Operations Management At BMW Mini Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operations Management At BMW Mini - Essay Example Multistage and single-stage production systems that have a supply chain flexibility are based on multiple production sites with dependency on how the firm’s allocation of products and resources to various sites. Formalization of BMW’s strategic planning process, as well as interfaces across strategic load planning, defines the firm’s partial strategies. BMW has rigid location strategies, allocation strategies, flexibility and capacity strategies, and make-or-buy strategies. The characteristics of such strategies are critical to impacting premium car manufacturing, unlike mass product manufacturers (Riesenbeck & Perrey, 2009, p 156). For example, the determination of location strategy means that BMW should consider the availability of qualified personnel in foreign countries and positive impact on the production image of Germany. Determination of the allocation strategy is based on BMW’s goal to make highly customized cars based on orders and requires more flexible assembly lines to be used for any product within the plant. The direction of BMW’s sustainability strategy is based in the global focus on international markets. Involvement of all management board members schedules planning processes for sustainability and convenes diverse interest and assessments of the company’s progress. Responsibility for the operative implementation includes evaluation of measures among individual company divisions and the focus of the sustainability circle. The implication is that there are representations on sustainable business operations and environment responsiveness. The responsibilities of the institution include evaluation and identification of opportunities and risks relating to sustainability. The concept also oversees continued product enhancement in terms of sustainability strategies (Lussier, 2011, p 78). The firm’s performance refers to sustainability

Joining the Leader in Death Phenomenon Essay Example for Free

Joining the Leader in Death Phenomenon Essay 1. Introduction History is replete with incidences of group or mass self inflicted deaths following the demise of powerful leaders. In such instances followers, in varying numbers, chose to die, of their own will, either after or on foreseeing the death of their leader. While group or mass deaths of this nature have occurred at historically different times in dissimilar cultures and globally diverse locations, and have been appropriately recorded in historical documents, the evolution of anthropological studies in the last century has led to significant research into the subject. Researchers have delved into the traditions, social customs, mores, behavioral motivators and demotivators of people of different civilizations and regions to locate commonality and establish reasons for this kind of uncommon, if not deviant behavior. These studies have become increasingly relevant in the current social and religious scenario where instances of mass suicides have occurred in cults, involving hundreds of members, who, along with their leaders, have chosen to die painful and self inflicted deaths for illogical, inexplicable and emotional reasons. The Jonestown suicides of 1978 and the deaths of the members of the Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God in 2000 were particularly tragic and gruesome episodes, in which hundreds of people along with their leaders, died. It is evident that such irrational tendencies still exist, even in advanced western societies. Anthropologists and historians firmly believe that serious and detailed investigation into such incidents, with particular emphasis upon the then prevailing social, environmental, political, economic, and historical conditions, could well provide clues to the reasons behind such uncommon behavior and help in preventing such tragedies in future. (Wessinger, 2000) This paper aims to examine the historical precedents of such incidents and takes up one particular incident for detailed social and anthropological analysis. 2. Historical Overview Psychiatrists commonly think of potentially suicidal people to be unhappy about their current physical and emotional situation and undecided about the path to be followed to resolve the crisis. Suicide is resorted to as a simple and easy solution to their problems and plays the role of a convenient exit. Individual suicides accompanied or preceded by such reasoning is exceedingly common, and though tragic, is, in a number of societies, a routine occurrence among disturbed and underprivileged people. Its incidence, in the developed nations, is still high in certain segments like mentally ill individuals, prisoners, prostitutes, drug addicts and HIV patients. Mass or group suicides following the death or defeat of a leader, while being far more uncommon than individual suicides, have, nevertheless occurred on a number of occasions, more particularly so in specific cultures. While historical instances of groups of people joining their leaders in death, have occurred periodically there is very little to connect these disparate incidents apart from defeat and dishonor in war and, in the case of women, the desire to avoid consequent rape and molestation. During the closing years of the 2nd century BCE, the Teutons, after a series of bloody battles were defeated by the Roman General Gaius Marius, (in 102 BCE), near Aix-en-Provence, and their leader Teutobod captured. The captured women, thinking their king dead and certain of being ravaged by Roman soldiers committed suicide. Ironically the Teutons were the cause of a similar episode in 1336 at the siege of Pilena. The defenders, besieged by the marauding Teutons, joined their leader, Duke Marqueris in death when they realized that the battle was lost. The defenders set the castle on fire and committed mass suicide along with their leader rather than be captured by the invaders. (Purkiss, 1996) In India, both men and women of the warrior classes of the Indian region of Rajasthan have traditionally adopted to commit suicide after the death of their leader. Women, especially, the wives and concubines of the king have, until recent times followed the ancient tradition of immolating themselves on the funeral pyre of their husbands. The custom, known as Sati, while illegal, is still followed in particularly backward areas of the region. Chittor, now an abandoned fortress in West India became famous because of three separate incidents in which hundreds of men and women killed themselves after the death of their leader. Chittor has been overcome thrice and each time the outcome was Jauhar, when women along with their children immolated themselves on huge funeral pyres on the death or capture of their leader, while the men, wearing ochre robes attacked the enemy and faced certain death. Alauddin Khilji overpowered Chittor in 1303 A. D. , overcome by an obsessive longing to own the regal beauty, queen Padmini. Myth has it, that he saw her face in the reflection of a mirror and was struck by her gripping exquisiteness. The queen, along with her attendants, however chose to follow her dead king rather than accept the invaders proposition jumped on to a huge funeral pyre lit in the middle of the castle and burned to death. In 1533 A. D. , during the rule of Bikramjeet, Bahadur Shah, the Sultan of Gujarat, attacked Chittor and once more Karnavati, the then queen, along with more than a hundred women preferred to die following the death of the ruler. The final episode occurred more than 30 years later when the Mughal emperor Akbar attacked the fortress. In Rajasthan such incidences of joining the leader in death had certain particular features. Episodes necessarily commenced with the siege of a force by an invading army and ended in mass death only if the invading army was successful. Once it was certain that the war was lost and the king was dead or would certainly die the warriors and their wives decided to end their lives, the men through suicidal attacks on the enemy and the women by leaping into enormous funeral pyres. The women were led in this effort by the queen of the fortress. It is important to understand that this practice was restricted only to the warrior classes and did not extend to the priests, the traders, the farmers or the other classes. Tales of invading armies entering deserted and lifeless stories are apocryphal and baseless as warriors and their families did not account for more than a quarter of the total population of a city. It also needs to be pointed out that acts like these had very little mythical precedent and ancient Hindu scriptures, like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, do not contain any such incidents. Incidentally the opposite appears to be more true and there are various instances in the Ramayana of the wife of the King choosing to marry the invader after the defeat and death of her husband. (Harlan, 2003) This paper attempts to recreate the social and cultural scenario within the fort when Queen Padmini and hundreds of other men and women chose to die after the death of the King Rawal Ratan and the fall of Chittor. The following section on Chittor is written in the present tense and from the perspective of an active observer of the complete episode. 3. Chittor a. Society Chittor, today, (in the early fourteenth century), is one of the many Hindu kingdoms that dot the desert plains of Rajasthan in the North West region of the Indian subcontinent. Orthodox Hinduism, over the first ten centuries of period that commenced after the birth of Jesus Christ, has succeeded in eliminating Buddhism from the land of its birth only to see it replaced by an aggressive Islam beating at its doors with unabated fury. Waves of Islamic soldiers have lashed at the borders of the Indian states for the last five hundred years until the establishment of Islamic rule at Delhi. Despite Islamic sovereignty a number of small Hindu kingdoms continue to exist, mostly in the west and south, often waging protracted battles with the rulers of Delhi. While a certain amount of integration between Hindus and Muslims has taken place with time, it is still too early for any such constructive rapprochement to occur in Chittor. Years of siege, first from an ever expanding Buddhism, and then from a militant Islam, has made structured Hindu society insular, orthodox and inward looking. The caste system has become rigid and religious laws and rules govern every aspect of society. Hindus are prohibited from marrying outside their castes and even the glimpse of a Muslim is considered sacrilege, requiring inflexible and strict penance. The Muslim practice of†purdah† has been adopted comprehensively by the Hindus, ironically to protect Hindu women from male Muslim eyes and women remain indoors most of the time. While every city has its share of courtesans, women do not work. They are deprived of economic or political power, being content to be glorified as mothers, sisters and wives. Society is structured into four main castes, the priests, warriors, traders and lower classes. Political and military power lies with the warriors and to a certain extent with the priesthood who are consulted by the kings and nobles before important decisions. The traders, despite their lower status, are economically powerful and kept in good humor by both the nobles and the priests. The warriors are bound by a strict code of honor, which in fact has been the main causal factor behind hundreds of members of the warrior community choosing to die after defeat in battle and the death of their leader. b. Politics and Religion Chittor, in the early years of the fourteenth century is one of the smaller Hindu kingdoms resisting the Islamic emperors occupying the throne at Delhi. The warrior classes of Chittor trace their lineage for centuries and, apart from being engaged in ongoing strife with the Delhi throne, constantly wag war against the other Hindu kings in the region. It is also not uncommon for Hindu kings to form alliances with the Muslim emperor and wage war against each other. The political scenario is extremely fluid, (much like medieval Europe), and with numerous kings and noble existing in uneasy alliances, war often breaks out over trivial reasons. While the official religion of the Delhi court is Islam, and correspondence is usually in Arabic, migration of traders, artisans and workers ensure that Hindus and Muslims coexist, albeit with a certain amount of resentment and antagonism. Sati, the practice of self immolation by women on the death of their husbands, is a common practice in Hindu states. The practice is prevalent more among the priestly and martial classes and is practically absent in the other castes and the aboriginals. The prevalence of Sati among the priests and warriors is due to the traditionally inferior status of women and their uselessness to society in the absence of child bearing potential. As such while wives are looked upon as necessary because of their capacity to bear children, widows are thought to be non contributing burdens. (Harlan, 2003) A widows unwanted status is also because of religious taboos that prevent her from participating in domestic chores as her touch, her voice, and even her appearance is thought unholy, impure and to be shunned and abhorred. The sanctification of virginity in brides also makes it practically impossible for them to remarry after the death of their husbands. As such the practice of immolation is an extreme but logical outcome of these circumstances. The priests and the warrior classes of Rajasthan have also perpetrated the tradition by providing it with a halo of honor and deifying women who chose to take this route. The episode that occurred in Chittor before my eyes in the early years of this century (the 1300s) and involved hundreds of men and women joining their leader in death needs to be analyzed in light of the existing social and political environment in order to obtain an appropriate perspective. c. Joining the Leader in Death The ruler of Chittor, Rana Rawal Ratan married the young Padmini, the daughter of a Rajasthani prince, when he was in his early teens, and she was yet to enter her adolescence. In accordance with existing tradition the bride continued to live in her paternal home until she reached puberty and Rawal Ratan brought her to Chittor with much fanfare on her fourteenth birthday. Padmini was an acknowledged beauty and became a much appreciated princess as she grew up, known in princely circles for her exquisite looks, aristocratic breeding and regal demeanor. When Rawal Ratan succeeded to the throne of Chittor in the closing years of the thirteenth century she took her place by his side in an extravagant ceremony attended by princes from all over India as well as nobles from the Delhi throne. It was this ceremony that led to further speculation and gossip about Queen Padmini and aroused the curiosity of Sultan Alauddin Khilji at Delhi. Rawal Ratan was known to be a fair and just king and, apart from his well known love for Padmini, was a patron of the arts. One of his court musicians, banished from Chittor because of his involvement in witchcraft, ingratiated himself with Alauddin Khilji, and persuading the Sultan of the ethereal beauty of the queen Padmini incited him to attack Chittor and take the queen for himself. On reaching Chittor, Alauddin found the fort to be heavily defended. Desperate to see the legendary queen he sent a missive to the King that he thought of Padmini as his sister and wished to make her acquaintance. While the unsuspecting king did not find any reason to doubt Alauddin’s intentions, the wiser queen refused to meet the sultan personally and instead agreed for him to see her reflection in a specially constructed mirror. The wily sultan came to the fort with his selected warriors, and after the meeting with the queen, managed to kidnap the king even as he was escorting them back to the gate. On the following day when the Chittor generals heard about the ransom demand, that of the hand of the queen for the sultan, in exchange for the safe release of the king, the Chittor generals went into a huddle, and with the assent of the queen, sent word that the queen would come to the sultan the next day along with a hundred and fifty attendants. At the crack of dawn the next morning a hundred and fifty palanquins, each carried by four strong men wound their way to Alauddin’s camp and stopped in front of the tent where the king was being held prisoner. As the sultan rejoiced a hundred and fifty armed men rushed out of the palanquins before his astonished eyes, freed the king and along with the bearers galloped back to Chittor on horses seized from the sultan’s stables. A furious Alauddin ordered his army to storm Chittor, Brutal resistance from the defenders of the fort led to the decision to lay siege to the fort, an operation that carried on for many months until dangerously low supplies forced the honor bound warriors to take a decision to storm the vastly larger sultan’s armies in what could only lead to certain death. The queen, who was party to all the confabulations, decided that as the army, led by her husband rode out to certain death, she, along with the wives of the warring soldiers and all the children would jump into a huge fire lit in the centre of the fort and end their lives, thus joining the king in death. Rawal Ratan and his warriors, though immensely saddened agreed to this to be the most fitting and honorable denouement. At the end of a brutal and bloody battle fought between the troops of the Delhi Sultanate and the suicidal warriors of Chittor, Alauddin entered the fort only to find the ashes of the queen and the wives of the warriors, a pyrrhic victory, if ever there was one. (Bose, 2000) 4. Conclusion The instance of Padmini, her female attendants and the wives of the warriors of Chittor, joining the leader in death has been chronicled a number of times by various historians for it to be reasonably accurate. While the case of male warriors following the leader into certain death has taken place on many occasions, instances of women dying en masse are rare, and occur because of specific historical and environmental reasons. Anthropologists feel that in most such cases the persona of the leader, his mesmeric hold over his followers, and the accompanying trauma and desolation felt at the death of the leader induce the followers to embrace death and join their leader. A number of instances, including the suicides of some of Hitler’s trusted generals, provide some evidence that the argument could hold some merit. In the case of Padmini while legend and myth continue to pay obeisance to her love for her husband, the mass deaths, especially of the attending ladies, necessarily needs to have a more significant historical and social reason. The decision to embrace mass death at the fall of the fort and the certain death of the king Rawal Ratan is most probably due to a number of reasons, chief among them being the prevalent practice of sati and the halo of honor that the act had acquired over the centuries. This halo of honor has to be seen in the light of the compulsions of Islamic rule in India during the medieval ages and is essentially logical and in accordance with social patterns and expectations. From the 13th century until the establishment of the British Empire, the position of women continued to remain insecure due to the arbitrary power structure associated with the feudal society, and the compulsions of perpetuating a male dominated inherently unequal society. Even though the Mughals tried to bring in a modicum of gender equality the subservient status of women continued to exist until the middle of the twentieth century. It was most probably this craving for honor, accompanied with a genuine fear of the treatment that the women would receive at the hands of the furious invading soldiers that tilted the scales in favor of the decision to embrace death to that of joining Alauddin’s harem. In any case the episode remains one of the more abiding instances of joining the leader in death phenomenon and continues to intrigue historians and anthropologists. Pages: 10 Word Count: 3000 References Bose, M. (Ed. ). (2000). Faces of the Feminine in Ancient, Medieval, and Modern India. New York: Oxford University Press. Harlan, L. (2003). The Goddesses Henchmen: Gender in Indian Hero Worship. New York: Oxford University Press. Its All the Raj; Travelindia. (2005, December 14). The Daily Mail (London, England), p. 45. Maaga, M. M. (1998). Hearing the Voices of Jonestown (1st ed. ). Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press. Metcalf, B. (2005). David Chidester. Salvation and Suicide: Jim Jones, the Peoples Temple, and Jonestown. Utopian Studies, 16(2), 335+. Purkiss, D. (1996). The Witch in History: Early Modern and Twentieth-Century Representations. New York: Routledge. Wessinger, C. (2000). How the Millennium Comes Violently: From Jonestown to Heavens Gate. New York: Seven Bridges Press.

Maintaining Healthy Relationships Essay -- Gender Studies Marriage Rel

Healthy Relationships Both partners should feel safe to share their thoughts without feeling that their partner will judge them. They should be able to communicate with one another without having any fear of judgement or ridicule. They should also help build their partners self-esteem and make them feel good about themselves regardless of the situation. They shall embrace one another and respect each other. In order for the couple to maintain a healthy and successful relationship, the couple should nurture open and honest communication, encourage the expression of feelings, and build self-esteem amongst each other. Communication is a significant component in a healthy and successful relationship. The three main successful parts to communication is verbal communication, physical communication, and mental communication. Verbal communication is the ability to carry out a successful conversation without any interruptions. For instance, when a couple argues, it should be over a justifiable reason and not over something minute. If the couple argues over little things that should have been resolved before the conversation even occurred, then their relationship will soon collapse or lead to greater difficulties in the future. Physical communication is the physical contact needed to nourish the partners needs. For example, if the wife comes home from work and is feeling stressed out or had a bad day, the husband should be there to comfort her. Giving comfort to your partner will let them know that you are concerned about their situation. Mental communication is the ability to connect with your partner on a mental basis and be able to notice what irritates them. For example, if the husband is doing something the wife does not lik... ...tinue losing the weight. Complimenting one another makes a relationship stronger. Healthy relationships tend to last long and are enjoyable for both partners involved. These factors which were communication, expression of feelings and building self-esteem that have been mentioned above were key aspects to building a healthier and successful relationship. If one of the partners does not include these factors into their relationship, then there will be nothing to hold it together. Both partners have to be willing to consider these ideas and have an open mind towards every situation. These matters will also improve a rocky relationship, if implied into a current relationship. They should treat the partner the way that they would want to be treated. If all are within a relationship then the couple should have no problem getting along and living a delightful life.

It Was Sheer Good Fortune That the Conservative Party in May 1955

â€Å"It was sheer good fortune that the Conservative Party were returned to office in May 1955. † Discuss. In the May 1955 General Election, the Conservatives won 344 seats, winning with an overall majority of 58; with Labour winning 277 and 3. 9% of votes were for Liberal and Others. It can be argued that the Conservatives were returned to office in 1955 due sheer good fortune. However, we must explore the other options as to why the Tory party won, particularly how the Conservative party looked against the opposition. In 1951, the economy was in turmoil.There was a balance of payments crisis which leads to a ? 700 million deficit. Also, countries started to buy imports from other countries outside of the UK, so Britain’s export market was damaged. However, by 1952, the government had recovered, and by 1954, Great Britain was flourishing; rationing was abolished, unemployment was reduced and it was the end of austerity and the start of the era of affluence. This is an example of good fortune because coincidently, Britain’s economy had fully recovered not long before the election.Also, due to the condition of the opposition, the Conservatives seemed like a stable government. There was a right-left split in Labour, between Gaitskell and Bevan. This showed that the Labour party was unorganised and could never lead the country properly as they wouldn’t be able to agree on important decisions. This is another example of how the Conservatives won through good fortune, as British citizens wanted consistency and efficiency, which was best displayed by the Tories. One month before the election, Churchill resigned. He was replaced by Mr.Eden, a popular replacement. He was the Foreign Secretary and a statesman; this had earned him a good reputation. This is an example of good fortune because the public liked Eden, and for him to become Prime Minister a month before the election due to Churchill’s resignation was good for Conservative p opularity. Other factors as to why the Conservatives were returned to office include the events that took place during the time when Churchill was Prime Minister. During Churchill’s time as Prime Minister, the Korean War ended – in 1953 to be exact.The public were happy about this because Britain couldn’t afford to be paying for a war. Therefore, this would leave Britons in the Conservatives favour, which would result in them being voted in again. Also, between 1951 and 1954, Arthur Macmillan, the Minister of Housing, was able to fulfil the ‘300,000’ houses a year pledge in 1953, a year early. This showed that the party was organised and were serious about their policies, which would have helped their popularity in the election because people would know that the Tory party were committed and would mean what they promised.The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953 was also significant because it lifted the mood of the electorate and brought about a fe eling of optimism. This would have raised Conservative support because the Coronation was during the time of a Conservative government. It can be argued that the reason the Conservatives were voted in again was that they worked hard on their campaign to attract the voters that were undecided on which party to vote for.They focused on their electoral appeal, and they were united and working together, where as Labour was not due to the split between the Bevians and the Gaitskillites. The Conservatives’ policies were also favourable. Butler’s 1955 Budget was appealing because it cut taxes considerably. The cuts included a 6d reduction in income tax plus higher personal allowances. Voters liked this because it means they do not have to pay as much money back to the government, and as humans we like to keep our money.Overall, when we take all the factors into consideration, the most important reason for the Conservatives returning to office in 1955 is that when compared to the Labour party, which was disunited due to the split between the right and the left wing members, the Conservatives seemed to be a reliable and consistent party. Their policies were good and the Housing pledge was proof that they are trustworthy. Above all, they were a well organised party that were able to focus on appealing to the electorate while Labour was held back by the state of the party.

Creation of the Whites Essay

The â€Å"Creation of the Whites† is a story about the whites coming over and slowly starting to colonize what they called the new world. This story shows the whites and the Native Americans being very peaceful towards each other. The whites ask permission to the Native Americans for about everything they do in the new world. Although the whites try to be respectful there are still signs that they consider their selves superior over the Native Americans. In this story it shows the whites coming over the sea and starting to eventually start colonizing the new world. They come over the first time and the Native Americans come up to see them but they leave on their, what the natives called house boat almost immediately. The next time the whites came they tried to talk to the Native Americans but they could not understand each other. The whites came back with more ships the next year and asked the Native Americans to come to shore and eventually did. The whites decided to leave ag ain shortly after they showed up. Then the whites came back again three months later and asked the Native Americans for some earth to fill a box and the natives gave it to them. The whites later came back and let the Native Americans know the ground is fertile. The whites then asked for some land to live on and the Native Americans gave them permission. The thing that amazes me most about this document set is how the Native Americans and whites get along so well. In later times in history the Native Americans and whites rarely got along as well as they did in this story. The whites seem to really respect the Native Americans for most of the story. They ask permission just to come to shore and put dirt in a box. Later on the whites also ask permission to use some of the Native American’s land. The stories that we hear from later times are of the whites pushing the Native Americans off there land without getting permission. The Native Americans give the whites everything they ask for which also surprises me a lot. The Native Americans have lived on the land for many years and it surprises me that they would give some of their land up to people who they thought were created out of sea foam. The Yuchis believed that their tribe originate d from the sun and the whites originated from sea foam. I understand that they don’t know much about the whites beliefs that they are they superior culture but I am still surprised the Native Americans would give up their land. The Native Americans were very generous to the whites. The whites  seemed to respect the Native Americans other than when they tested the land to see if it was fertile which may have shone a lack of trust. The Native Americans had been living on the land for many years and the whites could have easily trusted the Native Americans that the land was fertile. They even came back and told the Native Americans that their land was fertile. This shows part of the whites belief that they are the superior culture. The whites seemed to be very respectful throughout the story. They asked permission for everything they wanted to do. The only thing I saw the whites do that showed that they might of lacked trust in the Native Americans was test the ground to see if it was fertile. This story shows that the whites and th e Native Americans did not always have big conflicts.

Music1 essays

Music1 essays Does the music that is produced today have a direct affect on what teenagers in America will do? This is a question that many people over the last couple of years have asked constantly. With the recent Columbine incident, as well as the increase in school shootings, many people feel there is something to blame for the violence. In situations like these, art forms are usually the easiest to blame. There is no way to blame one person for the crimes at hand, and no one would like to believe that they just poorly raised their own children. Suddenly someone steps in and sees the teen listened to some sort of music, which is not acceptable by parents standards, and you have a culprit. The problem with this is that, not everyone who has ever listened to any sort of music has developed a desire to go shoot everyone in his or her school. No study has proven that music makes a person do anything but maybe listen to the song again. Therefore music has no direct affect on what people decide to do with their lives. Recently, shock-rock has become a very popular genre of music. A group named Marilyn Manson has been heavily in the media since 1995. This particular group bases its career on its shock value. When the Columbine shootings occurred, many people put the blame on Brain Warner, the lead singer of Marilyn Manson, because of his eccentric appearance and lyrics. Many American parents felt that his differences from a more mainstream act like Brittany Spears, made his lyrics all that more offensive. Since the two boys involved with the Columbine shootings listened to Marilyn Manson, he was ultimately blamed for their murderous rampage. The media however hardly touched on the fact that both the boys were often tormented at school for being different. Secondly, that they both had a deep hatred for the jocks that made fun of them everyda ...

the republic essays

the republic essays The Republic by Plato (427-347 B.C.) is a basically an examination of the "Good Life," or the harmony achieved by applying pure reason and justice. As a typical Plato piece, the book itself is a series of arguments between Socrates, Plato's mentor, and several other theorists. They argue issues concerning the social conditions of an ideal republic, which is chiefly Plato's vision projected through the book's words into our minds' eye. The book contains many ideas that really made sense to me and that surprised me because you could apply these standards to any group of people, of any race, and any economic background anywhere in the world. Even more surprising is that this was written so long ago and yet still today we are reading Plato's theories, but I don't think we're really paying attention, looking at all the chaos in the world today. In the story, Socrates is returning to Athens from a festival when he meets Polemarchos on the road. Polemarchos insists that Socrates accompany him home where they greet his father and start right into a discussion of old age. Socrates says, "It seems right to enquire of them [meaning the elderly men], as if they traversed a long journey which perhaps we will have to traverse." This makes sense to me, as I can relate to it personally. I have long email discussions with my grandfather in California, with whom I am very close. He is writing a book on our Irish ancestry and I am to continue it. With each email he writes, he encloses little bits and pieces of his beliefs, which I find very interesting and save in a folder which I am planning to use to write a book about his life to be passed on from generation to generation of Curleys in the future. According to my grandfather, I still have a lot to learn. And I believe it. The next topic of discussion with Socrates concerns justice or "doing the right thing." Socrates believes that "right living" is basically dutiful service to othe...

Dispelling the One-Page Resume Myth

Dispelling the One-Page Resume Myth Do You Believe the One-Page Resume Myth? I’ve been thinking about the one-page resume myth a lot lately, since it’s college, law school, and business school admissions season. Business school admissions clients have approached me asking if they need to have a one-page resume. My answer is always, â€Å"Read the instructions. Read the fine print.† Some business schools do request a one-page resume as part of their application. If they do, you must deliver. I took one client’s one-and-a-half-page resume and shrank it to one page so he could use it for his business school applications. The formatting tricks I employed did not include shrinking the font size or obliterating any white space on the resume. In general, however, there is no rule that a resume should be only one page. There are many instances when a two- or even three-page resume is not only appropriate, it’s expected. Yet the one-page resume myth persists. Job seekers are being misled that recruiters, hiring managers, and HR professionals won’t read a resume that is longer than one page. That’s simply not true. You Need a Longer Resume! It IS true that a recruiter or hiring manager will read your resume for just seconds when it is first screened. But this first review is only to determine if you are a match for the position. If you are considered a serious candidate, your resume will be read again. If you believe an HR professional won’t read a two-page resume, consider the resume screening process. The screener’s boss is asking him or her to come up with a handful of people to interview. If you try to condense 5-10 years of experience to fit an artificial one-page limit, your resume will not include sufficient information for the HR person to make an informed decision. Given a choice between a well-written two-page resume or a crammed one-page resume which omits notable accomplishments, the HR professional is likely to choose the longer one. If you submit a two-page resume, the worst that can happen is that the reader decides you’re not a match for the job. But if you do seem to fit the job requirements, that person will want to know even more about you. A well-organized two-page resume can actually make it easier for the screener to determine if you’re a good match for the position. Variations on the One-Page Resume Myth There is a specific myth circulating that if you apply for a job at Google, you need a one-page resume. This myth has been debunked by people with hiring power at Google itself, including Laszlo Bock, Senior VP, who believes that you need one page for every ten years of work experience. And since many applicants to Google are fairly new graduates or even students applying for internships, the 1-page guideline often applies. Some recruiters are vocal about their desire for a one-page resume. The great thing about recruiters, though, is that they’ll tell you what you want and you can always create a one-page resume from a longer one. Keep in mind, however, that recruiters are responsible for less than 25% of job placements, and not all recruiters even subscribe to the one-page limit. College Students and One-Page Resumes College professors also share some of the blame for perpetuating the one-page resume myth. Some professors - who have no connection to the employment world - believe â€Å"their way† is the right way to do things. They provide a template to their students and require advisees to use that format, even if the person is a non-traditional student who has an extensive work history or career path that sets them apart from other job candidates with similar educational backgrounds. While it is unusual for most 21-year-olds to need a two-page resume, some accomplished graduates have enough experience to warrant exceeding one page. When I worked with a Cornell student who was applying for jobs in finance, I quickly discovered that she had more information than I wanted to squeeze onto on one page. We gave her a 2-page resume, and she got a sought-after position at Burger King. She is now a Retail Channels Senior Analyst at UPS – and she got there with a 2-page resume. Online Resumes Resumes submitted online are less likely to be affected by the one-page resume myth. Resumes uploaded to company websites aren’t affected by page limits. And since approximately 30 percent of resumes are only stored electronically, the screener never even knows it’s more than one page. The Long and the Short of Resume Length Length does matter. Your resume should be exactly as long as necessary to communicate what the reader needs to know †¦ and not one word more. When hiring managers and HR professionals are surveyed about resume length, the majority express a preference for resumes that are one OR two pages. The general consensus is â€Å"as long as needed to convey the applicant’s qualifications.† Here are some guidelines for deciding resume length: If your resume spills over onto a second page for only a few lines, it’s worth editing. Try shortening your bullets, or adjust the font, margins, and/or line spacing to fit it onto one page. Don’t bury key information on the second page. If the first page doesn’t hook the reader, he or she isn’t even going to make it to the second page. Don’t be afraid to go beyond two pages if your experience warrants it. Senior executives often require three- or four-page resumes. So do many physicians, lawyers, and professors who might be using a â€Å"CV† in lieu of a resume. Traditional college students and those with five years or less of experience can often fit their resumes onto one page. Most others can (and should) use one page OR two, unless specifically instructed by a school or company. Make sure that everything you include - regardless of length - is relevant to your job target! Don’t make your resume unnecessarily long with less relevant material. Are you looking for help to create a one-page, two-page, or even three-page resume? Need some input on how long your resume should be? The Essay Expert offers hourly and full-service resume services, or get started with  a 15-minute live resume review. A version of this article appears in Executive Secretary Magazine, a global training publication and must read for any administrative professional. You can get a 30% discount on an individual subscription when you subscribe through us. Email  subscriptions@executivesecretary.com  and tell them we sent you.

Hip-Hop as an Integral Part of African- American Culture Essay

Hip-Hop as an Integral Part of African- American Culture - Essay Example There is a wide range of African-American music for instance gospel, jazz, blues, soul and hip-hop. However, hip-hop is the most important music genre that has greatly influenced the culture and identity of the African American people. To the African American people, hip-hop is encompasses more than music to include other components such as language, clothing and way of life. African Americans use hip-hop to express black culture and identity in society. To the African American community, hip-hop is part of the black identity and culture.Hip-Hop originated in the African-American community in the late 1970s as a form of music as well as an artistic culture in New York City. The late 1970’s was an important time in the history of the African American people as it marked a period when both the black middle and working classes were struggling to move out of poverty. Hip-Hop originated from other traditional forms of African American music such as jazz, soul and gospel. It was cre ated by African Americans like Herc who was working and had the ability to create a form of music and culture that expressed and shaped the culture of black people in New York City in the 1970s. However, since the development of hip-hop culture the society associated hip-hop with negative messages from the American urban streets such as drugs, violence and crime. Hip-hops representation in the media and the society is contrary to the original purpose that was to offer black people a forum to express personal feelings in an artistic and rhythmic manner (Reese par. 5).The different elements of hip-hop culture provide avenues and creative outlets through which African American people can practice and express the black culture. Most people use hip-hop to express their political and emotional feelings to the rest of the world.  

MGT230 question Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MGT230 question - Assignment Example However, any motives could be considered universally defensible because people act rationally. This means that since whistle-blowing is a rational choice, then one can substantially universally defend it as a good act or choice. Thus, this is a means to an end, because Kantian theory argues that people act something because that is the rational thing to do. Whistle-blowing could be a way to solve conflict or expose the truth for the benefit of every concerned. This makes this act a means to achieving the desired end. The end, which is the output of a rational choice, would still remain universally defensible because it is part of the rational choice itself. Considering that people act on rational motives, then the rational thing to do is act on duty. Knowing that whistle-blowing is a rational choice, then doing so is acting on duty or on the basis of a good will. Thus, it is clear therefore that Kantian ethics finds whistle-blowing ethical, as far as it is acted on duty, a rational c hoice or a means to an end. 5. Is it unrealistic to imagine that there will be no sexual interaction between individuals in the workplace? Why/why not? Can a policy that prevents workmates from having an intimate relationship be morally justified? Then provide your reasoning (e,g, if you argue that it is unreasonable, you might argue that owing to long working hours, many people do not have very much time to socialize outside of their workplace and/or that when individuals work together closely, it is natural for bonds to form. If you argue that it is reasonable, provide your reasoning e.g. adults should be able to control themselves in the workplace, if they are aware of the rules, they should either comply or find alternative employment - there are plenty of other arguments for/against the premise of the question). Finally, answer the last part of the question –

Brief Summary of Historical Orientation of Mathematics Essay

Brief Summary of Historical Orientation of Mathematics - Essay Example The essay "Brief Summary of Historical Orientation of Mathematics" presents a brief summary of the historical orientation of mathematics combining political events, cultural events, and mathematical ideas. The political and cultural events related to the evolution of mathematics bring quite a few significant things in perspective. By 2000 BCE, Pythagorean triples and quadratic equations had started to form the important basis. In about a thousand years’ time, by 1000 BCE, the Pythagorean Theorem was coined in China. In 500 BCE, cubes were being used immensely well within Europe. 400 BCE saw Plato, Theaetetus, Eudoxus, and Aristotle doing their significant works within Europe. 300 BCE was known for the Archimedes Principle in Europe and Euclid and Apollonius in Asia and Africa. Trigonometry began in 200 BCE in African and Asian regions. 300 CE saw Pappus doing some important work within the field of mathematics in Asia. 500 CE brought with it the volume of a sphere in China, As ia. 700 CE was known for the decimal value system in India while Al-Khwarizmi and algebra are best known for in the 800 CE century. 1000 CE saw the coining of sums of power in Africa as well as the inventions of Omar Khayyam in Asia related to cubics and their solutions. By about the same time, the Pascal triangle was also instituted in China. In 1100 CE, there were important translations done with regards to works in mathematics from Arabic to Latin. 1200 CE was famous for Leonardo of Pisa in Europe and Nasir-ud-Din al-Tusi in Asia.

Formal Legal Brief on a Tort Law Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Formal Legal Brief on a Tort Law Case - Essay Example Donoghue suffered severe gastroenteritis, shock, as a result, Mrs. Donoghue brought a claim for damages against Stevenson, and the trial judge found the action sustainable while the court of appeal overturned the decision. Mrs. Donoghue appealed to the House of Lords. Issues In this case, the issue was whether Stevenson the manufacturer of the beer owed Mrs. Donoghue who consumed the contaminated beer a duty of care. Stevenson raised an issue, where even if Mrs. Donoghueproved allegations of the consequences of the contaminated beer correct his duty of care did not extend to every consumer of the products he manufactured and for which he would not be liable. Lord Atkin stated that Mrs. Donoghue has to show that the injury resulted in breach of duty by Stevenson and in the circumstances by Stevenson to take reasonable care to prevent injury. Rules The rule applied in this case was the neighbor principle, which essentially states that if a negligence case is to be successful the proxim ity of the two parties that are the claimant and the defendant should not be too remote. The proximity of the defendant and the plaintiff should be that of a neighbor. To capture this position is Lord Atkin’s neighbor principle, which provides that some concept of relationship must be in existence giving rise to a duty of care. He goes ahead to state that the general rule that one loves his neighbor and one ought not to hurt his neighbor. A neighbor in this case gets a restricted response. The rule is that one should take reasonable steps to avoid acts or omissions, which are reasonably foreseeable, would be likely to injure one's neighbor. A neighbor according to Lord Atkin is anyone who is directly and, closely affected by ones act ions or omissions and one reasonably ought to have them in contemplation before doing the act or omissions in question. Analysis For an action in negligence to succeed, the plaintiff must show that there was a duty of care owed to the plaintiff b y the defendant. The defendant must have breached the owed duty of care, and as a result, the plaintiff suffered damage. This duty existed prior to the case of Donoghue V Stevenson, but the duty owed was usually in sheer circumstances or proximity between the two parties. In determining the existence of a legal duty of care based on the general principle of proximity of the parties and the foresee ability of the event in question. This case provided that even in situations where the duty of care did not initially exist an individual owes a duty of care, not to harm other people who are reasonably foreseeable to be hurt by such actions. In order for the action, to succeed Mrs. Donoghue had to establish the connection between her and the manufacturer, Stevenson in relation to the negligence. The duty of care in this situation is that of an ordinary, prudent man. According to the case of Anns v London Merton Borough foresee ability is what might be reasonably expected to occur due to t he actions of the defendant. The position is that liability may only arise in a case where the defendant would have foreseen the harm and avoided it. In this case, Stevenson knew that public members would consume the ginger beer and; therefore, Stevenson had a responsibility of ensuring the beer befit human consumption. The position in this case is that if a manufacturer puts a product for consumption in which the products form precludes examination

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Marketing - Essay Example 46). It is the responsibility of the management to identify and nature the core competence that fuels the company’s growth: the Wal-Mart stores identify this with much fulfillment of customer needs and with a broad spectrum of products and services at â€Å"everyday low prices†. The competency here is the product of the cumulative of competencies within the organizational boundaries and within personal skill sets. Wal-Mart has been a leader in inventory control, channel management, customer service and distribution. This has been arrived at through the company’s ability to distribute network and to coordinate a complex management of information and managing supplier relations in an efficient way. In order to fit within the marketing mix, the company has had the best strategies that address their pricing, promotion, advertising and competition for all tangible and non-tangible products. On observing its tangibles, I noticed that Wal-Mart has distributed cars and o ther motor products to several stores. As their selling slogan â€Å"everyday low prices†, the company has maintained low prices for the cars with great observation to the prices from other car selling industries. I saw a car care service point outside one of their stores and realized that, in order to maintain their customers, they have the car care services that they offer in every store. They have had their adverts on televisions, newspapers and magazines. Smart cars are displayed with accompanying information that all customers can access free car care at Wal-Mart stores. Wal-Mart service men include mechanics who undertake the promotion of commodities by offering repairs and spare parts for vehicles. This has rendered its competence in the automotive industry. Therefore, the Wal-Mart stores make more car sales than their core competitors in U.S.A., for example, the Callaway automakers and the Aurica. The sale of computers has been a flourishing activity with Wal-Mart Com pany. I looked at computers sold in the stores and realized that they have relatively lower prices compared to computers from other stores in Ohio. Their marketing strategy has included advertisements from the newspapers and television. The company offers computer gifts to individuals and groups on promotions. I had much interest on the computers and therefore I realized that it was much better to purchase such commodities at Wal-Mart than in companies like the Eagle Trooper which have been Wal-Mart’s competitor in the sale of computers. The provision of free computers with comprehensive warranties has brought in victory for the Wal-Mart computer stores. At the Bharti stores, I saw fridges and other household commodities being sold at a high demand by customers. The range of fridges at best price makes Wal-Mart the best place to buy fridges. Advertisements on television and other social networks show displays of beautiful fridges of different sizes. This gives their customers the desire to walk to their stores and get one for themselves. While other fridge manufactures and suppliers render much competition. The Bharti stores come out the best sellers of such commodities. I saw beautiful synthetic stones in stores and noted that they were part of family jewelry that the Wal-Mart company deals with in their market. Although the jewelry remains in stores for close to two months, the company makes adequate sales for their budget. They sell them at a relatively lower

The SNOW Mountain Hotel, Human Resource Management Essay

The SNOW Mountain Hotel, Human Resource Management - Essay Example The paper discussing different types of marketing approach using human resources management. Also, it represents internal and external drivers of the business partner model. The models internal drivers are majorly cost control. The organization makes great cost savings through a shared resource management base. It is also driven by the need to harmonize the various departments with the overall business strategy and goal. This ensures that the company maintains a steady trend of growth towards the present and future objectives of the organization. The model is also is implemented as a solution to a business need and as such it helps in solving the human resource problem such as the fire-fighting condition facing Snow Mountain Resort’s human resource department. The model operates as a solution to the problem of resource allocation. Form the external end, the model is driven by the need to provide uniformity in the level of quality accountability and professionalism in the deliv ery of services. Snow Mountain Resort is one among a stream of hotels of its nature and the customer associates the level of service of each of the hotels with the name. As such it important to ensure that the standard that is set by the company is maintained across all the hotels that affiliates with the name. The theory is also driven by modernisation especially in the face of technological development and the introduction of virtual management as an administrative option. This makes the reality of resource sharing more realistic. Value to the Business According to (Price, 2011), the adoption of the model presents certain value based issues that go to the approach and actual integral bottom line performance and productivity impact. Like the various other practical human resource models, the business partner model requires a particular set of skills from its proposed

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Marketing - Essay Example 46). It is the responsibility of the management to identify and nature the core competence that fuels the company’s growth: the Wal-Mart stores identify this with much fulfillment of customer needs and with a broad spectrum of products and services at â€Å"everyday low prices†. The competency here is the product of the cumulative of competencies within the organizational boundaries and within personal skill sets. Wal-Mart has been a leader in inventory control, channel management, customer service and distribution. This has been arrived at through the company’s ability to distribute network and to coordinate a complex management of information and managing supplier relations in an efficient way. In order to fit within the marketing mix, the company has had the best strategies that address their pricing, promotion, advertising and competition for all tangible and non-tangible products. On observing its tangibles, I noticed that Wal-Mart has distributed cars and o ther motor products to several stores. As their selling slogan â€Å"everyday low prices†, the company has maintained low prices for the cars with great observation to the prices from other car selling industries. I saw a car care service point outside one of their stores and realized that, in order to maintain their customers, they have the car care services that they offer in every store. They have had their adverts on televisions, newspapers and magazines. Smart cars are displayed with accompanying information that all customers can access free car care at Wal-Mart stores. Wal-Mart service men include mechanics who undertake the promotion of commodities by offering repairs and spare parts for vehicles. This has rendered its competence in the automotive industry. Therefore, the Wal-Mart stores make more car sales than their core competitors in U.S.A., for example, the Callaway automakers and the Aurica. The sale of computers has been a flourishing activity with Wal-Mart Com pany. I looked at computers sold in the stores and realized that they have relatively lower prices compared to computers from other stores in Ohio. Their marketing strategy has included advertisements from the newspapers and television. The company offers computer gifts to individuals and groups on promotions. I had much interest on the computers and therefore I realized that it was much better to purchase such commodities at Wal-Mart than in companies like the Eagle Trooper which have been Wal-Mart’s competitor in the sale of computers. The provision of free computers with comprehensive warranties has brought in victory for the Wal-Mart computer stores. At the Bharti stores, I saw fridges and other household commodities being sold at a high demand by customers. The range of fridges at best price makes Wal-Mart the best place to buy fridges. Advertisements on television and other social networks show displays of beautiful fridges of different sizes. This gives their customers the desire to walk to their stores and get one for themselves. While other fridge manufactures and suppliers render much competition. The Bharti stores come out the best sellers of such commodities. I saw beautiful synthetic stones in stores and noted that they were part of family jewelry that the Wal-Mart company deals with in their market. Although the jewelry remains in stores for close to two months, the company makes adequate sales for their budget. They sell them at a relatively lower

Marketing Planning For Wilson Cycles Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marketing Planning For Wilson Cycles - Essay Example The case study of Wilson Cycles reveals that the owners have a vision and have implemented an appropriate marketing plan for the success of their business venture. But realizing the demand of the customers and shift in the usage of cycles from leisure activities to health purposes, it is important that the owners make some changes in their marketing plans. According to Brushett and Franklin, there are four most important elements for the successful designing and implementation of marketing plans i.e. knowledge (what are the customer needs and demands), research (information about the industry and product so that the compatibility between the two can be determined), focus (clarity about company’s direction) and communication (ability to reach the customers with right channels so that they make repeated purchases). The sons of the owners are aware of the demands of the customers and want to expand their retail activities by making proper use of online mediums of communication. T he growing trend of the cycling industry along with the changes happening in the global world, it is recommended that they go ahead with the third options that they are considering which is revamping the Wilson Cycles’ image to a retail store that has the good range of branded products at affordable price ranges.  After the first year of operations as rebranding Wilson Cycles, next year it will develop the strategy of developing a triathlon shop as it will provide services for the road and time-trial bikes along with the swimming.with the swimming an

How to Deliver a Good Speech Essay Example for Free

How to Deliver a Good Speech Essay Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, I hope everyone is enjoying this very special day so far. It’s been an emotional day, †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..even the cake is in tiers. I would like to start by thanking the lovely bridesmaid †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. I’m sure you will agree she has carried out her role superbly; I would also like to thank the ushers†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ for at least turning up sober. If we could all raise our glasses to the bridesmaid! I would like you to turn your attention now to the bride Cathy who im sure you will all agree looks one in a million today as opposed to Alan who looks like he was won in a raffle. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is John and I’m Alan’s best mate. What can you say about a man who came from humble beginnings, a man who is now quickly rising to the very top of his profession based solely on intelligence, grit and the willpower to push on where others have fallen. A man who is beginning to distinguish himself at the very highest level amongst his peers, and where none can say a bad word against him? But enough about me, what I`m really here for this afternoon is to talk about Alan. As the best man I decided it was only right that I take this huge responsibility seriously, so I have spent long sleepless nights searching the internet and reading books and now understand my duties to be; To ensure that the groom arrives on time, sober, and looking good Well 2 out of 3 isn’t bad. After all I’m best man, not a plastic surgeon! In one of the books I read there was a list of things I should and should not say in my speachhere goes; Well failing that I have some words of advice on marriage for you here Alan: Someone once said that marriage is a 50/50 partnership, but anyone who believes that clearly knows nothing about women or fractions! To help the course of true love run smoothly never forget those three very important words you must say every day. you’re right dear. I have been asked by Alan and Cathy to thank you all for coming and the gifts that you have so generously donated. I must say I struggled to decide what to get, I wanted to give Alan something he genuinely needed, but it’s such a struggle to figure out how to wrap a bath! Alan and Cathy have also asked me to thank the staff at the Liner hotel for helping them with their special day, I’m sure you will agree that it has been lovely. I have known Alan now for a long time and I will honestly say that he has never looked happier. Alan and I met at work in Hardacres, I know a few of the lads are around today and don’t worry I’ll keep all my embarrassing stories focused on Alan, like the time he fell face first in to the grave or the time he and I’ll never forget the time he bent over the hearse and we all heard this Rip right in front on the mourners.big split right down the middle of his kecksOh wait no forget that last story!! So to wrap this up, I’d just like to say that marriage is not about finding someone you can live with, it’s about finding someone you can’t live without. It has been a great honour to serve as Alan’s best man today and I’m pleased that he has finally admitted who is the better man! Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for not falling asleep and it gives me immense pleasure, to invite you all to be upstanding and raise your glasses in a toast to Alan and Cathy, we wish them well for the future, and may they enjoy a long and happy marriage.

Feminist Foundations Essays -- Feminism Females Essays

Feminist Foundations As the feminist movement has progressed through several generations it has shifted quite a bit in its general approach and theory. Contemporary writers such as Baumgardner and Richards, and Henry have illustrated a generational shift away from structurally aimed actions, and towards individual acts of subversion and small political actions (Baumgardner and Richards 126-202). This current course is very similar to the direction of other highly organic movements such as sustained dialogue. Feminism though, is particularly well documented, justified, and understood. Thus by comparing the feminist movement’s present tack to that of sustained dialogue, it will be possible to gain insight into the direction these movements should take, and this comparison will highlight the essential and effective foundations as well as the crucial divergences of these movements. Finally I will use the idea of objectivity as a justification for social action to create a new model of soci al action and conflict resolution. Within third wave feminism there is a controversy over the significance of subversive actions that are framed by a very specific context. These actions are exemplified by the Girlie movement (Baumgardner and Richards 126-202), where feminists dress in cloths and accessories typically associated with â€Å"girlhood†. While wearing such cloths they execute typical feminist actions or more subtle acts of subversion, the key component is that they rely heavily on the mocking of the dominant society, or on satire. The Girlie movement also expands to women who dress according to the dominant ideas of being â€Å"feminine† as a statement of the absurdity of the stereotype. This type of action is what I... ... My Mother’s Sister. Indiana UP, 2004. Heywood, Leslie, and Jennifer Drake. â€Å"We Learn America Like a Script: Activism in the Third Wave; or Enough Phantoms of Nothing.† Third Wave Agenda: Being Feminist, Doing Feminism. Eds. Leslie Heywood, and Jennifer Drake. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1997. 40-54. Mohanty, Chandra Talpade. â€Å"Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses.† Feminism without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity. Durham, NC: Duke University Press 2000. 333-358. Nemeroff, Teddy, and David Tukey. Diving in: A Handbook for Improving Race Relations on College Campuses Through the Process of Sustained Dialogue. Washington D.C.: Harold H. Saunders and the International Institute of Sustained Dialogue, 2001. Saunder, Harold H. â€Å"Sustained Dialogue’s Niche.† Source Document: Harold H. Saunders, 2005.

The History Of The Modem :: Technology History

The modem, which is an acronym for modulator/demodulator, was invented in the 1950's for military use. Manufactured by the now popular computer company, IBM, modems were used as part of an air-defense system; their purpose was to connect various airbases and control centers. Modems are devices that mix (modulate) and separate (demodulate) signals, allowing one computer to connect to another. They transfer the data over telephone lines by using analog waves and the modem then converts the waves back and forth. The first modems were designed to hold a telephone's receiver in a cradle and had wire connections that went from the cradles to the computer. Today, most modems are either internal or external hardware devices. Before the computer modem, there was the com-port. When an internal modem card is placed inside of a computer, it behaves as a COM2 or COM3 port. It is also possible connect serial mice into one of these ports (Gilbert, 1996). Asynchronous communication is used in the PC COM port. Each byte of data is a separate unit and the computer that is sending the data can pause between any two bytes of the message. However, the receiver of the message may have to catch the data as quickly as it arrives. This is done by the "a synch" data requiring one extra bit worth of time to announce the new byte's beginning and once extra bit worth of time at the end. This is what is known as the "start" and "stop" bits. This means that a 2400 baud modem could transfer only 240 bytes of data per second. Each byte would require a minimum of 10-bit times. This was once called "start-stop" communication, but asynchronous (a sync, for short) is the name (Gilbert, 1995). The modem does not start and stop the bits. They are actually put out as part of the general data compression. The start and stop bits continue to be generated on the wire that connects a COM port to an external modem. The modem COM port is generally configured to use a higher speed between the modem and the COM port than what the actual transmission will support. A modem may operate at 14,400-kbps with the COM port configured for 38,400-kbps. This is an example of older technology being adapted to meet new requirements (Gilbert, 1995). The History Of The Modem :: Technology History The modem, which is an acronym for modulator/demodulator, was invented in the 1950's for military use. Manufactured by the now popular computer company, IBM, modems were used as part of an air-defense system; their purpose was to connect various airbases and control centers. Modems are devices that mix (modulate) and separate (demodulate) signals, allowing one computer to connect to another. They transfer the data over telephone lines by using analog waves and the modem then converts the waves back and forth. The first modems were designed to hold a telephone's receiver in a cradle and had wire connections that went from the cradles to the computer. Today, most modems are either internal or external hardware devices. Before the computer modem, there was the com-port. When an internal modem card is placed inside of a computer, it behaves as a COM2 or COM3 port. It is also possible connect serial mice into one of these ports (Gilbert, 1996). Asynchronous communication is used in the PC COM port. Each byte of data is a separate unit and the computer that is sending the data can pause between any two bytes of the message. However, the receiver of the message may have to catch the data as quickly as it arrives. This is done by the "a synch" data requiring one extra bit worth of time to announce the new byte's beginning and once extra bit worth of time at the end. This is what is known as the "start" and "stop" bits. This means that a 2400 baud modem could transfer only 240 bytes of data per second. Each byte would require a minimum of 10-bit times. This was once called "start-stop" communication, but asynchronous (a sync, for short) is the name (Gilbert, 1995). The modem does not start and stop the bits. They are actually put out as part of the general data compression. The start and stop bits continue to be generated on the wire that connects a COM port to an external modem. The modem COM port is generally configured to use a higher speed between the modem and the COM port than what the actual transmission will support. A modem may operate at 14,400-kbps with the COM port configured for 38,400-kbps. This is an example of older technology being adapted to meet new requirements (Gilbert, 1995).

Relativism and Morality Essay

We are taught the difference between what is right and what is wrong at a young age by our parents or guardians. What is classified as right or wrong can differ between cultures, races, ethnic identities, and by social class. We all have a sense of what is morally right and the relativity of it. There are specific traits and beliefs that are distinctive to every culture, race, and social classes, due mostly impart to the differences we have in what we consider to be morally right. The idea of universal morals shows that through our cultural differences there is still a connection to the moral beliefs that we share, and shows that cultures are more alike than admit. There are some beliefs and customs that are considered morally justified in some cultures but in another, they are considered to be morally wrong. In his article Goodman gives solid examples of how something that is considered to be morally right in one cultural, would be wrong in another. Some of the topics that Goodman touches on are, genocide, hostage taking, slavery, polygamy, rape and female genital cutting (2010). Goodman argues that there are certain acts that are without a doubt considered to be wrong. While I do agree with his theory that acts such as incest, slavery, and rape (just to name a few) are wrong, there are factors that should be considered before an act is considered morally just or unjust. Relativism is one of the ways that certain acts can be viewed be other cultures without completely ruling the acts as right or wrong. Relativism is the idea that one’s beliefs and values are understood in terms of one’s society, culture, or even one’s own individual values (Mosser, 2010). Therefore, by relativism acts like polygamy, female castration, terrorism and infanticide are example of acts that are considered wrong for most Americans but in the cultures that practice these acts they see nothing wrong with them. Relativism and Morality â€Å"Many people find relativism extremely attractive. After all, determining what is right and wrong is frequently very difficult. It may also be difficult to defend—rather than just assert—that a given culture’s (usually one’s own) values are the correct ones, and that those values that are different are somehow wrong. Relativism also seems to decrease the kinds of conflicts that arise over such issues† (Mosser, 2010). Mosser puts into a clear prospective of how relativism and morality can work together to better understand a culture outside of our own. I do not think that there are universal moral requirements that every culture, race, and even social class can agree on. I believe that taking another human beings life is wrong, yet I still support our troops and all that they do to keep our country safe. Goodman states, all living beings make claims to life and murder is wrong because it destroys a life, yet warfare is not always wrong because it may be necessary to protect life. (2010). Relativism does provide a spectrum to view the world and cultural issues through, there are still problems that can arise. â€Å"Difficulties arise for relativism, when we consider the fact that few people come from a single, specifiable â€Å"culture. There may be general notions that guide one’s society, but one may also consider oneself part of many different groups, each of which can inform one’s moral values. Relativism seems fairly clear, until we start trying to decide what provides our moral sense. You have a given country, language, gender, religion or lack of religion, race, ethnicity, class, and so on, but does only one of these determine y our values† (Mosser, 2010)? Another issue that arises with relativism is that is an easy way out of dealing with ethical dilemmas and accepting practices that we feel are wrong. In addition, it may be difficult for a society to see and understand that it might be doing something that is immoral if questions of morality cannot be raised within one’s society. Relativism and Morality While the argument brought forth in Goodman’s article are all true and he makes very valid points, there are some beliefs and customs that are considered morally justified in some cultures but in another, they are considered to be morally wrong. Relativisms aims to show that no one specific culture is right or wrong for doing things the way that they do and that is the mode that I follow. From my own cultural stand point there are certain acts that I would be against if they we to be implemented on American society but I understand the culture who practice those acts and cannot fault those people that have been raise in that way of life. As for my personal opinion as to whether we will get to the point of universal moral requirements I do not think we will all be on one accord anytime soon, for the simple fact that each culture, race, social class, and ethnicity have their own way of dealing with specific moral issues.

Cause & Effect of European Exploration

Cause & Effect European Exploration Essay Throughout history, people have been curious about finding new land and exploring. Many different factors stirred interest in colonization and exploration for Europeans. During the 15th and 17th centuries Europe was changing rapidly and had its own reasons for growth. All of Europe had the excitement and hesitation of finding new places. There were many reasons for Europe to grow and expand, some of the causes for Europe’s expansion were; a search for new trade routes, religion, new technology, the desire for new products and gold.Europe wanted to find a new trade route to Asia because they wanted the silk, spices, jewels, and riches from China and India that were very valuable. One of the problems that were faced was that when they arrived in Western Europe, the products had been taxed so many times along the way that they were extremely expensive. They wanted to find a route around so that they could get the goods first. They wanted to find a northwest passage.Christian rulers in Europe wanted to spread their religion of Christianity throughout the overseas exploration, they felt they had a duty to keep fighting for Muslims but also to convert non- Christians throughout the world. Bartolomeu Dias (Portuguese explorer) said that his motive was â€Å"to serve God and His Majesty, to give light to those who were in darkness and to grow rich as all men desire to do. † European explores had better navigation skills and equipment to help them find their way.They had a compass and moveable rudder which allowed the explorers to sail even further than before. They also used an astrolabe which used the stars to determine how far north or south they were from the equator. European explorers were on a mission to find these new lands and new technologies, those causes stimulated effects for the aftermath of the exploration. One of the effects on European exploration was the Columbian Exchange. This exchange consisted of trading between the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia.The Americas sent over squash, pumpkins, turkey, peanuts, potatoes, tomatoes, corn, sweet potatoes, peppers, tobacco, pineapple, cacao, beans and vanilla. Europe, Africa and Asia sent over citrus fruits, bananas, grapes, sugar cane, honeybees, onions, olives, turnips, peaches, pears, and coffee beans. They also sent over items other then food such as grains, wheat, rice, barley and oats. They sent many types of live stock and a huge thing they sent over was disease. The Triangle Trade was another trading system between New England the West Indies and West Africa.New England sent West Africa rum, guns/ gunpowder, cloth and tools. West Africa sent sugar and molasses to New England and New England sent back livestock, lumber, flour and fish. As the trading increased during the sixteenth and throughout the eighteenth century, millions of people were taken out of their home and deported to plantations in the New World. Europeans r isked their lives to explore new lands, the expansion abroad come with hopes for land, riches and social advancement.

Pastoral Care and Counseling

Introduction Pastoral care and Counseling is one of the important ministries in the Church at any place in the world. Our churches are filled with people who experience crisis, lost, loneliness, anxiety, depression, divorced, and family problems. Pastors have a huge opportunity to help people just by listening and encouraging those in household of faith. In some cases it is just enough to listen and teach biblical principles of living but in the other cases there is the need to be specifically train people for a specialized ministry of counseling with deeper problems.In the context of my Country, Russia, I choose three issues which mostly need response in the churches. These issues are Premarital Counseling, Marriage Counseling and Crisis care and Counseling. Most of the times we do not feel comfortable to talk about these issues on the church but it do not mean that the problems do not exist. To have a healthy church these issues need to be addressed and pastors need to learn how to approach people because the people are not going to approach pastors first and ask for help. Part I: Premarital CounselingPsychologist Carl Rogers once gave a sobering perspective on marriage. â€Å"If 50-75 percent of Ford or General Motors cars completely fell apart within the early part of their lifetimes as automobiles,† Rogers wrote, â€Å"the public outcry would be overwhelming and drastic steps would be taken to correct the situation. † But this happens to many marriages and hardly anyone rises any complain. Divorce is fre ¬quent, fewer than half of the marriages that persist could be considered successful, and often couples seem unable or unwilling to correct the situation.The same situation and attitude to marriage we have in Russian, people usually get marry in age of 20 and mostly marriages fail after first three years. When I was getting my bachelor degree, 90% of my classmates were getting married at ages of 20 – 21 but 95% of them got divorced i n the senior year of College. I am talking about secular world and we may have a different statistics among Christians but the fact is that young people have no clue what marriage is about.There are many reasons for the present instability of marriages, but one of the many causes of failure is built prima ¬rily on sexual attraction, the desire to escape from a difficult home situation, a vague feeling of love, or some equally fleeting motive. Many marriage relationships are too flimsy to survive the pressures, challenges, and storms of daily living. Unprepared for the stresses or for the effort and determination required making mar ¬riage work, many people prefer to give up and bail out. That which was meant to be meaningful and fulfilling thus becomes frustrating and personally devastating.I believe that if the society in Russian would pay more attention on premarital counseling in the church and outside then the family institution would have grow stronger and that would lead t he country to success because the foundation of any country is the family institution. Premarital counseling seeks to help individuals, couples, and groups of couples to prepare for and build happy, fulfilling, Christ-honoring, and successful marriages. There are many values in premarital counseling if it is done carefully and consistently by the pastor. One of these values is the satisfaction that it brings to him personally.One pastor cannot change this societal attitude by himself, but each one can experience the inner reward of knowing he has done his part to change this pre ¬vailing attitude. The values of premarital counseling are first of all to help the couple to approach marriage more realistically because they are aware of only two things that they are in love, and they want to spend their lives together. Another value of premarital counseling is that it affords each partner a better understanding of himself. A value of great importance is the knowledge that each partner gains of the other through the counseling process.The pastor must help the partners to gain a greater understanding of the thought patterns of each other. Another practical value of premarital counseling is that partners can see the value of, and gain experience in the skill of communication. Finally, a great value of premarital counseling is that it helps persons to realistically determine if they are making the right choice regarding marriage. Reasons for premarital guidance Gary Collins outlines seven basic principles of premarital counseling that I found helpful in my context. These are: 1.Unrealistic Expectations That Can Lead to Disillusionment. When they ap ¬proach marriage, perhaps most people assume that they have unique relationships. Perhaps these expectations are changing now that marriage failures are so much taken for granted. Often there is impatience, insensitivity, self-centered, attitudes, inadequate skill in relating, and great disappointment and disillusionmen t when one's expectations for marriage are not met quickly. Premarital counseling lets couples express, discuss, and realistically modify their expectations for marriage. 2.Personal Immaturity That Can Lead to Insensitivity. Most 92% marriages in Russian happened because of pregnancy and this is the normal thing nowadays. It is not surprising that one's attitudes and behavior within a marriage differ little from the characteristics that were brought to the relationship. If one or both of the participants are self-centered, hypercritical, impatient, competitive, or striving for status—that is, immature—before marriage, these traits will put a strain on marital stability later. People who are irresponsible before marriage tend to be irresponsible after the wedding.Premarital counseling should seek to uncover and discuss the self-centered tendencies that put strain on a marriage. The couple must be taught how to resolve differences, and they must develop both sensitivity and a willingness to accept and meet each other's needs. This involves giving freely to one's mate just as Christ gave to us. 3. Changing Roles That Can Lead to Confusion. Confusion and conflict may follow when a man and woman each come to marriage with unclear roles and vague expectations about their own and each other's responsibilities.Differing assumptions and views about who is supposed to do what can lead to tension unless the couple has learned to communicate honestly, not defensively, and in loving way. Premarital counseling provides an opportunity for a couple to begin this type of communication. Together they can learn to discuss their different expectations and decide on areas of responsibility. Such role clarification must not ignore biblical teachings. According to Scrip ¬ture, both the Christian husband and wife must be filled with the Spirit: daily confessing sin, giving thanks, and praying for the Holy Spirit to control each of their lives.There also must be an att itude of mutual submission to each other, but the more stringent requirements are laid on the husband. The husband and wife are equally valuable and equally important in the building of a good marriage, but they have different responsibilities. 5. Loosening Sexual Standards That Can Lead to Immorality. Sex before marriage is not new and neither is it rare, even among Christians. But as a result of these more liberal attitudes, dating for many has become a time for exploring each other's bodies and genitals instead of each other's mind, feelings, beliefs, values, and expectations.Sexual standards are loosening and premarital sex, even among Christians, appears to be more preva ¬lent. Nevertheless the Bible still calls this immorality a violation of God's best for our lives. Issues like this should be discussed honestly, faced compassionately, and examined biblically. 6. Previous Experiences That Can Lead to Overconfidence. Books on premarital counseling often assume that most coupl es are young, inexperienced, and entering their first marriage. This is not always true. Many prospective brides and grooms have been previously married.Some previously married people recognize the need for new adjustments and appreciate the help that can come from a sensitive counselor. More often, it seems, people approaching remarriage resist premarital counseling and assume that it is unnecessary and only for those who have had no prior marital experience. The counselor can challenge unrealistic attitudes, help the couple see potential problems that even previously married people might miss, and guide them to resolve issues that may have been unresolved following the previous marriage. 7. Circumstances That Can Lead to Later Misery.When they come to marriage, some people bring what one counselor calls red-flag situations that need special scrutiny and evaluation. Some of these circumstances were mentioned as pregnant bride, one or both participants on the rebound from a previous marriage or engagement, serious drug involvement, emotional problems or mental instability, serious mental or physical handicaps, no financial security, contrasting cultural backgrounds or religious beliefs, wide gaps in education or age differences, and knowing each other for a very short time. Many marriages do not survive.Premarital counseling should not be viewed as a painful procedure designed to snatch unsuspecting couples from the grips of marital misery. Most premarital counseling is done, not with pathological people, but with relatively healthy indi ¬viduals who can be helped to enhance and enrich a growing relationship. Format It should be obvious that a counselor cannot accomplish all of these purposes in one brief interview. Most writers recommend that there be at least five or six one-hour sessions prior to the wedding. This of course can be demanding.It is easy for time pressures and counselee busyness to combine in convincing the counselor that a briefer period of premarital counseling would suffice. Try to resist that temptation. There is much to be discussed if a marriage is to be built on a solid foundation. The general goals according to Hamilton, include the following: (1) an understand ¬ing of the meaning of marriage within the framework of biblical truth and Christian theology, (2) an understanding of the problems affecting marriage in contemporary culture, and (3) an understanding of the Christian concept of the value of human personality.As the pastor deals with these broad concepts he seeks to expand his counselees' awareness of the importance of marriage in the light of its biblical and historical roots, of the unique pressures being brought upon marriage in our times, and of Christianity's view of the worth of persons. All of these goals are of vital importance in building a sound philosophy of marriage.The specific goals, according to Hamilton, center in the following areas: (1) an understanding of each partner's role-percepti on in the forth ¬coming marriage, (2) an understanding of each partner's role-expectation of the other, (3) an understanding of how each partner evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of the other, (4) an understanding of the potential strengths and weaknesses of the proposed marriage, and (5) a careful examination of particular problems likely to arise.The underlying, practical goal of all premarital counsel ¬ing is twofold: (1) to enable the partners to pre-solve some potential marriage problems before they arise; and (2) to give the partners knowledge of, and experience in, the art of com ¬munication, which is so necessary in the building of a rich and rewarding relationship. The pastor who wishes to do a creditable job of premari ¬tal counseling should think in terms of at least three sessions: (1) one with the woman, (2) one with the man, and (3) one with both.In each of the individual sessions the pastor will be engaging in four main functions: (1) listening, (2) quest ion ¬ing, (3) analyzing, and (4) teaching. Listening As in other types of counseling, the pastor needs to hear what is, and is not, being said. Only by careful listening can the pastor come to valid insights regarding the counselee’s real feelings about his personal relationship with the proposed marriage partner. Questioning Skillful use of questions enables the pas ¬tor to gather the type of data he needs to help persons prepare for marriage.Questioning will center in the two broad areas of facts and feelings. The area of facts will have to do with such aspects as how they met, how long they have known each other, how long they have dated, and when they plan to marry. The questioning should then move to the deeper level of feelings. This area has to do with such matters as the counselee’s true feelings about the idea of marriage, the de ¬mands of marriage, his perception of his partner as a marriage mate, and his own feelings regarding his ability to be a suità ‚ ¬able marriage partner.The pastor should not hesitate to question his counselees regarding their feelings about every aspect of the marriage relationship including such matters as where they will live and in what kind of dwelling, how many children they want, where they will attend church, whether the wife will be em ¬ployed outside the home (along with how long, how much, and what kind of work), how they will use their leisure time, where they will find their friends and how they will develop social relationships, how each feels about the husband's job, and if either plans for further education.He should also ex ¬amine their attitudes toward in-laws, money, and sex. As the pastor probes the deeper levels of his parishioners' feelings he gains the type and amount of information he needs as he pro ¬ceeds to analysis. Analyzing After the data is sorted out and analyzed, the pastor is ready for a joint session (or sessions) with the partners. In most cases there will be some di fferences in how each partner perceives certain aspects of the future marriage. These are the areas that will need to be given special and care ¬ful attention during the joint session.It is at this time that the two partners will need to be shown the importance of com ¬munication. It will also provide a rich opportunity for them to begin to develop new and better ways of communicating their feelings to each other. Teaching Lastly, the pastor engages in the function of teaching. The amount and type of teaching that is to be done will be determined by what the pastor has discovered in the individual counseling sessions. The broad areas covered in his teaching will usually include the Christian view of mar ¬riage, the tatus of marriage in contemporary culture, the responsible use of sex, the basic differences in maleness and femaleness (most feel they understand the opposite sex but do not), and the art of communication. As a part of his teach ¬ing function the pastor should be prepared to recommend and loan helpful books and articles in areas where the partners lack understanding. It is also important for the pastor to point out the value of a medical examination for the prospective bride, if not for both partners. Thorough work in premarital counseling may involve more than three counseling sessions, but that is the minimum.While this is both time-consuming and exhausting, it is less so than marriage counseling. If a pastor does his premarital counseling work well he may be saving himself, or some other pastor or counselor, from involvement in more extensive mar ¬riage counseling later on. Of greater significance, of course, is that premarital counseling helps couples to build the kind of relationships that are both solid and satisfying We have high incidences of divorce in the church in Russia particularly among young people because they are often pushed into early marriage by teenage pregnancies.Such people do not have any opportunity for premarital counseling. The church often treat them with disdain and may not be readily open to give them some basic premarital counseling that would help sustain them when they get married. Part II: Marriage Counseling Marriage is not a very stable institution at least in the Western and Eastern worlds. In Russia the average duration of a marriage is only 5 years. More than a million couples are divorced every year. Many who stay together have marriages tolerable but not especially happy.Even though happy marriages like these do exist and are possible, we live in a time when marital unhappiness is more common and where many see divorce as a convenient and ever-present fire escape should marital conflicts get too hot to handle. Marriage, the permanent union created by God, is treated more and more as a temporary arrangement of convenience. Marriage is one of the first topics discussed in the Bible. But what does the Bible say about marital problems and ways to help troubled mar ¬riages? Almo st nothing!It should be remembered that marital conflict often is a symptom of something deeper, such as selfishness, lack of love, unwillingness to forgive, anger, bitterness, communication problems, anxiety, sexual abuse, drunkenness, feelings of inferior ¬ity, sin, and a deliberate rejection of God's will. Each of these can cause marital tension, each can be influenced by husband-wife conflict, and each is discussed in the Bible. The causes of marital problems Some common marital problems as found in Russian culture outline by Collins as follow: 1. Faulty Communication.In the professional literature, this probably is the most commonly mentioned cause of marital discord. Citing James 4:1-3, psychologist Lawrence Crabb notes that communication problems inevitably result when people pursue self-centered goals, but sometimes problems also come because individuals have not learned how to communicate clearly and efficiently. Most of us would agree that occasional miscommunication bet ween spouses is inevitable. When miscommunication is more common than clear communication, however, the marriage begins to have serious problems.Poor communication tends to breed more of the same. Try to remember that communication is a learned interaction. Even when it is not good, people can learn to make it better. 2. Underintegrated or Overintegrated Relationships, Getting close to another person is risky. We open ourselves to criticism and possible rejection when we let another person know us intimately, he become aware of our insecurities, or see our weaknesses. Since most of us have learned the value of fending for ourselves, it is not easy to trust another person—even when that other person is a marriage partner 3 Interpersonal Tension.When two people marry, each comes to the marriage with approximately two or more decades of past experiences and ways of looking at life. Each has perspectives that are not shared by the other and sometimes, even when there is a sincere desire for compromise or synthesis, couples still has diffi ¬culty resolving their differences. What happens if there is unwillingness to change, insensitivity to the other person's viewpoints, or a refusal to acknowledge the differences?Often there is tension that frequently centers on one of the following issues: Sex: At times most couples have sexual problems. These include lack of accu ¬rate knowledge, unrealistic expectations, fear of not being able to perform ade ¬quately, differences in sexual drive, inhibiting attitudes about sex, and insufficient opportunities for privacy. Roles: We live at a time when traditional male-female roles are being reeval ¬uated. This often leads to conflict over what it means to be a husband or wife. The society gives little guidance because opinions seem to be changing so rapidly.Inflexibility: When a man and woman marry, each brings a unique personality to the marriage. Sometimes these personality differences complement each other and blend into a mutually compatible relationship. Often marriages take on personalities of their own, each of which can have strengths and weak points. There can be difficulties, however, if one or both of the partners is rigid, unwilling to give, or strongly resistant to change. Religion: The Bible warns of problems when a believer and an unbeliever try to live together in marriage.Counselors have observed tensions when a husband and wife differ from each other in their denominational preferences, degree of com ¬mitment to spiritual things, interest in religion, or expectations about the religious education of children. Sometimes these differences create tension in other areas such as choice of friends, views of ethics, whether and to whom charitable donations will be given, or the use of time on Sundays. Religion can be a binding, strengthening force in a marriage, but when a husband and wife have different viewpoints, religion can also be a destructive focus for marital tension.Va lues: What is really important in life? How should we spend our time and money? What are our goals? These questions concern values. When a couple has similar values, the marriage is often healthy and growing. When values are in con ¬flict, however, the relationship may be one of tension, power struggles, and mutual criticism. Value conflicts are at the heart of many marital problems. Consider, for example, how some of the following value alternatives could create potential for conflict. Functions of the Marriage Counselor The functions of the Marriage Counselor are: To hear the hurts that the counselees are feeling. In many cases these hurts have been intense, of long duration, and unexpressed to a third party. The reason that the counselor needs to hear the hurts is because the counselee feels his or her partner has not truly heard him or her. Attempts to be heard by his mate have been aborted, and this adds to his anxiety and frustration. When he feels that his counselor is gett ing his message and is feeling with him, he experiences the catharsis he needs in order to approach his problem more realistically. 2. To clarify problems.Most persons who come for counsel are aware of symptoms but they do not understand what is producing those symptoms. Most people are so confused they do not know what their problem is until they visit a counselor. 3. To help in the understanding of roles. Most couples are confused of their roles. Be ¬cause it is difficult for one to see the gap between his per ¬ception of himself and his behavior, he feels that he is misunderstood if his mate points out this discrepancy to him. When both partners are thus criticizing each other, each feels mistreated and frustrated. . To fa ¬cilitate communication. A communication problem happens when partners have unresolved conflict between them. The counselor helps deal with the conflicts then now they have free flow of communication. 5. To encourage change in perception and behavior. It is not enough for the counselor to hear hurts, clarify problems, aid in the understanding of roles, and aid in facilitating communication. He must help motivate the partners both to think themselves into a new way of behaving and to behave themselves into a new way of thinking.Moti ¬vation is usually achieved, at least to a degree, when feelings have been ventilated, the problem is seen in clearer perspec ¬tive, and communication lines have been opened. Some marital problems in Russia are like an inflamed appendix, capable of killing but relatively simple to remove. Other problems will be of such depth and severity that the pastor will not be able to deal with them. This means that he will need to refer them to a professional counselor, a psychologist or a psychiatrist. The pastor need not feel defeated by his inability to help such persons.If it is any comfort to him, he should be aware that some marital problems lie beyond the skill of even the best of professionals. Therefore , while he may be truly sorry that he is not able to help in some cases, he should not be embarrassed by this inability. Such failures should, however, encourage him to continue his study of counseling so that his knowledge will expand and his skills will increase. Part III: Care and Counseling in Crises Situation A crisis happens all the time in all cultures nobody is exempted from crisis: big or small, reach or poor, educated or uneducated.A crisis is a part of our lives it is usually happen when person cannot solve the problems by himself. This is where pastoral service is required. A personal crisis develops in four stages: (1) the problem causes tension to the person. (2) Failure to respond to this need produce feelings of anxiety, confu ¬sion, and guilt. (3) When this continues unsolved it develops into a crisis situation that may require external help. (4) If the problem is not resolved, the inner stress of unmet needs mounts until it reaches another threshold—the br eaking point. This is full blown crisis.Caplan in his book Principle of Preventive Psychiatry distinguishes two categories of crises Developmental and Accidental: Developmental crises are normal in the sense that they happen as an integral part of all or many people's growth. Among these are birth, weaning, toilet training, the oedipal conflict, going to school, adolescence, leaving home, completing school, entering a vocation, engagement, marriage adjustment (or the adjustment of singlehood), pregnancy, parenthood, the middle-age crisis, loss of parents, menopause, retirement, death of spouse, death of friends, and eventually one's own dying.These stressful experiences are the occasions of crises for an individual to the extent that they pose problems for which her or his previous coping abilities are inadequate. Each developmental stage and crisis is the occasion for a variety of caring and counseling opportunities. Accidental crises can occur at any age, precipitated by unexpecte d losses of what one regards as essential sources of need satisfaction.Precipitating experiences include all the life events listed on the Holmes-Rahe scale below, loss of status and respect; an accident or surgical operation; mental illness or alcoholism; a physical handicap; an unwanted pregnancy; a natural disaster such as a flood or earthquake; or a massive social calamity such as a war or economic depression. Crises can be triggered by seemingly positive changes such as a job promotion or graduation from college. All these events produce emotionally hazardous situations. Crises happen in people rather than to them, but they tend to occur in high-stress, emotionally hazardous situations.A crisis is more than simply a time of danger, pain, and stress to be endured. It is important for the counselor to see that it is a turning point, a growth opportunity where persons move toward or away from greater personality strength and wholeness. This makes crisis counseling a strategic help ing opportunity. Informal Crisis Counseling Much of the counseling done by pastors takes place in informal settings without being called counseling. This is what happen most in my context. Pastors meet a need a attend to it immediately without insisting that the person concerned must book an appointment before seeing him to discuss the issue.Some occurs in the minister's office or home when people drop by for a chat, without an appointment. By allowing the sensitivities and skills of counseling to permeate their many informal and chance encounters, ministers can help many times the number of people they could reach through formal counseling alone. While it is important that pastors should have some private time for themselves and family, it also important to have parishioners know that their pastor ordinarily is available when severe crises strike unexpectedly.As ministers learn to recognize and utilize the pastoral care opportunities potentially present in many interpersonal contac ts, this becomes a natural pastoral reflex. They discover frequent opportunities to do informal one-session crisis counseling during the ordinary encounters of parish life. Occasionally these will become formal and multiple-session counseling relationships. Informal counseling is informal in one or more of these ways – the setting may be anywhere—a street corner, a grocery store, a hospital room, the church lounge, a parishioner's office or living room, in meeting, etc.The counseling happens in the context of a relationship not identified as counseling—a chance encounter or a pastoral call, perhaps following a meeting or Sunday service. The person's mind-set reflects this informal atmosphere. He/she probably thinks of what occurs as â€Å"talking over a problem with the pastor† rather than counseling. The structure and sequence of formal counseling interviews—appointments, stated time limits, and an agreed-upon series of sessions—are usually lacking. Such brief informal counseling can be very helpful to some people.Informal crisis counseling opportunities occur frequently during a pastor's home and hospital visits. Much of what is done during such calls is general pastoral care. It becomes a counseling issue when the counselee is aware of his /her problem and the pastor shows his willingness to help with the problem. The counselee is able to overcome his/her fear of disclosing the problem to another person with the hope that he/she is going to be helped in such action. Such confidence to disclose the problem does not normally come automatically. It comes with a lot of struggles.Such persons often are receptive to informal counseling long before they enter formal counseling. Some people have great difficulty making a formal appointment for counseling, even when wrestling with very painful problems. They feel that to do so would be to admit failure, which would increase their feelings of low self-esteem and powerlessness . This is why the ability of pastors to go to people, make themselves emotionally available, offer help, and establish informal counseling relationships is a priceless professional asset, which should be used to the full!How can ministers create opportunities, during their pastoral contacts, for care-giving conversations, informal and formal counseling? First, they know or suspect that such and such is in particular need of pastoral care—the bereaved, the sick, the unemployed, the depressed, the hospitalized, the disgruntled, those in psychotherapy, newlyweds, new parents, the recently retired, the handicapped, alcoholics and their families, the lonely, those with disturbed or handicapped children, and those who face painful crises and perplexing decisions.An alert pastor often senses intuitively that a certain family is under extreme pressure. Such â€Å"pastoral care suspects† should go on the Special Help List. By devoting extra pastoral visitation time to these per sons, ministers can build strong relationship bridges with them. Such relationship can bring pastoral care and informal counseling help to the troubled, and also make it easier for them to seek formal counseling. The building of relationship bridges with those who are likely to need help but are not yet motivated to seek it, are described by Seward Hiltner as precounseling.The many interpersonal contacts of pastors contribute to this objective if people feel they are warm, nonjudgmental, caring, competent, shockproof, not â€Å"too busy,† and human—aware of their own humanity . Clinebell believes that, a pastor's sensitivity to the subtle signs of distress is an asset in spotting potential counseling opportunities. Many ministers walk by on the other side of their parishioners' Jericho Roads simply because they lack awareness. The pastor's emotional radar antennas should be tuned to the wavelength of people in order to pick up subtle cries for help and coded â€Å"may day† signals.Clinebell highlights some basic typical distress signals that can help pastors understand people in need. These are: Embarrassment at the minister's call: A frantic attempt to keep the conversation on the surface, avoiding all depth encounters. Depression: including such symptoms as sleeplessness; loss of interest in one's usual pleasures; anxious agitation or heavy sluggishness; feelings of worthlessness, emptiness/meaninglessness or helplessness; a phony-fixed smile. Veiled antagonism between spouses: sometimes hidden behind saccharine-sweet surface behavior.Emotionally disturbed children: including those with behavior problems, (which often reflect hidden marital unhappiness). Frequent intoxication: particularly at inappropriate times. A radical change in usual behavior: including church attendance. Irrational or frantically compulsive behavior. Guilty avoidance of the pastor. Affiliating with extremist political or religious groups. When such distress signals are identified, pastors should make every effort to be emotionally accessible to the persons and to offer help in a way that respects their right to refuse it.A third way to open up informal and formal counseling opportunities is the judicious use of â€Å"openers†Ã¢â‚¬â€questions or statements designed to interrupt superficial conversation and provide an opening for people to discuss their real feelings and issues if they choose. Here are some samples: â€Å"How are things going for you in this difficult situation? † â€Å"What you're saying feels very heavy. † â€Å"How are things going with you really? † â€Å"You seem to be feeling very discouraged (upset, angry, remorseful). † â€Å"I get the feeling you have a burden on your mind. Although such openers may startle people initially, they express the pastor's concern and by implication, offer help. A well-chosen question, asked with warmth and empathy, can help free people to talk about their burdens. A question about one's spiritual health is as appropriate from a minister as is a question about one's physical health from a family doctor. Conclusion Pastoral Care and Counseling ministry is the most important ministry next to the ministry of preaching of the Gospel. People who are hurting they are not be able to listen the Gospel without a healing balm of their wounds.Only Pastors are caring such methods of healing. The Gospel itself addresses to totality of man: spiritual and body. When one part is addressed to the negligence to the other the total needs of man will not be made. Pastors who are sensitive to the hurts of members of their congregation and unable to address such hurts through the appropriate counseling technique are more likely to be successful in ministry then those who neglect these needs. The course Pastoral Care and Counseling has opened my understanding to these needs in our congregation. I got more focused in this area of ministry.And I wish to purs ue it in the future. Bibliography: Benner, David. Strategic Pastoral counseling. Michigan: Baker Book House,1998; Barister C. W . Pastoral care in the church. San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1992; Cavanagh, John. Fundamental Pastoral Counseling. Ireland: The mergier press, 1963; Cobb, John. Theology and Pastoral Care. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1979; Collins, Gary. Christian Counseling . Dallas: Word Publishing, 1988; Clinebell Haward. Basic Types of Pastoral care and Counseling. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1992; Hamilton, James. The ministry of Pastoral Counseling. Michigan: Baker Book House 1975.