Role of the Man in the Family Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Role of the Man in the Family - Research Paper Example A man is an extremely crucial member of the family, and his roles are exceptionally crucial for smooth functioning and success of the family. Different families and cultures assign different roles to men, but there are universal men’s roles that are widely accepted in all cultures and families. Men’s roles range for love, protection, decision-making, family support, provision, fatherhood, husband, teaching and family security, (Bronstein and Carolyn 344). Men as the family heads preside over crucial family matters and issues that affect the well-being of the family. He is responsible for making key decisions in the family, for instance, decisions concerning the family property such as land acquisition, disposal, allocation between family members (children) and family development. Men are wage earners and providers of the needs and requirements of the family. A man should ensure sufficient supply of family basic needs and other means of supporting the unit economically and financially. He should contribute to physical, psychological, emotional support and mental support of the unit. In a bid to achieve this, he should reorganize his available resources to cater for his family needs, (Brody 234). A man as a protector means that he should ensure both physical and emotional security of his family. It implies safeguarding his self-esteem and worth and the self-worth and esteem of his family members. It may also imply safeguarding his ways of livelihood and protecting his family against any external and internal threat, for instance, threat to family property, value, reputation and family members. A man as leaders should lead and direct all the programs and projects of the family. For instance, instead of sitting back and watch his spouse takes initiative in case of a challenge he should take the lead. He should participate in the game and establish what he desires in his family rather than whining about his

Technology as Fast and Slow Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Technology as Fast and Slow Knowledge - Essay Example On the one hand, he is right to say that technology ruined the environment because of overproduction and industrialization. On the other hand, he does not consider how technology can also help promote ecological interests by developing slow knowledge. This paper argues that although technology has produced harmful effects on ecology, it can also be used in studying and resolving environmental problems through providing fast and slow knowledge. As stated above, Spayde contends that a gap exists between what people have (technology) and their capabilities in properly using it (ethics or moral development). Spayde argues that slow knowledge that is based on â€Å"ecological and cultural context† is better than â€Å"fast knowledge† that â€Å"zips through the terminals of information society† (68). He proves this by saying that fast knowledge provides technology, but this technology has no sense of morality and collectiveness. He also differentiates hard facts from having the slow knowledge or ethics in properly using facts. ... This essay will prove that these contentions on the balanced outlook on fast and slow knowledge and the importance of technology in ecology are correct through evidence and logic. Technology, especially through computing, has significantly helped the development of the study of ecology. In Chapter 24: Roles of Technology in Ecology, Klomp, Green, and Fry explore the role of technology in advancing environmental interests. They stress that computing technology has expanded the spatial reach of ecological studies through the use of remote sensing and related methods. They underscore that computers have eased the use of large data sets and sophisticated statistical packages and also enabled access to and accumulation of national and global data sets. Klomp, Green, and Fry add that using computer-generated models help simulate environmental events, can offer a greater understanding of ecosystems, and enhance predictive powers to conservation and land managers. Hence, technology can also be used as a tool in addressing environmental problems. Technology does not only produce fast knowledge, like what Spayde contents, because its fast knowledge can also be used to produce slow knowledge. Computer modeling, for instance, has affected ecological theory. Klomp, Green, and Fry explain that ecosystem connectivity is an illustration of a complex ecological problem that computer modeling has handled with substantial success. They underscore that computers have enabled simulations of experiments that real time or space would not otherwise permit. This fast knowledge produced slow knowledge that allowed the development of landscape ecology. Klomp, Green, and Fry argue that computer simulation of this complexity has helped ecologists to better

Sexism In Womens Professional Sports Media Essay

Sexism In Womens Professional Sports Media Essay Sexism is the belief or mind-set that one sex (usually the male) is innately superior to, more skilled, or more worthy than the other is. It includes all kinds of prejudice, overt or covert, concerning gender. It is the belief that a certain gender is inherently better than the other; therefore, it should be in charge of the most significant spheres of political, financial, and social life. It principally involves detestation of, or bigotry towards whichever gender as a whole or the appliance of stereotypes of masculinity to all men, of femininity to women. Sexism is also known as male and female chauvinism. Sexism has been narrowed down to be described as the practice of dominance of men over women. Sexism is a practice that is held up in various ways such as through language, visual links, media depiction, and stereotyping, particularly based on the maternal/caring role of women. These ways are significant to our socialization into our gender roles, and as a result, it makes this d ominance tolerable in the community. Sexism is such a significant issue because all women go through it in various ways. For example, in the workplace and at home depending on their economic and social situation; it restricts the ways in which women go about actualizing their potential. The Sports organizations are not free from sexism either. This controversy is not a new issue that has risen. Sexism in sports goes as back as sports and sexism itself goes. Sexism in sports dates back to back to B.C.s. Even from as long as 776 B.C., antique Greek prohibited women as contenders and audience from the Olympic Games. Any married woman who was found around the stadium was thrown from a cliff (Borish, 1996). In August 1890, W.S. Franklin declared the creation of a womens professional baseball league. It was required that for one to take part in the league, they must be aged below 21 years, beautiful, and have a gorgeous shape. This was a step forward but was still not sufficient for the women. In the 1900 Olympics edition, in Paris France, was made up of 1308 men and only 11 women, another positive step from primeval Greeks but still not sufficient. Prior to 1916, women were not permitted to attend boxing matches since the sport was viewed to be too violent for the women. In the 1920 Olympics, the judges warned American figure skater Theresa Weld for making jumps that they deemed not lady-like. Before that, it was worse with jumping itself being deemed unlady-like. In early bobsled contests, two of the riders had to be women; however, they were not allowed to drive nor work the bakes. In the 1928 Olympic 800-yard running event, a number of women collapsed, this provoked the then IOC president Compete de Baillet-Latour to attempt to free the games of all womens track contest. In 1936, Avery Brundige, the then chief of the US Olympic Committee remarked, that he was sickened to the ears by women who wanted to participate both as field and track competitors. According to Brundige, they do not have any charm although they are adroit and beautiful, they cannot perform not in the swimming or diving category (Danziger, 1999). He went on to become the chief of the international Olympic committee in 1952. Women track competition longer than 200 meters were ba nned until 1960 when the 800-meter race was re-established. Women were also not permitted at center court for the Italian championship tennis finals before late 1960s. In 1972, the 1500 meters track competition was introduced in the Olympic sports. The womens AAA in the UK barred women from taking part in long-distance road races prior to 1975 when they were allowed. The International Olympic committee declined to allow women to take part in the 3000 meters track event for the 1980 Olympics in Moscow in the USSR, since the event was considered a bit too arduous for women. In the subsequent Olympics games in1984 the 3000 meters race alongside the marathon was added. In 1997, in the US, a womens professional basketball league was started, the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA). As evidenced by this account, it has it has been a protracted and sluggish battle for women in sports. Sexism was deeply rooted in sports, and the fight against it has truly advanced through the years. On a positive note, however, there is far less offensive and overtly sexist handling of women athletes than it was the situation two or even one decade ago. Undoubtedly, there has been a gender revolt in American sports in recent times (Hargreaves, 2000). Millions of girls participate in sport competitions daily be it in college or professional leagues. Womens athletic ability levels have also done up astronomically over the last two decades in sports ranging from basketball to volleyball, from hockey to soccer etc. There still exists a long and hard journey to go for women athletes to attain the same opportunities and hold up as their male counterparts. Although discrimination of people based on their gender has almost ended in regards to whether sports bodies allow women to participate in some sports games, more need to be done to improve the way sports commentators and the general population characteristically speak of women athletes. The media and sponsors are also guilty of prop agating sexism in sports. For example, the overall coverage of womens sports has gone down to ridiculously low levels. It is time for the news media and the sports shows to up the tempo to be able to keep pace with this revolution. It is a fact that women in professional sports have never been entirely supported, either fiscally (by sponsors) or psychologically (by the media and the fans). Women have tried hard to get reorganization and respected by governing bodies. The media and public need to change their sexist outlook; this will enable sexism in sports to be wiped out. Just this year, two leading British soccer radio commentators, were relieved of their jobs a day after being taken off the air for making sexist remarks about a female assistant match official during the English premier league duel between Wolves and Liverpool. The duo requeted that a person should go to the field to show the dumb women what was meant by the offside rule. Women do not know what it is, asserted one. Certainly not, the second one concurred. Britains Sky Sports, Richard Keys, and Andy Gray were criticizing the work of the linesman Sian Massey, and they were aware that they were on air. Then as if that was not sexist enough, they laughed about the policy of West Ham United concerning sexism in football. Keys and Gray asked each other rhetorical remarks that were aimed at lowering the morale of Karen and never thought of what she would feel. Now this could be disguised as humor; however, it is also true that jokes at a persons race, or gender expense are a mask of anger t o that persons race, or gender. The words of sports commentators and sports shows hosts, repeated many times by different commentators in the same or similar manner, just like propaganda, provide a theoretical frame for the sports experience. This abstract frame is of interest since the fans often relate it even to non-athletic situations. In Wimbledon, it is a widely known that the scheduling of women tennis at the central court is mostly based on looks rather than prowess. In fact, the reason why female tennis is so popular has everything to do with the sex appeal of the female players and little (if at all anything) to do with their ability to play tennis (not to say they are not good players but to say their abilities are ignored). Marketers of female tennis sell its sex appeal rather than the skill of the athletes. Furthermore, it is an open secret that the world over, more importance is attached to men sports. Media coverage in general is better for male leagues and tournaments than female ones. Even the cost of courtside tickets for NBA vis-Ã  -vis that of the WNBA points to this. It costs more to attend NBA matches that WNBA matches. This is a testament to the fact that more value is attached to mens sports. The media, as an institution, is guilty of perpetuating sexism in tennis and sports in general. Media gives more emphasis on male sports compared to female sports. This, they claim, is because more men attracted to sports than women are. This is not true, and the assertion is contradicted by facts. Nationwide statistics point toward the fact that women make up to 38% to 42% of all sport and physical activity contestants. Nonetheless, study indicates that female sports get roughly 6% to 8% of the entirety sports coverage. According to the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles (2000), the main factor that plays a part in deciding what sports gets coverage in newspapers is the interests of the editor; the number of sports covered grew when the ability of women in sports was devalued. The media also perpetuate sexism in sports by depicting female athletes as feminine and sexually attractive. From a traditional perspective, it is easy to say there is nothing wrong with portraying wom en in general as attractive. However, female athletes surely warrant equal acknowledgment for their sporting capabilities as male athletes. When a female athlete appears in a sport periodical or an ad to market in a sport she ought to be portrayed with respect as is male athletes, an accomplished athlete. Another problem for depicting sexual images of female athletes is the fact that images are very influential and form as well as mirror attitudes and values (Birrell and Cole, 1994). Depicting female athletes as sexual beings, or pretty sends the message that they are not greatly skilled as athletes. Depictions that overlook or belittle females athletic abilities dent the significance of womens sports and esteem for the skills of sportswomen (Fields, 2005). The use of sexist imagery to sell female sports by advertisers, promoters, and the media in general sells the athletes not as so, but as sex objects. Instead of fans going to matches to see the sporting prowess of the contestants , they go there to see the pretty ladies, they were promised in the promotions. The media and the promoters might argue that the selling of sexy images of females in general works. Of course, if it did not work they would not do it. The underlying argument would be that this is what their target market wants. This argument would be an astonishing insensitivity to the detrimental results of sexism. The sports media and the advertising industry have a responsibility of not perpetuating destructive and restrictive images to the society. The same This is what the target market wants and, This is what works or sells would not be acceptable if the images portrayed are racist or anti-Semitic. The fact that pornography sells and might be what they want to consumers does not make it any more acceptable. This argument is obviously unacceptable.

Langston Hughes Essay -- essays research papers

Few poets in the twentieth century, and perhaps even in any century, can be compared to Langston Hughes. Hughes wrote with his heart and soul, creating poems that everyone could understand. He expressed love for all races, colors, and religions and did not judge anybody until he had reason to judge them. He wrote to entertain, to inspire, to teach, and to make a point. His way with words made him the most popular and prolific black writer of the twentieth century (Offinoski, 32). Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri on February 1, 1902. He was born into a black family of abolitionists and his parents were both bookkeepers. When Hughes was young his parents separated, causing his father to move to Mexico and his mother to leave him for quite a while in search of a steady job. Hughes could never call a place ?home? for too long because he was always moving from one place to another or living with different family members and friends. This constant movement affected his writing because he learned about many different people and life styles from the places he lived. Hughes started writing poetry in high school, but the major turning point in his poetic career was when he was working as a bus boy in Washington, D.C. A very famous critic, Vachel Lindsay, was at the place that Hughes worked. Hughes had always admired him and looked up to him, but he was too timid to confront him. Instead, he ran up to Lindsay, gave him a few poems that he had written, and ran away without saying anything. The next day Hughes was bombarded by reporters because Lindsay had published his poems in the paper. Since Lindsay had not known his name, he had received the name ?bus boy poet? in the paper. That was the jump start of Hughes?s career. In 1919 and... ...te101.com/article.cfm/modern_us_poetry_97582>. Haskins, James S.. Always Movin' On. London: Franklin Watts, 1976. "Langston Hughes." America's Story from America's Library. 19 December 2008 . "Langston Hughes (1902-1967)." Books and Writers. 2003. 2 January 2008 . Modern American Literature G-O. Curley, Dorothy Nyren, Maurice Kramer, and Elaine Fialka Kramer. Vol. 2. New York: Frederick Unger Publishing Co. Inc., 1969. Otfinski, Steven. Great Black Writers. New York: Facts on File Inc., 1994. Page, James A.. Selected Black American Authors. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1970. Warlick, David. "MLA Web Document." Son of Citation Machine. April 2006. Landmark Project. 2 Jan 2008 .

Logic Model

Logic model Brief history of evaluation and the logic Model Scriven (1991) would argue that evaluation has been around for many years, and is only now recognised as a discipline. He would go further and say it is like a knowledge which has been around for a decade before we were discussing its use, nature and logic. It is essentially different from science in its methods and thought. He would argue it is only recently we have appreciated its value as a discipline we still have a long way to go. Despite the current popularity of logic Models they date back to the 1970s. The first publication that used the term â€Å"logic model† was quoted as Evaluation: Promise and Performance by Joseph S. Wholey (1979). Suchman (1967) is similar to Bennett's hierarchy, The Seven Levels of Evidence (1975, 1976), well-known in Cooperative Extension circles, was an early predecessor of today's logic model. The backgrounds and footprints of logic model thinking can be seen in the private sector, public sector and non-profit sector. Private sector- The private sector has experienced total quality management (TQM) and performance measurement movements. TQM is an on-going process that involves management and staff to meet the requirements of clients and other stakeholders while keeping costs to a minimum. Moullin (2002) Public sector- The Government Performance targets with health and social care which asked for outcomes which were linked to funding. E. g. Accident and Emergency waiting times, more recently the push for released prisoners who are managed within the community by agencies will receive funding if they do not reoffend within a set time frame. This is similar to the payment by results concept within the health service. This saw the influx of program managers being employed within the public sector. We also have performance indicators within the Local Authority which measure assessment time frames and timely reviews of LAC. Non-profit sector- The non-profit sector is concerned with improving programs to produce outcomes. This has resulted from the new commissioning guide lines where contracts dictate agreed outcomes linked to funding. I have chosen the logic model for evaluation and am going to discuss its strengths and weaknesses. A logic model is an evaluation tool that provides a way of illustrating a program visually so it can be understood by all stake holders. It can be presented in table format which can be presented in easy read language thus can involve clients with disabilities. It shows planned activities and results expected from it and there is no right or wrong way of developing the model. It provides a picture or diagram of what is going to be done and what the program evaluation is going to be. The Logic model has three approaches to evaluation: It is a client centred (bottom up approach) approach it starts with the desired effects or results and works up to outlining how we will get the results. It is best used when evaluating an existing activity. Within this research it will look at the existing processes of weather the voice of the child is heard within the Looked after Children Review (LAC)? Top down approach starting with the pre-planned program activities and strategies that can evaluate a program in its developmental phase, within the process of LAC review where the voice of the child is a concept that the government is wanting in place. The Independent Reviewing Manager is responsible for ensuring the voice of the child is heard. The most important strength of the Logic Model is that both approaches can be used at the same time. Benefits and limitations of the Logic Model It is a usefully program planning and evaluation tool. It is simple yet complex it can be time consuming as you seek to involve all stake holders. It may not always address weather we are doing the right thing and get caught up in creating the model then weather the program is the right thing to do. It mat stifle creativity and spontaneity as it has clear phases to follow. It is easier for the stake holders to understand the overall purpose of the program and it ensures the inputs and outputs correspond. It identifies key questions to be evaluated. This may not always cover all the outcomes that may happen as a result of the evaluation, e. g. he question asked may result in other unexpected outcomes which may be overlooked. Taylor et al (2008) This model clearly outlines the intended key elements to all stake holders, staff, clients, policy makers and the agencies. The model often focuses on positive change sadly this may not be the result as change is not always positive. The model can reveal the break in steps in any part of the progra m activities, revealing the limitation where a great deal of patience is required. It may simplify the complicated process of cause and attribution where they may be many issues that influence process and outcomes. Scriven puts in very simple terms â€Å"The relation between mosquitos and mosquito bites† (Scriven, 1991: 77) it is important to realise the logic model only makes a statement of intent not reality. Taylor et al (2008) Theory under pinning the logic model Empowerment Empowerment is a contested concept which can be defined in many ways depending on peoples understanding and ideas. Adams (2003) According to Wallerstein (1992), states empowerment is a social-action process. It encourages participation of people, organizations, and communities towards the goals of Individual and community control. Towards political efficacy, improved quality of Life and social justice, While Whitmore (1988) feels the concept of Empowerment needs to be more clearly defined; she states that there are some common Underlying assumptions: Individuals are assumed to understand their own needs better than anyone else and therefore should have the power both to define and act upon them. All people possess strengths upon which they can build. Empowerment is a lifelong endeavour. Personal knowledge and experience are effective and useful in managing. McDougall (1997) suggests â€Å"empowerment is not an intervention or a strategy. Rather it is a fundamental way of thinking†. â€Å"Empowerment is not giving people power; people already have plenty of power, in the wealth of their knowledge and motivation, to do their jobs magnificently. We define empowerment as letting this power out† (Blanchard, K 1960). As we can see from some of the definitions of empowerment that the individuals carrying out the evaluation themselves need to be committed to the values of equality and social inclusion otherwise the outcomes may be affected highlighting one of the weakness of the theory and logic model where we can have unexpected outcomes, and influences we may not have anticipated. Participation Participation of children and young people in social work policy and practice has been a fairly new concept. For many years professionals interpretation of children’s feelings, needs and wishes have determined services and influenced research and policy. Franklin et al (2004). It has slowly dawned on professionals over the last 30 years that children and young people need to be involved in decision making and processes. This desire to involve children and young people has only increased since 2000 Oldfield et al (2004). Participation now is central to current government legislation, policy and guidance framework underpinning delivery of public services to children and young people. This thinking has been influenced by social and political changes at national and international levels. Literature Search on Participation It is important to suggest that you cannot have empowerment without participation and participation without empowerment. Alderson (1993) has made us aware through his research the competencies children have in getting involved in decision making, and children and young people have been identified as a group in their own right. Alderson particular focused on children and young people’s ability to discuss and give consent to surgery. Fanklin et al (2004) The emergence of the children’s rights agenda. Children and young people began to gain legal participatory rights in decision- making under the UN convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), it was ratified in the UK in 1991. This focused adults to think about how to involve children and young people in decision â€Å"appropriate to abilities and understanding† Franklin et al (2004:6). Marchant et al (2004:136) would suggest that too often we are focusing on children and young people’s competence to participate rather than on adult’s competence to support children and young people to make decisions and take action. There has been an increasing influence of the consumer; the concept that as consumer’s children and young people are given more power threw legislation and policy to exercise choice and influence over the services they receive. Franklin et al (2004). Sadly majority of LAC have had no choice in coming into care but within the system they should be given choice. The reality of choice is often restricted by resources. My question would be do they really have choice are the consumers? The impact of high profile child protection cases in the late 1980s and early 1990s, which uncovered systematic physical and sexual abuse by staff in children’s homes led to an acknowledgement that â€Å"adults know best† and will act in the interest of children and young people had failed many children. There was a â€Å"culture of collusion, neglect, indifference and silence on the part of staff† Landsdown (2001:3). Children were denied a voice ‘speaking with’, ‘listening to’ and actively involving children and young people would have ensured their protection. Scottish Executive (2004) There is a growing movement of children’s service user and carers, we have seen a development of groups such as the Children’s Rights Alliance for England (2005); the Children’s Society (2006), National Young Carers Initiative and A National Voice, who are working towards transforming the status of children and young people in the UK. Children’s participation in the United Kingdom (UK) has moved a long way. Children and young people can play a crucial role when organisations listen to them in delivering services. Wright et al (2006) Methods There are robust applied reasons to view qualitative evaluation methods as harmonious to quantitative methods. Reichardt et al (1994). There is a wide debateon the two methods. Datta (1994) suggested that the difference in the two models are less apparent in practice then in theory and that often evaluators will use more than one approach due to the complexity of the work they do. Reichardt (1994) The table below tries to show differences between qualitative and quantitative evaluation approaches. For this research we will be using both, questions and narrative approach to allow the stakeholders to express their views. It will be an indicative approach starting with the data and then making sense by looking at the themes that emerge through language, feelings and experience. It is a holistic approach which is empowering as it tries to represent all stake holder’s views as well as evaluators. It is considered a natural way where the research is not looking to lead the stakeholders in any one direction. Miles & Huberman, (1994) it is a holistic approach. Key Differences Between Qualitative and Quantitative Evaluation Approaches| Qualitative EvaluationIs Often Characterized by| Quantitative EvaluationIs Often Characterized by| †¢ Inductive approach to data gathering,interpretation, and reporting†¢ Holistic approach: finding gestalts for theevaluation results†¢ Verstehen: understanding the subjectivelived experiences of program stakeholders(discovering their truths)†¢ Using natural anguage throughout theevaluation process†¢ In-depth, detailed data collection†¢ Use of case studies†¢ The evaluator as the primary measuringinstrument†¢ A naturalistic approach: does not explicitlymanipulate the setting| †¢ Research hypotheses and questions that are tested in the evaluation†¢ Finding patterns that either corroborate ordisconfirm pa rticular hypotheses and answer the evaluation questions†¢ Understanding how social reality, asobserved by the evaluator, corroborates ordisconfirms hypotheses and evaluationquestions†¢ Emphasis on measurement procedures that lend themselves to numerical representations of variables†¢ Representative samples of stakeholder groups†¢ Use sample sizes with sufficient statisticalpower to detect expected outcomes†¢ Measuring instruments that are constructed with a view to making them reliable and valid†¢ Evaluator control and ability to manipulatethe setting, which improves the internalvalidity, the statistical conclusions validity,and the construct validity of the researchdesigns| (Miles & Huberman, 1994) We will be using a purposive sample of stakeholders to interview. The interviews will include 2 social workers, 2 families, 2 young people who have left care, 2 Independent reviewing managers and 2 foster carers. This is because for the research we want to interview people involved in the LAC review as our research is about children and young people going through the process and weather their voice is heard. The table below shows the advantages and disadvantages of sampling methods and why we have chosen purposive sampling. Sampling techniques: Advantages and disadvantage Technique| Descriptions| Advantages| Disadvantages| Simple random| Random sample from whole population| Highly representative if all subjects participate; the ideal| Not possible without complete list of population members; potentially uneconomical to achieve; can be disruptive to isolate members from a group; time-scale may be too long, data/sample could change| Stratified random| Random sample from identifiable groups (strata), subgroups, etc. Can ensure that specific groups are represented, even proportionally, in the sample(s) (e. g. , by gender), by selecting individuals from strata list| More complex, requires greater effort than simple random; strata must be carefully defined| Cluster| Random samples of successive clusters of subjects (e. g. , by institution) until small groups are chosen as units| Possible to select randomly when no single list of population members exists, but local lists do; data collected on groups may avoid introduction of confounding by isolating members| Clusters in a level must be equivalent and some natural ones are not for essential characteristics (e. g. geographic: numbers equal, but unemployment rates differ)| Stage| Combination of cluster (randomly selecting clusters) and random or stratified random sampling of individuals| Can make up probability sample by random at stages and within groups; possible to select random sample when population lists are very localized| Complex, combines limitations of cluster and stratified random sampling| Purposive| Hand-pick subjects on the basis of specific characteristics| Ensures balance of group sizes when multiple groups are t o be selected| Samples are not easily defensible as being representative of populations due to potential subjectivity of researcher| | Select individuals as they come to fill a quota by characteristics proportional to populations| Ensures selection of adequate numbers of subjects with appropriate characteristics| Not possible to prove that the sample is representative of designated population| Snowball| Subjects with desired traits or characteristics give names of further appropriate subjects| Possible to include members of groups where no lists or identifiable clusters even exist (e. g. , drug abusers, criminals)| No way of knowing whether the sample is representative of the population| Volunteer, accidental, convenience| Either asking for volunteers, or the consequence of not all those selected finally participating, or a set of subjects who just happen to be available| Inexpensive way of ensuring sufficient numbers of a study| Can be highly unrepresentative| Black, T. R. (1999:11 8) For this research the narrative approach for interviewing the sample has been chosen. What we mean by the word narrative is important to understand why we are using this approach. The  Oxford Mini Dictionary  defines narrative as ‘a spoken or written account of something’ (Hawker, 2002: 406). Chambers Twentieth Century Dictionary  is not specific about the written or spoken, with its ‘an account of any occurrence’ Macdonald, (1972: 876) thereby including the possibility of other types of communication visual, aural, tactile and so on. This wider, inclusive definition is important because it recognizes and allows the use of signing, Braille, and other communications systems/languages. It provides the following through the interviews, locates the person in context describing setting, character and mental summary of events, conflict and outcomes. Mishler (1986) The narrative process will enable collection of data from the sample selected and they will be able to tell their stories this is very important within the LAC population as we have more black children and young people represented in our system. They will be able to tell their story from their cultural perspective Marshall et al (1995). The main advantage of the process is that in the interviews we will be able to find the voice of the participant in the particular time, place and setting in this case the LAC review. Connelly et al (1990) this can also lead to gaining insight into the organisational change which can lead to cultural change. Faber (1998), Boje (1991), Beech (2000) It can also bring insight into decision making through stories and how knowledge is transferred in the organisation. OiConnor, (1997) Darwent,( 2000). We need to also acknowledge the limitations of the narrative approach. We can have researcher bias which can influence the data, the sample may not be credible, sample could have been influenced by other studies they were involved in, and background information may be missing, the analysis of the researcher could be biased, the very presence of the researcher may affect the research and data, the present information may not influence the future. Heisenburg (1927) and building trust with the sample takes time the snapshot view and small sample may impact the outcomes as they may not be representative of the population. Hammersley et al (1983) Hammersley (1990) We will be using semi-structured interview method as it is complementary to using the narrative approach to asking questions, and its strengths and limitations. â€Å"Interviewing is a complex and demanding technique† (Frey and Oishi 1995:02) This researcher sets the environment for the data to be collected. The interviewee has time to share their views but the process relies on the interviewee willing to give an honest answer. Breakwell et al (1950). It allows the interviewer to ask open questions and supplement ones to clarify views, Frey and Oishi (1995). They may not be completely honest and ask elaborate questions back to ascertain exactly what the research is about. (Wimmer and Dominick (1997). The data and validity of the research may well be impacted by these. Breakwell et al (1995)

Insights provided by behavioural finance for personal finance strategy creation

Abstract Behavioural finance’s potential to impact personal finance planning has long been a topic of substantial debate.This essay examines the correlation of the field of behavioural finance to the formation of personal strategy with the goal of illustrating the strengths and weaknesses of the approach. The results of this study illustrate the close bond that lies between the psychological state and the investment patterns undertaken by active investors. This research will be of interest to any person studying the impact of behavioural finance on personal strategy. Introduction The field of behavioural finance is argued to have a considerable impact on personal financial planning, personal finance and strategy formation (Banerjee, 2011). This area is cited by many to have the capacity to dictate the plan that a person might choose to employ during the course of forming a personal investment strategy. Effective planning is central to the identification and subsequent illustration of systemic and habitual manners that can be both positive and detrimental in the course of creating the best price and return on investment (Baker et al, 2010). Beginning with a clear examination of impact, this essay sets out to define and provide a demonstration of the impact that behavioural finance can have on the entirety of a personal financial strategy with the intent of providing the means to avoid future mistakes. Behavioural Finance Benartzi (2010) defines the area of behavioural finance as the use of psychological based insights to create economic strategy. This approach demonstrates the potential impact that day to day emotions and basic intuition can have on a personal financial situation. In many cases, the use of emotion to operate investment strategy has resulted in a significant failure or systematic issues that continuously plague the investor (Benartzi, 2010). This suggests that some emotion-based investing is either ill-timed or ill-conceived and therefore faulty and liable to lead to significant losses in the short- to mid-term. Conversely, many argue that intuition, based on effective knowledge, has the capacity to lift an investor above the majority and provide a method of obtaining great investment gains (Benartzi, 2010). In contrast to emotional investing, basing a strategy on an inherent skill or talent is suggested here to have the innate capability to achieve the end goal of base profit. Howev er, the line between emotional or biased investment and undiluted intuition seems to be slight and extraordinarily slippery, leading directly to poor financial planning. Meier (2010) illustrates the position that many mainstream investors can be identified as the classical or standard variant. This form of investor commonly assumes that they know what is in the best interest of their portfolio and it is well within their power to implement (Meier, 2010). This method of investment operates on the notion that rivalry between firms will maintain competition and therefore require minimal oversight, enhancing trust in the endeavour. However, this view is offset by the behavioural financial argument that contends that investors are often confused or misled, and despite the best intentions of many investors there is often significant lack of follow through during the strategy process (Meier, 2010). This suggests that psychology has direct and compelling impact on any formation of a personal investment plan and that often less than optimal decisions are made. Further expanding on this point is the practical issue of the need for regulation in a world often described as corrupt and morally bankrupt (Paramasivan et al, 2009). Taken together, the separation of mainstream theory from behavioural reality seems to lead many investors to incomplete assumptions and poor patterns of investment behaviour and financial planning. McAuley (2009) illustrates the view that common decision making is based a concept referred to as heuristics or common sense rules of thumb. These approaches utilise the same capacity that humankind has employed to make day to day decisions for centuries (McAuley, 2009). However, many investors commonly use poor or mistaken data in their efforts to make a profitable investment in often volatile markets (Forbes, 2009). This concept supports that notion that there is the opportunity for investors to utilise an incorrect data model in order to create strategies, which in turn can lead to substantial losses and an eventual fundamental failure of strategy. Further expanding on this point is the creation of bias during the assessment process (McAuley, 2009). Bias is commonly defined as randomised departures from the rational process, although there is often a link to the rational base (Subrahmanyam, 2008). This suggests that some decision making is based on inherently poor material, which in turn is credited with leading the entire strategy to decline. With each loss there is a continual perpetuation of the bias cycle, with negative actions resulting in consistently negative consequences (Baker et al, 2011). Alongside this link to emotional investment patterns, there have been several forms of bias recognised and addressed during the process of personal fjnance formation and financial planning. Insufficient adjustment is the inherent bias on the part of the investor to overlook the larger market picture and remain too conservative in their investment approach (McAuley, 2009).With this lack of confidence in the building strategy on the part of the investor, there is a very dim prospect for the personal financial planning efforts to make a significant gain. Further, this bias could in fact hold back an investor from reaching out to an emerging opportunity, which in turn can become a fatal habit. Conversely, the bias of overconfidence is credited with much of the investor losses over the course of the past recession and decade (McAuley, 2009). This bias has the inherent capacity to compel an investor to disregard sound advice or patterns in favour of other highly questionable actions (McAuley, 2009). This suggests overconfidence can easily overextend or compromise a working strategy. Modern financial theory has been developed in order to explain and develop the area of behavioural finance (Debondt et al, 2010). Redhead (2008) points to the Prospect Theory as a key method of determining the context of an investor’s behaviour. This approach argues that there are three separate components that must be considered in regards to an investor’s behaviour (Redhead, 2008): a) The perceived elements that are subject to bias. This identifies and illuminates the personal components that are tied to an investment decision. b) Investors are far more concerned with immediate losses and gains as opposed to overall level of wealth. c) Investors feel losses much more dearly than they do gains. Each of these elements ties into the state of the investor’s emotional and psychological balance preceding their investment strategy, which in turn provides the means to assess and adapt a developing investment plan (Redhead, 2008). Deaves et al (2005) contends that loss aversion is among the most powerful of the behavioural patterns expressed by anxious investors. In order to offset the concerns many potential market participants follow eight recommendations that have been found to have a direct impact on the formation and execution of a personal financial plan (Deaves et al, 2005): 1) Take a holistic view of the available assets and associated liabilities. There is and must always be room to adapt and adjust. 2) As much as possible allow for the maximum amount of affordable pay to be automatically invested within the client portfolio. This often takes the decision point away and offers a long term yield benefit. 3) Disregard the past actions and base investment decisions on future estimates of costs and benefits. 4) Take a long-term, as opposed to a short- to mid-term view of the investment portfolio. 5) Avoid any passing fad or quick trend promising a quick turnaround. 6) Past performance is no guarantee of future earnings. 7) Save as much as possible, as often as possible. 8) Stay the course. This approach to behavioural finance suggests that utilising elements of theory to assist in the creation of proper strategy is actively engaging the psychological tendencies of the investors in order to capitalise on their inherent strengths as well as avoid their innate detriments. Yet, despite the efforts of some financial planners many common investment mistakes continue to take place no matter the system in place (Montier, 2007). A very common loss aversion tendency that is credited with the loss of many investors’ assets is the tendency to hold on to a losing stock for too long based on past performance or associated issues (Benartzi, 2010). This is based on the very real emotional base of pleasure seeking and pain aversion. If person sells a successful stock and gains a profit, pleasure is felt, thereby encouraging the investor (Benartizi, 2010). Conversely, letting a failing stock linger, and losing money is credited with very physical manifestations of pain, which in turn lead to poor decisions the state of personal finances and personal finance planning (Benartizi, 2010). Risk aversion in behavioural finance has the potential to manifest in several different identities in the course of determining a personal financial strategy (Montier, 2007). This is a suggestion that the method that an investment is packaged and presented, or framed, has a direct bearing on the application or implementation of the proposal. Using tools including cash back incentives, or gifts, is a common method for inducing investors to overlook other data in favour of investing in the underlying company (McAuley, 2010). This suggests that a favourable set of circumstances to the investor have an impact on the manner and method of investment, prompting many advertisers and financial planners to readily target specific behaviour elements during their efforts to spur . Hens et al (2008) argue that in many cases an investor has an expected utility of the associated investment that is unrealistic. Many leading financial strategists state unequivocally that no one human can be fully informed on any single investment (Pompian, 2006). This leads to the investor believing that they have more control than is present in the endeavour, which in turn leads to a diminished or detrimental return. Baker et al (2010) credits many of the investment decisions made by investors as based on the discounting of the future potential in favour of the quick and present, albeit smaller, rewards. This need for immediate satisfaction has a direct impact on the ability for a portfolio to make the most of the assets available.This suggests that successful personal planning will focus on the mid to long term investments with a clear determination to avoid any quick or offhand investment decisions. Baker et al (2010) extend the point of the need to avoid physical distraction by illustrating studies that connect the gastronomically centred portion of the brain to the segments related to the investment areas. This is an indication that habits that are common in the population, including over eating and poor diet, can be extended to the investment portfolio. Emerging methods including surveys, interviews and focus groups are allowing for the concept of behavioural finance to be incorporated into mainstream investing (Muradoglu et al, 2012). With clear success in defining and removing behavioural impediments, many investors are looking to this field of research for potential edges in determining future strategy. Conclusion Behavioural finance is argued to provide substantial impact on personal finance and personal planning and the results of this essay support that contention. Despite the desire for a black and white investment environment, there is no escaping the impact that inherent bias, shortcoming and basic human error play on the implementation of an effective investment scheme. The material presented illustrates the potential for personal bias based on such base elements as the food consumed prior to making decisions, yet, the process of identification has the potential to offset the negative and enhance the positive. Further, intuition has been credited with propelling many investors to success, yet, this is separate from the decision making process that allows for the creation of bias and the inclusion of errant material. A clear benefit to the implementation of a personal financial strategy is knowledge of the elements that make up the field of behavioural finance, allowing the creation of an effective process to offset any negative pattern of investment behaviour. In the end, as with all manner of investments, it comes to discipline, skill, patience and the determination of the investor to not be swayed in the face of adversity but hold to the reality of any situation. References Baker, H. and Nofsinger, J. (2010). Behavioural finance. 1st ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Baker, M. and Wurgler, J. (2011). Behavioural corporate finance: Wiley. Banerjee, A. (2011). Application of Behavioural Finance in Investment Decisions: An Overview. The Management Accountant, 46(10). Benartzi, S. (2010). Behavioural Finance in Action. Allianz 1(1) p. 3-6. Brigham, E. and Ehrhardt, M. (2005). Financial management. 1st ed. Mason, Ohio: Thomson/South-Western. Deaves, R. and Charupat, N (2005). Behavioural Finance. Journal of Personal Finance 1(1). P. 48-53. DeBondt, W., Forbes, W., Hamalainen, P. and Muradoglu, Y. (2010). What can behavioural finance teach us about finance?. Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, 2(1), pp.29–36. Forbes, W. (2009). Behavioural finance. 1st ed. New York: Wiley. Hens, T. and Bachmann, K. (2008). Behavioural finance for private banking. 1st ed. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons. McAuley, I (2009). Understanding human behaviour in financial decision making. Centre for Policy Development 1(1). p. 1-5. Meier, S. (2010). Insights from Behavioural Economics for Personal Finance. Behavioural Economics and Personal Finance 1(1). p. 1-3 Montier, J. (2007). Behavioural investing. 1st ed. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons. Muradoglu, G. and Harvey, N. (2012). Behavioural finance: the role of psychological factors in financial decisions. Review of Behavioral Finance, 4(2), pp.68-80. Paramasivan, C. and Subramanian, T. (2009). Financial management. 1st ed. New Delhi: New Age International (P) Ltd., Publishers. Pompian, M. (2006). Behavioural finance and wealth management. 1st ed. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Redhead, K. (2008). Personal finance and investments. 1st ed. London [u.a.]: Routledge. Sewell, M. (2007). Behavioural finance. University of Cambridge. UK Subrahmanyam, A. (2008). Behavioural finance: A review and synthesis. European Financial Management, 14(1), pp.12–29.

Catherine and Rodolpho Essays

Catherine and Rodolpho Essays Catherine and Rodolpho Essay Catherine and Rodolpho Essay Another great problem about Eddie was that he was judgmental. As soon as he saw Rodolpho he didnt like him. Eddies character is of a stereotypical man- works hard for a living, cares about his family and goes to the pub with his mates for a drink. Rodolphos character was the total opposite. He was quite feminine. The things that showed his femininity was that he was Italian and had blonde hair, he sang on ships, and can mend cloths such as dresses. Eddie didnt give Rodolpho a chance to get to know him. You could say that Eddie thought that Rodolpho wasnt man enough for him or Catherine. An example of this is when Eddie is teaching Rodolpho how to box, by doing this he is teaching him a mans sport. Eddie asks Rodolpho to hit him in front of Catherine and Beatrice, Eddie knows that Rodolpho wont hit him however he asks him only to prove to Catherine that hes not a man. Rodolpho doesnt want to hit Eddie. Dont pity me you cant hurt me. Eddie says this to Rodolpho he intimidates him. This shows the differences between Eddie and Rodolpho. Eddie became jealous very easily. He was jealous of Rodolpho, and how his little girl, Catherine chose Rodolpho over him. Another point to mention was that Eddie turned his back on his family by calling immigration and snitching on Rodolpho and Marco. In the beginning of the play Eddie tells Catherine and Beatrice not to snitch. They got stool pigeons all over this neighbourhood-it could be your best friend. Ironically that is exactly what Eddie does in the end, he betrayed his family and friends. Eddie makes two visits to Alfieri for advice. The first time he goes to see if there is any law against Catherine marrying an immigrant who aint right. I mean he aint right. Hes a blond guy Alfieri could not give Eddie any help. Alfieri says to Eddie she cant marry you can she? He says this as if Eddie has strong feelings for Catherine but not as a daughter, however Eddie denies it. Eddies second visit to Alfieri, he is desperate and tells Alfieri that Catherine and Rodolpho are getting married. Eddie is hoping for Alfieri to say phone immigration, however he says if you phone the law a river will drown you and you will have no friends. Eddie ignored Alfieris advice. This shows that Eddie was very stubborn; once he had something in his mind no one can tell him otherwise, just like how he didnt like Rodolpho but never gave him a chance. Eddies unacceptable behaviour to Rodolpho and Catherine was what eventually killed him. A good example of this was when he came home drunk to find Rodolpho and Catherine in the bedroom. He started a big argument in which he kissed Rodolpho and Catherine. He kissed Rodolpho to show Catherine that hes not a man and not right for her. He then kissed Catherine on the lips to say to Rodolpho, shes not yours shes mine, and she needs a man like me to be with. I think that Eddie succeeds in humiliating Catherine and Rodolpho, however I think that this turns Catherine even more away from Eddie and the love for Rodolpho increases. After Eddie doing what he had done and Rodolpho and Catherine were still together and still getting married, the only option left was to go behind his families back and call the immigration office. This shows that Eddie was a very stubborn, selfish, scheming, jealous man. Another example of Eddies unacceptable behaviour which lead to his death was when he pulled a knife out on Marco, in an attempt to stab him, Marco manage to reverse the knife into Eddies chest and kill him. Eddies behaviour was totally stupid and uncalled for. In Alfieris final speech he says that even though Eddie was wrong he admired him in how he fought for his family. I will love him more than all my sensible clients. I agree with Alfieri in the way that Eddie was a honest man, just protecting his family, however the manner in which he went about protecting his family was unacceptable. He betrayed his family; he never gave Rodolpho a chance and tried to kill Marco.

The Halayeb Triangle

The Halayeb Triangle The Halayeb Triangle (map), also sometimes called the Hala’ib Triangle is an area of disputed land located on the border between Egypt and Sudan. The land covers an area of 7,945 square miles (20,580 square kilometers) and is named for the town of Hala’ib which is located there. The presence of the Halayeb Triangle is caused by the different locations of the Egypt-Sudan border. There is a political boundary that was set in 1899 that runs along the 22nd parallel and an administrative boundary that was set by the British in 1902. The Halayeb Triangle is located in the difference between the two and since the mid-1990s Egypt has had de facto control of the area. History of the Halayeb Triangle The first border between Egypt and Sudan  was set in 1899 when the United Kingdom  had control over the area. At that time the Anglo-Egyptian Agreement for Sudan set a political boundary between the two at 22nd parallel or along the line of 22ÌŠ N latitude. Later, in 1902 the British drew a new administrative boundary between Egypt and Sudan which gave control of the Ababda territory that was south of the 22nd parallel to Egypt. The new administrative boundary gave Sudan control of land that was north of the 22nd parallel. At that time, Sudan controlled about 18,000 square miles (46,620 sq km) of land and the villages of Hala’ib and Abu Ramad. In 1956, Sudan became independent and the disagreement over the control of the Halayeb Triangle between Sudan and Egypt began. Egypt  considered the border between the two as the 1899 political boundary, while Sudan claimed that the border was the 1902 administrative boundary. This led to both Egypt and Sudan claiming sovereignty over the region. In addition, a small area south of the 22nd parallel called Bir Tawil that was formerly administered by Egypt was claimed by neither Egypt nor Sudan at this time. As a result of this border disagreement, there have been several periods of hostility in the Halayeb Triangle since the 1950s. For example in 1958, Sudan planned to hold elections in the region and Egypt sent troops into the area. Despite these hostilities, however, both countries exercised joint control of the Halayeb Triangle until 1992 when Egypt objected to Sudan allowing exploration of the region’s coastal areas by a Canadian oil company. This led to further hostilities and an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Egypt’s then-president Hosni Mubarak. As a result, Egypt strengthened control of the Halayeb Triangle and forced all Sudanese officials out. By 1998 Egypt and Sudan  agreed to begin working on a compromise as to which country would control the Halayeb Triangle. In January 2000, Sudan withdrew all forces from the Halayeb Triangle and ceded control of the region to Egypt. Since Sudan’s withdrawal from the Halayeb Triangle in 2000, there are often still conflicts between Egypt and Sudan over control of the region. In addition, the Eastern Front, a coalition of Sudanese rebels, states that it claims the Halayeb Triangle as Sudanese because the people there are more ethnically related to Sudan. In 2010 the Sudanese President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir said, â€Å"Halayeb is Sudanese and will stay Sudanese† (Sudan Tribune, 2010). In April 2013 there were rumors that Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi and Sudan’s President Al-Bashir had met to discuss a compromise of control over the Halayeb Triangle and the possibility of giving control of the region back to Sudan (Sanchez, 2013). Egypt denied those rumors however and claimed that the meeting was simply to strengthen cooperation between the two nations. Thus, the Halayeb Triangle still remains in Egypt’s control while Sudan claims territorial rights over the region. Geography, Climate, and Ecology of the Halayeb Triangle The Halayeb Triangle is located on the southern border of Egypt and the northern border of Sudan. It covers an area of 7,945 square miles (20,580 square kilometers) and has coastlines on the Red Sea. The area is called the Halayeb Triangle because Hala’ib is a large city within the region and the area is shaped roughly like a triangle. The southern border, about 180 miles (290 km) follows the 22nd parallel. In addition to the main, disputed portion of the Halayeb Triangle there is a small area of land called Bir Tawil that is located south of the 22nd parallel at the triangle’s westernmost tip. Bir Tawil has an area of 795 square miles (2,060 sq km) and is not claimed by Egypt or Sudan. The climate of the Halayeb Triangle is similar to that of northern Sudan. It is normally very hot and receives little precipitation outside of a rainy season. Near the Red Sea, the climate is milder and there is more precipitation. The Halayeb Triangle has a varied topography. The highest peak in the region is Mount Shendib at 6,270 feet (1,911 m). In addition, the Gebel Elba mountain area is a nature reserve that is home to Elba Mountain. This peak has an elevation of 4,708 feet (1,435 m) and is unique because its summit is considered a mist oasis because of intense dew, mist and high levels of precipitation (Wikipedia.org). This mist oasis creates a unique ecosystem in the region and also makes it a biodiversity hotspot with over 458 plant species. Settlements and People of the Halayeb Triangle The two major towns within the Halayeb Triangle are Hala’ib and Abu Ramad. Both of these towns are located on the Red Sea coast and Abu Ramad is the last stop for buses bound for Cairo and other Egyptian cities. Osief is the closest Sudanese town to the Halayeb Triangle (Wikipedia.org).Because of its lack of development, most of the people living within the Halayeb Triangle are nomads and the region has little economic activity. The Halayeb Triangle is however said to be rich in manganese. This is an element that is significant in the production of iron and steel but it is also used as an additive for gasoline and is used in alkaline batteries (Abu-Fadil, 2010). Egypt has currently been working to export ferromanganese bars to produce steel (Abu-Fadil, 2010). Due to the ongoing conflict between Egypt and Sudan over control of the Halayeb Triangle it is clear that this is an important world region and it will be interesting to observe whether it will remain in Egyptian control.

Phase Definition and Examples

Phase Definition and Examples In chemistry and physics, a phase is  a physically distinctive form of matter, such as a solid, liquid, gas, or plasma. A phase of matter is characterized by having relatively uniform chemical and physical properties. Phases are different from states of matter. The states of matter (e.g., liquid, solid, gas) are phases, but matter can exist in different phases yet remain in the same state of matter. For example, liquid mixtures can exist in multiple phases, such as an oil phase and an aqueous phase. The term phase may also be used to describe equilibrium states on a phase diagram. When phase is used in this context, its typically synonymous with a state of matter because the qualities that describe the phase include the organization of matter as well as variables such as temperature and pressure. Phases of Matter The distinct phases used to describe states of matter include: Solid: Closely packed particles with a fixed volume and shapeLiquid: Fluid particles with a fixed volume but variable shapeGas: Fluid particles with neither a fixed volume nor shapePlasma: Charged particles with no fixed volume or shapeBose-Einstein condensate: A diluted, cold boson gasMesophases: Intermediate phases between solid and liquid There may be multiple phases within a single state of matter. For example, a bar of solid iron may contain multiple phases (e.g., martensite, austenite). An oil and water mixture is a liquid that will separate into two phases. Interface At equilibrium, there is a narrow space between two phases where the matter doesnt exhibit properties of either phase. This region, known as interface, may be very thin, yet can exert significant effects.

Orientalism in Fashion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Orientalism in Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Orientalism in Fashion" concerns the fashion and orientalism. One can attribute this invasion of Oriental elements into European art and fashion to Paul Poiret and his imaginative and bold style that he pioneered in the decade leading up to the First World War. After inaugurating his fashion house in 1903 on the rue Auber, Poiret’s business grew quickly. Parisian women found the clear lines and simple forms of his designs very appealing. Poiret is the first couturier to â€Å"raise the waist in women's dresses, recalling Empire lines and thereby creating an elongated silhouette, like a cue stick.† The invasion of oriental elements into Parisian fashion was so pronounced that by 1913, one can see everywhere loose-fitting waists, oriental chemises or Russian blouses, drawn into â€Å"a sash of velvet or satin, or where there is no sash, a band of embroidery encircles the hips to give the same effect." At the time Paul Poiret was establishing his career in fash ion design there was a sense of stagnation and limitation in fashionable expression for women. At the turn of the century when Poiret opened his couture house, women’s figures â€Å"were not only divided in two by a whalebone corset, but also constrained by masses of fabric†. Poiret went about changing this condition and hence freed a generation of women from constricted dresses. His wife and muse Denise was also his foremost model for trying new design prototypes. What Poiret wanted to achieve was to bring back the classical dressing sensibilities. that he so admired and assimilated into his aesthetics. He first encountered classical paintings at the Louvre as a school boy. His unique design style shifted the emphasis to the shoulders; the waist was raised to a considerable degree. His style reflected the neo-Grecian Directoire sensibilities of erstwhile art patrons Empress Josephine and Lady Hamilton. To accentuate the contours of the body Poiret employed fine fabric s such as silk, tulle and muslin. He also reduced the hemline into that iconic model called the hobble skirt. (Web 2007) The Oriental elements to Paul Poiret’s designs were manifest in his use of gold, fur, fringes and turbans – some of which are being reinvented contemporarily at Prada. Poiret’s embrace of Oriental elements reached its peak in Paris with the unveiling by Leon Bakst of the Ballets Russes. One of the stand-out designs in the years preceding the First World War is the Persian themed designs that were seen during the 1002nd Night party in 1911. Exhibiting his showmanship during the event, Poiret dressed up as a sultan and locked up his wife in a golden cage. As usual she modeled his latest creation: harem pants. Poiret was flooded with orders for these pants. Women saw in them an avenue for liberty, if only to let them dance to the emergent cultural craze for the tango. (Web 2007) Art 1. Two Dresses by Paul Poiret (Plate 2 from Les Robes de Paul Po iret), illustrated by Paul Iribe, 1908. The significance of Poiret’s Orientalist designs emerges from their widespread cultural effects. For example, the sultan harem pants were in such vogue that respected architecture journal commented and illustrated Poiret’s works through the artful photographs of Edward Steichen. The journal article went on to praise Poiret’s work as an â€Å"

Managing Change in Organisations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Managing Change in Organisations - Essay Example Employees and workers have to be well-equipped in the knowledge economy with the necessary mental, physical and psychological abilities. This is the new scenario in the twenty-first century: individuals should be ready for battle and their weapons are their knowledge, talent, capabilities, and experience to combat the multiple forces of modernity and technology. Organisations depend much on the workers; likewise workers can depend on organisational knowledge. This essay will present how our organisation is able to introduce change in a situation where everything seems to be crumbling. Complaints, suggestions, and rumors of forcible retirement are circulating, whilst top management is resigned to leaving it all up to fate or to next people interested to take the reins of power. Our concerns are deep rooted, mine perhaps is too personal, simply because I grew up with the company, my father and grandfather both came from ordinary workers to middle level managers of the organisation I have perceived to have become an institution. The organisation means many things to all of us. We have grown with the company. Letting the board do what they want to do because their job is done, or that they have attained what they wanted in life, is like leaving childhood memories to waste. Moreover, we are also fighting for survival here. Where will we go? Where will all these employees who will soon be replaced by new hires from the joint venture company find jobs? It is a major change, one which requires careful study, determination and will on the part of owners and management. How it is executed requires the cooperation of everyone, most of all, teamwork. Well, it is teamwork that we have missed all this time. The whole picture portrays a sick organisation. From the very beginning, the company seems going nowhere. First, production is really slow. The whole organisation is working at a slow pace that it seems the organisation cannot cope with the rising tide of

Drug Abuse Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Drug Abuse - Research Paper Example Another case of the youths doing drugs is the underage children who copy drugs and substance abuse from their peer, guardians, and parents. They do not engage in drugs because they are out of options, but rather they engage in drugs just for the fun of it, in which case they consume copious amounts of drugs just to relax their bodies and feel delirious. According to Jaffe (2000), the most common drug abused by these youngsters is alcohol. Statistics show that some kids begin abusing alcohol from as early as age twelve. A majority of this category of youngsters comes from rich families or families that are well off financially, and as such, the parents give their children a lot of freedom and loose change, most of which they waste on alcohol.Another case of the youths doing drugs is the underage children who copy drugs and substance abuse from their peer, guardians, and parents. They do not engage in drugs because they are out of options, but rather they engage in drugs just for the f un of it, in which case they consume copious amounts of drugs just to relax their bodies and feel delirious. According to Jaffe(2000), the most common drug abused by these youngsters is alcohol. Statistics show that some kids begin abusing alcohol from as early as age twelve. A majority of this category of youngsters comes from rich families or families that are well off financially, and as such, the parents give their children a lot of freedom and loose change, most of which they waste on alcohol.

Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Adopting a Healthy Lifestyle - Essay Example The healthy lifestyle includes good feeding practices by eating a balanced diet, avoiding junk food†¦ doing regular exercise†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Landow, 76) Thus, adopting a healthy lifestyle is important to resist different kinds of health problems and it is only possible if we eat a balanced diet, exercise and avoid stress. A balanced diet is essential for adopting a healthy lifestyle. Everyone has certain food preferences and perhaps this is one of the reasons why our diets are mostly comprised of a certain type of food. We tend to omit a lot of healthy foods just because we do not like their taste. For instance, people who like meat-based dishes are prone to consume lesser amounts of fresh foods like vegetables and fruits. Similarly, there are a lot of people who do not like dairy products. These are typical examples of imbalanced diets. Our meals should ideally comprise of healthy amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, good fats and water. Thus it is important to explore new tastes and foods in order to include all the essential components of a balanced diet. Fast food like deep fried chicken or fish or potatoes, are richer in calories but low in nutritional value. We need to adapt our bodies slowly to a healthy lifestyle because it is not easy to curb our cravings for our favorite fast food. Alternately, we can also make some healthy changes to the ways our food is normally cooked. Our recipes can be made healthier if we reduce the number of fats and sugar in our everyday meals. Opting to grill or stir fry our meat and vegetables can greatly reduce our caloric intake and retain their nutrition. Eating fresh food is healthier than eating preserved, canned or processed food. This is because preserved food contains certain additives that may be unhealthy. Moreover, preserved foods are high in sugar or salt, which is also not healthy. It is indeed tempting to buy a can of peeled and diced fruits or vegetables rather than purchasing fresh fruit and vegetables and going through the trouble of washing and  peeling them.  

The religious aspect of young goodman brown Research Paper

The religious aspect of young goodman brown - Research Paper Example The story of Brown alerts one to the dangers that are inherent in the puritan life that stifles the creativity of man and the only recourse that his imagination has is to resurface in his dreams where they display an unhealthy tendency to distort the boundaries between reality and illusion. Much of the analysis of this short story has followed the contributions of psychoanalysis to our understanding of the nature of dreams and the repressed. They have helped in the understanding of the story as one that critiques the excessive control of religion over the life of an individual. Hawthorne’s critique is leveled against the religious fervor that the puritan establishments of New England, where the story is set, has displayed, since the migration of people from England to America in search of a new colony to create a land that would be a model to the rest of the planet in their adherence to Christian ideals. Hawthorne deals not only with Christian ideas but also with the prejudice s that Christian settlers had regarding Native American religion and rituals. Relegated to the margins of the white settlements, these original inhabitants of America are labeled as the friends of the devil. Hawthorne’s story of Goodman Brown manages to have some sympathy for the condition of the Native Americans but is guilty on many an occasion of referring to the devil and the powwow in the same breath. But then, the entire story revolves around a recognition of the fact that everybody is a sinner, at least in the mind. Hawthorne sets his story in the forest near the village of Salem. The forest, according to Reginald Cook, is set in opposition to the house which represents the outward appearance of the man and his spotless reputation. The forest on the other hand, abounds in â€Å"demonic presences† and â€Å"ancestral spirits† that represent elements of pagan religions that are set in opposition to the Christian atmosphere of the house and the village (Cook ). It is implicit that civilization is necessarily Christian and the absence of Christianity means an absence of a civilized ethos. This amounts to a rejection of extremely complex religious beliefs that other cultures, including Native American civilizations, had. This was a very important aspect of the puritan establishment which used religion as a cover for the imperial designs of Britain. By belittling the beliefs of a certain civilization and setting oneself as the person who needs to introduce civilization in a particular place, one fails to incorporate in one’s way of living, which is what religion essentially is, the beliefs of anther community that may serve to enhance the quality of one’s life. Brown, as well as critics of Young Goodman Brown is often guilty of mistaking appearance with reality, says David Levin in his essay, Shadows of Doubt: Specters of Evidence in Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† (Levin). The appearance of the devil may be connected to the real devil, since there are enough indications to that effect. However, other characters can merely be a figment of the imagination of the character in the story. In any case, there is a great deal of ambiguity regarding the fact as to whether the events in the story are real or an illusion. The illusionary nature of the events may be interpreted as a dream or as an imagined

How To Survive A Plague Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How To Survive A Plague - Movie Review Example This paper is a review of the film â€Å"How to Survive a Plague†. It is majorly about a group of activists and the founders of the Act-up organization. This follows a struggle for recognition by the U.S.A government and health organizations in the provision and the development of advanced VIV/AIDS remedies. The political aspect of this documentary is the level of ignorance portrayed by President Ronald Reagan in support of the epidemic activism. In addition, Senator Jesse Helm pointed out to the victims that, â€Å"They asked for it†. Research through interviews and film demonstrations by the members of the Act-up group identified the spread of the plague to have been hastened by homosexuality and GLBT lifestyle. The politics against the Act-up activism was further reflected by the refusal of health organizations to treat AIDS patients and further refusal by the funeral homes to bury those that died of AIDS or related complications. The increasing death troll inspired the mobilization of the GLBT group in 1987 to influence the public perception about HIV/AIDS. This aimed at the arrival of a probable cure or effective preventive measures that would curb the number of deaths from the plague. The controversy within the GLBT and the intensive overview of the organization disagreements on how the campaigns should be carried out sets How to Survive a Plague a unique documentary in comparison to the other HIV/AIDS films. The differing opinions within the GLBT organization were whether the fighting meant the literal fighting while a section of the members acknowledged a campaign without undue violence.

The religious aspect of young goodman brown Research Paper

The religious aspect of young goodman brown - Research Paper Example The story of Brown alerts one to the dangers that are inherent in the puritan life that stifles the creativity of man and the only recourse that his imagination has is to resurface in his dreams where they display an unhealthy tendency to distort the boundaries between reality and illusion. Much of the analysis of this short story has followed the contributions of psychoanalysis to our understanding of the nature of dreams and the repressed. They have helped in the understanding of the story as one that critiques the excessive control of religion over the life of an individual. Hawthorne’s critique is leveled against the religious fervor that the puritan establishments of New England, where the story is set, has displayed, since the migration of people from England to America in search of a new colony to create a land that would be a model to the rest of the planet in their adherence to Christian ideals. Hawthorne deals not only with Christian ideas but also with the prejudice s that Christian settlers had regarding Native American religion and rituals. Relegated to the margins of the white settlements, these original inhabitants of America are labeled as the friends of the devil. Hawthorne’s story of Goodman Brown manages to have some sympathy for the condition of the Native Americans but is guilty on many an occasion of referring to the devil and the powwow in the same breath. But then, the entire story revolves around a recognition of the fact that everybody is a sinner, at least in the mind. Hawthorne sets his story in the forest near the village of Salem. The forest, according to Reginald Cook, is set in opposition to the house which represents the outward appearance of the man and his spotless reputation. The forest on the other hand, abounds in â€Å"demonic presences† and â€Å"ancestral spirits† that represent elements of pagan religions that are set in opposition to the Christian atmosphere of the house and the village (Cook ). It is implicit that civilization is necessarily Christian and the absence of Christianity means an absence of a civilized ethos. This amounts to a rejection of extremely complex religious beliefs that other cultures, including Native American civilizations, had. This was a very important aspect of the puritan establishment which used religion as a cover for the imperial designs of Britain. By belittling the beliefs of a certain civilization and setting oneself as the person who needs to introduce civilization in a particular place, one fails to incorporate in one’s way of living, which is what religion essentially is, the beliefs of anther community that may serve to enhance the quality of one’s life. Brown, as well as critics of Young Goodman Brown is often guilty of mistaking appearance with reality, says David Levin in his essay, Shadows of Doubt: Specters of Evidence in Hawthorne’s â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† (Levin). The appearance of the devil may be connected to the real devil, since there are enough indications to that effect. However, other characters can merely be a figment of the imagination of the character in the story. In any case, there is a great deal of ambiguity regarding the fact as to whether the events in the story are real or an illusion. The illusionary nature of the events may be interpreted as a dream or as an imagined

Major Component Agencies of the Dhs Essay Example for Free

Major Component Agencies of the Dhs Essay This paper will discuss what are the major component agencies of DHS and their primary functions. Major Component Agencies of the DHS Major agencies of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are; The Directorate for National Protection and Programs, The Science and Technology Directorate, The Office of Health Affairs, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), The Office of Investigations, The Office of Detention and Removal Operations, The Federal Protective Service, The Office of Intelligence, The Office of Intelligence and Analysis, The Office of Operations Coordination, The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, The Transportation Administration (TSA), The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), The Citizenship and Immigration Services, The Coast Guard, and The Secret Service. Their Primary Functions The Directorate for National Protection and Programs has five divisions that work to advance the DHS’s risk-reduction mission. The primary development and research arm of the department belongs to the Science and Technology Directorate. The Office of Health Affairs coordinates all medical activities to ensure appropriate preparation for the response to incidents having medical significance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, administers the National Flood Insurance Program, and prepares the nation for hazards. The CBP prevents terrorists and their weapons from entering the United States. They are responsible for protecting U. S. borders, while simultaneously facilitating the flow of legitimate trade and travel. The largest investigative arm of DHS is ICE. They are responsible for identifying and shutting down vulnerabilities both in the nation’s borders and in economic, infrastructure security, and transportation. The Office of Investigations investigates a wide range of international and domestic activities that violate customs laws and immigration and threatens national security. The department who is ensures the departure from the United States of all illegal aliens through the fair enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws is the Office of Detention and Removal Operations. The Federal Protective Service is responsible for securing, ensuring a safe environment, and policing in which federal agencies can conduct their business at more than 8,800 federal facilities nationwide. Collecting, analyzing, and disseminating strategic and tactical intelligence data belongs to the Office of Intelligence. The Office of Intelligence and Analysis is responsible for using information and intelligence from multiple sources to identify and assess current and future threats to the U. S. The responsibility for monitoring the security of the U. S. on a daily basis and coordinating activities within the department and with governors, law enforcement partners, DHS advisors, and critical infrastructure operators in all fifty states and more than fifty major urban areas nationwide falls under the Office of Operations Coordination. The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office works to enhance the nuclear detection efforts of federal, tribal, states, territorial, and local governments and the private sector and to ensure a coordinated response to such threats. This department protects the nation’s transportation systems. In addition, agents also inspect air carrier operations to the United States, fly air marshal missions, assess security of airports overseas, and training overseas security personnel is TSA. The FLETC provides career–long training to law enforcement professionals to help them fulfill their responsibilities safely and proficiently. The Citizenship and Immigration Services is responsible for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and the establishment of immigration service’s policies and priorities. This department is also consider a military department, which protects the public, the environment, and U. S. economic interests in the nation’s ports, along the coast, on international waters, on its waterways, or in any maritime region as required to support national security. Finally, we have the Secret Service who protects the president and other high-level officials and investigates counterfeiting and other financial crimes, identity theft, computer fraud, including financial institution fraud, and computer-based attacks on our nation’s financial, banking, and telecommunications infrastructure. Final Thoughts The Department of Homeland Security was activated in January 2003 from the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to help combat terrorism after the September 11 attacks on the United States. An outline is provided of what happened when the DHS was formed. Our lives in the United States as we knew it, has forever been changed since 9-1-1. We still have a long way to go to become more aware and secure, but it is not impossible. There are still many loopholes to tackle, red tape to cut, and the lack of proper equipment and training which still needs to be addressed on a continuous basis. On March 1, 2003, the DHS absorbed the Immigration and Naturalization Service and assumed its duties. By doing this, it divided the enforcement and services functions into two separate and new agencies: ICE and Citizenship and Immigration Services. The investigative divisions and intelligence gathering units of the INS and Customs Service were merged forming Homeland Security Investigations. Additionally, the border enforcement functions of the INS, including the U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Customs Service, and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service were consolidated into a new agency under DHS: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Creation of DHS, n.d.). References Creation-department-homeland-security, n.d. Retrieved on 1215/2012 from http://www.dhs.gov/creation-department-homeland-security Peak, K. J., 2012. Policing America challenges and best practices. Retrieved on 12/15/2012 from Chapter Two, Pages 44-48.

Hinduism What Makes It Very Appealing Theology Religion Essay

Hinduism What Makes It Very Appealing Theology Religion Essay South Asia particularly, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan has billions of population who follow and practice Hinduism. Hinduism, todays oldest living religion, is practiced by most of the natives of above countries as well as the people who have migrated from these nations to other parts of the world. Alone in India 82% people are Hindus (Moore 487). Hinduism is a unique religion without fundamentals. It is an agglomeration of religious, cultural, and philosophical ideas and practices. Thereby, Hinduism, a heterogeneous mixture of numerous traditions has its own value and set of beliefs. Hinduism, one of the oldest religions in the history, is a blend of various cultures and is legendary for its controversial origin, religious beliefs, and multiple deities. Hinduism or the religion of Hindus, has largely unknown origins because of its great shape and unclear authors of its sacred texts. There is always a controversy regarding the origin of Hinduism since centuries. The term Hinduism derives from the Persian word that refers to the Sindhu (or Indus) river which is situated in northwest India. Hindu was first used in the 14th century by Arabs, Afghans, and Persians to describe about the people of that region. In spite of this lack of definitive origin, there are two theories, Out of India Theory and Indo Aryan Theory that deal with the history of Hinduism. As per out of India Theory, Hinduism is entirely born in India. The original house of the Hindus was India; later they spread out to central Asia and thence to Europe (Modi 11). Historians, of this theory, generally hold that the origin of Hinduism can be traced to the ancient civilization of Indus Valley. Fairy extensive archeological evidences support this theory of origin before 4,000 years. Found aged rock paintings and depictions in the caves at Northern India are main bases to conclude that Hindus were in India who migrated to north and west later. The second theory or Indo Aryan Theory basically says that a group of nomads called Aryans moved to the India and mixed with the natives. However, this theory of origin has been under contemporary scientists belief and increasing challenge. According to this theory, the Artic, of all places w as the original home of these people who migrated to India in course of centuries. Initially, these migrants populated central Asia, Iran, Afghanistan, and finally India. These pre-historic migrants or Aryans were considered as honorable and noble people, who invaded the Indus valley civilization and invented Hinduism along with the natives. These Aryans spoke a language that in its refined form came to be known as Sanskrit, which is believed to be the oldest language in the world. Due to the lack of supporting proof, this theory has now been proven to be flawed one and is considered nothing more than a myth. According to scholars, the evolution of Hinduism may be divided into three periods: the ancient (6500 BCE-1000 AD), the medieval (1000-1800 AD), and the modern (1800 AD to present). About 1500 B.C. the Indus valley was invaded from the east by the Aryans. By the year 1000, the basic doctrines of Hinduism had been formed, and the ancient period of Hinduism gave way to the medieval period. The modern period of Hinduism began about 1800 with the introduction of British rule into India. In addition to the unclear origin, another reason of Hinduism to be a unique is its basic tenets. Hinduism embraces a great diversity of  beliefs about the universe, God and the path to liberation. In Hinduism, the cosmos is represented by the various elements which represent the mass. In Indian mythology, the whole universe is consists of strong radiation represented by the term OM which is the essence of all mantras, the highest all mantras and the divine word. OM consists of three sounds: the vowel a, the vowel u, and a nasalized m. It is said that OM of Hinduism and Amen of Christianity have similar sound and meaning as well. In case of God, for Hindus, he is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent beyond any attributes of shapes, color, and formà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.In general, Hindus consider God not just as the supreme and almighty one, but also the personal one whom the individual can worship. Basically, the divine trinity of Hinduism is formed by Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh who p ossess the characters corresponding to creation, preservation, and annihilation. Hinduism considers diverse aspects of God, in multifarious form. Thereby, it is sometimes viewed as polytheistic or believing in many gods (Rosen 33). As, Hinduism is a cluster of diverse belief and traditions, the prominent themes of Hinduism include the authority of the Vedas (the oldest Indian sacred texts), the Brahman (the ultimate reality), law of karma, right actions, reincarnation, and liberation from the cycle of rebirth. The Vedas are the most ancient religious texts of Hinduism-indeed; they are the oldest religious texts in an Indo- European language. All the religious realms and divine pantheons are described in the vast corpus of mythological and ritual Vedas. Vyas, a holy priest wrote all these Vedas, that Hindus believe. Even, Lord Krishna mentions about the importance of Vedas in Bhagavad Gita (part of Hindu largest Epic Mahabharat): I am seated in everyones heart and from me come remembrance, knowledge, and forgetfulness. By study of Vedas, the goal is to know only me; and it is only I who truly know these texts, indeed, I am the creator of the final truth (The Bhagavad Gita 15.15). There are four main Vedas where whole Hinduism is elaborated: the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda, and the Atharwaveda. Except Vedas, Hindus believe in caste system too, where Brahmans or Brahmins lie on top. A Brahmin is a member of the highest priestly caste in Hinduism who performs priestly services. Brahmins as well as Vedas are two concepts that are fundamental to Hinduism and differentiate the faith from Buddhism and Jainism. Hindu scriptures explain the ultimate reality as Brahman which is obviously the source of all things. It is said that Brahman is the ultimate mystery without any attributes and qualities which is behind the universe and all the Gods. It is pure, indivisible, infinite, incorporeal, and all pervading likewise the sky. To know about life, it is necessary to know the Brahman and the Atman which is the self, the soul, the principle of individual life. Some people feel that a message of Hinduism is, through meditation and contemplation; an individual must come to realize the fact that the Brahman is Atman. The idea that humans soul transfer into a new body after death is a main theme of Hindu tenet and this process happens over and over in a continuous cycle known as Samsara. Throughout these lives, Karma is the one which keeps an individual imprisoned by trans-migratory cycle and determines the quality of next reincarnation. Karma means deed or action. Each souls unique destiny is determined by the universal law of Karma. Hindus also believe that by good Karma the cycle of Samsara can be escaped when a soul reaches a stage known as  moksha (liberation). One who is free from ignorance and sins is eligible for Mokshya and after this point; the soul will reside in heaven. Moreover, truth, meditation, yoga, piousness, honesty, celibacy, prayers, penance, cleanliness, non-violence are other tenets of Hindus. Hindus perform different religious practices and rites according to the age of an individual with the help of trained priest or chaplain serving family. Naming, weaning, hair cutting, marriage, death are different rites throughout a Hindus life. The most important and never a-parting relationship and most engrossing event of a Hindus life is marriage. It is subjected to be the most prolonged and an endless conversation however; those who remain unmarried are also treated with the upmost respect, if he has a pious motive. The bride and bride groom start their lives together where fire is taken as witness. The couples make seven rounds around the fire and each round has its specific promise which they are supposed to keep throughout their married life. In case of remarriage, the Hindu society allows a widower to remarriage however, widows are never allowed to remarry and have affairs throughout their lives. After marriage, the funeral or death ceremony comes second important and this d iffers from caste to caste. The closing moment of a Hindus life is associated with number of actions. After death, the body is destroyed, ideally on the bank of river with fire. Afterwards, Hindu mourning lasts one year, during which a large number of ceremonies have to be performed for the Mokshya or liberation of the Soul. Hinduism is generally associated with multiple deities and does not advocate the worship of one particular deity. Home is the center of religious practices for Hindus. Deities are represented by a complexity of images and idols symbolizing divine powers. Each home has an idol, a picture or at least an image to worship. Cleaning and sprinkling the holy water are common ways to make the house holy and livable for God. In addition, Hindus go to different temples very frequently to worship different gods. Hindus view the Supreme Beings cosmic activity as comprised of three main tasks: creation, preservation, and dissolution. There three tasks are associated with three deities Brahma,  Vishnu  and  Shiva which are fundamental deities of Hinduism and they stand as  creator, preserver and destroyer respectively. Lord Brahma brings forth the generation and represents the creative principle of the Supreme Being. Where, Lord Vishnu maintains the universe and represents the eternal prin ciple of preservation. Lord Shiva represents the principle of dissolution and recreation. All future characters in Hinduism are connected somehow with these three deities. A Hindu deity represents a particular Supreme Being. These three deities together form the Hindu trinity. One must clearly apprehend that these three gods present the same power, the Supreme Being in three different aspects and are not independent. Bansi Pandit says, The oneness of the three gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva or Mahesh is brought out by the mystic symbol AUM where A represents Vishnu, U Shiva and M Brahma. After deities, Hindus also worship planets, trees, animals, and even spirits. As per Hindu scriptures, living beings are not apart from God, since, he resides in each and every one of the creatures in the form of atman (BG 10.39). Hence, each living being is a solitary manifestation of God. In addition, Hinduism has always been an environmentally sensitive philosophy and contains the earliest messages for sustentation of environmental and ecological balance. Thus, Hindus worship nine planets as God because it is believed that these angelic bodies in the cosmos affect every aspect of human lives and are responsible for all the good or bad times one faces in life. Among them, the sun has a major role and is worshipped in different forms. The holy Gayatri mantra is solely dedicated to the sun: Let us mediate on the adorable splendor of sun; may he arouse our minds with his golden beams. After the solar system or planets, Hindus also worship animals and plants such as cow and holy basil. The priests say that just looking after a cow in itself is a form of worship. Holy basil which is often called Queen of herbs is the mother medicine of nature. Generally each Hindus home has a basil plant in courtyard and the house is considered incomplete if it does not have a basil plant somewhere in residence. In India this plant is hallowed for more than five thousand years as a healing balm for body, mind and soul. As Hinduism is a mixture of different castes, cultures, and is comprised of many varying beliefs such as pantheism, monotheism, polytheism, and atheism; it seems very unique in comparison to other eastern religions. Even though philosophers and historians have controversy regarding Hinduism, Hindus do not have any contradiction among their beliefs.