Essay on Islam and Science - 2729 Words

Islam and Science nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The 6th century Islamic empire inherited the scientific tradition of late antiquity. They preserved it, elaborated it, and finally, passed it to Europe (Science: The Islamic Legacy 3). At this early date, the Islamic dynasty of the Umayyads showed a great interest in science. The Dark Ages for Europeans were centuries of philosophical and scientific discovery and development for Muslim scholars. The Arabs at the time assimilated the ancient wisdom of Persia and the classical heritage of Greece, as well as adapting their own ways of thinking (Hitti 363). The Islamic ability to reconcile monotheism and science prooves to be a first time in human thought that theology, philosophy, and science†¦show more content†¦One fallacy against the advancement of science through religion is that discrepancies between verses in the ancient manuscripts of the Qur’an and the modern ones could have been edited out, but when compared, both texts are identical. Some argue that Prophet Muhammad is the founder of Islam and is responsible for authoring the Qur’an, but â€Å"the compatibility between the statements in the Qur’an and firmly established data of modern science with regard to subjects on which nobody at the time of Muhammad—not even the Prophet himself—could have had access to the knowledge we posses today† (Bucaille 3-5). Parallels between modern science and verses in the Qur’an exist even in the origins of the universe. Modern cosmology specifies that the universe originated from a hot , high density gas, or more simply put, smoke. Scientists now observe new stars forming from the same smoke. The Qur’an states that â€Å"He [God] turned to the heaven when it was smoke†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Qur’an 41:11). The Big Bang Theory is also supported by the Qur’an in that God asks â€Å"have not those who disbelieved known that the heavens and the earth were one connected entity, then We separated them?† (Qur’an 21:30). Dr. Alfred Kroner, one of the world’s most prominent geologists, expressed that without knowledge of nuclear physics 1400 years ago, one could not figure out that the earth and the heavens had the sameShow MoreRelatedIslam and Science2754 Words   |  12 PagesArs Disputandi Volume 6 (2006) ï  ©Ã¯  ³Ã¯  ³Ã¯  ®: 1566–5399 Roxanne D. Marcotte ï  µÃ¯  ®Ã¯  ©Ã¯  ¶Ã¯  ¥Ã¯  ²Ã¯  ³Ã¯  ©Ã¯  ´Ã¯  ¹ ï  ¯Ã¯  ¦ ï  ±Ã¯  µÃ¯  ¥Ã¯  ¥Ã¯  ®Ã¯  ³Ã¯  ¬Ã¯  ¡Ã¯  ®Ã¯  ¤, ï  ¡Ã¯  µÃ¯  ³Ã¯  ´Ã¯  ²Ã¯  ¡Ã¯  ¬Ã¯  ©Ã¯  ¡ Islam and Science By Muzaï ¬â‚¬ar Iqbal (Ashgate Science and Religion Series), Aldershot, UK: Ashgate, 2002; xxii + 372 pp.; hb.  £ 52.50, pb.  £ 22.50; ï  ©Ã¯  ³Ã¯  ¢Ã¯  ®: 0–7546–0799–2/0–7546–0800–x. Islam and Science presents an articulate and concise historical introduction to intellectual developments that have shaped Islamic civilization, both religious and scientiï ¬ c. The work attempts to ‘construct a coherentRead MoreIslam, Science, and Evolution1370 Words   |  6 Pagesa high level of controversey that it primarily became a crucial idea of intellectuality discussed within the West and around the world. Science and relegion have been the greatest factors which have shaped and mended values and ideas of western societies, essentially making a lasting impression on human history. Most writers and theologians believe that science and relegion are ideaologies which condradict one another and carry no common connection. Within the last few centuries, many reasons haveRead MoreThe Discovery Of The New World1191 Words   |  5 Pageshow that affected Asia. Afghani describes the input of science in Islam, while Gandhi describes the cold heartedness that has spread amon g the natives and how they have become â€Å"civilized.† The emergence of the European powers on territories such as Asia became visible especially in education. Once Europeans began taking over increasingly, the citizens of such countries began gaining an interest on certain subjects such as mathematics, science, and mechanics. Feng Guifen describes how beneficial WesternRead MoreIslam And Science Bond : The Five Pillars Of Faith1561 Words   |  7 Pagesand establish the foundations of the particular faith just as the Ten Commandments set the precedent for the catholic beliefs. These five pillars are known as Shahadah, Salat, Zakat, Sawn and Hajj. These along with the other significant beliefs of Islam enable one to â€Å"detach† themselves from any outside distraction and face their full attention to God in order to live a resurrected life of peace. The Islamic worldview, which is enabled through the five pillars of faith, include the Islamic theologyRead MoreMy Philosophy of Knowledge from the Article ‘Islam and the Sciences of Nature: Some Fundamental Questions527 Words   |  2 PagesIntroduction The article ‘Islam and the Sciences of Nature: Some Fundamental Questions’, written by Dr. Mehdi Golshani is selected to be discussed. Mehdi Golshani was born in Isfahan, Iran in 1939. He graduated from Tehran and then California Berkeley University with a B.S. and Ph.D. in Physics with specialization in particle physics. He is professor of physics at Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran in which he founded the Faculty of the Philosophy of Science in 1995, and has been its chairmanRead MoreCommon Threads Throughout Judaism, Christianity, and Islam1233 Words   |  5 PagesThe monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have over many thousands of years established many traditions and beliefs. Many of these are from their respective book of scripture such as the Bible, Torah, or Qu’ran. Others are from the interpretation of the religions over the many years from their leaders and the generational stories that have been passed down. Many of these can be seen as quite similar between the religions, but others can be considered unique to each one ofRead MoreHow to Revive the Golden Era of Islam991 Words   |  4 Pagesto describe the briefly introduction of the golden era of islam.The golden era of Islam starts in the mid of 8th century by the ascension of the Abbasid caliphate. He claimed to belong to the same tribe oh prophet Muhammad (SAW) that’s why he followed Quran and suuah, during this period the Arab world became a center of science, philosophy, medicine and education. Is it possible to revive the golden era of Islam? As a Muslim we should believe that we can do this. But problem is that what way weRead MoreThe Importance Of Technology And Islam1053 Words   |  5 Pagesquestioning why things were the way they were in Islam. For example, it is commanded in the Quran that people must dress modestly, I researched why this was, and found many benefits in doing so. Considering I have an open and explorative mindset, I was able to thrive in class and learn a lot about other religions, and mine as well. In class, we often discussed Jinns, and in the novel; â€Å"Alif the Unseen†, we were able to see how religion and technology and science tied together and worked cohesively in a wayRead MoreThe Islamic Religion Of The Arabian Desert1505 Words   |  7 Pages Michael Pudlin Professor Ermus November 18th, 2014 Allah says in the Qur an not to despise one another. So the criterion in Islam is not color or social status. It s who is most righteous. If I go to a mosque - and I m a basketball player with money and prestige - if I go to a mosque and see an imam, I feel inferior. He s better than me. It s about knowledge.(Hakeem Olajuwon) The Islamic religion may also be defined as your average day rollercoaster; You have yourRead MoreThroughout civilization, religions have come a long way in impacting modern society and600 Words   |  3 Pages Throughout civilization, religions have come a long way in impacting modern society and civilization. One of the major Abrahamic religions, Islam, has made many advances and has contributed a variety of concepts, ideas and inventions to western civilization. Most of these contributions have gone unnoticed throughout the years, and have been credited by various people, when in reality Muslim scholars have formulated these concepts. Although some may bel ieve that these contributions are irrelevant

Single Mothers in Poverty Free Essays

Single Mothers in Poverty Midterm Essay 1 After doing the exercise of creating a budget for a single mother with two kids who is trying to â€Å"make ends meet† on a minimum-wage job, I have come to have so much compassion for those struggling with this dilemma. The odds are highly against a poor woman trying to do her best raising her children on a low-income job, some might even say that it would be impossible to do alone. The hurdles of expensive daycare, the rising cost of housing, the low-availability of welfare for women already working, the demanding natures of jobs which don’t allow for paid medical leave, and the skyrocketing costs of health care, all contribute to the poverty of single mothers. We will write a custom essay sample on Single Mothers in Poverty or any similar topic only for you Order Now While I was taking a deeper look into this problem, it became abundantly clear to me that this is definitely a big â€Å"public issue† that needs to be addressed from a social policy standpoint. One of the biggest issues facing America today is poverty. One of the single most contributing factors of poverty is single-parent (namely single mother) households. Certainly it’s easy to look at individual families like these and see a string of individual choices. Yet, it goes far beyond â€Å"personal trouble† and is definitely considered to be a â€Å"public issue† (a â€Å"public crisis† one might say). As Mills sates in The Sociological Imagination, â€Å"Perhaps the most fruitful distinction with which the sociological imagination works is between ‘the personal troubles of milieu’ and ‘the public issues of social structure’† (Mills, pg. 2). Let’s zoom out and look at the bigger picture here. â€Å"The poverty rate among children is higher in the United States than in most other major Western industrialized nations† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 44). When looking at the single mothers who raise these children, the poverty rate in the U. S. for these women is far above the average in other high income countries, even though the single mother employment rate in the U. S. is also above the average. Less generous income support programs in the U. S. help explain the exceptionally high poverty rate for single mother families in the U. S (forbes. com). This clearly demonstrates the legitimacy of this being a public issue. It’s true that more and more children are growing up in single parent households, and many of these families struggle to get by. In fact, â€Å"†¦children are more likely to live in poverty than Americans in any other age group† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 44). But that’s not an accident of poor choices: while single parenthood has been skyrocketing, we’ve also been paring back the supports that could help these families stay afloat. Single mothers have an especially hard time getting out of poverty. Households headed by single mothers are four times as likely to be poor as are families headed by married couples (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 46). Not only that, but, â€Å"Single-parent families are more vulnerable to poverty because there is only one adult income earner, and female heads of household are disadvantaged even further because women in general make less money than men do† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 46). In fact, â€Å"Families with a female householder and no spouse present were more likely to be poor than families with a male householder and no spouse present, 28. % versus 13. 8%† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 45). And because the majority of single-parent households are headed by single-mothers, this inevitably increases the rate of poverty nationwide. Most of these mothers live in relative poverty, which refers to, â€Å"†¦a situation in which some people fail to achieve the average income or lifestyle enjoyed by the rest of society† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 40). Take ch ildcare for instance; the high cost of taking care of one’s child is crippling to a single mother making minimum wage and almost immediately plummets her into relative poverty. On average, a poor mother spends 32 percent of her total weekly income on child care. This percentage nearly doubles when more than one child needs care (forbes. com). When a family is faced with relative poverty, the affects spread wide. Income loss appears to affect the well-being of children indirectly through negative impact on family relations and parenting. Single parents experience a variety of stressors related to poverty (i. e. , financial, emotional, social). Single mothers must obtain sufficient money to cover the most basic needs, such as food, shelter, and clothing. Wealth is a particularly important indicator of the individual and family access to life chances. Wealth is a special form of money not used to purchase milk and shoes and other life necessities. More often it is used to create opportunities, secure desired stature and standard of living, or pass class status along to one’s children† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 39). So, what about solutions? â€Å"The s ociological imagination will also help us make a second connection: the one between social problems and social solutions† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 23). When looking at public issues, the textbook makes it clear that, â€Å"Solutions require social action – in the form of social policy, advocacy, and innovation – to address problems at their structural or individual levels† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 20). It is essential that we take a fresh look at our national policies — and their dismal results. Not only are U. S. poverty rates extremely high, with one out of five children living in poverty (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 40); crime rates are also high, with all the resulting costs not only to crime victims, but to taxpayers in court, prison and other attendant public expenses. Even more costly is the enormous price our nation is paying, and will pay, if we continue not to invest in a remedy to this poverty crisis. So, if single parenthood and poverty are so closely related, some people say, we should spend hundreds of millions of dollars promoting marriage to help children avoid poverty (and other problems). That’s what the government has done, with money from the welfare budget. Even if it worked (which it apparently doesn’t) it’s only one approach. What about reducing poverty? And, more specifically, what about reducing the relative likelihood of poverty in single-parent families versus those with married parents? That is, address the poverty gap between the two groups, rather than the size of the two groups. This has the added advantage of not singling out one group — single mothers — for social stigmatization. And, because it defines the problem as economic rather than moral, may make it easier to build public support for helping the poor. Although, â€Å"Helping our nation’s poor has been an administrative priority of many U. S. presidents† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 0), the poverty problem does not seem to be getting much better. Maybe we need to change the conversation about we’re facing here. The conversation about single mothers should focus on how the extreme poverty of U. S. woman-headed families is a symptom of failed U. S. policies. And the conversation about the U. S. economy should focus on the urgent need for a car ing economy. We are clearly lacking a â€Å"caring economy† when we are compared to other wealthy nations, â€Å"U. S. wage and welfare programs are much smaller than similar programs in other countries† (Leon-Guerrero, pg. 46). Issues have to do with matters that transcend these local environments of the individual and the range of his inner life. They have to do with the organization of many such milieux into the institutions of an historical society as a whole, with the ways in which various milieux overlap and interpenetrate to form the larger structure of social and historical life† (Mills, pg 2). The issue of poverty clearly stems from the larger structure of social and historical life. It is sad to know that our efforts as a wealthy society are not effectively healing this tragic situation. The poverty level of single mothers affects so many areas of our society as a whole, and our nation’s children get the brunt of it. Not only are they raised poor and impoverished, but their quality of education is compromised, the food they eat is low-quality and unhealthful, and most of them never find their way out of poverty. Writing this paper has truly touched my heart and I long to reach out to single mothers and their children who are desperately in need of compassion and support. More importantly, I would like to reach out this election year and see what I can do to promote the well-being of these mothers who are struggling so hard. Budget Summary for Single Mother in Delta County, Colorado The most recent report for minimum wage in Delta County, Colorado is $7. 25 an hour. The total monthly income for a person working full-time at minimum wage is: $1198 (after taxes). Explanation of calculation: 7. 25 * 40 = 290 (a week) 290 * 52 (weeks in a year) = 15,080 15,080 / 12 (months) = 1256 1256 * . 0463 (income tax rate in Delta County 4. 63%) = 58 1256 – 58 = 1198 Housing Costs| $616| Food Costs| $536| Other Necessities:| | Medical| $412| Clothing| $35| Transportation| $439| Childcare| $996| Phone| $40| Laundry/toiletries/cleaning supplies| $52| School supplies and fees| $20| Appliance and furniture| $17| Miscellaneous| $47| Nonessentials| | Entertainment| $20| Cable| $0| Cigarettes and alcohol| $0| Eat out| $25| Lottery| $5| TOTAL| $3260| *This budget reflects the fact that there is absolutely no public transportation in or around Delta County, so the transportation costs include car payment, insurance, and gas costs. This budget also reflects that I would not invest any money in cable, cigarettes, or alcohol. Also, the cost of childcare for two children in Delta County is exorbitant! At any expense, I couldn’t have my 7 year-old child be a latchkey kid so young. The entertainment and costs of eating out are kept to a minimum. I would (just in case) spend $5 a month on the lottery. Clearly, this mother (hypothetically, me) would be nowhere near making ends meet. I would be living in relative poverty, scraping by every day, living hand-to-mouth, and I would have to be very creative with my time and resources. I would have to make almost TRIPLE what I am currently making in order to live comfortably. Most likely, I would reach out to neighbors, church members, community support groups, food banks, and any other possible resource to keep my head above water. Works Cited Covert, Bryce. â€Å"The Rise and Downfall Of The American Single Mother. † Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 16 July 2012. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. ;http://www. forbes. com/sites/brycecovert/2012/07/16/the-rise-and-downf all-of-single-mothers/;. Leon-Guerrero, Anna. Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action. Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge, 2011. Print. Mills, C. Wright. The Sociological Imagination. New York: Oxford UP, 1959. Print. How to cite Single Mothers in Poverty, Essay examples

Marketing Analysis of ABC Learning

Questions: 1.Outline the evironmental factors that impacted on ABC.Did these factors have a positive or negative impact on the firm?2.Do you think that the success and ultimate failure of the company was an outcome of its environment, or was it an otcome of its own strategies and actions?3.If the company had been able to continue to raise money and pursue its growth throug an acquistion strategy,do you think it would have been successful in the long run?4. Do you agree with the company's strategy choices? what strategy wold yo have chosen? Answers: Introduction ABC learning is an Australian based child-care company that was founded by Eddie Groves and Le Neve, his wife in 1988. The company was publicly listed in 2001 with a market capitalization of $25 million and 43 child-care centers in Australia. Moreover, the company experienced tremendous within seven years with over 2000 child-care centers around the world and a market value of $4 billion. However, the company collapsed towards the end of 2008 supposedly due to its environmental and marketing strategies as this outlines. 1. The environmental that had an impact on the operations of ABC learning include government policies, social, and cultural changes, and economic factors. The government had been supportive of early children education through providing subsidies to child-care centers. The government has come up with many policies that support and encourage the existence and development of child-care centers. These policies include tax rebate scheme that covered 50 percent of the child-care expenses. In addition to this, the government came with a policy that encourage people to have many children, this contribute to the growth of the childcare industry. Nonetheless, social and cultural changes implies to the changing roles of women in the society. The current society encourage women to go to work and support their families thus the need for childcare centers. On the other hand, the economic development enjoyed in the 2001 to 2007 period contributed to the growth of childcare industry. From the succes s experienced in that period, it is evident that the environmental factors had positive effects on the firm. 2. From the case, it is evident that the environmental factors contributed a lot to the success of ABC Learner. However, it is important to note that without the strategies and action of the company the environmental factors would not have been effective or successful in any way. On the other hand, it is evident that the strategies and actions employed by the company led to the collapse of the company. According to Krstic and Becic, (2011) marketing strategy is an important factor for the growth of business. However, according to the case as cited by Ernst and Young auditors the strategies employed by the company did not make any profits because most of the resources are tangible (Gillespie, Jeannet, and Hennessey, 2007). Thus, it is evident that the marketing strategies of the company contributed significantly to the collapse of the company. 3. According to Slater, Hult, and Olson, (2010) for a company to develop and achieve a competitive advantage in the industry, it must develop an effective marketing strategy that can allow the company to maximize its profits. Thus, if the company had utilized an acquisition strategy, there was a chance of success because accusation could enable the company to raise more money and have total control of the corporation. Acquisition entails buying part or whole of a company and strengthening the company to realize its full potential (Calandro, 2011). 4. The strategy employed by the company has many irregularities because it adds to the cost of the company. This is because the strategy employed by the company brought many subsidiaries on board, which led to outsourcing and eventually additional cost to the corporation. Thus, acquisition strategy could be perfect for the company since its gives the company control over the corporation. Moreover, the acquisition allows the company to accumulate a lot of money before venturing into new markets. References Calandro, J. (2011). Strategic MA: insights from Buffett's MidAmerican acquisition. Strategy Leadership, 39(4), pp.41-48. Gillespie, K., Jeannet, J., and Hennessey, H. (2007). Global marketing. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. Krstic, I. and Becic, S. (2011). Implementation of marketing strategy: Factor of competitive advantage. Marketing, 42(2), pp.118-126. Slater, S., Hult, G. and Olson, E. (2010). Factors influencing the relative importance of marketing strategy creativity and marketing strategy implementation effectiveness. Industrial Marketing Management, 39(4), pp.551-559.

Panoptic Discipline Essays - Surveillance, Michel Foucault, Plague

Panoptic Discipline In Michael Foiucault's ?Panopticism? he breaks down our social/economical systems and explains societies mentality on the law system. He answers the ?why's? in the way certain individuals act and think as they do. Many times his explanation is very much branched off of J. Bentham's ?Panopticon?. In one paragraph of ?Panopticism?, a disciplinary mechanism is described, which is considered the best way for one to be punished, in that new knowledge and learning is gained by every individual. In this paragraph on page 316, Foucault explains how he feels a person should be disciplined and he looks at it from many different angles. ?This enclosed, segmented space, observed at every point, in which the individuals are inserted in a fixed place, in which the slightest movements are supervised, in which all events are recorded in which an uninterrupted work of writing links the center and periphery, in which power is exercised without division, according to a continuous hierarchical figure, in which each individual is constantly located, examined, and distributed among the living beings, the sick, and the dead-all this constitutes a compact model of the disciplinary mechanism.? In this first sentence of the paragraph a description of how closely watched and evaluated the individuals are. All movements all actions everything would be analyzed. This is how he feels a disciplinary mechanism should be and is a key model for all to follow. In disciplining that way it would make the individual a better person, ?excercising power without division? is an example. ?The plague is met by order; its function is to sort out every possible confusion: that of the disease, which is transmitted when bodies are mixed together; that of the evil, which is increased when fear and death overcome prohibitions.? Disease, definatly a confusion in our society when two or more people come together. Evil becomes very overwelming when it can not be controlled or prevented. With the help of this plague everything becomes more controlled. ?It lays down for each individual his place, his body, his disease, and his death, his wellbeing, by means of an omnipresent and omniscient power that subdivides itself in a regular, uninterrupted way even to the ultimate determination of the individual, of what characterizes him, of what belongs to him, of what happens to him.? The plague serves as a sort of god to the individual. It breaks everything down and as described is an ?omnipresent and omniscient power?. Acts as it is keeping an eye on the individual to sort of test and see how he/she would react knowing that they are being watched regardless of what they believe in or know... just how they would adapt to their own surroundings. ?Against the plague, which is a mixture, discipline brings into play its power, which is one of analysis.? In this fourth sentence it describes how analyzation is the stregnth of what is considered power. Learning can only make you more intelligent and the more you know the broader your understanding would be which in a mental state would make you stronger. ?A whole literary fiction of the festival grew up around the plague: suspended laws, lifted prospect, individuals unmasked, abandoning their statutory identity and the figure under which they had been recognized, allowing a quite different truth to appear?. When the idividuals were in this plague they began acting different. They were changing their personalities to fit into this containment, as I said earlier, trying to adapt to thier envrionments. But their was also a political dream of the plague, which was exactly its reverse: not the collective festival, but strict divisions; not laws transgressed, but the penetration of regulation into even the smallest details of everyday life through the meditation of the complete hierarchy that assured the capillary functioning of power; not masks that were put on and taken off, but the assignment to each individual of his ?true? name, his ?true? place, his ?true? body, his ?true? disease.? This sentence in the paragraph is talking about a totally different side the of the plague, the ?political side?. Instead of analyizing individuals use the force out of the power to handle these individuals. This was the dream of many that instead of interaction total integration

A Martian Sends a Postcard Home- Essay on point of view Essays

A Martian Sends a Postcard Home- Essay on point of view Essays A Martian Sends a Postcard Home- Essay on point of view Paper A Martian Sends a Postcard Home- Essay on point of view Paper Most analysts believe that the poem is simple and literally is about what the title suggests, UT really It could be discussing the Martians feeling of being trapped and wanting to go home. Realer provides us with many analogies about the Martians Inability to do stuff which could coincide with the barrier between freedom and being trapped like prison. Michael Vicki, a pro football player, has a very interesting description of prison, of being trapped which provides a very interesting analogy that can be made with Rains lines about the Martian. The poem provides many analogies that could represent the feeling of entrapment. For example Rain says Model T is a room with he lock inside?a key is turned to free the world. Rain is making a reference to the Martian being confused and doing everything backwards compared to a human. Rain even makes mention of some sort of haunting as he mentions ghost cries and creepy sounds that wake you up. Even more he talks about time going by as your tied to the wrist and ticking with impatience. It is amazing how confused the Martian is, he is trapped in a deeper meaning wanting to be free. At the end Rain provides his audience with something very Interesting. He uses an analogy where the Martian Is impairing the bathroom to a prison by saying it is a punishment room with only water. This really sets off an idea that Rain could possibly be referencing a prison in his poem. In the real world there are many examples of people crossing the boundary between freedom to Imprisonment and back to freedom. One example of this is Michael Vicki who threw away everything when he was convicted of dog fighting a few years ago. Vicki walked into prison, didnt look at anyone or anything, he was lost. He bit into pork from the cafeteria; it tasted weird not at all like pork he said. He was locked up and all he wanted was freedom. He continued to say how terrible things were as he described the type of things that go on at night In the cell that caused for terribly disturbing nights. Vicki finally hit the wall when he heard his grandma died of a stroke, he said now was finally the time he realized how much he really screwed up. Time was ticking for Vicki and eventually after serving his sentence, he was released. He made the most of his new bound freedom by helping the community and not going back to the life he used to live.

Psycholinguistics Definition and Examples

Psycholinguistics Definition and Examples Psycholinguistics is the study of the mental aspects of language and speech. It is primarily concerned with the ways in which language is represented and processed in the brain. A branch of both linguistics and psychology, psycholinguistics is part of the field of cognitive science. Adjective: psycholinguistic. The term psycholinguistics was introduced by American psychologist Jacob Robert Kantor in his book An Objective Psychology of Grammar (1936). The term was popularized by one of Kantors students, Henry Pronko, in the article Language and Psycholinguistics: A Review (1946). The emergence of  psycholinguistics as an academic discipline is generally linked to an influential seminar at Cornell University in 1951. Pronunciation: si-ko-lin-GWIS-tiks Also Known As: psychology of language Etymology: From the Greek, mind the Latin, tongue On Psycholinguistics Psycholinguistics is  the study of the mental mechanisms that make it possible for people to use language. It is a scientific discipline whose goal is a coherent theory of the way in which language is produced and understood. (Alan Garnham,  Psycholinguistics: Central Topics. Psychology Press, 1985) Two Key Questions At its heart, psycholinguistic work consists of two questions. One is, What knowledge of language is needed for us to use language? In a sense, we must know a language to use it, but we are not always fully aware of this knowledge... The other primary psycholinguistic question is, What cognitive processes are involved in the ordinary use of language? By ordinary use of language I mean such things as understanding a lecture, reading a book, writing a letter, and holding a conversation. By cognitive processes, I mean processes such as perception, memory, and thinking. Although we do few things as often or as easily as speaking and listening, we will find that considerable cognitive processing is going on during those activities. (David Carroll,  Psychology of Language, 5th ed. Thomson, 2008)   How Language Is Done Psycholinguists study how word meaning, sentence meaning, and discourse meaning are computed and represented in the mind. They study how complex words and sentences are composed in speech and how they are broken down into their constituents in the acts of listening and reading. In short, psycholinguists seek to understand how language is done... In general, psycholinguistic studies have revealed that many of the concepts employed in the analysis of sound structure, word structure, and sentence structure also play a role in language processing. However, an account of language processing also requires that we understand how these linguistic concepts interact with other aspects of human processing to enable language production and comprehension. (William OGrady, et al., Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction. Bedford/St. Martins, 2001) An Interdisciplinary Field Psycholinguistics... draws on ideas and knowledge from a number of associated areas, such as phonetics, semantics and pure linguistics. There is a constant exchange of information between psycholinguists and those working in neurolinguistics, who study how language is represented in the brain. There are also close links with studies in artificial intelligence. Indeed, much of the early interest in language processing derived from the AI goals of designing computer programs that can turn speech into writing and programs that can recognize the human voice. (John Field, Psycholinguistics: A Resource Book for Students. Routledge, 2003) On Psycholinguistics and Neuroimaging Psycholinguistics has classically focused on button press tasks and reaction time experiments from which cognitive processes are being inferred. The advent of neuroimaging opened new research perspectives for the psycholinguist as it became possible to look at the neuronal mass activity that underlies language processing. Studies of brain correlates of psycholinguistic processes can complement behavioral results, and in some cases . . . can lead to direct information about the basis of psycholinguistic processes. (Friedmann Pulvermà ¼ller, Word Processing in the Brain as Revealed by Neurophysiological Imaging. The Oxford Handbook of Psycholinguistics, ed. by M. Gareth Gaskell. Oxford University Press, 2009)

How can time management increase efficiency Essay

How can time management increase efficiency - Essay Example Periodic events and periodic motion have been used as standard for units of time. The motion of sun across the sky, the phases of the moon, and the swing of a pendulum are all examples of such events. The unit of time interval is defined as a certain number of hyperfine transitions in Cesium atoms. Time is a prime motivation in astronomy. Time has economic value as people value time in terms of money. Time has social significance and time influences decisions in everyday life. Time has personal value as people are aware of the limited time that each one has at disposal in a human lifetime. A question that often arises in the mind is how does time flow? Is time understood only by those who have time? Is there no passage of time for beings that do not have mind? Can time be defined relative to the instrument that measures time? We perceive time as flowing in smooth and perpetual continuous motion. The passage of time appears to us humans as a flow. Can this flow change? Everything moves all the time. It was initially measured by the movements of the sun and the moon. The passage of time is measured by hours, days, weeks, months and years. According to physics, time is measured based on the revolutions and rotations of the planets or the heavenly bodies (Heller, 2006). The current time measurement can be dated back to the Sumerian civilization of approximately 2000 B.C. This is known as the Sumerian Sexagesimal System based on the number 60. There are sixty seconds in a minute and sixty minutes in an hour. Number twelve also has importance in the definition of time as there are twelve hours of the day and twelve hours of night. There are twelve months in a year. The passage of time is supposed to change us in significant ways. Human have been measuring time since the beginning of civilizations all over the world. In ancient days time was measured with the help of sundials placed above the doorways which could identify the mid-day

Human Resources Questions Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Resources Questions - Coursework Example These barriers often prevented the access of women or needful people in the rightful-places such as in educational institutions or for employment. Affirmative action was the result of the slavery and the injustice done by the white race towards the Anglo-Americans. The citizens of America got opportunities of employment and education on the basis of their color code. The term affirmative action comes from the age old concept of equity or justice. The discrimination done between the black and the white and injustice of the ruling class of America in the twentieth century was the cause for affirmative order. After Barrack Obama became the president of America, it was felt that the affirmative action was no longer required. This is because it became clear from the fact that the citizens, the country and its governing body has understood the importance of providing equal opportunity to people round the world in their country for employment and for getting into educational institutions or other rightful places. This is the actual meaning of globalization (Rubio, 2001, p. 1-2). Generally it is seen that that the performance appraisal depends on the feedback of the employees or the superiors of the company, but the advent of teamwork, training and development of the employees and customer services have shifted the focus of collecting feedback just from employees and superiors to the customers, peer groups and even subordinates as shown in figure 1. This is also called multiple feedback approach for conducting performance appraisal and it is also called 360 degree evaluation. Several past research have shown that 360 degree method of evaluation is accurate, reliable and authentic source of information. In this method the supervisors, subordinates, peers, customers are included to assess the performance of an employee. Considering the organizational culture and the mission of the company,

Mcdonalds Around the World Essay Example for Free

Mcdonalds Around the World Essay Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald’s restaurant in 1955 in the United States. He offered a limited menu of high quality; moderately priced food served fast spotless surroundings. McDonald’s QSCV (quality, service, cleanliness, and value) was a hit. The chain expanded into every state in the nation. By 1983 it had more than 6,000 restaurants in the United States, and by 1995 it had more than 18,000 restaurants in 89 countries. In 1995 alone, the company built 2,400 restaurants, and by 2001 it had more than 29,000 restaurants in 121 countries. In 1967, McDonald’s opened its first restaurant outside the United States- in Canada. Since then, its international growth accelerated. In 1995, the â€Å"Big Six† countries that provided about 80 percent of the international operating income were Canada, Japan, Germany, Australia, France, and Britain. Yet fast food has barely touched many cultures. The opportunities for expanding the market are great, as 99 percent of the world populations are not yet McDonald’s customers. For example, in China, with a population of 1. 2 billion people, there were only 62 McDonald’s restaurants in 1995. McDonald’s vision is to be the major player in food services around the world. In Europe, McDonald’s maintains a small percentage of restaurant sales but commands a large share of the fast-food market. It took the company 14 years of planning before it opened a restaurant in Moscow in 1990. But the planning paid off. After the opening, people were standing in line for up to two hours for a hamburger. It has been said that McDonald’s restaurant in Moscow attracts more visitors (on average 27,000 daily) than Lenin’s mausoleum (about 9,000 people), which used to be the place to see. The Beijing opening in 1992 attracted some 40,000 people to the largest (28,000 square foot) McDonald’s restaurant in China at a location where some 800,000 pedestrians pass by every day. Food is prepared in accordance with local laws. For example, the menus in Arab countries comply with Islamic food preparation laws. In 1995, McDonald’s opened its first kosher restaurant in Jerusalem, where it does not serve dairy products. The taste for fast food, American style, is growing more rapidly abroad than at home. McDonald’s international sales have been increasing by a large percentage every year. Every day, more than 33 million people eat at McDonald’s around the world, with 18 million of them in the United States. Prices vary considerably around the world, ranging from $ 3. 81 in Switzerland to $ 0. 78 in Argentina for the Big Mac, which costs in the United States $ 2. 49. The Economist magazine even devised a Big Mac index to estimate whether a currency is over-or undervalued. For example, the $1. 27 Chinese Mac translates into an implied purchasing power parity of $ 4. 22. The inference is that the Chinese currency is undervalued. Here are other price comparisons for the $ 2. 49 U. S Big Mac: Chile $ 2. 16, Euro area $ 2. 37, Hong Kong $ 1. 40, Japan $ 2. 01, Mexico $ 2. 37, Peru $ 2. 48, Singapore $ 1. 81 and Thailand $ 1. 27. McDonald’s traditional menu has been surprisingly successful. People with diverse dining habits have adopted burgers and fries wholeheartedly. Before McDonald’s introduced the Japanese to French fries, potatoes were used in Japan only to make starch. The Germans thought hamburgers were people from the city of Hamburg. Now McDonald’s also serves chicken, sausage, and salads. Another item, a very different product, is pizza. In Norway, McDonald’s serves grilled salmon sandwich, in the Philippines pasta sauce with frankfurter bits, and in Uruguay hamburger with a poached egg. Any new venture is risky and can be either a very profitable addition or a costly experiment. Despite the global operations, McDonald’s stays in close contact with its customers, who want good taste, fast and friendly service, clean surroundings, and quality. To attain quality, so called quality assurance centers are located in the United States, Europe, and Asia. In addition, training plays an important part in customer service. Besides day-today coaching, Hamburger Universities in the United States, Germany, Britain, Japan, and Australia teach the necessary skills in 22 languages with the aim of providing 100 percent customer satisfaction. It is interesting that McDonald’s was one of the first restaurants in Europe to welcome families with children. Not only are children welcomed, but in many restaurants they are also entertained with crayons and paper, a play land, and the clown Ronald McDonald, who can speak 20 languages. With generally aging populations, McDonald’s takes aim at the adult market. With heavy advertising (it has been said that McDonald’s will spend $200 million to promote the new burger), the company introduced Arch Deluxe on a potato-flower bun with lettuce, onions, ketchup, tomato slices, American cheese, grainy mustard, and Mayonnaise. Although McDonald’s considers the over 50 adult burger a great success, a survey conducted five weeks after its introduction showed mixed results. McDonald’s golden arches promise the same basic menu and QSCV in every restaurant. Its products, handling and cooking procedures, and kitchen layouts are standardized and strictly controlled. McDonald’s revoked the first French franchise because the franchise failed to meet its standards for fast service and cleanliness, even though their restaurants were highly profitable. This may have delayed its expansion in France. McDonald’s restaurants are run by local managers and crews. Owners and managers attend the Hamburger University near Chicago or in other places around the world to learn how to operate a McDonald’s restaurants and maintain QSCV. The main campus library and modern electronic classrooms (which include simultaneous translation systems) are the envy of many universities. When McDonald’s opened in Moscow, a one-page advertisement resulted in 30,000 inquiries about the jobs; 4,000 people were interviewed and some 300 were hired. The pay is about 50 percent higher than the average Soviet salary. McDonald’s ensures consistent products by controlling every stage of the distribution. Regional distribution centers purchase products and distribute them to individual restaurants. The centers will buy from local suppliers if the suppliers can meet detailed specifications. McDonald’s has had to make some concessions to available products. For example, it is difficult to introduce the Idaho potato in Europe because of special soil requirements. McDonald’s uses essentially the same competitive strategy in every country: be first in a market and establish its brand as rapidly as possible by advertising very heavily. New restaurants are opened with a bang. So many people attended the opening of one Tokyo restaurant that the police closed the street to vehicles. The strategy has helped McDonald’s develop a strong market share in the fast-food market, even though its U. S competitors and new local competitors quickly enter the market. McDonald’s advertising campaigns are based on local themes and reflect the different environments. In Japan, where burgers are a snack, McDonald’s competes against confectioneries and new â€Å"fast sushi† restaurants. Many of the charitable causes McDonald’s supports abroad have been recommended by its local restaurants. McDonald’s business structures take a variety of forms, with 66 percent of the restaurants being franchises. The development licenses are similar to franchising, but they do not require McDonald’s investment. Joint ventures are undertaken when understanding of the local environment is critically important. The McDonald’s Corporation operates about 21 percent of the restaurants. McDonald’s has been willing to relinquish the most control to its Far Eastern operations, where many restaurants are joint ventures with local entrepreneurs, who own 50 percent or more of the restaurant. European and South American restaurants are generally company-operated or franchised (although there are many affiliates, or joint ventures, in France). Like the U. S franchises, restaurants abroad are allowed to experiment with their menus. In Japan, hamburgers are smaller because they are considered a snack. The Quarter Pounder does not make much sense to people on a metric system, so it is called a Double Burger. Some German restaurants serve beer; some French restaurants serve wine. Some Far Eastern McDonald’s restaurants offer oriental noodles. In Canada, the menu includes cheese, vegetables, pepperoni, and deluxe pizza. However, these new items must not disrupt the existing operation. Despite its success, McDonald’s faces tough competitors, such as Burger King, Wendy’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), and now also Pizza Hut. Moreover, fast food in reheatable containers is now also sold in supermarkets, delicatessens, convenience stores, and even gas stations. McDonald’s has done very well, with a great percentage of profits coming now from International operations. For example, McDonald’s dominates the Japanese market with 1,860 outlets (half the Japanese market) in 1996 compared to only 43 Burger King Restaurants. However, the British food conglomerate Grand Metropolitan PLC, which owns Burger King, haw an aggressive strategy for Asia. Although McDonald’s has been in a very favorable competitive position, since 2001 the customer satisfaction level has been below that of its competitors Wendy’s and Burger King. In China, KFC is more popular than McDonald’s. Some observers suggest that McDonald’s has expanded too fast and that Burger King and Wendy’s have tastiest meals. It is Mr. Jack Greenberg’s (McDonald’s top manager) task to change things around.

Corporate Law Essay -- Business, Free Market

Harmonization of private international law aspects concerning corporations is the best way to resolve the uncertainties surrounding corporate cross-border mobility. Harmonization of substantive laws concerning corporations is, on the other hand, unattainable and undesirable? Discuss in relation to: (i) Regulating company law matters; AND (ii) Regulating their insolvency. 1. Introduction Modern day corporations with their multilateral nature have created their owned corporate governance regime. Proponents argue that this corporation are replacing states and brining their own current in world’s economy especially the free market. Further, with the wave of globalization these firms have established themselves so firmly in the local and cross border markets that are beyond the imagination as to compare to the perception when the idea of company was formally conceived in legislative instrument. The ongoing process of globalization has also provided corporation with profound changes in the way they conduct their business. Today international transactions are not merely exchange of goods with the foreigner as was in the recent past. Now, corporations are involved in every transaction and there are number of agreements and process going in between such transactions. Comparatively there are more complex legal regimes on one hand, and liberty of abolition of national b arriers with great competition. Today, corporations have a number of methods to capture any market around the globe. There are thin line for demarcation of the area of private international law and public international law as both govern the relationship between international person and states or international person with international person or both depending on th... ...ng. [FN9] That is, the con-tracts between shareholders and other constituencies and the constitution between shareholders and managers create appropriate incentives for the value of the firm to be maximised and distributed amongst the various claimants. The need for judicial intervention should be limited to exceptional cases (although the definition of ‘exceptional’ may be debated). Much attention has been paid to the role of contracts in the theory of the firm, but the role of the constitution as a regulator of collective action by shareholders has not been analysed systematically. [FN10] In the section that follows, I initially *422 analyse the role of organisational constitutions in regulating collective action in general terms, having regard to the constitutional economics of James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock. [FN11] I then apply this model to corporations.

Athena and Telemachus

Chayenne Georges Prof Jette Eng-111 3/10/13 Athena and Telemachus Athena, the Grey eyed goddess, is one of those women in The Odyssey whose role is so important. She is the goddess of wisdom, who helps Telemachus on a journey to bring his father back home. Athena goes to Odysseus son to put courage in him. She doesn’t show her true self to humans; instead Athena disguises herself on three different occasions. She appeared as Odysseus friend Mentes, when she approached Telemachus. When Athena touches down Ithaca she is immediately spotted by Telemachus, who was sitting unhappy among the suitor.Free-will is greatly used between Athena and Telemachus, when she is persuading him to find his father. Athena says, â€Å"If I were you, I should take these steps to make these men disperse,† [Homer, 320]. Here Athena is trying to get Telemachus to realize that it’s time for his father to come to Ithaca, and he has to get the suitors out of his home. In The Odyssey Telemach us is portrayed as a boy who has to grow up, he needs to find the courage and guidance to find his father, Athena is Telemachus’ voice she is the one who helps give this courage to him.The Odyssey give you more of an external view of the characters, it doesn’t really expose their inner thoughts or feelings. Meadowlands by, Louise Gluck demonstrates Telemachus’ true feelings for his father. â€Å"When I was younger I felt sorry for myself compulsively; in practical terms, I had no father; my mother lived at her loom hypothesizing her husband’s erotic life;† [Meadowlands, Telemachus’ Kindness, 24]. Here a whole different side of Telemachus is being identified.In Meadowlands Telemachus is angry at his parents, he pity them. This quote from Telemachus’ Kindness shows the anger he has towards his father for leaving. He feels as if he had no childhood because he never had a father figure in his life. Penelope sorrowed over Odysseus absence, instead of marrying one of the suitors and give Telemachus a father figure, someone to look to, Penelope often fantasied about her husband life and what he is doing while he is gone. She would loom every night to stall the suitors, keep from marrying them.

Facebook effects Essay

THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF FACEBOOK A Keeping in touch with family and friends-Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with your family and friends that live far away with instant messaging and even video chat. Facebook is the perfect environment to stay connected with the status updates, photos, and profile, information it can keep you updated on the happeningof all your close ones. B Making new friends-Facebook makes meeting new people extremely easy due to the facts that it allow you to add to thousands of friends, and acts as a social melting pot of the internet. If you comment on a friends status and one of their friends comment on it maybe you too will strike up your own conversation. This can lead to a great friendship down the road. Those people find it a lot easier to start a conversation with someone over facebook that it real life. So a lot of high school relationships tend to start there. It’s as so a lot of high school relationship tend to start there. It’s as simple as a â€Å"you should text me some time. C Expressing yourself. Facebook makes expressing yourself very simple with status updates. Between showing of your favorite song lyrics to posting pictures of your new outfit. Facebook is the most common way the people express themselves these days. It is a lot harder to feel embarrassment over the internet than in person, so people find it easier to â€Å"event† their feeling on facebook. Claim that it is a worldwide distraction and even obsession that amount to nothing except for significant amounts of the time wasted there is even a group that is trying to stunt the influence. THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF FACEBOOK A Cyber bullying-on Facebook is very easy to cyber bullies to thrive. They can harras and/or gang up one person even easier than they could in a school environment. There aren’t moderators that go around monitoring what people say to each other. Anything can be said. There are also a relatively small amount of parents that have facebook accounts and keep up with their children. More than once we witnessed this form of bullying, whether it be about race appearance, intelligence. B Stalker friendly-Facebook is very stalker friendly website the eoretically, someone that you don’t even know can say that they go to your school, add you and get all of your information this way include your phone number, house address and locations you visit frequently. Not to mention the fact that they will be able to go through all of your pictures and get to know you completely without you ever knowing. This is a scary thought but it is a real issue. Social networking site have several types of users the stalker, the smooth talker, the quiet type the narcissist, Mr, Mrs. Friendly, the games, and the bully are just a few names that I use to describe some of them when using facebookas any type of social networking site one should always be aware. C Distraction- At the end of the day you may have seen your cousin’s new outfit and talked to your sister who is in college, but you still haven’t really accomplished anything in the hour that you were on. Critics of facebook claim that it is a worldwide distraction and even obsession that amount to nothing except for significant amount to nothing of the time wasted. There is even a group that is trying to stunt the influence of facebook.

The Chrysantemums essays

The Chrysantemums essays Chrysanthemums, by John Steinbeck To have an excellent short story, it must contain a vivid setting that the readers can visualize, a realistic characterization that is easy to relate to, and a well developed plot. John Steinbecks The Chrysanthemums definitely meets all these requirements. The Chrysanthemums is set in the Salinas Valley in California. A place where sunshine shines off the river, but in December, it bathes in cold sunshine. The high gray-flannel fog of winter closed off the Salinas Valley from the sky and all the rest of the world. On every side it sat like a lid on the mountains and made of the great valley a closed pot (326). The wintry weather blew a light wind from the southwest, which the farmers hoped would bring rain. The immediate setting is Henry Allens ranch across the river. There is little work to be done there, the hay has been cut and the orchards were plowed up awaiting the rain. In the garden, Elisa Allen is cutting down the old chrysanthemum stalks. Steinbecks description of the Salinas Valley is remarkable. The setting is an important part of the puzzle that completes a short story; it lets the readers visualize the scenery. Steinbeck creates a realistic characterization in this story with Elisa Allen. She is a strong woman who struggles with equality and feminism. Early in the story, Elisa conceals her figure in her gardening clothes. She wears a mans black hat to cover her eyes, clodhopper shoes to hide her feet, and an apron covering her sunflower dress. In her garden, Elisa cuts down her chrysanthemums stalks with intense energy. This makes her feel masculine and in control. She struggles to exemplify her masculinity in a male dominated society. When her husband Henry comes over and jokes about taking her to the fights, Elisa says she wouldnt like fights. Elisa reacts like a man to situations, but is always re ...

Brand Extension Essay Example for Free

Brand Extension Essay Brand extension is a marketing strategy according to which a company marketing a product or a service launches a new offering (product or service) that is related to the one of the existing brands of the company, but offers different benefits and/or targets a different segment. Organizations use this strategy to increase and leverage upon their brand equity. When a firm is introducing a new product, it has the following 3 choices on branding: 1. Developing a new brand for the new product 2. Using the existing brand for the new product 3. Combining the new brand and the existing brand The use of 2nd and 3rd strategy is referred to as brand extension. Brands may be classified as one of the following: Parent Brand: If an existing brand gives birth to a brand extension, it is referred to as parent brand. Sub Brand: When a new brand is combined with an existing brand, it is called as sub brand. Family Brand: If a parent brand has links with multiple brands through brand extensions then it is called as family brand. There are a large number of ways in which brand extension can be accomplished. One of the vital differences is if the extension is in the same or different category of the product. Thus they can be classified as: vertical or horizontal extensions. Vertical extensions refer to the introduction of a related brand in the same product category but having a different price and quality balance. Vertical extensions offer the firm a quickest way to leverage upon the core product’s equity. As an extension strategy, vertical extension is widely practiced in many industries. For example, within automobile industry, the various brand models attempt to offer different price-quality bundles to attract various market segments. Often a product is extended in an attempt to just gain more of the market share. New product introductions using vertical extensions can extend in 2 directions, upscale and downscale vertical extensions. The vertical brand extension is that type of new product introduction that seems to be carrying less risk and seemingly having more appeal to management. The new product which is being introduced is in the same category as the parent product; aims at a same market segment as the parent, and may or may not enjoy the same acceptance as the parent. Upscale extensions involve a new product introduction by the firm with higher price & quality characteristics than the original product. It involves a new product introduction with lower price & quality characteristics than the original. Downscale vertical extensions may target sampling to a new segment, and bring some gain in market share. Generally, horizontal brand extensions either use or extend an existing product’s name to a new product in the same product category or to a product category new to the organization. There are 2 types of horizontal extensions which differ in terms of their focus area. They are termed as line extensions and category extensions. All the customers differ in terms of their usage needs. The brand has to fill the market with variety of products as per the needs of the segments. If a parent brand is used to brand a new product that targets a new segment in the market within the same product category that was previously served by the parent brand, it is called as line extension. Line extension leads to the addition of a new and distinct flavour or ingredient to the category. It sometimes might also lead to a new application for the brand or an introduction of a different form or size. For example, Bisleri is the pioneering brand in category of mineral water. Originally, Bisleri started off with 1 ltr bottle. But recently, the brand has launched bottles of different sizes and quantities. Brand Extension. (2016, Dec 08).

Comparative Analysis of Prayer in Islam with Prayer in Christianity Research Paper

Comparative Analysis of Prayer in Islam with Prayer in Christianity - Research Paper Example Comparative Analysis of Prayer in Islam with Prayer in Christianity It will analyze role and meaning of prayer in general as well as in each of two religions in particular. The first part of the paper will examine such prayer related themes as meaning of prayer in Islam: calling out of the muezzin: parts of the five time prayer; prayer in the Koran; the Fatiha – the main prayer of the Muslims. The second part of the paper will discuss prayer from Christian perspective: particularly prayer in Catholicism and ways of praying; Liturgy of the hours; prayer and the Scripture; the Lord’s Prayer – the main prayer of the Christians. Notion of pray is present almost in all religions which eve existed and still exist today. Prayer usually expresses such feelings as love and faith, respect, regret and sorrow, happiness and gratitude. Being one of the essential parts of spiritual practice, a prayer is utilized in worshiping God. However, prayer is different in different religions. There are various forms of prayer: spoken and written words, meditations, songs, etc. usually religious people call prayer a conversation with God. However, only religious people can understand all the nuances and meanings of the spiritual power of a prayer (Beasler 196). According to Mauss prayer is very ancient and unique religious phenomenon (p. 21). Role of prayer has always been complex and constantly changing. Both in Islam and in Christianity prayer place significant role, because is the first and the major means of communication or connection of the believer and God. II. Meaning of prayer 1. Prayer in Islam Holy prayer salat is one of the major pillars of Islam. Except prayer there are four other fundamentals of Islam such as almsgiving (zakat), fasting during the month of Ramadan (sawm), pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj), and personal declaration of faith to God and Mohammed (shahad) (Oh 38). Role of prayer in Islam cannot be underestimated. According to the teachings of the Muslims, the payer was mentioned by the Prophet Mohammed after his revelation about faith. Like Moses and Jesus taught about role of prayer and praying, Mohammed taught about praying Allah. One cannot be a Muslim without praying. It is obligation of every Muslim to pray God and Prophet in their remembrance, because prayer is act of confession of faith. Muslims deliver their prayer five times a day, so prayer is rather an act of worshiping: at daybreak, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening. Muhammad himself established the times for praying as well as ritual actions. In Muslim countries anyone can hear the call to pray of the muezzin. It serves as a calling out or a reminder to pray. Usually the muezzin delivers his calling out via a megaphone located on the top of a mosque’s minaret. So, the muezzin calls out: God is most great [Allahu Akbar], God is most great, God is most great, God is most great, I witness that there is no god but God [Allah]; I witness that there is no god but God. I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God. I witn ess that Muhammad is the messenger of God. Come to prayer; come to prayer! Come to prosperity; come to prosperity! God is most great. God is most great. There is no god but God (Esposito 18). People, who are at work or with family, busy or doing nothing, hear the reminder and know that it’s time to go to pray. No matter how busy a person is, they should go to the mosque and concentrate their mind on the pray to their God Allah. Even if there is no mosque nearby, a person can pray in

Chinese Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Chinese Society - Essay Example the general citizenry of urban areas and the affect of widespread technological advances, such as online educational opportunities upon the traditional Chinese family. This feeling is entrenched within ancient Confucian culture and has escalated with inception of the one-child policy in 1979. Despite China’s rapid ascent into the global economy, which has resulted in increased exposure into the global cultures, the sexism from ancient times has persevered and increased as is evidenced by the disproportionate male to female births over the past two decades. This policy was intended simply to limit the skyrocketing population of the country but has affected population arrangements, economic growth, resource deployment and the stream of migration throughout China. Marriage and child-bearing ages have risen, the size of families has decreased, male-to-female ratio has increased and urban populations have escalated. Unquestionably, the far-reaching effects of the one child policy cannot be understood by merely measuring population numbers or birth rates. One also must factor quality of life into the equation including living standards, crime and education. Moreover, the sex-imbalance can be represented by the rising sex ratio at birth (Hung 2004). The current trend of noticeable labor migration from rural to urban China is becoming a significant social factor greatly altering the whole of society. Studies conducted in 1995 determined that 70 million people nationwide had abandoned their home town for temporary or continuing employment in larger towns within the region or to urban areas (Shukai, 1996). The mass amounts of people constantly streaming into urban areas have put a strain on the infrastructures of many cities in China. This has become a serious problem because most cities’ governing bodies could, at best, barely support its present population in terms of social amenities. For example, most railway stations in big cities experienced massive

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

English - Essay Example Ideally, the bodies giving censorship to books, films, and music, radio or television programs and artistic expression ensure that the information they think is unacceptable to the members of the public and threatens the socio economic and political order of the state has been altered. Specific bodies like the government, religious body or even privet groups are capable to impose censorship on artworks, film, music, and television and radio programs among others. Various forms of censorship exist namely, preventative which is done before publishing the expression, licensing, prior restraint by the government, self-censorship, and punitive censorship usually done after the publication of the material. Basically, in most cases, it is done to protect the public from filthy materials or information especially the children. Some individuals are against censorship as they argue that it deprives them their right to be freely express themselves. Censorship can be done in order to uphold the societal moral values like in the case of censorship to pornography films. Moreover, the stability of the state and the togetherness of people in a nation can be maintained or protected wherever there is censorship to media to reconsider the information they are distributing to individuals. ... In the United States, right to free speech has been clearly provided by First Amendment of the Constitution. Therefore, freedom of expression and right to free speech correlate and so people should be entitled to freely express themselves whether in television, forums or in any form of artwork. Artists have however, claimed that their creativity and art have been somehow negatively interfered with the so called censorship. According to some artists, censorship has restricted creative expression since one has to limit and revise their materials without being displayed to the whole public. But still artists, individuals and other media personalities can entertain people and transmit the intended message without any indecent or coarse words. The following are examples of censorship from my personal experience, from the article by Inglis called, â€Å"The Ed Sullivan Show† and from a general perspective. To start with, when I was about twelve years old, my parents were very keen o n which channel I was watching, which programs I was listening to, and the peers I was hanging out with. This to them was a way of ensuring that I learn good manners and be a responsible person in future. For this reason, they censored almost everything in my life and even at school, teachers tended to do the same arguing it was for our own good. I would argue that, yes there are certain words, music that cannot be aired in popular radio stations where they can be heard by everyone including the innocent children. However, today there are many programs that demand for particular audience. For instance, at the beginning of certain programs, there are indicated PG to block children from watching or listening to them or parents are advised to

Threats To Ict System And Organisations Information Technology Essay

Threats To Ict System And Organisations Information Technology Essay Scanners Various methods are used by people to attack systems using scanners. People are able to download scanners from the internet in order to scan addresses and obtain information about TCP ports. People can discover IP addresses by mapping using DNS. Hackers use this potential tactic assuring what systems are active and available to hack. Range of addresses This is a scanner which is very simple, visual and fast at scanning as it searches for a range of addresses. Deep probe in order to reveal essential information of a device then completing a deep probe is the useful way moreover, it can also be used when there is a remote fault. Scanning a wireless system If there is no encryption can result wireless systems to be very vulnerable. When looking at mobile networking, wireless access points need to be established as they can be accessed when connected to the laptop, PDA, or mobile. Windows has a feature that contains a tool that can allow you to click on a network icon for your wireless network connection. ARP poisoning Within the system these are known as switch based networks that are very secure as they create micro-segments. However, there is still an issues of attack in many networks. In order to tackle this problem, the memory must be monitored of many network by checking MAC address as they appear in locations more than once: here is a diagram to help your understating Default Gateway Victim Victim Default Gateway Man in the middle Magic disk are known to be boot disks that can be downloaded on the internet for the purpose of restarting the computer and subvert the operating system. There are some very good magic disks for instance the ultimate boot CD that can resolve issues of viruses and Trojans moreover, drive, hardware and operating system failures. In order to avoid anyone using a magic disk it is vital is password lock the BIOS and also USB sticks, floppy disks and CD/DVDs should not be used as boot devices. Key loggers Key loggers are applications that are used to record key stroke also can be used for mouse activities then interestingly sends the information to a file or in some case that are often used remote network location. There are very difficult to track as they are hidden but can be found using anti-virus software application. If suspecting there is a threat, run a protocol scanner, which works by looking at contents of every data packet. Access causing damage to data or jamming resources Unauthorised access to software can result to damaged data or restricting resources. There are attacks that can access systems without the need of damaging however, an intrusion can always have an effect on the system. Virus Attacks in all computer systems, virus attacks can occur when rogue code has entered in to the system. Viruses work by hiding themselves in ordinary executable code. They can damage the system by opening and closing the CD/DVD door, swapping key responses or can spread themselves by self reproducing and can serious damage the hard drive. There are virus scanners which will detect a virus by opening the file and scanning the code. Trojans Trojans are programs with a hidden identity and seem to look as a program or a file in which it can be normal or harmless to your PC. Worms Worms have a process of forwarding through the use of emails from the data of your contact list. Piggybacking, Tunnels and probes Knowledge is required for data for when forging data or spoofing and that knowledge network programming languages ranging from; Java, C++ or VB.NET. Hackers have the ability to hand craft a data packet in order for an application to be forced or information given away by server, lead to a service attack or piggyback/tunnel in which that happens into a system via an acceptable protocol. Phishing and Identity theft This is a recent developed method that allows unauthorised to systems. Phising works by luring people into showing their personal information in which this is done through social engineering for instance; when you receive emails supposedly to be from banks saying ISP etc. asking you to follow this link to lead you to their site in order for you to change your details in which that can be a HTTPS which that can be in operational. Natural Disasters Natural disasters can occur to many systems ranging from power outage, flood or fire leading to serious major damage. Organisations have computer systems that are specifically built to cope with these series of issues. The disaster policy have several ways to implement the following: Remote storage of all data to be done in daily back up Duplication of critical servers Malicious damage constantly there are malicious damages occurring internal and external to systems. Malicious damage can be caused by external hackers. The hackers then attack the systems. There are many security ways of preventing this however, hackers always find a way to do what they do best. Technical Failure There is always technical failure that occurs a lot now at days for instance when sever storages are lost, or bad internet connection that can cause disruption to the whole organisation. The large use of network technology for instance voice, video and CCTV can lead to a commercial damage and disrupt the security of the system. Human Errors Human errors occur unpredictably however, it does happen very frequently due many things for instance being forgetful, ignorant, or having lack of knowledge. This then results to system failure. Users can forget to back up data which then leads to loss of data is something happens to the system etc. Theft An Organisation or individuals can be damaged heavily in which that can be long lasting impact due to theft of data. Theft occurs in the cyber sense in which that is known as to be hacking, or physically removing data by CD/DVDs, memory sticks etc. Integrity and completeness of data This is a critical matter integrity and completeness of data as damaged can be caused if there is incorrect data. Incorrect data can result to distress and legal action especially the data in medical records, police systems as well as credit reports. You need to have appropriate people to check the data correctly maybe of customers or personal details by asking a colleague or customer to check if correct. Physical Security Systems can be safe with the latest the latest anti virus and firewall however, that is all useless if anyone can have access to the sever room and manages to get critical data on to a USB memory stick by copying the data. In organisations there should be security features that need to be present; lock and key security, equipment identificatyion, CCTV, Detection of intrusion etc. Lock and Key Security There is a need to secure devices such as laptops by inserting a padlock chain. In buildings there are many locks and key systems that operates a system that is master/submaster system. Equipment Identification this involves stolen properties identified for instance if a computer from school/college is stolen, it can be identified from the marking clearly showing ownership and origin which can lead to prosecution. Equipment can be identified through the use of indelible ink which labels the property of the owner in which it is invisible and ultra-violet sensitive ink. CCTV (Closed circuit television) This involves cameras used 24/7 in monitoring people or events. There are several advantages to its use for instance, central centres that are centralised can be monitored, a record of 24/7 events are maintained, and lastly mentioning that CCTV is at present to prevent bad behaviour to occur. Intrusion detection systems intrusion detections are used by many organisations which can detect human presence in many ways. The operate through various ways for instance, body heat is sensed by passive infrared, detect many movements through the use of microphones, doors and windows have circuit breakers for access etc. Staff visitor identification systems many from small to large organisations have systems that can identify staff or visitors in order to prevent unknown people to access. People can be identified through the use of identity cards in which it is a must for everyone in the premises to wear them. Biometrics Biometrics involves the use of finger printing to recognise, retinal scans and voice recognition. Fingerprint recognition this biometric form is commonly used in detecting in crime scenes. Our fingers contain a water solution which enables the detection on finger printing to work. There are several scanners that finger prints by detecting ridges in our fingers. Finger printing can also work in identification for passports and visa. Retinal Scans The retina is located at the rear of the eye and it is very similar to a finger print as it contains unique configuration. However, there is a difference between them as a finger print can be changed when the skin is removed through cuts or burns whereas it is impossible for the retina to be changed unless someone attempts to tamper with the eye bow which is highly unlikely. Iris scanning This is another unique identification eye method which is the iris. The difference between the retina is that the iris can be scanned when the recipient is wearing glasses or contact lenses. Voice Recognition This form of biometric is not being commonly used as voice can change due to various reasons for instance if someone is ill, stressed or has a throat infection that can affect someones voice. Software and network security Organisations all need to have security, techniques to manage data and technologies in order to combat intrusion and superverion of computers that are networking to prevent data being damaged or resources being affected. Encryption Encryption involves the conversion text, images and media information in to a format. RSA encryption is a Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir and Len Adleman in they are mathematicians who enforced the public/private key encryption through the use of prime numbers. In encryption there are many ciphers that exist for instance Caesar cipher, in which relies on simple key of changing one letter with the letter a fixed number of places down the alphabet. The operation of this works by using shift of four places meaning A becomes E and B becomes F etc. DES (Data Encryption Standard) is a cipher uses key 56 bits in length in which this can be mathematically explained. A public/private key can be used by RSA encryption; with an example of how the security certificate is issued by a website. As the creation of a key is done the certificate is a public key part of the exchange. Call back Dial up systems use call back where remote workers or network administrators are able to dial into a network or devices that have network and it will then call them back. In order to call back the number is pre-configuared. Users are unable to connect from any location but only the ones which are trusted and registered lines. Handshaking When data is being sent through a medium in WAN systems it in which it is not trusted, in order to obtain the trust the devices are each tested in a challenge as it carriers username and password in order to indentify the device. Diskless networks There are common ways data is stolen for instance when data is transferred from a computer to a mobile device storage. Backups Backing up data is important in order to restore critical data to assure that it is safe and secure, if data is not backed up very frequently will result the organisation loosing data in which that can be costly. Audit logs Audit logs are used for the purpose to keep records of network and database activity to also have a record of who has done what, when they did it and where. There are various purposes for instance, to maintain records that are detailed on how many systems are being used. Syslog is a commonly used system that is able to store simple, auditable records system activities. Firewall Configuration This enables users to be able to remove filters depending on various conditions: IP Addresses: Every machinery running of the internet each has an assigned address called the IP address. The IP addresses consist of 32 bit number and can be understood as octets in number which is decimal dotted. Domain Names: The sequence of numbers that produces the IP addresses can be hard to be remembered since a change of IP addresses tends to occur. Norton Security has a firewall as well as the Norton 360. How to check your FIREWALL settings Windows has a firewall that can be configured through control panel by opening it. The exceptions tab need to be selected and you will view a list of automatically configured expectations. You then select the add pot option. Virus Protection software Firstly, computers can be a victim of virus, worms and Trojan attack from the internet access as well as emails. There are various ways of protecting the computer from such things which are sadly created by virus writers A virus scanner can only be used when the user initiates it. There is a virus start up scanner that begins to run as soon as the booting process begins by checking for sector viruses. A memory resident scanner software checks for incoming emails as well as browser document by doing an automatic check on the environment of the computer. There are various types anti viruses all ranging with different abilities and some are much more secure than others and can be downloaded on the internet. These anti viruses can work through doing file emulation, file analysis, Heuristic-based detection, Malicious activity detection and Signature based detection. An anti virus basically examines the files for known recognisable viruses through the virus dictionary as well as to identify unrecognisable activities of behaviour in the computer to see if an infection may be occurring. A virus dictionary consist of list of viruses known and to be put by the producer of the software and so when an anti virus detects a virus it then refers to the dictionary to confirm, then initiates the deletion of the infection or it can quarantine the virus in order for it not to be accessible to other programs as well as stopping it from spreading or the attempt re-creating its self. Anti viruses also consist of suspicious alert in which it immediately alerts the user if it is suspecting or has suspected of a threat occurring then it ask the user if they want to proceed or what to do. The most destructive and spreads widely is argued to be the macro viruses, and mostly affects Microsoft as they need to overcome their security flaws in the out look in order to pr event this destruction occurring to the documents. A common way how viruses normally access the computers is through networking of local networks even through the internet by going through unprotected security patches which can be holes in the software or having an infected sent thought the use of email, downloads or disk sharing. Some of the viruses may set in to Excel or word file or has been created to initiate through email, and as soon as the computer it is infected it can carry on its destruction to other computers without the awareness from the user. Anti virus software updates are highly vital as new viruses can be created and the older softwares may not be able to protect you from it. VIRUS It is called a virus because it spreads everywhere and enables data to be deleted as well as corrupt files. WORM Worms have a process of forwarding through the use of emails from the data of your contact list. TROJANS Trojans are programs with a hidden identity and seem to look as a program or a file in which it can be normal or harmless to your PC. POLYMORPHING This is a clever ability a virus has for when changing its appearance, size, signature for every turn it attacks the computer because it makes it difficult for a virus software to recognise it. Software Utility Purpose Screenshot VIRUS PROTECTION Anti-Virus Protection Anti-Spyware E-mail Scanner ID Protection Link Scanner Resident Shield VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORKS (VPNs) Organisations are able to communicate from site to site in a public system through the use of VPN for instance the internet, via tunnel in which that is the route for all encrypted traffic. VPNs have a trusted connection on a system that has not been trusted. Passwords Managing passwords is very essential, organisations must ensure that the protection of the password is very safe to prevent troublesome. If the password is forgotten will lead to many problems. The password must not be written down Change the password for at least every 3 months Put a very strong password Software Update Software update is very important as it ensures that the system is safe from possible faults and vulnerabilities from various application. When the software updates it is an automatic update in order to remove the need of worrying on the update of the system. REFERENCES USED BTEC National Information Technology Practitioners Book 1 by Jenny Lawson

Examining Four Types of Diversity Essay -- demographics, culture, profe

While diversity is often a term used to refer specifically to cultural differences, diversity applies to all the qualities that make people different. From a management perspective, the key to diversity is to understand how different types of diversity and different demographic characteristics can impact human behavior. The four types of diversity that will be examined are: occupation, differences in skills and abilities, personality traits, and value and attitudes. For each type of diversity, the impact on individual behavior will be described. One type of diversity is occupation. For example, an individual in a professional occupation is more likely to make his or her own decisions and is also more likely to reject being managed too strongly. The case of a medical doctor is one example. A medical doctor considers themselves an expert on their area and is also likely to consider that nobody else has the same expertise. Based on this, the individual is likely to make his or her own decisions and to act independently. The same also applies to other professional occupations such as lawyers and scientists. This can be contrasted with positions that are generally considered as requiring less expertise. For example, a salesperson or a secretary would be more likely to accept that their role is a support function, with this meaning that they are less likely to act independently and more likely to take direction. Another important aspect of occupation is that a person's behaviors will change based on the role of that occupat ion. In short, most people will adapt their behavior to match it with what they consider expected behavior for that role. For example, an individual in a supervisory role ... ...ive for the organization and negative for themselves. This shows how values and attitudes influence individual behavior. From this paper one can see that diversity is much more than just cultural differences. Occupation, differences in skills and abilities, personality traits, and values and attitudes are just a few of the types of diversity that impact individual behavior. Diversity is everything that makes up a person from birth. All life experiences play a part in the make up of diversity. References Daft, R.L. (1997). Management. Fort Worth, TX: The Dryden Press. Kandola, R., & Fullerton, J. (2000). "Diversity: More than just an empty slogan." The Effective Manager: Perspective and Illustrations. Ed. Jon Billsberry. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications: 287-294. Seamon, J.G., & Kenrick, D.T. (1994). Psychology. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Conflicts and Themes of Godfather Death Essay

Notes adopted from Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama and A Short Guide to Writing About Literature Fiction: A name for stories not entirely factual, but at least partially shaped, made up, or imagined. Stories can be based on factual material (I.e., the historical novel) but the factual information is of secondary importance. Ex: Gone with the Wind. Types of Fiction: Fable: A brief story that sets forth some pointed statement of truth. Most fables involve animals endowed with human traits of character and consciousness but do at times involve astronomical bodies and natural physical forces with character traits as in â€Å"The North Wind and the Sun.† A fable customarily ends by explicitly stating its moral. Ex: â€Å"The North Wind and the Sun† (5-6) Parable: A brief narrative that teaches a moral, but unlike a fable, its plot is plausibly realistic, and the main characters are human. The morals of parables are also implied instead of explicitly stated. Ex: â€Å"The Parable of the Good Samaritan† Tale: A story, usually short, that sets forth strange and wonderful events in more or less bare summary, without detailed character drawing. Two variations of tales are fairy tales (â€Å"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs†) or tall tales (â€Å"Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox†). Ex: â€Å"Godfather Death† (8-10) Short Story: A prose narrative too brief to be published in a separate volume–as novellas and novels frequently are. The short story is usually a focused narrative that presents one or two main characters involved in a single compelling action. Ex: â€Å"A&P† (14-9) Novella: In modern terms, a prose narrative longer than a short story but shorter than a novel (approximately 30,000 to 50,000 words). A novella is long enough to be published independently as a brief book. Ex: Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness; Susanna Rowson’s Charlotte Temple Novel: An extended work of fictional prose narrative. Because of its extended length, a novel usually has more characters, more varied scenes, and a broader  coverage of time than a short story. Ex: The Great Gatsby Elements of Fiction: Plot: The particular arrangement of actions, events, and situations that unfold in a narrative. A plot is not merely the general story in a narrative but the author’s artistic pattern made from the parts of narrative including the exposition, rising and falling actions, climax, and denouement. One way to look at the organization of the happenings in many works of fiction is to see the plot as a pyramid or triangle. Freytag’s Pyramind: 3. Climax 2. Rising Action 4. Falling Action 1. Exposition5. Denouement 1. Exposition: The opening portion that sets the scene (if any), introduces the main characters, tells us what happened before the story opened, and provides any background information we need in order to understand and care about the events that follow. Usually introduced to protagonist (Central character who usually initiates the main action of the story) and antagonist (a character or foe that opposes the antagonist) 2. Rising Action: The early happenings, with their increasing tension. Often characterized by suspense (enjoyable anxiety created in the reader by the author’s handling of plot) and foreshadowing (suggestions of what is to come later in the story). 3. Climax: The rising action culminates in a moment of high tension or crisis–signals a turning point in narrative. (the word climax comes from the Greek word meaning â€Å"ladder†) 4. Falling Action: What follows the climax or decisive moment and leads to the conclusion or denouement. 5. Denouement: A conclusion or resolution that the reader takes to be final. Point of View: Refers to the speaker, narrator, persona, or voice created by authors to tell stories, present arguments, and express attitudes and judgments. Types of points of view: Participating First Person Narrator (I, me, my, and [sometimes] we, our, and us) A. A major character—may be protagonist as is Huck in Huck Finn B. A minor character—may be an observer, watching a story unfold that involves someone else Nonparticipating Third Person Narrator (she, he, it, they) A. All-knowing or total omniscient—the narrator sees into the minds of all or some characters, moving when necessary from one to another. B. Editorial omniscient—the narrator knows the feelings of the characters, but adds an occasional comment or opinion about the characters. Ex: â€Å"Godfather Death† C. Impartial omniscient—Narrator present s the thoughts and actions of the characters, but does not judge them or comment on them. D. Limited or selective omniscient—the narrator sees through the eyes of a single character—who may be either a major or minor character. Other characterizations of narrators: A. Innocent narrator or naà ¯ve narrator—usually a character who fails to understand all the implications of the story. Ex: Huck Finn—Huck accepts without question the morality and lawfulness of slavery; he feels guilty for helping Jim, a runaway slave. But far from condemning Huck for his defiance of the law—â€Å"All right, then, I’ll go to Hell,† Huck tells himself, deciding against returning Jim to captivity—the author, and the reader, silently applaud. B. Unreliable narrator—the point of view is from a person who, we perceive, is deceptive, self-deceptive, deluded, or deranged. Character: The verbal representation of a human being—through action, speech, description, and commentary, authors portray characters who are worth caring about, rooting for, and even loving, although there are also characters you may laugh at, dislike, or even hate. A. Types of characters: 1. Round characters—authors present enough detail about them to render them, full, lifelike, and memorable. They are dynamic meaning they recognize, change with, or adjust to circumstances. Types of round characters: 1. Hero or heroine 2. Protagonist (the â€Å"first actor†)—central to the action and moves against the antagonist. 3. Antagonist (the â€Å"opposing actor†)—a character or force that opposes the protagonist. 2. Flat characters—characters that do not grow but remain the same because they are stupid or insensitive or because they lack the knowledge or insight. They end where they begin and thus are static, not dynamic. Types of flat characters: 1. Stock characters—flat characters in standard roles with standard traits. They are representative of their class or group. They stay flat as long as they do no more than perform their roles and exhibit conventional and unindividual traits. When they possess no attitudes except those of their class, they are called stereotype characters because they all seem to have been cast in the same mold. C. Versimilitude, Probablity, and Reality: Characters in fiction should be true to life. Therefore, their actions, statements, and thoughts must all be what human beings are likely to do, say, and think under the questions presented in the literary work. Setting: Setting is a work’s natural, manufactured, political, cultural, and temporal environment, including everything that characters know and own. A. Three Basic Types of Setting: a. Nature and the Outdoors b. Objects of Manufacture and Construction (Ex: Houses, both interiors and exteriors, park benches, necklaces c. Cultural conditions and assumptions (Ex: The cultural setting of an isolated island off the coast of Georgia would be different from the cultural setting of Atlanta. B. The Importance of Setting to a Narrative a. A credible setting establishes literary credibility. One of the major purposes of literary setting is to establish realism or verisimilitude. b. Setting may be a strong guide to character c. Authors may use setting as an organizing element. i. An author may use setting to organize the work geographically. 1. Ex: The protagonist may move from an expensive condo in downtown New York City to a cheap apartment on Long Island. This move suggests not only the economic decline of the protagonist but the social decline as well. ii. Another organizational application of place, time, and object is the framing or enclosing setting, whereby a work begins and ends with descriptions of the same scene, thus forming a frame or an enclosure. (Ex: O Brother, Where Art Thou?) d. Setting may serve as literary symbols. e. Setting may be used to establish a work’s atmosphere. i. Setting helps to create an atmosphere or mood, which refers to an enveloping or permeating emotional texture within a work. 1. Ex: Descriptions of bright colors (red, orange, yellow) may contribute to a mood of happiness. The contrast of such bright colors with darkness and dark colors may invoke gloom or augment hysteria. Tone: Similar to tone in poetry, tone in fiction is the author’s attitude toward the subject being discussed. The author’s choice of diction (choice of words), details, characters, events, and situations lead us to infer his or her attitude. A. Irony: When an author says one thing but means quite the opposite. a. Verbal Irony: Most familiar form of irony—we understand the speaker’s meaning to be far from the usual meaning of the words. Ex: â€Å"Oh, sure, I just love to have four papers fall due on the same day.† Often verbal irony is in the form of sarcasm—sour statements tinged with mockery. b. Irony of Fate or Cosmic Irony: Suggestion that some malicious fate (or other spirit in the universe) is deliberately frustrating human efforts. Theme: Like other forms of literature, theme in fiction simply refers to  whatever general idea or insight the entire story reveals. A. The following questions can help you determine theme(s) in a narrative and organize those themes into statements: a. Look back at the title of the story. From what you’ve read, what does it indicate? b. Does the main character in any way change in the story? Does this character arrive at any eventual realization or understanding? Are you left with any realization or understanding you did not have before? c. Does the author make any general observations about life or human nature? Do the characters make any? (Caution: Characters now and again will utter opinions with which the reader is not necessarily supposed to agree.) d. Does the story contain any especially curious objects, any flat characters, significant animals, repeated names, song titles, or whatever that hint toward larger meanings than such things usually have? In literary stories, such symbols may point to central themes. e. When you have worded your statement of theme, have you cast into general language, not just given a plot summary? f. Does your statement hold true for the story as a whole? Symbol: In literature, a person, place or thing that suggests meanings beyond its literal sense. Symbols usually contain multiple meanings and associations. A. Ex: a. In Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick, the great white whale is more than a literal dictionary-definition meaning of an aquatic mammal. The great white whale, as the story unfolds, comes to imply an amplitude of meanings: among them the forces of nature and the whole created universe. b. Also in â€Å"A Rose for Emily,† Miss Emily’s invisible watch ticking at the end of a golden chain not only indicates the passage of time, but suggests that time passes without even being noticed by the watch’s owner,  and the golden chain carries suggestions of wealth and authority. B. Symbolic Act: A gesture with larger significance than usual. a. Ex: For the boy’s father in â€Å"Barn Burning,† the act of destroying a barn is no mere act of spite, but an expression of his profound hatred for anything not belonging to him. Character Analysis on the Conflicts and Themes of Godfather Death Summary, Characters, Conflict and Themes of â€Å"Godfather Death† 1. Give a Brief summary of the work using specific names, detail, and examples. In the story â€Å"Godfather Death† there is a father who has twelve children and then has another his thirteenth child, but he cannot afford this child. The father then decides to find the most suitable godfather for his thirteenth child. The father passes up the good lord and the devil his reasoning being that death is equal and does not discriminate between people. Death gives the child a gift for his baptism his gift is the ability to heal the sick as long as death is at their head if he was at their feet the person was to die. The doctor soon became famous and was well known through the country. The doctor soon found out the king was ill and when he approached him Death was at his feet, so the doctor switched the king’s position so that Death was at the king’s head. Death was upset at the doctor’s actions and warned him not to do it again. Well, the doctor disobeyed Death once more and this time Death said he must pay. Death took him to his cavern which had candles lining the walls, on the way down the doctor asked what the candles where for and death replied that they are peoples lives. Death showed the doctor his candle and it was almost out, so he doctor tried to convince him to let him live but death tricked him and put his candle out. 2. List the names of the protagonist and major Characters and give a description of each using specific details in your discussion. The major characters in the short story â€Å"Godfather Death† are the doctor and  Death. The doctor is the son of a man who had twelve children before him and he is the thirteenth and the father cannot afford to keep him. The doctor’s father then tries to find the most suitable godfather for the child and he decides to give the child to death. Death is also a main character in the short story. Death is the godfather of the doctor; he is a slim man that has a bony appearance. The godfather is a very†¦