The Simpsons free essay sample

Examines TV cartoon shows origins, popularity, predecessors successors in animation. Looks at the shows social effects. (more)

Nicholas I

Nicholas I has been portrayed, and perhaps rightfully so, as a strict and reactionary tsar. Indeed, his internal policies were often repressive he sought to nip any liberalism in the bud, often brutally. His approach to solving problems in the Empire and keeping control was to create the "Nicholas system", a bureaucratic system defined by and completely based on absolute monarchy. Nicholas revamped govermental structure by strengthening and centralizing bureaucratic structures to an unprecedented degree. He did this as an attempt to deal with all of Russia's problems himself. At most importantly the structure known as "His Majesty's own Chancery," which was the nerve-center of the empire's administrative mechanisms. With his new governmental structure, he hoped to create a machine that would, in theory, more quickly and efficiently carry out his will. The reality, however, was a little bit different than what he planned. However strict or repressive Nicholas may have been, his policies are somewhat understandble considering what domestic and foreign events marked his reign. His accession in 1825 was threatened by an uprising of a group of noblemen who came to be known as the Decembrists. He dealt with the uprising quickly and firmly. He and his administration sentenced the five most important rebel leaders to death by hanging and sentenced many others to hard labor in Siberia. Later in 1830 Europe went through some revolutionary crises. The youth of Poland had been restless since July 1830. The fever rose greatly when they heard that the Polish army was to march with the Russians to crush the revolution and prevent the Belgians from acquiring their independence. On the night of November 29, a conspiracy of young cadets seized the residence of the Grand Duke Konstantin, the brother of the Tsar. The rebels demanded a constitution and independence from Russia. There demands would have been politically disadvantageous to N...

Weighing the benefits and drawbacks of standardized testing Essay

Weighing the benefits and drawbacks of standardized testing - Essay Example The prevalent use of standardized tests has caused much controversy in recent years. Some feel that they have an important place in helping to assess student ability and school quality, while others feel that they have very little validity, and detract significantly from our children's educational experience. A great deal of studies have been published in attempt to understand the true effect that standardized tests have on education, yet there has been little consensus among opposing sides. No matter one's position on the subject, a clear understanding of both the pros and cons of standardized testing will aid our country in its quest to improve the quality of education for all of our students. If administrators and policy-makers would take into account both the benefits and the drawbacks of standardized testing, they could work to create educational policies that take advantage of the data that standardized tests offer, while not allowing test bias or an overemphasis on test scores to detract from our student's education. The driving force behind the prevalent use of standardized tests in school districts across the country is a belief that they will hold schools and teachers accountable for each student, and that no child will be allowed to slip through the cracks. This is essentially the premise of the No Child Left Behind Act passed in 2002, which uses standardized test scores to determine whether or not schools are making adequate progress. In a recent report from the US department of education entitled "Building on Results: A Blueprint for Strengthening the No Child Left Behind Act" (2007), George W. Bush reiterates that this policy is first and foremost an effort to end "the soft bigotry of low expectations" (p 1). In addition to bridging the achievement gaps between minority populations and wealthier populations, Bush also stated that: "NCLB is an important way to make sure America remains competitive in the 21st century. We're living in a global world. See, the education system must compete with education systems in China and India. If we fail to give our students the skills necessary to compete in the world of the 21st century, the jobs will go elsewhere" (Hursh, 2007, 498). Proponents of NCLB, argue that standardized tests are the best tool that we have at our disposal to determine whether schools are truly bridging the achievement gaps and preparing students to compete in the global economy of the 21st century. The reason that standardized tests are an indispensable part of school success according to proponents of NCLB, stems from their belief that it is impossible to know if students are learning anything without assessment. Grant Wiggins, author of Understanding by Design (2006), offers a humorous, but poignant anecdote about what happens when assessment is not incorporated into classroom instruction: A teacher claims to have taught his dog to talk, yet when the teacher's friend wants to see proof of the dog being able to talk, the teacher modifies her claim: "I taught him to talk, but I didn't say he learned it" (p. 228). Without evaluation, neither teachers nor students can ever know if they have grasped the material that has been taught, and they become the talking dogs that have not actually learned to talk. Without evaluation, teaching can become a dull and listless act that fails to take into account whether students are actually learning and whether they are able to analyze and cr eate meaning out of the new experiences they have had in class. Richard Phelps explains the benefits of standardized tests in Kill the Messenger: The War on Standardized Testing (2003), which has been called the definitive defense of standardized testing. Phelps and other proponents of standardized

Nursing Quality Improvement Action Plan Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Nursing Quality Improvement Action Plan - Article Example The use of models like cultural competency, as designed by Campinha-Bacote, enable healthcare provider to continue striving towards attainment of the desired qualities necessary for working effectively in the context of individuals, clients, family as well as the entire community (Brathwaite 2003). Some of the quality improvement issues identified included lack of technology to engage patients as well as to transform healthcare into a more effective, efficient and patient centered. Also, many health institutions do not have adequate information technology tools to aid in documentations as well as monitoring quality improvements. In addition leadership support provided to nurses needed to be reviewed. There is also inadequate use of scorecards to highlight key strategies and tactics towards improvement of quality service delivery to the patients (Kaplan 1992).There are various issues that can be used to measure the quality of healthcare services being offered to patients. For instance nurses need to be engaged in the entire nursing process so as to boost his or her morale and trust in the system. Relevant information should be provided to the patient through proper communication. In case there is a communication breakdown between nurses and patients of among nurses, a lot of time will be required to gather relevant information about the patient. Spending much to acquire information about a patient reduces the effective time for providing health care services to patients.

Researchweek2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Researchweek2 - Essay Example The highest level also leads to legal accountability on the part of doctors and nurses. This means that this level provides a plan which is stipulated step by step and which the patient agrees to after going through it with the health worker. In case of any legal questions, the health worker is able to extrapolate with evidence the plan and hence becoming legally accountable. Lawsuits will therefore be an issue of the past. There are several ways of determining the highest level of evidence the first being examining the credibility of the evidence in terms of the background and authority of the researchers and validity of the data. The other is examining whether the research results are transferrable or generalizable to others beyond the study subjects, if so, then it qualifies. Since the research on the intervention in question is not the first, a comparison with other research is advisable and a determination of the stage of development is also important. The one with the highest or is most advanced in the stage of development qualifies to be considered the highest level of intervention research (Majid 233). Majid, Shaheen, et al. â€Å"Adopting evidence-based practice in clinical decision making: nurses perceptions, knowledge, and barriers.† Journal of Medical Library Association, 99(3): 229-236, July

Reverend John Hale in The Crucible

Reverend John Hale in The Crucible Reverend Hale, The Mentor The Character, Reverend Hale, is introduced into The Crucible as a very faithful and respected man. Swiftly being pulled into the ever broadening chaos that ensued in Salem. As days passed Hale is transformed from the man who will extract the witches to the man who will try to save Proctors life. Hale being both a mentor for the village and for Proctor while the story progresses while also keeping the peace. Hale being a 40 year old Reverend of the church and is told to have helped in the witch hunting in another much larger town is seen highly in salem. Reverend Hale is the classic Mentor archetype, whose strong faith but lack of political savvy hinders his ability to save the people of Salem. The Mentor archetype is profiled as His or her task is to protect the main character. (According to Literarydevives.net). Hale fits this perfectly, trying to protect John all along the way. Excellency, it is a natural lie to tell; I beg you, stop now before another is condemned! I may shut my conscience to it no more-Private vengeance is working through this testimony! From the beginning this man has struck me true. By my oath to Heaven, I believe him now, and I pray you call his wife back before we- He spoke on page 119 saying how Elizabeth had just tried to save his name when he went to call out Abigail on Harlotry. Another prime example was when he begged Danforth to not make him confess others on page 148 Excellency, it is enough he confess himself. Let him sign it, let him sign it. The final example was when he began to nearly plead with Elizabeth to beg him to sign it even though John made it extremely clear he wouldnt sign his name away on page 152 Woman, Plead with him! Woman ! It is pride, it is vanity. Be his Helper!-What profit him to bleed? Shall the dust praise him? Shall the worms declare his truth? Go to him, take his shame away!. In many ways does Hale fit the classic Mentor archetype, he helps the general populace and later Proctor since he cared so much. Reverend Hale has both strengths and weaknesses that show within the play. Hale shows how he has to rely on the court instead of intervening, like when he told Mr. Nurse on page 71 Believe me, Mr. Nurse, if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothings left to stop the whole green world from burning. Let you rest upon the justice of the court; the court will send her home, I know it.. He also shows how he is well liked and his faith is very powerful. On page 36 the narration says about Hale He feels himself allied with the best minds of Europe kings, philosophers, scientists, and ecclesiastics of all churches. All in all Hale was quite a spiritually and faithfully strong character while also having weaknesses within the court in both inability to fight against the court and being fearful. The motivation of Hale resides within his Faith. The narrator says at one point His goal is light, goodness and its preservation, and he knows the exaltation of the blessed whose intelligence, sharpened by minute examinations of enormous tracts, is finally called upon to face what may be a bloody fight with the Fiend himself. One of the other good quotes to show his willingness to fight and drive out the evil is on page 39 where he says We shall find him out if he has come among us, and I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face! His willingness to help anyone and others is shown on page 46 Tituba, turn your back on him and face God-face God, Tituba, and God will protect you. he would even defend a slave. Hales motivation to help and to share the love of God with others, Hales will to help others trumps greed as he is willing to help even accused witches. The archetype of the Mentor perfectly fits for Hale, residing with his will to help others and his strong faith while also being undermined by his issues with the court. The Mentor archetype is based after someone who wants to help lead someone to their cause or is trying to help people in some way. Think of Hale much like other mentors, like Gandalf and Dumbledore, like Obi wan and Mace Windu. They all want to help the hero no matter what happens to them.Reverend Hale, The Mentor The Character, Reverend Hale, is introduced into The Crucible as a very faithful and respected man. Swiftly being pulled into the ever broadening chaos that ensued in Salem. As days passed Hale is transformed from the man who will extract the witches to the man who will try to save Proctors life. Hale being both a mentor for the village and for Proctor while the story progresses while also keeping the peace. Hale being a 40 year old Reverend of the church and is told to have helped in the witch hunting in another much larger town is seen highly in salem. Reverend Hale is the classic Mentor archetype, whose strong faith but lack of political savvy hinders his ability to save the people of Salem. The Mentor archetype is profiled as His or her task is to protect the main character. (According to Literarydevives.net). Hale fits this perfectly, trying to protect John all along the way. Excellency, it is a natural lie to tell; I beg you, stop now before another is condemned! I may shut my conscience to it no more-Private vengeance is working through this testimony! From the beginning this man has struck me true. By my oath to Heaven, I believe him now, and I pray you call his wife back before we- He spoke on page 119 saying how Elizabeth had just tried to save his name when he went to call out Abigail on Harlotry. Another prime example was when he begged Danforth to not make him confess others on page 148 Excellency, it is enough he confess himself. Let him sign it, let him sign it. The final example was when he began to nearly plead with Elizabeth to beg him to sign it even though John made it extremely clear he wouldnt sign his name away on page 152 Woman, Plead with him! Woman ! It is pride, it is vanity. Be his Helper!-What profit him to bleed? Shall the dust praise him? Shall the worms declare his truth? Go to him, take his shame away!. In many ways does Hale fit the classic Mentor archetype, he helps the general populace and later Proctor since he cared so much. Reverend Hale has both strengths and weaknesses that show within the play. Hale shows how he has to rely on the court instead of intervening, like when he told Mr. Nurse on page 71 Believe me, Mr. Nurse, if Rebecca Nurse be tainted, then nothings left to stop the whole green world from burning. Let you rest upon the justice of the court; the court will send her home, I know it.. He also shows how he is well liked and his faith is very powerful. On page 36 the narration says about Hale He feels himself allied with the best minds of Europe kings, philosophers, scientists, and ecclesiastics of all churches. All in all Hale was quite a spiritually and faithfully strong character while also having weaknesses within the court in both inability to fight against the court and being fearful. The motivation of Hale resides within his Faith. The narrator says at one point His goal is light, goodness and its preservation, and he knows the exaltation of the blessed whose intelligence, sharpened by minute examinations of enormous tracts, is finally called upon to face what may be a bloody fight with the Fiend himself. One of the other good quotes to show his willingness to fight and drive out the evil is on page 39 where he says We shall find him out if he has come among us, and I mean to crush him utterly if he has shown his face! His willingness to help anyone and others is shown on page 46 Tituba, turn your back on him and face God-face God, Tituba, and God will protect you. he would even defend a slave. Hales motivation to help and to share the love of God with others, Hales will to help others trumps greed as he is willing to help even accused witches. The archetype of the Mentor perfectly fits for Hale, residing with his will to help others and his strong faith while also being undermined by his issues with the court. The Mentor archetype is based after someone who wants to help lead someone to their cause or is trying to help people in some way. Think of Hale much like other mentors, like Gandalf and Dumbledore, like Obi wan and Mace Windu. They all want to help the hero no matter what happens to them.

Identity of Humans Essay -- essays research papers fc

What is a human being? A human being is a combination of the biological makeup of the individual and the state of being. The state of being can be characterized by the individual’s state of consciousness, and an individual’s state of consciousness is characterized by his or her identity. In the most general sense, identity refers to one’s answer to the question, who am I? 1 To fully understand and grasp the concepts and ideas related to identity, two different psychological perspectives will be explored, as well as three theorists including Sigmund Freud, Erik Erikson, Abraham Maslow, and Carl Rogers. Freud - Psychic Structures Sigmund Freud explored identity through the psychodynamic theory of Psychosexual Development. According to psychodynamic theory, the human personality is characterized by a dynamic struggle as basic physiological drives come into conflict with laws and social codes.2 Freud then categorized human personality into elements, or psychic structures. Freud hypothesized the existence of three psychic structures: the ID, the EGO, and the SUPEREGO. 3 The ID is present at birth, represents physiological drives, and is unconscious. The ID follows the pleasure principle, which demands instant gratification of instincts without consideration for the law, social norms, or the needs of others. The EGO begins to develop during the first year of life when the child learns that his or her demands for instant gratification cannot always be met immediately. The EGO stands for reason, good sense, and for rational ways of coping with frustration. The EGO is guided through the reality principle, which take s into consideration what is practical and possible in gratifying needs. According to Freud, it is the EGO, which provides the conscious sense of self. The SUPEREGO is the third and final psychic structure, which develops throughout early childhood. The SUPEREGO incorporates moral standards and values into the individual though the moral principle, which sets moral standards and enforces adherence to them. The SUPEREGO monitors the actions of the EGO and judges them right or wrong. If the SUPEREGO judges an action as ‘wrong’ then the SUPEREGO floods the EGO with feelings of guilt and shame.4 Freud - Psychosexual Stages of Development   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Freud theorized the Psychosexual Stages of Development, which is the process by which libid... ... form to another based on exposure to the environment. Through exploration of these various vies on identity development, a better understanding can be reached for what a human being is. Bibliography Benner, David G., and Peter C. Hill., ed. Baker Encyclopedia of Psychology and Counseling. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1999 Elkind, David. â€Å"Erik Erikson’s Eight Ages of Man† New York Times Magazine April 1970: 25ff Erikson, Erik H. Identity: Youth & Crisis. New York: Norton and Co., 1968 Kroger, Jane. Identity in Adolescence – The Balance between Self and Other. London: Routledge, 1989 Kunkel, John H. Encounters with Great Psychologists: Twelve Dramatic Portraits. Toronto: Wall & Thompson, 1989 McDavid, John W., and Gary Garwood. Understanding Children: Promoting Human Growth. Lexington, Massachusstts: D.C. Health Company, 1978 Papalia, Diane E., and Sally W. Olds. Human Development. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1986 Rathus, Spencer A. Psychology. Fourth edition. Orlando, Fl: Moore and Moore Publishing, 1990 Tarnecki, James. Personal interview. 11 March 2001. Tarnecki, James. Personal interview. 2 April 2001 Tarnecki, James. Personal interview. 10 April 2001

Greenwashing Case Essay

â…  .Introduction An appreciation for environmental protection has matured steadily in recent decades. With increasing concerns over the environment comes an increasing popularity of greenwashing. Consequently, companies whose actions do not match their environmentally-friendly promotions may mislead consumers in terms of the environmental benefits of a product or service. This essay explores possible reasons of the visible boom in greenwashing and claims that Nike, a sportswear and equipment supplier, deserves the accusation of greenwashing. â… ¡.Reasons for Greenwashing Clearly, the widespread popularity of greenwashing arises in the pursuance of reputation and sales. A recent survey conducted by Advertising Age indicates that 78% of customers prefer eco-friendly corporations to companies that are reckless with the environmental issue (Berkeley Media Studies Group 2008, p.2). The result of this survey serves as an incentive for companies to greenwash. Moreover, greenwashing definitely yields fruitful results for these companies. In a survey conducted by Landor Associates, BP, a corporation being accused of greenwashing, is considered to be more environmentally friendly than its counterparts, with its voters surpassing that of Shell by 6 per cent (Solman 2008, p.24). Most importantly, greenwashing helps BP promote sales from 2004($192 billion) to 2006($266 billion) (Solman 2008, p.24). With such a prime example of greenwashing, no wonder other companies follow in BP’s footsteps. â… ¢.Nike’s official claims Nike claims that it regards environmental protection and humane management as part of their corporate responsibility. Primarily, several claims are made regarding environmental content of its products. Nike claims that T-shirts it sells in the US contain 3 per cent organic cotton and 90 per cent of its shoes are free from toxic glues, cleaners and solvents (Beder 2002, p.25). On top of that, it asserts that it eliminates the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from its shoes (Beder 2002, p.27). Furthermore, it also advertises regarding good working conditions and happy workers in a Vietnamese factory (Beder 2002, p.25). â… £.Analysis of Claims It is doubtful whether Nike really produces clothes with 3 per cent organic cotton and 90 per cent of shoes are without toxic glues, cleaners and solvents. Rather than manufacturing its own products, Nike is only responsible for designing and marketing them and there is no supervision of the manufacturing process (Beder 2002, p.27). Furthermore, in order to promote credibility, Nike has the claim endorsed by United Nations. However, it turns out that United Nations do no monitoring of the claim made by Nike, either (Beder 2002, p.26). Consequently, Nike has no certification for this claim it makes. Therefore, there is no guarantee that the official claim regarding the environmental-friendly content in sportswear will be more than empty rhetoric. Due to the lack of valid evidence and certification, Nike’s claim considering the sportswear’s content commits the â€Å"sin of no proof† (TerraChoice 2007, p.8). Nike’s claim regarding PVC-free shoes may not be a true reflection of the fact. In a press conference, Soon after Nike’s repeated assurance regarding the PVC-free shoes, Greenpeace (a reliable organization against PVC) has claimed that Nike’s search for an alternative substitute for PVC have barely begun (Beder 2002, p.27). Given the fact that research has not lasted long, it is very unlikely that Nike is manufacturing shoes that are free from PVC, which makes this claim turn out to be a false claim. Nike commits the â€Å"sin of fibbing† (TerraChoice 2007, p.9) . Inconsistent with its advertisement, workers may not be so happy and contented in the Nike’s factory since Nike is definitely unkind to them. Nike is deceptive regarding comfortable working conditions. Specifically, in Vietnamese Nike plants, workers are exposed to carcinogens at 177 times safe levels and paid $10 for a 65-hour work per week (Beder 2002, p.27). Such differences between Nike’s claims and its behaviors are called bluewashing, which is categorized as one kind of greenwashing. Bluewashing refers to corporations that wrap themselves in the flag of human rights and labor rights, while their actions are quite otherwise (Corpwatch 2001, p.2). Furthermore, there is no uniform definition of happiness. Not only does the company misuse workers, it also makes a vague commitment because happiness is a feeling that varies from person to person. Such ambiguity proves that Nike commits the â€Å"sin of vagueness† (TerraChoice 2007, p.9). â… ¤.Counter-Arguments While Nike fails to realize certain official claims, it improves the environment and sustainability. Specifically, Nike claims that materials used in shoeboxes are 100% recycled and these shoeboxes weigh 10% less than those made up of non-recyclable paper (Stoner 2006, p.4). Nike helps alleviate deforestation by using recycled materials, thereby contributing to sustainable development and environmental protection. On the other hand, while Nike spends $1.13 billion on advertising and promoting the reputation of its products in 2003, it only donates $100,000 since 1998 to education programs for Nike workers. Compared with charity, it seems that much more funds are invested in advertising. The endeavor to greenwash far outweighs the effort to assume social responsibility. Hence, Nike is still greenwashing. â… ¥.Conclusion Overall, this paper reports that there are some reasons for companies to greenwash and even though Nike makes some effort to protect the environment, it has every reason to be accused of greenwashing. The reasons for most companies whose actions do not conform to their environmentally-friendly claims are simple: the pursuits of profits and goodwill. Despite Nike’s contribution towards environmental conservation and sustainability, several official claims regarding working conditions of employees and raw materials of products lack of evidence and clarity. Owing to the proliferation of greenwashing, customers should consider the environmental impact rather than advertising and packaging when shopping. â… ¦.References Beder S, 2002, ‘Putting the Boot In’, The Ecologist, April, pp. 24-28. Berkeley Media Studies Group, 2008, ‘Food Marketers Greenwash Junk Food’, Adweek, March, pp.1-3 CorpWatch, 2001, ‘Greenwash Fact Sheet’, CorpWatch, pp.1-2 Solman G, 2008, ‘Coloring Public Opinion?’, Adweek. January.14, pp22-24 Stoner C, 2006, ‘Corporate Greenings: Nike’, Peakinsight, pp. 1-13 TerraChoice Environmental Marketing Inc. 2007, ‘The Six Sins of Greenwashing’, November, pp.1-12

U.S Involvement in Bosnia essays

U.S Involvement in Bosnia essays The United States Involvement in Bosnia; is it positive or negative. After a lifetime of war in Bosnia, can the United States really offer positive change? To truly get a feel for the conflict in this region we must first look at the long-standing hatred between the occupying ethnic groups: Serbs, Muslims, and Croats. From 1481 to 1903 the Ottoman Empire was the ruling body over the entire Balkan region. By the early nineteen hundreds the Ottoman Empire had collapsed. In 1918, at the end of World War One, Russia annexed the Balkan region renaming it Yugoslavia. In 1919 Joseph Stalin, Communist ruler of Russia and its satellite states (i.e. Yugoslavia), appointed Tito to be the head of Yugoslavia. Tito quickly became an iron fisted and ruthless dictator. The Machiavellian characteristics exhibited by Tito have given all Serbs a reputation as being strong armed and merciless. With Titos death in 1991, Yugoslavia collapsed and split into 3 independent states: Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Croatia. In 1994 Slovadon Malosovitch was elected ruler of the Serbian state. Incidents of mass genocide and several other war crimes became regular occurrences under his rule. The Bosnian crisis has shown the world the worst of human nature. On behalf of the United Nations, in an effort to settle the unrest in the Balk an region, The United States became involved in 1995. The United States involvement includes: the commitment of twenty thousand troops, the troop support of legions of tanks and other vehicles, and the full support of the United States Government. Unfortunately this upset the native Bosnian people. So, although the United States feels obligated to help the Bosnian Cause, they may be worsening the situation with their involvement, both there and in the U.S There are two sides to this story. The first is the opinion that the United States should completely withdraw from Bosnia. The other opinion is that the United St...

Free Essays on Religious Pluralism

Religious Pluralism America is home to countless religions and faiths. From the days of the first colonies, America was seen as a refuge for different religious sects who were persecuted in their own countries. Puritans came to Plymouth Rock in order to escape persecution by Catholics in Europe. Years later, many people have found sanctuary on the shores of the United States, both as people fleeing persecution due to religious differences and as people fleeing persecution due to political differences. Today, more than thirty religious faiths co-exist in the United States. With so many different faiths, one is sometimes forced to wonder, so which one is the right one? Conflicts in the Middle East, issues history of conflict between Christians and Muslims in places like Albania and Turkey, or even the persecution of Protestants by Catholics in England are representative of a long history of war and turmoil in an attempt to answer that very question. Oftentimes, people become so engrossed in their religious doctrines that they become unable to view the world from any other light. Terrorist jihad bombers in Israel are one such example of this. They sacrifice both their own lives and the lives of innocents in pursuit of what they consider a religious duty. Further, many of today’s religions are connected to each other through their religious doctrines. Protestantism is a derivative of Catholicism. Catholicism and Christianity are derivatives of Judaism. Islam is a derivative of both Christianity and Judaism. Santeria is a derivative of Christianity and West African culture brought to the Caribbean by slaves. Also, some religions contain aspects of their religion which are very similar. Zoroastrianism believes in a duality, a constant battle between good and evil which is reflected again in Christian beliefs of Heaven and Hell, God and the Devil, in addition to many Shintoist belief of the necessary balance between good and evil exemplif... Free Essays on Religious Pluralism Free Essays on Religious Pluralism Religious Pluralism America is home to countless religions and faiths. From the days of the first colonies, America was seen as a refuge for different religious sects who were persecuted in their own countries. Puritans came to Plymouth Rock in order to escape persecution by Catholics in Europe. Years later, many people have found sanctuary on the shores of the United States, both as people fleeing persecution due to religious differences and as people fleeing persecution due to political differences. Today, more than thirty religious faiths co-exist in the United States. With so many different faiths, one is sometimes forced to wonder, so which one is the right one? Conflicts in the Middle East, issues history of conflict between Christians and Muslims in places like Albania and Turkey, or even the persecution of Protestants by Catholics in England are representative of a long history of war and turmoil in an attempt to answer that very question. Oftentimes, people become so engrossed in their religious doctrines that they become unable to view the world from any other light. Terrorist jihad bombers in Israel are one such example of this. They sacrifice both their own lives and the lives of innocents in pursuit of what they consider a religious duty. Further, many of today’s religions are connected to each other through their religious doctrines. Protestantism is a derivative of Catholicism. Catholicism and Christianity are derivatives of Judaism. Islam is a derivative of both Christianity and Judaism. Santeria is a derivative of Christianity and West African culture brought to the Caribbean by slaves. Also, some religions contain aspects of their religion which are very similar. Zoroastrianism believes in a duality, a constant battle between good and evil which is reflected again in Christian beliefs of Heaven and Hell, God and the Devil, in addition to many Shintoist belief of the necessary balance between good and evil exemplif...

Argenti's 'A' score and Altman's 'Z' score models Essay

Argenti's 'A' score and Altman's 'Z' score models - Essay Example Simply speaking, a corporate failure may be defined as a situation when a company goes bankrupt and is thus forced to quit its business activities. Off course it is quiet obvious that any corporate concern goes out of business only if it fails on some fundamental parameters. Thus, corporate failure analysis constitutes and integral part of the contemporary business scenario. Hence the aim of any pragmatic corporate failure analysis is to identify the tell tale symptoms that are discernibly indicative of the fact that a company is heading towards annihilation. Such an analysis enables the management, administration, financial institutions and creditors to strive for and press on the need for introducing the apt countermeasures in advance so as to avert any possibility of a pending corporate failure. Till date, the concept of corporate failure analysis is predominated by two diverse approaches, one of which is purely quantitative whereas the other is thoroughly qualitative in its scope. If one holds that most of the corporate failures can be attributed to financial lapses, then it is certainly possible to avert any corporate failure by resorting to a timely and apt financial analysis. On the contrary there exists one other approach that believes that most of the corporate failures are caused by non-financial lapses and irregularities and financial irregularities in any company are a mere side effect of the discrepancies existing in the qualitative aspects of business. In the light of the given discussion, Altman’s ‘Z’ Score model is a noteworthy quantitative approach towards corporate failure analysis, whereas Argenti’s ‘A’ Score model definitely stands to be its consummate qualitative counterpart. Altman's Z-score model is an important performance management and company failure analysis tool. Also known as Altman's Bankruptcy Predictor, this model was given by Edward I. Altman in 1968, who worked as a professor of finance at the New York University (Calandro 2007, p.37). This model is primarily a statistical formula that can be exploited to predict corporate performance. The basic strategy behind this model is that it depends for its validity on a series of chosen financial ratios and each and every selected key ratio is assigned a weighting. The Z score derived through the incorporation of the key ratios in the mathematical formulas is used to predict whether a company is liable to fail or not. The Z score calculated through a detailed data analysis is eventually used to predict the sustainability of a company. In case this Z score surpasses a specific figure, the company being analyzed is considered to be safe. A Z score of above 3 is considered to be healthy and safe while a score lying around 1.8-3 is regarded as being precarious. Thus Altman's Z score model is to a great extent dependent on the data culled out from a company's published financial statements and its reliance on the qualitative aspects of business is almost negligible Advantages of Z score model are: This model is considered to be highly accurate. In more then 72% of the cases, it has been found to successfully predict corporate bankruptcy. It is easy to calculate. This model can be used to complement other analytical tools. This model enables the analysts to incorporate many financial characteristics within a single score. The Disadvantages of Z score model are: It focuses only on financial data. Z score does not help the management to understand the dynamics of the problems existing in the company. The results may turnout out to be inaccurate in case of a corruption of the financial data. It is not useful for predicting company failure in the current scenario as it is based on out of date assumptions and data (Grice 2001, p.57). Its results do not stand to be that accurate in case of

African american politic of social change Essay

African american politic of social change - Essay Example These factors include race and ethnicity, religion, gender, sexuality, class, age, migration status and disability or ability. Put simply, any inequality is never the product of a single, isolated factor. Rather it is the result of the intersections of various social factors, experiences, and power relations. This paper analyzes how two figures, namely Ida B. Wells and Amy Marcus, understood and utilized intersectionality as a lens through which to analyze events and as a political tool in the pursuit of the broader goals of their respective movements. The analysis is undertaken in the historical settings of their efforts. In addition, their specific events, writings, and actions are assessed as a way of conducting the analysis. Ida Bell Wells was an African-American woman who lived between July 1862and March 1931. In their career life, Wells worked as a journalist, a newspaper editor, a suffragist, a sociologist and as an initial leader in the civil rights movement. As a journalist, Wells documented the lynching of blacks in the United States (Bressey 1). They demonstrated that it was a way of controlling blacks who displayed opposition to whites in any sphere of life. The lynching was usually done on the pretext of rape charges (Logan 50). Being an active leader of the civil rights movement, Wells established many leading womens organizations across the United States. These included the National Association of Colored Women which Wells founded in 1896 and the Women’s Era Club. The latter became the first civic organization for black women. Moreover, Wells co-founded the National Afro-American Council. Wells was endowed with public speaking skills and spoke at several international civil rights even ts. The African-American Civil Rights Movement comprised several social movements across the United States. The goal of the movement was two-fold: first, the movement sought to bring to and end