The Divine Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Divine Model - Essay Example The name Ramayana is a compound of Rama and ayana meaning going or advancing which translates to the travels of Rama. The Ramayana is made up of 24,000 verses in seven cantos and narrates the story of a prince Ayodhya known as Rama. Ramas wife Sita is possessed by the demon king of Lanka, Ravana. Rama is the stand out character in the epic tale that has brought much inspiration to many people (Banker 74). Throughout the tale, he is portrayed as a reincarnation of the god Vishnu. As the eldest and most loved son of King Dasharatha from Ayodhya, Rama grows to be loved and respected by many subjects. King Dasharatha out of love for Kaikeyi, one of his wives, succumbs to pressure to order Rama to forfeit his position as the rightful heir to the throne for her son. The King also forces Rama out on exile and Rama is left with no option but to go on exile. During his time in exile, Rama encounters and kills Ravana, the daemon King, marking a turning point in his life. Rama is considered a deity who is worshipped by Hindus. Every year, pilgrims celebrate his divinity by marking the route of his journey. Hindus consider Rama as an incarnation of god Vishnu, whose purpose was to give mankind a sense of direction by demonstrating a righteous and holy way of life. Throughout the reincarnation, Rama portrayed a lot of character traits that made him stand out as a true divine reincarnation of god. They include; Rama portrays exemplary leadership traits with supernatural aspects (Kessler and Wong-MingJi 308). When Rama was in exile, Ravana the demon king abducted the beautiful Sita, taking her away with an aerial chariot. When Rama heard of this, he embarked on a quest to rescue her. Rama was able to know the whereabouts of Sita through the help of wild bears and monkey tribes. It was through Ramas leadership that an army of monkeys were raised to help fight Ravana. In the end, Ravana,

Rennaisance Humanist Movement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Rennaisance Humanist Movement - Essay Example Therefore, this paper analyzes the difference between their ideologies on liberty and their earlier views about the Catholic Church. Martin Luther started his protests about the protestant reformation through his first essays by attacking the Catholic Church. These assertions may not be the truth as Martin Luther started his mission in 1511 to Rome as a delegate to protest about the Straupitz improvements. He was enlightened with the catholic knowledge due to his earlier knowledge as a monk and a priest. Luther was able to see deceptive and corruptions in the Catholic Church. He was in a position to develop views about the church and God after he became close to the church. Earlier in his life, he had limited faith in God but he based his beliefs on personal experiences he had with God. He further believed that God had deserted him and thus he punished himself through starvation. Starvation could act as a cleansing mechanism to remove all the impurities, which God refuted. According to Luther, man’s relationship with God was through purification that all things could together, praise, and love God. Other people could not find peace with God due to personal conflict. He spread his understanding of the bible to save the oppressed to overcome the battle with the church. Luther maintained that salvation was not just through laws or works, but also through God’s work. This is a biblical allusion where salvation also demands God’s glory and righteousness that man has done and by his mercy and the work of his grace which we have believed. According to Luther, a person who believed in God and his personal relationship with Him meant that the church had no mandate to condemn that believer because he could not afford to pay the taxes or attend the church proceedings each Sunday. Furthermore, the church had no mandate to control people’s personal life and their God’s beliefs. People had the right to elect their own pastors to resolve the corruption cases. This was after the new understanding about the new relationship between God and man. Therefore, God’s word should arise from people with similar views as others. In this regard, the new free cities could not elude this, which relived them from paying taxes. Through his theological views, church powers were contained in its own state. Several towns launched complains about the powers and high influence that the church had. This proved that the church possessed too many powers over the city-states. Machiavelli had different views from what Luther earlier asserted. He asserted that the key quality in any true person is the value of the word he has. In the prince, the author expresses his deep feelings about the person in the story of one prince. He values integrity for he wishes that the prince keeps his word. In our daily live, all princes who have successfully accomplished great deeds have cared less about keeping their valued promises and have good knowledg e on handling men in a shrewd manner. Machiavelli posits that people were in a position to do things that are more important but they may be interfered by laziness, which hinders them from accomplishing their tasks. Furthermore, the individuals may be too manipulative to allow their efforts go unrewarded. He likened this to the princes whose skills aided them acquire the principles with some difficult but they easily hold on and the growth of the

Impacts of Population Growth on Malaysias Culture

Impacts of Population Growth on Malaysias Culture I have chosen to write an essay on Malaysias population growth, how it has changed and how it affects the culture of my country. In my essay, I had included the background and the history of my country and also the reason why it had change and how its change for the past few years. I also include my critical and original thinking regarding this topic. Malaysia Background and History As a Malaysian, I can safely say that Malaysia have a very interesting background and history. Malaysia is known for it rich cultural history. The rainforest and the wildlife in Malaysia are preserved from century. Now days, Malaysia also known for it cuisine, world famous beaches and also Malaysia is famous among the tourist because of the different shopping mall that Malaysia have and the price of shopping in Malaysia is quite cheap. Malaysia had been a tourist spot for so many years already and to cater to this tourist needs, Malaysia has plenty of Resort that are offering a perfect gateway for tourist that would like to escape from the city life. But its not just for the tourist, sometimes the local also like to get away from the busyness of the city and routine life and just relax. Malaysia is known also as the only country that has mixture of three different races such as Malay, Indian and Chinese. In Malaysia, there are three different religions this is because in Malaysia the y got three different races so the religion is also different. Mostly Malay peoples, they are Muslims, Indians are Hindus while Chinese are mostly Buddhist. So as you can see, it a multicultural country and its a colourful country to live in because everyone regardless which race are you, they intent to celebrate each other celebration. Now I would like to briefly explain Malaysia history, Malaysia gains their independent in 31st August 1957. Afterward, subsequent states join Malaysia in 1963 and formed the country of Malaysia (Malaysia Background, 2002). Malaysian national language is Malay. Its safe to say that Malaysia is a wonderful place not just to live but also to visit because Malaysia can offer you so many things. Culture in Malaysia As mention earlier, Malaysia is known for its culture and culture does play a strong foundation in everyday life of Malaysian. Malaysia is vibrant and diverse in they own ways. Malaysian people intent to share each others cultural richness and its had been Malaysia main political stability and growth. Malaysian peoples are warm accommodating and a very easy-going people. Malay culture had always been linked by the love of the land and a strongly believe in Islam (Culture and Peoples, 2010). Family ties, tolerance, goodwill and good manners are among the social norm of Malaysian people. In Malaysia, education level of Malaysian had a change toward the better in where new schools and subsidies for the lower income population are provided by the government and also a new infrastructure are provided in order to achieve the high level of education (Culture and Peoples, 2010). Also, theres a different festival and celebration in Malaysia that we celebrate every year such as Hari Raya Aidil fitri for the Muslim, Deewali for Hindu and Chinese New Year for the Buddhist. National Day or Merdeka celebration are celebrate every year and normally all Malaysian will come together and celebrate them together with a colourful traditional performance, foods, firework and performance from the famous Malaysian artist. Population Growth in Malaysia (Malaysia Population, 2009) As you can see on the graph above, Malaysian population had growth however the population in Malaysia grow slowly. There are not many different in each year. For example, in 1999 the population for Malaysia was 22.712 million while in 2002 the population for Malaysia was 24.527 million and in 2009 the population for Malaysia is 27.761 million. As you can see, there are not much different between these years. However throughout the year Malaysia population growth had grown. The reason of the population change (How and Why) In the 60s changes in population pattern and economy had significantly affected Malaysian families. Some of the reason is that the rural-urban, economic development and migration play one of the strongest reasons. Now days most of Malaysian family consist of father, mother and two or one children. Extended family consist at least one elderly parent with an adult child (Malaysia, Marriage and Family information pattens, 2010). Other reason why it change or grown slowly is probably because in the 60s peoples intent to get marry in the younger age and have a lot of children but in the modern world, people intent to marry in later age and normally have only one or two children in their family. Population Growth effects on the culture Population growth does somehow effects the culture in Malaysia. But the effects hit the city people more than the villager. In the village the culture and the tradition is still protected while in the city, the culture is more modernized than in the village. In the village, traditional custom are still hugely practice and intent to be more protective about it. While in the city, its more toward the western culture where the younger peoples most likely to spend their night in the club, drinking and shopping rather that spending their time with the family. The way they dress also changing, its more toward the western. You can rarely see anyone in the city wearing Malaysian traditional dress but in the village you can still see them in Malaysian traditional dress. Other reason why it could effects Malaysian culture is because theres a lot of foreigner now days leaving in Malaysia, so people in the city intent to follow the foreigner culture rather than sticking with Malaysian culture. B ut the benefit of this is that most of Malaysian can speak well English. Also it makes Malaysia and attractive country to visit and live in and also make people know that Malaysia is a multicultural country. Conclusion To conclude my research on how the population growth in my country which is Malaysia had effects the culture, I must say that even though theres a negative side of the growth however theres also plenty of benefits. Such as, now that Malaysia is well known all around the world, its actually creating more opportunity for us as Malaysian to grow or to develop not only our country but also our self. Even though the effects hit more towards the city people, it does not mean that all of them already forgotten about their culture. Even so most of them act or follow western culture more than our own culture, they still care about the value of family and still respect the country that they live in. Here we can see the clear difference how Malaysia was few years ago and how Malaysia is today. References Alloexpat (2010). Culture and Peoples, 26 February 2010 from:  http://www.malaysia.alloexpat.com/malaysia_information/culture_malaysia.php Index Mundi (2009). Malaysia population. Retrieved 03 March 2010 from:  http://www.indexmundi.com/malaysia/population.html Malaysia.com (2009). About Malaysia. Retrieved 26 February 2010 from:  http://www.malaysia.com/about-malaysia.html  Ã‚   Malaysia information (2002). Malaysia background . Retrieved 26 February 2010 from:  http://www.asia-planet.net/malaysia/information.htm   Malaysia information (2002). Wealth of Culture. Retrieved 26 February 2010 from:  http://www.asia-planet.net/malaysia/wealth-culture.htm  

Moral Education in the University :: Philosophy Research Papers

Moral Education in the University ABSTRACT: Does the title of the World Congress of Philosophy, Paideia: Philosophy Educating Humanity, reflect hubris, irony or a pragmatic optimism? How is it possible for philosophy to educate the human community in the twenty-first century? More specifically, at a time when few people besides academic philosophers read philosophy, in what sense can philosophy educate humanity? In this essay I examine one possible way philosophy can educate humanity advanced by Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University. In a variety of public lectures, published essays and books Bok insists that America's leading colleges and universities ought to recommit themselves to moral education as one of their central tasks. I argue that recommitment to this task on the part of these elite universities is far more difficult than Bok admits. Indeed, I contend that as long as America's elite educational institutions retain the intellectual and structural commitments that displaced paideia, Bok's vision for moral education has little chance of success. At a time when both higher education and philosophy are self-conscious about their limitations, The Twentieth World Congress of Philosophy chose as its theme, Paideia: Philosophy Educating Humanity. Does this title reflect hubris, irony or a pragmatic optimism? How is it possible for philosophy to educate the human community in the twenty-first century? More specifically, at a time when few people besides academic philosophers read philosophy, in what sense can philosophy educate humanity? In this essay I examine one proposed answer to this question. Derek Bok, former president of Harvard University, in a variety of public lectures, published essays and books offers one possible way philosophy can educate humanity. Bok insists that America's leading colleges and universities ought to recommit themselves to moral education as one of their central tasks. (1) While I sympathize with Bok's admonition to America's prestigious universities to reclaim the task of moral education, I shall ar gue that a recommittal to this task on the part of these elite universities is far more difficult that Bok admits. (2) Indeed, I contend that as long as America's elite educational institutions retain the intellectual and structural commitments that displaced paideia, Bok's vision for moral education has little chance of success. To accomplish this aim, first, I clarify Bok's case for moral education in American colleges and universities. Second, closely following Bok's account, I provide a brief history of moral education in 19th century America.

Cultural Issues in Esl

Cultural Issues in ESL One main issue with English being a second language is cultural differences. It brings great distress to most international students who are studying abroad because though they strive to learn with a higher level of excellence and performance, their cultures will always find a way to limit that ambition. It’s hard to be in a classroom with students who do not understand the culture from whence you came. It is also hard to understand your fellow classmates and teachers for they have their own cultures, some of which we might find very different. English is harder to learn when you are placed in that situation, for it is hard to get used to the culture at the same feeling the pressure of studies and socialization. The people in this category are mainly international or exchange students. Given the privilege to study abroad for a better education, these students are hard working and efficient. But the disadvantages are inevitable. There are cultures in their former school that their current school does not practice. Proper behavior, salutations, programs, and methods vary in different schools. Even in local schools, it is hard for some to practice English, because majority of the students’ families could possibly not have the complete knowledge of English, thus speaking incorrect grammar to their children, giving them a confusing perception in English. When materials in class are passed in English, those students who are used to different materials in their past schools have great difficulty in studying, thus making them seem stupid or lazy. In reality, they are just not used to this kind of culture and way of studying. The cultures in Asia are different from those in Europe and America. Culture is a beautiful thing when you see different ones all around the world, but in terms of English being a culture’s second language, it is pretty complicated to attain and retain. The religions, cultural backgrounds, and language barriers each have its own way of communicating in the local land but unfortunately English is still a major problem in most countries when these cultural differences are shared. As it was studied, there has been a vast improvement though in some countries in Asia such as Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Not everyone has learned all there is to know, but English is already taken as a second language, next to the other dialects. Many students find it laborious when studying in a different school or when interacting with foreign students. When there are groupings or projects in school, it is very hard to communicate. Communication is very important, but the very source of the miscommunication is the language itself and the culture that is keeping the students from interacting with each other. They cannot express their thoughts as much as they can, which the result of their lack of culture link. There is a friction in most international schools if the students are not informed well enough. The differences are very easy to see. From the way they talk to the way they act, foreign students are distinct. You can see the stress in them as they try to communicate if they aren’t used to speaking straight English. Students who are of a different language mustn't be deemed as a weaker or more advanced student in the classroom. Equality must be present at all times. If it isn't practiced, it will lead to biases and favoritism, misunderstandings and miscommunication across the classroom. It is very uncomfortable for a non-English speaking student to ask for help from the teacher as they will be criticized for their actions, when in actuality, they have no other intention but to get the work done. The local students may feel unimportant to the teacher if such help is given to the foreign student, so teachers must be very careful and sensitive to equivalence. If I were to become the teacher of a school, whether it may be an international or local school, I must be the example of a nondiscriminatory standard. Dealing with students is a huge responsibility so we must be mindful of the issues that may be happening in our schools today. There are numerous non-English speakers who are determined to try their best at learning English yet we still do not take them seriously. It would be so much easier for the local students to interact with the international students if we ourselves encouraged fellowship between the races. We should avoid conflicts that would offend any of them and continue to appreciate each culture. Although some may have religions that the other students do not approve of, we must respect each religion even if we do not agree with the teachings. And if we share the same belief with a student, we must not be biased with the student. Whatever the differences may be, racism is a meaningless and prideful thing to do. The fact that these international students want to learn English is an honor already. They have a respect for it and want to communicate with it to those who speak English and teach it to those who can’t. Everyday is a challenge to them as they continue to learn the art of English. But why can't we use the disadvantages for good? Why do we discriminate? English is the easiest to learn yet we still have issues with it being a second language. It is challenging for foreigners to communicate in English, but without challenge we will not learn to work hard for a great benefit. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing for other countries to communicate and to share friendships? If only every one of us spoke English as their second language. But unfortunately, there are people who disagree with the idea. Although patriotism is good, there must be peace with other nations and cultures. English did not even start in America. It was developed using different languages. It is a testimony to the idea of unity with different nations. Great things can be accomplished when we accept and learn from issues such as English being a second language. English as a second language would be easier to adapt to if every culture had an effort to introduce it to their people. As English speakers, we must put value in the language we have attained and put it to good use. So many people all around the world have the desire to learn this language and so we shouldn’t make it an issue. It is a good problem. As long as there are learners, we must be willing to teach. And if we accomplish that, English would be universal and our nations would be united even in language.

Misjudgement of A rapper essays

Misjudgement of A rapper essays The Merriam-Webster Colligate dictionary defines Hip-Hop as a subculture especially of inner-city youths whose amusements include rap music, graffiti, and break dancing; an element or art form prevalent within this subculture. This is a general and to me, a very discriminatory definition that gives one the impression that hip-hop is just a black thing. Hip-hop is an art form, a history and a form of expression that should be treated with the same respect as rock, soul and popular music. Hip Hop is the foundation of rap and is to be defined by a history and not as a single phrase. Hip Hop includes deejaying, emceeing/rapping, break dancing and graffiti art. These art forms as we know them today, originated in the Bronx section of New York City around the late 1970s. Hip Hop has thrived within the United States and is now just recently beginning to enjoy worldwide exposure. From a personal perspective, Hip Hop has been one of the main contributing factors that helped limit gang violence due to the fact that many adults found it relaxing to channel their anger and aggressions into these art forms which eventually became the ultimate expression of one's self To many, hip hop is just Gangster rap. When the word hip-hop is mentioned, artists such as NWA, Ice T and Snoop Doggy Dogg come to mind. Who ever stops and thinks about James Brown, Curtis Mayfield or Isaac Hayes? Those are the original pioneers of hip-hop, the men who laid down the foundation for people to dance and have fun. Since the introduction of hip hop in the late 70s, it has manifested itself into many sub cultures such as bass beats, Gangsta rap and underground rap. If I were to write about all of the different forms if hip hop, this would be a dissertation or a thesis but I hope to give many solid definitions of Hip Hop that will clear up some of the negative condemnations the art form carries. Now if you ask most people to give a ...

little big man essays

little big man essays My heart soars like a hawk. Little Big Man was a man of many traits, of many backgrounds. At a young age his life as he knew it came a drastic halt when he and his family we attacked by Indians. He was drug from the tattered wagon by a human being and put on his horse. The Indian had taken Jack back to the others, and not long after, he fell into the tribe like he was one of the human beings. His Aunt had escaped during the night, leading jack to believe that she would return for help. Years passed and Jack grew with the human beings, becoming one of them to most extreme. He even painted his skin a darker color to match the rest of the tribe. Jack had grown strong for wandering into the tribe, and adapting their ways, however, he was always small for his size, and was constantly teased. His Grandfather had once told him the story of Big Man, and surely enough Jack became known as Little Big Man. He incorporated many of the teachings of a white man into his way of life as a human b eing. He would get into fistfights with other tribe members, and they would be stunned because they had never seen this type of fighting before. He learned to be part of the tribe, though discipline, and determination he rose up to be respected member of the group. Although hated by some of his peers, I think it might have been because some felt that he was part of the white mans cause. After saving one members life this did not even change, he knew he must repay Little Big Man, but never accepted him as one of them. Time flowed like the waters of the river, and Little Big Man grew older. The white man had come to attack, and the Indians were going to teach them a lesson. Little Big Man had joined them, but as they were out, a friend of his was shot and Little Big Man tried to help him. As this went on another white man attacked Little Big Man, and knocked him to the ground. He was captured a ...

Top 7 Least Stressful Jobs That Pay Big Money [Infographic]

Top 7 Least Stressful Jobs That Pay Big Money [Infographic] Many people equate high pay with high stress but that’s not necessarily always true. There are many high paying jobs out there that are not very stressful. Here at  TheJobNetwork, we work with many industry experts who posses inside knowledge about the job market. That being said, following our research, here are our top 7 high paying least stressful jobs.Search for more jobs here

Concepts of Self and Selfhood Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Concepts of Self and Selfhood - Essay Example Locke shared the same ideas with Marx, believing that humans give up certain freedoms to have protection through their government. As a result, the basic nature of human self is portrayed in the light of selfhood and individuality and human nature along with its grace and flaws and it is done in accordance to the spirituality and ethical and metaphysical beliefs of the cultural environment of his time. The empiricism point of view enumerated the physical, mental and the mind/body aspect as tabula rasa by John Locke. In accordance to him, the entire nature of human self is the constant nurture of sensory experiences where the individual gathers information right from birth. On the other hand, Plato incorporated the idea of anthropology and metaphysics in defining the amalgamation of the concept of physical, mental and the mind/body aspect of the human nature. He suggested that the human nature is the combination of genitals, belly, breast and the concept of intellectuality. He also st ated the basic human nature was always uncomfortable with this coexistence and death was the only way out of this coercion. John Lockes approach to this issue of selfhood or individualism is based on the contradiction of values of his time and ethical methods available in his era (1632 - 1704). He "was directed against the principles of Sir Robert Filmer, whose books, asserting the divine authority of kings and denying any right of resistance, were thought by Locke and his fellow Whigs to be too influential among the gentry to be left unchallenged by those who held that resistance to an arbitrary monarch might be justified." (Locke, viii) Thus, it is certain that John Locke believed in the human self of man and that man should be paid his dues whereby there should be equalities in terms of ethics in the society. John Locke's approach to metaphysic and ethics is in this way very modern in nature and reading his text Second Treatise of Government yields a romantic approach towards different ethical consequences. This is because he was more of a political philosopher than an economist. Thus, a philosophical justification comes forward with his view of forceful equality of selfhood and individuality. An ardent empiricist by nature John Locke is always in favor of revolution. He conveys every opportunity to practice this approach, he feels that selfhood, and individuality is possible only by revolution. In a way, John Locke is at par with Marx but his approach is more fiscal oriented and data base where as Locke's outlook is more assumption based and romance is added to it enthusiastically. His views were based on the faith that human nature is the best judge of identifying right and wrong, that it is obvious that the population would determine correctly, what is ultimately right would eradicate differences in the process, and selfhood and individuality would prevail. (Lamb, 226-8) As such, in Marx's opinion, the alienation/duplication between the secular and religious worlds needs to be followed by a subsequent recognition of the alienation/duplication of the secular world itself for evoking the proper aspects of selfhood and individualism. The religious world is a projection of the secular world but the secular world

Love in Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Love in Marriage - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that marriage is the basis of a family unit, and society's central component is family - thus, marriage. On a general term, marriage is the coming together of two individuals whose aim is a lifetime of partnership and possibly, reproduction. If this is true, then it is safe to say that stability is important for couples to move on with their married lives towards the fulfillment of their unified goals. While it is true that some couples may be married for reasons other than love, and while it is also true that these types of marriages may have worked for some of these couples, it still remains true that love plays a major and important role in the majority of marriages in the world. Nowadays, it can be said that love is overrated in relationships and undervalued in marriages. This may be the reason for several early marriages or relationships, and continuous increase in divorce rates. While no one says it is wrong to get involved with love at an early age, while inside a marriage, couples need to recognize it's importance â€Å"till death do them part.† According to recent studies, while romantic love is a concept that is widely accepted, not everyone considers it as an important factor in marriage. However, most studies show that love in marriage helps in stabilizing the union between the couples. Surprisingly, while not everyone views love as necessary to establish marriage, a large percentage of marriages in societies are based on romantic unions.... However, it should be first emphasized that the attention it needs is not the one that causes romance novel bestsellers or blockbuster hits. For one, successful marriages seem to be a rarity (De, 1996, p.703). How many among acquaintances or relatives have successful marriages, or have at least come from successful unions? It seems that almost everybody in today's world at least knows a person who have come from a broken home. Gone were the days when the term â€Å"broken home† causes tugs at the hearts of those who hear. Why? Because it has become so common. It is possible that people may have been so cynical of the concept of love that the more they hear of it's supposed failure to make marriages work, the more they disregard it. One has to remember that while love in marriages will not change the annoying things that they say make marriages collapse little by little, love may help in making couples focus not on what is annoying, but on what is pleasing. And while love will not keep either party from getting hurt, it will at least pave the way for possible forgiveness (Chapman, 2007, p.29-31). On a logical note, since humans are inherently in need of affection, marriages should be the foundation where the fulfillment of the sense of belonging and security should come from. As mentioned earlier, love in marriages helps in providing stability in a union. Therefore, people should not look into the idea of love in marriages as some sort of just a romantic idea resulting from too much reading of pocketbooks or watching romantic movies. Love in marriages runs deeper than shallow Hollywood presentations. Love and marriage are two crucial elements in human society. Understanding the importance of love is stabilizing this core unit

Lightinthebox Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Lightinthebox - Essay Example However, prior to placing orders, it is important for customers to thoroughly review the store’s return policies. The products that this online shopping centre deals in include women’s clothing, dresses, electronics, and shoes among other product categories that may interest customers. Online shopping mainly denotes purchasing products or other services via the internet. This type of shopping is now popular across the globe as a result of advancement in the use of ICT, it is considered to be convenient and also attract lower prices. This is more so during the holiday season where shoppers are able to avoid the hectic process of visiting several stores physically or standing in long queues in order to purchase a certain item (.Jifeng, Sulin & Han 2012, p.1131). This paper provides a critical discussion of the business of Lightinthebox.com, an online shopping store. This online shopping store mainly sells goods produced in China to other parts of the world. The products that this online store retail are considered to be affordable and targets every hobby or lifestyle by customers across the globe. At the moment, the products that the store retails include home improvement, fashion, beauty products and electronics among other products that are on high demand globally. Lightinthebox.com provides customers with an easy way of shopping; thus, allowing customers to cut on unnecessary costs for purchasing a product in the conventional stores. The store has different payment options that provide convenience to customers across the world. This includes the use of credit cards, wire transfers, PayPal or debit cards to make payment (Panda & Narayan 2013, p.52). As a strategy the availability of a wide range of payment options is meant to allow customers to select the method that they prefer. Further, the online store relies on a technology offers maximum security for customer information related to payment

Total Rewards System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Total Rewards System - Essay Example It is the duty of the management to find some ways in which their employees are rewarded to show that they are cared for by their employers. "Motivating the individuals that work for you is one of the most important functions that you will have as a manager" (People Skills, 2006). Practically dealing with an employee and making him/her do thinks for which they are hired is one of the biggest challenge a manager of any organization faces. But there may be individuals who would work very hard for the rewards the company provides them. At the same time there are some employee who are very hard to be pleased no matter what rewards are given to them. Total Rewards is all of the tools available to the employer that may be used to attract, motivate and retain employees. Total rewards include everything the employee perceives to be of value resulting from the employment relationship (Corey Rosen et al, 2006). Through out the history of any organization the employers have always been challenged to attract, motivate and retain their employees. Right from the days of the barter systems to the present complex production formulae the organizational principle has been the same. The principle of employees providing the enterprise with productivity and results and in turn they will be provided with something of value. According to Bob Nelson raise is not the only thing which motivates an employee neither does promotion. Some intangible, unexpected gestures which shows real appreciation for a well done job sparks a person to perform his best. Companies and organizations make use of rewards and recognitions to increase their productivity and at Total Rewards 4 the same time retain their valued employees making them happier. For instance the different types of rewards or recognition can be similar to: Airplane mechanics who are rewarded with balloons and pinwheels or it can be; A manager calls his employees' mothers and thanks them for raising such industrious children or even; ideas from the offbeat (The Margarita Award) to the company-wide (a quiet room) to the embarrassingly simple (a hand-written thank you note) to the wacky (the Laugh-a-Day challenge) to the formal (a two-week promotion to special assistant to the president). Bob, Nelson 2005 In this paper, the concept of total rewards is being discussed and a comparison with the more traditional approaches to compensation and benefits has also been discoursed. Total Rewards 5 Discussion Organizations today are laying a high degree of emphasis on getting high quality credible market insights to make informed HR decisions and to manage people which are their key value differentiators (The NASSCOM-Hewitt Total Rewards Study, 2007). Historical picture: (http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/aboutus/html/aboutus-whatis.html). During the 1970s and 1980s, organizations discerned that tactically planned compensation and benefits programs gave them the edge in a quickly changing environment. It looked as if the different organizations were responding to: The development which was taking place from the global economic perspective and also

The Greatest Challenges Facing Marketers as they Enter International Essay

The Greatest Challenges Facing Marketers as they Enter International Markets - Essay Example 2.3 Socio-cultural paradigms The rapid globalization has created a pluralistic society with diverse needs and requirement. Ennis (2009) believes that socio-cultural imperatives have become the decisive factor in the consumption of goods and services. Indeed, the market strategy must respond to the new culturally diverse system rather than focus only on the product. It is for this reason that firms need to promote their goods and services within a culturally sensitive environment. Nokia advertisements are prime examples which include diversity in their advertisements that are instant hit across the globe. McDonald’s includes the taste of the local population in its burgers and customizes it to cater to the changing demands of its consumers. 2.4 New environment compulsions and sustainable development In the contemporary times, environment conservation and sustainable business practice have emerged as key components of competitive advantage (Slack & Lewis, 2002). The companies en tering new markets must become proactive participants in the conservation and preservation of environment and promote sustainable business practices. Hybrid cars by General Motors and Suzuki are increasingly becoming popular because of their environment friendly features. Bodyshop uses raw materials obtained through sustainable business practices etc. and highlights the need for sustainable development. 2.5 Technology Technology has greatly facilitated business growth with its application in various arenas of business and provided it with flexibility and speed to meet the fast changing preferences of the customers. While it has helped new product development and expedited the... Fast advancing technology and globalization have become critical elements for marketers as they are intrinsically linked to growth as well as empowerment for consumers across the geographical boundary. The needs of consumers are increasing being influenced by various external factors which not only influence their purchase decisions but also force the marketers to innovate and adopt flexible approach to meet their changing preferences. It is believed that marketing is increasingly being conceptualized as an organizational philosophy or â€Å"an approach to doing business†. As a result, consumer not only expects more from the product and companies but the company also needs to conform to their changing requirements vis-à  -vis macro-environment factors and strengthen their position through effective communication techniques. These are major challenges that help the firms to strengthen their market position when they expand globally.

Networking Strategy and professional development Module 1 Questions Essay

Networking Strategy and professional development Module 1 Questions - Essay Example An understanding of the client’s background is essential as it helps the mentor to grow professionally. The other benefit of mentoring in the networking process is that it helps the mentor to gain professional satisfaction through the expertise that he or she shares with the clients (Crawford, 2007). Mentoring can also be regarded as essential as it helps the mentor to add value to his or her career. This is because the mentor gets an opportunity to utilize his or her skills and gain insights from the professional relationships with the mentees. Mentoring in the networking process can also be regarded to be of immense benefits to the mentee. The mentee benefits through gaining expertise from the mentor. Thus, the mentee can sharpen his or her skills. The mentee also gets an opportunity to learn some skills, which may be of immense help in the mentees personal development. In addition, the mentee benefits since he or she gets to know more about the organization, its policies, rules, as well as the culture of the organization (Whittaker & Cartwright, 2000). Networking can be regarded as one of the essential elements when it comes to the building of successful careers. Therefore, any person wishing to succeed in his or her career should consider networking with other professionals in his own field. Networking helps in building successful careers since most jobs may not be advertised. As such, networking is essential as it helps the job seeker to gain awareness and knowledge about a certain job that may be advertised. Networking is also essential in building a successful career as it helps the job seeker to be well prepared for interviews. This is because networking can help job seekers have full knowledge about the requirements of an interview. As a result, they will have an easy time during the interview and they will mostly likely get the job (Dirks, 2009). The most effective networking strategy for job search is becoming members of professional

The Greatest Challenges Facing Marketers as they Enter International Essay

The Greatest Challenges Facing Marketers as they Enter International Markets - Essay Example 2.3 Socio-cultural paradigms The rapid globalization has created a pluralistic society with diverse needs and requirement. Ennis (2009) believes that socio-cultural imperatives have become the decisive factor in the consumption of goods and services. Indeed, the market strategy must respond to the new culturally diverse system rather than focus only on the product. It is for this reason that firms need to promote their goods and services within a culturally sensitive environment. Nokia advertisements are prime examples which include diversity in their advertisements that are instant hit across the globe. McDonald’s includes the taste of the local population in its burgers and customizes it to cater to the changing demands of its consumers. 2.4 New environment compulsions and sustainable development In the contemporary times, environment conservation and sustainable business practice have emerged as key components of competitive advantage (Slack & Lewis, 2002). The companies en tering new markets must become proactive participants in the conservation and preservation of environment and promote sustainable business practices. Hybrid cars by General Motors and Suzuki are increasingly becoming popular because of their environment friendly features. Bodyshop uses raw materials obtained through sustainable business practices etc. and highlights the need for sustainable development. 2.5 Technology Technology has greatly facilitated business growth with its application in various arenas of business and provided it with flexibility and speed to meet the fast changing preferences of the customers. While it has helped new product development and expedited the... Fast advancing technology and globalization have become critical elements for marketers as they are intrinsically linked to growth as well as empowerment for consumers across the geographical boundary. The needs of consumers are increasing being influenced by various external factors which not only influence their purchase decisions but also force the marketers to innovate and adopt flexible approach to meet their changing preferences. It is believed that marketing is increasingly being conceptualized as an organizational philosophy or â€Å"an approach to doing business†. As a result, consumer not only expects more from the product and companies but the company also needs to conform to their changing requirements vis-à  -vis macro-environment factors and strengthen their position through effective communication techniques. These are major challenges that help the firms to strengthen their market position when they expand globally.

Jack Kerouacs on the Road - a Biography Essay Example for Free

Jack Kerouacs on the Road a Biography Essay On the Road was published in 1957 by Viking Press. Apart from criticism by traditional conservatives, Jack Kerouac’s novel gained huge popularity with a younger generation of rebels (point to Sam’s pencilcase). Commonly viewed as an autobiography combined with a biography of Neal Cassady, it is considered a testament to the Beat legend. Fascinated by the myth of the King of the Beatniks, I examined the authenticity of On the Road and found several issues: the method in which it was written, spontaneous prose; lack of primary sources; and the author’s intention. Jean Louis Lebris de Kerouac was born on the 12 March 1922 in Lowell, Massachusetts. He gained a football scholarship to Columbia University in New York, where he met Allen Ginsberg and William S. Burroughs, who together form the three literary musketeers of the Beat Generation. The Beat Gen were a stalwart literary movement active during the 50s, whose iconoclastic texts dissented formalist constriction of expression, experimentation and individualism, and viewed post-war prosperity, and materialism as antithetical to social equality. Their works pushed the boundaries of censorship, including underground elements sinister to the establishment such as homosexuality, drugs, bop jazz, impulsive desire, preference for marginalised cultures, like Buddhist and Native American, and unconformity to the typically American dream of white picket fence within which your three cherub children can safely frolic. The traditional conservatives called it unrefined and anti-intellectual, and politicians labelled aspects of the Beat Gen psyche as Communist. The popularity and resonance Beat Gen lit had with the youth rebellion generation made it a prominently influential movement in American literature. The Beat Gen members, being life long friends, shared these views and were inspired by figures of the counterculture, in the case of On the Road, Neal Cassady, who was the Beat beliefs personified, â€Å"the holy con-man with the shining mind† (p11). On the Road is about Sal Paradise, an amateur writer struggling with inspiration when he is introduced to Dean Moriarty, a walking legend, the epitome of a Beat man. The novel marks distinct stages of Sal’s growth and development, and his relationship with Dean as he â€Å"shambled after as I’ve been doing † Narrated by Sal, he meets and travels with other characters, bumming and hitchhiking across America. Kerouac developed spontaneous prose, inspired by improvisation in jazz and passionate excitement, its highly confessional, immediate, producing a raw, liberal and intense stream of consciousness, establishing spiritual and personal connections with the narrator. This convinces the reader of a high degree of honesty and vulnerability, and authenticity. Also, there’s an infamous story that adds to the legend of Kerouac and On the Road: the manuscript was typed in 2 weeks fuelled by coffee and Benzedrine, on a seriously lengthy scroll, of teletype paper taped together so that changing the roll wouldn’t disrupt his writing. Tim Hunt wrote in Kerouac’s Crooked Road that Kerouac â€Å"hoped that drafting Although it’s important that there is a high connection between the writer and the reader, it’s also important to note that this sort of spontaneity compromises the detail and accuracy of Sal’s accounts, which brings into questions the subtleties and chronology of small-scale action. Also, his emotional investment makes his narration highly opinionated and being so influenced by Cassady as to travel across the country, Kerouac’s opinions transferred into Sal the persona are influenced heavily by De an. The authenticity and honesty that spontaneous prose conceptualises is undermined by the deliberation and large revision of the manuscript. The published edition was the fourth, and he had been working on On the Road for 2 and a half years, within which he was experimenting with his writing style. He loathed and complained when his editor, who he called a â€Å"crass idiot†, forced several revisions of contextually pornographic sections. In Essentials of spontaneous Prose, released in 1958, he claims that the conscious critical mind might censor richness of imagination. And I think richness of imagination is a euphemism for â€Å"high†, considering the evidence, fictional and factual, of drugs like Benzedrine and weed that reduce clarity of mind, but stimulate the inventive senses. The high levels of intimacy of the actions, events, dialogue and lives of the characters and their real life counterparts means that we cannot satisfactorily negate or authenticate a large amo unt of content, considering the verbose and opportunistic nature of the characters, in particular Dean, and the introverted thoughtfulness of Kerouac. For instance, after his time with Remi Bonceour, an old friend of Sal’s, he sees â€Å"the cutest little Mexican girl in slacks† and he says: â€Å"I wished I was on her bus. A pain stabbed my heart, as it did every time I saw a girl I loved who was going the opposite direction in this too-big world. † Then lo and behold, he gets on his bus to LA and there she is sitting alone, he befriends/propositions/seduces in the proper gentlemanly way of the 50s as you would a â€Å"strange girl†, offering her his jacket for a pillow. Terry and Sal spend fifteen days together, Sal experiencing the Mexican labourer’s life, and at the end, he leaves with an empty promise of New York together. The truthfulness of this encounter is intimate to Kerouac and the girl that is dubbed Terry if she even exists. On the bus from St Louis to Pittsburgh, days after his parting with Terry, he â€Å"made the acquaintance of a girl and we necked all the way to Indianapolis. She was nearsighted. † He had just described his parting with Terry with â€Å"love is a duel, and looked at each other for the last time. Still, we have dates that correlate with the chronology of On the Road, but this doesn’t really authenticate the text, because the majority of it is thoughts, words, actions, affairs of people and these are not things that would have been recorded by the public or the media or any historically interested people. The limit on primary sources thanks to the Kerouac estate closing most of his original manuscripts and letters, means that even his biographies are dependent on very little, written post-mortem and supplemented by his friends who were close to his work, like John Clellon Holmes and Allen Ginsberg. Still, other publications that overlap time periods with On the Road include Vanity of Duluoz and Visions of Cody. Visions of Cody was intended as a sequel and replacement of On the Road, and the obscure structure and style seeming dependent on pure recollection, contrasts with the narrative style of On the Road. Kerouac struggled with the rejection of his first novel, The Town and the City, so in order to appeal to more people and find success, On the Road’s surprisingly conventional narrative structure furthers it away from biography and autobiography. The separation of four different trips emphasises the stages of plot development. It has a protagonist, Dean, who solicits the narrator, Sal, throughout their time together on the road. In fact every part begins revolving around Dean. So it’s understandable to think of On the Road as a biography of Neal Cassady, however, it’s highly biased, considering the obvious love, admiration and dedication Dean’s disciple shows, which then means that the biography would undoubtedly contain bias, hyperbole, neglect, forgiveness, and judgement. There are also motifs and allusions to great American stories – influenced by writers such as Melville, Hemingway, Saroyan and Twain, he makes reference to their work: â€Å"here came a melancholy Armenian youth along the red box-cars, and just at that moment a locomotive howled, and I said to myself, Yes, yes, Saroyan’s town† (p78). He had even planned to write in a black man to draw stronger connections to Huckleberry Finn, but decided against it. This is evidence of thematic concern, deliberation and careful consideration, which further undermines the whole spontaneous prose thing. It might be because I’m an avid fan of Kerouac, I just think he’s beautiful and beautifully written, but I think that the mysteriousness of the veracity of On the Road contributes to the aura that has accumulated throughout its time, and doesn’t degrade it as a milestone in literature and America. I think the authenticity of On the Road shouldn’t be brought to light in the first place because it wasn’t meant to be a biography of anyone, and it should just be read to marvel at the wondrousness of words and their meanings, just like any literature, and I really recommend you read it Sam because it’s totally cliche but it changed my life.

Business Cycle Synchronization in Latin America

Business Cycle Synchronization in Latin America Business cycles synchronization in Latin America:  A TVTPMS Approach Introduction: Over the last decades, there has been a growing interest in the business cycle transmissions among countries and interdependencies. The design of regional co-operations and integrations, such as Mercosur or Latin America countries, has the purpose to reduce poverty, amplify society welfare and enhance macroeconomic stability. However, it is crucial to understand the influence of regional integration and the role of external factors on regional business cycle synchronization. Fiess (†¦..) find that a relatively low degree of business cycle synchronization within Central America as well as between Central America and the United States. Grigoli (2009) analyzed the causation relations among business activities of the Mercosur countries to determine which cycles are dependent on others, considering trade intensity, trade structure and the influences of the EU and US as well. He find some causation relations among the South-American countries; however, the EU and US do not play a relevant role in determining the fluctuations of their cycles. Gutierrez and Gomes (†¦..) use the Beveridge-Nelson-Stock-Watson multivariate trend-cycle decomposition model to estimate a common trend and common cycle. Aiolfi et al. (2010) identify a sizeable common component in the LA countries’ business cycles, suggesting the existence of a regional cycle Caporale and Girardi (2012) show that the LA region as a whole is largely dependent on external developments and the trade channel appears to be the most important source of business cycle co-movement. They report that the business cycle of the individual LA countries appears to be influenced by country-specific, regional and external shocks in a very heterogenous way. In order to investigate the degree of synchronization of the business cycles among the six major LA economies[1] (namely, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Colombia and Venezuela) as a whole, we consider the presence of a regional cycle by estimating the common growth cycle with the aim of testing its effect on each country-specific cycle. Besides this introduction, this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 contains the model and describes the data. Section 3 presents the empirical results and finally, section 4 concludes. Data and Methodology : We use quarterly data of the real GDP growth rate of the LAC countries, extracted from Penn World Table , namely †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦, covering the period from the first quarter of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ to the last quarter of †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. We focus on whether the economic activity in the LAC countries is driven by a joint business cycle. We first look at the engine of growth lies within the LA countries. We therefore firstly begin by studying the existence of a common cycle among the economies studied. Second, we attempt to find the influence of a common factor referred to as the LAC’s business cycle extracted from the estimation of a dynamic common factor model. We employ a measure of business cycles synchronization based on Hamilton’s (1989) original Markov-switching model and the time– varying Markov–switching model developed by Filardo (1994) and reconsidered recently by Kim et al. (2008) to investigate the regional common factor in dating the regional business cycles. This study analyzes whether the synchronization pattern of business cycles in a country has systematically changed with the expansion or recession phases of regional business cycle. In this context, we assumed business cycles in a particular country are driven by regional cycles proxied by the common dynamic factor in real GDP growth of the LA countries, thus we use a dynamic factor model to extract the regional cycle. The main interest of the analysis is that a latent dynamic factor drives the co-movement of a high-dimensional vector of time-series variables which is also affected by a vector of mean-zero idiosyncratic disturbances, ÃŽ µt (Stock, 2010) . The common factors are assumed to follow a first-order autoregressive process. This linear state-space model can be written as follows: (1) (2) where L1,t,†¦,Lk,t are common to all the series, ÃŽ µ and ÃŽ · are independent Gaussian white noise terms. The L matrix of factor loadings measures the instantaneous impact of the common factors on each series. There are two growth phases or regimes with a transition between them governed by a time-varying transition probability matrix. The advantage of such a model is that the regimes can be easily interpreted as regimes of recession and expansion. The estimated equation is the following[2]: , (3) where and The endogenous variable, yt (the real growth rate in a given country at time t) is assumed to visit the two states of a hidden variable, st, that follows a first-order Markov chain, over the T observations[3]. ÃŽ ¼st, ÏÆ', à Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ are real coefficients to be estimated. Denoting zt the leading variable (the regional common factor at time t), we want to know whether zt causes yt+k, k= 1,2, †¦.Under the assumption that both y and z have ergodic distributions, we define the following transition probability functions: (4) where and are elements of the following transition probability matrix: (5) with Pij the probability of switching from regime j at time t − 1 to regime i at time t and i, j =1, 2 with for all i,j∈{1,2. k is a lag. In order to estimate the coefficients of equation (1), we need to maximize the log-likelihood of the unconditional density function of yt: (6) The unconditional density function is the product of the conditional density function and the unconditional probability of st. This is written as[4]: (7) Transition probabilities indicate that the states of expansion and recession are equally persistent, and this persistency is very strong. These probabilities aim to provide information about the likelihood of staying or switching from a given regime of k periods after a regime change in z. If the estimate of ÃŽ ¼1 is positive and ÃŽ ¼2 is negative, then regime 1 can be interpreted as one of expansion and regime 2 as one of contraction. Furthermore, assume that in eq. (†¦) ÃŽ ³1,2 is positive. This indicates that while any increase in leading indicator (z) increases P11, probability that y stays in regime 1, any decrease in z increases 1-P11, probability that y switches from regime 1 k periods later; that is, an expansion (recession) in z leads to an expansion (recession) in another country. Similarly, a negative ÃŽ ³1,2 means that an expansion in z leads to a recession in another country. Additionally, a negative ÃŽ ³2,2 means that any decrease (increase) in leading indicator in creases the probability of staying in regime 2 (switching from regime 2). If both ÃŽ ³1,2 and ÃŽ ³2,2 are insignificant, this would mean that there is no statistically meaningful impact of the occurrence of expansions or recessions in a leading market on the growth regime of the other markets[5]. Empirical Results Fig. 1 refers to the common factor, i.e. the regional growth cycle of the Latin America countries. As we can see, the common factor easily captures the well-known common features of the LA business cycle such as the 1994–95 Mexican crisis and the Tequila crisis. To test the hypothesis of a joint business cycle in the LA, we estimate the TVTPMS model given by Eqs. (1) and (2) with the variable z referring to the common factor (regional cycle). Fig. 1. Common factor in real GDP growth of the Latin America countries The estimation results for the regional cycle as leading variable are reported in Table 1. We find significantly positive ÃŽ ¼1 and negative ÃŽ ¼2 which correspond to a situation of distinct expansion and contraction regimes. Our main findings are based on the significance of the estimated coefficients ÃŽ ³1,2 and ÃŽ ³2,2. When looking at the significance of the coefficient ÃŽ ³1,2 , it is found that the common factor exerts direct effects on Mexico and Venezuela, implying that a high growth rate in regional cycle is informative of GDP expansion phases in these countries. That is, an expansion in common factor increases the probability that Mexico and Venezuela will continue to evolve in an expansion regime (i.e. P11). However, we see that ÃŽ ³2,2 is never significant for these countries. This suggests that the regional cycle can never be considered as a leading indicator of the future state of the cycle in Mexico and Venezuela when they are already in the contraction regime (i.e. P2 2 and P1-22). Conversely, our results show that regional cycle is sensitive to economic fluctuations in Colombia, Chile and Brazil because ÃŽ ³2,2 is significant, thereby implying that any change in regional factor does help predict whether these economies will stay into or escape from contractions. Table 1 Estimation results for the regional cycle as leading variable. The numbers in bold indicate that a high growth rate in Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Chile, and the Brail has an impact on the expansion and recession phases of the regional cycle. The evidence presented here indicates that Latin America countries’ increasing economic interdependence has strengthened both interregional business cycles synchronization. A regional cycle could provide significant informational content in predicting the future state of Mexico and Venezuela only when they are already into the expansionary state and the future state of Colombia, Chile and Mexico when they are already in the contraction regime. That is, the high level of integration reached within the region has enabled Mexico and Venezuela to emerge as a pole of economic growth where their business cycles are mutually reinforced during expansions. In other words, while this increasing economic interdependence tends to strengthen output co-movements when these countries are already in the expansionary state, the shift from contractions to recovery, opposed to Colombia, Chile and Mexico, do not depend on the recovery in other countries. For Argentina, both ÃŽ ³1,2 and ÃŽ ³2,2 is insignificant, implying any change in the regional cycle regional cycle is not sensitive to economic fluctuations in this country. Conclusion The papers other main finding is that a regional cycle could provide significant informational content in predicting the future state of the five of the largest Latin American economies—Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, and Mexico. However, the amplitude and duration of the business cycle are asymmetric, indicating that nonlinearities are important in the growth process. Thus, since the Latin America countries’ business cycles are well-tied together through a regional cycle, the costs of joining a monetary union would be reduced if a deeper regional economic cooperation, including intra-exchange rate stability and macroeconomic policy coordination, before turning on to a full-fledged monetary union. Since the Latin American economies have historically been highly dependent globalization process and demand from outside trading partners it would be interesting repeating a similar exercise with interest rates and cyclical output in advanced countries. References Hamilton, J.D., 1989. A new approach to the economic analysis of nonstationary time  series and the business cycle. Econometrica 57, 357–384. Filardo, A.J., 1994. Business cycle phases and their transitional dynamics. J. Bus. Econ. Stat.  12, 299–308. [1] These countries have accounted for some 70 percent of the region’s GDP over the past half century (Maddison, 2003, pp. 134–140) [2] The lag structure has been tested with standard AIC, HQ and SC criteria. [3] The occurrence of a regime is referred by a variable st that takes two values: 1 if the observed regime is 1 and 2 if it is regime 2 [4] The lags in the model are chosen using the Akaike information criterion. Moreover, we perform the Ljung–Box (LB) test to check that there is no residual autocorrelation [5] In this case, The TVPMS model converges to the Hamilton fixed probability model

A midsummer Night dream :: essays research papers fc

The second half of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th are sometimes called in England †The Age of Shakespeare†. William Shakespeare’s the greatest English poet and dramatist and an indisputed world figure in literature. Altought his works (37 play, 154 sonnets and two long poems) are well knwnall over the world we know little about his life. Shakespeare was born on 23 April 1564, at stratford –upon-Avon, a little town in the heart of England. He was educated at the local grammarschool but as his father’s business went from bad to worse, he had to leave school and begin to earn his living. We next hear of him when were eighteen and a married man. At the age of twenty-one, he set off to seek his fortune in the gratuity of London. There, he was inturn a horse-keep, a stage-boy, a play mender and finally a play-Wright. Shakespeare spent the last years of his life at Stratford, where he died on the 23rd of April 1616. William Shakespeare was a great humanist. His interes in the life and the people of his time made him watch with an observant eye the scenery of his native country, men and women in all walks of life, their appearance, habits and speech. He was familiar with the traditions of English folklore and showed deep concern for his people and his county’s destiny.His work may be divided into three periods: I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first period is hat of poems the sonnets, the historical plays or â€Å"chronicles†(Richard II, Richard III, Henry IV Julius Caesar etc.) comedies (Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night Dream, The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice, etc) and a few tragedies (Romeo and Juliet, etc.). In general Shakespeare’s writings in this period are full of optimism. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second period includes the great tragedies (Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth) The disillusionment of the humanists is felt throughout. III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The third period includes the â€Å"romance†plays (The Tempest, The Winter`s Tale, etc.) which are caracterized by a more serene atmosphere. Altought Shakespeare`s language is very difficult, almost evry word combination forms a picture. To understand Shakespeare (both his language and his ideas), we have not â€Å"to read† but â€Å"to study† his works as our great poet Mihai Eminescu said. The apeat compilation of stiles from the comical group of William Shakespeare has a tipical example in A Midsummer Nigt`s Dream. In this opera, the â€Å"Mask†-specific for this time joins to the popular medieval theatre elements, represented by the guilds & english folklore.

Advocates for a New Social Order: Dickens, Marx, and the Trade Union i

Advocates for a New Social Order: Dickens, Marx, and the Trade Union in Hard Times For over a century, Charles Dickens has been praised as being the working man's advocate, and the lower classes have played a major role in peopling his vast world of characters. Always, the reader is left with a sense of sympathy and pity for these characters as Dickens' journalistic descriptions of their plight are often dramatic, stirring, and pathetic. Although he renders the living conditions of the poor in such a way that no reader can escape feeling sympathy for such characters, Dickens never once offers a solution to such distress. In Hard Times we find a man who suffers not only the degradations of the industrial city, but also the ostracism of his own kind when he refuses to join the ranks of a budding trade union. Dickens has often been deemed a reformer by many modern critics. However, if he truly sought reform for the treatment of the lower classes in Victorian England, why, then, does he refuse Stephen Blackpool a chance to take a part in that reform? Like Karl Marx an d Friedrich Engels, Dickens realized and reported upon the conditions of the working classes, but he chose to offer a more spiritual form of aid rather than to suggest a complete political reformation. Dickens published his views on labor issues in several of his journals, and he spoke on the subject frequently as well. Although he was moved by the plight of the workers, he could not understand why they would become violent at times. Peter Ackroyd cites a letter to Angela Burdett-Coutts, describing Dickens’ views on trade union violence. The reason for such violence, Dickens contends in the letter, is that the lower classes were being brainwashed and swindle... ... both a charitable and noble soul. He could not have joined the union as he did not believe it would help matters any, and he maintains his dignity even though he pays the ultimate penalty for it in the end. Works Consulted The Oxford History of Britain. Ed. Kenneth O. Morgan. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1984. Ackroyd, Peter. Dickens. New York: HarperCollins, 1990. Bowditch, John and Clement Ramsland. Voices of the Industrial Revolution. Ann Arbor: U of Michigan P, 1961. Dickens, Charles. Hard Times. Ed. George Ford and Sylvere Monod. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 1990. ---. "Locked Out.† Household Words 8 (1854): 345-8. Faber, Richard. Proper Stations. London: Faber and Faber, 1971. Marx, Karl. The Grundrisse. Ed. and trans. David McLellan. New York: Harper, 1971. Williams, Raymond. Culture and Society: 1780-1950. New York: Harper, 1958.

Final †Project and Program Risk Management Essay

This type of management may take on an informal or formal approach, but risk management is essential for every project. Risk Management is not a well accepted standard practice since it points out negative aspects of projects, and there are numerous inhibitions that restrain the dynamics of risk management. According to the Wikipedia, a free web-based encyclopedia, the Project Management Institute (PMI) is a non-profit professional organization with the purpose of advancing the state-of-the-art of project management. The company is a professional association for the project management profession. The PMI sets standards, conducts research, and provides education and professional exchange opportunities designed to strengthen and further establish professionalism. The Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI() has established a six-step set of processes and practices for the risk management process as documented below: 1. Risk Management Planning: project risk infrastructure is established and a project-specific risk management plan is generated. 2. Risk Identification: events with potentially positive and negative impacts are clearly described. 3. Risk Qualifications: risks are evaluated according to nonnumeric assessment protocols. 4. Risk Quantifications: risks are evaluated according to numeric assessment protocols. 5. Risk Response Planning: strategies to deal with or precluded risks are evaluated and communicated. 6. Risk Monitoring and control: risk management and response plans are put into action. b) Why do professionals mandate Risk Management? Professionals mandate Risk Management in organizations since risk sometimes becomes a secondary issue. This secondary issue occurs since the hope that Project Managers will be able to handle issues and problems as they occur. Since risk remains a secondary issue until an organization’s luck runs out or a profitable opportunity is missed, professionals take a more proactive approach to risk identification and mitigation by applying Risk Management Process and Practices. Based on statistical information, unfavorable risk events eventually occur in good projects without a way to identify and mitigate risk. The Project Manager suffers the repercussions of such type of failure; therefore, professionals mandate Risk Management and support its practices in effort to mitigate risk. . Explain the Delphi Technique and steps for effective application. a) Explain the Delphi Technique. When expert interview techniques are not an option, the Delphi Technique provides an alternate means for extracting information from subject matter experts (SMEs) without pressuring or forcing them to provide much needed information. Many SMEs prefer not to participate in data-gathering processes; therefore, the project manager ( facilitator) applies the Delphi technique to collect information directly from the SMEs without infringing on their schedules. This technique allows the facilitator with directed follow-up capability from experts after peers have been consulted so the highest quality of information is extracted from the experts. b) Steps for Effective Application. To obtain effective information from the Delphi Technique, the Project Manager must posses the ability to generate the original questions to present to the experts and to clarify the information from the experts as it is received. The following six (6) major steps will increase the chances of a successful technique application: 1) Identify experts and ensure their participation 2) Create the Delphi instrument 3) Have the experts respond on the instrument 4) Review and restate the responses 5) Gather the experts’ opinions and repeat 6) Distribute and apply the data The Delphi technique is a time-consuming process, but this technique is promising in extracting information from experts who might not otherwise contribute to a project’s body of knowledge. 3. Explain the Crawford Slip Method (CSM). The Crawford Slip Method (CSM) is a classic tool used to combat the negativism inherent in team members while attempting to identify risk and risk information-gathering for a particular product or process. CSM offers a variety of advantages over other information-gathering techniques, in particular, the ability to aggregate large volumes of information in a very short time period and the complete avoidance of groupthink. CSM is not the hardest risk management technique to apply when properly facilitated. A clearly established question is defined by the facilitator and provided to all qualified participants. The participants then document their response to the clearly established question on a slip of paper. Providing the same clearly established question to the participants again, they document their response to the question on a slip of paper again. This process is repeated ten (10) times using the same clearly established question to better extract all of the unknown information available from the participants involved in the product or process. The initial slips of paper are usually very similar in content; however, as the process repeats itself, the later slips of paper tend to generate identification of issues and risks that could have been overlooked without repetition. The strength of Crawford Slip Method is efficiency. 4. Define SWOT Analysis and their selection criteria. a) Define SWOT Analysis. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis Technique is a directed risk analysis that identifies risks and opportunities within a higher-level organizational context rather than a project’s narrow vacuum.

Final Act of the play Essay

Secondly Elizabeth made a sacrifice, and really showed by doing this how much she respects John Proctor as her husband. When it came to the question itself, whether John was a lecher, she waited a while before she came to a final decision as she had no idea what to say, not knowing what her husband had stated before her. Constantly looking for a sign from john across the court having no clue what he had said before her. She was nervous, but was forced to answer the question and make that final decision: She replied faintly ‘No, sir’. This answer really shows the audience how strong her love is for proctor, lying for him to save his life, doing this against her religion, condemning herself to hell however this was a choice between either her husband or her religion and chosen her husband shows how strongly she feels about him. From what she believed he had lied to but they were both court out.  Act Four is considered to be a very emotional scene and is really shown by Miller himself. The events which occur in this scene are considered gruesome and drastic and have various reactions from different characters, but mainly Elizabeth and John’s relationship and how it dramatically changes and gradually pulls together in the final Act of the play. The day in which act four starts Elizabeth is aware John is going to be hanged, and clearly states that no emotion is shown towards him, especially when talking to Dan forth about it before speaking to proctor himself. She shows this coldness, relating back to the first two scenes and makes it seem as though she’s not going to let them win against her, making it very hard for her as really underneath she knows in fact her husband is about to die before her very own eyes and there’s nothing she can do to save him, and she wants to follow what she think john would have wanted her to do for him or if he were in her shoes. Having Elizabeth and Proctor apart from each other for a period of time whilst she was taken to Salem must be hard for them as they both haven’t as of yet spoken at all to each other about what has happened. This proves to the audience there a large amount of emotion between them both which a real change from Act two were emotion between them was very low and Elizabeth’s thoughts toward Proctor weren’t anything to what they are now. Miller really uses this scene to stun the audience when seeing the couple starring into each others eyes with such needed love and emotion really showing how there relationship is some what different to before. The first thing that is stated when the conversation begins with john is ‘the child’ which straight away takes us back to the first conversation they had in act two were the general talk was about there children. The conversation continues but sentences and phrases are very short, showing a real awkward atmosphere between them which is acceptable seeing as though they haven’t spoken or even seen each other in so long. The conversation carries on and they begin to open up to each other, there speech becoming longer and idea’s coming out, such as whether john should now confess or not? Finally there reaches a point were they are coming to terms with the truth and Elizabeth and john except the fact they have ‘known each other’ deeply and that fact he can end his life knowing she was always there to support him. This is were Act four is drawing to an end, were john lifts Elizabeth and kisses her with great passion which clearly states there relationship has come together, and changed so much from act two were john kissing Elizabeth was seen as such disappointment to her but no such a romantic and emotional moment. However its not just Elizabeth feeling this passion, they both share such moment together, letting the audience really no what they both want. After this passionate moment takes place, john is taken off the scene to be hanged, and Elizabeth is there to say her last few words to support her husband’s tragic death. Elizabeth seems glad he can finally be at peace as before his life seemed always troubled and never settled. He only really had one fault that he had made in his life and that was the affair with Abigail, and from she believed was that it was because of her, this shows her true feelings for there relationship and faulting herself makes her feel that little bit better. Throughout the whole play Author Miller presents the couple in many different ways, changing the way there relationship occurs in each scene, taking both different personalities into perspective. From act two were the relationship between them both was extremely tense and uncomfortable at times around each other, but progressively throughout the play, even when times got really tough there relationship seemed to get stronger and closer, showing that when times got tough they were actually there when they needed somebody to be with them and help the through it, this really shows how all along the couple have never fallen out of love and have always had such deep feelings for each other and meant for each other and this can especially be seen in act four when there relationship had to end due to the death of john Proctor.

Discrimination and Child

How current and relevant legislation and policy affects work with children and young people. Children's individual needs Quality of care Choice of service Management ; staffing Complaints ; protections Plan to support child, working in partnership with social worker and adhere to policies. Individual needs are met. To maximise the chance of positive outcomes for children. All of the policies and procedures by which I work are defined by The Children's Act 1989 which legislates for England and Wales.All our Safeguarding measures, Health and Safety policies and Child protection procedures must follow the relevant egislations. As a children's residential home we have to follow The National Minimum Standards too and it is these standards that we are inspected through Ofsted. SCMP3-1. 2 Describe the impact of social care standards and codes of practice on work with children and young people. SCMP3-1. 3 The importance of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).Chil dren have the right to; Own Privacy, Dignity and Confidentiality. To be looked after and kept safe from harm. To be able to play and not to be used for cheap labour. To be with their birth family or extended family, in absence of, those who would look fter and care for their needs best. Good health care. An adequate standard of living and enough food and water. Disabled children have the right to special care and training. SCMP3-2. 1 The responsibilities of a: Corporate parent. To work with professionals following guidelines set i. e. o put the needs of the child first, seek the same outcomes for the child as you would if the child was your own and safeguard and promote the welfare of the child. Professional carer. To train those who will be in contact with children i. e. foster carers, to ensure the child is best placed/matched with a carer that can attend to their needs, to rovide the child with all services required, ‘e healthcare, dental etc. To ensure child has the best s tart in life and engage in ‘Every Child Matters' 5 outcomes. What is meant by a duty of care.To take reasonable precautions to safeguard a child in your care from harm or injury by making plans to minimize risk. Use ethics in making decisions with regards to other people's differing cultural or religious beliefs. Allow the child to risk assess themselves and take reasonable risks as part of normal growing up. Protect a child's right to dignity and independence. SCMP3-2. 3 The impact of professional relationships on children and young people. PROS Child receives holistic care, feels loved, wanted and safe. Children are never left unsupervised with non CRB checked adults.Risk assessment of equipment ensures safety of the child. Children's past is kept confidential. Increased self esteem and confidence in child. Everyone works together put the child at the centre of focus, child therefore does not miss out on education and healthcare. CONS A looked after child cannot receive the same bodily contact i. e. no cuddles if child is ill in bed. Child cannot sleep with you when not feeling well or had nightmares. Child not to have bath with you or see you undressed. The child knows they are in care which has a negative impact, they feel neglected.SCMP3-2. 4 Examples of poor practice and unprofessional conduct that may impact on outcomes for children and young people. Not remaining confidential with children's details/ previous life experiences. Not teaching the child independence. Not teaching child self-hygiene. Calling their parents or extended family names in front of them. Having nothing positive to say to SW or in meetings at school etc. Drinking heavily or taking drugs. Not turning up to parent's evenings and arranged meetings for the child. Not giving the child choices or allowing them to make their own decisions.SCMP3-2. 5 The actions to take where poor practice and unprofessional conduct are having a negative impact on outcomes for children and young peop le. Note concerns and date details of poor practice before reporting to Manager (unless complaint against Manager, report to their Manager). Use team meetings to openly discuss and any concerns or issues Whistle blow to head of Social Services, Head Teacher at school etc. , dependent on who the complaint is about. SCMP3-3. 1 The professional responsibility to maintain current and competent practice.Follow legislations and policies making sure they are clear, precise and up to date. Keep all children's records confidential and all life story work up to date. Update CPD and follow all training. Attend reviews i. e. LAC; PEP; IPP etc. Attend support groups. Ensure chil d nas regular denta other welfare issues. SCMP3-3. 2 I checks and is reterr ed toa specialist it required tor Engage with professional supervision in order to improve practice. See attached supervision SCMP3-3. 3 Seek, and learn from, feedback on own practice from colleagues and children and young people SCMP3-3. 4The im portance of understanding the limits of personal competence and when to seek advice. Everyone has a limit of personal competence; training courses when offered should be taken where possible to ensure that you are competent to do the job and updated in new legislations etc. If we do not understand our own limit, we may take on a task that we are not comfortable with and can cause further harm to the child we may be dealing with, i. e. looking after a child that has been diagnosed ADHD and permanently chastising incorrectly as you have no knowledge of the condition and how best to deal with the child.SCMP3-4. 1 Respect and value the professional competence and contribution of colleagues. I respect and value the professional competence and contribution of colleagues and Managers. All Residential Child Care workers have been trained to do the Job they do, putting the child's interests first and providing support for Young people. Residential Child Care workers have a great knowledge of what children's needs in care are and encourage/support carer's to follow their lead in providing holistic care. SCMP3-4. 2 Rights and expectations as a professional and how to assert them.As a professional I have a right to challenge anything I am told or asked to do, if I do not agree with what is being asked or said with regards to the care of a child. I expect my feelings to be respected and my own knowledge to be taken in to account when decisions are made with regards to the welfare of a child. I expect full support from my Supervising Manager to help me carry out my Job as a Residential Child Care Worker, using both professionalism and empathy. SCMP3-5. 1 How current equalities legislation affects work with children, young people and families.Child's individual needs are met and supported. Increased self-esteem and confidence. Additional needs are supported both physical and mental. Introduced to your family allows children to feel part of the family and loved. Examples of g ood practice in promoting equality and how they are effective. Equality and diversity should be a natural and embedded part of everyday work for those involved in health and social care work. With an increasingly diverse population it is vital that we should be continually looking at and developing our equality and diversity training.We should be able to recognise discrimination and identify risks of discrimination. Whether direct discrimination, indirect discrimination or harassment. Understand the potential consequences of discrimination and be able to identify and respond to the specific needs of diverse, children which arise from their personal, social or cultural background. We should be accountable for providing a service which demonstrates good equality and diversity practice to Support the empowerment of children so that they may be involved in their own care and health improvement.Good equality and diversity practice involves communicating with children in a way that is acc essible to them making reasonable adjustments in the ay we do our work and deliver our services to take account of the particular needs. Understanding the role that cultural and religious beliefs play in children's services Ensuring that everyone gets care which takes account of their individual needs treating everyone with dignity and respect at all times. SCMP3-6. 1 What is meant by diversity. The diversity is all about acceptance and respect.It means understanding that each individual is unique, recognizing our individual differences. These can be race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, eligious beliefs, political beliefs, etc. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embrace and celebrate the rich dimensions of diversity of each individual. SCMP3-6. What is meant by anti-discriminatory practice and examp les of how it is applied in practice with children, young people and families. Ann-discriminatory practice is the main strategy in combating discrimination. It is action taken to prevent discrimination on the grounds of race, class, gender, disability etc. nd takes into account how we behave towards other individuals. All employees in a care setting should promote this practice in the workplace as it is key to combating prejudice, in doing so they are trying to eradicate discrimination and promote equality for service users, staff and children.Examples; children have the right to choose their own clothes, activities, food and religious beliefs. Their religious festivals should be celebrated and children treated SCMP3-6. 3 witn respect. The effects of discrimination and explain the potential results for children and young eople Children should not have your views and opinions forced upon them, they should be allowed to make up their own minds and make their own choices in life.If chi ldren are discriminated this can lead to poor self-esteem, the child feeling different and not fitting in at school and in society. Don't discriminate others in front of children or this is a habit they will pick up and use against others; bullying other children etc. Rarely the effect of discrimination on the child can be positive, producing a strong willed, confident adult who was able to stand up to bullies in society and fght for what they believed to be right.

Linguistic examples of hypercorrection Annotated Bibliography

Linguistic examples of hypercorrection - Annotated Bibliography Example This essay discusses that another website is Interesting Thing of the Day. This website provides different articles covering different subjects. The principal writers who write for the site are Joe Kissell and Morgen Jahnke besides the guest columnists. The publication of the articles is by the alt concept. This site has been working for the benefits of the public since April 2003.This site is also much related to the topic under discussion. On this site, there is an article by Joe Kissell, which defines hypercorrection as a mistake that occurs when one becomes conscious of avoiding a mistake. In order to define hypercorrection in detail, the writer divides the article under different titles. A clear example of hypercorrection is given under the title linguistic overcompensation. If one uses the word whom instead who, hypercorrection occurs. For instance, when somebody says I have to meet my friend who is going abroad instead of I have to meet my friend who is going abroad.I like Wis egeek because it is much related to my topic. Further, the site is easy to use. WiseGeek is an effective site in demonstrating the concept of hypercorrection because it defines what hypercorrection is and it also tells how and why hypercorrection occurs and gives distinctive examples of hypercorrection.I like the second website because the definition is vivid and the given examples of hypercorrection are quite influencing and comprehensive besides giving the reasons and types of hypercorrection. It is also easy to use.

The Race Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Race - Essay Example is a function of the wage they receive" (Romaguera 14) is true, wages in minority neighborhoods may be lower, because they do not need to be higher. If one worker is not productive and is fired, there are many others waiting to take his or her place, who will work for the same wage. Again, the ability to purchase resources is reduced, due to lower income. The same concept can be applied to housing and rent, only reversed. "In 2000, the proportion of African American households that had obtained home ownership was 65% lower than the proportion of white households that had obtained homeownership" (Ohio State University 3). Therefore, the rental owner will seek to charge as much as demand will allow, regardless of race. This means that those living in less affluent neighborhoods may ultimately get less for their money, in terms of rental unit quality, amenities, and space. Social segmentation also affects the distribution of resources. It may not always do so directly, but by altering marketing efforts, based on clustering or categorization of specific geographic locations or types of customers, allocation is indirectly affected. In Asian Social Science December, 2008, Yingchun Guo ( 3-4) explains how clustering works for electric power consumers. The types of customers are divided into four categories. The highest ranking are those that consume more power and have good credit, while the lowest ranking group has less than idea credit and consumes less power. Marketing strategies are likely to focus more heavily on the highest ranking users, where the company stands to make the most profit. Those is the highest ranking group may be offered special rate packages and pricing that is... Ohio State University. Social/Economic Indicators: Comparing Brown Era Racial Disparities to Today." (April 2004). 11 Dec. 2009

Mental illness in our community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mental illness in our community - Essay Example This essay will discuss how the community can deal with such patients, and to what extent the patient himself can be a part of his recovery. In most nations, mental health care implies confinement to mental hospitals or care by community mental health teams. Such teams are expected to meet the health and social needs. Physical health is not given importance and hospital visits are short and infrequent. The mental health practitioners have no training in physical care. The state hospitals in fact are unable to meet the wants and needs of patients with mental illness, which has caused community based settings to come up (Anthony, 1993). The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) devised the concept of Community Support System (CSS) to assist people with long-term psychiatric disorders. The community needs support to provide support to patients with mental disorders. The consequence of community based treatment led to the understanding that it is important to treat the cause of the illness rather than the illness. Mental illness does not merely cause mental impairments but it leads to functional limitations, disabilities, and handicaps. Studies and treatment led to the understanding that recovery is important in mental illness just as in physical illness. Recovery does not mean cure or freedom from the disease but it means acceptance of the disease. A person is able to change his attitude, values, goals, feelings, behavior, and role in life. He is in better control of his life, can lead a satisfying life, and contribute despite limitations. Recovery means to find a new meaning in life as one learns to grow beyond the illness. People with mental illness normally have a stigma attached to them. The community is responsible to help them recover from this stigma. They already suffer from lack of oppurtunities and negative effects of unemployment. Recovery is a difficult

Women in the Bible and Their Gender Roles Essay

Women in the Bible and Their Gender Roles - Essay Example Topics of sexual morality within gender studies have spurred hot debates amongst various scholars. Nevertheless, it is undeniable that sexual morality emanates from the Bible. Perceptions of sexual morality in the contemporary church significantly borrow from the ancient Israelites and the lives of Christians during the life and after the death of Jesus Christ. Many women in the Bible have shaped the perception of contemporary church on gender roles. There is no doubt that the gender roles in which Biblical women subscribed to emanated from a culture that largely differs from contemporary culture. Women in the Bible and Gender Roles The Old Testament vividly describes the life of the ancient Israelites, which shaped the perception of women and gender roles. During the classical period women were considered to be wives in charge of domestic duties and not leaders. The Biblical perspective of women as portrayed in the Old Testament is that they (women) were never expected to participat e in leading a given community (Belleville, 2000). Most women in the Bible during the Old Testament are seen as submissive and helpless as they abide by the directives of the men. From the onset of creation, Eve was created as Adam’s helper. Creating a woman as a man’s helper changed the perception of men towards women during the classical period. Consequently, women were despised and never allowed to take any leadership position within the society. In this perspective, the Bible identifies women as helpers and not leaders. Other than being wives, the other gender role of women in the Bible is being mothers. Many women in the Bible are portrayed as good and caring mothers with very few exceptions (Hancock, 2003). For instance, Moses’ mother was a good and caring mother to the extent that when Moses was born she placed him along the river banks with a view of protecting him (Moses) from Pharaoh. Even when the King’s daughter came across Moses, Mosesâ€℠¢ mother accepted to take care of him (Giles, 2002). This depicts women as mothers besides being wives. In addition, the Bible describes women as those who prepare food for the family, provides a helping hand in the fields, sews, and sells merchandise amongst other functions, which are essential the functions of a mother. Therefore, the Bible portrays women as caring and good mothers who are able to take of their husbands and the whole family (Hancock, 2003). Despite the negative perception with respect to leadership and authority, there are women who excelled more than men when they were in leadership position. This was an indication that what men can do women can also do and in most cases better. For instance, the story of Deborah and Miriam being judge and prophetess respectively is a clear indication that besides being perceived as people who cannot take leadership or authority, women are better leaders than men in some cases. What’s more, the Bible does not identify circ umstances under which God was never pleased with women leaders, an indication that besides being wives and mothers women can take up leadership roles within the society. Other than Debora and Miriam, Hulda was another woman figure that changed the perception of men towards women. Evidently, women in the Bible were not only wives and mothers but also leaders. On a different perspective, the New Testament, which revolves around the times of Jesus Christ, portrays women slightly different from the Old Testament while trying to describe various gender roles. Nonetheless, the New Testament identifies women as good and caring mothers (Groothuis, 1997). Good and caring mothers are seen amongst many women in the New Testament such as Mary mother of Jesus. Mary and Martha are also considered to be caring and