Significance of Organizational Behaviour in Managing Human Resources Essay

Significance of Organizational Behaviour in Managing Human Resources - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in almost all cases, human resources are considered as the key towards the success of a business organization. Considering the tight competition in the global markets, proper management of human resources has gained importance within the private and public sector. In general, this report will discuss the significant contribution of organizational behavior in the management of human resources. Â  As compared to the use of another leadership style, this report will highlight the benefit of using transformational leadership style when it comes to managing, motivating and maximizing the use of each employee’s talent and acquired skills. With this in mind, differences between the benefits of using transformational leadership will be compared with the use of autocratic, authoritative and transactional leadership approach to managing employees. Also related to the idea of motivating employees to perform well in their assigned task, th is report will explore the benefit of using intrinsic rewards over the use of an extrinsic form of rewards. A corporate leadership is a special skill that each manager should possess in order to make them become a competent leader. In almost all circumstances, it is unacceptable for a leader to make a quick judgment towards people and/or a business situation without having a concrete evidence to back him up in the end. It means that a good leader is expected to have a combination of wisdom, integrity, sensitivity, and tenacity (WITS). Since a manager must always base decisions on concrete facts, the author mentioned that a good leader must have these traits to be able to have a clear vision of the business trends. Kotter mentioned that having a good leadership skill is important in terms of enabling managers to become more effective in terms of delegating the task to each employee. Even though there are some managers who are fully equipped with proper management skills, some of them will remain unable to make a business successful in terms of competing in the global market because of the absence of good leadership skill.

The Christian Fundamentalist Movement Essay Example for Free

The Christian Fundamentalist Movement Essay As it exists in America, the Christian fundamentalist movement is comprised of Protestant evangelical fundamentalists who seek a complete restructuring of the social and political order, so that all proceeding generations may be brought up in accordance with their doctrine. The most central tenet to their movement is the idea that their sacred scripture, the Bible, is indisputably inerrant, and provides a strict set of rules and guidelines that can be applied to a person in any context. In Martin Marty’s anthology â€Å"The Fundamentalism Project,† he explores the role that fundamentalism plays in politics, the family, and society as whole. Understanding that â€Å"fundamentalism† is a word often misused or wrongly attributed to certain groups, Marty’s works primarily aim at distinguishing the term, and illustrating it’s distinct origin. Furthermore, he describes the integral role of women in sustaining a movement that is essentially patriarchal, and helps us to see how this fits into Manuel Castells notion that the patriarchal family may soon be a thing of the past. Defining and Distinguishing â€Å"Fundamentalism† Fundamentalism, in the most general of senses, is a strategy used within religious communities to reclaim their sacred past, and therefore maintain their identity as a distinct group. They refer to selected doctrines and scriptures, which are considered to be the â€Å"fundamentals† of their beliefs. They are zealously driven by a sense of self-preservation, and the need to convert their adversaries (who, in their case, is anyone but themselves) (Marty, 1). Protestant fundamentalists fit this definition well. They emerged in the early 20th century in opposition to, what they considered to be, an increasingly morally corrupt world. They have since continued to revere the â€Å"fundamental† requirements for salvation by basing every aspect of their lives on the perceived â€Å"divinely inspired† writings of the Bible . Several central features of Protestant fundamentalism shape its identity not only as a religious faith, but also as a strict, oppositional, closely-knit social cohort. The first of these is evangelism, which fundamentalists hold to the up-most importance. Since they see only themselves as saved, they xpend most of their energy on convincing outsiders that they must avoid eternal damnation through conversion (to fundamentalism) by broadcasting evangelical messages over radio and television and various other means. Secondly, fundamentalists believe in a strict biblical inerrancy. That is, they claim â€Å"that the only sure path to salvation is through a faith in Jesus Christ that is grounded in unwavering faith in an inerrant Bible,† and that â€Å"the Bible can be trusted to provide an accurate description of science and history, as well as morality and religion† (Ammerman, 5). Hence their upsurge at the turn of the 20th century, when various scientific and philosophical theories (such as Darwinism) that did not adhere to the written word became increasingly accepted, and they sought to turn everyone back to the strict, unwavering accuracy of the scriptures (Moore, 46). Thirdly, fundamentalists are a pre-millennialist group who use their faith in the Bible to â€Å"predict the future,† that is, the coming of the End. This belief provides them with even more motivation to evangelize, because they think there is only a limited time before the second coming of Jesus and thus a limited time to save non-believers before they are condemned to hell. Lastly, separatism is one of the more crucial features of fundamentalism, because it is the basis for how fundamentalists exist in society. They insist that a true believer will not only follow a strict set of guidelines for his or her own life, but will also shun any person who does not share their lifestyle. In fact, it is this desire to ostracize the mainstream population that originally set fundamentalists apart at the emergence of their movement, as they share much in common with closely related factions such as conservative, or evangelical Christianity. For example, fundamentalists agree with conservative Christian’s â€Å"traditional† understanding of such doctrines as the Virgin Birth, the historical accuracy of Jesus’ miracles, and the imminent second coming of Christ. However, not all conservative Christians agree on how one achieves salvation, which is where evangelical Protestantism veers off. While certain conservative Protestants consider themselves â€Å"saved† if they are baptized and active, faithful members of their church, only evangelicals believe that salvation is solely for those who accept Jesus Christ as their savior and devote their lives to living in his name (a tenant crucial to fundamentalism). And, since many evangelicals place revelatory powers in experience, they cannot all be considered fundamentalists who seek revelation through the scriptures alone. But still, for most of the early 20th century, â€Å"fundamentalists† and â€Å"evangelicals† were barely distinguishable; both groups â€Å"preserved and practiced the revivalist heritage of soul winning and maintained a traditional insistence on orthodoxy† (Ammerman, 4). It wasn’t until fundamentalists chose to actively oppose liberalism, secularism, and communism in a militant fashion that they ostracized themselves from the rest of society, which evangelicals sought to remain in. Historical Background of the Fundamentalist Movement In every society social change proceeds at an uneven pace. Some society members embrace change with relish, while others find it oppressive and troubling. And, when people feel that change is being imposed on them, many will find it necessary to resist. Such was the case with America’s earliest fundamentalists. The early 20th Century Fundamentalist Movement sprung from the Great Awakening in objection to its principles of liberal theology, German higher criticism, Darwinism, all which appeared to undermine the Bible’s authority. The growing discontentment of numerous religiously conservative Christians pushed them to unify and organize, aided by the emergence of a twelve volume series between 1910 and 1915 titled The Fundamentals. This collection was conceived by a Southern California oil millionaire and edited by Bible teachers and evangelists. It contained ninety articles, twenty-seven of them devoted to the Bible, which outlined clearly what were thought to be the essential, fundamental beliefs of Christianity that could not be compromised. It detailed fundamentalism’s core tenets, specifically: The inerrancy of the Bible, the literal nature of the Biblical accounts (especially regarding Christs miracles and the  Creation account in Genesis), the Virgin Birth of Christ, the substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross, and the bodily resurrection of Christ (Witherup, 7). These provided the disunited body of participants with a single set of goals, prompting them to ban together to enact change and essentially transforming fundamentalism into a specific movement. However, throughout the following decade this new religiously conservative coalition against liberalism was merely a nagging voice of dissent, still widely considered bigoted or anti-intellectual, and failed to gain significant credibility (Marsden, 124). Fundamentalists remained divided on several key issues, which prevented them from gaining any real solidarity. For example, while most fundamentalists were mainly concerned with biblical inerrancy, many were more focused on dispensationalism, a eschatological theology concerned with the so-called â€Å"end of times. At this end of the spectrum a â€Å"small group of dispensationalist spokes-men pushed the cultural pessimism to its logical extreme,† who used rhetoric that â€Å"was certainly not in any way connected with positive, progressive reformism† (Marsden, 125). This prevalent face of fundamentalism was in no way appealing to the American public, and was counter-productive to the movement. In 1925, the infamous Scopes â€Å"monkey trial† brought to the forefront of the American Public the clash between modernity and fundamentalists. The trial concerned a high school teacher, John Scopes, who was convicted of teaching the scientific theory of evolution in opposition to the biblical teaching of creation. Though the fundamentalist prosecutor William Jennings Byron won the case, liberal press coverage of this legendary trial ultimately led to a severe loss of public support. Nevertheless, Byron would go on to becoming one of the most popular and appealing faces to the movement, and would continue to fuel its growth. The economic depression of the 1930’s provided a context in which fundamentalism could not easily thrive. Such dark times called for a comforting, optimistic theology†¦characteristics not often attributed to fundamentalism. However, this sense of social crisis brought to the fore moral reformist leaders like William B Riley, who began to stress political change as essential to fundamentalist goals. A number of conservative conferences in  New York City  and Philadelphia led to the formation of a larger and more comprehensive organizations the  World’s Christian Fundamentals Association and the Fundamental Baptists of America. Having also lost control of the denominational seminaries, fundamentalists regrouped around a set of independent Bible institutes and Bible colleges. Many of these schools, such as the  Moody Bible Institute  in Chicago and the  Bible Institute of Los Angeles not only provided instruction to their students but assumed many of the duties formerly performed by denominational institutions. They published periodicals, broadcast from their own  radio stations, held conferences, and maintained a staff of extension speakers. They operated like a denominational headquarters, providing a bond between otherwise isolated congregations (Bruce, 55). Although fundamentalism was pushed to the fringe of the Christian community by the new Evangelical movement, it continued to grow as new leaderships arose. The  Baptist Bible Fellowship, formed in 1950, became one of the largest fundamentalist denominations. By 1975 there were 34 Regional organizations, 16 active military chaplains, 11 student chaplains, 1261 individual members and 614 churches. A total of 28 missionary organizations were members of the IFCA movement. They included 13 church extension missions, 11 home missions, and 4 foreign missions. Five Bible institutes and colleges also were members. Then, in 1979 Jerry Falwell pushed the movement into political sphere by founding the Moral Majority, a civic organization that crusaded against what it viewed as negative cultural trends, especially legalized abortion, the  women’s movement, and the  gay rights movement. It also lobbied for prayer in public schools, increased defense spending, a strong anticommunist  foreign policy, and continued American support for the State of Israel. The Moral Majority led a new generation of fundamentalists beyond simply denouncing cultural trends and back into an engagement with contemporary life in the political arena, a place where they have been quite outspoken for the past couple of decades. For example, fundamentalists were strong supporters of President  George W. Bush  and played an important role in the election of Republicans at all levels of government. They also continued to promote conservative positions on various questions of social policy. They took advantage of the post-cold war liberalist attitude by zealously lobbying for political and moral reform at abortion clinics, funerals for homosexuals, etc, to make their point loud and clear. According to Marty Martin, fundamentalists entered â€Å"a new phase of intense activism in the aftermath of the Gulf War (1990-1991) and the collapse of the Soviet Union, in a world that now seemed beset by an inward turning of peoples, or by antipluralist particularisms† (Marty, 7). Even further fueled by the ultural revolution of the 1960’s and early 70’s, especially the assaults on traditional standards of family and sexuality, fundamentalists sought to completely re-structure American culture. They continued to promote conservative positions on various questions of social policy, and given that their â€Å"end† is in sight, have been increasingly forceful in doing so. In other words, the fundamentalist movements’ participants believe that their t ime is running out to achieve their movement’s goals, therefore they need to take advantage of every opportunity they can. In fact, â€Å"the politicization of fundamentalistic evangelicism in recent decades and its unexpected resilience as a political force points to another larger story in American culture, the weakening of the progressive modern scientific liberal consensus that seemed to be building in the first half of the 20th century† (Marsden, 255). Fundamentalism and The Family According to Marty, the fundamentalist desire to return to a â€Å"sacred past† is the motivation behind their focus on re-establishing â€Å"the family† as a staple of social order. They believe that the â€Å"traditional† family is one reminiscent of 17th century Puritanism, a time when religion played as large a role in society as it should now. Christian fundamentalist see the family as the ultimate authority, as it has become a â€Å"potent symbol of an idealized moral order† (Hardacre, 131). Thus, â€Å"the imperative to ‘return’ to an idealized form of the family is perhaps the highest priority of the fundamentalist social agenda† (Hardacre, 131). They see the family as the divine infrastructure that is the basis for all other institutions in society, and are encouraged by spiritual leaders to make the home a moral haven from a corrupt world. The â€Å"traditional† lifestyle that is so revered by Christian fundamentalists is a patriarchal one, in accordance with the Bible. As a result, women willingly assume the subordinate position which is widely considered anti- feminist. In their idealized family, the husband is the sole breadwinner who exercises final authority in all matters, and the wife’s role is simply to serve her husband, children and God. Additionally, females in fundamentalist households are taught to stifle their sexuality, as it could be used as a tool to manipulate the males in society. And, â€Å"women’s personification of tradition also takes the form of (often explicit) restrictions on their physical movements away from home† (Hardacre, 139). In order to stick with â€Å"tradition,† women are often required to forego education beyond basic literacy, and employment in leading sectors of the economy (and most other professions). Especially from a feminist standpoint, it is oftentimes difficult to see why women would become such passionate advocates for a creed that deepens their subordination to men and requires them to relinquish most of their power. However, within fundamentalism, the female role of motherhood is considered to be the most crucial foundation for the family and society as a whole. Since many fundamentalists chose to homeschool their children, these mothers are also the sole educators for their oftentimes many offspring. And, as a large part of their educational focus is on Biblical study, females are called to pass on the meaning of their sacred scripture to the next generation. So though their perpetuation of patriarchy is widely considered anti-feminist, fundamentalist women do not see themselves as such. Instead, they see themselves as carrying out the ultimate female duty as God calls upon them to do. The Quiverfull movement is a smaller, more recent group who share the same desire for a â€Å"traditional† patriarchal family. They are a movement of people who believe is eschewing all forms of birth control, and willingly accepting as many children as they conceive. Not only are they unwilling to prevent pregnancy, but in the same effort to maintain patriarchy wives are required to engage in sexual intercourse whenever their husband so chooses, oftentimes resulting in frequent reproduction. The basis for their lifestyle is found in Old Testament Bible verses in Psalm 127:3-4 that proclaims â€Å"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward; As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his  quiver full  of them† (Quiverfull). Despite the premise of their movement being selection from a religious text, the Quiverfull movement is self-described as non-denominational, though it is often described as both evangelical and fundamentalist. Though their members are predominately evangelical (if not evangelical fundamentalists), look closer will see how they really fit in as a subset to the overall fundamentalist movement. As was just mentioned, the foundation of Quiverfull beliefs comes from a literal translation of the Bible, a characteristic of evangelicism and fundamentalism. And, they don’t only base their reproductive habits off of the Bible; Quiverfulls maintain that the Bible is inerrant in it’s entirety. In consequence, Quiverfull families base their familial structure off of the same scriptures that fundamentalists do, creating the same male-headed families. However, it would probably be inaccurate to say that all members of the Quiverfull movement share the same desire for separatism that is characterized in the participants of the fundamentalist movement. The fact that they do not self-describe themselves as Christian fundamentalists (though they do refer to the â€Å"fundamentals†) alone is suggestive of their less-exclusive nature. For example, if I were to decide now that I want no part in birth-control or family planning, and advocated that as the correct way of life, I would be part of the Quiverfull movement despite any of my other personal ideologies. Nevertheless, the premise of the movement coincides with objectives of fundamentalists, so it still can be considered a contribution to the success of the larger Fundamentalist movement as a whole. The Fundamentalists Identity In Castells’ â€Å"The Power of Identity,† he provides three origins of â€Å"identity building,† the basis for the formation of â€Å"purposive collective actions whose outcome, in victory as in defeat, transforms the values and institutions of society† (Castells, 3). One of these, â€Å"resistance identity,† is similar to McAdam’s idea of â€Å"oppositional consciousness. The latter is vital to the success of any social movement, because the creation of a common enemy creates solidarity between its members, allowing them to link their experiences of injustice to their oppressors, thus providing them with a common obstacle. This type of identity-building â€Å"constructs forms of collective resistance against otherwise unbearable oppression, usually on the basis of identities that were, apparently, clearly defined by history, geography, or biology, making it easier to essentialize the boundaries of existence†. In this case, a collective identity is formed in response to dominant institutions or ideologies, just as fundamentalism emerged to combat the scientifically-progressive ideologies of the early 20th century. Fundamentalism is understood to be â€Å"the construction of collective identity under the identification of individual behavior and society’s institutions to the norms derived from God’s law, interpreted by a definite authority that intermediates between God and humanity† (Castells 2, 13). Thus, to be properly perceived by fundamentalists one has to share their commitment to a authority, as they do in respect to patriarchal order and God. Castells also argues that the new global order with its uncontrollable processes of globalization and individualization of identity is accompanied by several brand new demographical tendencies. Among them there are the high rates of divorce, separation, delayed marriages, children born out of wedlock, violence in the family, gay and lesbian couples, single lifestyles etc. Castells 2, 26) All of these challenge patriarchalism by undermining its material and ideological bases, and Castells sees the Christian family as the only source of stability to this order. He claims that American Christian fundamentalism is not a rationalization of class interests, or territorial communal movements, but is rather â€Å"a political process of defense of the moral, Christian values† with the help of images from the past projected into the utop ian future (Castells, 25). Therefore, fundamentalism derives its strength from the American culture with its deep religiosity as well as â€Å"familistic individualism† and pragmatism as a shelter from solitude and uncertainty of the contemporary  world (Castells). Fundamentalism: A Self Sustaining Movement For its participants, fundamentalism began with the formation of the scriptures and its sustainability is inevitable due to its universal validity. The only threat to its existence is the event after which worldly matters are no longer a concern to fundamentalists: the imminent second coming of their savior, Jesus Christ. Until then, fundamentalism continues to exist in the social order as a well-organized, un-relenting, unified movement, fighting to influence American institutions in accordance with their beliefs. And, with America in the midst of major political and religious upheaval, there has never been a better time for fundamentalists to impose a structural change on our society. Concerning its sustainability, the fundamentalist movement has a clear, unwavering set of tenets and goals which can apply to every society. Furthermore, the solidarity of it’s members has been highly influenced by the movement’s ubiquitous enemy: contemporary American culture. Their formation of an oppositional consciousness has been inherent in their basic dogma, and their list of enemies remains lengthy and ever growing. Their political opportunity has also continued to grow in strength, with an increasing number of right-wing conservatives standing behind their cause. This increase in ideological allies has been paired with a decrease in the strength of repression in society, as more and more Americans have become sympathetic to the fundamentalist message. This has been partially due to the post-9/11 need for revenge against a common enemy, which called for Americans to ban together and generally promoted the idea of returning to the â€Å"family. † This idea is further supported today by public figures like Sarah Palin and Glen Beck, the latter of whom is regarded higher in public-opinion than the president himself. Even despite their philosophical differences, evangelicals and fundamentalists have come together in their plight to change the schooling system, in opposition to secular humanism. Together they seek a â€Å"God-centered education that emphasizes character development and spiritual training,† which requires a totally upheaval of the standard American educational system (Rose, 456). They have pressured public schools to remove certain books from classrooms and libraries, to teach scientific creationism alongside (or in place of) evolution, to eliminate sex education entirely, to adopt textbooks that reinforce â€Å"traditional† American values, that can be found in the scriptures and to avoid â€Å"controversial† subjects in the classroom, such as sex or evolution (Rose, 453). Protestants have developed their own branch of Christian schools, which though may not be strictly comprised of fundamentalists, is most popular among the more separatist and conservative wing of the evangelical movement. Since the 1960’s enrollments in non-Catholic religiously affiliated schools, or schools of which the majority are evangelical, have increased some 149 percent (Rose, 454). These schools have been the fastest growing sector of private education, with approximately one million students (K-12) enrolled in roughly ten thousand schools, which equates to 20% of the total private school population. The goal of this alternate form of education is to restore religious authority in society, re-strengthen parental authority, and educate their children while protecting them from â€Å"drug, sex, violence, and the lack of discipline in the public schools† (Rose, 455). The schools form a sort of protective bubble around the fundamentalist youth, limiting their knowledge of diversity and progressive society. At fundamentalist universities, the Bible is the only form of literature that students study, and many times neither group discussion nor essay writing is part of the regular curriculum (Rose, 461). In other words, students read (for the most part) only the Bible, and do not practice the normal skills that an education requires. This singularization of their knowledge successfully teaches children that fundamentalism is not only the right way, but the only way to live. All in all, it is clear that Protestant fundamentalism is concerned with protecting the sanctity of their ideology in every aspect. Worship, education, the family, friends, recreation, etc. must all adhere to a strict set of doctrinal beliefs, which can only be found in their inerrant Bible. Due to their confined nature, there is little room for desegregation with people of other faiths, which helps to perpetuate the distinct roles that women and children play in this sometimes described anti-progressive or anti-modernist movement. In their plight to change the schooling system, fundamentalists have merged with evangelicals to oppose the secular humanism that they consider to be contaminating their children’s minds. Together, they seek a â€Å"God-centered education that emphasizes character development and spiritual training,† which requires a totally upheaval of the standard American educational system (Rose, 456). In addition, their patriarchal communities have restrained the role of women, keeping them solely in the households to raise and sometimes educate their children. Furthermore, children are encouraged to confine their friendships, dating partners and spouses within the church, allowing little room for outward mobilization. For the most part, they constrain their children to educating them only the â€Å"basics† of Protestant fundamentals, and by rearing them in such a male dominated environment, perpetuate an anti-feminist ideology (Hardacre, 134). Conclusion It is the fundamentalist insistence on â€Å"uniformity of belief within ranks and separation from others whose beliefs and lives are suspect† that has shaped a fervently unique demographic (Ammerman, 9). Their determination to accumulate ideological allies through zealous evangelism has taken fundamentalism from being a theological doctrine, to existing as a strong and ever growing social movement. Their separatist nature has led them to develop their own faith-based communities, churches, schools, universities, radio stations, television shows and more. By creating their own neighborhoods and penetrating the education system, fundamentalists have succeeded in mobilizing and growing in size and authority.

Brief Survey of Psychology :: essays research papers

Psychology seems to be like the science of perception turned into prejudices. I know there is a lot more to it than that, but that seemed to be what Kevin was focusing on. This does not mean bad prejudices like racial prejudices, but good ones like when I go to sleep tonight I will wake up tomorrow. I believe I will wake up tomorrow because I woke up today, if I did not believe that I might have a hard time getting to sleep since I would fear not waking up. So when people who saw a picture of a young girl, then they were shown a picture of both the old woman and the young girl together, they were very likely to fist see the young girl.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I like to think that I am able to think outside the box, but when told to draw four continuous lines through nine points in a box, my mind was unable to think outside that box! Psychology is a power tool because it allows us to take a step back and look at the big picture of individual behavior. We are more able to notice behavior that we take for granted, such as blaming outside influence for our failures, and attributing our success to our own hard work. I would like to think that now people know they how they attribute success and failure, that they would change their ways, and give credit where credit is do, plus attempt to right there wrongs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A topic that I believe could be studied from a social psychologist perspective, is the â€Å"Why do they hate us?† ideology following September 11 2001. Most believe they hate us because they desire our freedom, something for which we pride ourselves. Few people will even attempt to look for the real reasons, such as the 432 + governments we have overthrow since the Regan Administration or the arms we sell to tyrannical dictators. No it must be something good we did, because we only see the good we do. Conversely we only see the bad they do, that’s right the Koran is only about a Jihad and all the people in the middle east wear towels, so that’s why all the people in the middle east hate us, because the towels give them fevers, therefore they are crazy.

Environmental Benefits And Challenges Of Urbanization Essay

This paper has been written to analyze in-depth, the pollution, covering air, water, chemicals, and other such related issues in the United States. Further, I would also be developing an environmental health teaching plan to address one of these issues. Environmental issues are becoming very prevalent in today’s world. The question is why the environment and its concerns are becoming more prevalent, important and famous now. For this, we will need to look at the history. For decades we have neglected this seemingly dangerous issue due to which it has been going unnoticed. The reason we never before paid heed to this concern or issue is because this issue’s repercussions were not evident in the previous years. As no such notice regarding this issue was taken into consideration, it could not even be rectified. (Abel & McConnell, 2007). However, with the advent of global warming and other factors such as acid rain, prevalence of carbon dioxide and the ever increasing penetration of green house gases has put many lives at stake making many people fear that this world will not continue to exist or survive for more than 10 years from now on that means that by 2018 this world will have used most of the resources and this is basically due to the wastages of resources available to us. The basic thing that we have to consider here is to think hard about the issue as to how we can prevent our precious resources from depletion, disappearance and from vanishing. To answer this question we can simply say that we should use our resources optimally. (Kemp, 2007). It is believed that the next war that would be held would be for the sole purpose of resources. The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre highlights the hidden objective of the resources. Although this act would be illegal and an immoral thing or practice, therefore many countries other than the one going for the war would object to this act for spoiling the world peace. U. S is a super power of the world and it is always trying to get hold of the resources. They are doing this by capturing resources, snatching them and raiding the countries that have abundant of these resources such as O. P. E. C countries and countries with no or minimal problems of the water shortage or the countries thave abundant of resources like the crude oil, natural coal and the natural gas. (Harris 2004). The reason why some countries have been the target of the United States is because although these countries might have some kinds of resources, however they do not have any resources that can be used to combat the threat or the attack coming from the super power such as the US and countries that are the allies of the U. S. such as European Union that also includes Turkey. Furthermore, these countries have a very weak defence and military, but the most important two factors that are responsible for their vulnerability are mentioned below. †¢ Lack of Decisive and Prowess Leadership. †¢ Ignorance to the current affairs and the intelligence. This is one of the major problems that might create huge problems for the countries US has their eyes on. With all the afore mentioned details to the problem, now let us go deeper in to the affects of the ignorance this problem environment exploitation that is also supported by the fact that he next war expected to take place is on the resources. The mere resources which were once used with out any fear of them being depleted once are now being depleted all because of the lack of the knowledge and the lack of the far sightedness of the problem. Now this problem has become very prominent and inevitable. The depletion of resources is not a small problem but it is vice versa. It is a very big problem that can greatly affect our future generations and if this problem goes unsolved today then our generations will have no future or to put it more realistically our future generation is going to be at the mercy of an unsafe future with lots of pollutants in the air. Therefore, if this problem goes unrectified then its repercussions can be innumerable, our future generation is at stake and now is definitely the time to act upon. (Horner, 2007). The United States of America, in past many years have taken initiative to contribute towards environment uplift and betterment of the environment. Environmental hazards do not have any boundary. The boundaries separating the countries subordinate to environmental impacts. Global warming, green house gases, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide penetration know no boundary and their impact is much due to which there is a dire need now is to prevent exposure to these hazards. However, the US cannot alone can not take any initiative to combat this seemingly deadly hazard and so it requires input and the cumulative effort to prevent this penetration in to our lives and body but as the US is one of the major super powers of the world, it must take the initiative. Furthermore, US is well equipped with resources and can lead the world to save the environment. (Houghton, 2004). US has repeatedly been warned of the repercussions of the gases from chimneys that their factories and companies are producing and how their industrial wastage is discarded. Furthermore, US have broken many protocols and pacts on this regard and continue to exploit environment. US can also be given the name of one of the world‘s biggest pollutants. The environments can also affect international marketing decisions and the planning system of the countries. This is because two different states have two different governments and thus having different polices and laws. Therefore, the marketing decisions that are taken in a country are different from each other according to the social, economic and political environment that exists in the country. (Kitchen & Schultz, 2000). Reference Abel,D. C. & McConnell,R. L. (2007). Environmental Issues: An Introduction to Sustainability. 3rd Edn. Prentice Hall, Paperback. Horner,C. C. (2007). The Politically Incorrect Guide to Global Warming and Environmentalism. Regnery Publishing, Inc. , Paperback. Kemp,D. D. (2007). Exploring Environmental Issues (Kindle Edition). 1st Edn. Taylor & Francis. Kitchen,P. &Schultz,D. (2000). Communicating Globally: An Integrated Marketing Approach. London, Macmillan Business. Scorecard. (n. d. ). More Facts on Pollution. January 3rd, 2009. Retrieved from: http://www. scorecard. org/

Augustine on creation and Aquinas on the existence of God Essay

In Augustine’s writing, The Confessions, he philosophically attempts to answer the problems that arise within religion, specifically in regards to Judeo Christian beliefs, pertaining to God, time, and creation. Augustine first addresses the belief that God created everything. He tries to provide a coherent explanation for his claim that God’s ex-nihilo (â€Å"out of nothing†) creation of the Earth is a sound statement, given that God created everything, and with it time. Thus, the notion of time never existed before its very point of creation. However, given that God created everything, and thus the universe, what was God doing before the universe’s creation that caused him to decide to create it or that it was now necessary as opposed to before. Furthermore, if God even had to make the decision whether or not the universe’s existence was necessary, making him arbitrary, wouldn’t that inherently falsify the claim that God is a perfect being (omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent) and thus is immutable. Augustine objects this claim by stating that God is eternal, in that he is timeless, and so exists outside the realm of time. He is therefore not bound (or defined) by any temporal concept. So, when faced with the problem of what God was doing before he created the universe, Augustine simply claims it is an illogical question. He justifies that if one accepts the belief that God is eternal and created everything, than one can’t logically ask what God was doing at a certain point before the creation of time itself, as it was not yet in existence. Augustine continues the debate on time, by calling its very existence into question. Augustine questions the commonly accepted notion of time by providing his theory of â€Å"presentism,† which basically reduces time into only the present tense. Augustine claims that when people talk in terms of the past, present, and future they’re only really talking about various forms of the present. Augustine tries to explain the various complications that arise when trying to determine the duration of present time. It is difficult to compare two different measurements of time if each period of â€Å"present† time given can be reduced into a minute instance of time that quickly disappears. So, one cannot measure something that has happened, because once it is in the past, it no longer exists. Augustine accepts that their appears to be an irrational aspect of presentism, in that by accepting the present as the only form of time, one would then seemingly have to agree that it wouldn’t make sense to refer to any moment of time occurring in either the past or the future. Augustine rationalizes any reference to the past, by defining it as the minds ability to recall imprinted memories of images left in the mind through the medium of one’s senses. Similarly, the foreseeing of future events is merely the act of prediction based off of things that were already present or previously seen (i.e. the assertion that the sun will rise tomorrow is only based on one’s own previous experience of having already watched the sun rise). Augustine acknowledges the apparent existence of past and future events, and answers the discrepancy by providing alternate terms to use in place of the existing tenses, which are the present of past things, the present of present things, and the present of future things. Furthermore, he redefines the definitions of his terms to mean that the present of past things is memory, the present of present things is attention, and the present of future things is expectation. Augustine continues the problem of measuring time, by recognizing that it would be impossible to measure something, which is not yet real, travels through what doesn’t occupy space, only to become something that is no longer real. He first tries to use the notion that time can be measured in relation to a corporeal object, such as the sun (i.e. a day). Yet, this method is rejected, because if one were to change the time it takes for the sun to rotate the Earth, the time allotted to a day would still remain the same, even if the sun were to set multiple times within a â€Å"days† time frame. Thus, he states that if the motion of any corporeal object is one thing, but the standard in which we measure it is another, time can not based off of any movement of a corporeal object. He then replaces this method of measurement with the example of sound, explaining that because we can measure time based on our voice, surely we can measure any interval of time based off any beginning and end. However, he claims that when measuring any form of sound, we are only measuring the impression the sound left on the mind, and thus are only measuring the impression left, not the time itself. Augustine then deduces that time is only produced from memories of impressions. Thus, time is nothing more than a manmade phenomenon that exists only within the realm of the human mind. He explains that this phenomenon exists within the mind in three different forms of reality. The three realities of the mind are comprised of when the mind expects, attends, or remembers. In other words, that what the mind expects, passes by way of what it attends, into being what it remembers. Furthermore, it is only our attention that endures, through which what is still to be makes its way into the state of where it is no more. Therefore, our attention is continually present, as the future is being passed through the present and changes into the past. Augustine concludes that it is this â€Å"tension† or flow that constitutes time, in that time can only be understood in terms of a manmade psychological phenomenon. For Augustine, his philosophical conclusion that time doesn’t exist in any tangible way but is merely a product of the human mind, justifies the claim that God’s existence is outside the realm of human’s perception of time. Augustine expects that from the acceptance of this notion of time, God’s exemption from time in no way means that he is deficient or more limited than humans in any aspect, but that conversely, he is more powerful. Aquinas Aquinas argues the problem of God’s existence in three ways: First, he addresses whether or not the existence of God is self-evident, second, whether or not his existence can be demonstrated and, finally, whether or not God actually exists. In addressing the issue of whether or not God’s existence is self-evident, Aquinas provides three objections in support of the argument. However, the objections are fundamentally flawed based on the premise that one can intellectually declare God doesn’t exist. However, in response, Aquinas counters this notion by redefining the ways in which something can be self-evident into two different categories. He says something can be self-evident in itself and not to us or both itself and us. Therefore, some concepts involving incorporeal substances can only be learned. Also, because God is His own existence, the proposition is no longer one that is self-evident. Thus, God’s self-evident existence can only be proven through demonstrating the natural things known to us, such as his affects; or, it is simply a prima fascie presumption. Aquinas provides the objections to his assertion, which accepts the fact that not everyone defines happiness or God in the same ways, or that Primal Truths are self-evident. Aquinas then discusses whether or not God’s existence can be proven by demonstration. He provides the objection that it can’t, on the fact that God’s existence is based entirely on faith, and that His essence can only be defined in terms of what He is not. Lastly, that no cause can be demonstrated by an affect that isn’t proportional. Aquinas answers, saying that God’s existence can be demonstrated in two ways. The first being through a priori methods, in which knowledge can be obtained without the need of experience, as seen with Anslem’s Ontological argument which proves the existence of God using a definition. The second way, which for Aquinas is the only legitimate way, is through a posteriori methods, in which any knowledge used must be gained through experience. Aquinas adheres to Aristotelian ideas, claiming that there is nothing in the intellect that didn’t once exist in the senses, and thus rejects that God’s existence could be demonstrated through any means other than those acquired through experience. For Aquinas, every effect must be the result of an inherent cause. So, one can prove God’s existence to be self-evident by demonstrating his existence based off the effects he produces. Aquinas continues by claiming that nothing prevents a man from understanding evidence demonstrated scientifically. Therefore, because God can be defined and proven in terms of his effects, we can conclude that God’s existence can be demonstrated. In order to attack the objections to the next question of whether or not God exists, Aquinas provides the proof of God’s existence with, The First Way, which is one of five. The First Way is the most visible and is based of the a posteriori argument of motion. Aquinas assumes that everyone can accept that within the world some things are in motion (as they can be observed), and that a thing’s motion has to have been caused by something other than itself. In other words, except something in motion already in a state of actuality, no motion can be converted from potentiality to actuality without the help of some outside source. Thus, Aquinas is influenced by the Aristotelian view of change, which is based of the assumption that a substance, defined as being a particular thing with a natural unity that persists yet changes in predictable ways, experiences two different forms of change: accidental and substantial. Accidental change occurs when a substance either loses an accidental form and gains another or gains a form without losing another (i.e. cutting one’s hair). Substantial change is the result of something that turns into a whole new being (i.e. a caterpillar into a butterfly). Thus, something that is potentially something else can’t simultaneously be that thing in actuality at the same time. For instance water, which is actually a liquid but potentially ice, cannot change its form into being ice without something acting upon it. Furthermore, building upon Aristotle’s views of change, Aquinas asserts that the same rule governing change can also be applied to the argument of movement. Therefore, if in accordance with the same rule, something in motion cannot simultaneously be both the mover and moved, since something in motion must be put in motion by something other than itself. Thus, in order to find what caused the first movement to occur, one would need to trace the seminal causes of such movement back to, in effect, infinity. However, Aquinas claims it’s illogical to accept that the initial force could only be defined in relation to an infinite chain of causes. Consequently, the only sound conclusion would have to include the existence of a first mover, such as something along the lines of an unmoved mover. For Aquinas, the existence of an unmoved mover/unchanged changer proves the existence of a force that could only be God. Aquinas concludes that only God could be the force behind the existence of some unmoved mover, if motion is created in two different ways. The first is exemplified by the example of some â€Å"X† (i.e. a leg) moving some â€Å"Y† (i.e. a ball). So, that in this first example, even though â€Å"X† causes the movement of â€Å"Y,† it also follows that â€Å"X† is moving too. Subsequently, Aquinas concludes that given the notion that any â€Å"X† which is able to cause â€Å"Y† to move, while at the same time able to remain motionless, could only be the result of a being â€Å"X† equivalent to a much-elevated force that uniquely has to be God.

Pinterest Tips for Freelance Writers

Pinterest Tips for Freelance Writers Like many people, I used to see the social-networking site Pinterest as merely a place to show pictures of pretty clothes and yummy food. Yet the more I learned about the marketing possibilities of Pinterest, the more I realize that I (and you) can use Pinterest to boost freelancing income. First, understand the demographics. Youll reach lots of women. In fact, 80 percent of Pinterest users are women, according to Digital Marketing Ramblings. That means that if you write stuff popular with women, such as romance novels and health articles, you stand first in line. Then, use the boards to show facets of your career and life. For example, even though I have a board for my freelancing, I also pin pictures of food, fashion, cute male celebrities. If you head to my Pinterest account, youll see that I adore the actor Justin Theroux. I also like cupcakes. Pinterest Analytics, like Google Analytics, generates comprehensive statistics on a specific websites traffic, helping marketers in their campaigns. It collects data on the percentage of change within a specific time, determining whether a product becomes more or less popular, and it guides marketing agencies towards changing strategies to gain more popularity. Oftentimes, marketing agencies change the visual content of their pins to appeal to the Pinterest community. While only certain companies such as Salesforce and Hootsuite are given access to Pinterest Analytics data, you can use a rough version of analytics to figure out the popularity of your content. So if you start a board showing pins of your published writing, create pins that show writing that appeal to the mostly-female community. Youll become more popular pinning about a traditional recipe for chocolate-chip cookies than pinning about sports or other stuff that appeals mostly to men. Like Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest uses â€Å"following† and messaging to connect users to each other. In 2014, Pinterest introduced instant messaging, a faster way to share content. When one of your followers repins or like your pin, contact them directly. Your follower will appreciate your personal response and will potentially make your boards more popular among her own followers. Youll also find boards of fellow freelance writers. For example, I went to Google and typed in â€Å"Pinterest freelance writing boards.† One of the many results was a board for breaking into regional parenting magazines. I studied the content of this board and gained potential markets for my parenting articles. I also found boards on freelance writing tips, resources. To attract more traffic to your Pinterest platform, start a board full of your own tips. Repin and like the freelancing pins that you especially connect to. In 2015, Pinterest celebrates its fifth anniversary. Its grown from a home business with 5,000 users to a valuable resource for companies such as The Gap and political wives such as Ann Romney and Michelle Obama. Use some tactics from content strategists to take your freelancing to another level. Enclosed are several resources for freelance writers who also use Pinterest: Time names Pinterest.com one of the best websites of 2011 time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2087815_2088159_2088155,00.html Pinterest more popular than LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google+ http://mashable.com/2012/02/01/pinterest-traffic-study/ Pinterest drums up more business that Facebook washingtonpost.com/business/technology/pinterest-vs-facebook-whose-users-spend-more/2012/05/09/gIQATXkoCU_story.html 140 Amazing Pinterest Stats http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/pinterest-stats/#.U5E-wpRdWzd The official website pinterest.com/

John Winthrop as Leader essays

John Winthrop as Leader essays A successful political leader must be able to deal effectively with any person who may threaten his authority. John Winthrop was a talented politician indeed in this respect. As Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, and Robert Child presented their own individual challenges to WinthropÕs authority, it is easy to see that Winthrop perceives each of these people as potential threats. Because Winthrop had become a man in his community who was recognized as a leader, and influential, he was able to successfully quash his opponents. Roger Williams was an intelligent and likeable man. At first Winthrop thought highly of Williams. As WilliamsÕ own Puritan ideals developed into a separatists point of view, Winthrop tried to dissuade Williams of such extremes. After repeated offenses of dissention on the part of Williams, it became clear that the man would not be silenced. Winthrop might have admired Williams for sticking to his beliefs but Winthrop knew the inherent dangers of separatism. Winthrop admonished Williams, and upheld the communityÕs desire to be rid of Williams and his dangerous beliefs. In the final analysis of the situation, however, Winthrop still kept his political authority in mind as he maneuvered Williams out of the picture. This situation only required mild interaction on the part of Winthrop, but at times much more aggressive interaction was required. Such aggressive interaction was called for in dealing with Ann Hutchinson. The nature of the Hutchinson problem was much more of a direct threat to all of the government of New England. Hutchinson would have people believe that the men who governed were not necessariily pure, and therefor it would be against GodÕs will for true Puritans to allow themselves to be governed by such deficient men. This was more than the average threat of separatism, this could lead to a revolution. Winthrop attempted to censure Hutchinson. Hutchinson claimed to be doing nothing wron ...