Events in bars and clubs Essay

Another source of competition is how an event may have to source out its resources through sponsorship; this means that the event will be marketed to potential sponsors that will believe that the event will create a significant leverage to the company’s own marketing initiative. Hence, it is also important to stress to the potential sponsors the benefits of the event. This is discussed by Mack in which the author pointed out that (25):â€Å"[†¦ ] sponsorship allows organizations to reach their target market with less clutter than other communications methods, exposes the product/service directly to the market, and provides an excellent mechanism for the organization to give back to the community by which it is supported. Event sponsorship, or sponsorship marketing, refers to supporting various types of event [..] Whether the type of sponsorship is financial, media, or in-kind support (Cicora 1991), the list of company benefits derived from it can range from publicity, to product sales, image enhancement, or even improved employee morale (Decker 1991). In addition to getting sponsors, companies that are about to hold an event should also take into consideration its capabilities (Silvers). These include the ability to handle the demands of the event and the ability to have the resources. It is also important to have the ability to know how to handle different events; for instance, a bar that may be holding a fundraising concert may be faced with different challenges if organising a battle-of-the-bands. As Silvers pointed, although the core processes of these two events are the same, it should be noted that one of the important elements in events management is the ability to handle the differences in the requirements of different events. All in all, the events management concept can be considered as an important marketing activity in which an establishment or company is able to communicate certain initiatives to the public (Soares). Hence, events serve as an attractor especially if the company utilises popular channels such as concerts, dance events and exhibits,among others; these venues fulfil the curiosity, the wants and needs of the people which is why events continue to be patronised throughout time. Many enterprises venture into the nightlife sector by means of establishing bars and clubs. As Chatterton and Hollands discussed, the demand for these establishments is that these have been a part of the urban landscape; there is always the market among the youth, specifically the young professionals, who are â€Å"in search for the latest cool, chic, fashionable bar or club† (3). Because of this, it can be said that there is business in this industry, especially with the continuous influence of the entertainment and leisure sector. The nightlife scene which comprises of establishments such as bars and clubs can be also said to contribute to the local tourism initiatives (Chatteron & Holland). The success of any bar or club requires a significant understanding of the business especially in the aspect of strategy. Lawson provides many guidelines in the success of any club or bar including a good understanding on food service operations (which is a fundamental in any bar or club), the facilities, the design, the themes, and last but not the least, the business aspects. Lawson therefore emphasised the business framework of these bars and clubs which are heavy in the marketing practice; this is because this is a means for companies to get customers into the establishment. Bars and clubs, therefore, do not just have to excel in the food service operations but also in its ability to add value to its basic concept, and that is, to add event concepts to its entire operations. This is further attested by Smith in which the author mentioned that in order for bars and clubs to succeed, it needs to continuously come up with something interesting; hence, in addition to food and drinks and the regular dance floor or in-house performer, it is the specific events that make these bars and clubs special. This is therefore a part not only in the marketing aspect of the bar and club but also these events help the customers to identify what else they can do in the establishment, or at least, have something to look forward to (Smith, 75). Brown and Miron also mentioned the role of events in the success of any bar or nughtclub; these fall in the aspect of marketing and advertising. When an event takes place, the tendency is that the event is supposed to pull more people into the establishment. Hence, events help in the increase in sales and to make the club and bar more memorable to the consumers.

Poor Infection Control

Poor Infection Control This story is about a man in his twenties named Michael Skolnik. He was born in March of 1979 and died in June of 2004. He was the only child of his parents. It all started one day while he was doing normal activity, and he passed out in September of 2001. His parents took him to the hospital and a CT scan showed the slight possibility of a colloid cyst, but whatever the two to three millimeter dot was, it was not symptomatic. His mother consulted with a neurosurgeon who said that it was urgent to place Michael in ICU for observation.The neurosurgeon said that Michael needed to have brain surgery within two days. It was supposed to be a three hour operation, and Michael was only supposed to have to spend six days in the hospital. The neurosurgeon explained to Michael’s mother that he had done many of these procedures before, and that he really didn’t even have to go inside Michael’s brain to remove the cyst. He said that the cyst was there and was blocking the cerebral spinal fluid from flowing. The three hour operation ended up lasting six hours without a cyst ever being found. Meanwhile, heavy manipulation had been done to Michael’s brain.His â€Å"six day hospital stay† became five months in ICU, Twenty-two months in other medical institutions, and the last six months of his life at home, in his parent’s own ICU. Upon the hospital’s further examination of Michael’s CT scan, it became evident that the neurosurgeon’s pressure to rush Michael into surgery was unwarranted. This marked the beginning of a Thirty-two month long nightmare of brain surgeries, infections, pulmonary embolisms, respiratory arrest, vision impairment, paralysis, psychosis, severe seizure disorder, short-term memory loss, multiple organ failure, and near total dependence and disability.Michael could not eat, speak, or move anything but his right hand. Almost every day during this traumatic time, Michael w as so miserable that he actually would use his sole limb control to shape his fingers into a gun, and hold them to his temple. This 6’4† EMT and nursing student was now totally helpless and had the cognitive ability of a third grader. Michael’s medical bills amounted to be 4. 5 million dollars, and his legal bills were just beginning. His parents listened to a doctor that had claimed to have performed many surgeries finally admit in a legal deposition that Michael’s procedure had only been his second surgery ever performed.Despite all their attempts to research the doctor’s background, this was the first time they had ever heard the truth about his level of experience. They then knew they had to do something, knowing their son was never going to come back, but they wanted to make sure that it did not happen to anyone else’s family. Three years after Michael’s death this parent’s fought for physician profile transparency and disc losure in Colorado. They had found out that there were other medical malpractice cases pending and a number of formal complaints to the Board of Medical Examiners regarding this medical predator.At that time, none of this background information was available to the public, so they worked to change that. On May 24, 2007 Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed into law â€Å"The Michael Skolnik Medical Transparency Act†, which became effective on January 2, 2008. In 2009 their organization Colorado Citizens for Accountability,† launched PatientsRightToKnow. org, which allows you to find out what physician background reporting is available to you in your state.

Planning Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Planning Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 - Essay Example Also, it helps in substantiating the pros and con's involved. Through this research, other important factors will be pointed out and discussed as well. 2 An example of one of the con's of this new plan is related to the extra expense taxpayers will possibly have to bear. Funding has to come from somewhere and though it can be found in many government structures, many times the taxpayers are often the ones left with the brunt of the costs through various taxation implementations. From here the studied research will move on into how it can possibly provide a pro benefit for claimants of land and property with regard to various executions by the government for claiming land in developing. Relief compensation can sometimes be provided. There is an implied con to this as well though. Taxation falls onto the owners of land as well and sometimes the compensation they receive from the Government for entitlement to utilize their property is eaten away by taxation in capital and local forms. S o with this initial information presented thus far, this research will attempt to verify who it will be that will struggle the most (which is seeming to be taxpayers) and who will reap the most reward out of this new legislative act. All of this will be presented with a steadfast focus on the earth and the natural balance of the environment. RUNNING HEAD: THE NEW PLANNING COMPULSORY AND PURCHASE ACT OF 2004 As has been stated, there are a multitude of varying views with regards to the new Planning Compulsory Purchase Act of 2004. There are also quite a number of pro's associated and some con's as well, mainly the cons falling into an area of delay with construction and expansion procedures. The Governments' intention is to have the developers understand that, by this implementation of new developmental structure, taking the place of the old one, they will have more capabilities of deciding factors, of their own accord. The Government claims that this new plan will allow for speedier expediting in the decision making process within the areas of growth, development, and expansion (The Journal 2004, p.1). On the flip side of the issue, there are those who tend to think it will create a hindrance with regard to significant delays due to secondary legislation protocols whilst including other delaying issues as well (Johnson 2004, p.1). In expanding upon this view, it takes the approval of subsidiary legislation to provide the equipment and to locate funding necessary to create many of the developmental reforms being anticipated. The delays could occur due to the fact that quite a few of the implemented ideas for this new Act are still awaiting approval. One of these happens to be an alternative plan to fulfill the spot where the old agreement in Section 106 was. 3 The new idea involves a planning tariff implementation that has not been put into action as yet. Unfortunately, this idea will more than likely, not take place this year which could create some misconceptions in regards to claimants and permission to develop on their

Critically compare and contrast three theories of the multinational Essay

Critically compare and contrast three theories of the multinational firm. Which best explains firm behaviour and why - Essay Example The primary drive operating behind their decision to outspread are the cost benefits and profit potentials which lie in different locations (Maheshwari, 1997, p. 246). However, there are certain aspects which influence the profit and cost factors in a certain region. Those are the very elements which instigate the businessmen to spread out. In fact, theories have been framed by eminent observers in the past, to comprehend the factors which actually guide the production decisions of trans-national companies. Three fundamental factors are ownership, location and internalisation aspects which taken together form the essence of OLI Theory of International Production. This however, is part of the neo-classical school of thought (Taylor & Thrift, 1986, p. 9). Likewise there is the Marxist economic theory or the Neo-Imperialist views which support the decisions taken by trans-national companies to spread out their businesses to different nations around the world. Capitalist economies tend t o accumulate a large volume of resources at home which they are restricted from making use of at home due to restrictions imposed over their employment. Hence, they have little option but to generate profit out of their surpluses through deploying them across national borders. Thirdly, the Neo-Fundamentalist Marxist principles say that the primary enticement behind spreading out their businesses is that the industries which gradually acquire a monopolistic position, start enjoying the advantage of huge surpluses. Due to a limited scope for employing them in the nation where they belong, the industrialists deploy them in foreign lands where they have greater prospects of reaping profits (Jenkins, 1987, p. 447-451). The present paper discusses the similarities and differences between each of the three types of economic theories stated above to assess the factors which induce foreign investors towards expanding their businesses across nations. Finally, an evaluation about the theory mo st applicable in context of business houses today will be made as a concluding note. Chapter 2 – Theoretical Framework 2.1 Marxist or the Neo-Imperialist economic theory According to the views of Marxist economists, the developed and developing economies are complementary to one another and make up the entire global system. However, they also emphasise that the latter are usually the ones who are exploited by the former so that there is a continued outflow of surplus resources from the reserves of developing nations to the already burgeoning stock of the developed nations. The essence of the theory is the monopolisation of industrial houses which leads to an accumulation of huge sums of profits in the capitalist nations. On the other hand, the prevalence of anti-trust laws restricts an expansion of their businesses within the domestic frontier through forming cartels. Thus, the surpluses which are reaped stay idle and hence, attain a stagnant rate of growth which is not desir ed by the private producer (Jenkins,

Cloning and the Future Doom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cloning and the Future Doom - Essay Example I believe cloning is treading on thin ice, danger lurks below the surface; it is like opening a Pandora's Box. Dr Patrick Dixon has written several articles that prove the disadvantages of cloning (http://www.globalchange.com/noclones.htm). He enumerates three reasons why we should say no to cloning: health risks from mutation of genes; emotional risks; and the risk of abuse of the technology. An abnormal baby is one possible result of cloning since the material used is taken from an adult, there is a tendency that the newborn baby will have adult genes. According to Dixon, "Many attempts at animal cloning produced disfigured monsters with severe abnormalities." He adds, "Dolly the Sheep died prematurely of severe lung disease in February 2003, and also suffered from arthritis at an unexpectedly early age - probably linked to the cloning process." The many abnormal results are aborted and terminated by the researchers for fear that they would grow to be dangerous beings. Secondly, Dixon illustrates that the cloned person will be faced with a number of problems in relating with the other members of the family and the community and vice versa. Confusion that is brought about by the usual relationships as brother, sister, mother and father and even twins will have to be dealt with. For instance, how can a father relate to his daughter who is a clone of his wife, and how will the other members of the family relate to a clone of their dead brother or sister Finally, there is the risk of abuse of the technology where certain powerful leaders in every generation will be tempted to "seek to abuse this technology for their own purposes." Dixon adds, "You cannot have so-called therapeutic cloning without reproductive cloning because the technique to make cloned babies is the same as to make a cloned embryo to try to make replacement tissues" (http://www.globalchange.com/noclones.htm). Obviously, the aforementioned disadvantages are solid reasons for me to believe that cloning does not promise a brilliant and safe future. Although most of the cloning researches are aimed at alleviating solutions to scientific and medical problems, more danger is in store for the coming generation. What if the abnormal clones will not be controlled and terminated at an early stage According to scholars, certain abnormalities are not detected at an early stage. Some may take twenty or more years to manifest. What will happen to the emotional make-up of the clones Can they ever live normal and happy lives when they appear to intrude into the normal and natural means of family reproduction and relations There will be a need for more psychologists to cater to the clones' emotional and psychological needs. Lastly, is cloning technology safe enough from possible abuse of powerful leaders who may want to use it for their personal purposes Life is sacred. Human beings are created in the image of God. Each individual is endowed with unique characteristics that even identical twins are not really identical in many ways. Creating a replica of a person close to you or a loved one does not assure that the clone will behave and react in the same way as the original. Just recently, my brother died of vehicular accident. It was so sudden that we were not even able to tell him how much we love him. My other brother did not even have a chance to be reconciled with him. Such a loss was so intense that until now we still grieve so much for

Consumer behavior. iPhone 6 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Consumer behavior. iPhone 6 - Essay Example Factors influencing Consumer behaviour. Situational Factors These influences result from the location, time and circumstances that surround a consumer. The main contributors of this factor include the emotions, urgency and social situation. All the determinants can influence the decision of buyers at all stages of the purchasing process. The emotions or feelings may include the moods and conditions of a person at particular moments. For example, illness, fatigue or having cash can make the consumer to buy a product. The recent purchase could be because I had money and good moods that made me buy the iPhone 6. The time factor can influence the decision of consumers in buying commodities. For example, the recent purchase occurred due to the urgent need of a phone for reading school notes while at home. People opt to skip the stages of the buying process due to their immediate needs for particular products. The social surroundings also influence consumer behaviour (Pride and Ferrell 212). For example, the decision to buy the iPhone 6, last month was influenced by my friends who accompanied me to the shopping mall. Psychological Factors These factors are related to the general consumers’ behaviours. They are internal, but, are influenced by external forces. The motives, perceptions and the attitudes of people influence their decision in buying goods. Motives can be described as the internal forces, which direct a person towards buying a product or achieving certain goals. Some motives are stronger than others.

Human Resource management in the Hotel Industry Research Paper - 1

Human Resource management in the Hotel Industry - Research Paper Example The baby boomer turnover ratio varies from organization to organization from high to low; particularly in the hospitality industry the ratio is volatile and affects the overall costs for various companies. High baby boomer turnover ratio can extensively increase the financial implications and performance of a company (O’Dell & Hubert, 2011). Unswerving expenses include staffing, selection, and preparation of new recruits. Much time and costs go to these processes. Circumlocutory expenses include such things as added workloads and overtime costs for coworkers, in addition reduced efficiency associated with small employee self-esteem. According to Levin (2008), there are various probable causes for high baby boomer turnover ratio. Area economic background, and employment market conditions shape general turnover tariffs, and sometimes can be complex to manage. Nevertheless, certain causes related to baby boomer turnover ratio in whichever definite hospitality job or company can be managed. These may include such things as non-competitive payments, high nervous tension, poor working environment, repetitiveness, poor management, lack of communication between the employee and the job, inadequate preparation, and lack of effective communication practices in the company or organization. For hotels human resource management to develop a retention plan, numerous steps ought to be taken into account. First, there is need to asses the modern situations, and measure the baby boomers turnover ratio in their organization. The turnover ratio is always calculated by dividing the quantity of yearly terminations by the average quantity of workers in the work force (Klug, 2009). An organization should also measure the expenses involved in the turnover ratio, develop withholding strategies, and arrange for expected turnover ratio volatility, in the dynamic workforce traditions. Employers are obliged to

English 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English 101 - Essay Example The current American white family is an excellent example of the modern nuclear family with least dependence on the extended family; and the Africans, Latinos and Hispanics residing in America still depend on their extended families for emotional, financial and child care support (He, Sengupta, Velkoff & DeBarros 27). Contrary to general belief that modern nuclear families tend to be the most supportive, Gerstel and Sarkisian in ‘The colour of family ties’, try to portray a different picture; exerting that colored families signify a better representation of family support. The authors in ‘color of family ties’ found that ‘Social class rather than cultures is the key to understanding the differences in extending family ties and behaviors between whites and ethnic minorities’ (Gerstel and Sarkisian 450). Gary Soto in ‘Looking for work’ also presents its readers with a brilliant example of family support and cooperation among colored f amilies. ‘Looking for work’ depicts a family that is far more financially supportive than the white nuclear families or the family depicted in ‘An Indian Story’ by Roger Jack. Sotto depicts a family that is living day-in and day-out through the same financial conditions. The life is seen though the eyes of a Mexican child, who gets his ideas of a perfect life from watching the program ‘Father knows best’ and ‘Leave it to beaver’. Believing that money can solve all their problems and make them happy and accepted by the society like in the TV program (rpr190); he does jobs for people, cleaning their gardens and flower beds, in the hope to earn that extra ‘dime that would end the day right’ (Soto 4). The child also has a limited view of being wealthy due to his circumstances as the child says that ‘I decided to become wealthy, and right away! After downing a bowl of cereal, I took a rake from the garage and started up the block to look for work’ (Soto 1). He believes that by working hard doing petty jobs he can change the circumstances of his family and that too quickly. The father in ‘an Indian story’ ‘makes good money’ (Jack 453) due to which the author is not worried about any financial problems and does not address the financial condition further. The family in ‘Looking for work’ supports each other through rough and lonely times. The mother of the three children does not marry and prefers taking care of the children herself, so that they may not suffer any trauma. The father in an Indian story remarries despite the fact that his new wife has a son and both the step brothers fight a lot. The writer says that ‘he married a half-breed Indian and this made me feel very uncomfortable’ (Jack 454). The child although is disturbed by his mother’s death, the father remarries thinking only of himself, and the child is also not happy with his father’s remarriage. The lack of understanding and consideration on the part of his father makes the boy run away from his home. The family in ‘looking for work’, have come to celebrate each day and every meal they get, although it is the same meal. They are not bothered about the heat and dismal conditions in which they live, they celebrate the family being together at meal times. As the child says that, ‘we sat to eat our beans and tortillas in the stifling heat of our kitchen. We all gleamed like

Will the Playstation 3 ultimately win console wars Term Paper

Will the Playstation 3 ultimately win console wars - Term Paper Example has developed numerous products during its sixty-four years of existence, its current claims to fame are its Blu-ray player and compatible disks and the PlayStation, which is one of the most sought after video gaming consoles. Sony has found many competitor companies, especially those that have been competing in the video game console field. Microsoft and Nintendo are Sony’s largest, most fierce competitors. Both of these companies have created gaming consoles that have given Sony a run for its money; Microsoft has the Xbox and Nintendo has the CameCube and Wii (Wolf, 2007), all three of which are also sought after for their unique gaming capabilities and experiences. Sony Corporation, just like any other company, survives by meeting the needs and demands of their customers. Without doing so, the company risks failing financially, thus facing the possibilities of closing. Furthermore, a failure to meet the demands of customers often results in a failed business strategy, which then needs to undergo changes to gain back their customers. Employees are those that help to attract and keep loyal customers coming back to the company. Employees are a vital part of the strategic planning progress of the company, and are the ones that implement the strategies into everyday business ventures. The shareholders are behind the investment strategies that help keep Sony Corporation running, providing the financial assistance that it needs to be able to develop and distribute its products. Sony Corporation is a business that strives on the investments of others. The media is yet another factor that plays a beneficial role of the success of Sony. To inform the public of its wondrous products, Sony relies on the media to pass along an honest, informative announcement that details all of the fine qualities of its products. Especially in a competitive market, Sony looks to the media to show consumers the types of products that they offer and how they compare to similar products.

Mind Is Not a Vessel to Be Filled, but a Fire to Be Kindled Essay Example for Free

Mind Is Not a Vessel to Be Filled, but a Fire to Be Kindled Essay â€Å"Education† may be an ordinary word to most people, but very few actually understand the deep meaning beneath it. In this dynamic world, we need to be equipped with the necessary skills and hard work to survive. Understanding the education system is integral to allow students to understand the purpose of studying, the purpose of going to school everyday. Is education in Singapore really â€Å"holistic†? Are there flaws? What is education? By definition, it would be something along the line of â€Å" transferring knowledge†. I beg to differ. In my opinion, education consists of more than just knowledge. From Kindergarden to University, students are put through the daily routine of waking up early in the morning, going to a place where teachers teach â€Å"the same old stuff†. By that, I am referring to knowledge. Knowledge is power, you might say. Indeed, being knowledgeable helps you stand out among the rest during the tests and examinations. But is that all about education ? Acing the tests and getting a degree? I’m afraid no. Years after years, Singapore universities and institutions are well-known on the global front for being able to produce students with top grades. These results just keep getting better and better. Foreigners come to Singapore for education. Most people might therefore think education in Singapore is perfect. I also acknowledge that these are true, but only to a certain extent. On the other spectrum ( which is usually not shown), there are students who are not performing as well as their peers, students who are doing well but facing a lot of unnecessary stress. This is prevalent as well. The obsessive reliance of tuition to produce grades, online forums to discuss ways to â€Å"headstart my child in education†. I find no meaning in these. This is passive learning. Similarly, there are exceptional cases which bring out the ugly truth about education in Singapore. Students faking degrees to earn scholarships, jobs , graduates saying vulgarities during graduation ceremony to ‘rejoice’ over the achievements, even local scholar prosecuted overseas for doing unethical things such as watching child pornography. If education in Singapore is so perfect, why would such disgraceful incidents occur? Let us look at some possible reasons. Memorizing dictionaries, memorizing textbooks, doing thousands of assessment books, attending endless tuitions and supplementary classes†¦ These are some things most pupils in Singapore are going through. They have my sympathy. Everything I have described until now is about passive learning, which revolves around results and lacking in true meaning of education. Now, let us zoom into another aspect. Imagine this : a child who does his work consistently, revises on daily basis, reads newspapers everyday. Everything without being told. Seems like a utopian child? No. It is possible. The only thing he has compared to other students is the passion. The burning passion inside him to learn, to absorb knowledge. This drive pushes him to do everything on his own. There is no tuition, no supplementary classes, reasonable number of assessment books. Yet, this child is scoring ‘A’s for his subjects. In Singapore schools, Ministry of Education is encouraging a whole new approach towards â€Å"holistic† education. Co-curricular activities, Community Involvement Program, Civics Morals Education†¦ these are programmes put in place after much effortful planning of the education ministries. There are even more recent policies such as not revealing top students for national examinations such as Primary School Leaving Examinations. I respect them for that. However, there are rooms for improvement. CCA, short for co-curricular activities, is a word that is often hung in the pupils’ mouth. Whether they say it out of pride in a good way or bad way, I do not know. This brings me to the point of CCA mismatch. Students who feel they are â€Å"not good enough† for a CCA only after a few years in that CCA, students who feel indignant as they feel they could have gotten into â€Å"better CCA†. What are the consequences of this? Students not attending CCAs regularly, students complaining about how ‘ sien ‘ ( boring and uninteresting) their CCA is. This leads to stereotyping about CCAs and split between different CCAs, especially Sports vs Non-Sports. While you might say it is good that CCAs are bonded together as a team, the purpose of bonding is wrong. They are making fun of other people and things they do. In the long run, this will not work. Another thing is when pupils do not attend CCAs, the school has no choice but to use deterrence methods such as demerit points. To tackle this whole situation, there is Direct- School- Admission put in place to reduce scenarios like this however the success is limited. After talking about limitations of the current education system put in place, I have some suggestions. What I will say is also something simple : passion. Again, a simple word yet deep meaning behind it. If a student is an active learner, problems such as late/no submission of work, lack of focus during lessons, loss of notes, game/social networking addiction etc will all be eliminated at once. Students will not complain ‘ Life is Tough’ or ‘ There is too much work yet too little time’ etc. Teachers no longer have to chase after the students for work, give students boring supplementary classes. Teachers no longer have to scold students, which deviates their focus on teaching that will result in drop in productivity. This will lead to more supplementary/remedial classes which make students get tired of learning. Ultimately, they lose passion in learning. This evil cycle of mad chase, forced homework, drilled practice will keep on going until the students change their attitude. If the students take charge of their own learning, they will automatically focus during lessons and give constructive feedback that can engage the whole class in a positive manner. This will accelerate learning so much that the teachers will be more willing to teach and even plan fun activities for pupils to play and learn at the same time. At the same time, the students will strive to do their best in everything including daily worksheet, assignments. Ultimately, success ( which is good grades people chase after) will follow them. Therefore, I strongly feel that passion is much more important than knowledge. To put this passion in them, I think teachers, parents and students themselves all play a crucial role to ‘kindle the fire’ within them. They can help create encouraging environment to allow pupils to share their opinions on certain topics and letting them think ‘out of the box’. They can reduce things such elitism stereotyping to encourage the pupils to exchange feedback healthily and letting them learn from one another. Occasionally, having useful motivation courses in schools by professionals also might help. Once this fire is lit, the action will follow. Students will start finding joy in learning and unknowingly, they will get good grades without even getting stressed or tired.

Attitudes towards homosexuality among university students

Attitudes towards homosexuality among university students In 2006, Answers Corporation explained that homosexuality is a term created by 19th century. The meaning of homosexual is, having a sexual orientation to persons of the same sex (The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, 2006). Homosexuality includes two groups, which are female homosexuality and male homosexuality. Female homosexuality is described as lesbianism and the male homosexuality is described as gay (Answers Corporation, 2006). At the beginning, some of the psychologists said that homosexuality is a mental illness and put it into the list of mental disorder. However, after some of the studies, they realized that homosexuality is not a mental disorder because it is related to psychological disturbance and is in no sense of mental problem as well. So, homosexuality removed from the list of mental disorders (Tozeland, Loewen, Monteith, n.d.). The factors that lead to homosexuality are critical and discuss by many specialist fields such as psychologists and psychiatrists. View of Psychologists toward Reason of Homosexuality In Robinson study (as cited in Facts about Homosexuality and Mental Health, n.d.), early of the twentieth century, Ellis (1901) argued that homosexuality was inborn and it was not immoral, not a disease, and that many homosexuals made outstanding contributions to society. Sigmund Freud has a different theory of human sexuality from Ellis. He believed that all human beings were innately bisexual. Human beings become heterosexual or homosexual as a result of what they have experiences with other people or environment that surrounding of them. Freud also agreed with Ellis that homosexual orientation should not be viewed as a form of pathology (Facts about Homosexuality and Mental Health, n.d.). He wrote a letter to an American mother in 1935. He said that, people cant get any advantages from their homosexual orientation. But, they were always blamed, discriminated by other people. Actually, homosexuality is not a sin, not an illness as well. He also said that, we need to see it as a sexual function produced by certain sexual development. There are many individuals of ancient and modern times that were respect by us are homosexuality. According to him, it is injustice and cruelty to describe that homosexuality is a crime and sin. He told the American mother that, analysis may let her son feel harmony, peace and full efficiency when her son in the time of unhappy, neurotic, torn by conflicts, and inhibited in the social life whether he remains a homosexual or gets changed (Facts about Homosexuality and Mental Health, n.d.). View of Reincarnation Researchers toward Reason of Homosexuality According to Dr. Ian Stevenson, he concludes that homosexuality is a natural human trait that results from the reincarnation of a person of one gender as a person of the opposite gender. Such people must adjust to their new gender and sexuality at an early age. The difficulty of adjusting relating to the sex change and lead to homosexuality later on in their lives (as cited in Williams, 2006). Reincarnation means the soul occupation a new body after the death of the former body (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2006). The classic form of the reincarnation doctrine was formulated in India, but certainly not earlier than the 9th century BC, when the Brahmana writings were composed. After the Upanishads clearly defined the concept between the 7th and the 5th century BC, it was adopted by the other important Eastern religions which originated in India, Buddhism and Jainism. Due to the spread of Buddhism in Asia, reincarnation was later adopted by Chinese Taoism, but not earlier than the 3rd century BC (Reincarnation, its meaning and consequences, n.d.). Former girls who are reborn as boys may wish to dress as girls or prefer to play with girls rather than boys. Former boys who are reborn as girls may wish to dress as boys or prefer to play with boys rather than girls. Former men who are reborn as women will be attracted to women and will therefore be lesbian. Former women who are reborn as men will be attracted to men and will therefore be gay (as cited in Williams, 2006). Former means past-life or previous life and reborn mean present lifetime. In many cases the person begins talking about his or her life or lives before the present lifetime, about their previous death and about the time between lives including the planning of the present lifetime (as cited in Williams, 2006). So, Dr. Ian Stevenson concludes that, homosexuality is the stem of reincarnation. Beside of the factors to cause homosexuality, the factors that influence people attitudes towards homosexuality are also very controversial. Different people may bring out different of attitudes, thinking, feeling and behaviors towards homosexuality. The differences can be considered contribute to some of the factors such as personal and social factors. Personal Factors that Influence Attitudes towards Homosexual Age. Have a measure of tolerance of homosexual behaviors from attitude towards homosexuality in 29 nations, such as the nations of Australia, USA, Norway, and others indicated that the higher points of tolerance scored as 100 and the lowest point as 0. The higher the tolerance scored the higher the acceptance of homosexuality. The predicted level of tolerances for young people age 20 would be 53 points. People in middle age have tolerance scores of 43 points by age 40. At age 60, the tolerance scored is about 33 and with 23 points at age 80. It showed that, as the age increasing, the tolerance scored of homosexual was decreasing. The tolerance point of elder was low compare to younger people (Attitude towards homosexuality in 29 nations, n.d.). Beside of the factors of age, the attitudes also influences by religion. Religion background. Different religious will makes a large difference to tolerance of homosexuality. According to a test of measure of homosexual behaviors tolerance, the higher points of tolerance scored as 100 and the lowest point as 0. The higher the tolerance scored the higher acceptance of homosexuality. Ardent believers in a personal God would rate homosexual behavior at 28 points. But, staunch atheists who are totally reject the idea of personal God rate homosexuality at 59 points (Attitude towards homosexuality in 29 nations, n.d.). It obviously showed that, Ardent believers in a personal God was less accepting to homosexuality which rate 28 points compare to staunch atheists who totally reject the idea of personal God which rate 59 points (Attitude towards homosexuality in 29 nations, n.d.). Beside that, church goers are less tolerant of homosexuality than those who are never darken a churchs door. People who are regular going to church rate 32 points, and those who are shunning the church were rating 48 points (Attitude towards homosexuality in 29 nations, n.d.). It is because according to Christians, homosexuality violating some of Gods most basic commandments for humanity. Christians belief in Gods condemnation of homosexuality is claimed to be so important that forcing them to treat gays equally means forcing them to violate their religious beliefs (Cline, n.d.). In nearly all societies throughout human history, religion offers answers to fundamental questions concerning the origin and meaning of things. Religious systems of explanation offer accounts of the creation of the world, as well as specifying the rules for proper behavior-and the consequences for infractions-that have been imposed by the Creator (Gross, 2005). Christianity traditionally forbid sexual relations between people of the same sex and teaches that such behavior is sinful (Gross, 2005). So, religious belief and church attendance have strongly influence on attitudes towards homosexuality in almost 29 nations. Beside of the factors of religion, the attitudes toward homosexuality also influences by faculty of study among students (Societal Attitudes towards Homosexuality, 2006). Faculty of study. Students who studied faculties of Arts or Social Science had more positive attitudes toward gay man compared to Science or Business students. The result revealed that students in the faculties of Arts and Social Science had more positive attitudes towards homosexual compare with students in faculties Business and Science (Schellenberg, Hirt and Sears, 1999). It shows that there are two possible reasons that determined these results. First, students who value traditional sex roles may be the most likely to select programs in faculties of business and sciences where political attitudes are conservative. Second, students with less value traditional sex roles may be the most likely to select programs in faculties of Art and Social Science. It is because they thought the departments are more liberal (Schellenberg, Hirt and Sears, 1999). In academic field, beside the factor of different faculty of study, the educational level also plays a very important role to determine the attitudes towards homosexuality. Educational level. The higher years of education people involve, the higher scored of tolerances people have. The higher points of tolerance scored as 100 and the lowest point as 0. The higher of tolerance scored sign that it is more acceptance of homosexuality (Attitude towards homosexuality in 29 nations, n.d.). The point of tolerances was 34 out of 100 rating by people who with 8 years of education. Those with 10 years of education were rating 38 points and people who have complete 2 years masters degree after 4 year bachelors degree was rating 51 points. So, the gap between the least educated and the most educated is 17 points. (Attitude towards homosexuality in 29 nations, n.d.). This tolerance-enhancing effect of education actually is link to other forces which importantly depend on the independent of age, so the lesser censure of homosexuality among the highly educated cannot be attributed to a changing social climate. The age effects themselves suggest that there is a changing social climate, but the education effects are in addition to that (Attitude towards homosexuality in 29 nations, n.d.). Other than that, gender also likely to have strongly influences on the attitudes towards homosexuality. Many researchers conducted researches that related to gender differences and their attitudes towards gay men and lesbians. Gender. Gender belief system is the pattern of masculine or feminine behavior of an individual that is defined by a particular culture and that is largely determined by a childs upbringing (Answers.com, 2006). Kite and Whitley suggested that men rating the gay men more negative than women, but they were same in the rating of lesbians. Within the male and female, women made approximately equal rating of lesbians and gay men, but mens rating of lesbians were more positive than rating of gay men (as cited in Louiderback Whitley, 1997). According to Kite and Whitley study, it is because people who have strong gender belief system have more negative attitudes towards homosexual because homosexuality violates the norms of that belief system. Also, men held more traditional sex-role attitudes than women. So, in the perspective of men, male should be act more masculine and aggressive. They also strongly hold the traditional sexual orientation which is heterosexuality (as cited in Louiderback Whitley, 1997). Beside that, a study (as cited in Schellenberg, Hirt and Sears 1999.), it also showed that male hold more negative attitudes towards gay men than lesbians, and, they also hold more negative attitudes to homosexual compare with female. Different attitude towards homosexuality is the impact of personal factors. But, the social factors also have certain level of impact on the attitudes towards homosexuality. Social Factors that Influence Attitudes towards Homosexual Media. Dissemination of information about homosexuality in marketing, television shows, and public opinion polls, will affect the attitudes of public toward homosexuals no matter it is accurate or inaccurate. The information of homosexuals will lead to AIDS has strong impact on attitudes towards homosexuality. The perpetuation of homophobic attitudes such as the treatment of people with HIV, moralistic interpretations of people with AIDS, certain conceptions about the methods of HIV transmitted, media representation of AIDS, and even the way in which medicines objectivity reinforces a moral view inimical to gay men, lesbians and bisexuals (Anderson, Fakhfakh, Kondylis, 1999). Many of the researches have approved that some of the factors influence attitudes towards homosexuality. There are also some of the researches conducted by researchers to approve whether the stereotypes of people towards homosexuality is correct or not. Social differences. Social differences in the tolerance of homosexuality are quite large. This can help to explain why people living in different social circles have different perceptions of what the average Australian thinks. For example, 70 years old had left school at the end of year 10, and who holds strong religious beliefs and attends church regularly would rate homosexual behaviors at just 1 point out of 100 or always wrong (Attitude towards homosexuality in 29 nations, n.d.). Stereotypes towards Homosexuality Characteristics. Normally, people would like to believe that gay men are effeminate and lesbians are tomboys while there are some homosexual people who fit these stereotypes. But, actually they are not representative of all homosexual people. So, the stereotypes of characteristics of homosexual people are not correct at all (Tozeland, Loewen, Monteith, n.d.). Duration of relationship. Studies indicate that people would have the stereotypes that homosexual person will not involve in long-term, stable and close relationship with their partners. But, it is not unusual to find homosexuality couples who had been together for over twenty years (Tozeland, Loewen, Monteith, n.d.). Homosexual parents. Some people believe that children of gay or lesbian people are more likely to grow up to be homosexual as their parents. Beside that, people also believe that these children will grow up without appropriate ethical values. In fact, homosexual parents would like to teach their children the values of kindness and charity because they are the victims of hate and discrimination in society (Tozeland, Loewen, Monteith, n.d.). According to Family Research Report (2001), children who have homosexual parents would be expected to do less well than kids in general in school, on the job, in marriage, raising their own kids, and others. Normally, children of homosexual parents cannot do well in sex identity, language skills and mathematics fields compare to children of heterosexual parents. But, children of homosexual parents hold strongly social study than children of heterosexual parents. However, they have tries to be successful in life. So not every child with homosexual parents would be expected to be a failure, nor would every child raised by a homosexual parent be expected to fail. Likewise, not every child rose by a married mother and father would be expected to succeed (Family Research Report, 2001). Religion. The vast majority of the worlds churches take the stance that homosexual acts are a sin. To cite an example of a religious viewpoint, the Roman Catholic Church in a passage from its Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, states, As in every moral disorder, homosexual activity prevents ones own fulfillment and happiness by acting contrary to the creative wisdom of God. Homosexuality is labeled as a moral disorder; it is not regular or acceptable (The Scientific Debate on Homosexuality, n.d.). People believe that Christians are disagreeing homosexuality. Some religious groups interpret certain biblical passages as injunctions against homosexuality, while others view these passages in the light of historical context, much like slavery. Actually, many Christians were condemning discrimination and prejudice. They welcome and affirm homosexual Christians into the body of Christ, with unique gifts to offer (Tozeland, Loewen, Monteith, n.d.). Beside to conduct researches to reveal the stereotypes of people towards homosexuality is correct or not, there also a research on how the public opinion towards homosexuality among different nations. Public Opinion toward Homosexual among Different Nations In study of Societal Attitudes towards Homosexuality (2006), it showed that the result of acceptance homosexuality in Africa and the Middle East are tend to strongly disagree. But, major Latin American countries such as Mexico and Brazil accept homosexuality. At Australia 1999, the result showed that 28% of people think that sexual relations between two adults of the same sex are not wrong at all, 15 % think that it is wrong only sometimes, 9 % think that it is almost always wrong, and 48% think that it is always wrong (Attitude towards homosexuality in 29 nations, n.d.). According to Robinson (2003), Apoll by the Gallup Organization from United State has conducted a research of acceptable of homosexuality in the public. The result showed the percentage of the survey result: do you personally believe that it is acceptable or not acceptable for gays and lesbians to engage in same-sex behavior? as in 1982-JUN, there was 34% people accept homosexuality and by 1992-JUN, there was an increasing percentage which is 38%. In 1992-MAR, there was 44% and by 1997-APR, there was 42%. In 1999-FEB, there was 50 % and by 2001-MAY, there was 52%. There was 51% in 2002-MAY and 54% in 2003-MAY. It showed that the percentage of acceptable towards homosexuality in the United State is increasing by year of 1982 to 2003. The Pew Research Centers 2003 Global Attitudes Survey found that, people in Africa and the Middle East strongly object to societal acceptance of homosexuality. But there is far greater tolerance for homosexuality in major Latin American countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil. Opinion in Europe is split between West and East. Majorities in every Western European nation surveyed say homosexuality should be accepted by society, while most Russians, Poles and Ukrainians disagree. 51% of Americans believes homosexuality should be accepted, while 42% disagree (as cited in Societal Attitudes towards Homosexuality, 2006). Significant of This Study Based on the above introduction, one can see the important of understanding of students attitude to homosexuality. Firstly, according to Lisa Lamar and Mary Kite (1998), it said that males have more negative attitudes towards gay men and this is due to gender roles factor. However, Schellenberg, Hirt Sears (1999), found that males who study in Arts and Social Sciences have more positive attitudes towards gay men. So, this study want to know UTAR Psychology course students attitudes towards gay men is affected by gender roles or the faculties that they have chose. Second, according to research of Brownell, he found that religions are related to negative attitudes towards lesbian and gay men. Malaysia have many types of religions include Islamic, Buddhist, Indian, and others. This study wants to know are there having differences of attitudes between religions in Malaysia or not. This will make us know more about how the attitudes of different religions people towards lesbian and gay men. This can reduce conflict or make different religions people can communicate easily. Third, Many students have confused or varying opinions on homosexuality. It is important for all students to come to terms with what they currently think and feel about homosexuality (Tozeland, Loewen, Monteith, n.d.). This study want to let them conscious about their attitudes towards homosexual and let them decide they want to change it or not. Beside that, through this study, students of psychology course can more concern about issue of homosexuality and conduct or do further research on it. The further research can help public know about homosexual such as why homosexual, what reason to make them become homosexual, and others. Once public know more about the homosexual group, they might change their attitudes towards homosexual as well as reduce their discrimination perception towards homosexual. This study will determine whether the result of this study same with the result of previous researches or not. For this study, it should make a clear distinction of attitudes toward gay men and lesbian women with divide the homosexual to lesbian and gay men. For example, many of previous research conducted research by using the term homosexual but do not divide the term homosexual into gay men and lesbian women. Research Questions For this study, it will explore the gender influences on attitudes towards homosexuality among university students. We would like to understand more about the gender differences of acceptance of homosexuality among university students. Beside that, this study will determine whether the result is same with the result of previous researches or not. The research questions in this study are as follows. First, are there any gender differences in the attitudes towards lesbian and homosexual? Second, is there any gender difference in their knowledge of homosexual? Third, are there any religion differences in their attitude towards lesbian and homosexual? Fourth, is there any religion difference in their knowledge of homosexual? CHAPTER II METHOD Participants 118 Psychology students from year 1 to year 3 in University Tunku Abdul Rahman were selected as the sample of this study. Simple random method was used in the selection. There are 82 females and 36 females. All of the students who participated in the survey are simple random sampling. Materials Questionnaire. The survey conducted using questionnaire (see Appendix 1). All participants completed a 4 pages questionnaire consisting of two sections. Instructions accompanying the questionnaire guaranteed anonymity and confidentiality. The first part is about the respondents demographic such as gender, age, year, race, and religion. The second part is about respondents attitudes toward lesbian and gay. There are 32 questions in this test. In this test, the first 4 questions are asked about the general attitudes towards homosexuality such as a) I know about homosexuals, and b) Sexual orientation is caused by genes, but not the environment (see appendix 1). Question 5 to 18 is asked about the attitudes towards lesbians such as a) Lesbians just cant fit into our society, b) exual relations between two female is wrong, c) Female homosexuality is a sin and, d) Lesbians are sick (see appendix 1). Question 19 to 32 is asked about the attitudes towards gay men such as a) I think male homosexuals are disgusting, b) Male homosexuality is a perversion, c) Sexual relations between two male is wrong and, d) Homosexual behavior between two men is just plain wrong (see appendix 1). Participants had to rate on the Likert Scale (strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, and strongly agree) according to their attitudes towards homosexual which include lesbian and gay man. Software. SPSS for Windows (12.0) was used for all statistical analyses. Procedures The survey was conducted by using simple random sampling design. A sampling frame, which is the numbered name lists of students from Year One to Year Three Psychology class at UTAR was obtained from the Faculty General Office. All the name of the students were mixed and came out with a new name list (see Appendix 2). A sample size of 118 was selected. The simple random sampling was conducted as follows: A starting point in the table of Random Numbers in the Appendix 4 was chosen using a finger stab. The stab came down at column 6, row 15 at the entry 13916. As the sampling frame ranged from 1 to 301, the left three numbers in each set of five were used when drawing the sample. The number 0 was ignored if that number over 301. The numbers to be included in sampling were been identified by moving across the table from left to right every alternate line started from up and down. The numbers got were highline in yellow color (see Appendix 3). We distributed the questionnaire to the samples that have been selected by simple random method through UTAR lecturers. The survey took between ten to five-teen minutes to complete and then collected back by lecturers after the respondents completed it in the same day. Instructions accompanying the questionnaire guaranteed anonymity and confidentiality. CHAPTER III RESULT Reliability Test There were five dimensions in the questionnaire. First, the dimension of Negative Attitudes toward Lesbians, it consisted by 10 questions which is from question 5 to question 14. The Cronbachs Alpha was 0.81 after questions 5, 7, 9, 13 were deleted (Table 1, pg 16). Therefore, the mean of these 6 items was calculated to represent the respondents negative attitudes toward lesbians. Second, for the dimension of Positive Attitudes toward Lesbians, it consisted by 4 questions which is from question 15 to question 18. There were 0.49 alphas when question 16 was deleted (Table 1, pg 16). For the dimension of Negative Attitudes toward Gay Men, it consisted by 10 questions which is from question 19 to question 28. There were 0.87 alphas when question 20 was deleted (Table 1, pg 16). For the dimension of Positive Attitudes toward Gay Men, it consisted by 4 questions which is from question 29 to question 32. There were 0.64 alphas and none of the questions being deleted (Table 1, pg 16). The reliability alpha of the question 1 to 4 was 0.01 alphas. So, these 4 questions cannot compute as one dimension and will be analyzed individually (see Table 1, pg 16). Table 1 Reliability test Dimension Cronbachs Alpha N of Items Items Negative Attitudes toward Lesbians 0.81 6 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14 Positive Attitudes toward Lesbians 0.49 3 15, 17, 18 Negative Attitudes toward Gay Men 0.87 9 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 Positive Attitudes toward Gay Men 0.64 4 29, 30, 31, 32 I know about homosexual Sexual orientation is caused by genes, but not the environment I have ever thought to myself when I found that an attractive person of the sex was homosexual-what a waste 0.01 4 1, 2, 3, 4 I have ever said, I dont mind homosexuals, as long as I dont have to see it or something similar Gender Differences toward Homosexual Negative attitudes toward lesbians. The results of Independent t- Tests showed that there was no significant difference between gender negative attitudes towards the lesbian, t (118) = 0.08, n.s. , where the mean for the negative attitudes toward lesbian for male students is 2.60 ( SD = 0.81), and 2.59 (SD = 0.71) for female students (Table 2, pg 19). Positive attitudes toward lesbians. The results of Independent t- Tests showed that there was no significant difference between gender positive attitudes toward the lesbians, t (118) = 0.31, n.s., where the mean for the positive attitudes toward lesbians for male students is 3.29 (SD = 0.66), and 3.32 (SD = 0.54) for female students (Table 2, pg 19). Negative attitudes toward gay men. The results of Independent t- Tests showed that there was a significant difference between gender negative attitudes toward gay men, t (118) = 2.24, p Positive attitudes toward gay men. The results of Independent t- Tests showed that there was no significant difference between gender positive attitudes toward gay men, t (118) = -1.520, n.s., where the mean for the positive attitudes toward gay men for male students is 3.11 (SD = 0.80), and 3.30 (SD = 0.52) for female students (Table 2, pg 19). Knowledge towards homosexuality. The results of Independent t- revealed that there was no significant difference between genders in their knowledge towards homosexuality. For the I know about homosexual, t (118) = 0.82, n.s., where the mean for the knowledge towards homosexuality for male students is 2.31 (SD=0.82), and 2.17 (SD=0.83) for female students. For the Sexual orientation is caused by genes, but not the environment, t (118) = -0.890, n.s., where the mean for the knowledge towards homosexuality for male students is 3.28 (SD=1.19), and 4.85 (SD=10.57) for female students. For the I have ever thought to myself when I found that an attractive person of the sex was homosexual-what a waste , t (118) = 0.921, n.s., where the mean for the knowledge towards homosexuality for male students is 2.83 (SD=0.97), and 2.65 (SD=1.03) for female students. For the I have ever said, I dont mind homosexuals, as long as I dont have to see it or something similar, t (118) = 0.403, n.s., where the mean for the knowledge towards homosexuality for male students is 3.97 (SD=0.61), and 3.92 (SD=0.76) for female students (see Table 2, pg 19). Table 2 Gender differences Dimension Mean t-Value p-Value Males Females Negative Attitudes toward Lesbians 2.60 (SD=0.81) 2.59 (SD=0.71) 0.080 0.94 Positive Attitudes toward Lesbians 3.29 (SD=0.66) 3.32 (SD=0.54) -0.31 0.76 Negative Attitudes toward Gay Men 3.03 (SD=0.83) 2.72 (SD=0.63) 2.24 0.027* Positive Attitudes toward Gay Men 3.11 (SD=0.80) 3.30 (SD=0.52) -1.520 0.13 I know about homosexual Sexual orientation is caused by genes, but not the environment I have ever thought to myself when I found that an attractive person of the sex was homosexual-what a waste I have ever said, I dont mind homosexuals, as long as I dont have to see it or something similar 2.31 (SD=0.82) 3.28 (SD=1.19) 2.83 (SD=0.97) 3.97 (SD=0.61) 2.17 (SD=0.83) 4.85 (SD=10.57) 2.65 (SD=1.03) 3.91 (SD=0.76) 0.82 -0.89 0.92 0.403 0.42 0.38 0.36 0.69 Note: * p Religion Differences toward Homosexual Negative attitudes toward lesbians. The results of Independent t- Tests showed that there was no significant difference between religions have negative attitudes towards lesbian, t (118) = 1.46, n.s., where the mean for negative attitudes toward lesbian for Buddhist is 2.65 (SD=0.76), and 2.42 (SD=0.67) for Chris

Adopt a Child :: Essays research papers, Adoption

Adopt-A-Child, Inc., is a licensed, non-profit adoption agency dedicated to the ideal of bringing together couples or individuals seeking to build their families with foreign-born infants or children who need homes. The children we identify for adoption have been irrevocably released by their parents or other relatives due to death or abandonment. These youngsters are orphans according to U.S. and international legal definitions. Therefore, in accordance with the laws of both countries concerned, they are fully available for adoption. Our staff of trained social workers have completed numerous adoptions with couples and individuals throughout the United States and with U.S. citizens abroad. We support and educate our clients, empowering them to make the best decision for their particular situations. Our focus throughout the process is on social service, to ensure the best possible adjustment of children and parents to their new families. Adopt-A-Child has developed a strong network of relationships with adoption officials in many foreign countries, gaining a reputation for unquestionable reliability and integrity. In each of these countries we have developed a trained, experienced and well-supervised staff with whom we communicate closely, and are able to direct via phone, fax, and e-mail. We also make regular visits to the countries from which we adopt in order to monitor operations, visit orphanages and to meet with adoption officials. We are a full-service agency providing not only adoption assistance but also pre- and post-adoption support counseling. Among our services, we maintain a very active parents network to provide a forum for education, socialization, recreation and mutual support.

The Civil Rights Movement Essay -- Black struggle for civil rights in A

This paper will discuss the Black struggle for civil rights in America by examining the civil rights movement's history and reflecting on Blacks' status in contemporary society, will draw upon various related sources to substantiate its argument. The history of Black social change following the Emancipation Proclamation will be provided to show the evolution of the civil rights struggle. Obstacles that impede the movement's chance of success, such as ignorance in both Whites and Blacks, and covert governmental racism will be discussed. The effectiveness of several elements that compose the movement will reveal their progress, and how this has aided the movement as a whole. The paper will conclude that the struggle for equality has produced significant results, but has not achieved its ultimate goal, which is equality between race. This is so because the contemporary White power structure maintains control of society in ways that are less apparent than they were thirty years ago, but retain a similarly powerful grip. To combat racism today, the struggle for civil rights must explore new methods that illuminate racial discrimination and distinction more clearly. Continuing to fight for social justice is the only way equality can one-day become a reality. Historically, Black groups and leaders have advocated many philosophies that hope to achieve equality. This was the case during two very important times in history, Reconstruction and the 1960s. The first articulated philosophies as means to achieve equality; the second implemented these ideas with great success. Immediately following the Civil War, during Reconstruction, much of the White power structure was overtly racist and angry. Booker T. Washington enco... ...d today. Nonviolence is used as a form of patient protest such as boycotting a business that discriminates. Black power is used to create programs that improve the every day situation of Blacks. Both philosophies make the black situation in America better, by continuing the tradition of protest. Indeed, "the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color line" (Greenberg, syllabus). Blacks should study the event in history to understand how Blacks have fought against the White dominant power structure. This is the best way to continue the struggle for equality. Abbreviated Bibliography . Barnard, ed. (Virginia Durr), Outside the Magic Circle . Elaine Brown, A Taste of Power . William Chafe, Civilities and Civil Rights . Kenneth O?Reilly, Racial Matters . Ida B. Wells, Crusade for Justice . Robert Williams, Negroes with Guns

Microsoft :: essays research papers

Wednesday, many government sources confirmed that Justice Department lawyers have proposed splitting Microsoft Corp. as a remedy for the company's allegedly anti-competitive behavior. The proposal was discussed over the weekend at a secret meeting of officials from the U.S. government and 19 states that have sued Microsoft. The position of the Federal government and the states was presented to Federal Mediator Richard Posner last Monday, which was the filing deadline. Posner has been meeting in Chicago with state and federal prosecutors every Monday and with the company each Tuesday. Microsoft spokesman Mark Murray said "I can't speculate on what the government is thinking." He called the proposal "an extreme and radical proposal that is not justified by anything in the case and doesn't reflect the reality of the competitive industry." The company also said, "it is ironic that anyone would be talking about breaking up Microsoft at the time that America Online and Time Warner completed the largest merger in history designed to compete with Microsoft." The government's endorsement of a break-up, considered the "death penalty" among possible remedies, could encourage Microsoft to seek a lesser sanction during settlement talks. But it could also delay negotiations and encourage Microsoft to battle the case through America's courts for years. What isn’t known is exactly how the government plans on restructuring Microsoft. Much speculation has focused on the idea of dividing the software giant into three separate companies. One would build the Windows operating system, another that sells software applications and a third for Internet business. However, at least one source told the Associated Press that such a three sector Microsoft is not planned. Rather, Page 2 according to the source, the government wants to force the creation of a series of smaller, duplicate companies, nicknamed "Baby Bills," that would compete against each other. Breaking up Microsoft into smaller companies would be "stupid because it just creates confusion in the marketplace," said Michael Cusumano, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who has written about Microsoft's battle with the former Netscape Communications Corp. "The break-up sounds like a mess to me," he said. The market responded because Microsoft shares closed down 3-9/16 at 105-13/16 on Wednesday. In November, U.S. District Court Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson agreed with federal prosecutors in a preliminary finding that Microsoft stifled innovation in the computer industry. Prosecutors have charged the company used its dominant position in operating systems to coerce PC makers to use its software, especially its Internet browser.

Country Risk Analysis

Running head: COUNTRY RISK ANALYSIS Balance of Payment The current account balance of China amounts to 297. 1 bn US$ in the financial year 2009, whereas for the Guatemala it amounts to -0. 62 bn US$ in the same financial year (China's current-account balance 1982-2009). This implies that the current account balance of the home country stood at surplus as compared to that of the host country. As far as capital account is concerned, it amounts to 109. bn US$ in 2009 for China whereas for Guatemala was far less compared to that of China which implies that the home country's capital account balance is also at surplus in comparison to that of host country. Apart from the current account and the capital account balances of both the countries, the official gold holding of China as on December 2009 amounts to 1054 tonnes which was equivalent to 1. 5% of the of the national forex reserve, whereas for that of Guatemala, it was 6. tonnes in the same financial year equivalent to that of 4. 5% of the national forex reserve (Guatemala Economic Statistics and Indicators, 2010). Government variables: The government of China has been actively involved in formulating an effective fiscal policy so that the key projects can be easily financed by issuing government debt. Apart from the fiscal policy, the monetary policy is formulated in coordination to that of the fiscal policy so as to promote economic growth by containing deflation to the extent possible. As far as the monetary and the fiscal policy of Guatemala is concerned, a series of structural reform is done with a primary motive to increase the economic efficiency by strengthening balance of payments and controlling inflation. The monetary rate has been stable because of the strict fiscal administration and the abundance of natural resources. The legal court system of china is based on civil law which was divided into four level court system of which at the highest level is the supreme people's court, then local people's court and court of special jurisdiction lso known as special court. All these level of court systems ensure fairness in all the legal proceedings at china. The legal system of Guatemala follows a more of standard European prosecutorial model which implies providing evidence to the judge in an open public court so as to enable him to take decisions based on the evidence presented. As the decisions taken by the judge based on the evidence results into correct deci sions, this implies the fairness of the Guatemala's court system (Legal system of Guatemala). The corporate laws and regulations has been formulated in China as well as the Guatemala with an intention to protect the legitimate rights and interests of companies, shareholders and creditors (Company Law of the People's Republic of China, 2005). In order to comply with the world trade organization agreement on trade related aspect of intellectual property rights, China has strengthened its legal framework and has also amended its intellectual property rights. Counterfeiters and pirates has been the most in Chinese economy, as a result it is essential to have a better intellectual property right environment in china. Although the commitment from the central government official to tackle the problem is quite high but it has not been appropriate to deter the major IPR infringement. The intellectual property right is also not secure in guatemala due to the increased pirated related activities, hence government needs to take necessary action in order to solve such crucial problem. A trade union act has been formulated in accordance with the constitution to protect the positions of trade union which ultimately leads to the development of china's socialist movements. This act protects the legal rights of the employees. The activities of the union in the Guatemala has been pathetic. It has been increasingly violated after the enactment of Dominican republic central America trade agreement. The steps taken by the government becomes ineffective in addressing this concern (Labor Rights in Guatemala). Infrastructure: The transportation facility in China is improving as the government of china is investing huge funds in the development of roads, highway and expressway. Similar is the condition in vase of Guatemala where government is actively participating in improving the transportation facilities. The port of Tianjin is an international trading port in china of whose the land area is more than 20 km. Vessels of 70000-80000 dwt can sail in on the tide. Its through put was around 57. 87million tons. A notice on the management of foreign trade in free trade zone has been issued by the ministry of commerce and the general office of the general administration which clarifies the way through which foreign trade and distribution rights can be obtained by the operators inside the zone. In Guatemala also, there are various free trade zones along with many industrial parks which results into competitive advantage for the investors (China: Trading in Free Trade Zones, 2006). The banking, environmental and the educational factors are somewhat similar in both the countries. The banking in china has undergone lots of changes and it has remain in the hands of the government even after banks has given more autonomy. The educational activity on the part of the government is increasing in Guatemala as the education budget accounted for 15. % of the central government budget. The environmental issues in Guatemala are in relation to soil erosion, acid rain, water pollution etc. , whereas excessive growth has also raised various environmental issues in china. References: Company Law of the People's Republic of China, 2005. Retrieved April 24, 2010 from http://www. chinadaily. com. cn/bizchina/2006-04/17/content_569258. htm China: Trading in Free Trade Zones, 2006. Retrieved Apr il 24, 2010 from http://www. hg. org/articles/article_1191. tml China's current-account balance 1982-2009. Retrieved April 24, 2010 from http://www. chinability. com/CurrentAccount. htm Guatemala Economic Statistics and Indicators, 2010. Retrieved April 24, 2010 from http://www. economywatch. com/economic-statistics/country/Guatemala/ Legal system of guatemala. Retrieved April 24, 2010 from www. oas. org/juridico/Mla/en/gtm/en_gtm-int-description. pdf Labor Rights in Guatemala. Retrieved April 24, 2010 from www. ghrc-usa. org/Publications/factsheet_LaborRights. pdf

Personal Goal Paper

Personal goals are achieved through dedication and the love of what you are doing. Nobody can decide one person's personal goals for themselves because it is only made by them and it reflects their character and interests. A personal goal that I have is to serve people in need whether that is through mission trips, volunteer work, or a child sponsorship. The steps that I will need to take in order to reach my goal of serving others is to get involved in a church that is committed to serving others, volunteer locally and be a part of credible programs, and seek children in need to pompons on a regular basis.Missions work is something that I have always wanted to do but never have had the opportunity of doing. The church that I went to back at my home church would always go to Guatemala every year to rebuild communities and teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have never went, but it was always a goal of mine to go. In order for me to reach my personal goal of going on mission trips, I need to get involved in a church that consistently goes on mission trips. Being a part of a dedicated group of Christians in order to spread the word of Jesus and restore the hearts and minds of any, would be very rewarding to me.I have done volunteer work In the past but a goal of mine Is to do It more out of love and compassion for others and their environment. In order to make this goal happen, I need to find volunteer programs or places that would allow me to show the love of God to others and serve them both physically and spiritually. In the past I was a part of the Market Street Mission coat drive In which I helped people find coats for themselves and their families In order for them to keep warm during the winter. It was a wonderful experience that gave me Joy and kindheartedness towards the needy.In order to achieve my personal goal of serving others, I would Like to sponsor a child In need In another country. It would be an awesome feeling to see how much my money and love towards a child Is making a huge difference In their life and how they live It. Writing to the child and receiving letters from him or her would allow me to connect with the child more affectionately. It would also allow me to give him or her hope for a better future and write Inspiring Bible verses. Personal goals are not Just goals you check off on a list. Rather, they allow you to discover a deeper truth about yourself and society as a whole. By muttererI have done volunteer work in the past but a goal of mine is to do it more out of a part of the Market Street Mission coat drive in which I helped people find coats for themselves and their families in order for them to keep warm during the winter. It In order to achieve my personal goal of serving others, I would like to sponsor a child in need in another country. It would be an awesome feeling to see how much my money and love towards a child is making a huge difference in their life and how they live it. Writing to the child a nd receiving letters from him or her would allow me her hope for a better future and write inspiring Bible verses.

The Religion of Islam

The religion of Islam, unfortunately, has been exposed many unfair criticisms from nonmuslims. Especially about how Islamic Laws are treated towards the women. There are plenty of misinterpretations and accusations. It needs to mention about fundamental and basic principles in Islam.According to Islam, human beings are not evil and sinful creatures, and they do not come to the world with tendency to sin. Human beings are not sinful until they choose to sin. Unlike Christianity, a newborn baby considered to be pure, innocent, and considered as if s(he) a given present from Allah. There is even a saying in Turkish ‘like a paradise-scented child'. This saying refers that the children are innocent and as if they are coming from the paradise. Also, every human is equal in Islam regardless of their race, color, and class. Islam is not definite with only one age, it is for every age. Khurshid Ahmad describes the aim of Islam as, Islam aims at establishing an equilibrium between these two aspects of life – the material and the spiritual. (36)Another detail in Islam is that how Quran describes Eve. In Quran, Eve is not represented an evil or a seductive woman. Quran puts an equivalent blame on Adam's and Eve's mistake. It does not separate Eve from Adam. Eve is not portrayed as a deceiver or a seducer. Eve is not blamed for seducing Adam to eat the fruit from the forbidden tree. Actually, in Quran Surah Taha, verse 121† †¦ Thus, Adam disobeyed his Lord, and fell.† This verse states that Adam is especially blamed for the sin not Eve. Another important detail is that the original sin concept. It does not exist in Islam. For this reason, Adam's sin is not inherited to the other human beings like it does in Christianity. This is because Adam and Eve repented to Allah and they had forgiven. Allah does not punish anyone for other's sins. Therefore, in Islam, everyone is responsible for their own actions, and their own sins.The Quran provides clear-cut evidence that woman in completely equated with man in the sight of Allah in terms of her rights and responsibilities (Ahmad 136). In Quran Surah Al- Imran verse 195 † Their Lord answered the Prayer thus: â€Å"I will not suffer the work of any of you, whether male or female, to go to waste; each of you is from the other†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This part of the verse simply refers that there is no discrimination between a man and a woman in the presence of Allah. In Islam, the superiority only occurs when it comes to the actions. Other features are not important. For instance, being a man or a female, noble or ignoble, those features do not affect the actions that have done. It is crystal clear that there is no difference between a man and a woman. Later on, the Quran states again that there is no discrimination between a man and a woman in Surah An-Nisaa verse 124 † But whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, and is a believer— those will enter Paradise, and will not be wronged a whit.† The only thing that matter is the actions. Another Surah emphasizes the same topic again, in Surah An-Nahl verse 97 † Whoever works righteousness, whether male or female, while being a believer, we will grant him a good life—and We will reward them according to the best of what they used to do.† As long as following Allah and embrace the religion, believers will be rewarded by their works and actions. In Islam there are some religious obligations, for instance, routine prayers, fasting, alms, and going on a pilgrimage. A man and a woman have same obligations and duties for those religious obligations. Except some circumstances, to give an example, a woman can be privileged from prayers throughout her mensuration. The same case applies for fasting. There can be some exceptional for the women, otherwise the man and the women are equally responsible for the obligations. In the Pre-Islamic age of ignorance, if someone has a daughter as his or her first child, burying her was vastly common amongst the various Arabian tribes. Surah An-Nahl verses 58-59 describe the how people react when they have a daughter. † And when one of them is given news of a female infant, his face darkens, and he chokes with grief. He hides from the people because of the bad news given to him. Shall he keep it in humiliation, or bury it in the dust? What an evil choice they decide on?† Quran unquestionably and strictly forbids the infanticide. With the acceptance of Islam, the daughters were protected and treated fairly. Females had gained rights with the Islam. Surely, during the age of ignorance women were treated as if they were the objects, and they had no right. Prior to the advent of Islam, woman had no rights to speak of. When a woman's husband died, any of his male relatives would simply appropriate her, as if she was an animal or a commodity ( Al-Ghazili)The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) has a saying about treating the daughters † Whosoever has a daughter and he does not bury her alive, does not insult her, and does not favor his son over her, Allah will admit him to Paradise because of her.† (Ibn Hanbal Hadith No 1957). Even just by deducing from this Hadith that in Islam, the daughter has an equal position with the son. Moreover, it can be said that how treating a daughter significant for awarding the father with the Paradise. Woman in the marriage in the Quran states in one of the Surah which is Al-Rum verse 21 † And among His Signs is this, that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily in that are Signs for those who reflect.† The Quran clearly indicates that marriage is sharing between the two halves of the society, and its objectives, beside perpetuating human life, are emotional well-being and spiritual harmony. Its bases are love and mercy (Ahmed 138). Furthermore, a woman cannot force into marriage without her own approval according to Islamic Law. The rules for married life in Islam are clear and in harmony with upright human nature. A woman and a man both have equal rights and claims on one another, except for one responsibility, that of leadership. This is a matter which is natural in any collective life and which is consistent with the nature of man (Ahmed 138). In Surah Al-Baqarah verse 228 † †¦ And they (women) have rights similar to those (of men) over them to what is reasonable, but men have a degree (of responsibility) over them. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.† Having a degree has to do with the maintenance and protection of a women, and as Khurshid Ahmed refers that it is the natural difference between the sexes which entitles the weaker sex to protection. It does not imply no superiority or advantage before the law, and the man's role of leadership in relation to his family does not mean the husband's dictatorship over his wife (138).One of the distinction between Islam and Christianity is about remarriage of the widows. Unlike Christianity, the widows or divorced women do not expose to discrimination against the unmarried women or another. According to Islam, a divorced or widowed woman has the right to remarry without any shame or denunciation. In fact, the Quran allows the betrothal of a divorced or widowed woman even during her period of transition (Jawad 34). In Surah Al-Baqarah 235 states as: It shall be no offence for you openly to propose marriage indirectly to such women or to cherish them in your hearts. Allah knows that you will remember them. Do not arrange to meet them in secret and, if you do, speak to them honorably. But you shall not consummate the marriage before the end of their waiting period. Know that Allah has knowledge of all your thoughts. Therefore, take heed and bear in mind that Allah is forgiving and merciful.This verse mentions there is no sin in offering a marriage implicitly to a woman whose husband died and waiting for the iddat. The explanation of Iddat is a period of time during which a divorced or widowed woman may not remarry (oxforddictionaries.com). This offering can be through expressing the intention of the man by asking questions or stating his wishes to the woman. By this way, woman's opinion will find out, and if the woman wishes to marry that man, it will be prevented the woman to promise someone else. Islam values the treating respectful and kind to the parents, but especially to the mothers. In Islam, women are also valued being a mother too. For instance, In the Quran, there is a suggestion for the polite behavior for the mothers. In Surah Luqman verse 14 † And we enjoined upon man to be dutiful to his parents. His mother bore him in weakness upon weakness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Likewise, in Surah Al-Ahqaf verse 15 † And We have enjoined upon man, to his parents, good treatment. His mother carried him with hardship and gave birth to him with hardship†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Surah Al-Ahqaf verse 15 indicates that Allah ordered to us to treat our parents kindly and take care of them. It is also emphasized that how our mothers suffered during her pregnancy with having sickness and at the same how challenging her labor was. Similarly, in Surah Al-Isra verse 23 is regarding the good and polite treatment towards the parents †Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and that you be good to your parents. If either of them or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them a word of disrespect, nor scold them, but say to them kind words.† There are several sayings of The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). One day, The Prophet Mohammed (pbuh) stated: † Be regretful!† when they say † Who? O The messenger of Allah!† The Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) replied as † It is the person who cannot enter the Paradise because he did not show respect one or both of his parents in their old age.† (Birr and S?la 251) Furthermore, The Prophet Mohammad has a well-known saying † Paradise is at the feet of mothers† (Ibn Hanbal). One more case can be given as:A man came to Mohammad (pbuh) asking, † O Messenger of Allah, who among the people is the worthiest of my good company? † The Prophet (pbuh) said, †Your mother.† The man said, †Then who else?† The Prophet (pbuh) said †Your mother.† The man said, † Then who else?† The Prophet (pbuh) said, †Your mother.† The man said, †Then who else?† Only then did the Prophet (pbuh) say †Your father.† (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) The financial status of a woman is secured in Quran. It can be easily seen in the verses of the Quran.

Business and Economics (Matewan)

Matewan is a story which focuses around the violent labor disputes which occurred in the West Virginia coal fields in 1920. During these days, there was no benefits and job security for workers as the Stone Mountain Coal Company displays. Due to the efforts by the workers of the coal fields to form a union, the Stone Mountain Coal Company publicized to their workers that those who were in unions were to be replaced and pay cuts would be rationed out. Outrage ensued between the workers and the new African American workers that were being brought in.However, Joe Kenehan, who worked for the United Mine Workers, decided that if the replacement workers joined the union, the company had to accept it as they wouldn’t have workers. In order to stop the idea of a labor union, the coal company sent C. E. Lively to investigate the workers undercover. Lively then brings in two armed agents from the Baldwin-Felt Detective Agency handle the work he cannot as he is undercover. This entire si tuation escalates into a violent shootout and reinforcement agents from Baldwin-Felts came to evict workers who were part of a labor union.A total of nine people were killed during the shootout where workers just wanted to have basic rights. Apparent ethical issues are portrayed throughout the movie. In today’s society, labor unions are prominent and respected. Undercover agents are not being sent in order to destroy the unions which are protecting rights of workers. Corporations back in 1920 did not want to deal with the cost of fair pay and protecting their workers. Until OSHA was enacted, most companies sought to find the cheapest form of labor.Also, the event of a shootout due to workers wanting their jobs to be secure is unexplainable. Money and power corrupts the minds of humans and fallouts such as the one which occurred in West Virginia between coal field workers and the Stone Mountain Coal Company. As stated in lecture nine, America is a materialistic country. Most o f the citizens overlook the value in everyday things others may long for their entire lives but attain it. The advancement of technology, and the accessibility of nearly any luxuries, has caused degeneration in the virtues of American’s minds.Overlooking the necessities to sustain a basic life, the people of the nation look towards the excess. One can easily live without the newest tablet device, yet they shall still buy it. The worst part of that is how that same person with the tablet may also be getting their ends meet by using food stamps. Americans have embedded their mindsets in the goal of obtaining materialistic items to keep themselves content, all the while forgetting the values humans have been contempt with for centuries.

Review of Stephanie McCurry's book MAsters of Small Worlds Essay

Review of Stephanie McCurry's book MAsters of Small Worlds - Essay Example McCurry’s thesis stresses quite frequently on the significance of the role of gender and the patriarchal nature of the yeoman society, which she portrayed as being almost characteristic to the low country yeoman society. McCurry’s thesis is well argued and some of her sources are well researched as well. But not all of McCurry’s arguments are convincing. In fact, in most cases McCurry provided very little pertinent evidence for her arguments. The concepts of political and social unity however have been presented with some well examined evidence such that they seem more plausible than McCurry’s other arguments which are not only based on insufficient data but are argued such that the concepts themselves are open to several interpretations. McCurry bases most of her arguments concerning the yeoman society on the Low Country’s geographical factors. However, one finds that McCurry, in her aim to explore the principles of the culture and structure of the yeoman society has attempted to broaden the geographical precincts of the low country. Perhaps McCurry felt compelled to do so in order to present pertinent data for her arguments. It might be that McCurry did not find enough data to back up her thesis and arguments. Extending the geographical area of the low country (to cover certain areas believed to be in the â€Å"Middle Country†) might have given McCurry the possibility to explore more evidence from those areas, thereby making her thesis a tad richer with weightier data. The extending of geographical boundaries also gave McCurry the opportunity of exploring the similarities and connections of the working relationships between wealthy slave owning families and the farming families with no slaves. The ideal example to justify the hypothesis that the extending of the low country topography gave McCurry more data to work with is the instance when McCurry used the personal diary of a woman (believed to be

Green Building Materials Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Green Building Materials - Term Paper Example A green building utilizes resource like energy, water, land, materials etc more efficiently than traditional buildings. Moreover, a special emphasis is given in ensuring occupant health and in reducing wastage and environmental degradation. The resources like recycled materials, renewable resources, salvaged building materials, some durable materials etc come under the green building materials. Today, billions of tons of raw materials are used for the construction activities every year, and that has resulted in extensive depletion of non renewable natural resources throughout the world. In this regard, renewable green building materials have become a necessity in conserving the declining non-renewable resources. According to Howe and Gerald (2010, p. 232), in traditional construction, a large amount of construction and demolition (C&D) wastes are getting disposed in the landfills every day. In green building practices, salvaged or recycled materials are used which contribute in bette r waste management. Some of the traditional building materials produce toxic chemicals which are harmful to human health. There is also massive carbon foot print production during various construction and operation process within the buildings. The use of green building materials in construction can maximize efficiency and minimize wastage, and it offers a healthy place to live with less impact on environment. Green building materials have several advantages that make them more favourable to be used in construction than the traditional building materials. To be specific, green building materials are of low cost, environmentally friendly, and safe in several respects. To begin with, when compared to traditional building materials, green building materials offer several financial benefits. Construction of green building does not necessarily need to be expensive. Some of the green products are available at a cost less than or equal to that of traditional

Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur - Essay Example Various world leaders have already declared the situation genocide, but are still slow to act. Given the slow global response to the genocide in Darfur, Sudan, the United States government needs to stop up and take action, and help the humanitarian crisis that is taking place in Darfur right now. The situation in Sudan is a complicated one, and one that will not easily be solved. Throughout the course of the years of violence, the situation has impacted the lives of millions of Darfurians. So far, "The ongoing devastation has killed an estimated 400,000 and displaced over 2.5 million Sudanese since February 2003", and the wide spread course of destruction is only going to continue unless someone steps in and takes action (Darfur, 2007). Just these facts only warrant intervention on the basis of humanitarian need, but these numbers alone are not the only reasons the United States should get involved in Darfur. In fact, the United States should have gotten involved in Darfur a long time ago, but still has decided to leave innocent people to die at the hands of a violent government. What kind of government do we have that can keep its blind eye turned for so long on the horrible actions of another government The United States needs to take immediate action to stop these atrocit ies from continuing to happen in Darfur, and stop more innocent lives from being shed for pointless reasons. The United States Department of State has given even higher numbers than the conservative estimates by the refugee agencies. The Department of States has released numbers showing that "4 million people have been displaced from Southern Sudan, with a total of 6 million displaced from the whole country, there are a estimated 220,000 refugees from Sudan currently living in Chad, 358,000 in other neighboring countries, and 170,000 refugees from other countries that are seeking home in Sudan" ( (U.S. Department of State, 2007). Many of these numbers could have been avoided if the United States has moved in to help Sudan, hypothetically speaking, instead of throwing ourselves into the quagmire that is Iraq. Or even if the United States has begun to put pressure on the Sudanese government earlier, we could see much lower death tolls coming out of the century's first genocide. Beside just the immediate effects of the genocide, if one were to look at the far reaching effects, one could find another reason the United States should step up and help Darfur. Another area of Darfur that has been affected is the education of the children. Once the warfare finally does stop, Darfur is going to need help in rebuilding and reeducating its children. Sudan has the lowest access to primary education in the world (UNICEF, 2005). Ninety-nine percent of women in Southern Sudan are illiterate and only seven percent of all teachers teaching Southern Sudan are trained to be teachers (UNICEF, 2005). As if those numbers are bad enough, only ten percent of girls ages 7-14 attend school, and fewer than one percent of girls complete primary education (UNICEF, 2005). Also, only Afghanistan under the Taliban had fewer girls graduating from primary schools than the few number of girls that are graduating from Sudanese schools today. The horrible things that are happening in Darfur are only going to have the ripple effect, and have a horrible effect on the generations to come. The United States needs to step in, not only to help the horrible things