Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Student Brawl

@rajab1377: Exactly your point! Indonesia is the biggest Muslim country in the world with more than 650,000 mosques (registered) and perhaps millions more of unregistered ones (including madrasah, pesantren etc). We even have Minister of Religious (Islamic) Affairs – whose salary is paid by hard-working tax payers from ALL RELIGIONS! If you still think the reason of these school brawls was because Indonesia is lacking religious knowledge or institutions etc, that's BS crap! How many more mosques do we need? 50 millions, one for each Indonesian? And if you think because Indonesia doesn't properly follow Islamic laws, go to Aceh and see it for yourself all the human rights violations by Syariah Police, aside of intense drugs and human traficking! In fact Aceh was recently surveyed as the no. 2 most corrupt province (behind Jakarta *gasp! ). Talking about hypocrisy! Seriously dude, wake up from your (edit) ignorance and work with us as part of solution, stop being part of the pro blem! rajab1377 :13pm Oct 3, 2012 Salaam Alaykum, It seems surprising to hear such terrible news of killing among school children, its very rare that school children can go upto killing, even in college it is very rare that there is killing & it is more surprising that Indonesia which has more than 90% Muslim population. The children who can kill at this young age can do more bigger crime when he/she will grow old. Its a shameful act & killer's parents must curse themselves for upbringing a killer. Shame on them.This happens due to lack of religious knowledge ; no proper following Islamic laws, the law of Allah mighty ; Glorious, Lord of the Worlds which leads you to live a beautiful life in Dunya ; will give you salvation in Akhirat. Also note that don't compare yourself with west in killing or any other crime, its a shameful act & everyone must be ashamed for this act, compare yourself with the good of other countries & learn from them good & not bad. Wassalaam. KampungHighlander 4:03am Sep 26, 2012 â€Å"The best solution I think is to merge them into one school. No, much better to just close both schools permanently. ProudAthe 8:13pm Sep 25, 2012 As an alumnus of one of the aforementioned high schools, I am very ashamed and aghast of what just happened. I think even now, the majority of the students still think that students brawl is a sacred tradition that needs to be preserved. Anyone who's against it is labelled coward. Hopefully noone sees this as an accomplishment DasMonk 4:43pm Sep 25, 2012 Username In fact Indonesian kids also fight with guns and knives and bamboo spears – using your own logic why bring the West up?It seems evey time something happens we enter the it happens elsewhere so why care route As for school kids joining the FPI in fact they are more liekly to join the violent gangs that operate throughout Jakarta than the FPI The FPI seems to draw its thugs from Islamic schools or no schools Important measures to prevent School Viol ence I am sure most of you would have heard of the  Columbine  High school  tragedy where two students went out on a shooting rampage and killed nearly 13 people in the year 1999.If you have not heard of that then you would have heard of the shootout in Virginia Tech in the year 2007 at least. These are some of the examples of instances of violence in school. Who knows? The same thing could happen to the school in which your child is studying as well. So it is very important that you need to know about the measures to be taken in order to prevent school violence. One of the most important causes for children to develop fight inside a school is because of their attitude.If the attitude of the children is quite rough or arrogant then he can pick up a fight quite easily and at his own will. So it is very important for a child to have a good and proper attitude in order to avoid school violence. But if this is to happen then it is the duty of the parents to take care of it. They s hould give their child proper love, care, affection and a quality home atmosphere in order to develop a proper attitude. In most cases the children become arrogant because of a stressed out home atmosphere.Just consider a case where you fight with your husband/wife in front of your child. Though you may feel that the child is too young to take it very seriously, it does have some sort of impact on the young minds. They too tend to take your path. They will become arrogant as well simply because of the reason that parents have an arrogant attitude. So parents should understand these little things and act in a wise manner to provide your child with a proper home atmosphere so that he grows out to be a good mannered child.Teachers have their roles in preventing school violence as well. They should be responsible enough to look after each and every child in the class and understand their needs as well. The teacher should be specific and fair in their dealings as well. They should not be biased in their actions because this is one of the prime reasons for a child to develop hatred and jealousy. Also a teacher should take necessary steps in order to ensure that there are rivalries among students which could possibly end up in a brawl. This is because brawls never end in a brawl at all.They will have a continual effect and these brawls can very well lead to the children ending up committing violence of one form or the other. The school authorities will have to make sure that the children does not possess any kind of weapons like knives or guns. They should keep a constant vigil on the students in order to avoid violent activities in schools. There is only final word that is sufficient to eradicate school violence and that is â€Å"responsibility†. If each and every individual understand their responsibility very clearly then there is no such problem of school violence

Criminal Justice Enforcement policies Essay

The most severe law enforcement will achieve little if lower-class urban offenders can see no legitimate way to solve their problems or satisfy their aspirations. At the absolute best it could turn the criminals into a passive underclass which is forever dependent on welfare benefits. Even then the most energetic and ambitious members of this underclass would eventually be targeted by recruiters for organized crime or terrorist organizations. Social improvements alone will be ineffective if the atmosphere of fear and hopelessness which pervades crime-ridden areas prevents local people from taking advantage of them, or if the improvement are sabotaged by those who have a stake in the existing situation (e. g. loan-sharks and gang-leaders). So we need a combination of: †¢ Long-term measures to enable people to improve their own lives. †¢ Medium-term measures to mitigate the situation while the long-term measures are in progress, and to deal with the difficulties which a few people will continue to experience – it’s unrealistic to expect that we can solve all urban social problems completely. †¢ Improved law enforcement to prevent the situation from getting worse and to give the locals confidence that their efforts will not be undermined by random crimes and will not be sabotaged by those who have a stake in the existing situation. The term â€Å"law enforcement† needs further analysis, which I will supply in the next section. Law enforcement Overview of law enforcement This has three main components: †¢ Policing †¢ The legal system †¢ Sentencing – in this essay I regard prison construction and operation as part of the infrastructure which supports sentencing. To save space I will not consider the legal system here, since the question specifically mentioned policing and sentencing (references to prisons and the death penalty) but not the legal system. Policing To remove crime-induced fear and hopelessness and to discourage those who have a stake in the existing situation from sabotaging improvements I recommend the â€Å"New York† policing model (described by Griffith, 1999): †¢ Zero tolerance for all crime, even minor vandalism. This will often deter offenders from â€Å"progressing† to more serious crimes. †¢ Making senior local officers accountable for the performance of their units. †¢ Information systems which enable officers at all levels to identify and respond to the highest-priority requirements. To make it clear to local communities that this is for their benefit and not just an exercise in â€Å"aggressive policing†, local governments should: †¢ Explain to local people the objectives of the project and the standards which are to govern police conduct. †¢ Provide channels through which locals can easily raise and swiftly resolve issues, including any complaints about the behavior of the police. These channels must be conspicuously independent of the police. Sentencing In mild cases, e. g. minor vandalism and assaults, I recommend: †¢ Community service sentences, where possible in forms which compensate the victims. This also teach the offenders to get along with law-abiding members of their local communities and hopefully will encourage local people to see some good in the offenders. Some offenders should also be required to attend appropriate rehabilitation or training centers, to help them to manage their finances better or to stop using addictive drugs or to manage grievances without resorting to crime. We should probably reduce their community service workload a little to avoid seeing to punish these offenders more severely than other categories. †¢ Electronic tags which track offender’s movements, to deter against re-offending or evasion of community service. Tags will also make it easier to protect former teenage gangsters against threats and other pressures to re-join their old gangs, and in some cases it may also be helpful to provide with young offenders with panic buttons in case they are attacked by their old gangs or by rival gangs which regard them as easy targets. †¢ Prison sentences (described below) for those who violate the terms of their initial sentences without overwhelmingly good reasons. Prison sentences are necessary for serious crimes because the continued presence of serious offenders in their local communities will cause fear and therefore undermine attempts at longer-term improvements. In many cases, particularly for young offenders, work and education camps in sparsely-populated areas may be more suitable than traditional prisons: †¢ Such camps would separate the offenders both from the social environments in which they turned to crime and from the company of hardened criminals. †¢ Escape would be difficult because of the isolated locations and the offenders’ ignorance of the local geography. †¢ The offenders should be required to erect and maintain as much of the camp facilities as possible. This would both teach them they can only get comforts by working and provide a sense of achievement with each improvement in the camp environment. †¢ There should be plenty of opportunities to earn privileges by work and by educational progress. †¢ Camps would be cheaper to construct and maintain than traditional prisons. I will explain at the end my views on the death penalty. Reducing teenage gangsterism Teenage gangsters desire higher status than they can acquire by legitimate means, and value the regard of their peers more highly than the opinions of adults. The youths are often born into sub-cultures which are at least partially alienated from the rest of our society by †¢ Barriers such as poverty and discrimination. †¢ Sub-culture values such as extreme machismo. Typical crimes include vandalism, assault and murder, and small-scale armed robbery. In addition to their direct costs, these crimes often create an air of fear and hopelessness in the areas affected, which perpetuates the problem by persuading the next generation of teenagers that the only path to safety, status and prosperity is via gang membership. Remedial measures In the long term we must remove the motivation by providing accessible legitimate paths to higher status and prosperity: †¢ Education which is comprehensible to the urban youths but enables them to earn status and wealth in legitimate ways. For example it may initially have to be delivered in the local patois but it must aim to make students proficient in standard English so that they can enter higher levels of education and / or obtain better-paid jobs. †¢ Advice for the teenagers and their families on how to manage their lives, finances, careers and education. †¢ Access to resources such as books and the Internet. Public libraries are the most obvious way to provide these. We must also provide legitimate short-term outlets for teenagers’ ambitions and energies. The most obvious one is sports, which will particularly appeal to the strongest, most competitive and most aggressive teenagers – the potential gang-leaders. I therefore suggest: †¢ Facilities for those who wish to play various sports on a casual basis. †¢ Clubs for those who wish to improve their performance and gain wider reputations. †¢ Organized competitions and leagues at all levels from local to national, for the really ambitious. Reducing crimes committed because of financial crises Long term reduction in personal financial crises requires a fairly complex package including: †¢ Improved education to enable people to obtain better-paid jobs. †¢ Advice on personal financial management. Hopefully these crises will eventually become less common, but they will probably never disappear completely, so there will always be a need for palliatives: †¢ Cheap, quick, reliable legal advice for common types of case. †¢ Inexpensive but not subsidized loans to enable people to survive these crises without resorting to crime. Repayment should where possible be secured by small deductions from the borrowers’ incomes (including any welfare benefits). Credit unions (see ABCUL 2003) should be encouraged as they provide a sense of local involvement, control and responsibility. Reducing drug-related crimes There are at least two types of drug-related crime: †¢ Those committed by addicts desperate for their next fix. †¢ Those committed as a result of the mood-altering effects of some drugs. There are good reasons for believing that the War on Drugs is as unsuccessful as Prohibition was (The Economist 2001 a). About 10% of all arrests in the USA are for drug offenses and about 80% of that 10% are for possession, not for sale or manufacture (The Economist, 2001 b). We need an objective review of drugs policy. This might well lead to legalization of some drugs (with regulation of their quality to minimize health risks), which would sharply reduce the prison population and, by lowering the retail price of legalized drugs, reduce robberies committed to finance purchases. The other long-term remedy is aggressive advertising about the dangers of specific drugs which are more harmful than alcohol and tobacco. This will of course have greater credibility if it follows an objective review of drugs policy. We also need rehabilitation centers to help addicts and excessive users to give up their habits. Crimes induced by a sense of grievance This category is very diverse, including grievances: †¢ which a reasonable person may regard as justified, unjustified or partly justified. †¢ against a wide range of targets, from individuals to the highest levels of government or society as a whole. For as long as some areas are severely disadvantaged in incomes, jobs, schools, etc. there will be some grievances which are at least partly justified and should be at least mitigated by a combination of: †¢ economic redevelopment and improved education. †¢ centers which advise people on legal ways of handling their grievances. This should not be limited to what is normally termed counseling but should include coaching in legal ways of influencing the behavior of and or / hitting back at the sources of grievances. The death penalty The death penalty for murder is arguably no more immoral than killing an enemy soldier in a war. But I oppose it because all legal systems are fallible, and it’s impossible to correct a miscarriage of justice after a person has been executed. Incorrect convictions have arisen in cases where: †¢ Judges misinterpret or misapply the law (e. g. Center on Wrongful Convictions 2004) †¢ The defendant had poor legal representation (American University Law Review 1995 mentions cases where defense lawyers made procedural mistakes in capital cases). †¢ Failure of the prosecutors to disclose information which might help the defense. †¢ Police obtained evidence or confessions improperly, or tampered with or fabricated evidence. †¢ Expert witnesses showed bias in favor of the prosecution either because of their personal opinions or because doing so was to their long-term financial advantage. Unfortunately these miscarriages are not rare exceptions – Northwestern University School of Law’s Center on Wrongful Convictions found that In the quarter century between restoration of the Illinois death penalty and Governor George Ryan’s blanket clemency order, 289 men and women were sentenced to death in Illinois. Of those, 18 have been exonerated — a rate in excess of 6. 2%. (Center on Wrongful Convictions, 2005) The risk of miscarriages has probably risen after 9/11 because police and prosecutors will be under even greater pressure to close terrorist cases and other high-profile murders. Conclusion The original question is flawed because it: †¢ does not define the range of crimes with which it is concerned. †¢ presents an â€Å"either-or† choice between stronger law enforcement and prevention, including social services and education, as ways of reducing crime. For the categories of crime reviewed here both improved law enforcement and preventive measure are needed – neither can succeed alone. I oppose the death penalty because justice systems have shown themselves to be too fallible in high-profile cases. References ABCUL (2003), About Credit Unions accessed May 2005 from http://www. abcul. org/page/about/intro. cfm American University Law Review (1995), The Death Penalty in the Twenty-First Century accessed May 2005 from http://www. wcl. american. edu/journal/lawrev/45/death. html Center on Wrongful Convictions (2004) Pollock: Exonerated accessed May 2005 from http://www. law. northwestern. edu/depts/clinic/wrongful/exonerations/Pollock. htm Center on Wrongful Convictions (2005) The Death Penalty accessed May 2005 from http://www. law. northwestern. edu/depts/clinic/wrongful/deathpenalty. htm Griffith, Gareth (1999), Zero Tolerance Policing accessed May 2005 from http://www. parliament. nsw. gov. au/prod/parlment/publications. nsf/0/796C90ABE8349FDFCA256ECF0008CE11 The Economist (2001 a), Stumbling in the dark (about drugs policy) accessed May 2005 from http://www. economist. com/surveys/displaystory. cfm? story_id=706591 The Economist (2001 b), Collateral damage (of the War on Drugs) accessed May 2005 from http://www. economist. com/surveys/displayStory. cfm? story_id=708550

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Christian Influences on the Modern World

Despite its numerous branches, Christianity as a whole is the religion practiced by majority of world’s population. Ever since its beginnings in the first century AD, it grew exponentially. Massive numbers of its followers have caused it to have considerable influence on the world culture. Since the majority of its followers were from what is considered the western world, the influence of Christianity on it was greater than elsewhere. The impact of Christian philosophy in the areas of politics, economy, business, law, education, science and human relations will be discussed in this report.While the issues discussed are contemporary, the historical aspects are also presented. The educational system of countries under theocratic governance is influenced to a greater extent by it than any other institution. The reason for this is simply that the process of educating requires the presentation of ideas and theories whose validity is established by the governing authority. Where oth er institutions concerning business, health, etc†¦ already have an established infrastructure, the educational institution can be completely remodeled and molded into any shape that is desired.Those countries that practice extreme forms of theocracies generally concentrate in providing religious education and ignoring other subject areas [1]. Some of the subject matter may be considered extravagant resulting in its exclusion from the curriculum. At the same time, through religious influence, young minds can be channeled into maintaining the cultural aspects of the nation that themselves could have been shaped by the religion [2]. Christianity has played an influential role affecting western societies throughout history. The command of Christianity was greater in the past centuries and has gradually decreased.Today its influence is very low and constantly fading. In the 18th and 19th century, Christian education was extremely important to the education of a child. More so than a ny other subject matter, the moral aspect of life was given more importance. However as time passed and knowledge grew, especially in the field of science, other subject matter grew in their precedence. Nevertheless, religious education was not neglected. However, in the early 20th century, the education of the origin of life contradicted the religious education concerning that matter. This issue was taken to court and the court decided in favor of the religious side [3].Half a century later, when opponents questioned the constitutionality of prayers in public schools, the matter went to the Supreme Court and the decision this time resulted in the abolishment of prayers from schools. This was the turning point in the influence of Christianity on education. From this point on, the influence of Christianity on education has been minimal and public school education has been completely secularized. Christianity’s influence on business is not easy to perceive. The effect of other religions on business, such as Islam’s effect on the business practices in the Middle East is easily observable.Some of the many influences of Islam on business in a country practicing Islam include closing and opening shops at only certain periods of the day, having certain religious holidays, donating certain amount of the profit to the local Muslim charity and so on. Likewise, the effect of Judaism on business is easily observed when those practicing Judaism don’t open their places of business on Saturdays in order to keep Sabbath and not buying or selling of any â€Å"non-kosher† food items. Looking at all these practices, it seems that Christianity stands out because it does not seem to have any influence on the business practices of our current world.This may seem true because those nations that had practiced Christianity in the past have for the most part separated religion from social aspects of life. Nevertheless, the current business practices of the w estern world have been influenced by Christianity in complex and subtle ways. One of the effects of Christianity is the very existence of the capitalist nature of the businesses in countries that had been influenced by Christianity. In the past when capitalism was under attack by communism, one of the chief aspects of anti-communism propaganda was claiming communism to be an anti-Christian ideology.This idea is not as far-fetched as it seems. The idea that hard working people should be rich and idle people should be poor originated from biblical passages which say that a man who does not work shall not eat. There are other biblical passages which advocate that hard work is blessed by God. Thus the idea of a capitalist country where every individual tries his/her best to gain wealth and is not hindered from doing so originated in many ways from the Christian culture. This idea also reveals how communism stood in the opposite position since the wages of every worker would be fixed reg ardless of the work put in.Apart from the above mentioned influences, similar influences are hard to pinpoint. However, they still do exist. As an example, the keeping of business places closed on Sunday is the direct result of the dedication of Sunday as a day of rest as it was established by the Catholic Church. In the current period, Christianity did attempt to make an influence in the business practices of the western world when credit cards were gaining fame and becoming part of the society. Christian influence attempted to oppose the trend because Bible passages indicated that a person should never borrow money but live by what he/she owns.Thus a hurdle was setup by this concept but it did not have much effect and credit cards became part of society. However, this indicates that Christianity is not as influential as it used to be and its power is fading. It has always been supposed and portrayed that science and Christianity stand on opposite sides. The proponents of each side for the most part believe that they will be at war with each other. And this is not an unfounded belief either because the Christian account of creation has always conflicted with the account of evolution which is accepted by the majority of scientists.The Supreme Court of the United States had upheld the scientists’ right to teach the theory of evolution in public schools and the struggle by the Christians to abolish that right has faded, since the Christians have understood that no court is going to rule in their favor [4]. However, this loss of Christianity was a major one because not only did it affect other scientific areas but it also affected aspects of culture, education, morality, etc†¦ If the very claim that God made everything could be contested and the new ideology is going to take dominance then all aspects of lifestyles will change for those who accept the new belief.And this change has already taken place and it is advancing further. The modern gay rights movement and the abortion movement though seem not to have any roots in this science VS Christianity battle, but it is only logical to perceive that the opponents of these movements are backed up by their religious belief which holds an opposing view of morality than those that the proponents of these movements hold. Regardless of the past defeats, the Christian movement has been putting up a fight against the popular claims of science in the field of biology.While the explanation for the origin of life has been attributed to the theory of evolution by its proponents, the lack of major fossil evidence as highly supposed by the early founders of this belief as well as the mostly unexplainable aspects of the complexity of life has brought into question the validity of this entire belief system. While the proponents of the theory of evolution have no answers to these new confounding problems, the lack of any supporting evidence to the original Christian belief has hindered its success into its own reestablishment.Nevertheless, the Christian side did wage a war and has attempted to take the matter of teaching their view to public school students through the idea of â€Å"Intelligent Design† to the Supreme Court. Even though the Christian side lost, their opposition is still strong and only time can determine the ultimate fate of this issue. While the influence of Christianity on most aspects of life in America has resulted in its weakening ability to maintain its power, its influence on politics stands out.Politics is the only field where Christian views regardless of the class of voters has mostly prevailed. In fact, a presidential candidate is not likely to be elected to the White House unless he reveals Christian upbringing or at least Christian views. Not only is politics inconsistent with the rest of the social structures, it is the only field that stands in utter contradiction since it had officially separated itself from all religious influences thr ough the concept of â€Å"separation of Church and State† first presented through the Constitution of America.While in other structures of society, Christianity stands in opposition to the trends and aspirations of the culture which for the most part picks liberal views over the conservative ones, in the case of politics, it is only the candidate running for his/her seat whose views are considered. The voters seem to hold the view that a candidate from a Christian background is moral and thus necessary to maintain a stable structure of the American way of life. This is not to say that the voters choose an anti-abortion or anti-gay candidate as their elected official.But the voters pick a candidate who describes his choices as being motivated by Christian views even though his interpretations of Christian morality may completely oppose Christian teachings. Thus in light of all these events and opinions, Christianity still holds its power in the field of politics although the o ther institutions have mostly rejected and ousted it. Christianity has played a crucial role in relationships, be it marital, single or family relations. Christianity teaches its followers to live with morality, and has set out a series of rules and regulations.These rules include abstinence and the legal binding of two individuals through marriage. Christianity strictly forbids sex before marriage. Whether practicing Christians follow this trend is in question due to a lack of reliable statistical data. However, many Christians choose to interpret these rules to fit their own needs and desired views. Such is the case where Christian children are taught to â€Å"respect their elders† and parents are encouraged to â€Å"discipline their children† [5].Whether â€Å"discipline† is meant as a corporal form of punishment or limiting the child’s recreational activities is left to the user’s interpretation. However, the teachings of the Bible/Christianity have often been used as justification or an excuse to abuse children This form (corporal punishment) of abuse is detrimental to a child’s physical and mental health and thus Christianity is often labeled the culprit and seen in bad light due to the fact that many infer that Christianity condones the abuse of children. From 1970 to 2000 the majority of U. S. tates voted to ban corporal punishment on a child the only exception being Ohio [6]. Christianity had influenced the modern world ever since its conception. Since the west has influenced the rest of the world dramatically, it can be said that Christianity itself has influenced the entire world. However, despite being a major religion of the world, the influence of Christianity has been fading in the past few centuries. For a majority of its existence it was the primary dictator of various ideologies. Drastic turn- around from this practice as witnessed in the contemporary orld will no doubt create a fundamentally differen t society. Whether for good or for worse, the effects of our presently upheld ideologies will only be known in its time.References1] http://worldblog. msnbc. msn. com/archive/2007/10/26/433457. aspx2] http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/1874471. stm 3] http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/10545387/  

Monday, July 29, 2019

First 3 Religion Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

First 3 Religion Journal - Essay Example The main questions worried modern religious leaders are s Should "practicing" Christian homosexuals, bisexuals, and transgendered people be allowed to serve as ordained ministers? Should the unions of gay and lesbian couples be recognized as legitimate marriages in the eyes of God? These and other questions rend congregations, denominations, and sometimes even our families. One side asserts that people should be welcomed into churches, into the ministry, and into our understanding of the American family regardless of their sexual orientation; the other side insists that any sexual preference other than heterosexuality is a sin and should be proscribed by all faithful Christians. No apparent solution to these disagreements lies on the horizon (Rudy 54). The presence and social acceptance of homosexuality challenges the concept of a God who is known solely or primarily through gender. By their very existence, gay people, and particularly gay Christians, contest the notion that human be ings are meant to live in nuclear, heterosexual families. As a result of their desire to be faithful to and known by God, conservative Christians today are producing an environment in which theological reassurance, salvation, American exceptionalism, homophobia, and political involvement have become gravely interdependent. The marriage doctrines of the Bible demonstrate that conservatives wholeheartedly support sex in instances that uphold the overarching structure of gendered theology. The vicious animosity directed toward homosexuals, along with other aspects of the family values, keeps women at home and dependent on men and thus guarantees every Christian man, woman, and child a relationship with God. Recognition that the bifurcation is not simply between "flesh" and "spirit" brings into sharp focus how hard conservative sexual ideology and the campaign for family values work to keep women in their place. The current struggle over homosexuality in the church, then, is not only a struggle about the morality of sexual preference; it is a conflict rooted in Christian identity and the nature of God (Rudy 51). The struggle among contemporary Christians over the moral acceptability of homosexuality is directly related to who God is perceived to be and how believers think God relates to us in the world tod ay. While the Christian Right championed and developed an extensive discourse about the value of the family and the sinfulness of homosexuality, mainline Christian denominations failed to issue clear, unambiguous statements on these issues. Even progressive Christians marshaled no counterpart to conservative rhetoric. In part this is due to the fact that the belief that the heterosexual nuclear family was both superior to other configurations and in need of protection was hard to escape. It was advocated not only by religious conservatives, but also by an assortment of scholars, journalists, and cultural critics who asserted the family's superiority on sociological or psychological rather than religious grounds (Rudy 54). Homosexuality violates traditional institution of marriage as a core of the society but religious believers have no right to blame or reject homosexual men. In religious tradition, the family is the source of values necessary for resistance to power and tendencies in the modern world. Another Christian justification of homosexuality rests on the idea that homosexual activity is no less moral than intentionally heterosexual activity; that is, homosexuality is morally equivalent to the use of birth control. 2. One of the nine fruits of Spirits is "Goodness". I suppose that goodness is important for every person because

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Technology in TEFL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Technology in TEFL - Essay Example It is against this background that this assignment is being written. This assignment aims at exploring the rational by which computer-based learning material has been designed. The computer-based learning material was designed to aid teaching among a group of Arabic students who are learning English at the per-intermediate level. The assignment would also give the learning context for the creation of the computer-based learning material. The learning context shall be made up of a vivid description of the students who are to benefit from the computer-based learning material that has been designed. Portions of the description shall include the strengths and weaknesses of students, the learning needs of students as well as the prospects of the students in becoming excellent English students. It is worth emphasizing that the computer-based learning material was designed based on the needs, weaknesses and future prospects of the students in questions. 2. Learning context Type of lesson: G eneral English Skills Covered - vocabulary, pronunciation, grammar, reading, listening and speaking Level: Pre-Intermediate Time: 60 minutes Class profile The class to benefit from the computer based learning material is a group of Arab students at the secondary school level. The learning level of these students can best be described as being at the pre-intermediate level. ... As noted by Gucker (2010), students generally acquire and master the receptive skills before productive skills and this is no different among the class. The students have a better command over reading and listening than writing and speaking. Clearly, the situation has arisen because with the receptive skills, much of the effort comes from teachers as compared to students. For instance in listening, it is the teacher who does the speaking for students to list. Students therefore hear the correct usage and pronunciation of English words. The same applies to reading as the teacher normally reads verbatim for students to follow. However with speaking and writing, students are expected to produce their own efforts, a situation that causes a lot of learning stress to students. Again, in students’ attempt to speak or write, it has been observed that they always have conflict of language usage with their native Arabic language. The class is made of fifteen (15) students, all of whom a re females. The number of students is relatively handy and so class monitoring and feedback is not as difficult as would have been in classes with larger class size. This means that the problem identified does not have much to do with the class size. However the problem could be linked to the limited instructional period for English language. This is because students have English lessons only two hours in a week. This situation results in students having very little time to practice English language. Clearly, language learning is an interactive exercise that demands constant learning and application of ideas studied to ensure proper comprehension (Koduah, 2001:91). Needs of Students and Aim for Lesson The most immediate needs of students has to do with their pending end

Saturday, July 27, 2019

The Law of Comparative Advantage as a Basis for Understanding Essay

The Law of Comparative Advantage as a Basis for Understanding International Trade - Essay Example In addition, comparative advantage as a basis for understanding international trade is limited by the distance between the trading partners thereby increasing the transaction cost. Introduction Since the law of comparative advantage was introduced by David Ricardo in 1817, it has been used as a basis for understanding international trade. The law explained that countries should concentrate in producing what they best and let others do what they do best. The law is based on the premises that different countries have varying endowment and therefore those countries less endowed on production of a certain good should buy from more endowed countries thereby leading to more gains in trade. Ricardo demonstrated this law by giving the example of cloth and wine production between Portugal and England. Portugal is highly endowed in the production of the two and therefore Portugal would have to export the two. On the other hand, England would have to import the two goods thereby failing to gain from trade. Given that comparative advantage is based on relative operation costs, doing some things is comparatively more beneficial than others ("Comparative advantage: Doing what you do best", 2011, p. 32). ... 82). Although comparative remains a critical determinant of trade, OECD countries are more similar economically and therefore trade based on comparative advantage may not find application in current international trade ("Comparative advantage: Doing what you do best", 2011, p. 32). Despite the economic similarities among OECD countries, there are some differences which can drive trade based on comparative advantage. Moreover, there are remarkable differences between OECD countries and non-OECD countries and between non-OECD. Consequently, applicability of the comparative advantage could be more pronounced in North to South trade and South-South trade rather than it is for the North to North trade ("Comparative advantage: Doing what you do best", 2011, p. 32). In addition to the only one factor of production proposed by Ricardo, productive of the country is influenced by physical capital, level of education and availability of credit. Heckscher-Ohlin contradicts the argument of Ricard o and argues that varied comparative advantage among countries emerges due to differences in the abundance of factors and the intensity with which the goods rely on those factors (Morrow, 2010, p. 139). This paper seeks to analyze seeks to analyze the application of Ricardo’s and Heckscher-Ohlin law of comparative advantage to influence international trade and assess the extent to which international trade is affected by comparative advantage. International trade and comparative advantage based on Ricardo’s and Heckscher-Ohlin trade theories Production levels world over demonstrate heterogeneity and specialization (Kamery, 2004, p. 115). For instance, US produces over 35 percent of total

Friday, July 26, 2019

Marketing Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing - Dissertation Example 110). While this is more pronounced overseas, as France and Germany have been shown in a study to take corporate stewardship more seriously than do Americans, Americans still believe that corporate responsibility is important – â€Å"a recent survey of some 2500 Americans found that 36 percent claimed they seriously considered a company’s corporate citizenship when deciding whether to buy its products† (Paine, 2003, p. 110). Moreover, if a corporation does actions that are disapproved of – say, it is revealed that the corporation conducts unnecessary and cruel tests on animals – this hurts the bottom line, and can lead to boycotts, which are a PR nightmare and can lead to a serious dip in consumers buying its products (Paine, 2003, p. 110). The reason why I chose this topic is because animal testing, especially when the testing is not necessary for advancements for human health, as is the case with cosmetics testing, is one that inspires much passio n on either side of the question, and is an important element of corporate social responsibility. For some people, any kind of animal testing should be verboten, even if the testing is done in the interest of finding human cures. For others, animal testing might not be a problem because, after all, they are â€Å"just animals.† For still others, certain kinds of animal testing might be acceptable, especially if the testing would lead to a medical cure, while other types of testing, such as testing regarding cosmetics, would not be acceptable. How each of these groups view this element of corporate social responsibility would be the center of the inquiry. C. Aims and Objectives The aims of this project will be to discover the feelings of people from all three of the above groups when it comes to certain companies that use animal testing. Do they buy from companies that use animal testing? If not, why not? If so, why? Perhaps a passionate animal advocate might buy products from a cosmetic company that animal tests – what might explain this incongruence? Moreover, I am interested in discovering if companies that do not test on animals emphasize this fact in the advertising campaigns. Lastly, I am interested in finding out how these campaigns affect consumers, and whether or not consumers are less likely to buy from companies that are known to test on animals, and more likely to buy from companies that tout the fact that they do not test on animals. D. Initial Literature Review One of the questions that is of interest is why some people care more about animal rights than do others. The reason why this is an important question is because it can answer why certain consumers will not buy products from cosmetic companies that use animal testing, while others do not care either way. Unti and Rowan (2001) theorize that childhood attitudes accounts for who has more compassion for animals than others (Unti & Rowan, 2001, p. 27). Other theories state that the concern from animals comes to a concern for the oppressed (Unti & Rowan, 2001, p. 27). As to the question of whether companies emphasize their corporate social responsibility, there is some indication that they do not (Blyth, 2003, p. 16). As for the question about how corporate irresponsible practices, such as animal testing, affect consumers, it is useful to examine how consumers react to other corporate social irresponsible

E-Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

E-Commerce - Essay Example The use of the Internet in this sector has given birth to e-tourism. In this scenario, e-tourism deals with offering tourism and travel related services and products over the internet. Additionally, modern IT based tools and technologies play a significant role in connecting the tourism chain creating a large number of advantages for all stakeholders involved in this business and, eventually, to the end user. In this scenario, the electronic commerce (e-commerce) can catalyze the tasks that are performed in the tourism sector. In addition, the e-tourism sector can modernize a number of ways of creating and maintaining the tourism business (Scavarda et al., 2001; Tremblay, 1998). This paper presents a detailed analysis of this latest emerging trend. The basic purpose of this research is to analyze different aspects of e-tourism. This paper also discusses the latest developments in this area. Literature Review E-tourism industry has developed as a Frontline area of information technolo gy. Many scholars and academics have conducted researches related to e- tourism industry as this industry is growing rapidly and more and more people get interested in studying this sector narrowly. Some of the researchers have highlighted the positive aspects of e-tourism; its success factors and development and some have emphasized on the challenges and weaknesses that are being faced by e-tourism industry. Developments in E-tourism In their research article, (Connell & Reynolds, 1999) discuss that there is a change in the entire system of operations of a tourism company with the emergence and implementation of new technologies. Additionally, due to the lively progress in using the information and communication technology, there is a big change in the arrangement and procedures in the tourism industry. These modifications are clear in a way that now the tourism organizations interconnect and interact with their customers and how they bring about the task of their distribution. The se progresses provide a chance for inventive tourism industry to enhance their comparative position in the global marketplace. In addition, e-commerce and ICTs are playing a major role in exploiting the internal competence and efficiency of tourism organizations. E-tourism has transformed the entire business process, the whole value chain and the relationships of travel and tourism industry with the interested parties (Connell & Reynolds, 1999; Scavarda et al., 2001). In other words, it can be said that e-tourism will progressively govern the effectiveness of the organization (Schoefer, 2003). The research shows the travel and tourism sector is believed to be a significant element of today’s financial system. A survey carried out a well known firm known as World Travel & Tourism Council (www.wttc.travel) revealed that almost 13% of the international GDP is derived from tourism and travel sector. On the other hand, tourism and travel sector has appeared as a major functional a rea in the b2c (business to commerce) e-commerce, for the reason that it corresponds to more than 50%

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Markerting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Markerting - Essay Example Design/methodology/approach – The scope of the study qualitatively considered university student consumer behavior. The methodology implemented a case study and 100 questionnaires derived from the internet database (survey monkey), as well as 50 questionnaires from campus. The study implements a non-probability, self-selecting sampling technique. The qualitative methodology consisted of interviewing five university students. A semi-structured technique was used. Finding – A number of significant findings were determined. A significant number of university students owned netbook computers and they found the following things significant: battery life, price, product quality, storage memory, Bluetooth, design and elegance. The participants generally had a high knowledge of computer knowledge. They are also brand conscious. There were a few problems detected but most were anticipated in the literature review. The research investigates the university students’ perspectives on netbooks, in order to get the information about the students’ consumer trends regarding netbook products. And to determine the wants and needs university students have for netbook products. Netbook is an extremely lightweight personal computer. Intel introduced the netbook in February 2008 to describe small, low cost, light weight, and lean functioning subnotebooks designed for optimal internet use. PCWORLD (2008) towards the end 2008, netbooks had ultimately become a larger commodity than laptops. Figures estimate that nearly 30 times more netbooks were sold in (11.4 million, 70% of which were in Europe than in 2007 (400,000). For 2009 sales are expected to increase to 35 million, and an estimated 139 million in 2013. This trend is reinforced by the rise of web-based applications as well as mobile networking and, according to Wired Magazine, netbooks have changed into "super-portable laptops for professionals". PCWORLD (2008),

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

The Possitive and Negative Effects of the Death Penalty Essay

The Possitive and Negative Effects of the Death Penalty - Essay Example Recently, the debate over the use of the death penalty has become highly contentious, and its use as a form of punishment has decreased across the nation (Katz, Livett and Shustorovich 318). For example, most of the executions that occurred during 2002 occurred in the South of the USA, with Texas accounting for three times as many executions as those carried out in the West, Midwest and Northeast altogether. Overall, most states did not use the death penalty during 2002. Currently, the debate focuses on the availability of empirical evidence, and discourse on ethics and morality, to determine whether the death penalty should, or should not, remain as a punishment alternative. This paper aims to review the arguments of the death penalty debate. Firstly, the arguments For the use of capital punishment shall be outlined. Secondly, the arguments Against the use of the death penalty shall be presented. Finally, a conclusion shall synthesize the main arguments and make recommendations for future research. A dominant argument for the use of the death penalty is that the highest interest for a society is to prevent the deviant behavior of murder, and so the strongest punishment should be employed to deter the potential for murder to occur (Death Penalty Curricula for High School). According to this reasoning, the death of those who do commit murder will motivate other potential murderers to re-think their actions, as they will fear the loss of their own life. The arguments For the death penalty contend also, that although many studies show the results of the deterrent hypothesis to be inconclusive, that this may well be because the punishment is so infrequently used, due to the long process involved to actually carry out an execution (Katz, Livett and Shustorovich 318). It is postulated that the US states that utilize the death penalty would have much higher rates of murder if they did not use this form of punishment at all. Also, the arguments focus on the ability for capital punishme nt to deter those who are executed for murder, not only as a protection for the public, but also for other prisoners and staff who work within the prison system (Death Penalty Curricula for High School). Ultimately, it is contended, as a form of permanent incapacitation the death penalty aids in crime prevention and so the protection of society. An in-depth study by Isaac Ehlich is often pointed to as providing proof that murder rates change when there is the likelihood of losing one's life for the crime (Ehlich [a] 32). Ehlich concluded that as many as 7 or 8 murders were prevented through the use of capital punishment in the USA, during the period from 1933 to 1967 (Ehlich [b] 15). Furthermore, to support Ehlich's findings, a study in England by Wolpin found that for every execution, there was a reduction, on average, of four other

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Decisions in Paradise Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Decisions in Paradise Paper - Essay Example Issues Kava is an island located in the South Pacific. The country has certain social problems due to the fact that the region has a very diverse ethnic and cultural background. Diversity can lead to problems of segmentation between the populations. Another issue with the population of Kava is that the age composition is extremely low. In Kava over 50% of the population is under the age of 15. For business a population with such a low median age is bad because minors are not a part of the labor force of a nation. There are health concerns within the population of Kava. The country has been hit hard by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. If a lot of the employees are infected with the HIV virus this could have a negative impact on the company because the insurance costs are going to be high. Another issue with the population of Kava is that a large portion is indigenous. Indigenous cultures tend to have lower levels of formal education in comparison with urban cultures. A major business risk of do ing business in Kava is that the region is susceptible to multiple natural disasters scenarios including earthquakes, tsunamis, tornados, floods, fires, volcanic eruptions, and hurricanes. The Kava territory is also susceptible to terrorist threats from internal and external sources. Problem Statement Kava is a country that has had troubles attracting foreign investment due to the underdevelopment of the region and the high risk of natural disasters. There is nothing the people of Kava can do about the inherent business risk that nature poses to companies that penetrate this marketplace. Environmental Analysis Doing business in Kava is a high risk proposition for Starbucks Cafe. The country is susceptible to many kinds of natural disasters. To offset the risk of this proposition the company can invest in insurance, but the premiums are going to be high. Despite the country’s susceptibility to natural disasters the country has valuable strategic agricultural crops for Starbuck s Cafe including coffee and cocoa. Due to the high unemployment and necessity of the region Kava would be a perfect location to implement a fair trade coffee plantation. Stakeholders Perspective There are numerous stakeholders that must be considered in any expansion plan into Kava. As a company investing in a foreign market the firm must act in the best interest of the shareholders. The shareholders of Starbucks Cafe expect expansion projects to generate a profit. To accept the project its net present value (NPV) must be higher than cero (Besley & Brigham, 2000). A second stakeholder group that must be considered is the government of Kava. The government of Kava is looking for ways to decrease the unemployment rate and increase its tax revenues. The only way for the government to achieve those goals is by attracting foreign investment. A third stakeholders group that has to be considered is the population of Kava. There are a lot of children living in Kava. Employing the adult popu lation will enable the parents to be able to provide food, medicine, and shelter to the innocent children. A large portion of the population of Kava is composed of indigenous people. Protecting their unique culture and identity is important. The diversity of the population

Monday, July 22, 2019

The Theology of Pastoral Counseling Essay Example for Free

The Theology of Pastoral Counseling Essay The present paper dwells on the theology of being a pastoral helping presence. It articulates the theological stance in pastoral counseling that can also be defined as spiritual/soul counseling in the contemporary setting. The point of view chosen is the one of the person who is a helping professional. The paper traces the patterns in which counseling and theology are enmeshed in the process of conducting pastoral help: to be precise, the concept of counseling, the specifics of pastoral counseling, the place of religion in conducting and receiving pastoral counseling, the dichotomy of body and soul, spirituality, the processes that structure human perception in regard of counseling needs, and. For the goals of the paper it is important to define the basic concept of pastoral counseling. One may think that the process takes place in a church or some other religious environment exclusively. Judging from the examples of modernity, though, such point of view is hardly correct. As one may see, religion stopped being chained solely to the church as the place where sermons are served and other religious ceremonies are conducted. Once Ross stated that pastoral counseling â€Å"helps each person tell their story in a faith context as well as within their personal context. † It means that the issues of religious faith and helping presence are important in any environment, be it the church, the clinic or home. To add, there is no suppression of the personal mode and value in the pastoral helping process; the specific issue of a person being counseled is integrated into the rich theological system. By theology the research often means the narrow discipline of religious thought. Such a restriction prevents counseling (especially pastoral counseling) to develop in full splendor. One of the arguments against the narrowing of â€Å"theology†-concept is tolerance. Pastoral helping is of high value for both the believers and non-believers in terms of Christian or other faith. The situation of conflict (death, the change of state, loss, disruptive emotions or actions, etc. ) is the common reason for a human being to seek help and clinical or pastoral counseling. Non-pastoral counseling enables a person to look for the conflict resolution but the effect may be unstable and incomplete; meanwhile, pastoral presence makes a person to understand the chain of spirituality and the integrity of existence. If to recall Jonah in the belly of the fish, non-pastoral counseling is the process of Jonah’s salvation from the perilous situation, whereas pastoral counseling makes a human being in crisis open-eyed to the Revelation. Ross after Abram called the pastoral counseling an arena or a ‘transitional space’ in which some revelatory understanding of experience can be developed. The revelation or discovery of God is better structured in the process of pastoral counseling because it comprises moral, ethical and metaphysical elements of a universal theological system and the necessities of everyday human life. The aforesaid necessities visibly echo to the religious concepts such as the one of Holy Trinity, the Exodus, the actions of Prophets and Saints. The essence of pastoral helping, thus, is the one of relationship, revelation and hope. It is interesting to research here the essence of helping and problem solving provided in pastoral counseling in comparison to psychotherapeutic counseling and physical care. According to Ross, pastoral counseling is a relationship in which a person agrees to explore issues of meaning and being, helped by another, drawing on psychological and spiritual insights informed by a tradition shaped within a community of faith. The mentioning of psychological and spiritual insights drives the researcher to recall about psychology and psychiatry with their concept apparatus. These sciences aim at mental healing in the similar was as medicine aims at physical healing. The comparison of psychology, medical care and pastoral counseling makes one think that mind and body are traditionally seen as separate realms of a human being of unequal value. The understanding of soul is even more deemed. Most people see the soul as something opposite to the body or inferior to it. Plato stressed the eternal nature of soul that had been created prior to body; the body was mortal, whereas the soul could not die. In the Old Testament, meanwhile, people are referred to as living souls. The concept of soul means a lot for pastoral counseling as it was proved in the brilliant article by Malony who suggested an extensive discourse on the questions of the soul/spirituality/soulness/soulishness element in counseling. Malony criticized both the rational/emotive approach (Albert Ellis, 1965, 1980) and the nouthetic approach (Jay Adams, 1970, 1979) to counseling in regard to the spiritual filler. The former treats a human being as the physically-oriented creature whose primary task is to adjust to environment. The latter approach emphasizes the salvation of soul in religion as the primary task for a human being. Malony proposed a monistic approach or nonreductive physicalism in order to treat human beings as body/soul unities or entities. Such a dichotomous integrity of flesh and soul in a life was perfectly worded in the famous saying from John 1:14, â€Å"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. † One may assume that there is no rigid boundary between physical and spiritual worlds which are interconnected. In the post-modern environment the genuinely theological quest for the human soul was inherited by psychology with its concepts of mental processes, ego, emotional and cognitive drivers. This theological-psychological relay does not imply complete identity. Whereas theological perspective used to find love, the psychological one means libido. In other words, whereas psychotherapeutic science concentrates on the stimuli or causes for disruptive mental processes, on symptomatic analysis and the structure of mental reactions, theological counseling seems to be more â€Å"interested [†¦] in correcting causes† of human conflicts. And pastoral counsels sincerely believe that the human soul may be tortured with pain and desperation in the same way as the human body may be tortured with cancer. It is the soul which is aided in pastoral counseling. James (1985) assumed that there are four cognitive/perceptual processes that strengthen soul in the process of establishing spiritual integrity and managing conflicts and grieves according to divine laws. He spoke of insights, understandings, feelings, and actions which seem to be brain functions. But Malony noticed that the aforesaid processes are enriched with new meaning when they focus on â€Å"transempirical reality. † In the process of pastoral counseling the current and daily issues of a person in need are reframed against the eternal spiritual and theological perspective. A person is guided to the understanding that â€Å"we are not alone, since the creation points to one who is beyond us so that the ‘why’ question becomes the ‘who’ question. † John Patton (1990) shrewdly stated that pastoral counseling â€Å"involves assisting persons to move from talking generally about themselves and specifically about their problems to talking specifically about themselves and generally about their problems. † Malony, Ross and Patton similarly emphasized the value of theological perspective that made pastoral counseling a powerful media to guide living souls through unstable situations and problematic issues. Like psychotherapeutic or clinical counseling, the pastoral one has the aim of helping the person to fit into the environment in the healthy and authentic way. Any counseling means â€Å"personal healing and social involvement;† it develops diagnosis of the problem into a new process of active self-rediscovering, which is â€Å"a healing endeavor based on active listening and the giving of counsel. † But pastoral counseling has a more valuable effect on a person due to its theological underlining. It helps a person to rediscover and straighten his/her spirituality instead of momentous fixing of a problem with all the spiritual gains and revelations sinking into oblivion the other day. To put it in a nut-shell, the pastoral helping encompasses several systems of knowledge and action including psychology, therapeutic care, communication as well as theological perspective. Though pastoral counseling activates the same brain functions as psychotherapy does – e. g. , insights, understandings, feelings, and actions pastoral counseling seems to be better organized than counseling per se from the transempirical point of view. The pastoral helping reminds people of the higher sense and meaning in life which is not just the implementation of mechanistic and materialistic rules. The relations between the participants of the counseling process are holistic in sense that the recipient of counseling is no less valuable and worth to exist than the pastoral counselor. The latter is always kept on guard by the warning given to Ezra, â€Å"You are not a better judge than God, or more intelligent than the Most High! † It is no surprise that Donald Capps (1981) named counseling â€Å"the activity of God. † The person being counseled analyzes the specific processes of his/her specific life and, simultaneously, he/she is helped to view his/her particularities from the eternal, longitudinal, divine perspective. Works Cited The Complete Bible: An American Translation, trans. J. M. Powis Smith and Edgar J. Goodspeed [book on-line] (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1939, accessed 10 February 2006), 26; available from Questia, http://www.questia. com/PM. qst? a=od=82397656; Internet. Lyall, David. â€Å"Pastoral Counselling In a Postmodern Context. † In Clinical Counselling in Pastoral Settings, edited by Gordon Lynch, 7-21. London: Routledge, 1999. Malony, H. Newton. â€Å"Counseling Body/Soul Persons. † International Journal for the Psychology of Religion 8. 4 (1998): 221-242. Ross, Alistair. â€Å"The Place of Religious Tradition in Pastoral Counselling. † In Clinical Counselling in Pastoral Settings, edited by Gordon Lynch, 37-50. London: Routledge, 1999.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Impact Of Government Policies On Women Empowerment Sociology Essay

Impact Of Government Policies On Women Empowerment Sociology Essay This paper presents the impact of government policies on women empowerment. This paper firstly defines women empowerment and then list out the government policies on women empowerment in the various Five year plans. Then on the basis of the data collected, I compared the degree of empowerment in the rural and urban women. The degree of empowerment was measured on four indices which were:- womens mobility and social interaction; womens labour patterns; womens access to and control over resources; and womens control over decision-making. Introduction The past three decades have witnessed a steadily increasing awareness of the need to empower women through measures to increase social, economic and political equity, and broader access to fundamental human rights, improvements in nutrition, basic health and education. The principle of gender equality is enshrined in the Indian Constitution in its Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Directive Principles. The Constitution not only grants equality to women, but also empowers the State to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favor of women. Defining Womens Empowerment Empowerment is a continuous process for realizing the ideals of equality, human liberation and freedom for all. Womens Empowerment, thus, implies equality of opportunity and equity between the genders, ethnic groups, social classes and age groups, strengthening of life chances, collective participation in different spheres of lifecultural, social, political, economic, development process, decision making etc. Naila Kabeer defines womens empowerment as the process by which those who have been denied the ability to make strategic life choices acquire such ability. This ability to exercise choices incorporates three inter-related dimensions: resources which include access to and future claims to both material and social resources; agency which includes the process of decision-making, negotiation, deception and manipulation; and achievements that are the well-being outcomes. Smt Renuka Chowdhury(Minister of State for Women and Child Development ) says that, Empowerment to me means self esteem self reliance self confidence. Sometimes one thinks if this was there, if that was there, this could have been done. But you dont need any of that if a woman is aware of her rights, of herself, if her self esteem is high, then she is empowered Governments Policies on womens empowerment The need for Womens empowerment was felt in India long back. Mahatma Gandhi had announced at the Second Round Table Conference(1932) that his aim was to establish a political society in India in which there would be no distinction between people of high and low classes and in which women would enjoy the same rights as men and the teeming millions of India would be ensured dignity and justice- social, economic and political. The countrys concern in safeguarding the rights and privileges of women found its best expression in the Constitution of India, covering fundamental rights and the directive principles of state policy. Articles 14, 15, 15(3), 16, 39, 42, 51 (A) (e) contain various types of provisions for equal rights and opportunities for women and eliminate discrimination against women in different spheres of   life. From the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-78) onwards there has been a marked shift in the approach to womens issues from welfare to development. In recent years, the empowerment of women has been recognized as the central issue in determining the status of women. The Eighth Plan (1992-97), with human development as its major focus, renewed the emphasis on development of women. It sought to ensure that benefits of development from different sectors do not by-pass women. It aimed at implementing special programmes to complement the general development programmes and ensure the flow of benefits to women from other development sectors to enable women to function as equal partners and participants in the development process. The Ninth Plan (1997-2002) made two significant changes in the conceptual strategy of planning for women. First, Empowerment of Women became one of nine primary objectives of the Ninth Plan. Second, the Plan attempted convergence of existing services available in both women-specific and women-related sectors. The Tenth plan continued with the major strategies of Empowering Women as agent of social change and development. It adopted a sector specific 3-fold strategy for empowering women viz. Social empowerment, Economic empowerment and Gender justice. Inclusive and integrated economic, social and political empowerment with gender justice is how the Eleventh Plan envisions empowerment of women. New laws such as the Employment Equity Act, the Labour Relations Act and the policy of affirmative action, mean that employers (in the public and private sector) must introduce programmes, which ensure the representation of women in all professions and job grades, at equal pay and guarantees maternity rights. Government is also working to ensure that gender issues are mainstreamed in all its programmes and structures, and has created a gender machinery to monitor and advise government. This consists of the Offices on the Status of Women in the Presidency, Premiers and Mayoral offices, the Commission for Gender Equality, gender desks in departments and gender committees in Parliament and Legislatures. Measuring the Impact of Government Policies on Womens Empowerment Given the complexity of defining womens empowerment, I identified the following four indices that could lead to womens empowerment Womens mobility and social interaction; Womens labour patterns; Womens access to and control over resources; and Womens control over decision-making. Thereafter, I conducted a survey among the Rural and Urban houses of Allahabad and Varanasi to find out the impact of government policies on womens empowerment. Results and Findings I compared the data of the two areas and the results are as follows-: Womens mobility and interaction. The survey found that urban women are more mobile and begun to have new interactions with a range of officials. In all, the survey found that: 50% of urban women surveyed had visited new places and traveled longer distances; In comparison to this only 5% of rural women surveyed had visited new places and traveled longer distances. 94% of urban women surveyed had experienced new interactions with staff of institutions such as banks, district and block development organizations and NGOs . In comparison to this only 2% of rural women surveyed had experienced new interactions with staff of institutions such as banks, district and block development organizations and NGOs. Womens labour patterns. The survey finds major difference in gender division of labour. 71% of the urban houses surveyed men helped the women and only in 3% of the rural houses surveyed men helped the women. The extent to which men helped was related to The health of the woman (men helped more if women were sick) The type of household (men helped more in a nuclear household) The gender and age of the children (men helped less if girl children were present to help). There was a comparatively greater difference reported in non-domestic productive tasks. 40% of urban women who had taken bank loans reported a marked change in gender roles, and only 6% of rural women reported a small change. However, the income-generating activities of the majority of women (both Urban and Rural) in male-headed households (for which loans had been taken) continued to be managed by men (presumably, the womens husbands). Therefore, the changes in womens labour patterns were mixed, and not as positive as along other dimensions. There was little indication that womens control over their labour had undergone a marked change, and the survey noted that many women(both Urban and Rural) may simply have gone from undertaking paid work outside the home to becoming unpaid family labourers (in male-managed enterprises). Womens access to and control over resources. The survey also looked into womens access to non-loan-related resources and benefits, and particularly to common resources. In all the survey found that 70% of urban women had accessed to non-loan-related resources and benefits. Only 10% of rural women had accessed to non-loan-related resources and benefits. It seems that a number of the women undertook activities that would give their communities better infrastructure or services, for instance in water supply, child-care facilities, health care services and improved roads. In this sense, they played a key role in promoting changes in collective access to resources. Womens control in intra-household decision-making. The survey found that 83% of urban women play a significant role in intra-household decision making. Whereas only 5% of rural women play a significant role in intra-household decision making. There seemed to be a slight improvement in womens involvement in household decision-making in male-headed households, on such issues as credit, the disposal of household assets, childrens education, and family health care. However, the traditional gender-based divisions persist in intra-household decision-making. Women basically decide on food preparation, and men make the financial decisions. CONCLUSION It was found that the government policies on women empowerment are far more affective in urban areas than in rural areas. This is the reason why urban women are more empowered than the rural women .However, the empowerment of Rural Women is crucial for the development of the Rural Bharat. The remedy for empowerment lies in a strong will power and a gender just reform in the whole system covering the major interrelated issues of Economic welfare, Social justice and Education. It requires every segment of society, women as well as men; government, laws, judiciary, political parties and media.

Trans-boundary Natural Resource Management (TBNRM) Essay

Trans-boundary Natural Resource Management (TBNRM) Essay Trans-boundary natural resource management (TBNRM) can be defined as process of cooperation across boundaries that facilitates or improves the management of natural resources to the benefit all parts in the area concerned (Griffin et al, 1999). TBNRM it attempts to address the challenges of managing natural resources that are collaborated or shared across international or political boundaries and not ecologically, For instance the Albert national park was the national park across international border in Africa that was established by the Belgium colonial regime in 1925 to conserve natural resources occurring in two countries. It spanned the colonial state of Rwanda-Burundi and the Congo (Van der Linde, 2001). The Africans major fall in land, river, lake, forest and national parks (Lycklama à   Nijeholt et al, 2001), and these are as follows: River as natural resources form a narrow or wide channel of water which pass across the country or form the boundary between countries, these rivers contain numerous valuable wildlife that migrate across borders (katerere et al, 2001). For example river Limpopo across boulders (Botswana, south Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe) (Microsoft student, 2008), Orange river (Lesotho and Namibia), Congo river (DRC and Republic of Congo), Nile river from east Africa source in lake Victoria flow through Uganda, Egypt, Sudan to Mediterranean sea ( Microsoft student, 2008), the conservation of these rivers need cooperation and collaborations between nations. National park is one of the major natural resource in Africa, since most of these ecological cuts across international boundaries for instance Kruger national park one of the national park in the world located in South Africa bordered by Mozambique and Zimbabwe, The W-Aryl-Pendjari (WAP) is the national park that is complex straddles the countries of Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger and one of the largest continuous protected areas in Africa, the great Limpopo trans-frontier parks is the African largest protected area that spread through Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, the mountain gorilla conservation in Virunga heartland in central albertine rift region of east central Africa span the borders of Democratic Republic of Congo( DRC), Rwanda and Uganda. Congo basin forest forms ecosystem shared by Cameroon, Central Africa, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya and Serengeti National Park in United Republic Tanzania the two neighboring trans-boundaries protected areas where every year herds of wildebeest Zebra and other herbivores migrate between Serengeti national park in Tanzania and Masai Mara game reserved in Kenya (Microsoft students, 2008). Trans-boundary lakes, African continent has a plenty of shared lakes that cuts across international boundaries and some act international boundaries for example lake Tanganyika in the great rift valley that border on north by Burundi, east Tanzania, south Tanzania and west DRC. Lake Victoria found in east central Africa bordered by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Lake Chad located at the junction of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameron. Lake Turkana found in central Africa boarded in North West by Kenya with the northern most tip in south western Ethiopia. Lake Albert an elliptical lake in east central Africa located on western Uganda and north eastern DRC, Lake Malawi or Nyasa located in the great rift valley between Malawi on the west Tanzania and Mozambique on east (Microsoft student, 2008). In spite of the African continent to have endowed with different trans-boundary natural resources across countries that contribute to the economic development, these resource posed a great challenge in terms of their utilizations/exploitation or their conservation and or management, hence the following are some of the challenges facing the management of trans-boundary natural resources in Africa:- Differences in conservation policies, Kenya has long pursued aggressive prevention policies concerning wildlife, where as Tanzania has promoted consumptive use including sport hunting, licenses hunting which does not consider proper policies of hunting wildlife. Such differences obviously exacerbate or accelerate problem in natural resources management. Also there has been experimentation on a ground scale with resources which involves less or no consultation of the other member’s country and this cause conflicts (Serageldin and sfer-younis, 1996). Management issues in resources are difficult to address at the scale of programs where additional requirements of seeking cooperation for example are cooperation on management of rhino and elephant poaching in Masai Mara in east Africa. Under this situation different sets authority among the stakeholders with different policies and laws find it difficult to unity and control the illegal activities in recourses (Lock wood, Worboys and Kothari, 2006). Poor agreements that is timely, equitable and acceptable by all riparian countries. For example the Nile basin which its management find difficulties among members from the upstream and downstream as Egypt and the Sudan recently exchange threats over the use of the Nile river, also Tanzania and Malawi over lake Nyasa and Kenya and Uganda on the ownership of mountain Elgon. These result in constant conflict and mismanagement of natural resources. Also most of the agreements were either the agreements made by between colonizers or bilateral agreements which contradiction among those nations shared the natural resources (Malasse abtew and Stegn, 2014). Protected areas managers and stakeholders find it difficult to determine those issues that have a specific trans-boundary element for example, it is self evident that trans-boundary protected areas must involve and benefit local people, but trans-boundary program may well involve many other aspects such as community who were previously divided by the imposition of an international border which also may associate with border conflicts among the nation involved for example the lake Victoria conflict between Kenya and Uganda on Mgingo island(Lock wood, Worboys and Kothari,2006). Lack of international system to enforce agreements, there are many mechanisms for trans-boundary management that has been agreed among nations faces difficulties in its implementation. Among them are African agreements like African Conversion on the conservation of nature and natural resources of September 1968, river basin agreements which include the Niger basin Authority, the lake Chad basin commission, the Senegal river develop organization, the Gambia river development organization and the Zambezi river authority also specific agreements like Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda agreements on management of lake Victoria. (Serageldin and Sfer-younis, 1996). Lack of trust among stakeholders’, many stakeholders fails to trust each other on the conservation of trans-boundary natural resource especially in policies on conservations and utilization of natural resources for example stakeholders like community and community, government and government, community and Non-Government Organization, private sector and government (Goldman, 1998). Limited trust among stakeholders reduces cooperation and full participation among stakeholders. This limit the natural resource management conservation (Chifamba, 2012) Different level of economic development, different level of economic development may impose challenges in trans-boundary natural resources management; different nations have difference contribution to trans-boundary natural resources management, for instance different between South Africa and Zimbabwe. The stages in economic development among neighboring countries lead to analogous different in priorities for trans-boundary natural resources management objectives which may sometimes not allowing compatible , hence make it difficult in collaboration on trans-boundary natural resources management programs (Chifamba, 2012) In general trans-boundary natural recourses management is affected by lack of solid data about environmental issues makes cooperation difficult, absence of appropriate financing scheme for effective trans-boundary management also lack of international system in enforcing the agreement because the world has not yet found an adequate system to settle disputes related to trans-boundary programs. All those and other problems might be solved by ways such as ; proper involvement of stakeholders which is key to adaptive management, proper and clear statement concerning trans-boundary resources management also, enhancing or promotion of A forestation in riparian areas. References Chifamba, E (2012) Trans-boundary Natural Resource Management and distribution of rights and benefits to look communities on the Zimbabwe- South African Border. Zimbabwe . International journal of politics and good governance. Goldman, M. (1998). Inventing the Commons: Theories and Practices of the Commons’ Professional. In M. Goldman (Ed), Privatizing Nature: Political Struggles for the Global Commons: London .Pluto press Griffin, J., Cumming, S and Metcalfe, S. (1999). Study on the development of trans-boundary Natural Resource Management areas in Southern Africa, world wildlife fund: Washington D.C, USA. Griffin, J.,Cumming, S., Metcalfe, S.,Tsas-Rolfel, M and Singh, J.(1999). Trans-boundary Natural Resource Management in sub Saharan Africa. Biodiversity Support Program c/o World Wildlife Fund: Washington DC, USA. Katerere, Y., Hill, R and Mayo, S. (2001).A Critique of Trans-boundary Natural Resource Management in Southern Africa. Paper No1. IUCN-ROSA series on Trans-boundary Natural Resources Management. ICUW. The World Conservation Union. Lockwood, M., Worboys, L. and Kothari (2006).Managing protected areas: A Global Guide library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Dat, USA. Lycklama à   Nijeholt, R., Debie, S and Creerling, C(2001). Beyond Boundaries: Regional Overviews of Trans-boundary NRM on West Africa. Biodiversity Support Program: Washington DC, USA. Malesse, M.A., Abtew, W and Setegn, G.(2014). Nile River Basin: Eco hydrological challenges, Climate change and Hypropolitics. Springer Print: New York- USA, Microsoft Cooperation (2007) Microsoft student 2008, Redmond, WA: Microsoft cooperation. Selegeldin, I and Sfeir- Younis, A. (1996). Effective Financing of Environmentally Sustainable Development. World Bank publications. Van derlinde, H., Oglethorpe, J. Snelson, D. and Tessema,Y.(2001) Beyond Boundaries: Trans- boundary Natural Resource Management in Sub Saharan Africa, Biodiversity Support Program: Washington DC, USA.

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Challenges of a Global Business Essay -- International Business Manage

Conducting global business is extremely complex and difficult. At times both countries involved may not be in agreement, but decide to conduct business anyway. For a company to conduct business in another country there is extensive research, negotiation, and compromise done before it can be finalized. Even though not all standards meet those of the United States, some companies continue to make business abroad. Some companies when investigated and found guilty of unethical behavior, blame their actions on not knowing about it or on the subcontractor or supplier. It is inevitable to avoid ethical issues when conducting global business. This is mainly because of differentiation of foreign laws, regulations, and policies. Among those there are also culture and language barriers that contribute to the origin of ethical dilemmas. More than anything cultures is one of the primary reason for why ethical issues come up amongst all others. Globalization is criticized for its practice of unethical behavior in countries where individual’s freedoms are subjective. Some of many global ethical issues that exist in today’s world include corruptions and money laundering, human rights under totalitarian regimes, workplace conditions, environmental issues, respect for local customs and cultures, and many more (LEVINE). Developing nations are more susceptible to have ethical issues than developed countries. This is mainly due to cultures, customs, norms, and poverty. Corruption and money laundering is being seen on the news across the border in Tijuana, Mexico. San Diego news is constantly reporting how the drug cartels are affecting the business in the city and stating that police are involved as well. The laundry of money has crossed the ... ...nd judged. In conclusion, globalization has changed the way societies work and the way individuals think and interact with one another. Regardless if whether we are or not in agreement with a foreign countries laws and conduct, there is little a foreign person can do. The ideal solution is for U.S. companies to do as much research about foreign countries laws, cultures to avoid being involved in unethical scandals. Works Cited De George, R. T. (2006). Business Ethics (6th ed.). Upper Sadle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc. A Pearson Education Company. The LEVIN Institute . (n.d.). Globalization 101. Retrieved from http://www.globalization101.org/issue/english/ Trevino, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2007). Managing Business Ethics. Straight Talk About How To Do It Right. [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-Text]. : John Wiley & Sons. Retrieved from , website.

Friday, July 19, 2019

Humanity as a Bridge :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People of the world are very different in many ways, and yet similarities exist. Many languages are spoken, many religions are practiced, but we have one 1 thing in common, humanity. By definition, humanity is what makes us part of the human race. Humanity is like a universal bridge, connecting groups of people to each other. Without humanity, you have many groups stranded like islands. We have to celebrate this bridge, and allow others to cross it, to experience our different cultures. We can use this knowledge of our various cultures to improve ourselves as human beings. If we're not improving, then we are taking a step back, enough steps back and we will eventually come back to where we started from. Instead we should take steps forward, crossing this bridge and uniting with the people on the other side. Uniting with people is essential to stop unwanted accidental misunderstand. Those that are not united are not familiar with each other, and those that are unf amiliar with each other have more differences, and when differences exist, conflicts arise. With conflicts come wars, with wars come destruction, destruction of the crucial bridges that connect us. If we cross the universal bridge more often, we will virtually eliminate hate and racism, something which we desperately need in this crucial and sensitive time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  People of the world are very different in many ways, and yet similarities exist. Many languages are spoken, many religions are practiced, but we have one 1 thing in common, humanity. By definition, humanity is what makes us part of the human race. Humanity is like a universal bridge, connecting groups of people to each other. Without humanity, you have many groups stranded like islands. We have to celebrate this bridge, and allow others to cross it, to experience our different cultures. We can use this knowledge of our various cultures to improve ourselves as human beings. If we're not improving, then we are taking a step back, enough steps back and we will eventually come back to where we started from. Instead we should take steps forward, crossing this bridge and uniting with the people on the other side.

Essay on Individual Verses Society in Song of Solomon -- Song Solomon

The Individual Verses Society in Song of Solomon    Toni Morrision's novel "Song of Solomon" contrasts the image of a self-made individual with that of an individual who is the product of his or her society. Since society changes, the man who simply reflects his social environment changes accordingly. But â€Å"the true individual's self-discovery depends on achieving consciousness of one's own nature and identity†(Middleton 81). This is what differentiates Pilate and Milkman from Macon and Guitar.   There are direct similarities between Milkman's and Pilate's self-discovery. They both achieve their individualistic spirit through travel, literal and symbolic. Not so for Guitar and Macon Dead jr. â€Å"Where Pilate's and Milkman's self-discovery is a journey of individuals, Guitar and Macon Dead Jr.are defined and determined by the kind of society they belong to†(Davis 225).      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Milkman is the protagonist of the novel and also the embodiment of Morrison's notion of individual self-discovery.   Throughout his life Milkman is pulled in all directions by the people around him. His father wants him to work with him, his mother wants him to go to medical school, Hagar wants a serious relationship, Guitar wants him to accept the Seven Days. Milkman rejects all of these options and drifts away from those who want to direct his life. Milkman gains his self-awareness after he leaves Southside and travels to Shalimar. The journey through Danville profoundly changes him. He looses or damages all of his material possessions before he leaves Danville. â€Å"Milkman is symbolically stripped of all of the things that connect him to his life in Southside†(Davis 225). However, it is in Shalimar that he undergoes spiritual growth and gains se... ...dividual struggles for self-definition and self awareness is connected to the discovery of their heritage, their ancestors and their culture. Ultimately Milkman's flight is the discovery of his connection with his ancestry. Toni Morrison believes that individuality without community leads to egotism. But community without individuality is a community without a spirit. Guitar and Macon are conditioned by society. Pilate and Milkman are inspired by community. â€Å"Milkman's flight is not a flight away from responsibility it is a flight into true consciousness†(Middleton 113).    Works Cited: Davis, Cynthia A. "Self, Society, and Myth in Toni Morrison's Fiction." Contemporary Literature 23.3 (1982) Middleton, David. Toni Morrison's Fiction: Contemporary Criticism. New York: Garland, 1997. Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon. New York: The Penguin Group, 1997.

Thursday, July 18, 2019

Effects of Social Networking on Society Essay

Networking as we know it today has gone a notch higher thanks to the internet and technology as a whole. The number and popularity of social networks has grown immensely since 2005. Sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Tagged and a numerous number of dating sites have found their way into our PCs and phones. All one needs to gain access to these social networks is a pc or phone and an internet connection. There are easy steps in creating a user account and once the account is up you go ahead on making new friends. Social networks allow people to overcome barriers caused by proximity and terrain helping them reconnects with far away relations and also meet people. With social networks, one does not need to travel to faraway places just to unite with their loved ones for that would take time and resources. With social networks you can use instant messaging to pass on the love to your cousin in Australia. It’s also been proven that social networks provide for creativity allowing the users to create their own awn profile and decorate it as they see fit. Blogs come in handy when it comes to creativity, We can all agree that social networks help lower social anxiety. If you suffer from such anxiety we find it easier to talk behind the silver screen where we are more comfortable. A teenager who is socially awkward will find it very helpful to ask a girl out to the school dance over Twitter. If she turns him down, it doesn’t hurt as much as it would have had it been face to face. Social networks help bring people with common interests together. Chat rooms have been developed which are more specific to their topics of discussion. With such online communities online, it’s like one has access to this titanic database of information since the discussions expose us to new ideas hereby enhancing our skills. Social networks have also helped many people with life issues like what car to buy, where to go for a holiday, where to shop and so on. One gets guidance from someone who has already had experience in the area of dilemma and once the problem is shared, the person will make a more informed decision. Social media also helps people in the low income bracket familiarize themselves with modern technology. Skills like uploading and editing pictures and videos and using the html language to edit Social networks are a powerful tool for social change. For instance in 2009 Twitter was used by Iranians to circumvent government control. Social networks are also used by politician to popularize themselves amongst the youth which are the majority in any country. Social networks are known to kill face to face interactions.  The family setup for example is affected when the teenagers are twitting during the evenings which is the only time their parents are available and thus the parent child relationship suffers immensely. A study carried out in the states showed that teens spend more than 9 hours in online chats every week. Privacy is another issue on social networks. Only recently was it found out that pictures posted over the net were not entirely erased even after the user removed them from their profiles. Unscrupulous parties who are up to no good could retrieve them and woe to you if they showed one in a compromising situation. Employers have been known to fire employees because of embarrassing photos and comments. When one creates a profile over a social network, there is no way of verifying that what they portray on their profile is true. This makes unsuspecting users vulnerable to fraudsters the likes of the 419ers. Social networks are also linked to health hazards. A new syndrome identified as the watch glass syndrome was diagnosed in social network users were people became very impatient and edgy. It also poses a problem with kids who are growing up. Once they become accustomed to instant essaging and everything at the click of a button, it becomes difficult to adapt to the real world were protocol is mandatory. A child accustomed to social networking at a tender age would probably be lacking in social skills. Another problem that comes with social networking is cyber bullying. This is especially with teens who would feel short of something and as a result their self esteem drops and performance in school related activities drops. There is also a drop in performance in companies whose employees have access to social networks. Forms get delayed brochures are not designed in time and the presentations are not up to standard all because the person concerned decided to tweet for a few minutes to â€Å"wind up† just an hour after he arrived late for work. Social networks also bring about unnecessary network traffic. Most people log into social networks between six and eight in the evening a study carried out by Steadman in Kenya showed. During this time download speeds nose dive to zero when using your phone to surf the net thanks to social networks. Social networks do not also scan their mail for viruses and scam making your phone or PC prone to a virus attack. We consider mail through social networks safe but only recently was that proven to be a false sense of security. Social networks can also be used as a tool of rebellion. Inciters have an easy time getting to the crowd since groups have been created for almost every institution and thus what one needs to do is place a comment on the group’s wall and all hell breaks loose.  Exams are boycotted, classes are forfeited, strikes are arranged and there is actually no way of stumping this out or getting the culprits since no one has succeeded in controlling the internet. From the discussion above, it is clear beyond doubt that the cons outweigh the pros and thus I conclude that social networks are doing more harm to society than good. We do not however disregard the good it has done but it need to be put to better use if it is at all to benefit society