History of International Terrorism Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

History of International Terrorism - Assignment Example s throughout the world and how different religious-extremist or nationalist groups that are still active contribute to the history of international terrorism.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People often tend to think that terrorism did not exist before the 9/11 incident, that is not true. The roots of terrorism are deep-seated through the annuls of history. The word itself has been given many different meanings. In an online article, â€Å"The history of terrorism is as old as humans willingness to use violence to affect politics† (Zalman, n.d.). Based on what she says, we may trace the history of terrorism to the earliest of times when the common people used force to revolt against the tyranny of their monarch. As a term, terrorism isn’t quite simple to be limited by a definition. For some, it means to stand up for what you believe in and fight for it, to others it’s a crime. For some, it’s a strategy to break the hold of the tyrant, for others it may be tyranny in itself. For some, it’s their duty to God, to others it’s simply fanaticism by the name of God. Clearly, terrorism does not have an apparent definition. Although ter rorism may not be new, its interpretations and definitions throughout history have changed. What was considered an act of terrorism in the past may not fit the modern definition of terrorism. Zalman mentions how terrorism is more of a modern trend and how the mass media facilitates its purpose to invoke fear among the masses and how it is part of the international system itself (Zalman, n.d.). Let’s now look at a few important time periods in the history of international terrorism and the events that occurred before 9/11, it is important to note that it was not always centered around Muslims unlike modern terrorism. The phenomenon of terrorism has existed throughout history. Firstly, 1793: It is said that the foundations for modern terrorism were laid during this time, Zalman mentions, â€Å"The word terrorism comes from the Reign of Terror instigated by

Advertising plan for Vodafone Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Advertising plan for Vodafone - Assignment Example In the current world, it’s not only about sending text messages and vocal communication; there is also the need to send photos, videos etc.  Vodafone  provides all these options. Because of all these facilities more customers are attracted to  Vodafone. Their Broadband services are also used by most of the customers. Apart from the products and services they offer, they have started a Vodafone Group Foundation. The fund of this foundation is collected from the Vodafone Group annually. The Foundation has been started in more than 25 countries and they are involved in many community involvement and social activities.   Vodafone was awarded the UK's first mobile license in the year 1982. They started the first international mobile roaming service in the year 1991.In 2002 they started providing the facility to access internet in mobile. Apart from all these, recently they started the Vodafone money transfer service through mobile. Through this the customers can send and re ceive money through safest and easiest way. Vodafone have around 45% stake on Verizon Wireless services. They acquired a company named Telsim from Turkey in the year 2006 with an investment of around 2.5 billion Euros. In 2007 they acquired a company Vodafone Essar and entered into the Indian Mobile Market with an investment of around 5 billion Euros. The Vodafone Group is listed in the Stock Exchanges of London and NASDAQ and the headquarters of Vodafone is in London. Vodafone is mainly based on Middle East, Europe, Africa, United States and Asia Pacific. They have expanded their network in other countries also. Partner Market Agreements were made between Vodafone and their partners. With their co-operation, they entered into the marketing of global products and services with different levels of brand. By this strategy  Vodafone  enters into different countries and expanded their network and made their partners and customers getting more values and services. Also for the Vodafo ne customers who are travelling to other countries, they no need to invest again in that country because of this facility and they can make use of their partner network. The main products of Vodafone are  Vodafone live,  Vodafone Connect to Friends, Vodafone Euro-traveller,  Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Modem,  Vodafone 710,  Vodafone Freedom Packs, Vodafone at Home and Vodafone Money Transfer. In 2009 Vodafone launched a new business unit for health named as mHealth.   In 2010, they launched another product named  Vodafone 150. It is labelled as the world's cheapest mobile phone. Some of the main markets of Vodafone are Germany, Spain, UK, Netherlands, Turkey, Portugal, Greece, Romania, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand etc. In these countries Vodafone have 100% ownership. In South Africa 94% of the stake is owned by Vodacom Group and from these 94%, 65% is owned by Vodafone Group. In Italy 76% of stake is owned by Vodafone. In India 65% of stake is owned by Vodafone. Voda fone also invested in a company named  Safari com  it is a market leader in Kenya and it has an ownership of 40%. They have around 25 million subscribers. They have an indirect investment of 4% in Bharti Airtel. Product & Service A wide range of services are offered by Vodafone. A few of them are 1) Voice 2) Messaging 3) Data and fixed line solutions and devices to assist customers in meeting their overall communication

Biblical World View Essay Example for Free

Biblical World View Essay Genesis chapters 1-11 depicts four great events that explains the creation of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. The creation and the fall of man. It explains how sin enters into human nature and man loses his relationship with the creator. It tells how God judges man because of sin, although sending a great flood to destroy His creation, He preserves a remnant because of His compassion for what He had created. In this essay I will explain my worldview on how these events have impacted the natural world, human identity, human relationships and civilization. Chapter one of Genesis tells us that the earth and all that is in it exist because God said â€Å"let there be†¦. † The earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the fish in the ocean, the animals on the land, the birds in the air, even down to the creepy crawling things God said â€Å"let there be†. Then it tells us that God created man in His own image and gave him also a help mate and gave them dominion over all that He had created. The author tells us that God did all this in six days, and on the seventh day He rested and reviewed all His work and declared it to be good! As I look around and notice all the trees, the flowers, beaches, oceans, watch a sunset or the rising of a full moon, all the things nature has to offer, I must agree with God that it is good. In fact, as I look around me the explanation given in Genesis chapter one is the only one that makes sense. The Holy Spirit within me confirms this explanation. The author says that God made man in His own image. That means I am somewhat intelligent and a big bang theory or theory of evolution insults the intelligence that God has ingrained in me as a part of Himself. God has given us so much of Himself and we have allowed the enemy(satin) to deceive us to the point we are lost even with the specific instruction manual that God has given us. Chapter three of Genesis tells the fall of man from the grace of God because he was deceived by the serpent(satin) who knew that God had created man in His likeness and that meant he had free will to make choices and decisions. They were deceived by the twisting of God’s words and straight out bold face lies. They got played like monopoly with false dreams and hopes being tempted by the lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh and the pride of life. The same way we are tempted to this day. God gave Adam and Eve specific instructions when He placed them in the garden, â€Å"do not touch the tree in the middle of the garden lest you die†. The serpent twists God’s words and tells them â€Å"you will not surely die, but become like Him†. He shows them how beautiful the fruit was (probably a big red juicy Georgia peach just ripe for the picking)lust of the eyes, he tells them how the fruit of the tree will make them wise(you want to be like God don’t you? )lust of the flesh, He does not want you to be like Him the pride of life. As I look at my own life everything that has kept me out of the will of God has been centered on this method of temptation. If it looked good I wanted it(lust of the eyes), if it felt good I did it(lust of the flesh), and there was nobody who could tell me I could not have it(pride of life). It is this very nature of sin that makes us not want to be told what we can and cannot do. It has been man’s downfall since the Garden of Eden. God confronts Adam and Eve about this choice of disobedience and they played the blame game because now they were wise and they knew what guilt and shame felt like. Adam blames the woman who You gave to be with me(ultimately he was blaming God), Eve blames the serpent for deceiving her. Whenever trouble arises everyone always looks for someone else to blame. It causes people to lose their jobs. It causes marriages and families to breakup. Wars are started and people even lose their lives playing the blame game. The same guilt, shame and fear that Adam and Eve experienced in the Garden of Eden has been passed down to every generation since. God dealt harshly with Adam and Eve casting them from the garden and imposing punishment on them and their descendants indefinitely. Because that sin would be passed down through their offspring man progressively became more and more sinful to the point Genesis 6:5 says Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. It goes on in verse 6 to say that The LORD was sorry that He had made man. He then made a decision to destroy His creation. But there was one that had found favor with God. Gen. 6:9 says Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. God has great compassion for His creation, in fact John 3:16 says for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son. God spared Noah and his family to preserve the creation that He loved. After the flood God blessed Noah and said be fruitful and replenish the earth. He made a covenant with Noah that never again would He send the floods to destroy the earth. But in preserving Noah He also preserved the sin nature that had been passed down from Adam and Eve. God knows this and He puts stumbling blocks in our paths to slow us down as did He to the people of Babel confusing their languages and scattering them over the earth so that they could not be so quick to conspire together against the will of God. Genesis 1-11 teaches us who we are, how we came to be and whose we are. It teaches us who God is and what He expects from us. Micah 6:8 says, He has told you O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justice, to love kindness, And to walk humbly with your God. It also teaches us who the real enemy is and shows us his intent, the weapons that he uses and the end result. I am convinced in my mind and in my heart that if there were no consequence for sin and we could do what we wanted with no one telling us what we can and cannot do, we would not have atheist in the world. He shows us this in His word and in our hearts. The people want to have a god, but not one who has rules and punishment for disobedience. The lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life refuses to let us be completely obedient to a loving God that is just and sovereign.

Assess one sociological theory of religion

Assess one sociological theory of religion Using examples critically assess one sociological theory of religion In most traditional societies, religion is an important form of social togetherness. It augments a feeling of community and promotes a set of shared values and beliefs in some form of god. Religion also plays a central role in cultural life; people often synthesize religious symbols and rituals into the material and artistic culture of the society: literature, storytelling, painting, music, and dance. It is the focus of the society that is of interest to religious sociologists, in particular theories concerning the way religious behaviour differs between and within societies. Beckford notes that theories revolving around how social interaction benefits or holds back societies, has made sociology a renowned area of study. In order to establish a fundamental starting point in this thesis, the foundations of sociology and the sociology of religion will be described in context. Furthermore, it will discuss, in some detail, the sociological theoretical approach of functionalism by sociologists; a critical analysis will aim to show the differences in their approaches to functionalism and will include supporting and critical statements from preceding and subsequent sociological theorists. Sociologists generally define religion as a codified set of moral beliefs concerning sacred things and rules governing the behaviour of believers who form a spiritual community . Auguste Comte (1798 1857) describes sociology as the study of human societies. A classical view is that, it is a social science that, uses varied methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis, and is often used to develop theory about human social activity. The sociology of religion therefore takes into account the aforementioned and a lso includes the practices, historical backgrounds, developments, universal themes and roles of religion in society. Jones (2003) describes Comte as the first to proclaim the virtues of an empirically based social science, a type of sociology that would have enormous implications for someone like Comte, who had been born during the aftermath of the French Revolution. Bilton et al (1996) explain this further: Positive social knowledge could offer the means for peaceful reconstruction of social order by the elite of enlightened scientists and intellectualsSocial change need not depend upon revolutionary violence and the manipulation of the mob Comte was able to make use of the new science for the progression of society and the re-establishment of order as well as being able to apply the positive method to social theory . Comte and his fellow Frenchman Durkheim are said to be the forerunners in creating the discipline of sociology. Thompson (1982) describes Comte as giving the subject its name and an ambitious prospectus, whilst Durkheim gave it, academic credibility and influence. Functionalist sociologists focus their attention on the nature of institutional relationships in society. To understand this further, one can use Talcott Parsons functionalist ideas as an example. Parsons, [who supported functionalism in the United States] used the functionalist perspective to group institutions in society into four related functional sub-systems; economic, political, kinship, and cultural. This theory stressed the importance of interdependence among all behaviour patterns and institutions within a social system to its long-term survival. In a similar way Durkheim In trying to explain the value of social and cultural character, illuminated them in terms of their contribution to the operation of an overall system. Furthermore, Malinowski, who promoted functionalism in England, endorsed the idea that cultural practices had psychological and physiological functions, such as the reduction of fear and anxiety, and the satisfaction of desires. Another Englishman Radcliffe- Brown contended that, all instituted practices ultimately contribute to the maintenance, and hence the survival, of the entire social system, determining the character of inter-group relations. It is Parsons sub-system of culture that encompasses religion that we now turn to. A functional definition of religion is fundamentally based on the social structure and drawing together of people, it pays particular attention to how religion guides and influences the lives of people who are actively involved, and through this promotes unity and social cohesiveness. Durkheim believed and argued that, religion was a socially constructed institution, serving the needs of society by socialising members into the same norms, values and beliefs, therefore reinforcing the collective conscience upon which the stability of society rests. He looked in depth at the origins, meaning, and function of religion in society. His belief was that religion was not so much about God, but more about the consolidation of society and the sense of identity that this creates within a particular society. He fully believed that individuals who accepted their role within their own society develop a form of social conscience as part of that role, which Durkheim labels as the Conscience collecti ve, which in simpler terms could be labelled as, a common understanding. Published in 1921 and penned by Durkheim, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life, is renowned as the best-known study on the sociology of religion. Using secondary data, Durkheim studied native totemism in primitive Australian tribes, in effect the totem is a symbol that is an integral part of the group, and during ceremonies will be the magnet that draws everyone together to form a collective whole. Therefore, totemism in this instance is explained not in terms of what it is, [what the content of its doctrines and beliefs are] but what it does, that is, the function it performs for the social system. Durkheim claims that, the totem, the sacred object is a representation, by which society symbolises itself, which according to Fulcher and Scott, he believed to be the real basis of social solidarity. From his observations Durkheim developed his theory of the sacred and profane, believing that all things in society can be separated into these distinct categories, as a fundamental d ichotomy the sacred and profane are seen as two separate domains or worlds. For Durkheim the sacred meant the unity of the group embodied in symbols, as in his example of totems, the profane was more about the mundane or the individual, and less concerned with the group. However the British anthropologist Evans-Pritchard (1937) observed that sacred things may be profane at certain times, an example he gives is the case of the Azande , who, when their shrines were not in ritual use, were used as props to rest their spears. This analysis of the sacred and the profane was extended to all religions by Durkheim and his followers, making a focus on what is similar about what they each do, and about the integrative functions all these religions perform on their social systems. He therefore viewed religion within the context of the entire society and acknowledged its place in influencing the thinking and behaviour of the members of society. Furthermore he believed that order flowed from con sensus, from the existence of shared norms and values, for him the key cause of social upheaval stems from anomie, the lack of regulating norms. Without norms constraining behaviour, explains Durkheim, humans develop insatiable appetites, limitless desires and general feelings of irritation and dissatisfaction. Radcliffe-Brown continued Durkheims sociological perspective of society; he particularly focused on the institutions of kinship and descent and suggested that, at least in tribal societies, they determined the character of family organization, politics, economy, and inter-group relations. Thus, in structural-functionalist thought, individuals are not significant in and of themselves but only in terms of their social status: their position in patterns of social relations. When regarding religious ceremonies Radcliffe-Brown contends that ceremonies, for example, in the form of communal dancing, promoted unity and harmony and functioned to enhance social solidarity and the survival of the society, in this he agreed with another renowned anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski. Malinowskis functionalism was highly influential in the 1920s and 1930s, a British anthropologist, he conducted one of the first major studies of religion from an ethnocentric perspective, on the people of the Trobriand Islands. The first anthropologist to undertake a long-term piece of field research, Malinowski lived among the Trobriand islanders for four years. In studying the functions of religion in a small scale, he agreed with Durkheim that religion reinforced social norms, values and promoted social solidarity. Malinowski also believed that religion could relieve social anxiety and could provide a sense of security especially when people are faced with situations in which they have no control, an example Malinowski gives is based on his observation of the Trobriand islanders fishing in a calm lagoon, no religious practice was attached, however when faced with the perils of fishing in the open ocean, religious rituals were always performed. In this way Malinowski believed huma ns could exert a perceived control over a world in which they held no significant, individual power. This individual, perceived control can be seen to be used by people facing a personal crisis. Often in a situation where they have no control over the outcome, people will turn to religion looking for guidance and sanctuary; thereby giving them a sense of power. For Malinowski then, religion also helped to conciliate periods of life crises and events such as death, marriage and birth, these rituals, known as rites of passage are marked by ceremonies, that by their very nature, are a form of social togetherness that help to create social order and contentment. These rites however can be seen to be controlled in that to a certain extent one is prepared for new life, death and marriage, these events form part the circle of life and therefore come with some prior knowledge. Ceremonies that relate to these life events could be seen as a predictable common bond that will help to reinforce social solidarity. Malinowski argues that religion minimizes the disruption, in particular, of death. He believes that the assertion of immortality gives rise to feelings of comfort for the bereaved, whilst the act of a funeral ceremony binds the survivors together. Coser (1977) explains further: Religion can counter a sense of loss, which, as in the case of death, may be experienced on both the individual and the collective level therefore religion as a social institution serves to give meaning to mans existential predicaments by tying the individual to that supra-individual sphere of transcendent values which is ultimately rooted in his society. So far we have seen that collective or communal gatherings are generally aimed at promoting social solidarity and cohesion, this is backed by the empirical evidence offered by Malinowski in his study of the Trobriand Islands. Hamilton (1995) offers that these gatherings can also be interpreted as involving the recognition of divisions, conflict and disharmonies inherent in the society and rituals may be seen as a means of coping with and defusing them. Concerning Malinowskis empirical evidence, a contrasting point is noted by Casanova (1995) who questions functionalism on empirical grounds, he argues that religion does not provide consensus and unity, instead he says that most conflicts [an example he gives is the Iran/Iraq war] in society have religious foundations. Marxist sociologists also criticise functionalists on a theoretical level. Marx claims that religion does not create societal consensus, instead it creates conflict between those that have wealth in the ruling class and those that do not in the working class. Therefore according to Marx, the only norms and values that are conserved by religion are those of the ruling class. Functionalist theory could therefore be said to neglect the areas in which religion has been dysfunctional for society, whereby religious divisions have caused disruption and conflict rather than promoting social order. History provides numerous examples of this including the aforementioned Iran/Ira q dispute, Northern Ireland and Bosnia. An Extreme functionalist assessment of religion, declares William Stevens, is put forward by American sociologist Robert Bellah. Bellah fuses Parsons argument that America derives its values from Protestantism, with Durkheims belief that the worship of god is the disguised worship of society. From this Bellah develops a new kind of religious concept, that of a civil religion. Therefore despite the individual belief systems of American citizens, it is the overarching faith in America that unites Americans. Wallis (1983:44) cited in Jones, explains that Bellah finds evidence of civil religion in Presidential inaugurations and ceremonials such as Thanksgiving Day and Memorial Day are similarly held to integrate families into the civil religion, or to unify the community around its values. A further point to be made here is that generally civil religion does not hold to a belief in the supernatural. Bellah disagrees and says examples of confirmation in the supernatural can be seen or hea rd on a daily basis, phrases such as God Bless America and the words In God we trust on the national currency, he believes are prime examples of this. However Stevens asserts that this is not the god of any particular creed, but a god of America. For Bellah then civil religion creates a social cohesiveness by gathering people together to collectively partake in some form of ceremonial event. Therefore flag waving at a sporting event or lining the street to celebrate a royal marriage or death can bring about a united outpouring of joy or grief that in itself generates order. A contemporary example is the untimely death of Princess Diana. Her funeral witnessed a monumental combining of people, faiths and nations in a symbolic act of grief. Functionalist sociologists tend to emphasize what maintains society, not what changes it and are criticized for being unable to account for social change because it focuses so intently on social order and equilibrium in society. Functionalists have to take into account that change does happen in societies and that change is a good thing, and can represent progress. Jones says that the functionalist way around this is to use an organic analogy social progress occurs as it does with organisms as an evolutionary change. Bilton et al explain that this takes shape in the form of structural differentiationdifferentiation is a type of splitting or separation of a previously undivided unit, the new units differ in that they are more specialised in the functions they perform. Talcott Parsons, in his approach to social change, emphasises differentiation. According to Parsons, Institutions change, if the need of the system changes. An example of a system change stems from The Industrial Revol ution, which was facilitated by capitalism, was increasingly demanding technological advances to increase profit. In order to make this possible there was a need for more educated workforces. As a result the industrial economy needed a new form of family to perform these specialist functions. Thus, as one aspect of society changed the economy and production it required a comparable change in the educational system, bringing social life back into equilibrium. This new modernization of society, explains Marske, is associated with the increasing indifference of the individual from the traditional social bonds of an intimate network of diffuse social relationships. Due to a greater demand in the workforce people from all walks of life came together causing an increase in the cultural diversity within a particular society. As a result individuality became a more prominent feature; religion it seems was becoming less social and more personal. Durkheim would disagree with this statement as he believed it was possible to be an individual as well as social institution, he explains, In reality, the religion of the individual is a social institution like all known religions. It is society which assigns us this ideal as the sole common end which is today capable of providing a focus for mens wills. Dillon (2003) explains that social scientists and Western intellectuals have been promising the end of Religion for centuries, Comte announced that, as a result of modernization, human society was outgrowing the theological stage of social evolution and a new age was dawning which the science of sociology would replace religion as the basis or moral judgements. Durkheim predicted the gradual decrease in formal world religions; in post-enlightenment society he felt that there would be a greater emphasis on the individual. This he believed would lead to a weakening of ties in the modern world. In addition he envisaged that social solidarity and the collective conscience would be taken up by other institutions that would evolve into new forms of religious experience. Furthermore a maturing modernity would see scientific thinking replace religious thinking. As a consequence, Durkheim considered the concept of God to be on the verge of extinction. In its place he envisioned society as promoting civil religion, in which, for example, civic celebrations, parades, and patriotism take the place of church services. If traditional religion were to continue, he believed it would do so only as a means to preserve social cohesion and order. Parsons disagrees with this synopsis, with modern life will come structural frameworks that are more competitive and specialised, however they would still persist because religion is an adaptable structural framework for the explanation of inexplicable social phenomena. A criticism applied to the functionalists perspective stems from Durkheims analogy that societies and social institutions have personalities. To imagine that a society is a living, breathing organism is a difficult concept when in fact it is seen as an inorganic object. This creates what can said to be a philosophical problem and an ontological argument that society does not have needs as a human being does; and even if society does have needs they need not be met. The view here is that society is alive in the sense that it is made up of living individuals. What is not taken into account is that each individual is a different entity, with their own wants and needs. As part of the unit they can function and integrate within the group as a viable member. However individual life choices may not always create a positive function for the society as a whole. Functionalists in general tend to have a too positive view by believing that everything that exists in society does so because it has some kind of functional purpose. Robert Merton believed that it was entirely plausible for society to have dysfunctional elements. Durkheim also recognised that some forms of social life could be seen in the same way, however he did not use the term dysfunctional. In his work on crime, he noted that crime was functional to society, this seems to be a contradiction in that he also said, too high a level of crime might not be functional, because it could create a state of confusion regarding what constitutes the norms that applied to peoples lives. As a society dysfunctional actions, in particular criminal actions are frowned upon, and as a society we can become mob-handed in the way people come together to condemn an act of crime. Durkheim has a point to make here in that, people combine together, forming a collective cohesion in defining themselves against what they are not. Picturing society like a vast machine, Merton argues that a society should best be considered as a cross bet ween the cultural goals of a society-what it holds its members should strive for-and the means that are believed, legally or morally, to be legitimate ways that individuals should attain these goals. In an ideally organized society, the means will be available to deliver all of its members to their goals. One must take into account when analysing such theories that at the time of writing the world was a very different place to the one we live in today. Social anthropology has come under criticism for looking into primitive societies as a representation of unchanged societies criticism in particular stems from the lack of historical records that could confirm or deny any findings. Radcliffe-Brown considered this type of work a mistakehis belief was that the religious and ritual systems had to be understood in the context of the existing society and their role in that society. One could linger on Durkheims prediction that religion would decrease with modernity, religion here being in reference to the act of attending a social gathering in the worship of some form, whether it be totemic or divine. However an important point to note is that at the time when the Sociology of Religion was in its infancy, religious practice was more of a regular occurrence than one would perhaps find in todays society. However individuals are still irrevocably influenced by the role of religion in their own lives. Their beliefs and values allow them to feel supported in their everyday life; religion sets aside certain values and infuses them with special significance. Culture plays an important part here, as values, customs and beliefs combine to become a moral code by which societies adhere to and live by and pass on to future generations. Religion encourages collective worship be it in a church, mosque, temple, home or some other specified gathering place. Through the act of collective worship the individual is encouraged to feel part of a wider community. Today, societies are classed as more secular in their nature, yet if one consider the earlier statement about religion being an important form of social togetherness it would be easy to make analogies with the different groups that make up the society we inhabit. For example schools hold assemblies, awards evenings and performances all which can be seen as an example of community spirit and social cohesion. People as individuals, have interests outside of their immediate social groupings, this does not make them an outcast or outsider, and instead it promotes a sense of identity, individualism and the self. The writings of sociologists such as Durkheim, Comte, Radcliffe-Brown and Parsons are still important today, especially in comparing the way society sees religion. However, in contemporary society sociologists have a different set of problems to contend with as belief in modern society and materialism for many becomes a more vital moral value than partaking in a religious practice . BIBLIOGRAPHY Beckford, James A. (2003) Social Theory and Religion, (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003). Bilton et al, Introductory sociology 3rd Edn (Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1998). Casanova, Jose, Public Religions in the Modern World (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1995) Christiano, Kevin J., William Swatos Jr Peter Kivisto, Sociology of Religion: Contemporary Developments Lanham, 2nd edition (MD: Rowman Littlefield publishers, 2008). Comte, Auguste, A Dictionary of Sociology (3rd Ed), John Scott Gordon Marshall (eds), (Oxford: OUP, 2005). Coser, Lewis A. Masters of Sociological Thought: Ideas in Historical and Social Context, 2nd Ed., (Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1977), pp. 136-139, Coser, Lewis A. Masters of Sociological Thought: Ideas in Historical and Social Context, 2nd Ed., Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc., 1977: 136-139, Dewar, Greg, Religious studies, Philosophy and Ethics, (London: Oxford University Press, 2002). Dillon, Michele, Handbook of the sociology of religion (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003). Durkheim, Emile, The Division of Labor in Society. Translated by, George Simpson. (New York: Free Press, 1893/1964). Durkheim, Emile, and Coser, Lewis A., The Division of Labor in Society. (Free Press, 1997) Durkheim, Emile. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life: A Study in Religious Sociology. Translated by, Joseph Ward Swain. (New York: Macmillan, 1915). E. E. Evans-Pritchard, Theories of primitive religion, (Oxford: Clarendon press, 1965). Emile Durkheim, Sociology and philosophy (New York: free press, 1974). Evans-Pritchard, E. E. Social Anthropology and Other Essays. ( London,1950).Contains a critique of Radcliffe-Browns functionalism from the perspective of historicism. Fulcher, J. Scott, J. Sociology, (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003). Giddens, Anthony, Durkheim, (London: Harper Collins, 1996). Goldschmidt Walter, Functionalism In Encyclopaedia of Cultural Anthropology, Vol 2. David Levinson and Melvin Ember, (eds) (New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996), p. 510. Hamilton, M, The sociology of religion, 2nd edition (Oxon: Routledge, 2001). Hunt, S. Religion in Western Society, (Hampshire: Palgrave, 2002). Jones, Pip, Introducing Social Theory, (Cambridge: Polity Press, 2003). Jones, Robert Alun., Rules of the sociological method 1895, in Emile Durkheim: An Introduction to Four Major Works. (Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1986), pp. 60-81. Macionis, J. Plummer, K. Sociology: A Global Introduction (Essex: Pearson, 2005). Merton, Robert, Social Theory and Social Structure, (USA: Macmillan, 1968), chapter 3. Orenstein, Ashley D. DM, Sociological theory: Classical statements 6th edition (Boston: Pearson Education, 2005), pp. 3-5: 32-36. Sociology Quarter, Durkheim as a functionalist, vol 16 no 3 (Summer, 1975), pp 36 -379. Thompson, Kenneth, (1982) Emile Durkheim, (Sussex: Ellis Horwood Limited, 1982). Winthrop, Robert H. 1991. Functionalism In Dictionary of Concepts in Cultural Anthropology (New York: Greenwood Press, 1991), p. 130. WEBLIOGRAPHY Functionalism, in Anthropology and Sociology The Columbia Electronic Encyclopaedia. 2000-2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/society/A0819881.html (Accessed: 18.01.10). Functions OF religion learningat.ke7.org.uk/socialsciences/soc-sci/soc/a2/R. Accessed 14.1.10. CliffsNotes.com. Introduction to Religion. http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/topicArticleId-2695,articleId-26927.html. Accessed 10.1.10 Chris Livesey, Functionalist perspectives on Durkheim, www.sociology.org.uk Marjolin, Robert French sociology-Comte and Durkheim, University of Chicago press American journal of sociology, vol. 42, no 5 (Mar., 1937), pp693 -704. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2767763 (Accessed: 12.1.10.). Mark Glazer, Functionalism http://www.utpa.edu/faculty/mglazer/theory/functionalism.htm (Accessed: 13.12.09). Marske, Charles E, (1987) Durkheims Cult of the Individual and the Moral Reconstitution of Society, Sociological Theory, Vol. 5, No. 1, (American Sociological Association, 1987), pp. 1-14. http://www.jstor.org/stable/201987. Accessed: 17.01.10. The Azande, http://lucy.ukc.ac.uk/EthnoAtlas/Hmar/Cult_dir/Culture.7829 (Accessed: 15/1/10). William J. Stevens, Religion: A Functionalist Assessment, http://www.helium.com/items841304-religion-a-functionalist-assessment. (Accessed: 24.11.09).

Killing Kids Essay -- Biology Essays Research Papers

Killing Kids M is nine years old(1). At this young age she has already beaten and tortured a 4 year old girl to death. She presents with absolutely no remorse about the incident. Any regret that she does exhibit is due to the fact that she understands that she is expected to feel apologetic about the incident, not because she intuitively feels remorse. D is ten years old (1). He has already killed a four year old girl because she "was annoying" him. He slapped her so hard that she fell to the ground and consequently died. While in the hospital, he was observed holding another patient's head under the water even after he was told not to do so. S is 10 years old and refuses to go to school. Instead, he runs across the street to play video games with his friend. When he is not over at his friend's house he sets fires for "fun". In addition, he often asked to carry drugs for his father with whom he has intermittent contact. He has been arrested for shop lifting from a local grocery(1). Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris walked into school on April 21, 1999 and killed 23 other people before finally taking their own lives(2). All of these people exhibit symptoms of conduct disorder. Conduct disorder is an inability to follow rules and behave in a socially acceptable way. People with this disorder exhibit aggression towards people and animals, are destructive towards property, are deceitful and seriously violate rules set by authority figures(3). Moreover, there are usually problems in the home such as divorce, poverty, child abuse, neglect, or parents that carry their own psychiatric diagnoses. In addition, patients with the disorder often carry other diagnoses such as oppositional defiant disorder, mood disorders, anxiety, attentio... ...sorder , Part of the University of Virginia Institute of Law, Psychiatry, & Public Policy website. http://www.ilppp.virginia.edu/juv/ConDis.html. 8) Counseling Children with Conduct Disorder , Part of the Counseling Today website. http://www.conseling.org/ctolin/achives/conduct.html. 9) A Double-Blind Study of Risperidone in the Treatment of Conduct Disorder, Published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and found on the Find articles.com website. http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m2250/4_39/61909235/promt.jhtml 10) How Youngest Killers Differ: Peer Support, On the New York Times website. http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/040900rampage-youth.html. 11) The Threaten, Seethe and Unhinge, Then Kill in Quantity , On the New York Times website. http://www.nytimes.com/library/national/040900rampage-killers.html.

McDonalds :: essays research papers

I.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Introduction McDonalds has always been a leader in the fast food industry. Through its dynamic market expansion, new products and special promotional strategies, it has succeeded in making a name for itself in the minds of the target customers. However, McDonald’s earnings has declined in the late 1990’s and 2000s. This is mainly due to a fiercely competitive industry and variety in customer tastes and preferences. II.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Statement of the Problem How can McDonalds increase its sales, market share and profits in a fiercely competitive industry? III.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Objectives McDonalds objectives are to reverse the decline of sales, to continue staying ahead of the competition in the fast food industry and to find new strategies that would help the restaurant successfully compete in the a fiercely competitive market. IV.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Areas of Consideration Situation  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eating habits of Americans are changing  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Younger consumers are getting tired of fast food and are becoming health conscious  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Growing dissatisfaction with the quality aspect of fast food restaurants such as McDonalds  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Fast food is losing its sense of appeal to the large group of customers who frequently eat out Environment  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  another segment of the fast-food industry is comprised of a non-hamburger restaurants, growing trend is moving customers to non-burger sandwiches  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  increase in the fast-casual segment that includes restaurants that offer deli sandwiches and more upscale meals with more comfortable surroundings but faster Background  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McDonalds has added new products on its menu  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Advertising message focused on tasty and nutritious food, friendly folks and fun  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Invested heavily in advertising and improving its public image  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Opened first domestic McCafe Customers  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  recognize the importance of drive-through customers (try to increase the speed of drive-through delivery)  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Importance of heavy users of fast-food restaurants Threats  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McDonalds cheap and greasy image Major Competitors in the Hamburger Segment  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Burger King Corp. that offers an array of value-priced offerings and makes kitchen and drive through upgrades  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hardee’s that continually introduce new items in the menu and join the price-promotion burger wars  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Wendy’s International who has the strongest same-store-sales gains in recent years Major Competitors in the Non-Hamburger Segment  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pizza Hut that dominates the Pizza Segment  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  KFC that uses programs to attract kids and families to its food offerings  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Taco Bell that practice successful high-priced offerings V.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alternative Causes of Action & Analysis In today’s market, McDonalds faces numerous challenges such as fierce competition, a more health conscious customer, and the continual need for improved customer satisfaction and menu. McDonalds needs to go through some changes in order to remain ahead in the fast-food industry. Alternative 1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McDonalds should focus greatly on building good customer relationship and uphold customer retention. This is done by allocating time and budget in improving their resources and making changes that actually cater to their customers’ needs and comfort.

Plato’s Forms

Eric Morin 103317083 01-26-285 Professor L. Buj Jan 16, 2011 Plato’s Criticism On Deceptive Forms Plato’s critique of art operates on two levels, the ontological and the moral. Both levels are interpreted within disdain taste as Plato proposes that the banishment of art could actually bring fourth a closer connection between humanity and truth. His argument against the existence of art as well as its functioning purposes will be further discussed in this paper. Plato’s ontological view on the existence of art looks deep within the nature as well as its overall properties rather bitterly.Plato’s attack on art does not merely constitute visual art, but rather holds a more expansive scope reaching into literature and especially poetry. For Plato, art is accountable for multiple negative influences, which affect all audiences who try to interpret it. These influences are what Plato believes hinders humanity towards aspiring truth. Art for Plato receives negati ve attention at the moment of creation. Plato believes that the thoughts processed by the creator and/or artist are far from original and are alternatively imitations of the real world hich are themselves distant from the ideal Forms. These ideal Forms consist of the ultimate paradigms in our universe containing truth and 2 absolute wholeness, thus proposing a problem for Plato. These copies of copies are referred to as mimesis. During the grandeur search of truth, mimesis serves the audience deceit and alarmingly leads them farther from the ideal Forms. As mentioned in the text, â€Å"Because mimesis presents us with an inferior copy of a copy, poetry takes its listeners away from rather than toward the ideal Forms† (Leitch 43).The hypocrisy surrounding literature proves to be troublesome for Plato on a multitude of levels. In the search for completeness, art not only fails to provide insight toward truth but rather, is actually lying to you. This mimetic stance held within the nature of art is believed to be nothing more than fabrication. Plato maintains his argument by stating that as the audience is deceptively reeled into a degraded mind state, truth is less obtainable. Introduced in the text, â€Å"Because [Literature] stories are fictional, made up, literature is dangerous; it roduces only lies† (43). Plato not only bashes art on an ontological level, but also finds problems morally. During deception and degradation through imitation within text, Plato analyzes the problems art has within its nature and relates that to the morality of audience. He argues that if art is further removing oneself from the truth, than it cannot be in the best interest of man. Thus, banishment of art would be the only way to restore deception and appease humanity. 3 Plato begins by focusing on the dangerous elements of art and its affect on young minds.His argument states, â€Å"Now, do you appreciate that the most important stage of any enterprise is the begi nning, especially when something young and sensitive is involved? † (46). In this part of the text, Plato is trying to explain that not only is the young mind fragile enough to easily fall into this created trap of deceit, but also that ruining the quest for truth at a young age brings upon negative consequences for all of humanity. Argued furthermore, â€Å"No young person is to hear stories which suggest that were he to commit the vilest of crimes †¦ he wouldn’t be doing anything out of the rdinary, but would simply be behaving like the first and greatest gods† (47). Here Plato is arguing that the falsehood within stories can fantasize young minds into ultimately developing enhanced personas, which escalates into degradation of truth in reality. Plato further extends his argument on art and morality into the minds of all humans. Since art is of a deceitful nature according to Plato, it cannot undertone any good found within the text but is instead consider ed the primary fault within literature. Thus, the deception in which the audience resorts to is ultimately proposed as egative and unneeded. Different from a beneficial spoken lie, Plato states about literature, â€Å"All I’m saying is that no one is happy at being 4 lied to and deceived in his mind about the facts† (51). One of Plato’s biggest moral issues with art explores the depiction of human kind in literature. He believes that in order to truly display characteristics of a character we are not only mending the emotions and feelings to suit the text itself but for our own personal capacity. This sort of mutilation of character not only revives the notion of eception within literature but again bringing treason to our own reality. By distorting the character, we would be digging through created deceit as well as misinterpreting the true meaning of what was intended. Plato not only rejects our created distortion, but also feels as though the author creates t his misinterpretation in a deceptive way. As Plato addresses, â€Å"What we’d claim, I imagine, is that poets and prose-writers misrepresent people in extremely important ways† (58). A real life example of artwork that could be examined and placed under Plato’s critical thinking rests in Versailles.There, artist Jeff Koons has created a replica of an inflatable lobster that hangs down from the ceiling for all to see. The lobster seems to be created as though it is soft to touch and friendly to the eyes. Already our senses have been deceived. As Plato would primarily analyze the creationist, we find that Jeff 5 Koons has not only produced a copy of a copy, but adds double the mimetic stages. Plato would argue that Jeff’s original thought has come from an ideal Form, followed by his initial drawing, then an addition of computer enhancement, and lastly interpreted and actually reated by fellow minds in his workshop. This notion sets the idea that Jeff is rat her far from being the creationist, which is deceptive to audience in itself. Plato’s ontological stance would prove testy and unacceptable, as mimetic deceit is thoroughly prevalent within the whole of this piece. Plato would then examine the piece of art and relate it to morality. As this specific piece hangs down appearing soft and inflatable, it as well is deceitful in itself. Made out of metal, the lobster looms above the heads of audiences worldwide. Confusing to our senses, he would isapprove the artworks influence and be especially concerned for child observers. Plato would believe that not only is the nature of this piece deceptive, but our outtake of what we have witnessed would follow suit. In all of this deception, Plato would argue that artwork does indeed lead humanity farther from the truth and most importantly from primary ideal Forms, thus resulting in banishment being the primal response. 6 Works Cited Leitch, Vincent B. , ed. The Norton Anthology of Theory & Criticism. New York, NY: Norton, 2010. Print.