

Free Admissions Essay - Discipline and Perseverance :: Medicine College Admissions Essays

Admissions Essay - Discipline and Perseverance Pounding, rushing footsteps started to close in on me. The roar of the crowd echoed, as I extended my hand to receive the baton that signaled my turn to run. As I tightly wrapped my fingers around it, I felt the wind rush around me, and my tired legs started to carry me faster than I ever dreamed possible. As I rounded the final stretch of track I remember battling fatigue by contemplating two paths: slow down and give up my chance of winning to gain momentary comfort, or push myself even harder and give up momentary comfort to receive greater rewards later. I chose the second path and later held a trophy that represented my perseverance and hard work. The years of running - consistently choosing the second path - have taught me discipline and perseverance. These qualities will help me cross a different finish line and achieve a new goal: becoming a doctor. I have had to learn to budget my time to meet the demands of school, training programs, and volunteer activities. Although I trained and ran at least thirty miles a week throughout college, I also served as a big sister to Kelly, an abused child, and worked in a hospital trauma unit and as a medical assistant in an OB/GYN clinic. My most satisfying volunteer activity, however, was participating in mission work in Mexico City. In Mexico City I continually saw young children whose suffering was overwhelming. These children had never received vaccinations, were lice-infested, and suffered from malnutrition. They also frequently had infections that antibiotics can easily treat, but due to poverty were left untreated. For a week our team worked feverishly to see as many children as possible and treat them to the best of our abilities. I will never forget the feeling of complete fulfillment after a long day of using my talents for the betterment of others. The desire to replicate this feeling strengthens my commitment to becoming a physician. Isaac Asimov once said, "It has been my philosophy on life that difficulties vanish when faced boldly." Difficulties have tested my commitment. In September 1992, at the beginning of the running season I developed a severe case of mono. My doctors advised me to drop out of school for a semester and not run for at least four months.

Satanism

Satanism may signify an organized belief system or religion such as the Church of Satan. It may be seen just as a vague and dramatized concept of extreme insurgence against Western norms and conventions such as the so-called â€Å"Satanism† exhibited by some rock musicians. It may be a mythological sign of medieval religious thinking that still lingers in contemporary times. It may also be a deviant practice used to daunt and control others through ritual abuse (Francis King, 1989b). If Satanism is linked with ritual abuse, one can also say with assurance that not all ritual abuse is Satanic. Many of these abusive occurrences have been present in societies or under conditions where Satan is not a renowned spiritual or demonic entity. In earlier times, it was not uncommon for Western scholars and travelers to sometimes attribute the influence of Satan to primitive religious practices, which to them appeared to be idolatrous or violent. Even now, one occasionally hears the concept that if something is not Christian, it is the effect of Satan's power or seductiveness. The predecessors of Satanism can be found in ancient religions in which gods were worshipped, not because of their intrinsic goodness, but as of their perceived power. For example, the ancient Greek and Roman gods were such an amoral grouping of deities. Few showed many venerable character traits. These gods were often represented with all the foibles and veniality of mere mortals. Many of the cults dedicated to such gods and goddesses allegedly involved traumatizing rituals (e. g. , the mystery cults). On the other hand, some religions particularly worshipped and supplicated obviously evil deities. In other cases, what appears to be the adoration of an â€Å"evil deity† may simply symbolize the worship of a spiritual entity that no longer enjoys privileged status? There are examples in history in which a culture's demons were in fact past divinities, no longer revered, and sometimes given new and less striking roles. Such revolutions amongst the gods sometimes resulted from conquests, whereupon the new gods of the conquerors take the place formerly held by the gods of the conquered. In other instances, evil can be revered or worshipped outright. In cultures in which Christianity is established one might presume that the worship of evil would involve some devotion to Lucifer or Satan, the primary names given to the Euro-American spiritual depiction of evil. To many traditional Christians, Satan and Lucifer are equal but different names for the same demon. However, numerous theologians make the peculiarity that Lucifer is the name of Satan before his fall. The origins of Satanism are positively as obscure as any other occult belief system. One can never be specifically certain when such practices started. Yet, some of the historical accounts of Satanism in Europe may explain some of the evolution of thinking about Satanism. The history of Satanism can be traced to a variety of possible sources: (1) European witchcraft, sorcery, and shamanism, (2) Gnostic-derived religions (e. . , the Cathari) which viewed the established Church as an tyrannical adversary, (3) the general traditions of Western occultism (which are often seen as encircling a â€Å"dark† or â€Å"left-handed path†) and (4) what Francis King calls â€Å"the bad divinity of a minority of Roman Catholic priests† (Francis King , 1989b, p. 219 ). Though, whe n Satan was invented, he was found everywhere. For instance, Satan was attached to Adam and Eve as a sibling rivalry between Satan and the younger creatures of God. This combination of human and celestial opponents of God lastly culminated in the formative stages of the Antichrist legend, which speaks of the human embodiment of Satan (McGinn 1994: 10, 22-25; Pagels 1995: 43, 49; Russell 1977: 188-89). While the orthodox text shared some ideas of the dualistic conflict, particularly in Ezra's formulations, Satan obtained a key role in the conventional worldview only gradually, as an influence of the popular apocalyptic eschatology and a means in struggles for power (political or religious) between human beings ( McGinn 1994: 26). According to Elaine Pagels, Satan never shows in the Hebrew Bible as the leader of an evil empire, as a leader of antagonistic spirits who make war on God and humankind. As he first appears, Satan is not essentially evil. In the Book of Numbers and in Job he is one of God's obedient servants, a messenger or angel. The Satan describes an adversarial role, not a particular character. The Satan was any one of the angels sent by God for the explicit purpose of blocking or obstructing human activity; the root Satan means â€Å"one who opposes, obstructs, or acts as adversary†; the Greek term diabolos means â€Å"one who throws somewhat across one's path. So if the path is bad, an obstruction is good: Satan may simply have been sent by the Lord to protect a person from worse harm (Pagels 1995: 39-40, based, e. g. , on Numbers 22: 23-25). Job's Satan takes a more adversarial role; Satan’s special role in the blissful court is that of a kind of roving intelligence agent, like those whom numerous Jews of the time would have known and disliked from the king of Persia's complex system of secret police and intelligence officers. These agents roamed the realm looking for signs of infidelity amongst the people. God boasts to Satan concerning one of his most loyal subjects; Satan then challenges the Lord to put Job to the test. Job withstands the tests, and the Lord restores the affluences of Job giving him twice as much as he had before (Pagels 1995: 41, based on Job 2: 3, 42: 10). Around the time Job was written c. 550 B. C. E. , other biblical writers invoked Satan to account for sharing out within Israel. One court historian slips Satan into an account regarding the origin of census taking, which King David introduced into Israel c. 1000 B. C. E. or the point of instituting taxation, which aroused fervent and immediate opposition. Aim on condemning David's action without condemning the king openly, the author of 1 Chronicles suggests that a supernatural adversary within the divine court had managed to penetrate the royal house and led the king himself into sin: â€Å"Satan stood up against Israel and incited David to number the people† ( Pagels 1995: 42-43, based on 1 Chron. 21:1) . Most societies have a variety of demons, spirits, or gods, which are morally ambivalent that is to say, the gods can be kind or unkind to humankind. One might argue that this amoral or dimoral polytheism fits the human experience of the universe well: we see things happening mysteriously, without reason, for good or ill, and call it fate, chance, or an â€Å"act of God. † Few religions have one figure particularly symbolizing evil, although Buddha's tempter Mara comes close. No religion has a single individual personifying evil except those of the Jewish-Christian-Muslim (and â€Å"Zoroastrian†) tradition, which have Satan or the Devil. The problem of evil faces every worldview, but none so expressively as great monotheistic religions. Theologically the problem is just stated. God is all-powerful and all-good. But an all-powerful, all-good God would not permit evil in the cosmos he creates. Therefore evil cannot exist. But we view that evil exists. We are therefore forced to refuse the existence of God (at least as great monotheistic religions define it) or meet the criteria of our definition. If we choose the latter, we can save God's pure goodness by restraining his omnipotence, or else save his power by qualifying his goodness. This is a sharp theological choice; few theologians choose to face it that overtly. To avoid this choice, a variety of strategies have been working over the millennia. One solution, however unacceptable philosophically, is to resort to the notion of a spiritual power aggressive to God, such as Satan. The Old Testament has comparatively few references to Satan as a personality. Most Hebrew thought before the second century B. C. E. established destruction and suffering as originating in God's inscrutable will. But some Old Testament passages lent themselves to an interpretation that unexplained spiritual powers, subordinate to a God, often did disparaging things. In some passages — most radically in the Book of Job — this power is portrayed as having a self-governing, malevolent existence. The idea of the Devil, very fuzzy in the Old Testament, becomes clear and pointed in the era from the second century B. C. E. to the second century C. E. One reason is the power of Iranian dualism. The ancient Iranian religion of Mazdaism (sometimes called Zoroastrianism) had its origins in the teachings of Zarathushtra, a prophet whose dates are unknown. It is a dualist religion, elucidating evil by positing a frequent cosmic warfare between the God of Light and the God of Darkness. Mazdaism had some influence in Babylonia, where Hebrew in Exile was liberated by Iranian Shah Cyrus. A propensity toward dualism seems also to have grown indigenously amongst Jews, as they developed a darker view of the world throughout the times they were invaded, enslaved, and persecuted by a diversity of conquerors — Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and finally Romans. The Jews reacted to this anguish partly by blaming it on their own sins (a stance of the great prophets), but partially by blaming exterior forces. The Devil or his deputies were the influential spirits backing evil Gentiles against the Chosen People. Some Jewish sects, such as the Essenes, conceived (like the Mazdaists) of a vast extraterrestrial warfare between the Lord of Light and the Prince of Darkness, a warfare in which each nation and each person was called to stand on one side or the other. For Jewish apocalyptic, the cosmic struggle was coming to its end; there would be one last, vast war between sons of dusk and sons of light, and then the good God would triumph everlastingly. In the context of this profoundly dualistic Jewish thought, Christianity came into being. Ideas similar to those of apocalyptic writers emerge in the Christian Gospels, notably the Gospel of John, with its images of light against darkness, in miracle stories of Jesus' capability to cast out and defeat demons and their leader the Devil, and in the Book of Revelation (The Apocalypse). However, after the obliteration of Jerusalem by Romans in 70 C. E. , and the diaspora of the Jews, Pharisees were left as the surviving leading Jewish group. Their custom downplayed Satan's power so much that he infrequently appears in works of the rabbis, though he does retain a presence in Jewish folklore. Although Judaism downplayed Satan's power, Messianic trends that faded in Judaism after 70 C. E. remained strong in Christianity. For Christianity, Jesus was the Messiah. In Christian thought, God is good. Opposed by the Devil, he sends Jesus his Messiah to obliterate the Devil's power. Unlike many Jewish sects, such as the Zealots, Christians supposed that the Messiah was not a military victory over Satan and gentile nations, but to a certain extent the Suffering Servant, who took upon himself all sins of the people and, in dying for them, broke Satan's power. Almost all early Christian writers granted Satan great power all through the cosmos and also in the life of each human. Christ and Satan vie for each soul, and each person should choose between them. Like Judaism, Christianity is a monotheistic religion. But by using the Devil to explicate the existence of evil, some early Christian groups, such as Gnostic sects of the first two centuries C. E. , pulled powerfully in the way of dualism. For them, Satan was an anti-God of enormous power. This power was to be fought, banished, and struggled against. But as it was so vast, Satan's power could also be influenced, harnessed to one's own will, even, in extreme cases, worshipped. There was no planned Satanism in early Christianity, but some Gnostic sects seem to have verged on it by working orgiastic rites. In the l5th-century, French baron and onetime marshal of France, Gilles de Rais, was found to have affianced in numerous mortal and sadistic acts, some of which were alleged to be associated with strange rituals in which he was assisted by Francesco Prelatti, a Florentine priest and occultist. Gilles de Rais was noted to be a man whose temperament and personality seemed to be extremely erratic at different times. Sometimes noted for his kindness, he was notable for his bravery in his military assistance of Joan of Arc. However, there was a great deal of dependable testimony provided by witnesses as well as material substantiation pointing to his guilt. According to Francis King, Satanism was adequately prevalent in 16th- and l7th-century France that its presence was noted by the police: It is difficult to know how widespread such Satanist activities were among the nonmonastic clergy of the middle Ages, but they seem to have become common in the 16th and17th centuries. Exactly how common, no one knows, but if the rest of Catholic Europe was anything like the ecclesiastical underworld of Paris at that time, then they were very common indeed. For in France Satanism had attained the status of big business, its practitioners forming a kind of occult Mafia, a noisome octopus with tentacles which reached into almost every segment of Parisian society and which was uncovered by Nicolas de la Reynie, the Police Commissioner of Paris. (Francis King, 1989b, pp. 219 – 220) The books of Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey (1969) were actually strongly influenced by this â€Å"occult tradition. † (LaVey also popularized the â€Å"satanic pentagram,† the five-pointed star with one point downward and the head of a goat overlaid. There is a temptation to dismiss antisatanists' claims as illusive; as sociologist Marcello Truzzi says, â€Å"Satanists are better scapegoats than Jews, because they don't exist (in Lyons, 1988:179). Though the vast conspiracy criticized by the antisatanist campaign may be exaggerated, Satanists do exist; there are members of controlled Satanist churches in our society. These Satanist groups are significant to the antisatanist movement: they provide a â€Å"kernel of truth† that antisatanists can expose. Groups such as Anton LaVey's Church of Satan â€Å"prove† that the satanic threat exists. The Church of Satan is not large; estimates range from 2000 to 5000 active members (Melton 1986:77; Lyons 1988:115). Still, the publicity showered on LaVey since he established his San Francisco church in 1966 has made him and his group a part of American popular culture. Almost everyone knows about LaVey's church, even though it is quite small. What the Church lacks in size it has made up for in attention paid to it as well as its activities. Anton LaVey, a bright character with a flair for the dramatic, gained substantial publicity by performing satanic weddings of famous people, satanic baptisms of children, and satanic last rights for a sailor member who died — all intentionally staged as media events. LaVey sought celebrities as members, and for a time claimed such stars as Sammy Davis, Jr. and Jayne Mansfield as dynamic participants, gaining national attention as a result (Lyons 1988). There is substantial debate about what the Church of Satan stands for, and what its members believe. Some analysts treat the Church as a spoof, intentionally designed to upset Christians. Others take it more critically, and look to LaVey's writings, such as his The Satanic Bible (LaVey 1969), to understand his philosophy. The church actively rejects spirituality and mysticism of any sort; it espouses an exclusive, materialist, and essentially atheistic philosophy. â€Å"Satan constitutes a worship of one's own ego†¦. In its major features, the Church of Satan takes a position of Extreme Machiavellianism and cynical-realism on the way to the nature of man†¦. Its major feature†¦ is its emphasis upon the significance of myth and magic and upon their collision in a world of people who can still be influenced through such beliefs and emotions. This Satanist then is the ultimate pragmatist†. (Truzzi 1974:220) Moody ( 1974) discusses the Church of Satan's redefinition of Christianity's seven fatal sins — greed, pride, envy, anger, greed, lust, and sloth — as virtues within satanic religion. Melton (1988:145) describes satanic churches' relationship to Christianity: Satanism is rationally subsequent to Christianity and draws on it in representing an overthrow of the Christian deity approving of his adversary. It stands in polemical relation to Christianity and†¦ Uses Christian elements, which are changed and given new meaning. Although LaVey's Church of Satan is the most observable satanic church, others exist. The Temple of Set, a small off-shoot group planned by Michael Aquino, a former disciple of LaVey, has attracted attention (Melton 1989:805; Lyons 1988:125). The small size of these organized satanic groups is less significant than the cultural meaning attached to them. As a radical rejection of Christian culture, they are representatively significant. Their very presence has put in to the concern about Satanism in America. Satan stories were connected to practical and political issues. As Russell (1977: 222) properly maintains, the figure of Satan in the New Testament is understandable only while it is seen as the counterpart or counter principle of Christ; accordingly, Russell adds, â€Å"the New Testament teaches that the Kingdom of God is at war with the Kingdom of the Devil†. Furthermore, Pagels documents, the vision of enormous struggle were developed by sectarian groups like the Essenes as they struggled against the forces they saw ranged against them. The dualistic cosmology was traited as split society, where sons of light, allied with the angels, and sons of darkness, in league with the control of evil, were in violent conflict. Pagels further retains that followers of Jesus adopted the same prototype in their campaigns. According to Pagels, Mark tells the story of Jesus as the disagreement between God's spirit and the power of Satan. Mark underlines that Jesus encountered this opposition not simply from evil spirit but from evil people as well. Mark's Satan is not an antagonistic power assailing Israel from outside the community but the source and symbol of conflict within the community (Pagels 1995: 12, 17, 34, 38; based on Mark 3: 23-27, 16: 5-7). Satan is described as the embodiment of pure evil. Such a Satanic theology would feature goodness to the Judeo-Christian God, but Satanists worship Satan as perceived to be more powerful or because the cultist might view himself or herself as being past redemption by a benign deity. In this system of thinking, goodness itself is typified as a weak, ineffective, and futile goal. Spence describes a similar dichotomy in views of Satanism and Luciferianism although he defines his terms slightly differently: Concerning the cults of Lucifer, much discrimination is required in dealing with this aspect, the bulk of the literature on the subject being manifestly imaginative and often willfully misleading. The members of the church of Lucifer are of two groups, those who regard the deity they adore as the evil principle, thus approximating to the standpoint of the Satanists, and those who look upon him as the true god in opposition to Adonai or Jehovah, whom they regard as an evil deity who has, with fiendish ingenuity, miscreated the world of man to the detriment of humanity. . (http://www. satanservice. org/propaganda/acad. 80sa. txt ) Though, in contemporary world, satanic symbols and themes are observable and popular features of music, literature, and movies. Increasing numbers of reported survivors are coming forward to assert they are victims of such cults. Are these reports just rumors or fantasies, or are people being harmed by ritual abuse? Unless we seriously consider these reports, we will never know for certain.