Comparative Analysis of Judaism and Christianity - 1529 Words

Research Paper: Comparative Analysis of Judaism and Christianity When a person hears the terms Jew or Christian we recognize those terms as a name for someone who belongs to a certain religion. What many people do not realize is that a Jew is born into their religion, Judaism, whereas a Christian is baptized into Christianity (Fower, 7). In the world today there are approximately 14 million Jews (Oxtoby, 63) compared to approximately 1.5 billion Christians, making them the world’s largest religions group (Oxtoby, 131). Judaism and Christianity are similar in many ways. Both religions are considered to be monotheistic religions because they both believe in one God and one God only. They, along with Islam, are also known as the Children of†¦show more content†¦A rosary is a string of 58 beads arranged in five groups of ten and a crucifix. The person who is using the rosary will say the Lord’s prayer followed by ten Hail Mary’s (Oxtoby, 175). In Judaism during prayer there are certain items of clothing that the males wea r, they wear a blue and white prayer shawl called a tallith. Jewish males also cover the top of their heads during prayer with a kippah. Traditional Jews wear tefellin during prayer. Tefellin are two boxes which are tied to the left arm and forehead by leather straps. Inside the boxes are certain passages of scripture. Jews wear tefellin every day except for on Saturdays because the act of wrapping the leather straps would be considered work (Oxtoby, 103). There are many different groups within both Judaism and Christianity. There are three main types of Jews, the Orthodox, the Conservative and the Reformed Jews. Orthodox Jews are much more traditional then the other two types of Jews. They follow the Torah and observe Sabbath in a very strict sense. They follow Kosher and in the Synagogue prayers are lead in Hebrew, they wear their traditional dress and the men are separated from the women (Wilkins, 155). The Conservative Jews are also traditional but they adapt their rules if there is precedence for change. They make changes based on their communities needs and on time and place. They only wear their kippahs during services. In terms of tradition the Conservatives are somewhereShow MoreRelatedFreedom Versus Predestination: a Comparative Analysis Essay860 Words   |  4 PagesFreedom versus Predestination: A Comparative Analysis Shane Furlong Humanities 4640 April 14, 2013 (Week 5) Freedom versus Predestination: A Comparative Analysis This week’s essay is a comparative analysis of the theories of freedom (indeterminism) and predestination (religious determinism). Our analysis will attempt to prove the superiority of the theory of freedom over the theory of predestination. First, we will examine the theory of predestination as it is explained in the text â€Å"Ethics:Read MoreImmigration Perpectives in US1473 Words   |  6 Pagesfact different from ours but not necessarily wrong. 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Analysis of Similarities Islam and Christianity share a fundamental connection in terms of historicalRead MoreChristianity, Judaism, and Islam Paper2281 Words   |  10 PagesChristianity, Judaism, and Islam Christianity started out in Palestine as a fellowship; it moved to Greece and became a philosophy; it moved to Italy and became an institution; it moved to Europe and became a culture; it came to America and became an enterprise as stated by theological scholar Sam Pascoe. Throughout Christianity’s journey they have come across ties with the religions Judaism and Islam. There are few similarities between the three major religions. One similarity is that AbrahamRead MoreVisiting The Adas Israel Congregation1805 Words   |  8 PagesWorship Site Paper While being home for Thanksgiving break, I had the opportunity of visiting the Adas Israel Congregation in Washington D.C.. The congregation is a form of Reform Judaism. 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Through Deaf Eyes Reflection Paper - 1708 Words

Through Deaf Eyes Reflection Paper â€Å"Through Deaf Eyes† was a documentary that really opened my eyes and allowed me to understand just a small fraction of what it may be like for a Deaf person to live in a hearing world. The first thing that really stuck with me was the fact that the film was all silent. The part that made it easy for me to understand was the fact that there was closed captioning. All throughout the film, all participants, both Deaf and hearing, were signing at what seemed like lightning speed. If it were not for the closed captioning, there was no way I would be able to catch up and really engage in the film. Then it hit me: this must be how Deaf people feel if the situation was reversed. I always used to get irritated†¦show more content†¦People used to think that being Deaf was a sin and a major disability. I don’t really understand this view, as being Deaf is not a choice because a majority of the time, most people are born Deaf. Just b ecause a person can’t hear, doesn’t mean there is something wrong with them. Deaf culture is so mesmerizing as their is such a deep connection within the community and they even have their own language. What people need to do is put themselves in the shoes of a Deaf person and imagine how difficult it must be being the â€Å"odd one out† all the time. There wasn’t a particular part of the film that I didn’t like, but there was a part that made me sad so I guess you could say I found it hard to watch. I didn’t like the way that Deaf children were treated before being Deaf was became modernly accepted. What made me really upset was learning that they would try and force Deaf children to speak because communicating orally was the most common form of communication. When Deaf children attempted to use ASL to communicate, they were punished which seems completely barbaric and unreasonable as this was the only way Deaf people found communicating to be comfortable. 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A Utilitarian Education Free Essays

Utilitarianism â€Å"Quadruped. Graminivorous. Forty teeth, namely twenty-four grinders, four eye-teeth, and twelve incisive. We will write a custom essay sample on A Utilitarian Education or any similar topic only for you Order Now Sheds coat in spring†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ † A perfect example of a product of utilitarian education, Bitzer defines a horse off the top of his head in a split second. Utilitarianism is the assumption that human beings act in a way that highlights their own self interest. It is based on factuality and leaves little room for imagination. Dickens provides three vivid examples of this utilitarian logic in Hard Times. The first; Mr. Thomas Gradgrind, one of the main characters in the book, was the principal of a school in Coketown. He was a firm believer in utilitarianism and instilled this philosophy into the students at the school from a very young age, as well as his own children. Mr. Josiah Bounderby was also a practitioner of utilitarianism, but was more interested in the profit that stemmed from it. At the other end of the perspective, a group of circus members, who are the total opposite of utilitarians, are added by Dickens to provide a sharp contrast from the ideas of Mr. Bounderby and Mr. Gradgrind. Thomas Gradgrind Sr. a father of five children, has lived his life by the book and never strayed from his philosophy that life is nothing more than facts and statistics. He has successfully incorporated this belief into the school system of Coketown, and has tried his best to do so with his own children. The educators see children as easy targets just waiting to be filled with information. They did not consider, however, the children†s need for fiction, poetry, and other fine arts that are used to expand children†s minds, all of which are essential today in order to produce well-rounded human beings through the educational process. One has to wonder how different the story would be if Gradgrind did not run the school. How can you give a utilitarian man such as Gradgrind such power over a town? I do like how Dickens structures the book to make one ask obvious questions such as these. Dickens does not tell us much about the success of the other students of the school besides Bitzer, who is fairly successful on paper, but does not have the capacity as a person to deal with life†s everyday struggles. Gradgrinds two oldest children, Tom and Louisa, are examples of how this utilitarian method failed miserably. These children were never given the opportunity to think for themselves, experience fun things in life, or even use their imaginations. True, they are smart people in the factual sense but do not have the street smarts to survive. Tom is a young man who, so fed up with his father†s strictness and repetition, revolts against him and leaves home to work in Mr. Bounderby†s bank. Tom, now out from under his fathers wing, he begins to drink and gamble heavily. Eventually, to get out of a deep gambling debt, he robs a bank and is forced to flee the area. When Bitzer realizes that Tom has robbed the bank and catches him, Mr. Gradgrind begs him to let Tom go, reminding him of all of the hard work that was put on him while at the school. Ironically Bitzer, using the tools of factuality that he had learned in Gradgrinds school, replies that the school was paid for, but it is now over and he owes nothing more. I think this is extremely funny how, at a time of need, Gradgrind†s educational theory has backfired in his face. I think Dickens put this irony in as a comical device but also to show how ineffective the utilitarian method of teaching is. Louisa, unlike Tom, does get along with her father. She even agrees to marry Mr. Bounderby, even though she does not love him, in order to please her father. She stays in the marriage with Bounderby, and goes about life normally and factually, until she is faced with a dilemma and panics. Mr. James Harthouse, a young, good looking guy, is attracted to Louisa and deceivingly draws her attraction to him. She does not know what to do since she has never had feelings of her own before. Her father never gave her the opportunity to think for herself, or even love someone. This is why Louisa goes frantic and ends up crying in her fathers lap. She has always been told what to do and what is ‘right†, and now even her father is stumped. For the first time in the whole novel, Mr. Gradgrind strays from the utilitarian philosophy and shows compassion for his daughter and her feelings. One must think that he is beginning to doubt his philosophy after seeing it backfire in his face more than once. Josiah Bounderby is another prime example of utilitarianism. He is one of the wealthiest people in Coketown; owning a bank and a factory, but is not really a likable person. His utilitarian philosophy is similar to Gradgrinds in the sense that factuality is the single most important virtue that one could posses. Mr. Bounderby maintained throughout the story his utilitarian views, which basically stated that nothing else is important besides profit. Being the owner of both a factory and a bank, Bounderby employs many workers, yet seems to offer them no respect at all. He refers to the factory workers as â€Å"Hands,† because that is all they are to him. Bounderby often states that workers are all looking for â€Å"venison, turtle soup, and a golden spoon,† while all they really want is decent working conditions and fair wage for their work. He is not concerned about his employees as human beings, but how much their hands can produce during the workday, resulting with money in his pocket. When one of his workers, Stephen Blackpool came to Bounderby†s house asking for advice about his bad marriage, he was treated as inferior just because of his social status. Dickens portrayed the scene as one in which Blackpool was on a level five steps below Bounderby and his associates because he was a lowly worker who was obviously much less educated than them. It almost seemed like they would not even take him seriously because he was such. Blackpool was told that he could not divorce his wife because it would be against the laws of England. Later in the book, Bounderby divorces his wife. This shows that wealth played a large role in determining the social classes that people were in and the privileges they had. This was definitely unfair but the social classes were structured in a way which allowed those who had money to look down upon those who were less fortunate. Generally, those who were not well-educated did not have any money, while the well-educated ones such as Bounderby and Gradgrind were wealthy. The people who knew the factual information, (utilitarians) were successful, while those who did not were reduced to working in the factories of the utilitarians. Dickens paints a vivid picture of this inequality between social classes and shows he does not care much for it. It is fairly easy to see that Dickens holds a contempt for Bounderby and the utilitarian philosophy he carries. The book details the philosophy, then shows how miserably it failed. How much different would their lives be if the town was not run by utilitarians. Dickens cleverly added in circus people as a contrast to the utilitarian approach to life. The circus people could be called the total opposite of utilitarianism. If one element of the book stands out in my mind, it would be this one. The circus people are simple, open-minded human beings whose goal in life is to make people laugh. Dickens portrays them as a step up from the â€Å"Hands† but still close to the bottom in the social structure. These people are hated by Gradgrind, Bounderby and other utilitarians because they represent everything that is shunned in utilitarianism such as love, imagination, and humor. Sissy Jupe, the daughter of a circus man, was taken in by the Gradgrinds to live in their home. She is representative of the circus people with her innocence and free-will, qualities which are lacking in the lives of the people around her. Just by her presence, her goodness rubs off on the people around her, although it is too late for most of them. Even after numerous attempts to force utilitarianism into her by Mr. Gradgrind and his school, she is still the fun-loving girl that she always was because she grew up living with â€Å"normal† people who thought for themselves and loved each other. She influenced these qualities on the youngest Gradgrind daughter Jane, who led a much more enjoyable and fulfilling life than her older sister Louisa because of those influences. Jane is not spoken of much until the end of the book but I like the way Dickens showed the effects of the utilitarian lifestyle as opposed to the non-utilitarian lifestyle. The utilitarians ultimately ended with a great downfall because their narrow-minds could not endure the pressures that life can impose on oneself. The people that did not fall victim to the utilitarian trap were able to live their lives happily and freely, able to love, laugh, and use their imagination; which is the way life ought to be lived. Dickens obviously had a definitive opinion of the way life should be lived and did an excellent job of depicting it. His method was somewhat indirect in the sense that he worked backwards to get his point across, but turned out to be very effective as the story progressed. Most of the story revolved around utilitarianism and the study of cold hard facts, but when the character flaws began to surface as a result of this philosophy, Dickens is quick to emphasize them. One actually sees the main character of the book and firm supporter of utilitarianism, Mr. Thomas Gradgrind, experience the faults of his practice and begin to stray from it. Now, after watching his life fall apart, maybe he wishes he were in the circus. How to cite A Utilitarian Education, Papers

Exploration Paper free essay sample

Exploration paper In this exploration paper I will be talking about which college have chosen and a little about the school itself and some details about the schools itself. Most of the content of this paper is to help future students who wish to attend a university and to guide them in the right direction. This also is some of the research I have done into transferring, the way of life at UCF and what is needed to get to this university. The college that I have chosen to transfer to is University of Central Florida or UCF. The reason I chose UCF was because it’s the only university that is close to my location and they have the degree I am seeking. That is the deciding factor in my decision with choosing UCF because it is close and tuition would be in state charges. The schools location of University of Central Florida PO Box 160111 Orlando, FL 32816-0111 Phone: 407-823-3000. We will write a custom essay sample on Exploration Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Some facts about the school is that it’s a state supported coed school, the setting is Suburban 1415-acre campus. The Degrees Offered Certificates, Associate, Bachelors, Masters, Doctoral, and Postbachelors Certificates for the degrees that you want in college. Some aspects about the college that interested me were the location, the university itself is amazing, the way of life, the schools atmosphere, and that there are plenty of things to do there locally. The University major requirements for my degree are the general education program requirements. These include UCF General Education Program (36 hrs) A. Communication Foundations 9 hrs Select SPC 1600, B. Cultural and Historical Foundations 9 hrs, C. Mathematical Foundations Select MAC 1105 College Algebra 3 hrs Select STA 2023 Principles of Statistics 3 hrs, D.

In His Book, The Last Tsar, Edvard Radzinsky Describes A Very Interest

In his book, The Last Tsar, Edvard Radzinsky describes a very interesting viewpoint of the life and death of Nicholas Alexandrovich, the last Russian Tsar. Radzinsky's illustration of this ill-fated monarch follows the diaries of Nicholas from their beginning on March 1, 1881, to the final entry on July 16, 1918.1 Radzinsky mainly goes over pre-marital relationship between Nicholas and Alexandra, the medical condition of Nicholas' son, Alexei, and the imprisonment and execution of Nicholas and his family. The relationship between Nicholas II and Alexandra began in 1884. Alexandra, the daughter of Louis IV, the Grand Duke of Hesse-Darmstadt, a tiny state in Germany, was born in 1872.2 Her grandmother was Queen Victoria of England, her oldest sister married an English prince, her second sister married a Russian Grand Duke and her third sister married a German prince. Nicholas and Alexandra met during the wedding of her second sister, Ella, to Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich. Alexandra was only twelve and Nicholas was only sixteen, but he stated in his diary that he fell in love with her a first sight. Nicholas' father, Tsar Alexander III, did not approve of Alexandra, because of the fact that she was the granddaughter of the English Queen. Instead, he suggested that Nicholas marry a princess from the House of Orleans. His decision was basely mainly on politics, as he was striving for an alliance between Russia and France. Alexander's suggestion did not have any effect on Nicholas, as he seemed certain to marry his childhood sweetheart, Alexandra. That day came in 1894, when Alexander was on his deathbed, suffering from a kidney disease that he had contracted in a train wreck six years earlier. On April 8, 1894, at the wedding of Alexandra's brother, her and Nicholas were engaged.3 On November 14, 1894, a month after the death of his father Nicholas married Alexandra and officially became the tsar of Russia. Alexei Nikolaevich, the first son of Nicholas and Alexandra was born on July 30, 1904, following the births of four daughters. The problem of who would rule Russia in case of an accident to Nicholas was solved. However, there was a new problem, as Alexei was diagnosed with hemophilia. Hemophilia is a disease that weakened the walls of the arteries so that "any blow or intense pressure can cause the blood vessels to burst and can mean the end."4 Rumours of a holy man, named Grigory Rasputin, however, living in the backwoods of Siberia gave rise to Alexander's hopes that her son's hemophilia could be cured. Rasputin possessed what some called a gift of healing, as he repeatedly healed possibly fatal wounds suffered by Alexei.5 The first time he helped Alexei was when Alexei had suffered a bruise on his leg was in agonizing pain. Rasputin walked to Alexei's bed, grasped Alexei's leg and healed the possibly fatal bruise. There are many stories where Rasputin healed Alexei without physica lly being there. For example, in 1912, Alexei was suffering from a common cold. When he tried to blow his nose, the blood vessels burst and the blood began to gush. The doctors could do nothing to help. When all hope was fading, they received a telegram from Rasputin. It read "God will help you, be healthy,"6 Nicholas II was forced to end the Romanov rule over Russia after three hundred years, as he forfeited the throne on March 2, 1917 because of the Russian Revolution. However, the people were still so upset with him, that the Petrograd Soviet of Workers' and Soldiers' Deputies passed a decree the day following the abdication. The Deputies ordered the arrest of Nicholas II and the members of the Romanov dynasty on March 3, 1917. The family and everyone who remained with them were to be isolated from the outside world within the confines of Alexander's Palace, complete with an inside and outside guard. However, soon after, rumours were spreading that claimed the imperial family had escaped to England. Therefore, the provisional government sent the family and their servants to Tobolsk, in Siberia, on July 31, 1917.7 After spending about nine months under heavy supervision, the family was going to be transported to Moscow to stand trial for treason against Russia. However, this

Electronic Medical Records Speech Essay Example

Electronic Medical Records Speech Essay Example Electronic Medical Records Speech Essay Electronic Medical Records Speech Essay Electronic Medical Records Speech HCR 240 University of Phoenix March 27, 2011 Electronic medical records stores physician’s reports of examinations, surgical procedures, tests, X-rays, and other clinical information that is necessary for taking care of patients. Electronic medical records also provide access to data for research and quality improvement purposes. EMR’s also allows immediate access to health information, computerized physician order management, clinical decision support, automated alerts and reminders which alerts the staff regarding important information for the patient such as follow up on testing, or if a result is critical, and it also provides error reduction. Some EMR’s allows patients to access their own medical records (Sanderson, p. 24-25). Practice management is used by most offices to complete routine office tasks, including patient scheduling, recording patient information, creating and transmitting electronic claims, receiving electronic payments, billing patients, creating financial reports, and collecting overdue accounts (Sanderson, p. 26-27). Practice management is very useful in order for a medical office to survive. It helps with accuracy and timely records that are required to determine whether the practice is profitable. PMPs are also important for tax-reporting (Sanderson, p. 27). PMPs contain information about each patient, such as names, addresses, contact numbers, insurance coverage, information about each provider, including facts about providers, referring providers, and outside providers such as labs. Practice management also collect data about the health plans used by the practice’s patients. PMP’s have codes used by the practice to note a diagnosis and the treatment provided, as well as the facility where the treatment was provided. When the program contains all of the data the software can be used in a medical office and perform many of the office computer duties (Sanderson, p. 6). PMP’s have the ability to schedule appointments. The scheduling helps with double booking and gives accurate times the patient can be seen. Most of the PMP programs will print out a page that gives the office staff the patients that are going to be seen that day (Sanderson, p. 26). PMP also helps with claims and billing. Insurance claims and patient sta tements need to be accurate and the PMP’s can help with that. Patient data and transaction data are two things that practice management programs require. Patient data is personal information about the patient and their medical insurance coverage. Transaction data is the date the patient visits the doctor, and the type of treatment, the diagnosis and procedure codes, and if the patient made any payments. With this program all the office staff has to do is enter the information and submit it to the insurance company. It is more accurate than doing it by hand. When the insurance company receives the claim, they will perform an edit and send it back to the health care facility. It makes the process much faster (Sanderson, p. 27-28). When a patient makes a payment at the office the amount is entered into the PMP and a walkout statement is given to the patient. A remittance advice with payment from a health plan usually pays for a number of patients and claims at once. Once the payments listed on the RA are entered in the PMP and applied to each account. Some practices use an automated process called out posting to record this information in the program. Without posting it makes the process much faster (Sanderson, 28-29). The computer software will benefit most health care facilities. It provides more accurate information and faster way to receive payment from the insurance company and the patients. In a medical setting the computers are linked together so more than one person can enter patient information and it allows for sharing patient information. Information on the computer system is much easier than looking in multiple files trying to find the right one. With the computer system all you have to do is enter the last name or the date of birth. Electronic medical records help with the loss of files or misplaced files and it helps with privacy of the patient’s information. With the EMR it makes more room in the office because you do not have to worry about filing systems. Charting is done a lot faster and more accurately. Most medical errors are because of charting on the wrong chart, with the EMR’s it makes that less possible (Sanderson, p. 31). References Sanderson S, Computers In the Medical Office sixth edition. Pages 24-30, retrieved on March 26, 2011

Organizational Transformation Q&A Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organizational Transformation Q&A - Essay Example â€Å"The human capability for creative thinking, creative behaviour, and innovation is a major source of organizational change† (Levy and Merry, 1986, p.221). This reinforces that the people are integral to the development of any organization. This is an on-going process that requires the participation of the members of the organization for its efficiency and must be for the common benefit of all. These innovations are illustrative that the organization places individual growth as a part of its policy. Leadership is an important characteristic which guides the direction of the organization and is oftentimes the make or break catalyst which could either propel success, keep the status quo or lead to its demise. Many great leaders have become the cornerstone of their organization and have often been simultaneously the face which identifies the company. The leader is the one who is in the forefront of creating, managing and sustaining innovation. In the same light, he fosters th e kind of culture that is adopted by each member of the organization. Adair outlines the duty of a good leader which is necessary in implementing innovation, â€Å"It is your job as a leader at any level in the organization to facilitate desirable change and to encourage that attitude throughout the management team† (2007, p.17). ... Even ethical standards may at times differ in such a way that what is acceptable to one may be utterly deplorable to another. But this also is imperative in the continuing growth of an organization because it is important to stimulate creativity and hard work, and this could only be positively done through a reward system. The individual reward system gives the best sense of fulfilment to an employee and this may not be dispensed with. Schein proposes a logical ascertainment of this system, â€Å"Every group must develop a system of sanctions for obeying or disobeying its norms and rules. There must evolve some consensus on what symbolically and actually is defined as a reward or punishment and on the manner in which it is to be administered† (2010, p.107). This responds to the ethical implications that will necessarily exhibit because of the reward system. By creating clear-cut rules supported by an innovative and unyielding leader, the conflicts will be mitigated or at the v ery least they will be amenable to such rules. I will describe my organization as innovative because it incorporates the necessary tools that would define one to be adoptive to change and open to creativity. Admittedly, there are times when people may be butting heads and there are those who are not wholeheartedly supportive of the decisions and the policies of the management but I deem these to be necessary to the growth of the organization. Not everyone can be in good terms all the time because the company is essentially composed of people with different backgrounds and education that differences are inevitable. The policies of the company promote individual rewards which can be immensely gratifying not only on a

The U.S. Constitution Promotes Intercultural Communication Essay

The U.S. Constitution Promotes Intercultural Communication - Essay Example The constitution ‘encourages the American people to become one people. The legislators have been developing policies that seek to bring about intercultural communication. The policies should serve to institute a healthy form of communication that appreciates cultural diversity. However, despite the efforts, an analysis of the current situation indicates that more needs to be done. For the American community to thrive peacefully and in unity, intercultural communication is essential (Castillo-Ayometzi 1). Intercultural communication refers to a form of conveying messages in an ethno-relative manner. In the past years defined by the worst forms of racism, each race has had an ethno-centric communication. The whites communicate in ways that make blacks feel intimidated. Christians pass messages that imply that their religion overrides Islam. This perspective of communication centers on creating an overemphasis of one’s culture. It involves defending it unnecessarily too muc h while rejecting to appreciate the culture of other people. Inter- cultural communication is necessary in the society. An intercultural communication is the type of communication will foster an understanding between the people and the existing differences will reduce. Intercultural communication is necessary not only for internal unity but also affects the relationship with others countries whose beliefs, policies and religion differ (Jandt 99). The multiracial population in America makes it more tasking for intercultural communication to exist (Castillo-Ayometzi 1). The country has a dark history of slavery against the blacks and continued racism and white superiority. Slavery and racism has brought about a divide in the American society. Racism has caused the blacks and minority races in America in the past. To bridge the gap racism has caused, an intercultural communication is a step towards bringing unity to the nation. Some institution offer intercultural communication as a co urse for the young generation to learn to appreciate the existence of variety. In the past, an ethnocentric perspective has existed in the minds of the whites. All races differ in various aspects in behavior, religion, values, and norms. Since these people live in the same country, it is worthwhile for an ethno-relative form of communication. Communication is an aspect whose importance society should not underestimate (Jandt 91). It determines the value of our interactions with others. Although English is the official American language, it is not the only language in use by the different cultures. The constitution in this case seeks to establish a universal language that people should use regarding official matters. This was a step towards building intercultural communication. This requires all people to use as a means of communication in official business (jandt 91). This policy served to foster a communication that is beyond ethnicity and culture. Having an official language preve nts situations in which people in offices use a language that other people do not understand. However, the minority groups that cannot speak fluent English faced negative effects. They could not express themselves clearly and this created a barrier for them. They received services without satisfaction. In other cases, they failed to access essential basic services. This shows that legislators should do more to foster the development of a lasting effective intercultural com

Analysis of novels and their films Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Analysis of novels and their films - Essay Example For example, Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, the 1984 film directed by MiloÃ… ¡ Forman and adapted from Shaffer’s stage play, differs greatly from the original version of the story and the character development in the play and the film differs to the highest degree. The story of the movie and the film based loosely on the lives of two composers who lived in Vienna, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, has significant variations between the film version and the play. Similarly, the character development in the movie and the play fluctuates hugely mainly due to the adaptation technique, and Shaffer’s further revisions of his text. In a reflective analysis of the changes that the character of Salieri undergoes on his way from stage to screen, it becomes evident that the director of such a film version of a literary piece often brings about drastic changes by reason of the adaptation techniques of the film. Thus, the screen Salieri is Shaffer’s final and most ingenious version of this dark and tragic character, the Oscar-winning F. Murray Abraham superbly casts this character. it has been maintained that the character of Salieri remains the motivating force at the core of the action in the film, although Mozart’s personality has been considerably expanded. Significantly, the changes made in the film can be comprehended as the logical continuation of the changes that Shaffer had already made between the London and New York productions of his play. â€Å"The most important of those changes was the removal of Salieri’s servant Greybig who played the part of the masked figure in place of Salieri.† (The characters in the play and the film) As Shaffer recognized that the presence of Greybig meant more disadvantages than benefits, changes were made in the film version Salieri himself replaces this character as the agent of destruction in the film. Therefore, there are several marked alterations made by the film version of the play which

Reflections Ethical Issues On Abortion Philosophy Essay

Reflections Ethical Issues On Abortion Philosophy Essay Society has been up in arms over the issue of abortion for years, and will continue to be for years to come. There are those who defend the laws against abortion and those who believe that abortion is perfectly within a womans right to have the procedure performed. What then is hubbub about? It all boils down to what is morally and ethically right. There are those who argue that abortion is morally reprehensible and should be prohibited; and those who try to abstain or avoid casting any judgment on the morality of this practice. There are those who say the laws are just because they prohibit actions that are morally permissible; others oppose these laws without thought of the moral issue at all and argue that the individual have a right to choose for themselves whether or not to indulge in the practice. Abortion, as we all know, is the unnatural termination or an end to a pregnancy before birth that results in the death of a fetus. The question then becomes how is it determined how abortion can be morally right or wrong if it cannot be determined when the essence of personhood begins, and is abortion in fact murder (Warren)? Some abortions occur spontaneously or naturally because the fetus does not develop normally. Others occur because of a trauma or injury to the mother which prevents the pregnancy from developing full term. Also, there are those that are clinically induced because either the pregnancy presents a risk to the woman or is unwanted. An induced abortion is one of the most ethical and philosophical issues of the century. In the United States, the debate over abortion has brought about many legal court and state legislative battles. These battles have also been the source of violent confrontations at clinics and anti-abortion rallies. There are also several other methods used in the abortion process: the morning after pill that is taken within seventy-two hours of unprotected sexual intercourse and another pill taken twelve hours later. The purpose of this pill is to prohibit the fetus from further development at the early stages of conception, or at the point where the sperm fertilizes the egg (Schmidt). So, when does the fertilized egg become a fetus? Is it when the fetus can react to pain? Is it at conception, or, is it when the actual birth occurs? Evidence conflicts, with several physicians holding that the fetus is capable of feeling pain sometime in the first trimester (Schmidt, 1984), and medical researchers, notably from the American Medical Association, maintaining that the neuroanatomical requirements for such experience do not exist until the 29th week of gestation. Pain receptors begin to appear in the seventh week of gestation (Schmidt, 1984). The thalamus, the part of the brain which receives signals from the nervous system and then relays them to the cerebral cortex, starts to form in the fifth week. However, other anatomical structures involved in the nociceptive process are not present until much later in gestation. Links between the thalamus and cerebral cortex form around the 23rd week. There has been suggestion that a fetus cannot feel pain at all, under the premi se that it requires mental development that only occurs outside the uterus Some of the most common arguments abortion supporters use when confronting abortion opponents is when does a life begin? When does a fertilized egg become a fetus? When does a fetus become a baby? Since there is no scientifically provable answer, it boils down to religious beliefs and not scientific proof. Don Marquis argues that abortion is wrong and immoral. That the killing of a fetus is equivalent to the killing of any human being is morally wrong (Marquis). Marquis argues, is that abortion destroys ones possible future. It is for this very reason that it is morally wrong to take our lives. All our activities, enjoyments, etc., are suddenly non-realizable because someone has taken our lives. This is, he says, the natural property that explains why it is wrong to kill humans Singer states that arguments for or against abortion should be based on utilitarian calculation which weighs the preferences of a mother against the preferences of the fetus. In his view a preference is anything sought to be obtained or avoided; all forms of benefit or harm caused to a being correspond directly with the satisfaction or frustration of one or more of its preferences. Since a capacity to experience the sensations of suffering or satisfaction is a prerequisite to having any preferences at all, and a fetus, at least up to around eighteen weeks, says Singer, has no capacity to suffer or feel satisfaction, it is not possible for such a fetus to hold any preferences at all. In a utilitarian calculation, there is nothing to weigh against a mothers preferences to have an abortion. Therefore, abortion is morally permissible (Singer, 1993). An individuals position on the complex ethical, moral, philosophical, biological, and legal is-sues is often related to his or her value system. Opinions of abortion may be best described as being a combination of beliefs on its morality, and beliefs on the responsibility, ethical scope, and proper extent of governmental authorities in public policy. Religious ethics also has an influence upon both personal opinion and the greater debate over abortion. Let us, as an example of an ethical dilemma, consider Shauntay. Shauntay is a soon to be graduated senior at the New York School of the Arts. All of her young life has been struggle. Hungry, and sometimes near homeless, shes lived for eighteen years from one project to another. Shauntay knew the only way out of this situation was through hard work and dedication. Fortunately for her, there were those who believed in her as much as she in herself. Dance became her escape. Her hard work and determination finally paid off. Upon graduation, Shauntay was to receive a full ride scholarship to Julliard in the fall. All her life, it has been her dream to become a professional dancer and get away from the life of poverty to which she had been born. She has long had the desire to travel and see the world, an opportunity that her parents had never been able to give. However, just after her senior prom, and before graduation Shauntay received what to her was the most devastating news imaginable. You see, for several mornings she had experienced bouts of nausea and weakness. At first, not thinking much of it, she thought it was the flu or a stomach virus. Also, in reflecting she remembered she had not had a menstrual cycle this month. Concern that the virus would not go away, Shauntay went to the doctor. After her examination, the doctor returned and told her that she was going to be a mother. In the blink of an eye, all of her hopes and dreams seemed to fly out the window. What was she to do? How could she tell her parents? How would she tell those parents, whose dreams of her having a chance to grow were just as vivid as her own that, she was pregnant? How could she give up what she had worked so hard to achieve? How could she keep, love and care for this child that would have taken so much from her, and possibly condemned her to a life of further impoverishment? How would she take care of a baby? Where would she live? What could she do? What should she do? She had been taught that abortion was morally wrong. She had been taught that abortion was in the eyes of God, the same as murder. This was her dilemma. The idea of liberalizing abortion laws became culturally salient during the late 1960s, and several state legislatures passed relatively permissive abortion laws during this period. The trend toward gradual liberalization was interrupted by the Supreme Courts landmark 1973 decision Roe v. Wade, which held virtually all state abortion laws to be unconstitutional. Although public opinion generally moved in a more prochoice direction following Roe, the decision mobilized opposition from several, often religious, sources. Many cultural and religious conservatives opposed legal abortion because legal abortion was thought to encourage sexual promiscuity by reducing the risks of sexual activity outside of marriage. Another early source of opposition to legal abortion came from the African-American community. Several African-American leaders denounced legal abortion as genocide and suggested that easy access to abortion would ultimately be used by whites to limit societal responsibility to care for children born into poverty. When engaging in culturally and ethically controversial topics like abortion, it has been found that most people latch onto a specific idea and use it to counter every argument offered against their view. For example, one in favor of abortion might be unwilling to question the fact that a woman has a right to her own body, (which means that a fetus has no such rights). On the other hand, one who is against abortion might be unwilling to go beyond the claim that abortion is simply murder (Warren; 1973). It may well be that abortion is murder, but the debate will not be won by simply asserting that such is the case. The reason for so much of the confusion on the issue is our human tendency to accept or reject basic moral principles without adequate examination all boils down to agreeing to disagree. Failure to conduct such an examination means that we improperly accept or reject principles that ultimately determine the direction of life. One need only look at the radically different presentations regarding human nature found in Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hobbes, Locke, Freud, Marx, Hegel, Hume, Sartre, Kierkegaard, and a host of others to see the importance of this issue. In the final analysis, who stands to judge what is morally right or ethically wrong? Is not killing by any other name still killing?

Student Roles and Responsibilities for the Master of Counseling Marriag

Student Roles and Responsibilities for the Master of Counseling Marriage, Family and Child Therapy Specialty The student roles and responsibilities of the Masters of Counseling in Marriage, Family and Child Therapy (MCMFCT) at the University of Phoenix are to advance competent and ethical practitioners in family, couple and individual therapy in a variety of settings. By following the program's defined curriculum for professional role development, the successful graduate will be able to provide counseling services "in accordance with the highest ethical and professional standards" (Master of Counseling - Program Handbook, p. 7). To achieve this end, the student must adopt and synthesize the professional and ethical standards of the program into his own academic and personal development. He must develop and demonstrate a broad base of theoretical knowledge and therapeutic skills combined with his own ethical judgment and counseling expertise. The student is responsible for maintaining a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better to indicate a foundation of behavioral and social sciences, developmental theories as well as principles and practices for planning, initiating and evaluating therapeutic roles. In addition, a GPA of 3.0 or better must be maintained in all clinical courses to display excellence in standards and competence as a counseling professional. Failure to maintain the...

Entrepreunership of Indra Nooyi Essay

INTRODUCTION Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi(born 28 october 1956) is an Indian-American businesswoman who is currently the Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo which is the world’s second largest food and beverage business in terms of net revenue. She is one of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women as ranked by Forbes magazine. In 2014, she was ranked 13 in the list of Forbes World’s 100 most powerful women. Early life and career Nooyi was born to a Tamil Family in Madras (presently Chennai), Tamil Nadu, India. She was educated at Holy Angels Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in Madras. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics from Madras Christian College in 1974 and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (MBA) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in 1976. Beginning her career in India, Nooyi held product manager positions at Johnson & Johnson and textile firm MetturBeardsell. She was admitted to Yale School of Management in 1978 and earned a Master’s degree in Public and Private Management. While at Yale, she completed her summer internship with Booz Allen Hamilton. Graduating in 1980, Nooyi joined the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), and then held strategy positions at Motorola and Asea Brown Boveri. PepsiCo executive Nooyi joined PepsiCo in 1994 and was named president and CFO in 2001. Nooyi has directed the company’s global strategy for more than a decade and led PepsiCo’s restructuring, including the 1997 divestiture of its restaurants into Tricon, now known as Yum! Brands.Nooyi also took the lead in the acquisition of Tropicana in 1998, and merger with Quaker Oats Company, which also brought Gatorade to PepsiCo. In 2006 she became the fifth CEO in PepsiCo’s 44-year history. According to BusinessWeek, since she started as CFO in 2000, the company’s annual revenues have risen 72%, while net profit more than doubled, to $5.6 billion in 2006. Nooyi was named on Wall Street Journal’s list of 50 women to watch in 2007 and 2008, and was listed among  Time’s 100 Most Influential People in The World in 2007 and 2008. Forbes named her the #3 most powerful woman in 2008. In 2014, she was ranked #13 by Forbes.Fortune ranked her the #1 most powerful woman in busi ness in 2009 and 2010. On the 7th of October 2010 Fortune magazine ranked her the 6th most powerful woman in the world. INDRA NOOYI’S CHARACTERISTICS AS AN ENTREPRENEUR â ¦ HARDWORKING- Nooyi recommends not sitting on your laurels just because you have attained a high rank in the professional sphere. A tireless worker herself, she gets only 5 hours of sleep a night, and continuously educates herself, re-evaluating her decisions and ensuring that she is keeping the best interest of the company and its employees in mind. To her, her employees are like an extended family, and she ensures that their needs and concerns are addressed so as to ensure the overall running efficiency of the company. The formal and impersonal atmosphere at PepsiCo, therefore, is a friendly one where her receptionist is known to have fielded calls from her daughter regarding home work and television privileges. â ¦ PRUDENCE (WISE)- Nooyi said she tries to ascribe positive intent to everything people do or say. â€Å"When you do that it’s so much better to deal with people,† Nooyi said. â€Å"Does that mean I give people more rope than I need to? Yeah, but I’m very comfortable with it.† In this way, she aims to cultivate trusting relationships with both colleagues and direct reports, and to focus on developing executive talent. It’s a style that encourages entrepreneurial thinking across the company, says Reinemund, her predecessor and another influential mentor. â ¦ PLANNING AND ORGANIZING- Nooyi’s strategic measures to tackle the slow-down in the beverages and snack food industry included a productivity improvement program, the benefits of which were expected to the tune of US$ 1.2 billion over the next three years  beginning 2009. Other measures under her leadership included aggressive expansion into the emerging markets of Brazil, Russia, China, When Nooyi was SVP, the strategic measures that she planned and implemented resulted in a growth in PepsiCo’s sales and profits. â ¦ INNOVATION She implemented a number of measures to improve the sustainability of the company’s operations and image by focusing on improvements in the health implications of PepsiCo products. Measures such as removing trans-fats from PepsiCo snacks, product innovations in the Quaker Oats brand to come out with a range of consumer perceived healthy snacks, categorization of its snacks into three categories named fun for you, good for you, and better for you were undertaken under her leadership. â ¦ ACHIEVEMENT AND MOTIVATION Forbes magazine ranked Nooyi fourth on the 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 lists of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women. Fortune magazine has named Nooyi number one on its annual ranking of Most Powerful Women in business for 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010. In 2008, Nooyi was named one of America’s Best Leaders by U.S. News & World Report. In 2008, she was elected to the Fellowship of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences â ¦ RISK TAKING Pepsi faces rising production costs, lackluster U.S. sales, and attacks on its core snack and soda products from both competitors and health-conscious critics. As the company’s head and, since May, its chairman, Nooyi is taking on Pepsi’s challenges. And Nooyi, who formally took the CEO reins in October 2006, is giving Pepsi’s employees and shareholders good reason to ride her train — a powerful locomotive that has driven the company’s stock up 22% in the 12 months through Dec. 4, near a 52-week high. In May, the company hiked its dividend 25% and boosted its share buyback goal to $4.3 billion from  $3.3 billion. Revenue is expected to rise more than 10% this year. BARRIERS TO INDRA NOOYI:- â ¦ PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS Nooyi used to announce a specific profit target that the company will gain. But the company was unable to gain that much profit. So this annoyed the investors. During her tenure pepsi has often failed to hit her statuted profit target, which investor consider an unforgivable scene. â ¦ ECONOMIC FACTORS- Capital requirements are low for taking over a franchise, and profit margins are stratospheric. Nooyi’s plan looked plausible, and investors seemed willing to give it a chance; they pushed the stock down only incrementally despite the surprisingly downbeat profit forecast. Now she absolutely must execute the plan against strong and merciless competitors in a volatile economic environment. â ¦ COMPETITIVE FACTOR- The company is getting beaten up in its flagship product category, drinks, in the world’s largest market, North America. The soda pop planets shifted in their orbits last year when Pepsi-Cola was displaced as America’s eternal No. 2 carbonated soft drink, Coca-Cola was at No. 1; the new No. 2 is Diet Coke. That reordering is especially distressing to investors because there is scarcely a more beautiful business in the world than producing branded soft drink concentrate. â ¦ PERSONALITY FACTORS- Irate investors have been calling for Pepsi to sell off its snack food business or for Nooyi to step down, or at least announce a likely successor. She did none of that at the presentation. Instead, by outlining a plan that will take two years to pay off, she showed that she has the board’s support. But if that plan doesn’t show clear signs of working before year-end, the board’s support could evaporate. That’s why the next several months are make-or-break for her.

Name _____________________________________________ Essays

Name _____________________________________________ Essays Name ______________________________________________________________________ Journal entries required for the film and novel To Kill a Mockingbird and Episodes of Modern family Journal entries for every 5-6 chapters Comment on 1-2 narrative conventions of the novel genre each time N arrative Conventions are techniques used to tell a story to the reader. Narrative Conventions include: points of view, 1st person, 3rd person characterisation descriptive language, conflict, climax, plot, time Guiding questions Chapters 1-3: What do we learn, in this chapter, about Harper Lee's view of the education system of the time? How do you view school? What do we learn about Calpurnia's attitude to other people in this chapter? What do we learn about Burris in particular and the Ewells in general in this chapter? Why do so many people make up, read, or view gruesome and frightening stories? Chapter 4-5 Why do people make fun of those who are different? Chapter 7- 9 Chapters 7-9: Give examples of prejudice. Identify the most common types of prejudice in our community, in the U.S., and in the world. Explain why these types of prejudice are destructive. What is the cause of Scout's outburst at the start of chapter 9? Why shouldn't Atticus defend Tom Robinson Chpater 9? Chapter 10 Why does Atticus say that it's a sin to kill a mockingbird' ? Chapter 12 What is the significance of the First Purchase Church? What new things does Scout learn about how the black people live? Chapter 14 Why does Aunt Alexandra think Atticus should sack Calpurnia? What response does Atticus give to this? Chapter 15 What is your definition of a MOB? How does mob behaviour differ from individual behavior? How would you handle an angry mob, as opposed to an angry individual? What is the mob's purpose in being there? RESEARCH TASK - find out about the Ku Klux Klan (Be ready to present your findings to the class) Chapter 17 How might a) the white people and b) the coloured people respond to Bob Ewell's statement I seen that black nigger yonder torrin' on my Mayella' Chapter 17 and 18 How does Harper Lee create and sustain tension in these chapters? Chapter 20 Atticus says that there is only one way in which all men are equal in America. What is it? Chapter 24 Why does Atticus take Calpurnia with him? Reflection Write about the importance of some of the families in T o K ill a M o c k i n g b i r d . Write about: How different characters in the novel are affected by their families How the writer presents different families and their importance. How does Harper Lee show Atticus to be a good parent? Write about: what he does what he says to Jem and Scout how the writer makes you think of Atticus as a good parent. What'sHappening MyThinking BriefSummary Keyevents/facts/details KeyQuotations Themes NewVocabulary Type of reading: Resistant reading or dominant reading? Reader'sreaction/opinions supportedwithevidence from thetext Whythey'reimportant/What'stheauthor'smessage? What is the purpose of the text? Mythinking/interpretations about themeaningor significance. Textreference/Inmyhead reference WhatIknowaboutthe word/howit connectstothetext Why? For each genre, please complete and submit the info sheet in English Skills 11 Page ___________

Rhetorical situation and solution to a business

Rhetorical situation and solution to a business Executive summary This report intensively addresses the challenge related to use of social media in businesses. Research studies have documented that there are quite a number of business organizations that are unable to properly manage their social media sites. Due to inefficient and ineffective business management strategies, many users of social networks have become victims of privacy violations.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Rhetorical situation and solution to a business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The use of, or viewing of personal materials without express permission from the copyright owner is a violation that demeans intellectual property. Due to lack of thorough regulation, many internet users especially in sites like Nazsa-Klasa, XING, Facebook and Twitter have tremendously violated privacy laws (Basu 49). Lack of strict regulation may be due to the fact that most governments and management teams ha ve given the issue of violation of privacy a laissez-faire approach. The effects seen in escalating infringements of privacy is a clear show of failure of social media managers (Hader Brown 270). Proper strategies should be instituted, laws against violations tightened and free flow of information managed. This report aims at evaluating possible solutions to this lack of privacy, a problem generated by lack of well established security measures by social media business owners. The following criteria will be used to evaluate possible solutions: Is the solution practical? Is it cost effective? Will it enhance privacy and promote positive behaviour? To research on this problem, secondary data collection method was applied to gather reliable and informative materials. From the findings, the following solutions were proposed: Control of free flow of information Enhancing security and laws Introduction Aim The aim of this report is to evaluate possible solutions in business management challenges in social media. The objective intends to determine the management issues that have contributed to lack of privacy in social media sites such as Facebook, twitter and MySpace.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The report intends to provide the social media companies and governments with recommendation in order to minimize the negative aspects of encroachment on privacy. Background It may prove difficult to draw clear difference between infringement of personal privacy and fair usage of social media due to the availability and ease with online materials can be accessed at any given time (Hader Brown 270). One may not know which video files, songs or pictures to upload and use without permission. As such, many social media sites users have found themselves using, distributing, sharing and accessing private materials online (Palfrey 6). Research studies hav e attributed this to failure in the role of the manager of social media companies such as Facebook, twitter and YouTube to protect themselves and their users from infringement of privacy. According to the studies carried out by recent empirical researchers, loss of privacy can be minimized by designing an End User License Agreement (EULA), a term of service that will to some level, control loss of privacy especially on copyright infringement (Basu 52; Hader Brown 270). Tackling this management problem will save social media companies from heavy losses due to payment of huge fines for any form of privacy infringed. Additionally, it will save the image of social media sites from severe damage linked to sites where the rate of infringement of privacy is high. The use of, or viewing of personal materials without express permission from the owner is a violation that demeans intellectual property of the owner (Palfrey 11). Due to lack of thorough regulation, many internet users especiall y in sites like facebook have tremendously violated privacy laws. Lack of strict regulation may be due to the fact that most governments and management teams have given the issue of violation of privacy a laissez-faire approach (Hader Brown 273). This has immensely contributed to increase in violation of privacy. On the same note, distribution of private materials in the internet has become commonplace (Palfrey 14). Theft, unauthorized access to materials of other internet users and distribution of illegal copyrighted materials like movies, music, photographs, literature and games have tremendously increased (Hader Brown 272). Modern technology has necessitated sharing and uploading files in social networks. A bigger portion of the uploaded and shared materials infringes on copyright and privacy.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Rhetorical situation and solution to a business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Scope This report aims at evaluating possible solutions to lack of privacy, a problem generated by lack of well established security measures by social media business owners. Plan This report will highlight the main causes of violation of privacy in social media. Additionally, it will discuss possible solutions from the findings and provide practical recommendations that will aid the management of social media companies in devising solutions to privacy issues. Research plan and methodology In order to thoroughly investigate and analyse failure of social media businesses to protect the privacy of their customers and provide solutions, the information used for this research was gathered from primary and secondary data. Information from secondary data came from books, journals, literature materials and magazines. The researcher used literature sources to examine social media business, their characteristics, main debates and challenges that tend to face them in their operations. Primary data was collected from focus groups which included social media business owners and customers or user of social media sites through the use of questionnaires, individual depth interviews and group interviews. Secondary data was obtained from two broad methods. These included quantitative and qualitative methods. The former comprised of various databases which contained information privacy infringement especially with regard to social media. Some of the resource materials for quantitative analysis of this research study included published books, peer reviewed journals, newspapers, magazines and credible websites. In conducting interviews, respondents were picked at random. The questions that were asked included: How does it make you feel to know that social media sites do not fully offer privacy to their customers? Where do you think the problem lies? Will improving privacy affect your business? As a customer, if the problem persists, what would be your own solution to safeguard your p rivacy? Findings and discussions According to the interviews conducted, results indicated that infringement of privacy in social media sites has become commonplace today. This, they pointed out, is due to free flow and access of information and files. As such, accessing owners’ files has increased to a point where individuals encroach on the privacy of others.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Besides, another result from the interview indicated that many people enjoyed services given by social media businesses through social sites in the sense that those sites offered users opportunities to connect in almost every area in life. Indeed, these sites have numerous benefits that touch both social and economic sectors. It gives the user the access to the intrinsic value of the social world (Palfrey 17). This is practical in the sense that if you have a brand or an organization, and a potential researcher sees your profile, can easily access you (Basu 49). Moreover, other results indicated that the use of or viewing of individuals’ materials without express permission from the owner is a violation that demeans intellectual property of the owner. The respondents argued that due to lack of thorough regulation, many internet users, especially in sites like facebook have tremendously violated privacy laws. They indicated the problem was lack of strict regulation on access a nd use of materials. This may be due to the fact that most governments and social media business management teams have given the issue of violation of privacy a laissez-faire approach (Palfrey 9). The action of uploading and sharing this material privately or publicly violates copyright. It amounts to theft and piracy, which is infringement of a person’s right through prohibited manufacture of copyright work and selling to other people. Valuable products have been produced through Facebook, and distributed across the internet. Evaluative criteria In seeking the best solution to the business problem discussed, the following criteria will be used to weigh against possible solutions. Is the solution practical? The solution to the business management problem must be practical and achievable by considering capabilities of the business and the personalities of individuals whose privacy has been violate. Is it cost effective? In terms of managing the cost of improving their syst ems to enhance security, a social media business needs to have finances that can effectively cover the cost. A cheaper solution is critical in a situation where a business needs to save money. Will it enhance privacy and promote positive behaviour? The solution must ensure privacy, change the behaviour of social site users and be above criticism. Overview of possible solutions Control free flow of information Apart from the many benefits of social media, it carries with it negatives aspects that include provision of room for infringement of privacy of users. From the findings, this is due to the free flow of materials across the internet. It is therefore important that social media business companies formulate plans and methods that will ensure that they control and regulate materials that are released through their sites. Security The use of or viewing of individuals’ materials without express permission from the owner is a violation that demeans intellectual property of t he owner. Due to insecurity in form of hacking and accessing private files, many internet users, especially in sites like facebook have had their privacy tremendously violated. It is imperative that the management of social sites as well as the governments devise appropriate methods of dealing with violators of privacy. Laws There is need for laws on privacy and security in the social sites be increased and strictly observed. Besides, the government should come up with effective laws that will ensure that those who violate other peoples’ privacy are apprehended and punished. Inasmuch as internet service business providers are being given security, they should be held responsible for transmitting or storing infringing contents a user decides to upload, keep or share without the knowledge of the knowledge company Evaluation of solutions against criteria Is the solution practical? Controlling free flow of information by social media business can be attained. This is easily attai nable since social media businesses are in full control of their systems and as such, they can implement changes and follow them up to ensure their effectiveness. Besides, their systems create capabilities that can regulate flow of information. Through these capabilities, social media business can improve security measures, thus maintain customer satisfaction, achieved overall strategic goals and increased their service processes (Raab 34). In terms of security, social media business can use their capabilities through information technology, to manage, combine organizational knowledge, integrate technology and coordinate efforts toward enhancing user security (Raab 34). This will ensure that their customers’ privacy is well protected. Additionally, more strict laws on violation of privacy should be created by governments and social media businesses top protect social media users. Is it cost effective? In terms of managing the cost of improving their systems to enhance securit y, social media businesses have finances that can effectively cover the cost. Today, social media businesses have their streams of technologies integrated and diverse service production coordinated (Raab 34). Through this, it streamlines its cost and enhances customers’ perceived value and creates new sites that are competitively unique. Will it enhance privacy and promote positive behaviour? Regulating free flow of information, enhancing the security of social media site users and creating strict laws against violation of individuals’ privacy will enhance privacy. Implementing the aforementioned critical changes will indeed be a turning point to positive behaviour by users. Enhancing security systems and controlling free flow of information will deny users access to personal materials and hence reduce incidences of violations. Recommendations The conclusion that is derived from evaluating possible solutions indicates that it is necessary to combine the possible soluti ons to attain privacy of users and reduce violations. Therefore, the following recommendations are necessary to be implemented: Social media business companies to formulate plans and methods that will ensure that they control and regulate materials that are released through their sites Management of social sites as well as governments to devise appropriate methods of dealing with violators of privacy. Governments should come up with effective laws that will ensure that those who violate other peoples’ privacy are apprehended and punished. The government should come up with better ways to handle this form of intellectual property violation. It should avail funds for the government law enforcement departments both at the local and the state levels so that it is possible to investigate privacy infringements. Conclusions To sum up, it is imperative to note that the distribution of private materials in the internet has indeed become commonplace and a growing challenge to war aga inst intellectual property violation. Theft, unauthorized access to materials of other internet users and distribution of illegal copyright materials like movies, music, photographs, literature and games have tremendously increased. Modern technology has also necessitated sharing and uploading files in social networks. A bigger portion of the uploaded and shared materials infringes on copyright. Therefore, as the report has analysed, this can be attributed to social media business management challenge which has become slack in offering protection to users as well as in controlling the flow of information in the internet. As a matter of fact, while social media have accelerated business growth especially among organisations with online presence, the challenge posed by the use of this modern age communication tool is proving to be a growing managerial concern. Basu, Choton. Quest for Universal Identification A Commentary. Journal of Information Privacy Security 5.3 (2009): 44-54. H ader, Amy Brown, Evan. Patient Privacy and Social Media. AANA Journal 78.4 (2010): 270-274. Palfrey, John. The challenge of developing effective public policy on the use of social media by Youth. Federal Communications Law Journal 63.1 (2010): 5-18. Raab, David. Marketing Systems for Online Media: If a single common problem threatens the outbound campaign systems, its the need to handle unstructured data. Information Management 20.2 (2010): 34.

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies Research Paper - 5

Merger, Acquisition, and International Strategies - Research Paper Example Similarly, mergers and acquisitions guide smaller and newer companies into adapting in the advanced industries that have larger companies often manipulating the market conditions of such industries. Merger and acquisitions is a restructure approach in the management of enterprises within an industry. In successful mergers, the companies involved employ techniques that enable them to reorganize their corporate and internal strategies to suit the value of the operations. Distinctively, the growth of globalization has largely influenced the need for businesses to embrace mergers and acquisition as a way to fit into the competitive international markets. Many companies have inadequate resources that enable them to venture into overseas markets, hence limiting their potential output and income respectively. In this case study, therefore, the paper will explain the role of mergers and acquisitions towards the growth of a brand in international markets. The energy industry is a mainstream contributor to the growth of any economy in the world. Many companies that deal with this lucrative commodity are often engaged in a series of adjustment processes that guarantee the survival of such companies in this competitive industry. Due to the increasing global pressure towards internationalization of various business entities, the merger and acquisition processes came into the picture to provide a stable supply of energy for the expansion of various business units. Therefore, between the year 1998 and the year 2001, major energy mergers were commissioned to oversee the improvement of efficiency in the provision of energy as per the requirements of the internationalized enterprises. The Exxon Mobil is a combination that involved the purchase of Mobil by Exxon in the year 1998. The strategy employed in this merger was the horizontal strategy that involved the acquisition of a foreign oil

Philopsphy paper Term Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Philopsphy - Term Paper Example This paper applies these two theories of ethics on particular concrete cases. The cases are, keeping/breaking a promise, abortion, and Euthanasia. As sources of information, two books are used: Practical Ethics, by Peter Singer, and Ground Work of the Metaphysics of Morals, by Emmanuel Kant. Before applying the two ethical theories to the above cases, it is important to first give an overview of each of the theories. To begin with, the utilitarian theory of ethics is an end based theory. In other words, in determining the morality of an action, the proponents of utilitarian theory will focus on the end result of the action, and if the end product of the action will result in greater good to the majority of people, i.e. if the action will maximize happiness for the majority, then the action is a morally right action (Singer, 3). On the contrary, if the action diminishes happiness, or makes the majority of people to suffer, then the action is morally wrong. Deontological theory of Ethi cs on the other hand is based on the law or the duty ( Kant, 13-15). This means that an action is regarded as being morally right if it is done in accordance with the requirements of the law, or in fulfilment of one’s obligation. ... tological theory of Ethics, the main question that we should ask ourselves is whether or not the act of breaking or keeping the promise is in line with our obligations or the law. Emmanuel Kant, one of the main proponents of deontological theory of Ethics argues, in his famous categorical imperative, that before taking an action, we should ask ourselves whether we would wish our manner of acting to be made into a universal law applicable to all similar cases (Kant, 18). Kant, therefore, is of the view that we have the obligation to treat others as we would like to be treated. In this sense, breaking a promise that we have made is morally wrong because we would also not like somebody who has promised us something to fail to keep their promise. We should always keep our promises since we have an obligation to fulfil what we have promised to do. A utilitarian on the other hand would base their judgement on the consequence or the end result of either breaking or keeping ones promise. If the action will maximize the interests of the majority, then the action is morally right, and on the contrary, if the action will result in diminishing happiness to the majority of people, then the act is morally wrong. On this basis, a utilitarian wouldn’t give a definitive answer on whether the act of keeping or breaking a promise is intrinsically wrong or right. A utilitarian will conclude that the morality of the action of either keeping or breaking a promise will greatly depend on the particular circumstance at hand. If the circumstance is such that keeping or breaking a promise will lead to greater happiness for the majority, then the action is morally right and if the action will lead to suffering of the majority of people, then the action is morally wrong. Abortion The main

Abercrombie & Fitch Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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Analysis of Virginia Woolf Essay Example for Free

Analysis of Virginia Woolf Essay The essay â€Å"In search of a Room of One’s Own† by Virginia Woolf starts out by asking a simple question, what were the living conditions of women in England, in the time of Elizabeth? The author wants to understand why no woman had written any literature, unlike a man who was capable of a song or sonnet. It was as if the life of a woman was fiction. We must first start out by understanding how women were viewed in the public’s eye and then understand how they could not have been as smart as men; or could they? The author uses expressive and mimetic elements throughout the essay to support her argument. Young girls had their husbands chosen for them when they are still young by her parents. Any girl who refused to marry the man that was chosen for them was liable to be locked up and beaten without it even being looked upon as bad in the public’s eyes. Marriage was not about personal feelings; it was at the convenience of the family. Mostly taking place in the upper class societies, women were allowed to be beaten by their husbands. It was a recognized right and practiced without shame. Eventually women of upper and middle class were allowed the right to decide their husbands. When they had chosen their husband, he would become the lord and master over her. Plainly saying she was his property. Women were not wanted if they had any personality or character. This is referring to Shakespeare’s women, who were lacking of both. This is why women have no real existence saved in the fiction written by men. The author disagrees with this way of thinking; women are much more than that, â€Å"†¦ one would imagine her a person of the utmost importance; very various; heroic and mean; splendid and sordid; infinitely beautiful and hideous in the extreme; as great as a man, some think even greater† (Woolf 383). This is the author’s way of expressing that men and women think differently about the women’s role in life. Although men saw woman as a piece of property with no real value, they really are more than that. A woman is everything and nothing at the same time. A woman is of the highest importance and completely insignificant. She pervades poetry and is basically absent from history. She is a slave to any man whose parents forced her to marry. Some of the most inspired words, some of the most profound thoughts in literature fall from her lips; in real life she could hardly read, could scarcely spell, and was the property of her husband†(Woolf 383). The reality of how things were for women in this era was how a man said they were. There were plenty of women in this time that had preceded the notion of what men thought. For instance Cleopatra, Lady Macbeth, and Rosalind were strong willed women who did not follow the fictional depiction of what men said they were. Throughout history, a woman is only mentioned here and there, and normally they are all queens or great ladies. Women had the brains and character to be just as great as their male counterparts, but they would never receive a chance. A middle-class woman would never be mentioned, because of her oppression by man. According to historians, she was not allowed to write about her life or keep a diary. This leaves nothing to judge her by. Out of the many men that were all great writers, artists, and inventors only a handful of extraordinary woman do we know of equal caliber. The author is expressing emotional despair for the average woman. Her passion would be suppressed and forever unfulfilled. The author starts asking why is there nothing known about women before the eighteenth century? How can there be no such poetry produced by a woman. According to men, â€Å" it was impossible for any woman, past, present, or to come, to have the genius of Shakespeare† (Woolf 385). A stroke of genius like this would drive a woman insane and they would kill themselves. Genius like this is not something you are born with. It comes from the proper education and training. Things like this were not allowed for women. A highly gifted girl who had tried to use her gift for poetry would have been hated and punished by other people. â€Å"†¦so tortured and pulled asunder by her own contrary instincts, that she must have lost her health and sanity to a certainty† (Woolf 388). This is expressing how a smart woman will be so hated and revered that they will not have a chance for a normal life. Even if they were able to survive and actually write some poetry, it would have been twisted and deformed, coming from a strained and morbid imagination. If there was work from a woman it would have been published in a man’s name. This was the only way for a woman to get published. The women who did get published under a man’s name were still looked upon as distasteful. â€Å"Thus they did homage to the convention, which if not implanted by the other sex was liberally encouraged by them (the chief glory of a woman is not to be talked of, said Pericles, himself a much-talked-of man), that publicity in women is detestable† (p. 389). This means that women are nothing compared to men. Women do not care as much about fame as men do. What is most important is to be heard not seen. If a woman was born in the sixteenth century with a gift of poetry, their life would be unhappy and they would strife against themselves. The conditions of her life and her own instincts are what set her up for her ultimate demise. Nothing is to be expected intellectually from a woman. Any girl can read, but this lowered her vitality, and said wonders about her work. â€Å"There would always have been that assertion – you cannot do this, you are incapable of doing that – to protest against, to overcome† (Woolf 392). The author expresses how again the women are repressed and told what and how to think. Women were not encouraged to be or do anything with their lives. They were told how to think and act. They were tortured, snubbed, slapped, lectured, and exhorted. Her mind was strained and her vitality was lowered by the need of opposing and disproving stuff. The woman is inferior and the man is superior. The author uses different expressive ideas to help the audience understand the oppression against women in the eighteenth century. To make the audience feel as oppressed as the women did. Thought out the years there has been women poets and writers, but because of the oppression from the men, they used a man’s name to be able to get their point across. Any genius should be looked upon as a gift, not torn apart because it was from a woman. In conclusion, Virginia Woolf argues a strong point on how women were treated unjust and as if they were property of a man. She expresses her ideas in a clear way using vivid descriptive language that sets the audience into her state of mind. The argument is so strong; it makes the reader feel pity for the women of that era. Makes them want to stand up and take charge of their own lives.

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict

The Palestinian-Israeli conflict Across the Muslim world it is a common refrain that Palestine is the mother of all problems. (Atran Ginges: 2009: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/opinion/25atran .html) That these claims could be made about such a small piece of land, particularly one which has so little oil is extraordinary, serving only to highlight the importance of finding a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. To date, the numerous attempts at solving the conflict have all ended in failure. The prospects for a peaceful solution in the foreseeable future look bleak, with a wide range of factors contributing towards this, most notably the role of extremists, the failure of the peace process, actions of the Israeli Government, splits among the Palestinians and the actions of outside parties who benefit from the continuation of the conflict, as well as more fundamental underlying disagreements, particularly the refugee problem and the sovereignty of East Jerusalem. The Palestinian Israeli conflict is primarily a dispute over the control of land. It has been described by Amos Oz, an Israeli journalist and author, as a tragedy, a clash between one very powerful, very convincing, very painful claim over this land and another no less powerful, no less convincing claim. (Oz: 2002: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/middle_ east/jan-june02/oz_1-23.html) In 1947 the UN passed a partition plan, attempting to find a solution to both of these claims, however this was rejected by the Arabs of Palestine and civil war broke out between them and the Jews of Palestine. (McDowall: 24: 1995) After Israel declared its independence on 14th May 1948, many of the surrounding Arab countries sent forces to attack the new state of Israel. In the 1967 Six Day War, Israel gained the Sinai Peninsula and the Gaza Strip from Egypt, the Golan Heights from Syria, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem from Jordan. (Smith: 2004: 279) Having returned the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt in 1979-1982, in 1993 Israel and Palestine signed the Oslo Accords, which agreed Israeli withdrawal from parts of the West Bank and the Gaza strip, as well as for Palestinian self-government within those areas. (Smith: 2004: 438) Despite strong hopes for a final status agreement at the Camp David Summit in July 2000, this was not reached. After the Al-Aqsa Intifada broke out later that year and the subsequent deterioration in Palestinian-Israeli relations, agreement presently looks a long way off. The two-state solution is the consensus solution to the conflict, with polling indicating that it has the support of the majority of both Palestinians and Israelis. (Pallister: 2009: http:// www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/apr/22/israel-palestine-poll) Neither sees this as their ideal solution; however a majority of both recognise it is the only realistic way for peace to occur. Extremists on both sides present a constant obstacle towards solving the conflict. Rather than accepting that compromises are necessary, they are dismissive of the other sides right to exist. In Israel, there are organisations, including members of Benjamin Netanyahus current cabinet, that still believe that the Jewish State should include most, if not all, of Greater Israel, which among other areas, contains the West Bank. (Zakaria: 2010: http://www.cnn. com/2010/OPINION/03/18/zakaria.israel.mistake) Among Palestinians, extremists reject Israels right to exist and work to stop the possibility of peaceful coexistence. They have launched suicide attacks against Israeli civilians in their attempts to disrupt peace negotiations. Part of the reason peace has been difficult to achieve post-2000 has been the change in opinion among Israeli citizens that peace is a realistic possibility. When the Oslo Accords were signed, Israelis saw that by allowing Palestinians to self-govern, they were taking large risks and making a significant compromise. They tend to perceive the Camp David offer to the Palestinians as fair and just, and blame the lack of peace on Yasser Arafat for refusing to take it. (Morris: 2009: 135) With the Al-Aqsa Intifada beginning in late 2000 and causing the deaths of over a thousand Israeli civilians, (Catignani: 2008: 103) Israelis increasingly began to see the Palestinians as unwilling to make the compromises necessary for a two-state solution, destroying the belief of much of Israeli society in the possibility of peace. (Catignani: 2008: 103) This was only confirmed by the comprehensive victory of Hamas over the more moderate but corruption ridden Fatah in the Palestinian legislative electi on of 2006. Although also a social organisation, Hamas had perpetrated numerous suicide bombings against Israeli civilians, and rejects any attempt at a political settlement with Israel. (Mishal Sela: 2006: 52) In this context, many Israelis have concluded that they do not have a partner in achieving peace. Given that allowing the Palestinians to self-rule under the Oslo Accords had created areas from which it was significantly easier to plot attacks on Israel, (Catignani: 2008 131) they are incredibly wary of giving the Palestinians control of more land, questioning whether organisations such as Hamas will ever cease to attack Israel. Post-2000, the actions of the Israeli government have also made an end to the conflict significantly more difficult to achieve. Thousands of Palestinians have died at the hands of the Israel Defence Forces, with more suffering serious injuries. In 2005 Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza, however the area has been under blockade since 2007, preventing the access of vital food and medical supplies. In May 2008, even before the more recent Gaza War of 2008-09, the International Committee of the Red Cross estimated that over 70% of Gazans were living in poverty. (ICRC: 2009: http://www.icrc.org/web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html /palestine-report-260609) In the West Bank the almost decade-long downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policieswhich disrupted labor flows, manufacturing, and commerce, both external and internal. (CIA World Factbook: 2010: https://www.cia.gov/libr ary/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/we.html) Since 2002 the Israeli Government has been constructing the West Bank Barrier. Built to protect Israeli citizens from attacks, it has succeeded in vastly reducing the number of Israeli civilian casualties. (Gelvin: 2007: 249) Controversially, however, rather than being built following Israels 1949 Armistice lines, it deviates into areas captured by Israel in 1967. The International Court of Justice proclaimed that construction of the barrier is contrary to international law (ICJ: 2004: http://www.icj-cij.org/docket/index.php?pr=71p1=3p2=1 case=131p3=6) and it has also been criticised as an Israeli attempt to create an illegal unilateral solution, which severely restricts the lives of those living inside the barrier. (Shindler: 2008: 326)I loved to play football with my friends. I told the doctors that I wanted to be able to walk again they promised that I would. Ghassan, 14 years old, Gaza City. His older brother was killed and he himself was wounded during the military operation. He is waiting to be fitted with artificial limbs for both legs. The continued expansion of settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem also contributes towards making the conflict increasingly difficult to solve. Deemed as illegal by numerous UN Security Council Resolutions, (Qurie: 2008: 166) each new settlement is another settlement which may have to be dismantled in any realistic peace deal, and to continue building them shows a clear lack of commitment to peace. The actions of the IDF and the Israeli Government have helped created a generation of Palestinians that hate Israel and Jews. To those living inside the West Bank wall or in poverty-stricken Gaza, the message of extremists resonates. Israeli action is thus helping cause the circumstances from which extremists and potential suicide bombers emerge, creating a cycle of violence which is difficult to reverse. (Kamrava: 2005: 238) Splits among the Palestinians have also made it more difficult to end the conflict. Starting in December 2006, and continuing on-and-off to the present day, there has been a Civil War between Hamas and Fatah. Currently, Hamas control Gaza, whilst Fatah control the West Bank. This lack of unification within the Palestinians makes an end to the Palestine Israeli conflict impossible. For peace, a Palestinian leader would have to accept a deal which would to some extent not entirely fulfil the aspirations of the Palestinian people, and this leader would have to successfully convince them that taking it was their best option. Before his death in 2004, Yasser Arafat might possibly have been able to do this. Currently, there is no-one. Even before the Hamas-Fatah conflict, Israel had complained that there was no one to talk to among the Palestinians. (Gelvin: 2007: 246) Until the Hamas-Fatah conflict is to some extent resolved, there is no one that the Israelis can talk to about a deal. On the assumption that Palestinians and Israelis could be bought together for serious and meaningful negotiations, there are numerous disputes which would be very difficult to solve. Two of these, the refugee problem and the dispute over East Jerusalem, seem particularly difficult to resolve. In 1948, approximately 700,000 Palestinians became refugees after either fleeing or being forced to leave, with many more becoming refugees after the Six Day War. (Morris: 2004: 604) Many of them live in the West Bank and Gaza, but they have spread amongst the Arab World. Despite this, they have never been truly assimilated into the populations of these other countries; with Jordan being the only Arab state to have allowed large numbers of them to gain full citizenship. (Miller Samuels: 2009: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/ middle-east/no-way-home-the-tragedy-of-the-palestinian-diaspora-1806790.html) Palestinian refugees claim that the UN guarantees their right to return under UN General Assembly Resolution 194. Israel has rejected this interpretation of the resolution and has never complied with it. They also argue that an acceptance of the Palestinians right to return would bring about the end of Israel as a Jewish State. Whilst few of the 1948 refugees are still alive, their descendants have spent their whole lives fighting for what they see as rightfully theirs, and will not give this up without significant recompense. Disagreement on the issue of the refugees is one of the central reasons for the failure of the Camp David Summit. (Smith: 2004: 498) Of all of the territorial disagreements, Jerusalem is the most difficult to solve. Even assuming that agreement could be reached on all other territorial disputes, it is difficult to envision agreement over Jerusalem. From 1948-67 West Jerusalem was under Israeli control, with East Jerusalem under Arab (Jordanian) control. East Jerusalem contains the Temple Mount, the site of the ancient Jewish Temple. The site of the two ancient temples, tradition states that it will be the site of the third and final temple. It is considered the holiest site within Judaism, so holy, that many Jews will not set foot on it. To Muslims, the Temple Mount is the site of the Al-Aqsa mosque and of the Prophet Muhammads ascent to heaven. It is widely regarded as the third holiest site in Islam. (Shindler: 2008: 282) Current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged that A united Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Jerusalem was and will always be ours. It shall never be divided. (Reuters: 2009: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSLL96214120090521) This highlights quite how far away the current Israeli leadership is from meaningful and realistic peace discussions. However it is still almost impossible to comprehend that any Israeli leader would negotiate away The Temple Mount and the Western Wall. It is equally impossible to imagine any Palestinian leader relinquishing their claims over the Temple Mount. Palestinians feel that by accepting Israelis right to exist and a state broadly along the 1967 borders, they are making huge concessions. Giving up The Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque is something that is just one step too far. Even if a Palestinian leader were to make an agreement, it is virtually impossible to imagine that they would persuade the rest of the Palestinian people to accept it peacefully. Lastly, there are outside actors that benefit from the continuation of the conflict. Palestine would also be removed as an issue over which the Islamic world could unify, whereas hatred towards the USA and Israel would begin to disappear. If a peace effort led by the USA was achieved, this would be a major diplomatic victory for them. Regardless of statements suggesting they would support a two state solution, (Spillius: 2009: http://www.telegraph.co .uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iran/5225705/Irans-President-would-support-two-state-solution-for-Israel.html) this would be undesirable to the Iranian leadership. Syria, which has its own territorial dispute with Israel, would not allow any peace deal between the Palestinians and Israel to occur unless its dispute with Israel was settled. The Iranians and Syrians will thus continue to assist and fund groups that help keep the conflict going. To conclude, there is a wide variety of reasons, some ancient, some more recent, that have made the Palestinian Israeli conflict so difficult to solve today. After so much promise during the 1990s that a deal could be reached, the chances of an end to the conflict have taken several steps backwards over the last decade. Despite this, The two-state solution remains the only viable solution. Its pitfalls are numerous and significant. However, as the Israeli President Shimon Peres argued last year, a one-state solution has enough intrinsic flaws to render it no solution at all. signifying the end of the existence of a Jewish state (Peres: 2009: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/09/AR2009020902098.html) Whilst there was much hope that movement towards the opening of meaningful negotiations would be re-started with the election of President Obama, this hope has largely evaporated, resulting in the continuation of the conflict for the foreseeable future. Bibliography Atran, S. Ginges, J. 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