Indian Psychology Essay

The term Indian Psychology refers to the Psychologically relevant materials in ancient Indian thought. Usually this term does not cover modern developments in Psychology in India. Modern Psychology at the beginning of the century emphasized sensation, perception and psychologists in India took out Indian theories of sensation and perception from the classics and created an Indian Psychology. For example Indian theories emphasise the notion that in perception the mind goes out through the senses and assumes the shape of the objects. In 1934, Jadunath Sinha wrote a book on Indian theories of perception. As soon as Western Psychologists started studying cognition, Indian Psychologists started looking for Indian theories of cognition. In 1958, Jadunath Sinha wrote a book on Cognition. Later on modern Psychology started emphasising emotions, and in 1981, Jadunath Sinha wrote a book on Emotions and the Will. The major part of ancient Indian scriptures (Hindu, Buddhist and Jain) emphasise self-realization, samadhi or nirvana. After 1960 Humanistic Psychology emerged and Psychologists became interested in paranormal dimensions of growth. Maslow’s theory of self-actualization and transcendental self-actualization established the link to the major part of ancient Indian theories and methods and almost the whole of ancient Indian writings became psychologically relevant. Psychology of Consciousness, Parapsychology, Psychology of Mysticism, Psychology of Religion and Transpersonal Psychology borrow extensively from Indian writings. The terms Oriental Psychology, Buddhist Psychology, Yoga Psychology , Jain Psychology, etc. are frequently found in modern psychological literature now. Many book lists in Psychology now include books on Yoga, Buddhism and Zen. There seems to be a paradigm shift in Western Psychology, a shift from the notion of mental disease and healing to personal growth, the reference point shifting from the statistical average or â€Å"normal† to the ideal or upper limits of man’s potentiality. The rudiments of the theory of consciousness can be traced back to the Indus valley civilization (6000 to 1500 B.C.). Artifacts of a man sitting in Padmasana have been obtained in excavations. The Swasthika symbol was used in Indus valley script. Buddhist thought and methods (6th century B.C.) are in line with the objective spirit of modern science and the law of parsimony of science and Buddhism can be easily incorporated into a scientific framework. The Psychological relevance of the four noble truths and eight-fold path and Sunya vada of Buddhism and Buddhist techniques of meditation are of considerable relevance in modern Psychology. Similarly Jain scriptures also are found to be relevant to Psychology in more than one way. The Vedas date from about 1500 B.C. However, Upanishads (appendices to the Vedas, which date from 600 B.C.) which describe the Vedanta philosophy and provide the theoretical foundation of Jnana Yoga are of more direct relevance to Psychology. The Bhagavat Gita gives a quintessence of Indian way of life and philosophy and it describes the four yogas, Karma, Bhakthi, Raja and Jnana. Several books have come on the psychological relevance of Gita. Maslow’s theory of Meta-motivation is very similar to the concept of Nishkama karma outlined in the Gita. Patanjali’s Ashtanga Yoga is a very systematic presentation of Raja yoga. Both Bhagavat Gita and Ashtanga Yoga are supposed to have been written around the turn of B.C. to A.D. Sankara’s writings (8th century A.D.) on the different yogas as well as his Advaita philosophy are considered as classics in the area and are of great value to the Psychology of consciousness as well as personal growth. Modern interest in relaxation can be traced to studies on Savasana. Rising popularity of meditation practice links Psychology to Oriental religious practices and philosophy. Indian literature on aspects of consciousness is vast, considering the classics and their commentaries. Mental states have been analyzed, classified and differentiated in detail. Similarly paranormal powers (siddhis) have been classified in detail. The process of personal growth and obstacles to growth have been examined thoroughly. There is a great deal of maturity resulting from long experience in these areas reflected in the writings. Indian theories of linguistics, social behavior, crime, etc. are all based on the holistic approach and the broad-based intuitive understanding of behavior in contradistinction to Western theories which are piece-meal, analytic and situation specific. The increasing importance given to the holistic approach and need for synthesis makes it possible to integrate modern Western Psychology with ancient Indian thoughts as well as methods. The psychosomatic relationship was well known and salient in ancient times. The very first invocatory stanza of Ashtangahridaya (the main text in Ayurveda, written in 4th century A.D.) describes how emotions like desires lead to both physical and mental diseases. Many attempts are being made to integrate ancient Indian Psychology with modern Western Psychology. More than 40 books have appeared in the field of Indian Psychology. There is a journal of Indian Psychology published from Andhra University which has an Institute of Yoga and Consciousness. At least five persons have developed personality inventories based on the Triguna theory (Satwa, Rajas and Tamas) of Kapila (Sankhya philosophy, 6th century B.C.)

Differentiating Between Market Structures

Public goods are goods from which the whole community can take benefit without the need of purchasing them. Private goods on contrast are ones from which the public can only take benefit by purchasing them. And it holds no external benefit for others. Public goods are more to do with government actions, while markets can efficiently allocate private goods. Ten loaves of bread can be divided in many ways but others cannot take benefit of the loaf I eat. I pay for it and thus only I can benefit from it as it’s a private good.On the other hand national defense once provided, affects everyone equally. Nothing would change the amount of national security being provided. It’s the same for all (Blurt it, 2009). Common resources are goods that are rival but not excludable. This means that the fishes in the ocean for example are rivalries because when a person catches the fish, there are fewer fish for the next person to catch whereas they aren’t excludable because it is difficult to stop people from fishing. Public goods and common resources are both available to all.Natural monopoly exists as a result of high fixed costs operating in an industry. It’s a situation where for technical reasons there cannot be more than one provider of a good. Public utilities are usually considered to be natural monopolies. Basically, private goods are those that are excludable and rival both. Public goods are which are neither excludable nor rival. Common resources are rival but not excludable and lastly the natural monopolies consist of goods that are excludable but not rival.The demand and supply of labor are determined in labor market. The participants in the labor market are workers. Workers supply labor to firm in exchange for wages. Firms demand labor from workers in exchange for wages. The labor demand is the amount of labor a firm is willing to employ at a given point in time. This type of demand may not necessarily be in long-run equilibrium and is d etermined by the real wage, this labor is paid willingly by the firms and the amount of labor the workers are willing to supply at that wage.The labor supply in a market is the number of workforce available or the human resources in a particular labor market. The supply of labor is the number of hours the workers work at a given real wage rate. An increased wage rate increases the number of income earned and increase the opportunity costs (Cliff Notes, n. d. ). Supply and demand curves shift and intersect. Where they meet is current labor equilibrium. The labor equilibrium is where the demand for labor and the supply of labor are equal. Labor demand curve shifts with changes in booms, recessions, and productivity etc.Supply curve shifts with things such as increase in working population, decrease in non-work benefit etc. An increase in labor demand results in an increase in both the equilibrium wage and the equilibrium level of employment. A reduction in it results in a decrease in both the equilibrium wage and the equilibrium level of employment. An increase in labor supply whereas results in a lower equilibrium wage, but an increased equilibrium level of employment. Conversely, a reduction in labor supply results in a higher equilibrium wage but a lower equilibrium level of employment. Differentiating Between Market Structures Kudler Fine Foods is an organization that offers gourmet foods and wines to the San Diego Metropolitan area. The organization currently has three locations (La Jolla, Del Mar, and Encinitas). Kudler Fine Foods stocks its fresh bakery, fresh produce, fresh meats and seafood, condiments and packaged foods, and cheeses and specialty dairy departments with local and imported goods. Kudler Fine Foods’ motto is Shopping the World for the Finest Foods and its mission statement is Kudler Fine Foods is committed to providing our customers with the finest selection of the very best foods and wines so that your culinary visions can come true.Both Kudler’s motto and mission statement speak to the organizations passion of wanting to provide only the very best to their customers. In reviewing Kudler Fine Foods’ information, the organization appears to be competing quite well in the marketplace. The financials portion of Kudler’s strategic plan show the organization stay ing on the positive side of the profit margin despite only four months out of the year of above average sales. Also noted in the strategic plan are every store that in some way are similar to Kudler Fine Foods. These stores are more focused on supplying their customers with one or two services.Because Kudler Fine Foods carries a larger variety of items, these stores only pose a small threat, if any, to Kudler Fine Foods. Kudler Fine Foods does plan to close one of their current locations and open a store in another location but this is not because of competition, rather a smaller customer base. Kudler Fine Foods’ marketing overview shows an aggressive plan on how the organization will change certain aspects in different areas of the company. There is plan for a new frequent shopper program, which is nontraditional in a sense and will give customers rewards instead of discounted prices.Ideas on how to expand the organizations services to for its customers increase revenue as w ell as how to increase efficiency and cut costs for the company are also mentioned. The expansion of services will include offering parties in the store to teach the consumer on how to prepare properly gourmet dishes using items sold at the store locations. These sessions will be conducted be celebrity chef, food experts, and others. Merchandise selection and pricing is also addressed in the marketing overview.Providing total customer satisfaction by way of constantly introducing new food items is the focus on how to accomplish this task. The marketing surveys for Kudler Fine Foods shows an average of about 71% of customers shopping at the Kudler Fine Foods to be satisfied all around. However, the customer satisfaction rate did drop by 1. 02% from 2011 to 2012. Although a one percent drop in customer satisfaction is not largely significant, if the issues in which the drop is associated with are not addressed, Kudler Fine Foods can expect a bigger drop every year as customer find new er stores to shop at.Looking more closely at the surveys, they focused on the stores hours, atmosphere and decor, selection of products, whether the merchandise was a good value for the money, attractiveness on how the merchandise is displayed, satisfaction with the purchased merchandise, if the customer service representatives were courteous and knowledgeable, and the customers over-all satisfaction with the store. Although most of the areas the surveys touched on showed a customer satisfaction rate of 70% or more, there were a few areas that were at a satisfaction rate in the 60% range.However, the survey results do show one area in which the customers were more dissatisfied than satisfied in both 2011 and 2012. This area was whether the merchandise sold was a good value for the money. In 2011, 58. 22% of customers were dissatisfied in this area. That number went up to 58. 83% in 2012. Although not a large increase in percentage, this still does reflect the dissatisfaction rate in this area is climbing every year. Kudler Fine Foods organization appears to fall under the monopolistic competition market structure.First, in the strategic plan it states â€Å"Kathy Kudler is the vision behind the organization. She intends to grow and expand the business for 10 – 15 years, at which time she will reach retirement age. Her intent is to sell the entire organization at that time and no longer be involved in the operation†. This signifies that there is an easy entry and exit in this type of market, which is a feature of a monopolistic competition market structure. Second, in the Competitive Analysis section of the strategic plan it lists multiple stores in the same area as the Kudler Fine Foods location are and sell similar products.However, since the products being sold at these other stores are not exactly equal in brand and quality as what Kudler Fine Foods offers, this also points to the organization as being a monopolistic competition market structu re. Although Kudler Fine Foods is defined as a monopolistic competition type market structure, it does not fully fall under the same set of rules that a full monopoly type organization has. For instance, Kudler Fine Foods can set prices for the products it sells because its competition only offers similar products rather than exact product.However, if Kudler Fine Foods sets its prices too high, its customers have the option to shop for similar products elsewhere where the price is more to their liking. Kudler Fine Foods must find the precise price where it can maximize profits but not run their supply to low where the run the risk of not being able to meet the customers’ demands. Once Kudler Fine Foods finds the correct equilibrium price, it can expect to see long-term profits. Some recommendations of competitive strategies for Kudler Fine Foods would be to continue to offer new products to their customers on a regular basis.Offering new products that competitors do not offer will ensure that Kudler Fine Foods controls that portion of the market. Another recommendation for Kudler Fine Foods would be to investigate and determine why eight months out of the year their profits are lower than the other four months. After concluding why this is, Kudler Fine Foods should proceed with a more aggressive ad campaign, initiate special product pricing, and any other strategies to increase their profits in these low performing months.A company comparable to Kudler Fine Foods would be Williams-Sonoma. With 252 locations that span 45 states, four provinces, and two countries, the Williams-Sonoma organization is enormously larger than Kudler Fine Foods, but offers the same type of products. These products range from organic and gourmet foods and wines and high quality and high priced utensils, cookware, bakeware, and many other items needed to produce a gourmet meal.

Conclusion on Smartphone Essay

As the conclusion, the university students nowadays prefer to improve their vocabulary skill through smartphones rather than other devices especially in this era. This because through the smartphones they can easily download application such as dictionary besides can work the vocxabulary lesson through offline or outside the class. At the same time, these can make students’ life more flexible to improve their vocabulary at anywhere and anytime they want it without sticking at one place to learn it. According to Sarmiento (2002), the excited students said mobile device helped them to learn math and science better. It is proven, as we can see, students get more interested to learn any subject through their mobile devices rather than going to class or get it from books. Therefore, we hope the government will allow the students to bring the mobile devices to schoolto give them opportunities to experiments and discover the mobile technologies. However, the school has to impose some rules so that the students will not misused the device in wrong way. Firstly, the advantage of using smartphones in vocabulary skills among university students is students can download English language materials through their smartphones. These can be divided in two methods which is the first one is by downloading a dictionary which can help improving students’ vocabulary. According to Song and Fox (2008), in today’s technoly era, more students prefer to bring a downloaded handheld electronic dictionary or a mobile device rather than bringing along a thick dictionary to class or places of study. This true as we can see, many students use their smartphones to download dictionary to enrich their vocabulary for them to learn the pronounciation of unfimiliar words even it is outside of the class. Furthermore, it also provides opportunities for them to solve vocabulary problems during their lecture. For example, when the students look up for a new word or expression from hard copy handouts by the lecturer, most of them prefer to use their dictionary in their smartphones to search for the meaning of the word rather than searching in the thick dictionary which is heavy. The next method, is by using internet access to download dictionary for supporting education. Sophisticated mobile devices have been upgraded upgraded and used to support education through personal and social enrichment (Roschelle,Sharples&Chan, 2005).

Markets, marketing and strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Markets, marketing and strategy - Essay Example A PEST analysis is an analysis of the external macro-environment that affects all firms. P.E.S.T. is an acronym for the Political, Economic, Social and Technological factors of the external macro-environment. Such external factors usually are beyond the firm’s control and sometimes present themselves as threats. Speaking about the political factors of the merger to take place, the principal ones to consider are trade regulations and tariffs, as BHI performs business in the three different locations all over the world, as well as such merger may be taken as the striving of both company for creating a monopoly. Taxation should also be taken into account; however, as BHI itself used to successfully run all three businesses, and the European Commission has approved on the merger, these factors are not threats here, though should be kept under control. Economic factors are also present here, as the merger presupposes intervention into business in other countries; however, as far as the businesses perform successfully, there is no threat of getting into worse infrastructure quality or facing difficulties with employment; Reckitt Benckniser has to closely consider the skill level of workforce, especially in business unit operated by BHI in Thailand, which may appear an opportunity for quality improvements. Social and technological factors here don’t represent any significance, as the businesses have been performing for a certain period of time and have both acquired stable position on the market.

Texas Lottery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Texas Lottery - Essay Example Thesis: It is right for Texas law to restricts the lottery commission from introducing new forms of gambling. Texas Lottery runs by the Texas government thus it is often criticized as a typical gambling which has a negative impact on the society. In 1991, the legislation to create a state lottery was introduced and Texas population approved the Lottery. Since that time, the Texas Lottery communion has introduced a lot of new forms of gambling including Mega Millions, Looto Texas, Daily 4 (The Texas Lottery 2008). The goals of the Texas laws are to restrict gambling in the state and protect citizens from "exploitation" by the Lottery commission. Also, Texas laws regulate the gambling industry and stipulate strict norms and principles for the Lottery. The advisability of legalizing the Lottery in order to generate revenue for the state must be assessed in terms of the equity of gambling as a tax source, i.e. the regressivity of taxes, and the efficiency of raising revenue through gambling taxes, i.e. the cost-effectiveness of the Lottery legalization (Dee 2004). Thus, current laws do not accomplish their goals and permits emergence of new forms of Lottery and gambling. Daily 4. is an example of this process. The right thing is that the Texas laws legalize the Lottery and reduce illegal gambling in Texas (Sandberg 2008).

Television in modern society has more negative effects than positive Outline

Television in modern society has more negative effects than positive effects. Discuss - Outline Example promoting truthfulness and as a source of highlighting societal issues and problems but with the passage of time, it evolved into the form of a central piece of global politics. Nobody is really concerned about the reality and everybody is casting his or her votes on the basis of a whim. The whim that is created in public by media (Jansen, Zhang, Sobel, & Chowdury, 2009) and the so-called social workers are promoting their meaningless activities as beneficial acts for the society. The media and television has recently transformed into a curse rather than a blessing in the current point in time (Kietzmann, Hermkens, & McCarthy, 2011). The audience has to realize the fact that media is indeed promoting violence, untruthfulness and even sexism in the youngsters in order to get higher ratings. Based on the above argument, it can be established that parents must intervene in the lives of their children on a deep level so that the damage that is done by media can be controlled and managed accordingly. Jansen, B., Zhang, M., Sobel, K., & Chowdury, A. 2009. Twitter power: Tweets as electronic word of mouth. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology Vol 60 No. 1,

Badedas Case Study Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Badedas Case Study - Term Paper Example Manetti and Roberts has held to the market lead despite its share declining slightly over the period. The major gains in market share have been taken by Uniliver’s Dove products with its overall market share rising steadily over the period. This implies that Badedas’s market has been lost to the competition from Unilever’s product. Market position in shower category Market value shares in shower category Badedas is has been the leading brand in the shower category of body care products in the entire period of the research. However, the market share has dropped marginally over the period to stand at 12.9% from 13.7%. The market share of the closest competitor, Colgate Palmolive, dropped marginally over the period. The biggest gainer in the shower category was BDF Nivea which gained a formidable 2.5% over the period under consideration. Market share in the bath category Badedas was the lowest performer among the top four brands in this category. The market shares f or Badedas in this category reduced steadily to stand at 2.6% from a high of 3.6%. Badedas was far behind the market leader at the end of the period by almost 7%. Also, Badedas’s products in this category were far behind even in comparison to the closest competitor in terms of market share. ... This trend is not satisfying since it implies that Badedas may eventually be ousted from the top four brands in the body care products market. Hence, it is imperative that Sara Lee should lay down strategies to ensure that they reverse the downward trend and extend their market leadership in the shower products category. Most convenient positioning of the brand The Badedas brand should be positioned as a premier practical product for showers among the adult demographic. This is informed by the analysis of the cluster composition of the market needs in the body care products. Essentially, the competence of the product as assessed against the cluster composition of needs of the market give a clear pointer of the best marketing positioning of Badedas. According to the research, the Badedas product has the best score in cluster five which highlights the elements of recognizability and sensations. The product had high ratings in terms of being masculine and dynamic. This implies that the product can easily appeal to the young people who are active and full of energy. The product is also highly suitable for people who are interested in aesthetics and fashion elegance. This again points towards the young people as the best target for the product. The youth are interested the attractiveness of the packaging and the illusion of class in a product. Also, the product gives nice sensations with its long lasting perfume and its modern packaging. The Badedas product also has the element of freshness. This fresh appeal coupled with its practical and concrete nature makes the product a logical purchase for the youth. The package is trendy and gives an idea of luxuriousness. These elements are very attractive to the youth. According to the research, the youth form the largest

Legal Aspects Of Business Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Legal Aspects Of Business - Case Study Example He should always comply with the deadline. Failure to do so makes all his efforts fruitless. So though he delivered the product it was of no value to the customer as he had run out of time and had made other arrangements. In the case provided it's not mentioned that the contract between Alf and the customer was written or not. If the contract is written then legal action can be taken against Alf. Since verbally the customer has mentioned that he cannot work other than the stipulated time, he has all rights to take action against Alf. The written agreement between both the parties with a clear mention of the time makes Alf's case weaker. However if the customer does not have a copy of the written agreement between him and Alf then his case becomes weaker. Also if somewhere in the contract if it's mentioned that the shopkeeper is in no way responsible for any delays in delivery then too, the customer can not take any action against Alf. So though verbally Alf and the customer know about their agreement, if the customer has a written document then Alf's action can be proved a legal offence. So for the sake of law it is advisable that Alf does not impose the contract forcefully on the customer. In the second case the customer was unable to work with an ... After inspecting the gravity of the defect, the seller should replace the product, repair the fault or in extreme circumstances even refund the money if the customer is not ready for either replacement or repair. But he cannot say 'no' to the customer. Hence legally the customer can take action against Alf for not complying with the guidelines of selling electronic gadgets. In such circumstances it is advisable for Alf to refund, as he himself will not have to suffer any losses because the sellers have back-to-back service and maintenance contract with manufacturers. According to Kolah if the customer claims that the purchased product is not working properly then "Such a claim will require the interpretation of the defendant's obligations under the terms of the contract. This is because there may be express terms of an agreement the claimant and defendant concerning the purpose and standard of the product." (2002, p. 52) If it's not this, then to ensure that the product is fit for th e purpose made known to the seller, in the contract terms, the law implies that the product is of good quality and is appropriate for the buyer. In the third case too, Alf has the similar legal bindings as in the second case. Alf assured the customer at the time of sale that the saw he is selling is meant to cut anything, even steel bars. Since the saw broke down on the first day of its use, the case of misrepresentation of facts by the seller can be charged on Alf. He is liable for refund or replacement and if he is not willing to do so then the customer has all rights to drag him to court. If the seller is making a statement to the potential buyer, like in this case, according to Kolah

How Does Music Function As A Social Commentary Research Paper

How Does Music Function As A Social Commentary - Research Paper Example American cultural history, ethnic studies, folklore, and even musicology have increasingly placed music in American social and cultural context. American culture describes how race and ethnicity, gender, and class have influenced the performance and production of music. It has illuminated issues as diverse as ethnic and regional identity, the degree of agency among artists, and Cold War politics. Despite some shortcomings in its application, such music continues to offer Americans much material regarding the many connections between music and American culture. On the one hand, the ruling elites use music to communicate their political values to the general population and to legitimize their rule. In this sense, music is used to encourage politically acceptable behavior. At the same time, music is also a medium for encouraging certain modes of socially acceptable behavior. On the other hand, music is used by people in structurally subordinate positions to comment on social problems; t o express their dissatisfaction with the state of society and resistance to hegemony and the ruling order. Music as a cultural form is thus appropriated for different ends by two different groups in society (Ibid, 283-285).

The main dangers of using mergers or acquisitions as a form of market Essay

The main dangers of using mergers or acquisitions as a form of market entry - Essay Example Mergers or acquisitions may be defined as an aspect of corporate finance or strategy and management that involves buying, selling and combination of various companies.The objective of combining is to finance or assist a company that is growing to grow fast without forming another business entity. The two terms have a slight difference, on one hand, acquisition may refer to a company taking over another and establishing itself as a new owner. On the other hand, merger occurs when two companies agree to operate as one new company. As suggested by Turner and Johnson (2010), in both cases, that is merger and acquisition the outcome is that one company swallows another and operates as one. For instance in 1999, Glaxo Wellcome merged with SmithKline Beecham creating GlaxoSmithKline as a new company. Practically, equal mergers do not often happen, in most cases a company purchases another and allows it claim that it was equal merger, despite the fact of it being technically acquisition. How ever merges or acquisitions are said to have several risks when used as the entry to the market. Mergers and acquisitions have the tendency of destroying continuity of leadership in the particular company’s management. This might happen for even over a decade since the starting of the deal. Studies have shown that the targeted companies may lose about twenty percent of their executives prior the acquisition. Mergers and acquisitions in most cases create problems in the brand. ... The issue different consumer preferences may also be endangered by M&A. This occurs when upcoming company chooses to change the products. Changes may also occur in terms of price of product. One of the motives of M&A is to make the prices higher hence maximizing profits. The risk involved is that the consumer may change their attitude and fall to consume the products. This in turn endangers the growth of the company. The resulting company is faced with the risk of operation after the transaction as suggested by Segal-Horn and Faulkner (2010). For instance the personnel management may become slow because it is either new employees are incorporated or the existing ones become overloaded. The personnel department usually takes long to adapt to the changes thus proofing a slow growth in the progress of the new business. The effect on personnel therefore makes market entry not to be effective. The management of information and risks is also dangerous factor in M&A. The previous ways of tr ansferring information may seem difficulty as a result of new workers or overload. The resulting company may become exposed to many risks due to the merger whilst the method of managing them may take long to devise. The cost of risk management may also be high at the time of market entry. This is dangerous because at this time the company is still trying to cope with the current situation. According to Deresky (2003), cultural differences and barriers proof to be dangerous to M&A in market entry. For instance, the lack of knowledge about the resulting market may be a danger to the resulting company or firm. The market may respond negatively to the merger thus result to poor sales. This will cost a lot to the new company as one of the merger

Software to support assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Software to support assessment - Essay Example I would also have the ability to look at the students’ quiz and test scores, as well as time spent in answering individual questions and how much time was spent in finishing the test. Results from the assessment would aid me in the identification of the areas that students did not comprehend satisfactorily. Following the analysis of the results, it is easy to reconstruct the methods of teaching that would allow me, as an educator, to teach lessons in a way that the students can comprehend (Russell 1). Formative assessment is embedded, typically, within the process of instruction. A simple way of defining formative assessment is that it is used during instructions. It can be utilized to determine the topics or needs that require addressing with a student. It can be used to identify gaps in what has been learnt and the reason they are struggling (Hickey 1). It includes homework, tests, and interaction with the students. For instance, discussions can include allowing children to put down questions and answers before learning topics. One very valuable component of this assessment process is descriptive feedback where, using technology, the teacher can point out the areas the student did well in, as well as offering suggestions for specific improvement. Summative assessment, on the other hand, is given to students following specific instruction points to measure how they understand a subject. Various examples include final and midterm exams, interim or districts tests, standardized state exams, and high stakes exams (Hickey 1). They can be utilized for checking subject mastery after a few months or weeks. Technology can be used send questions to parents to conduct summative assessment using provided questions. Use of technology to assess student learning has various advantages. First, it can improve authenticity, as well as alignment with outcomes of learning. TEA can take many forms and the flexibility of design allows for the assessment of a wide array of c ompetencies and skills. It also provides the educator with opportunities to replicate tasks expected of students in a workplace in an environment that is risk free (Penuel & Yarnall 1). Secondly, it also helps in the clarification of marking criteria. Virtual learning environments allow the educator to present criteria for assessment in the module, which ensures the criteria, is accessible and transparent. Thirdly, it spreads, for students and staff, the assessment load. TEA eases resource re-use and repurposing while enabling automatic marking that reduces the workload. Finally, it improves engagement with students, as well as the promotion of deeper learning. Technology used in assessment-enhancement enables diverse methods to be used in improving grades, allow frequent formative assessment, and support active learning (Penuel & Yarnall 1). However, TEA use has a number of disadvantages. One major issue in the implementation has to do with cost in terms of effort, time, and money that should be weighed against pedagogic benefits (Penuel & Yarnall 1). There are also issues with accessibility as most staff and students’ digital literacy is not on a level playing field, making some uncomfortable in using TEA. Special students’

Needs Assessment Essay Example for Free

Needs Assessment Essay Students desire more than paper and pencil lessons. According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), â€Å"Technology is driving change in the content of mathematics programs, in methods for mathematics instruction, and in the ways that mathematics is learned and assessed† (as cited in Van de Walle, 2004, p. 103). In this study, I want to investigate whether any differences occur in the overall effectiveness of student learning of fraction lessons when the information is presented using different types of visual media, in this case, computer versus overhead. The purpose of this study is to describe the impact of presenting fraction math lessons using computer based instruction versus overhead projection presentations. Eighth-grade math students will feel more engaged while receiving computer-based instruction versus eighth-grade students who receive overhead projection instruction. The participants are 12 math students at a Middle School. All of the students have basic computer skills. The twelve students are all eighth graders but their scores vary on the math section of the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) standardized test. However, the test scores in class show that students struggle with fraction problems. Twelve students will be randomly divided into groups; one group of six students will have computer-based instructions on solving problems involving fractions and percentages, compounded percentages and multiple discounts and the other group of six students will have lecture based instruction using the overhead and paper worksheets. â€Å"The logic of needs assessment can be summarized as a simple equation: desired status – actual status = need† (Dick, Carey, Carey, 2005). Currently, the desired status is for the math students to score 80% on in-class fraction test. The actual status is that students are scoring between 69 – 70 %. The need is to improve the scores about ten points. Students become bored taking notes and looking at the overhead information. Students using the computer are forced to be actively engaged. Using student’s interest in present day technology gives both sides an advantage in obtaining educational success. The question that still remains is does it give students an edge over paper and pencil taught lessons? A high school in Texas, San Marcos High, put the questions to the test. Teachers were initially impressed with on-line lessons. However, during the assessment phase, it was hard to determine if students were guessing the answers to the multiple choice questions or answering the questions correctly. When questioned why the school chose to use the on-line based lessons, Mr. Darnall, the math department head, states â€Å"Both of us really thought it was a way to capture the students’ attention† (Trotter, 2007). According to Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction, â€Å"in order for any learning to take place, you must first capture the attention of the student† (Kruse, n. d. ). Computer based lessons will satisfy this event. The students will be studied in their own groups. Data collection method included pre-test and posttest, interviewing, and observing students. Data will be collected in the form of daily worksheets and graded test. Also, students will completed a questionnaire about how involved they felt in each lesson. Answers from the questionnaire provided insight into the level of comfort student’s felt in using visual media to learn fractions. Students were observed during each presentation to look for a degree of understanding or misunderstanding. Triangulation is essential to cross-check information and presents an accurate view of the results. Three types of data to allow for triangulation are observing, interviewing, and examining records. These instruments were appropriate because these factors support the action of ensuring that the students have the prerequisite knowledge to begin instruction and supports informing the students what they will learn ( Dick, et al, 2005). Data will be analyzed through the use of descriptive statistics for measures of central tendency (mean, mode, median) and variability (standard deviation) (Gay, Mills, Airasian, 2006). Interviews will be analyzed by grouping similar responses into clusters that address the same issue and develop total scores across an item cluster (Gay et al, 2006). References Dick, W. , Carey, L. , Carey, J. O. (2005). The systematic design of instruction (6th ed). Allyn Bacon. Gay, L. R. , Mills, G. E. , Airasian, P.(2006). Educational research: Competencies for Analysis and applications (8th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Kruse, K. (n. d. ). Gagne’s nine events of instruction: An introduction. Retrieved February 23, 2008, from http://www. e-learningguru. com/articles/art3_3. htm Trotter, A. (May 9, 2007). School subtracts math text to add e-lessons, test. Education Week. 26(36), 10-11. Van De Walle, J. A. (2004). Elementary and middle school mathematics: Teaching Developmentally. MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Short term and long term environmental factors

Short term and long term environmental factors One of the important environment factor that effect the organization on short term and long term basis. It includes changes in government policies, changes made in law and legislation, war and conflict, government pressure in form of rise in tax, changes in government and new government wants to wave out all old plans. Economical Another factor that effect the environment is itself economy of the country which could affect on shorter term or longer term but most likely the economical effect most effect on longer period. It includes adverse movement in exchange rates, increase in taxation, lower interest rate, international economy effect, monetary issues, customer buying power, change in trend and life style of people due to poor economic conditions, like possibility of business would not generate as much as they were before this which ultimately result in reduction in human power which directly effect there buying power. Technological Technology is normally has short term effect excluding some mighty machinery which take years to build and changes take place. Technological factor includes change in technology as this is one of the major factor as we have seen in now a day communication and computer technology change rapidly as compare to others, once a new model enter in the market will definitely absolute the previous one. Other factors include changes in technological legislation, licensing and patents, intellectual property issue and global communication. Social Social is another environment factor that can affect both in short and long term to organization. Social factor include change in trends, fashion, style, organizational brand, people purchasing power, religious and ethical issues. Media play vital role these days as a mean of spreading awareness among people which can be in any sector. Major events has a short term environment affects. Importance of Environmental Factor Affecting Organization: It is obvious that any change in the environment factor can directly or in directly affects the organization operations in that particular environment. Politically if the is change in government policy or legislation that has direct effect on all organization and sectors all business have to adopt the changes take place. Technological if there has been change in technology as latest version of machinery launched every business which directly use such machinery to run there business need to update accordingly in order to survive in the competitor market otherwise competitor, take lead in business operations. Social and economy factors also has important influence on organization activities suppose, if organization is doing trade with international business partners in case of war both countries government impose restriction on the trade which affect both businesses on the other hand if economy is on downfall trend, in fact all businesses faces decline in the profit percentage as custo mers buying power has fall as a result of poor economic conditions. Expectation of Stake holders A stakeholder is any person or organization, who can be positively or negatively impacted by, or cause an impact on the actions of a company, government, or organization. Following are the stake holders of almost every business: Customers Employees Trade creditors Bank Government Shareholders Investors Local community Environment Every stakeholder has it on expectations from the company or business. Customers demand high quality but cheap price products and services. Employees has there own expectations like secure future, attractive salary plus bonuses. Trade creditors demand long credit period. Bank is interested in it financial performance and business is able pay the interest rates. Government is interested in business paying tax on time. Shareholders are interested in increase in wealth which result in business generates profits. Investors interested on return on there investment. Local community expects employment opportunities from business. Business would run its operations under environment friendly atmosphere. Changes that affect the strategy Factors that currently affect the TM Mobile house is technology change like upgraded version of computer mobile model therefore TM should have to buy new software that are currently used in mobiles and computers. Second environment factor that mostly affect TM is economic downfall which dramatically reduce the sale of TM. So under tight conditions TM has to change its strategy in order to survive under such condition. Due to poor economic condition customers are unable to pay more for the goods they bought infect they demand cheap product but good quality which result in to reduction in profit margin ratio. Government demand regular tax and council tax payment regardless business is earning profit or not. Bank demand there money back, employees feel unsecure future in TM employees are not happy as they would not receive bonus for the one and a half year. Investors consider it risky to invest in such economic condition due to fear of there investment being drowned. Task2 Business Strategies, Policies and Plans Strategic Objectives The company strategic objectives are how the company corporate objective is going to be achieved. These objectives usually split between: The strategic commercial objective The strategic financial objective The commercial objectives are in non financial term to achieve company desired targets. The strategic financial objectives are to maximize the profit of the organization, in modern terms maximization of shareholder wealth. Effectiveness Is a measure of the degree to which business achieve its goals. The strategy is effective if it achieve it objective. Business Plan A business plan is an official statement contains business goals, the reasons why they are going to be achievable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It also holds information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals. Business policy Business Policy defines the scope inside which decisions can be taken by the subordinate in an organization. It permits the lower level management to deal with the harms and issue without consult top level management each time for decision. Business policy in guidelines issued by the organization to achieve there targets. Effect of Current Business Plan TM business plan is to maximize the profit, growth in sale at constant rate in future. TM goals are to grow and create monopoly in area which it operates and how to achieve the goals TM together its employee as a force to achieve its targets. Owner of the business make daily progress reports form them, and any changes in plan will properly convey to them through proper mean of communication tool like direct meetings, update the notice board regarding current changes and process of achieving those targets and goals. It targets also includes increasing customer confidence in there services. TM give guarantee for its services if there is any complain in it they can get it repaired with out charge, no one else in the market are offering such guarantees. For the time being TM is moving slowly towards maximizing profit as due the economic recession it been difficult for TM to achieve its targets. Employees are working well as they are working before the economic recession but due to slow p rogress in work that is why plan are not working and planed. TM is now 2nd operating in this area offering the same kind of services, but due to size of the business TM were in lead. Two more business was closed down due to unfeasible economic conditions. Now its time for TM to improve its services likely to make amendments in the plan as customers are switching back towards TM. Which is positive sign for TM as sale will grow as planed in future because of reduction in competition. TM is now increase the volume of finished good stock for resale purposes as he is expecting increase in the sale as well as profit. TM has following competitive strength and weaknesses, of its current strategies. Strength It has large space in shop so more customers can sit at a time. Its location is comparatively better than its competitor. However its competitor is in less busy area. Workforce, as TM has two staff who can serve the customers. Its competitor is hiring only on staff difficult for him to deal during busy time to handle each clients effectively. Range of services like computer, mobile, Money transfers and property. But its competitor has limited services like mobile and computer. Weaknesses Strategically TM is retrieving high profit margin form it sales on the other hand its competitor has edge on this. TM is not buying accessories of latest mobile phone, lack of training in employees, participation in saving schemes. Its competitor has edge on above mentioned weakness. Task 3 Options for Strategic Planning Strategic planning is creating a vision of the future and managing toward that expectancy. Its operating under a mission statement umbrella that focuses the organizations effort. Its an effective process for aligning your short-term decisions with your long-term goals. Strategic planning answers the three big questions: Where are we today? Where do we want to be in the future? What should we be focused on today, in order to make it more likely we will be where we want to be in the future? The basic strategic planning model involved four steps explained below. SWOT analysis can also be used for strategic planning. Strength and weakness can show business internal position where it can stand and opportunity and threats shows external factors that will affect the business directly or indirectly. Strength Have you got sufficient financial resources to fund any changes you would like to make? Is your product unique or market leading? Does business have superior industry knowledge? Are you involved with industry associations? Your reputation are you considered a market leader? Or an expert in you is filed? Does business have good relationship with your customer? Does business have strong relationships with your suppliers? Does business have a positive relationship with your employee? Is your business Innovative? Weakness Is your plant and equipment old or outdated? Is your product line too narrow? Have you got insufficient financial resources to fund any changes you would like to make? Does business lack industry knowledge? Does business lack innovative skills? Does business have a poor or impersonal relationship with your customers? Does business have a poor relationship with your suppliers? Does business have a poor relationship with your employees? Does business have low volume and are restricted in your ability to scale up? Opportunities Changes to legislation Changes to import/export constraints Good economic outlook Expand your product line Diversify your business interests Expand into your customers field Expand into your suppliers field Expand your customer base (Geographically or through new products) Does business has peaceful competitor? Are there any export opportunities? Will your market grow? Threats Changes in demographics Increasing regulation Do consumers have a choice to use a substitute product? Are substitute product sales increasing? Is your market in slow growth or in decline? Growing power of customers or suppliers to set price Changing needs of buyers Porters five forces Model Michael Porter developed a framework, which identified 5 forces that act to either increase or reduce the competitive forces within an industry. These five forces are à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The Bargaining Power of Your Customers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The Threat of New Entrants into your Industry à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢The Bargaining Power of Suppliers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Threat of Substitute Products or Services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢Rivalry amongst Existing Firms Graphically presented as: Rivalry amongst Existing Firms Industry growth rates High fixed costs Intermittent over capacity Product differences Brand identity Switching costs Informational complexity Concentration balance Diversity of competitors Corporate stakes Exit barriers The Bargaining Power of Your Customers Differentiation of outputs Switching costs Presence of substitutes Industry concentration relative to buyer concentration Importance of volume to buyers Cost relative to total buyer purchases Impact of outputs on the cost of differentiation Buyer information about supplier products Buyer profitability Decision makers incentives Threat of backward integration The Bargaining Power of Suppliers Differentiation of inputs Switching costs Presence of substitute products Supplier concentration relative to industry concentration Importance of volume to suppliers Cost relative to total purchases in the industry Impact of inputs on cost or differentiation Information about suppliers products Supplier profitability Decision makers incentives Threat of forward integration The Threat of New Entrants into your Industry Economies of scale Proprietary product differences Brand identity Switching costs Capital requirements Access to distribution Absolute cost advantage Government policy Expected retaliation Threat of Substitute Products or Services Relative price performance of substitutes Switching costs Buyer propensity to substitute Comparative understanding of activity from organization If we take in to account the competitor of TM mobile house in some area that business is in good position, as no business is perfect in every aspect. If we take few things into consideration like JD has lower profit margin. JD offer limited services if we compare it with TM, but with extreme quality. Employ turn over in JD is too low as compare to TM. JD business is too innovative its owner keep the displayed products in the shop with latest models including there accessories. JD has good financial condition JD have sufficient working capital to support day to day activities. JD had obtained large credit from the supplier. It keeps his employee up to date regarding any changes in the technology. JD makes good relations with its existing customer and new one. How ever in some areas TM as a competitive advantage over JD. Feasible options for the future strategic planning It is better for TM to incorporate following option before making strategic plans, it includes product threat that is take in to consideration that if there are some new product entering the market there cost and also opportunity cost of not take it now in to consideration. What is the capital requirement to meet its day to day expenses as well as if want to introduce need products like latest models of mobile and if to upgrade the existing computers using as internet cafà ©, do TM has sufficient fund available if it has how efficiently use it. What ever services TM going to provide should be meet economies of scale criteria. Must take in to consideration the bargain power of the customers, whats there buying power what there expectation from TM and which product they normally demand for there normal consumptions. Most importantly take in to account the competitor position need to adopt those method in order to gain competitive edge, carefully identify those areas that need special attention. Identify those brands which has same quality but cheaper that meet the customers buying power. Changes in the legislation must take in to account how they affect our business. Need to improve the accessories in the shop but focus must be to identify if they were saleable or which has extensive demand. Focus on existing product present in stock that is out dated should be sold out on discount to retrieve money from it otherwise bear total loss from it. TM must keep there and its employee knowledge up to date, towards industry in which they are operating suppose TM is doing money transfers it should be aware of any changes took place in money transferring roles that need to be adopted. Improve the interpersonal skill with staff and with the customers always build working relations with the customers in order to retain business from them. All above mentioned issued need to take under careful consideration in order to make future strategy plan and setting targets to be achiev ed. Conclusion We discuss short and long term environmental factors affecting the organization, together with what are strategies, policies and plan and at the end take in to consideration strategy development models and which important areas are vital in making future strategies.

Overt or covert observations

Overt or covert observations Question 1 The researcher says that [i]ntense observations in the classroom and playground area were completed [and] detailed observations were conducted in lessons(p.184). What can you infer about the things she observed and the methods she used to record her observations? Qualitative research is an effort to understand situations in their uniqueness as part of a particular context and the interactions there. (Merriam, 2009:14) An ethnographer participates, overtly or covertly, in peoples daily lives for an extended period of time, watching what happens, listening to what is said, asking questions; in fact collecting whatever data are available to throw light on the issues with which he or she is concerned. (Flick 2005:146) The author, Lisa Russell is a young female ethnographer entering the research field for the first time. This paper is a description of The implications of investigating student resistance and the importance of how the researchers; personal dispositions influence the research process are discussed. (Russell, 2005:181) The research was conducted in three culturally diverse schools of Birmingham and Sydney and the information was gathered through observations and interviews. Students in the age bracket of 14-16 years were identified for observation, especially the ones finding the experience difficult either academically or emotionally (Watts, 2001; Russell, 2005:184) According to Esterberg, ethnography is intensively studying a specific social group by observing the group in its natural setting (Esterberg, 2002:8). Sometimes ethnography and participant observation are used interchangeably. But to its contrary, ethnography requires a participation observation style of fieldwork. Participant observation thus can most usefully be seen as a means of producing ethnographies rather than as synonymously with ethnography. (Thorpe Holt, 2008:100) Russell being new to the field entered her research ground with no ideal, logical step-by-step approach (Russell, 2005:182). She used her relative inexperience to her advantage. She started her research by observing students in various classes and free time. She observed them in their favorite and least favorite modules, covering one of the most popular aspects of student resistance. Once the trust between them grew, she advanced to spending time with them in their own comfort zones, which gave her more of an insight to their personal lives. This way she managed to get valuable information concerning their behavior and problems. There were instances when she witnessed highly disruptive behavior of students, like that of a male student kick and bash a school vendor machine during break-time (Russell, 2005:193) but blinded herself to the situation. At the same time, there were occasions when she found herself caught in uncomfortable circumstances like the time she landed up in the deputys office as she was with students who got late for class. Names like the follower and leech suggest that during the initial stages Russell was not accepted by the students as she shadowed them all around. But gradually she managed to gain one of the most vital aspects of the study trust. Ethnographers are viewed differently as a relationship is built up and trust developed. (Cassell Symon 2004:316). I feel her main tool for recording data was a daily logbook, but filling the same in front of her research subjects could make them very suspicious and inquisitive. Although as her relationship with the students strengthened, she allowed the researched the chance to see what was being written about them (Russell, 2005:187).This she did to gain feedback and more importantly trust. To conclude, I feel the main aspect she focused throughout was to develop a trustworthy relationship with the students. This she did over a gradual period as she observed and learned from them. Question 2 The author is a young ethnographer researching teenagers (p.193). What difference does our knowledge of her age and personal details make to the account? Qualitative research is a form of interpretative inquiry in which researchers make an interpretation of what they see, hear and understand. Their interpretation cannot be separated from their own backgrounds, history, contexts, and prior understandings. (Creswell, 2009:176) The author, Lisa Russell is a young, novice, female, white, northern English ethnographer (Russell, 2005:181). Her smallness in height and build influenced how students and teachers interacted with [her]. (Russell, 2005:182) Russell used a very reflexive approach towards her research and took into consideration how different aspects of her personal disposition affected her entire study. Researchers reflections on their actions and observations in the field, their impressions, irritations, feelings and so on, become data in their own right, forming part of the interpretation, (Flick, 2005:6) I feel her age -23-24 at the time of field work (Russell, 2005:182) and youthful nature helped her immensely in developing a trustworthy bond with the students. The students opened up to her about their grievances which they might not have done with someone older and more experienced. The researchers ability to build relationships and develop rapport with subjects is crucial. (Thorpe Holt, 2008:151) Her repetitive emphasis on her age and naivety throughout the paper shows that these facets of her personal disposition helped her to engage in discussions and activities with the teenaged students, which if she was older wouldnt have been able to do. Her closeness to their age made it simpler for both herself and the students to be able to relate to each other. Although, at the same time it was difficult for her to develop a similar bond with the teachers and she felt exceptionally uncomfortable in staffroom discussions. In my opinion, she put in a lot of effort and time into understanding the point of view of the students and didnt do the same with the teachers. But as she graduated to the third school her heightened confidence and greater experience (Russell, 2005:188) made it easier for her to relate to and interact with the teachers. This paper also brings into account the being there quality. Good ethnography is about communicating the impression of having truly been there, of having had close-in contact with far-out lives while at the same time making the reader feel he or she has been there too. (Bate, 1997:1163) In the context of Russells paper the way she elucidates her experience and subsequently her problems, make it very easy for us to believe and understand her observations. I as a student believed that the intense description about her personal characteristics played a significant role in helping me comprehend her entire research. I also inferred that as an amateur, she mentioned her young and novice personality keeping in mind that even if her study was not up to the mark it would have been excusable. I held a degree of emotional attachment towards some students given the significant time I had spent with them and the nature and detail of their lives they had shared with me. (Russell, 2005:196) This confession of hers illustrates that she let herself get emotionally involved with the students. Students also, at times would seek for support and guidance (from her or consider Russell as a shoulder to cry on (Russell, 2005:196). Since this was her first ever ethnography leaving the field and detaching herself from her research subjects, became difficult. Russells reflexive approach and personal disposition especially her age influenced and widened her scope for the study. This nature of the report helped her retain authenticity throughout the paper. Question 3 Russell claims that her ethnographic research investigates the complex and sometimes contradictory culture(s) of student resistance to schooling (Wills, 1977) (p. 181). How is this claim supported in the paper? According to Russell This study examines the significance and relationship between class, gender and ethnicity in the construction of resistance. It aims to understand how the wider societal and cultural environment influences the working of a school and the behaviour of the actors within it. (Russell, 2005:182) Student resistance is often perceived as explicit rejection of formal education. It is a deliberate yet hesitant activity of students arising due to social, cultural, emotional and academic concerns. According John Deweys comment that teaching and learning are much like selling and buying: One might as well say he has sold when no one has bought, as to say that he has taught when no one has learned'(Dewey, 1910,p.29) (Provenzo, ed. 2006) The students selected for the research ranged from truancy issues and students negative attitude towards school and learning to low self-esteem concerns.(Russell, 2005:184). Taking the instance of a student who had an alcoholic mother and [was struggling] to cope with her domestic responsibilities (Russell, 2005:185) shows that how a family related problem can hamper a persons education and make her unenthusiastic about school. In my opinion this supplement is a conflicting account. As mentioned clearly in the paper it aims at providing an insight to student resistance to schooling, where as there is not much mentioned about the same. According to my inference, it explores the experience and problems faced by the researcher, Lisa Russell during the course of her research. She at the same time concentrates on describing the methodologies used for observations and to gather information. On the other hand, she made the study interesting for readers to read by providing examples to support her content. Ethnography is art, science and craft rolled into one. As artists we seek to capture experiences in images and representations which symbolize reality; in this regard, expression is more important than precision. (Bate, 1997:1153) This repository statement, expression is more important than precision holds true in this study. I as a student found the report very engrossing because of the way she articulated her encounters with her research subjects. Some which put her into awkward situations while trying to gain trust from disruptive students made the account appealing. A few others were when she witnessed students truant, thieve, damage school property, take illegal substances and even [asked her] to participate. (Russell, 2005:193) Russell subconsciously seemed to be bias towards the students. Bias may be viewed as unavoidable as researchers often hold sympathy for some groups over the others. (Russell, 2005:190) Since this study was centered around students she preferred to take their side predominantly, intending to gain further insight into student resistance. I personally would have preferred to know more about the teachers since they played an equally important role in the research. She could have discussed the teachers reaction to some of the above instances in detail. In conclusion I believe this paper constitutes more about Russells experiential data and personal disposition than on its primary topic of student resistance. Reconsidering Work-Life Balance Debates: Challenging Limited Understandings of the Life Component in the Context of Ethnic Minority Womens Experiences Nicolina Kamenou Question 1 The author appears to have had difficulties recruiting interviewees (see especially p.s102). Why, for example, might an organization withdraw from the study claiming restructuring was in progress? (p.102) Work-life balance means that individuals have successfully segmented or integrated life and work so as to achieve a satisfying quality of life, overall satisfaction and less strain or stress around juggling conflicting role demands. (Blyton et al., 2006:2) The work-life balance equation (Kamenou, 2008:S99) is a vast concept covering a number of aspects ranging from career, ambition, family, pleasure and culture. Suitable prioritising between the same helps to accomplish ones goal in life. This article is centred on ethnic minority womens experiences of managing their work and personal lives. (Kamenou, 2008:S99). The author, Nicolina Kamenou, collected the data via semi structured, in depth interviews primarily with ethnic minority females. The perception of ethnic minority men, white women and white men was also taken for comparison. The broader study aimed to investigate best practice on the equality issues but also to examine whether the reality matched the rhetoric of equality of opportunity within organizations by exploring employees perceptions and experiences. (Kamenou, 2008:S102). The author evidently faced difficulties in recruiting interviewees, since only three out of the twenty organisations approached responded positively to the invitation (Kamenou, 2008:S102). Further to this, one of them withdrew claiming restructuring was in progress. The basic strategy for in depth interviews should be in three stages prepare, contact, and follow up (MacDougall Fudge, 2001). These stages include preparing for the research by describing and constructing a sample, negotiating with the key people or organisations personally, and providing feedback and maintaining relationship with the participants. Initially I feel a loop hole in the recruitment procedure could have led to rejection from many of the organisations contacted. Besides this there could be many reasons for it. This study is mostly based on topics such as ethnicity, culture, religion, racism and sexism which are very sensitive in nature. One of the main reasons for companies to withdraw from the research could have been to avoid any controversy. They would not want to risk their reputation and find themselves involved in any problematic situation as a consequence of the research. The firm which withdrew claiming restructuring was in progress was a financial organisation. This shows that the management could have been worried about the companys inside information since such a research could have revealed confidential data to the market and its competitors and thus affected its integrity. The company possibly had something to hide. On the other hand if a company is confident, a research is a good way of gaining credibility and even one of the cheaper ways of getting feedback from its employees. I also feel, stating the real names of the participating organisations could have been avoided. Kamenou should have used pseudonyms instead as confidentiality is a significant factor of researches. Confidentiality must be assured as the primary safeguard against unwanted exposure. All personal data ought to be secured or concealed and made public only behind a shield of anonymity. (Denzin Lincoln, 2000:139). Kamenou could have most definitely got a better response from the companies initially contacted, had she offered to keep the names anonymous. In my opinion, the sensitive character of the study and the matter of confidentiality, were the main reasons which lead to the difficulties faced by the researcher while recruiting interviewees. I also believe, that a better response could have been achieved had the interviewees been assured about the authenticity of the information being published. Regarding the financial company no conclusion can be drawn as we have no proof against them. Question 2 Would you expect differences between the people in organizations where formal access had been been granted and the independent group identified through personal networking? (p. s102) If so, what might these differences be? In this article, Kamenou focuses on the specificities in the experiences of ethnic minority women, incorporating other groups experiences where necessary, with regard to balancing their work and personal life (Kamenou 2008:S107). For this purpose both males and females from different cultural backgrounds were selected to be interviewed. The researcher recruited these interviewees formally from organizations. An independent group of participants was also identified through personal networking across a range of various public, private and voluntary organizations. All the participants varied in their occupations. The researcher derived information from a number of job profiles, to name a few there were nurses, managers, lawyers and psychologists. The researcher conducted semi structured, in-depth interviews. The main goal of these interviews was to explore a topic more openly and to allow interviewees to express their opinions and ideas in their own words. (Esterberg, 2002:86). The researcher must have certainly got different responses from the formally approached people and the independent group. Since the exact procedure of recruiting the interviewees has not been mentioned, I feel that the participants of the organizations where formal access was granted may not have been given a choice. Thus, they may not have voluntarily agreed and would have been least interested in the research. They would have restrained from giving out information concerning their organization with the fear of it reaching higher authorities and thus loosing their jobs. At the same time their response could have been manipulated by the employers to gain publicity. On the other hand, the independent group were people selected through personal networking and thus their cooperation was completely voluntary. We can refer to it as snowball sampling. This basically means when existing research subjects refer future subjects from among their acquaintances to help widen the information base. Such participants would have been interested and involved in the interview. They would have been more forthcoming with their response. Since these participants were being interviewed without any pressure form an organization, they would have been more willing and open about discussing their personal experiences. The only problem in such sampling is that of bias. The researcher could have recruited these participants according to her own convenience. She might have selected them with the point of view of extracting maximum information. In my opinion, the independent group would have been more fascinating and appropriate to interview since they would have provided with more intense and authentic information than the formal access participants. A key reason for including the independent group was to add richness to the data by looking at minority womens work and career experiences in a variety of sectors and occupations. (Kamenou, 2008:S103) On the whole, the author managed to acquire a wide range of experiences and data from both types of participants. Thus, this gave us a deep understanding of the problems faced by ethnic minority women while balancing work with other responsibilities in life. Question 3 From reading the paper, what do we know about the author? How might the identity of the author have made a difference to the research? This paper is an example of feminist research approach. In such a study the goals are to establish collaborative and nonexploitative relationships, to place the researcher within the study so as to avoid objectification, and to conduct research that is transformative. It is a complex area of inquiry with numerous frameworks (e.g., male oriented, white feminist oriented, able-bodied female oriented) and difficult issues (e.g., the absence and invisibility of women, who can be knowers) (Creswell, 2007:26) Of the various forms of qualitative research, ethnography is the most common one used by females. A researchers personal disposition plays a very significant role in a research, especially when done by a female. Reflexivity also has a big impact on such studies and makes the output of the same extremely relatable. In this paper, Nicolina Kamenou, explores minority womens perceptions of the reciprocal relationship of career demands and other aspects of their lives, such as family and community expectations and responsibilities (Kamenou, 2008:S99). The authors method in this research is not reflexive at all. At no point in the study does she reveal any personal information regarding herself. There is no mention of the influence her personality has on the study nor of the interpretations she derived from the same. In my opinion, if the author had made revelations about her personal details, the research would have been more engaging. Even though this article gives a rich insight into the work life equation, it does not elaborate on the authors experience and relationship with her research subjects. It would have been appealing to know her age and cultural background because these seem to be the two most important factors which could have influenced the research. She has left the readers guessing her identity. If the author was associated with the ethnic minority group, she could have given an account of her experiences and hence added some personal touch to the research. But at the same time, if she had adopted a reflexive approach, she would have left the readers questioning her objectivity towards the research. We as readers would have assumed that she was bias towards her subjects and thus she would need to justify herself to us. In my view, Nicolina Kamenous approach towards her research was very different as compared to Lisa Russells. Russells adopted a very reflexive approach and described in detail the impact her personal disposition had on her subjects, interpretation and conclusion of the research. She does not keep the readers guessing her identity and gives away a considerable amount of personal information which helps us as learners relate to her. On the other hand, Kamenous approach is far from being reflexive in nature. The readers gain no knowledge about her personal characteristics and the impact of the same on her research. In conclusion, Lisa Russells study gave an excellent account of the authors personal impact on the entire research, where as it didnt focus much on the information she derived from it. On the other hand, Nicolina Kamenous research offered a rich insight to her topic of discussion, while it didnt enlighten us with her thoughts towards the study. Overall, the papers gave me a good understanding of two contradicting accounts in the vast field of qualitative research methods. References: Bate, S.P. (1997) Whatever happened to organisational anthropology? A review of the field of organisational ethnography and anthropological studies, Human Relations, 50 (9): 1147-1175 Blyton, P., Blundson, B., Reed, K., Dastmalchian, A. (2006) Work-Life Integration: International Perspectives on the Balancing of Multiple Roles, 1st ed. New York: PALGRAVE MACMILLIAN Cassell, C. Symon, G. (2004) Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research, Thousand Oaks: SAGE Creswell, J.W., (2007) Qualitative Inquiry Research Design : Choosing Among Five Approaches,2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Creswell, J.W. (2009) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches,3rd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Denzin, N.K. Lincoln, Y.S. (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE MacDougall, C. Fudge, E. (2001) Qualitative Health Research: Planning and Recruiting the Sample for the Focus Groups and In-Depth Interviews [Online], 11(117) Available at: [Accessed 16 November 2009] Esterberg, K. G. (2002), Qualitative Methods In Social Research, New York : The McGraw-Hill Companies Flick, U., (2005) An Introduction to Qualitative Research, 2nd ed. London : SAGE Kamenou, N. (2008) Reconsidering Work-Life Balance Debates: Challenging Limited Understandings of the Life Component in the Context of Ethnic Minority Womens Experiences. British Journal Of Management, Vol. 19 s99-s109 Merriam, S. B., (2009) Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation 2nd ed. San Francisco: Joosey Bass Provenzo Jr, E.F., ed., 2006. Forthcoming in the Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural Foundations of Education [online] Available at : http://danbutin.org/Resistance%20-%20Encyclopedia%20entry.pdf [Accessed 18 November 2009] Russell, L. (2005) Its a question of trust: balancing the relationship between students and teachers in ethnographic fieldwork. Qualitative Research Vol. 5 (2) 181-199 Thorpe, R. Holt, R. (2008) The Sage Dictionary of Qualitative Management Research. London: Sage

Were Romans Obsessed with Violence? :: Ancient Rome Roman History

Were Romans Obsessed with Violence? In many modern books written about Ancient Rome and her people, the Romans are often portrayed as brutal and unforgiving people who enjoyed violence and thought it amusing to see people being injured and killed to the point of obsession. It is my aim to establish whether this classification is justified or if it is simply an exaggeration of what a small group of people enjoyed. While it is known that in Rome there were gladiatorial fights, public beatings and the keeping of slaves was legal (and common), it is also important to understand just exactly how advanced the Romans were. The Longman Dictionary of the English Language defines civilised as "of or being peoples of nations in a state of civilisation." And then defines civilisation as "a relatively high level of cultural development; specifically the stage of cultural development at which writing and the keeping of records is attained." I think that by this definition, the Romans were civilised, the educated being able to write and detailed records being kept by many historians. The Romans also had written laws and government, including (later) an assembly for the poorer classes. In fact, their system of law was actually quite advanced (even if it was designed to help the rich) - "The idea was accepted that a man's intentions ought to be taken into account, and there was less importance attached to what he did and what he meant to do. The next thing to become established was the notion that all men must be treated equally." This way of thinking was very advanced and not barbaric or uncivilised at all, in fact the same notion that all men should be treated equally was not established in America, Australia and other countries for many years. It is now common knowledge that, in Ancient Rome, people often attended (and enjoyed) gladiatorial fights to the death, wild beast hunts, naval battles and chariot racing, all which often had religious origins. During the reign of Caesar, thousands of men and animals were butchered just to make a Roman holiday! The Romans also enjoyed pantomimes and plays which too were often very violent in nature - "It was not uncommon for a condemned criminal to be executed [on stage] as part of the play." In modern sources, it is often portrayed that slaves were treated more harshly than was actually the case.

Anthrax Essay -- essays research papers

Anthrax Vaccine: Safe and Effective, or Not? Intro: The Anthrax vaccine is a mandatory shot for military; while some people are willing to take the shot to save their lives, others believe if they take it, it will ruin theirs. I. The Anthrax Disease   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Anthrax is a bacterial infection caused by Bacillus Anthracis.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. It primarily affects livestock, but can occasionally spread humans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. The infection can be treated, but is almost always fatal.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. The bacterium produces spores that lay dormant for years in soil and on   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   animal products.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. There are three different ways to contract this disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Cutaneous anthrax is the mildest of the disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. It is contracted through a cut on the skin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Inhalation anthrax is a rare and fatal form of the disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. This form of anthrax is usually fatal, even if treated, resulting in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   fatality   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Another rare and fatal form of the disease is intestinal anthrax.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. It is caused by eating meat of an animal that has died of anthrax. Transition: Now that you know what causes the disease lets talk about the vaccine. II. The Anthrax Vaccination   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. The vaccine was developed in the 1950’s and 60’s and approved by the FDA in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the 1970’s.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. The vaccine is a cell- free filtrate, produced from a strain of anthrax that   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ... ...  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  evidence that it protects against inhaled anthrax.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. I this case the vaccine cannot b given to service members   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  without informed consent except during an emergency. Transition: Now that you have heard about the vaccine’s downfall, lets review everything Conclusion: We now know that anthrax is a fatal bacterium that can be contracted without your knowing. We also know that the vaccine can protect you. It has been tested since 1965, because it is the leading biological agent for germ warfare. We also know that it had a lower number of adverse effects in comparison with 3 other vaccines. Even with all that, there are still reasons why some won’t take the vaccine, like a lack of testing. It hasn’t been tested to see if it causes cancer, infertility, or even protects you from inhaled anthrax. Both arguments can end with the same statement, â€Å"I don’t want to get anthrax,† The question is what you are willing to risk to save yourself.

Monarchy/Episcopalianism Government

The advantages of a Monarchy government are it only has one ruler. The government and the state are in high power and in a single person’s hands. These states are called a kingdom or empire. Another advantage is the power of the king or supreme magistrate has limitations by the constitution. It also gives less control to the ruler then despotism but also makes the population happier and more productive. The advantage of an Episcopalianism government is unity of structure, style and doctrine within church government. The disadvantage of a Monarchy is that you have more control over the people in your empire.Therefore, the production capabilities within the cities will be very limited. The disadvantage of Episcopalianism government is authority is given to an office not a person. (Acts 6:36), (Acts 14:23). Republicanism/ Presbyterianism Government The advantages of a Republicanism government are citizens can participate in government and give there opinions. There is no dictator ship; citizens can elect representatives to office. The advantages of a Presbyterianism government it is an ideal system for the maintaining of proper church discipline.It is also based on scripture principles; it is the nearest teachings of the Holy Scriptures on church government. â€Å"Christ is the great head of the church universal. † â€Å"All church government must be subject to him alone† (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18) â€Å"The people have a right to substantive of government of the church†. â€Å"But all things must be done decently and in order†. (1 Corinthians 14:40; Acts 14:23) (Romans 3:1; 1 Timothy 6:3-5) (Galatians 4:21) The disadvantages of a Republicanism government are you cannot maintain martial law in a city under this government.The bad thing about trading is you cannot have prosperity in your empire because the senate approves everything you do. The disadvantage of a Presbyterianism government is it has not totally removed all of the abuse and errors in the churches that have adopted it. It greatly reduces much time and effort in the decision-making, politics, and parties’ attitude. Has little or no accountability to the larger community of believers. Democracy/Congregationalism Government The advantages of a Democracy government are everyone has a voice in the decision-making. Citizens have the same rights and freedoms and all citizens are equal before the law.They also have equal power; it also safeguards the interest of the people. It is known for stability, firmness and efficiency. The advantages of a Congregationalism government are the church appears to be independent in the New Testament, it also recognizes the importance of individual believers. It also accepts the bible as a sufficient rule in matters of faith and practice. The disadvantages of Democracy is it citizens because it does not establish dictatorship of majority. It ignores the minority and the minorities are oppressed if no party gets absolute majority coalition governments are formed.  (Romans 13:1) (Peter 2:13-14)The disadvantages of a congregationalism government are there are too many people foster independent spirits and opinions. It forms easy church splits and can lead to lack of history or past. There is too much authority given to an office competitiveness and lack of unity. (Matthew 18:18-20) In conclusion, I believe all of the forms of government can be of good nature where the government is concerned. It is also elements of all three forms of church governments in the New Testament. They all intertwine as co-existing in the government in many forms and fashions and bring a balance to our government as a whole.

Gay Marriage Essay

Marriage as be by Chambers 21st ascorbic acid Dictionary is unity the domain or relationship of creation husband and wife, devil the venture or legal centralise of becoming husband and wife and tierce the civil or ghostly communion during which this knead is performed a wedding. Gay join ceremony has been a topic that has been reas mavend in the united States for several years now. You reach community that create un deal viewpoints on how they discover almost risible wedding ceremony to a greater extent(prenominal) so the big question every maven fence ins is whether it is proper(a) or haywire.We eachow be discussing funny conjugation in this paper pore on the honor fitted tasks this issue faces. We result witness at cheery spousal from the deontology surmise and then contract the theory from the relativism, emotivism and honest egoism theory. Lastly I volition discuss which of these views I discussed is close-hauled to my view on frolicsome jointure. evolution up I was al counsellings told marriage is between a patch and a cleaning muliebrity and that theology fates us to be married and be blue-fruited and multiply, fruitful meaning having nipperren. This is roughly issue that I was told by my p atomic number 18nts, grandp arnts and the church.I chose to discuss spanking marriage beca enjoyment it is genuinely some social occasion that I go for conflicting lifes ab erupt base on what I conceptualise is undecomposed and what I mystify been told is honorable, when I was growing up as a young child in a Christian environ piecepowert. umpteen Christians quote that God ready it unaccept adapted for compar fitted awaken relations to obligate place, beca riding habit it is incorrectly. Furthermore, God created fair sex for man and man for woman, non woman for woman or man for man, as stated in the book of Genesis. You imbibe polls that wear been conducted where masses lifelessness cipher that joyous marriage is wrong. because religious belief whitethorn be one of the most controversial issues regarding gay marriage, many a(prenominal) religions find gay marriage to be immoral and a sin. I suppose that same(p) rouse marriage should be allowed although many of my family and friends wouldnt agree with my choice. I realise at the issue same(p) any other issue that our countrified has faced same women suffrage and slavery. I mountt moot a couple should be discriminated or interact unfairly besides because of their informal preference.The unite States of America Constitute states that all men be created adjoin and have received unalien liken rights. Thomas Jefferson offered as his examples of a great circulate(prenominal) rights life, liberty, and the credit line of happiness (Mosser, 2010). So shouldnt same sex couples be allowed to have those same rights, shouldnt they be able to enjoy the life of an Ameri merchant ship fancy that we all aim to achie ve. By non being able to pursue these rights we could look at this as a irreverence of the administration. This can present an ethical problem for same sex marriage. Deontology ethics claims that the way to decide if an action is moral is to control the intentions.Mosser writes that deontology looks at the movement for which an act is tiree, and the practice according to which one chooses to act. Deontology doesnt defy that acts have consequences rather, it insists that those consequences should non play a role in our moral rating of such acts (Mosser, 2010). Any time at that place is an ethical issue in that location is an ethical problem to follow that issue. First ethical problem we give look at is gay p benting. Many commonwealth hope that children being reprimandd by gay p arnts will deprive them of normal growing. Many Americans retrieve gay men and sapphics should not have or adopt children and that children would not develop correctly with homoerotic p bents, although happen uponk has shown that same-gender couples are as nurturing and capable of parental obligations as other couples. (Avery, Chase, Johansson, Litvak, Montero, & Wydra, 2007). In the denomination Children Raised, 2001 a study of 55 children19 elevated by lesbian couples, 10 by single mothers, and 26 by heterosexual couplesfound uniformity among the categories opposite number social skills, well-being, and academic performance.I feel as long as a child is being raise by lot who get by them whether they are male or female and if they are being raised by a same sex couple the hunch over the child would get from both parents wont deprive them of any development deprivation. Although many children whitethorn experience some form of negativity from other people like classmates or people who may be against gay marriage. You might memorise sometimes how children dont find out why their parents cant be married or they treated indifferently or talked intimat ely because their parents are gay. some other problem we have is with control. rescript deems that is o.k. for a heterosexual couple to be out in public snuggling and kissing each other in public. You have some cities or states that may prohibit this action for homosexual couples. alliance sees this as wrong and I value that is why you have a mess hall of people who are afraid to become out and declare that they are gay. at present people are just a little more open to discuss their sexuality as before they were not because they were afraid of the repercussion that they may face.It is counterbalance worst for those who are in lavishly power position like celebrities, policy-making sympathies officials or people who may be well noticen throughout the community, as soon as they reveal that they may be gay it is plastered all over the news media, social ne devilrking sites and various magazines. It is really bad when they prescribe oh this somebody was out appreciationi ng detainment or seen kissing his partner out in public. It is easier if you countenance in a state that is more receptive to this like California, saucily York and Massachusetts. You really wont see this behavior being favored in the Bible belt (the south).My thing is leave them alone if they chose that lifestyle that is their choice, they should be allowed like any other individual in this countrified to freely walk out in public and hold moots and share a kiss. directly some other(prenominal) problem is that some people believe that a same-sex couple raising children could eradicate the family and social background that our society presently accepts with an opposite-sex couple. I remember a child could still develop normally when they are provided the same love and nurturing necessities of life when provided by either couple whether gay or straight.A child needs love and encouragement to grow and flourish as an unmarried and that can be provided by people whether gay or straight. The milieu a psyche is raised in does contri only whene to the type of person that they become, if they are receiving love, support and being nurtured by a gay couple its no different than opposite couples. Couples whether gay or straight will have that check to determine a child what is wrong and what is right in life. As a child spend time with family members whether, gay or straight this will be part of the development process to teach a child who they are.I think a child growing up in a same-sex marriage or relationship will allow a child to learn tolerance and acceptance. They will be more prone to judge things that others may not and be able to tolerate things more than others, cause having a child in an opposite-sex marriage or relationship they may not learn those same determine as much as the other person. Same sex marriage would benefit children by increase the durability and stability of their parents relationship.This will excessively summate incre ased social satisfying of and support for same-sex families, although those communities that meet gay marriage with rejection or hostility might not materialize. There really is no yard that heterosexual couples are any more effective than same-sex couples at raising children. divinity fudgeliness is some other ethical problem that we must look at when it comes to gay marriage. organized religion as defined by collins English dictionary is belief in, religion of, or obedience to a otherworldly power or powers to be ecclesiastic or to have control of serviceman destiny.Two any formal or institutionalized expression of such belief the Christian religion. Lastly the attitude and feeling of one who believes in a prodigious controlling power or powers. organized religion teaches us to believe in god or God or whoever we may believe in, it also teaches us manity towards others, patience, tolerance and many other things to stand by us in our daily merrys. devotion also teac hes us to be able to accept other that may not be the same as us. many people, including Christians, Jews, Catholics, eticbelieve that it is wrong for people of the same sex to have a lovable relationship with each other.I think each religion might have different discoveration on the teachings that is in the Bible, once religion ay interpret a section of the Bible one why while another will interpret that same section a different way. Does it might either religion right or wrong? No, it doesnt it is one person interpretation over another. evolution up in a Christian environment it was quoted from the Bible that God found it unacceptable for same-sex relations to contact place, because it is sexy and wrong. Then it hypothesizes that God created man for woman and woman for man not man for man or woman for woman.As a Christian many people say that the primary purpose of marriage is procreation to be fruitful and nine-fold and that cannot take place in a gay marriage. Equal fos terion is another problem. The national governing body activity responsibility is to protect and keep all citizens safe, this includes protection low the equity. Religion has played a agent in influencing the votes of presidency officials to en authoritative equal protection under the law for heterosexuals and not for homosexuals. Bickford states that religious views continuously look down on homosexuality and censure it.These views continue to influence the American government and the choices made when voting on laws for equal protection. Our government was formed on the pedestal of separation of church and state alone some people are not able to accept that. So why is our government so influenced by religious organization in dictating what action they should take when it comes to voting on these laws? I dont know if they fear that they would be retaliated against or loose support or funding from religious organizations.I know everyone is entitled to their own religious beliefs but to allow those beliefs to harm citizens in our country is unacceptable and it isnt right. These actions cause annoyance to spread throughout our country because of that. The government says that every citizen of the United States shall receive equal rights. Now why did the government somersault out the defense of marriage act? The Defense of Marriage Act prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages. I think this act is immoral and unfair because it restricts the rights of gay and lesbian citizens.This act should not have been passed because there really isnt a reason to justify that act. Mosser states The deontologist advocates that we have a duty, or an obligation, to treat other people with value human race beings have dignity, and we must take that dignity into consideration when dealing with them. (We also expect others to respect our dignity when they deal with us. ) As the most famous deontologist, Immanuel Kant (17241804), perpetrate the point, we should never treat another person only as a room to our ends, or goals, but should regard them as ends in themselves.In other words, I cant simply use a person to get what I want nor can someone use me to get what he or she wants. We have to consider that other persons needs and desires, respect them, and try to subdue violating them (Mosser, 2010). The deontologist in this aspect would resolve gay marriage as stating that all human beings should be treated equally. They are human beings so they should be treated the same way that others are being treated. If a woman and a man is able to espouse then a man and a man or a woman and a woman should have that same option.A deontologist would also argue that a person shouldnt be treated differently just because of their sexual preferences. Deontology is like living your life by a set of rules. Now the rules can be used to push yourself into doing the right thing, take down if youd rather not. Now this would help by say ing gay marriage is right and it is the right thing to do for same-sex couples, however there will eer be exceptions, and this is where the theory move flat on its face. You will always have someone who will reflect this theory.Relativism is the idea that ones beliefs and determine are understood in scathe of ones society, culture, or tied(p) so ones own individual values. (Mosser, 2010). Now relativism on the other hand would say for gay marriage that whats wrong for gay marriage is not necessarily wrong for someone else. Therefore, you have no right to manifest cardinal men or two women that they cannot marry, just because you feel personally that it is wrong. What you believe and hold as true is not obligatory what someone else believes and holds as true.Relativism would argue that same-sex couples ould argue that marriage is right because this is what they believe in it is part of their values and beliefs. Relativism says that no subject field how you argue a point ev en if every point is comp allowely be you cannot change someones beliefs. This will not work because it is their belief based on how they were raised, religion or even their social influences. I feel that at people whether heterosexual or homosexual should be afforded the same rights under the law of our Constitution. I just wish people would put their differences to the side when it comes to this topic about gay marriage.What really lines me upset is Christian people that I know in my family and at the church they are so affectionate to judge someone else and say it isnt right but I am quick to remind them that we are all sinners. Even though you may not like the lifestyle someone chose to leave you cant make that person change who they are. If they chose to be with another man or another woman that is their prerogative. Then they are so quick to get upset with the government when it comes to these issues. Everyone wants to become church into politics.I really thing that is a s ticky situation and it is so tough given the country that we sleep with in because of the diversity that our country has experienced. I just feel that if someone choses and wants to marry someone from the opposite sex let them. I would say the theory that well-nigh match my belief given the two that I discussed is relativism. I dont see how gay marriage would bring harm to children that are being raised by gay parents. I dont think same-sex couples should be disadvantaged of certain benefits or rights because of their sexual orientation.In the article in USA straightaway for gay marriage it states But preventing gay parents from marrying hurts their kids, as does denying them equal rights to insurance and companionable Security benefits, says Aimee Gelnaw, executive director of the Family soak Coalition (Elias, 2004). Why should we deny them these rights that they should be entitled to? If two people want to get married, neither society nor the government should be involved. R eligion should stop having such a big influence of political policies and the deeper the donation the more they lean towards sweet that particular religion.As stated in front our Countrys constitution allows for the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Nothing gives one person the right to decide what is wrong and what is right when it comes to same-sex couples. What would it be like if the Constitution only allowed certain types of people to be married like only people who tall and has blond hair or black hair. What if they put some compact that only whites can marry or only blacks. I am sure that would cause an outrage and scram discrimination. pull in this is what happens when our government puts limitations on its citizens. This papers has place some of the ethical problems with gay marriage we have examined what gay marriage is like using the deontology and theory and contrasted it with the relativism theory. I am not gay but I think that a person should b e able to choose who they want to be with. I dont think they should be discriminated against, and at the end of the day it is their choice who they decide they want a relationship with, whether it be a person of the same or opposite sex.Society is so caught up in being in everyone business and who is doing what we want to tell people this is the right way to live or you should do things this way because it is right. Who is to say what that something might be better or right for someone else? Lets stop forcing our values and beliefs on others and allow people to be who there are. If they are Christian and they are gay or whatever religion they may be I say leave that between them and their god we should not be the ones judging or excoriate them because of something that they believe in or desire. We are no better than the next person.