The challenges of increasing diversity in schools today Essay

The challenges of increasing diversity in schools today - Essay Example In Canada, for instance, schools continue to face significant challenges in accepting diversity. Usual is the recognition of the holidays or foods or costumes of different cultures, however, those are only superficial as compared to understanding difficult issues around accommodating so many diverse beliefs and customs. On top of this, schools struggle to accommodate students whose first language is not English or French, or other similar needs because they lack the specialized capacity to provide for them (Levin, 2008). In the US, upon entering elementary school, large numbers of limited-English-proficient and bilingual students are placed in programs that assume relatively low levels of achievement and focus on remedial education (Independent Commission on Chapter 1, 1992; Stanford Working Group, 1993; U.S. Department of Education, 1993). Such inequities in different children’s expectations for school success may be a grave affront to equal opportunities that Americans highly value and take pride in. Thus, it threatens the future well-being of the society relying on the harmonious coexistence of multiple cultures. Government, as well as non-government organizations such as the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Association for Family Day Care are exerting efforts in promoting multi-cultural education through the publication of curricula and handbooks focusing on an anti-bias setting. Likewise, the National Association of State Boards of Education Task Force on Early Childhood Education encourages the use of children’s home language and culture to foster the development of basic skills. Such efforts seek to ensure that children’s first school experiences are positive in that they feel accepted for who they are regardless of their cultural background. The controversies surrounding the growing diversity in

International financial reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

International financial reporting - Essay Example Therefore, it is important that users are able to distinguish the financial statements clearly from other related information published in the annual report as IASs or IFRs only apply to the financial statement. 3.0 Qualitative Characteristics The framework states: â€Å"Qualitative characteristics are the attributes that make the information provided in financial statement useful to users†. The statement of principles identifies five principal qualitative characteristics consist of understandability, relevance, reliability, materiality, and comparability elaborated as below. 3.1 Understandability Understandability refers to the way in which information is presented in the financial statements and the capabilities of the users to utilize the financial information. However, assumption is made whereby users are equip with basic business, economic and accounting knowledge and thus be able to interpret the information accurately. All the relevant information is required to be refl ected in the financial statement disregards of its complexity and the fear that misunderstanding would arise due to the complexity of the issue. Additionally, an organized presentation of financial information would enhance the understandability of the users. 3.2 Relevance Information is said to be relevant if it has the ability to influence the economic decisions of the users and is provided in time to influence those decisions. Relevant information assists users in analyzing the past trends, present situation and predicts the future prospect based on the past analysis. Besides that, it allows the users to enhance their knowledge on the firm by confirming or correcting their past evaluations. The ratios calculated based on the financial statement provides an insight on the financial performance of the firm and areas which are of high interest to the owner such as dividend payout, price earnings ratio and earnings per share. Moreover, it can be used to evaluate and predict its futur e outlook and indicate the firm’s investment attractiveness. 3.3 Materiality The relevance of information is affected by its nature and materiality. Information is considered to be material if its omission or misstatement would significantly affect the economic decisions of the users, taken on the basis of financial statement. Items which are substantial in terms of size and nature such as auditor fees and director fees are essential to be disclosed in the financial statement. However, materiality is not a primary qualitative characteristic itself as it is merely a threshold or cut-off point. 3.4 Reliability Information must also be trusty and possess faithful representation. Information is reliable when it is free from material errors and bias and can be depended upon by users to represent the economic conditions that it purports to represent or could reasonably be expected to represent. Besides that, it contains the characteristics of being verifiable and neutral. Informati on which is relevant but unreliable may be misleading and cause disputes or claim for damages in a legal action. 3.4.1 Faithful Presentation Information must represent faithfully the transactions it purports to represent in order to be reliable. There is a risk that this may not be the case, not due to bias, but due to the inherent difficulties in identifying the transactions or deciding on an appropriate method of measurement or

Crisis Intervention From A Biblical Perspective

Crisis Intervention From A Biblical Perspective A crisis is a situation which is unstable and of extreme difficulty or danger. According to mental health, a crisis is the reaction of a person towards an event. Different people react differently to events. One person can be affected deeply by a certain event while another may have little or no ill effects towards the same event. This is dependent on peoples behavior or skills, levels of maturity, personalities and the ability to cope. For some people, reaction to crisis may be coupled with behavior change such as over eating or insomnia. For other people reactions such as disbelief, inability to cope or denial may be evident. Others still may experience physiological changes such that they may start to sweat, faint or their heart rate may increase. Many people perceive crisis to be an unexpected sudden calamity such as a natural disaster or a car accident. However, crises range in how severe it is and also in type. Sometimes, crisis can be a predictable part of our lives, For instance, the mid life crisis. Some crises are situational and are abrupt and unexpected such as accidents. Other crises are existential which are conflicts within and are related to things as spirituality, direction and life purpose. It is very crucial to give victims of a crisis some counseling. This is to help the person experiencing it be able to confront the reality of the current happenings. Chronic crises can lead to trauma or stress which leads to mental illness. It is therefore, crucial that the counselors dealing with the crisis be very skilled and knowledgeable on how to handle these victims. Crisis counseling is an intervention on short term basis which is intended to offer assistance to the victims, give them support and resources and to make them stable and go beyond emotional trauma and pain towards opportunities for change and growth and to be strong. In this research paper we look at the Biblical perspective of crisis intervention. This is a very unique but effective way of dealing with crisis aftermath and especially when we compare it to the secular approaches. In order for the counselors to understand the spiritual needs of their clients, they have to understand and differentiate the characteristics that define the bible based therapy. When the Bible is relied upon for counseling and a crisis intervention, a client is likely to be returned to functioning safely and into coping levels, at the same time the client reestablishes a relationship with God. Crisis intervention and counseling in a Biblical manner should be accustomed by all who follow God. There is need to remind those suffering of the ever guidance and love of Jesus. Numerous crises occur every day and especially in the secular world that we are living in today and with the rise in technology hence Bible based guidance is much more needed. It is important to understand the benefits emanating from biblical crisis intervention. The crisis intervention and counseling through Bible helps an individual to go through a difficult state by relying on the bible and God. According to Phil Monroe, counseling from the Bible focuses on how to live in a faithful manner, to love mercy, to act in justly, and to walk in a humble manner in circumstances that we find ourselves in (MCP, 2007). There are two main needs in most of the clients: first, for one to be able to open up and speak of the unresolved pain. Second, for one to be given a surety that they are children of Gods love. These are apparent needs and which a counselor must attended. For a client who believes in God, it is paramount to be reminded of Gods love. It is very important for the faith of the client to be reestablished. If the client is not a believer, or no longer has faith in God, it would be a good opportunity to bring back the client to God when the crisis has been resolved. At the same time, it is important for the counselors not to take advantage of the individuals sufferings. The intervention and counseling for a crisis can as well be hectic and sporadic. As much as one has to understand the ground rules, it is always important to understand that when a situation heats up, it is a priority for the situation to be stabilized. The person doing the intervention must always be armed with scriptures or any spiritual and pastoral gifts in order to help the individual through the crisis (Read Mallet, 2003). The view of mankind as a sinner is also very important to consider in the biblical crisis counseling and intervention. We were all created in the likeness of God but we have fallen short of His glory hence making us all sinners in Gods eyes. This puts all clients and their counselors on the same ground in that none are righteous in the eyes of God since we have all sinned (Read Mallet, 2003). In giving out the counseling Biblically, it is important to note that one cannot minimize the crisis but can cope with the crisis. Many people experience the reality of suffering. According to Biblical counseling, suffering is an opportunity to explore our response to suffering and sickness and also gives us an opportunity to faithfully suffer. It is an honour to suffer in the name of Jesus. In second Corinthians chapter four, Apostle Paul speaks of suffering but he reminds believers not ever lose faith for our suffering has a purpose (crisis Intervention 2008). Why Biblical Crisis Intervention The Biblical crisis intervention is much needed in our world. We are a world of sin, which have fallen from the paradise and plan of God. Sin is rampant in the world but the Holy Spirit brings under control the full effects of sin. This is a reality that ensures that all people, those who believe and those who do not, suffer so as to experience the need for biblical crisis intervention (crisis Intervention 2008). Even if suffering is a reality, believers have hope of an eternity that is perfect after this life. The biblical counselor must know how to guide others as people live in a world of crisis. The counselor must know how to guide individuals in such a way that they return them to their original coping position before the crisis. The counselor then needs to guide the individual to a state of renewal or first conversion to Christianity. To save a persons soul should never be an afterthought, it is an important aspect in the biblical crisis intervention. When a person is reoriented back to Jesus, his or her faith is saved as well as attending to the worldly crisis (crisis Intervention 2008). Recent developments and defining characteristics The biblical crisis intervention is not static. Secular movements such as scientific psychology and postmodernism have been a big influence hence it would not make sense to ignore their influences. New techniques are continuously being developed thus the counselors add their perspectives which are unique hence it is important for counselors to be up to date with the disciplines recent developments (crisis Intervention 2008). Methodologies and sub disciplines for the biblical counseling intervention are being developed. It is a likely that a pastoral counselor will have to render help to the non believers in a post modern view point. It will often require the counselors to combine the science psychology with the postmodern view of the world (Schwartz Nicholas, 2007). Also therapy that is community based has grown significantly. This is a good realization that people do not cope or grow in vacuum instead they involve helpful interested parties. Since therapists in postmodern have given up their expert status, they have an interest to expand participants in therapy. They want to involve anyone undergoing therapy that has coalesced around a problem. Although this is a postmodern technique, it has as well been embraced by biblical counseling (Springerlink, 2005). Although these recent developments seem to merge the views of the postmodern, the secular science and the biblical therapy, it is still very obvious of the distinctive characters that will set apart biblical crisis intervention. One of the distinctive features of biblical intervention from the rest is that the counselors must relate with their clients as equal. This is because the counselor understands that the person whom he or she is relating with is created in Gods image hence worthy of respect and likable. At the same time, the client must also understand that mutual respect exists as well as a relationship between him or her and the counselor. Another distinctive feature in biblical counseling is that God is involved in every conversation or session. The pastoral counselors must help their clients enter into a conversation with God. With this unity the clients spiritual aspects are nurtured as well as addressed. Also when a client returns to God, he or she is in a better position to comprehend the meaning behind the suffering and to cope with it well. Benefits of pastoral therapy in comparison with secular therapy To a believer, biblical counseling has more benefits to him or her than the secular counseling. This is because of the spiritual experience. There is a high possibility of therapy succeeding when the counselor considers the clients cultural background. It is also important to evaluate the impact of the clients religion on the crisis at hand. This will facilitate total counseling of the client. This is a concept that is in contrast with the secular counseling. It had been assumed that there existed a universal scientific psychiatry that could address effectively all of the peoples emotional illnesses regardless of their cultural or social backgrounds. In the recent research, ethnic and cultural groups conceptualize mental illnesses variously based on their unique conceptualizations of both the cures and causes. Biblical counseling is better placed in helping out the client in many situations as it focuses on these unique cultural viewpoints. There is a high possibility that many people would not seek psychological help because of their personal religious views. Consequently, attitudes towards psychological disorders among religious groups will impact on a persons admission of a problem, and behavior to seek help. The writer of Hebrews explains that, we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:13) when we approach God with our problems. Thus, these individuals must be made to understand that the pastoral counselors could be the vessels that God uses to help them approach Him. The pastoral counselors need to understand that human beings are either in a relationship or out of fellowship with God. If the client is out of fellowship it is up to the counselor to bring them back to and if the client is in a relationship with God, then it is the counselors responsibility to help the client understand on how to seek guidance and strength from God (Crisis Intervention, 2008). As much as the biblical crisis interventions have more benefits than those of secular, it does not mean that they should be mutually exclusive. Human beings have many dimensions and since there is a connection between emotional and spiritual dysfunction and health, both psychological and pastoral resources must be integrated in order for a holistic healing to be achieved. Human beings have been provided by God the understanding ability of the external natural world and the psychological world which is internal. Counseling is more likely to succeed when there is a combination of the counseling lessons with those of the biblical teachings. Secular theologists find this concept very difficult. They have acknowledged the religious aspect of man just recently although it has been the cornerstone of biblical crisis intervention from the beginning (crisis Intervention 2008). In most cases, early childhood occurrences can have a lasting effect which can easily distort our perception of love of God. These misconceptions of the love of God may have lasting effects on the coping capabilities of a person. The childhood events can imprison us in beliefs which are distorted and which may misshape our perception of self, others and God. The foundation of cognitive counseling is that the dysfunction in psychology emanates from false beliefs and to be healed emotionally, one requires replacing lies with the truth. However, thoughts which are faulty cannot occur at the cognitive level of logical knowledge. We may have the precise information about ourselves and God in our heads. Instead, the faulty beliefs that misshape us normally transpire at the effective level of knowledge experience. Only biblical orientation can break free of these distortions hence the secular crisis intervention is unable to reinstate an individuals coping abilities since they are unable to restore a persons relationship with God. Another benefit that the biblical crisis intervention has over the secular is that biblical counseling acknowledges the significance of religious application to a rapid event. This benefit helps the client to understand who they are and ways of functioning within their society (crisis Intervention 2008). Focus on the event and the solution The Biblical crisis intervention uses two approaches. The two approaches are not mutually exclusive and focus on two aspects that are different. The first approach focuses on the event and challenges to alter the views of the client on the original event. This approach is also called the traditional therapy. The other approach focuses on the solution and tries to use the client, God and the precipitating event as a change catalyst. It is also called the Brief therapy (ITHACA, 2010). No matter the approach, identification of the crisis cause is very important and the main goal for the counseling is to make the client return to a coping level before the crisis. At the same time the pastoral therapist may attempt to return the client to his or her original comfort zone or may even stretch their zones of comfort to existing conditions (crisis Intervention 2008). The main reason for the biblical crisis intervention in counseling is the impact that the crisis can have on an individual. Our perception of reality or what is not real can be distorted by our worries. The worries that are often the source of the crisis or relate to a possible future crisis do not help the biblical counseling process. In fact, thoughts full of fear are normally exaggerated and can even make the problem to worsen (Popovich, S. 2010). The most important thing is to restore the copying abilities of the individual because when they are not restored the results would be disastrous. When a person is unable to cope with a certain crisis, the impending dangers would be depression, taking out anger on others in insults or violence, abuse of substance or even suicide. This affects the persons future coping as he or she will be left with feelings of failure and guilt and this affects his or her future coping mechanisms. This renders the client to have a downward spiral which moves from one crisis to another which then accumulates future crises resulting to a degraded lifestyle of the client (MCP, 2007). There are many factors that increase crisis effects. Some of the factors are expectations that are unrealistic, personality traits which are negative, a sense of identity which is faulty, a belief system which is faulty, and isolation. This could lead also to an advanced isolation and a loss of support from the loved ones. The main goal, therefore, of biblical crisis intervention and counseling is to try reduce the impact of the original crisis and hence to reestablish the mechanisms for copying (CCEF, 2010). The first approach (the traditional therapy) for the pastoral counselor is to establish a rapport and a relationship with the client while determining the perceived impact of the precipitating event. Some of the precipitating events may be intensely dehumanizing hence it is important to first reestablish the individuals humanness. The interventionist will have the need to confront the realities of shame and sin when helping the client. It helps to remind the client that we are all sinners and we all have fallen short of Gods glory (Roman 3:23). When the crisis intervention undertaking focuses on the solution, it becomes more complicated. This is because some individuals have a rough time overcoming the event even if they are well reestablished with God. The same way when Peter the Apostle denied Jesus the night of His arrest, even after the event, he lived with the shame and guilt of his sin (Mark 14: 66- 72). On the other hand, some clients are able to confront the situation but still need to be reminded of Gods love. They need to be reminded that according to the writer of Hebrews, God says I will never leave you, never will I forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5). At the same time, believers are encouraged to say, The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can human beings do to me? (Hebrews 13: 16). The second approach (the brief therapy) that the counselor will focus on is the possible solutions to the crisis. The main goal is to help the client in the least period of time as possible. This approach does not minimize the precipitating event rather it focuses on the future. The crisis may have been caused by many and complicated causes, hence the therapy focuses on what can be done in order to change the situation in the present and in future rather spending a lot of time focusing on an event that may or may not be able to be changed (ITHACA, 2010). The distinguishing feature between the traditional therapy and the brief therapy is that they focus on a treatment that is specific, with measurable and short term goals. The client and the interventionist work hand in hand to set up measurable objectives that they record after every session. This use of smaller shorter objectives make the clients feel like they are accomplishing something and also feel in control of their lives. The counselor is also there to help the client if they go astray (ITHACA, 2010). There is a major difference between the roles played by both the traditional therapist and the brief therapist. In traditional therapy, the counselor is seen as an expert hence a bit distant with the client, whereas in brief therapy, the counselor works in collaboration with the client to understand and to solve the problem. In brief therapy, the counselor is seen as a sister or a brother in Christ whereas in traditional therapy, the relationship is that of an expert and a subordinate. The relationship in the brief therapy allows for a position to evangelize when one is needed or desired (ITHACA, 2010). Biblical counseling controversies There are disagreements and movements that occur in Biblical counseling and crisis intervention. There are two known main movements within biblical counseling. The first movement is to discard all the secular techniques and counsel with only the Bible. The second movement is a movement that seeks to reduce the Bible usage within the Biblical counseling. Some denominational seminaries are the ones who discussed the first movement that biblical counseling should move away completely from counseling using secular theories to use of biblical teachings only. They contend that scripture is enough to address psychological problems. This movement believes that by incorporating secular counseling in pastoral counseling, the biblical counseling has lost its way and focus on God (Goliath, 2008). To defend their position, they quote the Bible in Pauls words that, all Scripture is God- breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that all Gods people may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3: 16-17). The implication that pastoral counseling is not biblically based is either totally ignorant or totally arrogant. Pastoral counseling and care which is not based on the Bible or theological integrity is deficient. Again, Biblical counseling that does not include awareness of psychotherapy has a danger to be abusive. This danger is that those with problems that cannot be wholly solved through scripture may not seek the help they need and probably will never recover. According to David Winfrey, when biblical counseling rejects the behavioral sciences, its discarding an important source of information which has been made available by God (Koenig, 2005). According to Phillip Monroe, the Bible is not a text book in counseling yet it is more than a pointer to God. It does not provide an all-inclusive methodologies or theories for counseling. However, it is not just a book that discusses God. It also points out truths about the human nature and life hence should be used together with counseling methodologies that are not in the scripture (MCP, 2007). Biblical counseling is based on the notion that each and every believer performs like a counselor to other believers. Secret knowledge, professional credentials, or guild are not needed. Even if some people may have wisdom and Christian maturity that enables them to deal effectively with complex people and issues, we will all be treated the same. Seek the face of God, love God and others in the moment, trust God for things you cannot change and when things seem dark and dismal, repent and trust God all over again each day (HOLY Bible). The pastoral counselor hopes to help the person being counseled to respond in faith when in fear, when angry, when confused or grieving. When this happens, person being counseled may have the experience of peace and joy also the confusion within will be minimal (MCP, 2007). The opposing movement has minimized the use of the Bible and uses at a larger extent secular approaches and only supplements religious thoughts when necessary. This movement poses the problem of minimizing the personal responsibility to God. Instead of being responsible to God and living His will, these secular techniques allow people to only be accountable to no one else other than themselves. The best and the approved biblical counseling and crisis intervention methodology incorporate techniques from both the Bible and the secular disciplines. This will help in giving the counseling service to both the believers and the non believers and the pastoral counselors can even evangelize to the non believers (Koenig, 2005). It is important to understand that its not by simply talking about God whether in a professional or an academic manner that will reorient individuals back to Jesus. When we combine reintegration to the church community with psychological therapy it provides both the long term support and the immediate guidance an individual will require to cope with the crisis at hand (Koenig, 2005). Conclusion The challenge for biblical intervention methodology is providing a valuable crisis assistance and support within the earliest time possible following victimization, and to make the resources and services available in order to meet the victims needs by providing a direct assistance or referring to other agencies (crisis Intervention 2008). The Biblical crisis intervention and counseling does not imply the end of the required therapy. When an individual has been established in a church community, much support is thereafter needed. When the crisis counseling is over, many church ministries continue to offer the long term help that is much needed by their clients. Since there is a unique relationship between the client and the counselor, it should be very possible for the life counseling and guidance sessions to continue. Biblical guidance is a beautiful way since it is a demonstration of the love of God for His people. The love and affection that the pastoral counselor displays is just a small token in comparison with the love God gives to those who believe in Him. This is a reality that guides the pastoral counselors in getting their clients back to God. At the same time, when we rely on Gods word, it reminds us of Jesus importance in our lives. As the Hebrew writer explains, the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews, 4:12). Again, in the Gospel of John, Jesus tells all those who believe in Him that Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free (John, 8: 32). Biblical therapy is counseling is not only focused on sin. It sees suffering as a given opportunity to suffer in faith as we discover how we respond to pains and sicknesses whether self inflicted or God oriented. How we respond to the difficulties that befall us reveals what we worship and seek in life whether its God, pleasure, comfort, perfection, and escape, to be safe or to be significant. The biblical crisis intervention and counseling is not focused on ending human suffering or teaching skills to end suffering, rather, it works with the broken and sinful people who live in sinful world and helps them live in a faithful manner and to trust in God the creator of all things. Biblical therapy strives to help people combine the worship of God and enjoy the blessings of being the chosen people of God. It also helps to reorient people in discipleship, mercy ministry and help them in sanctifying themselves. Biblical counseling works on the principle that the Bible has all the information we need to help us deal with our day to day problems. Most people believe that emotional and mental problems should only be dealt with the professional psychologists but this has been proved wrong since bible therapy has seen many people be able to cope to cope with their problems and even face others in future. Again, it has been proven that bible therapy is the best as it deals with the souls of human beings and pastoral counselors are well exposed to the wisdom of God.

British Imperialism in China and Africa :: English Imperialism

British Imperialism in China and Africa The treatment of the Chinese by the British, during the take over of their country, was just like that of the Africans. The British took over the land and the government, took advantage of the people and exploited them for their resources. The English accomplished these things differently in each situation, but each time, the results were the same. One of the most important aspects of imperialism is the take over of government. The English accomplished this in several ways. Some of the â€Å"Unfair Treaties† forced the Chinese to allow the English ships into their ports and to allow them to have a major role in the trade market. The English wanted tea, porcelain, and silk from china. The Chinese however didn’t want to gods the English offered in return. The English began trading opium in return for the goods. Although it was illegal, many of the money hungry merchants excepted the opium in return for the things that were valuable to the English. Because of this, the first Anglo-Chinese war erupted. China underestimated the power of England and was defeated. At the end of the war, they were forced to sign the Treaty of Nanjing (1842). The treaty was one of the first treaties known as the â€Å"Unfair Treaties.† Under this treaty, china gave up the island of Hong Kong, abolished the licensed monopoly system o f trade, granted English nationals exemption from Chinese laws, and agreed to give England whatever trading concessions that were granted to other countries then and later.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The English also gained power of the Chinese through the Taiping Rebellion. When the revolutionaries began acting out against the Chinese government, the English came to defend the government. Their reasoning behind it was that it was easier to get control of china if the Qing administration was in charge. The rebels were defeated and the English succeeded in fulfilling their intentions.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the imperialism of Africa, many of the same things occurred. The English took control of the African countries in different ways, but they still got control. With the Africans, the English just went to war with the countries or tribes. They would either defeat them or force them to give up partial or all control of the government. Either way, the English gained control and power because of their strength politically and militarily.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another aspect of imperialism is the take over of land.

Moral panic involving young people Essay

Cohen (1980) defines moral panic as the emergence of a particular condition, episode, individual or group of people that threatens the societal values and interests (Cohen, 1980, p. 9). The society often has socially shared values and moral panic. This happens when there is something that comes to the surface and threatens this set of values; when that thing that surface goes against these values, potentially changes, challenges and damages this set of values. Thus, it becomes a cause of concern for the society as a whole. Often, these values involve, among other things, morals about certain aspects of life. The rise of the threat and cause of moral panic presents the challenge to morals and even deviation from, morals and the accepted morality. There have been many causes of moral panic. There are those which appeared just once, while there are those which are consistently banging at the door of morality and is developing, changing evolving as time passes by. It does not disappear, but it does not grow worse either. It simply changes and remains constant in the lives of people for a long period of time. One of these types of things is pornography among young adults, an important issue in sexuality starting from the time there were commercial and mass media capabilities that allow for pornography to be distributed and circulated among many different readers. From magazines to betamax and VCDs and CD copies of pornographic material, the moral panic on pornography was revived at the start of the era of internet-based pornography and the threat of information overload regarding the exceedingly diverse content of pornography. Many of which are considered as taboo, unaccepted, unethical and immoral in the eyes of the society. This will be the key focus of the discussion of moral panic. The Model for Moral Panic The phenomenon of moral panic, according to Cohen (1980), follows a certain style, model or pattern that has certain important characteristics. Cohen identifies this characteristics and the analysis of phenomenon of and characteristics of moral panic is focused on whether moral panic follows or deviates from what Cohen describes (Cohen, 1980, p. 9). In the analysis of moral panic on pornography and young people, it is important to consider the characteristics, patterns and descriptions described by Cohen regarding moral panic and see if the issue at hand demonstrates or digress from this particular moral panic model. The analysis of moral panic regarding pornography and the exploration of sexuality allows for the identification of a particular example of the social construction of normalcy and deviance and how and when the polar positions are identified during issues of moral panic. Threat to moral values Cohen believes that moral panic is a threat to moral values (Cohen, 1980, p. 10). The problem of pornography has always been associated with the fact that pornography is a material that threatens to distort existing moral values on what is wrong and right and acceptable when it comes to sexuality and expression of sexuality by the individual. â€Å"Clearly the issue of pornography on the Internet is a moral panic (Cothran, 2002, p. 45)†. This problem has been consistent with the consistency of the problem of pornography. It was highlighted once again with the realization of growing problem of pornography in connection to its presence in the internet. The internet has successfully reached and connected millions of young people all across the globe, which makes the threat to moral values stronger. Presented in a stylized and stereotypical manner by the mass media The mass media, particularly news, talk shows, movies and other info-entertainment shows, have tackled the problem of pornography especially internet-based pornography. As a reaction to this, places like Europe has undertaken efforts to make sure that the media and its role in presenting pornography is controlled in such a way that it is more helpful and informative than merely a source of distorted truth (Ost, 2009, p. 241). â€Å"An essential rule of conduct must be to ensure that the media’s presentation of child pornography and grooming is accurate and not sensationalized (Ost, 2009, p. 241). † Media presentation of this problem is often stereotypical. For example, movies, like American Pie, present a stereotypical idea about pornography and the reaction of young people to it. In a way, the presentation of mass media regarding this issue has the impact of making the issue louder and stronger and makes its existence last longer because of the role of media in affecting the consciousness of the people. So long as the media presents this kind of content, the people will always be made to remember. For some, this is important since they believe that this is an issue that the society should not just ignore or shrug off. Presence of moral barricades by right thinking people Pornography, and in particular, internet-pornography, has been attacked by those who condemn in; people whom Cohen describes as the one who provide, maintain, create and identify moral barricades in the belief that what they believe is right and that they are the right people to identify what is right for the society. This includes parents, religion leaders, writers, etc. â€Å"Although we live in a generally tolerant society, pornography is today being attacked from many quarters (Plantinga, 1982, p. 78). † Experts and their diagnoses and solution Part of the cycle or system involved in the identification and surfacing or re-surfacing of issues resulting to moral panic is the presence of professionals who provide diagnoses of the issue and makes authoritative claims for possible solution to the problem. In the case of internet-pornography, part of the literature is the review of past writings regarding the diagnoses on pornography and compiles it with new studies and findings regarding this matter. Professionals like psychologists and sociologists will make analysis on how this issue came to be, what caused it and what would result from it and ultimately what should be done about it. Groups like Commission on Obscenity and Pornography undertake studies to examine the impact of pornography and provide solutions (Rist, 1974, p. 217). Ways of coping In the end, the society will find a way to cope with the moral panic and the cause of moral panic. In the tug-of-war battle, the failure to completely remove or eradicate the source of the problem can result in the society accepting that the problem is here to stay. Solutions will take long term timetables and thus should not be expected to be removed or defeated in a short period of time. For internet pornography, society’s way of coping is by creating protective measures to lessen the potential for exposure of young people to pornography. They used technology to assist them and make them capable in coping. They depended on the strength of family values to keep young people away from these kinds of materials, and trusted the judgment and ability to discern by young people so that this problem does not result in moral distortion or breakdown among young people exposed to this kind of material. The society turned to laws to hamper, hinder, limit, deter or make this less powerful and less capable. Deviance Pornography and internet-based pornography is a form of deviance. Its contents contain forms of deviance, particularly in the aspect of sexuality and young people. Sexuality and sexual practices inside the society has its own set of acceptable forms. The content of internet-based pornography fuels deviant and non conformist attitudes and perspectives in sexuality and sexual practice. Main Players Moral panic always involved individuals acting as main players involved in the issue, especially those who support and those who are against this particular issue. In this issue of moral panic, it is important to mention that part of the main players in this issue are those that dictate and create the social construct of normalcy on one hand and those who break this and act as deviants from this particular form of socially-shared moral values. There are merely participants in the cycle of moral deviance involving pornography and there are those who directly challenge, oppose and break the moral design regarding this particular issue. Participants include those who are responsible for the production, creation, management and circulation of materials which maintains the pornography industry which in turn feeds the consistent moral panic regarding pornography and young people. Young people who display abnormal dependence, reliance, obsession and addiction to pornography and commits actions considered as grossly unaccepted in the eyes of the society are the reason for the moral panic. It is because there are people who are hooked in pornography and the fact that it is a phenomenon not exclusive to just to one era or geographical location are the main reasons why pornography among young people is a moral panic. The moral vanguards who dictate the condition of normalcy in the society believes that this has the potential to damage the emotional, psychological and mental faculties of the young individual. Of course, there are also those who stand on the opposite polar positions. These individuals provide a balance and deter the issue from becoming something that is completely socially acceptable by opposing it. In this issue, these include parents, teachers, religious leaders, politicians and conservative thinking people who does not approve of pornography in general. Key Issues The discussion of Cohen regarding moral panic reflects an integral part of the problem. There are key issues involved in the phenomenon of moral panic which makes the problem more pronounced not to mention being more significant considering it compounds and worsens other problems. Of course, the main issue on moral panic regarding pornography is the fear of the deterioration of moral values especially with regards to sex, sexual activities and sexual preferences, among others. This is easier said than explained in detail. This problem is an interconnection of many different smaller and yet equally significant problems and key issues including sexual identity and confusion, challenging parental and societal authoritative role, deviance, the evils of mass media and mass communication, etc. Strongly linked to this are other key issues which are also important and significant in the discussion of internet-based pornography. Beside moral deterioration, pornography is also linked to, results to or is often related to crimes, especially those sexual in nature, like molestation, rape, sexual assault and other sexual offenses created by the young people. The fact that internet has a broader audience and scope and is easier accessible makes it more dangerous compared to its video and print counterpart. The problem of pornography and its effects as a whole can worsen significantly in consideration to the joint impact of all of these media to the young people and to the society in general. Other issues are present as well, like the degradation and molestation of women and children (Thompson, 1998, p. 10), prostitution, gender roles, etc. Sexual openness at the degree being offered by internet pornography also impacts the psyche and consciousness and well as perspective of the individual which can lead the person to challenge the existing societal beliefs, and later, the norms. Worse, the person may challenge the law once the individual tries to break free from the constraints of social life by pursuing or exploring the full extent of the person’s newfound sexuality and sexual orientation as a result of exposure to and influence of internet pornography. Reason for Moral Panic Pornography and internet-based pornography symbolized the evolution of sexuality and sexual preference. The traditional conservative society still finds it hard to accept and accommodate and make mainstream because of strong values dictated by well entrenched societies like church and religion, for example. This therefore symbolizes the inability of the society to fully reconcile with the changes in sexuality and sexual preference among what appears to be a growing number of people. This also symbolized an important era in the history of human sexuality as a whole. The problem of pornography and internet-based pornography is not a stand alone, solitary issue that challenges a particular set of societal characteristics. In closer investigation, it is noticeable how the problem of pornography stands alongside other issues. This comes in the era of liberalization in thinking among many different aspects of human life which is equally considered as unethical and immoral, like cloning, decriminalization of marijuana and same sex marriage. These issues, like pornography, sparks moral panic and has long existed as a societal problem, issue and point of argument among many professionals for and against it. The reason for moral panic is the inability of the society to allow change. In the aspect of sex and sexuality, those who dictate the norms and morals of the society believes that where the world is right now is acceptable already and that deviations from such practice is unacceptable. As Cohen points in its analysis of deviation, the question here is that it is unacceptable to whom? Does it comprise the greater majority, or the powerful minority only? The inability for change is often coupled with fear of the unknown which are reasons for moral panic. Sure, specialists can make intelligent guesses as to how this can affect the future and what behaviors this will result from. However, educated and intelligent they are, these are just guesses still. The greater picture is comprised of the fact that people are fearful of what they know. They know change would come, but they do not know exactly how it looks like, if it is acceptable to them, etc. Because of that, they resort to moral panic, using it a defense mechanism enabling them to handle the problem of being incapable of the uncertainty of the future. They try to control to present and this act of controlling is expected to create deviants as well as reasons for, and tool supporting this act of deviance, a role that pornography plays. Conclusion Using moral panic to view the phenomenon regarding the sexuality of young people and pornography is important and useful. It allows the analysis to reflect the existing accepted morality regarding and surrounding this issue and how this is being consistently threaten and broken. It also reflects as to how the society was not able to fully evolve to allow them to either put a stop to this moral issue or completely accommodate pornography in such a way that this is not an issue anymore. The use of moral panic allows the analysis to better understand the attitude and perception of the people regarding the issue. It allows the analysis to see the problems present in this point of concern, and to establish the reasons and entities that surround the occurrence of the trend in human social life. There are always those who create the patterns for normalcy and what constitutes it, from which deviants find a way to deviate from and create their own identity as deviants from socially-accepted and shared beliefs, attitudes and perspectives. Here, pornography plays a key role in deviance in sexuality which in turn results to moral panic. Bibliography Cohen, S 1980, Folk Devils & Moral Panics, Blackwell, Oxford. Cothran, H 2002, Pornography: opposing viewpoints, Greenhaven Press, Michigan. Ost, S 2009, Child pornography and sexual grooming: legal and societal responses, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Plantinga, T 1982, Learning to live with evil, W. B. Eerdmans Pub. Co. , Michigan. Rist, R C 1974, The pornography controversy: changing moral standards in American life, Transaction Publishers, New Jersey. Thompson, K 1998, Moral panics, Routledge, New York.

Oedipus Trilogy Essay

It was Sophocles who wrote the Oedipus Trilogy. Although Oedipus Rex has always been a common oral story to the Greeks, Sophocles added different dimensions in his rendition of the tragic story of Oedipus. Antigone was the epilogue of the trilogy and the last part of the story but it was the first play to be produced. Oedipus the King was the beginning of the trilogy, where the fate of Oedipus was prophesied, and the rise and fall of Oedipus was chronicled. And Oedipus at Colonus is the middle of the trilogy where Oedipus dies and his sons murder each other thus continuing the eventuality of the prophecy. In Antigone, the final pieces of the tragedy unraveled, thus completing the prophecy of the oracle to Oedipus. In Antigone, the play focuses more on the battle between opposing primary views and concerns. Actually, it was more on opposing pride. Antigone was determined to give his brother an honorable burial despite the fact that the current king blatantly forbids it. She maintains that love is above law and hegemony. Creon, on the other hand, although Polynices is his nephew, forbids the burial on the grounds that it is the law to refuse honorable funerals to traitors. Although the central characters have opposing views, their attributes are very much similar to each other. Both are blinded by their own pride in their decisions. Antigone, when confronted by Creon, refuses to back down despite the fact that Creon threatened her that her sister will be penalized together with her. Antigone, sees her action as a form of â€Å"martydom†. In a way she sees glory in what she had done by â€Å"sacrificing† herself for the sake of his brother, which somewhat preposterous because of the fact that his brother is already dead. Creon, likewise, refuses to change his decision despite his son’s threat of suicide if he condemns Antigone. Although he perceives that his son’s words were not empty threats, he still refused to change his decision. This is because he distinguishes his action as strength of leadership. He mistakes pride for decisive command. Antigone represents moral ascendancy over political law. Creon, on the other hand, symbolizes the primacy of the rule of law above all else. The play attempts to stir the audience to struggle on which side should prevail. Athens, during the time of Sophocles was in its golden age. Democracy has been the highest point of the era. However, there are certain rules of law that exist to govern the democratic state. The play seeks to arouse questions from among the audience. Whether certain personal morals and filial duty should take over the rule of law when the situation calls for it. Or whether the rule of law should always prevail to maintain order in the society. However, Sophocles drives home the point that there are no extreme grounds. Moral ascendancy and the rule of law are invariably intertwined and should be taken into consideration in making a decision. In the play it was the comical messenger that best manifested the careful weighing of consequences of his actions when he pondered to and fro on what to tell Creon. It was him that provided a middle ground. His action was the very reflection of the thoughts of the audience. Towards the end of the play, both Creon and Antigone became so blind of their pride in their decision that they were no longer fighting for what they believe is right. Antigone sees her suicide as a form of sacrilegious immolation as if she was giving herself up for the good of her brother. Likewise, Creon perceives his decision to condemn Antigone as strength of leadership. He thinks that if he pardons Antigone, then he had let Antigone â€Å"win†, that Antigone will emerge to be â€Å"the man† in the battle. Creon’s and Antigone’s greatest folly is their tendency to oversimplify the situation. Antigone reduced the circumstance to moral ascendancy and Creon to the rule of law. Their pride made them blind that their decision will lead to conflict and deliberation. Like all characters of the play, Oedipus’ tragic flaw is his pride. In Oedipus the King, the rise and fall of Oedipus was accounted to his pride. His killing of his father was brought about by his pride, his desire to seek the truth of his identity was driven by pride, his edict of severe punishment to the murderer of Laius was brought about by pride and even is in his lowest moment when he eventually discovered the truth he still clung to the last pieces of his trappings as king. However, there is a great difference in Oedipus’ pride and that of Creon’s and Antigone’s. Antigone claims that it was for her love of her brother that she disobeyed Creon but in reality she puts herself in a pedestal with greater morals than Creon could understand. She masked her pride with proclamations of sacrifice and martyrdom for filial love. Creon, on the other hand, asserts that his actions are but mere implementation of law. However, in truth, Creon revels at the power that he holds upon the kingdom. This is evident even in the play Oedipus the King when Creon demonstrated his newfound power by curtly cutting off Oedipus while he was still mourning his fate. Oedipus pride, however, was disguised as his earnestness. This was exposed when he declared that he would seek all means to end the plague in his nation. He was so earnest in his demonstrations to the people of his intentions to save his kingdom that he himself cemented his doom. Furthermore, in seeking the murderer of Laius, in his earnestness to punish the criminal, he unknowingly condemned himself. More over, when the truth of his identity was slowly untangling, he was so earnest in wanting to discover the whole truth that he made a way for his ruination. In truth, Oedipus was earnest because he wanted to set himself apart from the rest. He wanted to be a great leader in his nation. His exaggerated demonstrations of his intentions to save his nation were masked pride. He clearly wanted to be the â€Å"savior† of his kingdom. He celebrates at the power that he holds upon the people. This is obvious that he dares insult the oracle when he came to his presence. Moreover, being royals, Jocasta and Oedipus had the tendency to invalidate the fate the gods have in store for them. They have countless times declared that the oracle is false. This is clearly a sign of their pride that they could not fathom that there are any other being that is above them. At the end of the play, Oedipus took responsibility of his actions. But even in his broken state he was still proud. It was him who commanded Creon to bury Jocasta as he sees fit and to banish him from his nation. Although he no longer has any real power, he still managed to hold on to his last bits of power as a former king. Oedipus the King ended with Oedipus as a broken man banished from his kingdom and disgraced from the society. In Oedipus at Colonus, we find just that, a broken man. However, his brokenness should not be interpreted as newfound humility. Contrariwise, his decent into brokenness left him embittered. In the play, he again questions his fate. He even questions his sons’ decision in remaining adamant in his exile. The initial scene of the play rightly sets the tone for the story. Antigone was describing their trespass on holy ground that must be corrected with prayers and libation. It is ironing that Oedipus and Antigone, with full knowledge of the wrongness of their action still proceed to commit the deed then proceed to rectify the iniquitous. This is the theme all throughout the play, the characters all seemingly commit an action that they are fully aware that is not correct but still proceed to do so nonetheless. Again all of which is because of pride. When Creon abducts Oedipus’ daughters, Theseus proceeds to rescue them. He pretends that he did so because of honor and duty. However, in reality, Theseus’ primary objective is to save his own kingdom. In this play, most of the characters have hidden agenda. In the first two plays that Sophocles wrote, the characters were forthright with their motives. Antigone and Creon were so brash and obvious in their thoughts and beliefs in Antigone. In Oedipus the King, Oedipus lack of blunt motives led to his destruction. But in the third installment, the characters were more masked in their intentions. Even Oedipus, when he refused to go back to his city, he maintained that it was on the basis of his newfound holiness but in truth it was his pride that kept him from coming back. Why would come back to a city that shunned him? Or to the people that eschewed themselves from him? Moreover, in a confrontation with Polynices, he begins to questions his sons actions on why they were apathetic of his exile. He failed to realize that it was him who commanded Creon to exile him in the first place. Just as he was physically blind, he was also blind from the truth. Even in his deprivation he still was not able to fully see the extent of his mistakes and his pride. In the end, Oedipus’ death was inconsequential. For a character such as him, it is but ironic that his death was portrayed as merely peripheral with only Theseus as witness. Even the lamentations of Ismene and Antigone were not impassionate enough. Sophocles merely pointed out that no matter how great Oedipus was in his former glory, like everyone else, his end is just merely death – a fate that no great man can escape from.

Facts and Storytelling in Historical Fiction

Facts and Storytelling in Historical Fiction When I began writing my new novel about Amelia Earhart’s last days, The Canary, I knew it had to start with her as a castaway on a lonely Pacific island. But with her navigator, Fred Noonan, already dead, there was a decidedly small cast of characters. Having Amelia talk to herself endlessly would become endlessly tedious. Some research and an unexpected discovery came to my rescue. Here’s what I knew: based on recent findings, there is evidence suggesting Earhart might have made a forced landing on a tiny atoll’s reef – Gardner Island. The more I looked into it, the more plausible it seemed. That inspired me to fictionalize her last days. The opening pages were easy: Amelia alone on an island with no reliable water source except rainwater and no food other than small birds, turtles, and legions of coconut crabs. But quickly I knew the book had to be more than just a brave young woman and her mental and physical deterioration. As I looked more into young Amelia’s life to discover a writing voice for her, I learned she had moved from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Hyde Park in Chicago to finish her last year of high school, in 1914-15. This was before she had thought much about flying. The discovery made me think about who she was in those days and soon I was doing a Google search of Hyde Park on Chicago’s near south side, a place I once visited to hear a novelist read, and the location of President Obama’s house. As I stared at the map of Hyde Park and imagined young Amelia walking to school and then home again to care for her ailing mother, my eyes drifted west, to the suburb of Oak Park, and I had my epiphany: Though they never met, Earhart and Hemingway spent a year of school only a few miles from each other. Ernest was then 15 and Amelia was around 17. Suddenly I knew what the book needed – an interior story in which Amelia fondly remembers her Hyde Park days and a yearlong friendship with the young Hemingway. The Canary became a better novel than it might have because I was open to how facts buried in silent history gave it the voices it needed. If you are writing historical fiction, here’s the lesson. Being accurate is important. I had to do a lot of checking to make sure I depicted Hemingway and Earhart with historical accuracy, even though they never met. When they went to a baseball game, it had to be at Weeghman Park and not Wrigley Field, because Wrigley was called Weeghman in 1914. The Cubs didn’t even play there. It was home to the Chicago Whales. Writing historical fiction means getting the history surrounding your characters right, but it’s also an opportunity to not be shackled

The Mystery of Great Zimbabwe essays

The Mystery of Great Zimbabwe essays Throughout the ages, whispered reports of the Queen of Sheba's stone palace were passed from sailor to sailor through the Portuguese ports. The later discovery of the ruins labelled Great Zimbabwe and their subsequent excavation has resulted in a wider respect for African sites. Moreover, the grave inaccuracies and miscalculations that took place in the excavation of Great Zimbabwe, has shocked the world into the realisation that prejudices and bigotry can be detrimental to the development of historical and archaeological knowledge. The great stone ruins were first uncovered by Portuguese traders in the 16th Century. Sailors continued to visit the site, declaring it to be the remnants of the Queen of Sheba's palace. For nearly 400 years romantic speculation as to the true heritage of the mysterious stonewalls was passed from word of mouth until it reached the coastal trading ports of Mozambique. In 1552, Joo de Barros wrote ofa square fortress, masonry within and without, built of stones of marvellous size and there appears to be no mortar joining them?. The actualdiscovery? of the site was in 1871, by Carl Mauch a young German who had heard the fabled tales of the Queen of Sheba's palace, and was eager to substantiate the tales. He visited a lone German trader who told him ofquite large ruins which could never have been built by blacks? and, on September 5th local Karanga tribesmen led Mauch to the site. The immense stone ruins of Great Zimbabwe are located in the southeast of the African country of Zimbabwe, which, interestingly enough, took its name from the site after gaining independence from Great Britain in 1980. When Mauch viewed the site firsthand, the impressive stonewalls aroused much interest in the site, and their immense and almost impossible construction added credence to the myth that the site was the work of foreigners. Mauch uncovered a series of soapstone and iron relics, which therefore provided concrete ev...

States With No Income Tax Should You Move to One

States With No Income Tax Should You Move to One SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips While everyone in the US pays a federal income tax, not everyone pays a state income tax. There are seven states in the US with no income tax whatsoever, plus two more that don’t tax wages. While people who live in these states don’t pay income tax, they may pay higher taxes in other ways, like when they go shopping or stop at the gas station. This guide will explore whether or not people in income tax-free states save money overall, along with the pros and cons of moving to one of these states. First, let’s look at the nine states with few or no taxes on income. What Are the States With No Income Tax? There are seven states with no income taxes whatsoever. They are the following: Alaska Florida Nevada South Dakota Texas Washington Wyoming Two other states, New Hampshire and Tennessee, don’t have an income tax on wages, but they do tax interest and dividend income. If you’re making money from investments, for instance, then that profit would be taxed in New Hampshire or Tennessee. The remaining 41 states do level a tax on income. Some have a flat-rate income tax, while others have different brackets based on how much money you make. These states gain revenue from income taxes, and that money goes into various services and programs. In states that don’t collect income tax, where does the revenue come from? There are nine states in the U.S. with no or few state income taxes. Lokal Profil/Wikimedia Where Do States With No Income Tax Get Revenue? States still need revenue, and they get that money from a variety of sources. Commonly, states without income tax have higher sales, gas, and property taxes. They may also provide fewer, more expensive, or lower quality public services. For instance, in-state tuition at the public universities in New Hampshire is higher than that of most other states. Let’s look on a state-by-state basis to see how these no-income-tax states collect revenue. Alaska: petroleum revenue. Because of its oil, Alaska is an exception among income tax-free states. Rather than raising other taxes, Alaska actually distributes a dividend check to residents. Last year, each resident’s share was $2,075. Florida: above average sales taxes and property taxes. Nevada: gambling-related fees and taxes, as well as sales taxes. South Dakota: personal taxes, property taxes, cigarette excises, bank franchises, and ore taxes. Texas: oil and gas royalties, as well as a high sales tax. Washington: some of the highest sales and gasoline taxes in the United States. Wyoming: coal mining and property taxes. Like Alaska, Wyoming also gets revenue from its natural resources. New Hampshire: property tax. Tennessee: highest sales tax in the US. Given these alternative forms of revenue collection, does living in a state without income tax mean you keep more of your paycheck? Alaskan residents actually get money back each year from the Alaska Permanent Fund. Living in Alaska can be expensive, though, as it’s a pretty remote place. Does Living in an Income Tax-Free State Mean You Keep More of Your Money? The short answer to this question is, not necessarily. As you can see above, many states without income tax charge higher taxes on day-to-day expenses. They may also provide fewer public services or more expensive higher education. Depending on your spending habits and lifestyle, the amount of money you’re paying toward other taxes could be higher than the amount you would pay toward taxes overall in a state that had an income tax. How much you benefit from an income tax-free policy also largely depends on your income level. Typically, people with a higher income benefit from the lack of income tax, while people with lower incomes end up paying a larger percentage of their salary to other kinds of taxes. According to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy in Washington, for example, the poorest 20% of state residents pay 16.9% of their annual income in sales and gas taxes, while the wealthiest 1% pay just 2.4% of their income. Your income level, therefore, becomes an important factor if you’re deciding whether or not to move to a state with no income tax. What else should you consider as you figure out where to live in the United States? Should you move to sunny Florida, where palm trees are a-plenty but state income tax is nowhere to be found? Who Should Move to an Income Tax-Free State? As you read above, income tax-free states tend to have higher sales, gas, and property taxes and a reduced budget for public programs, like education. If any of the following are true for you, then you might benefit from living in one of these states. If the opposite is true, then you probably shouldn’t move to one. You Have a High Income Higher-income people tend to benefit the most from living in an income tax-free state. Besides keeping a larger proportion of your wages, higher income people may also have less need for public services. For instance, higher-income people may not rely on public education, instead sending their kids to private schools. You Don’t Own Much Property If you don’t own a lot of property, then you won’t get hit too hard with the often high property taxes in income tax-free states. If you do own a lot of property, then living in one of the nine states discussed above probably wouldn’t work in your favor. If you own a lot of land or houses, then you may end up getting hit with high property taxes. You Don’t Spend a Lot Besides having higher property taxes, most of these nine states impose high sales taxes. If you have a high consumption lifestyle, then you’ll be putting a higher than average percentage of your income toward sales taxes. If you don’t spend a lot, then you may save money in one of these states overall. You Don’t Rely on Public Services States without income taxes may offer reduced or lower quality public services, like transportation, health care, or public education. If you don’t have kids or are sending your kids to private school, then this might not affect you. Washington, by the way, is an exception with its strong public school system, but it has some of the highest sales and gas taxes in the country. If you drive a lot in Washington, then you might end up paying a lot in gas tax and highway and bridge tolls. If you’re sending kids to public school, be careful about the quality of the education system in an income tax-free state. You Hold Conservative or Libertarian Views People have different opinions about state income tax, and their support of or opposition to it tends to coincide with their social and political views. People with progressive or liberal views tend to support government funding of public services, like education, health insurance, and transportation, and they tend to be in favor of income taxes, as well. Those with more conservative or libertarian views want to minimize the government’s role in shaping society and consequently, tend to be opposed to income taxes. They may oppose any kind of income redistribution and prefer that all people pay the same on other taxes, like sales taxes. Progressives, however, point out that sales taxes affect people at different incomes disproportionately, with lower income populations becoming the most burdened. People also disagree about whether income taxes help or hinder job and population growth. Those who oppose income tax say that doing away with it boosts jobs and helps the state retain young people. According to a 2013 study, though, Texas was the only non-income tax state where job growth didn’t lag behind population growth. If you find yourself agreeing with the typically conservative or libertarian point of view opposed to state income tax, then you may well enjoy living one of the nine states listed above. Are you a progressive, conservative, or libertarian? Whether or not you support state income taxes tends to align with your social and political views. You’ve Done Your Research Beyond figuring out whether living in an income tax free state would be financially beneficial for you, you should also base your decision on a number of other factors, like the state’s culture and weather and what your moving process would be like. Are you ready to move to Nevada’s desert climate and live close to the temptation of gambling? Does the libertarian bent of many Texans appeal to you? Are you comfortable living in a remote place like Alaska where the sun shines all summer and hides all winter? Any move calls for a good deal of research and planning. If your main motivation is doing away with income tax, then remember that there are other factors to consider, like state services and how the government’s alternative methods of revenue collection affect you as an individual or family. If you do decide to pack up and move to the desert of Nevada or a ranch out in the Lone Star state, what steps do you need to take? Besides bringing lots of water, what steps would you need to take to move to a state with no income tax, like Nevada? How to Move to a State With No Income Tax In order to move and start enjoying an income tax-free life, you’ll typically need to establish both state residency and domicile. Residency and domicile laws vary by state. Typically, you’ll need to spend a certain amount of time in the state, as well as change some records to reflect your new address. One common law states that you can’t spend more than 183 days in any single state beside your new state of residency. That’s not to say you have to spend the remaining 182 days in your new state of residency. For instance, let’s say you’re moving to Texas. You spend 100 days in Texas, 100 days in Massachusetts, and 165 days in California. Since you didn’t spend a collective 183 days in a single state other than Texas, you can still call Texas your state of residency. However, if you had spent 100 days in Texas and the remaining 265 days in California, then you can’t call Texas your state of residency. Again, your time in one other state can’t exceed 183 days. While establishing residency is pretty straightforward, establishing domicile is a bit more vague. Generally, domicile means that your community connections need to be stronger in your new state than your old state. These connections include things like your voter registration, driver’s license, and bank accounts. You also have to indicate that the new state will be your permanent home. Since residency and domicile requirements vary by state, you’ll have to check the exact specifications for Texas, Wyoming, and the rest of the states with no income taxes. Besides rooting out the exact residency laws, make sure to remember these key points about states with no income taxes and how to move to one. One perk of living in a state with no income tax- you can totally skip that page on your tax returns. States With No Income Tax: Final Thoughts While eliminating an income tax might sound like it saves you money, the policy is a little trickier than it sounds. States still need money, so getting rid of an income tax typically means that they impose higher taxes in other areas. The only exception is states that generate revenue from natural resources, like Alaska with its petroleum. Whether living in a state with no income tax will save you money varies by individual. Typically, people who have a high income will benefit, as well as those who don’t rely on public education, drive very much, own a lot of property, or spend much money overall. You’ll have to take a look at your income, lifestyle, and spending habits to determine whether moving would be financially beneficial for you. Because of the U.S.’s unique mix of state and federal laws, you should always look into tax laws when you’re considering moving. If you’re envisioning relocating to another part of the country, then consider the new state’s tax laws and how they’ll affect your personal finances.

Seven Birds for Seven Brothers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Seven Birds for Seven Brothers - Essay Example 3. From the musical, gender relations have been demonstrated in the movie where the females are expected to be well-behaved. The girls were expected to be good cooks and carry themselves with dignity. Males, on the other hand, are expected to be hard working and provider in the family. The setting of this musical shows â€Å"man’s world†. For instance, Fred Bixby owns store while his wife works with him. Milly works in a local bar where she is expected clean after the customers. 4. The clips on youtube of the Seven Brides for Seven Brothers have captured the spirit of the original movie to the extent where they create a clear picture of the original film. The musical numbers used are appropriate for the scenes. The filmed musical uses location and beautiful scenery to try and bring out which would be impossible in a live musical. 5. My favorite musical number is Bless Yore Beautiful Hide. It talks of what kind a wife, Adam. The song brings out the qualities of a woman Adam would like. From the song, one can tell the performer is looking for a wife to

Vincent Van Gogh Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Vincent Van Gogh - Research Paper Example In 1866, his father transferred him to a boarding school at Zevenbergen. The transfer proved to be disastrous to his life due to the fact the he was an introvert. This made it difficult for him to associate and make friends in the new school. In addition, people from the new school harassed him due to his peculiar characteristics. In September 1886, he joined Willem II College in Tilburg province. This school meant a lot to his life and career as an artist since he got the chance of meeting Constantijin a famous artist from France. At this school, Constantijin worked as a teacher and he was able to note the peculiar characteristics in Gogh within a short period. Although Gogh had a good relationship with his teachers from the new school, he decided to drop out of school in 1868 due to lack of interest with school duties and procedures. In 1869 his uncle Cent, connected him to an art dealer who owned Goupil & Cie, which was a leading art company in Hague. This marked the beginning of his career as a professional artist. After joining Goupil & Cie Company, his supervisor immediately noticed his outstanding skills and placed him in a training program in order to refine his artistic skills. Gogh completed his training secession in 1873 and he was immediately transferred to London where he worked for Messers Goupil & co. This transfer became a source of motivation for his career since he was earning more money than his fellow artists were (Callow 46). Life in London however turned against him as his was rejected by his first lover Eugenie Loyer. The dark moments of his lie returned to him and he returned to his solitary life. His father and uncle noticed this behavior and they arranged... Gogh is mainly remembered for his paintings that portrayed a high degree of beauty, bold colors and emotions. In addition, most of his audience described his paintings as honest due to the life expressions that they possessed. Gogh is also considered as one of the most influential artists of the nineteenth century due to the work that he did within his 37 years of life. His life was intensive since he started drawing at an early age. By the time he had attained 37 years of age, he had produced approximately 2,000, which consisted of about 800 oil paintings. His life involved many turnarounds and each of them inspired him to produce a work of art. Gogh mainly concentrated in oil painting with most of his work done on canvas. His painting on the Potato Eaters 1885 was the first piece of work that put him in the public domain. This painting was inspired by the life of many peasant farmers who lived in Netherlands. The painting, however made the local Catholic Church priest to condemn him. The Skull with a Burning Cigarette 1886 is also among his most celebrated works of art. He did this painting on canvas and it was first displayed in Hague. The main motivation behind this painting was the changing lifestyle among the Europeans. Gogh noticed his superiority in art during his early school days and he lived his life to fulfill his passion in drawing. Gogh encountered many events during his life, which he transferred into paintings. His paintings demonstrated the life of ordinary people that surrounded him.

The Egyptian accounting profession Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Egyptian accounting profession - Essay Example Its reforms are a part of a larger economic reform, as Egypt underwent a planned economy system in the 1960’s, then liberalized in the 1970’s and underwent structural changes in 1991 (Rahman et al. 1). Still, the private sector is given more leeway in terms of compliance with IAS than the public (Rahman et al. 4). Moreover, compliance with disclosure rules is a major issue. High quality auditors and accountants are in excess demand. Quality of auditors and accountants is guaranteed by the Egyptian Society of Accountants and Auditors (Rahman et al. 5). However, there are a few qualified students due to economic inequalities in the country, and these mostly work for international companies, with only few remaining in the public sector (Rahman et al. 6). Thus, though the government tries to comply with IAS, the work force cannot catch up with the standards. As a result, many companies listed on capital markets fail to live up to standards set by the Egyptian government (Rahman et al. 8). The enforcement mechanisms are weak as well. The central bank is weak, as it cannot impose sanctions on non – compliers in the banking sector (Rahman et al. 9). The government does not ensure that the auditing reports are of high quality by being checked by a second auditor (Rahman et al. 9). Since top management controls the company instead of the shareholders, irregularities within a company are shoved under the rug (Rahman et al. 9). Though IAS is to be followed completely in Egypt under all of the regulations, the result is mistrust among investors and a weak legal system (Rahman et al. 12). Shahid expands on auditing and accounting standards by incorporating them into the wider corporate culture in Egypt and abroad. According to Shahid, lack of standards and accountability leads to financial problems in companies (5). As a result, Shahid believes codes of good corporate governance to be the key to success in Egypt, since they are â€Å"a comprehensive set of norms

Family socilogy (The influence of the family structure) Essay

Family socilogy (The influence of the family structure) - Essay Example Family has always played a vital role in ordering society and in determining life chances of various individuals. The word family holds different meaning for different people and used to symbolize many different views. Giddens defines the family as a â€Å"group of persons directly linked by kin connections, the adult members of which assume responsibility for caring for children†. By children he meant who are dependent on their parents for their livelihood; are aged under 16 or 17 and are in full time education. Till today families are responsible for the upbringing and nurture of children. They are the ones who provide not only love and care but also financial support to children. The main functions performed by the family is to teach a child discipline, judge between what is right and wrong and an acceptable behavior pattern. In this essay, we shall discuss to what extent is family central to the lives of children in Britain. Gordon Brown had expressed that family is the foundation on which our communities, our society and our country are built. However, it has been found in recent years that the traditional beliefs and values of families have undergone lots of social and economic changes. Earlier the foundation stone of families used to be love and care but today it has been replaced by looser and material needs of money and selfishness. These factors have led to the emergence of new types of families like lone parent families, step families, symmetrical families and cohabit families. (cited in Duncan & Phillips, 2008:1). The demographic transition in Europe started from the 1950’s and is still continuing today. Ansley Coale’s has described demographic transition â€Å"as a change from the traditional society in which high mortality and natality rates existed to an industrialized society in which natality and mobility are stabilized at low levels.† This transition has been the result of various social and economic changes such as urbanization, education levels, productive structure and secularization etc. The changes in the trends of life of people have brought about a major change in the way children perceive family in Britain (Pairo, 1997). According to Squire, a family structure changes with experience and life events as a child grows from childhood to adulthood. Every family functions in a unique way due to variations in household types, family structures and the division of domestic labor. Also the composition of the family is influenced by the social, cultural and economic characteristics of different ethnic groups. These factors affect the extent to which a family may or may not be central to the lives of children. Although all family structures are unique but they have one thing in common – they all provide emotional and mutual structural support to all children. A family helps to locate a child socially and thus act as one of the key socializing agents (Squire, 2003:60). A child’s happiness and healthy development depends on a large scale on the kind of relationship that exists between parents, grandparents and other caring adults in the family and most crucially among children and adults. According to research in 2008, 64 % of children live in married families with couples, 23% of children live in lone parent family and 13% live with cohabiting couples (Mapalthorpe et al., 2008:4).The research also reveals that marriage is not necessary for the successful running of the family but good relations matter. Also, 78% of individuals have agreed that it is not divorce that harms children but parental conflicts. According to the individualistic theory, families should become more liberal, with children having a say in important family decisions. Also, biological parents should provide parenting to their children lifelong which will help in their growth towards adulthood. However, research says otherwise –step fathe rs can equally take care and bestow love on them as compared to biological fathers. Traditionally family had been seen as

Sunset Grill at Blue Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Sunset Grill at Blue - Case Study Example Melhuish recognized that during the first year of operations and even when his franchise managed to break even, he was struggling and leaving money on the table. With new ideas, ready to implement before the summer will help reduce queues and get the operations fully on track. Data collection shows that the most burdensome queues are during the weekends. To alleviate this, Melhuish is planning on hiring a part timer food runner. The food runner will deliver the food from the kitchen directly to the table, saving the servers time and energy. This addition to the staff, even on a part time basis, would increase daily table turn over by five to ten percent. Melhuish is considering on adding a menu boards around the restaurant. One would be above the open concept kitchen and the other would be electronic near the front entrance. Both boards would be strategically placed so that those waiting would have the option of looking over the menus prior to sitting down. By the time the customers were seated, they would know what they wanted to order. This would reduce the amount of ordering time by up to 10 minutes. Melhuish believes the electronic menu boards could also be useful in promoting a few high-margin items. In response to customer complaints, Melhuish brainstormed the idea of allowing substitutions to certain menu items. Currently, the policy of no substitutions is strictly enforced. Data shows that allowing substitutions on certain menu items or during shoulder seasons would increase the preparation time from 5 minutes average to 6 minutes average. This small amount of time, is not a very big change in comparison to the advantages of allowing certain substitutions and satisfying customers requests / complaints. Another way to help reduce wait times is to add additional seating to the restaurant. Melhuish is considering increasing capacity by converting the

Surveys and The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) Assignment

Surveys and The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) - Assignment Example For example, in a survey carried out to understand the social forces that lead to crime, a criminologist may sample 3,000 inmates from a population of 2 million inmates in a region. The responses of the 3000 inmates represent the whole population allowing generalization (Vito et al., 2006). Question 2 There are several types of surveys. For example, there are self-report surveys, cross-sectional surveys and counting crime surveys. A self-report survey is designed to describe, in detail, participants’ recent and lifetime participation in criminal activity. These are given anonymously in groups; so that people being surveyed are assured that their responses are confidential. Secrecy and anonymity are essential to maintain the honesty and validity of responses (Siegel 2011). Counting crime is a type of survey where victim surveys are carried out. People are asked about victimization to provide a measure of crime that adjusts for some of the limitations of data collected by the po lice. Its purpose is to provide important data about the volume of crime ia a region. A cross-sectional survey is representative of all members of the community. For instance, a survey on all students attending university is cross-sectional as all community members are represented. This type of survey is useful as it a cost effective way of measuring the characteristics of a large population of people (Vito et al., 2006). Question 3 Respondents of a survey need assurance that the information they give will be kept private and confidential, and that it will not be used against them. To ensure privacy, the researcher should keep confidential information about the respondent apart from the survey results both electronically and physically. The information should only be accessed by authorized persons and protected by codes and passwords. Using ranges rather than exact figures for potentially identifying details in a research prevents recognition. Permanent destruction of information th at is no longer needed in the study also ensures privacy (Siegel, 2011). Question 4 Bias refers to any property of a question that encourages the respondent to answer in a particular way and not the other. To avoid bias, researchers should imagine how they would feel giving each of the answers they give to the respondents. If they would feel embarrassed, perverted, inhumane or stupid, then they should reconsider whether the respondents will answer those questions. They should also be wary of social desirability that makes people give answers that will make them look good in the face of others. In a survey, the questions and methods are standardized for all subjects and thus uniformity is unaffected by the perceptions or bias of the surveyor. Carefully drawn samples from a survey enable researchers to generalize their findings from small groups to large populations. Although most surveys measure subjects at a single point in their lifespan, questions can elicit information on subject s’ past behavior as well as their expectations of future behaviors. Avoiding negation in a questionnaire item prevents misinterpretation which may lead to biasness in a survey (Siegel, 2011). Question 5 The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is a comprehensive, nationwide survey of victimization in the United States. This was established in 1973 to address the issue

Sunset Grill at Blue Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Sunset Grill at Blue - Case Study Example Melhuish recognized that during the first year of operations and even when his franchise managed to break even, he was struggling and leaving money on the table. With new ideas, ready to implement before the summer will help reduce queues and get the operations fully on track. Data collection shows that the most burdensome queues are during the weekends. To alleviate this, Melhuish is planning on hiring a part timer food runner. The food runner will deliver the food from the kitchen directly to the table, saving the servers time and energy. This addition to the staff, even on a part time basis, would increase daily table turn over by five to ten percent. Melhuish is considering on adding a menu boards around the restaurant. One would be above the open concept kitchen and the other would be electronic near the front entrance. Both boards would be strategically placed so that those waiting would have the option of looking over the menus prior to sitting down. By the time the customers were seated, they would know what they wanted to order. This would reduce the amount of ordering time by up to 10 minutes. Melhuish believes the electronic menu boards could also be useful in promoting a few high-margin items. In response to customer complaints, Melhuish brainstormed the idea of allowing substitutions to certain menu items. Currently, the policy of no substitutions is strictly enforced. Data shows that allowing substitutions on certain menu items or during shoulder seasons would increase the preparation time from 5 minutes average to 6 minutes average. This small amount of time, is not a very big change in comparison to the advantages of allowing certain substitutions and satisfying customers requests / complaints. Another way to help reduce wait times is to add additional seating to the restaurant. Melhuish is considering increasing capacity by converting the

Native American Essay Example for Free

Native American Essay It is believed that the Hopi are the Native American tribe that has been living for the longest time in the same place. They arrived in the arid region of Northwest Arizona probably over a thousand years ago, and traditionally lived in the cultivation of corn and other plants, for which they achieved a very careful use of water and space. Despite the friction between the Hopi and both the Navajo and the Western, resulting from the invasion of both cultures of the Hopi lands in the past, they are one of the few aboriginal groups who maintain their culture until today. Their villages are ancient, some with a history of 1000 years. They have developed a reputation for basketry and sculpt miniatures. They are owners and operators of a cultural center, a museum and a hotel complex. According to Hopi tradition, the history of mankind is divided into periods they call worlds, which are separated by terrible natural disasters: the first world fell in the fire, the second by the ice and the third by water. Our present world, the fourth according to their prophecies, is coming to an end and will give way to a new world in the not too distant future. In total, humanity must walk through seven worlds. Hopi Indians claim that their ancestors were visited by beings from the stars who moved on flying shields or thundering birds and who dominated the art of cutting and carrying huge blocks of stone, as well as to build tunnels and underground facilities. These rescuers were called katchinas, meaning wise, honorable and respected. Katchinas were able to save the Hopi from some disasters, and they taught them to observe the stars, cutting roots, enforce laws and a long list of activities. They multiplied as people, and from them emerged clans and nations that extended across America. Hopi means peaceful or civilized person in Hopi language. Fascinated by the Hopi language linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897-1941) became inspired on his research on the Hopi to formulate his principle of linguistic relativity, which states that the language in which people operate affects their view of reality. When Whorf studied the tribe of the Hopi, he was surprised to find that the Hopi language words cannot express the past, the present and the future. The Hopi see life as a continuum and that is why they need not to describe the meaning of time as we do. According to Whorf, the lack of isomorphism between the Amerindians and the English language indicates a basic difference in thinking that is culturally acquired by the individual in the process of language acquisition. The Hopi language, according to Whorf, has a much larger number of verbs than names, unlike European languages, and this is reflected for instance in a different conception of time and motion and this is very important for the following: The Hopi conceive time and movement in a purely operational way – a matter of complexity and scale of those operations that connect facts so that the time element is not separated from the element of space, which enters as a part of the operation regardless of the former. Whorf tells us that one could assume that the Hopi, who know – initially only the language and cultural ideas of their own society, have the same notions of time and space that we have, or that concepts such as time and space involve intuitions that are universal. Yet this is not true, the Hopi do not have – originally a general notion or intuition of time that elapses uniformly and in which everything in the universe goes by the same pace. Though this theory has been observed for several decades, it has also been the target of attacks and criticisms, including those of the well-known professor emeritus of languages Ekkehart Malotki, a specialist in Hopi culture, who argues on his studies that the Hopi language contains various tenses, metaphors and units of time. These include days, number of days, parts and kinds of days, such as yesterday, morning, day, week, month, months, lunar phases, seasons and years. The Hopi live, move and exist within their religion, they fit into the description that anthropologist Mircea Eliade makes of the archaic or religious man , which perceive both the environment and the human actions as sacred, and who is able to respond to this sacredness in the sense that they repeat the exemplary models that they’ve received from their ancestors. The perception of a primordial temporality, as opposed to our Western linear temporality, responds to how they perceive objects and actions in the world. The objects are not perceived as themselves, in isolation, but as participants in a web of meaning that shapes totality, in this way everything is done and acquires significant value in response to other things to which it relates. In relation to actions, each action has an exemplary model, which was inaugurated by a mythical ancestor (for the Hopi, the katchinas), who initiated the action and forged its exemplariness or genuineness, which is now repeated: the paramountcy of time in the repetition of exemplary actions. We see that the difference between the Hopi and Western temporalities can be explained from the meaning of human actions on both cultures, in our Western culture in everything we do we are affected by the past, and we act in response to the consequences that we can get done in the future, however Hopi perceive time as a unit, a continuum, and the actions that ultimately shape their perceptions are not divided in a linear temporality (past-present-future) as they are a constant repetition of the key, mythical actions. This means that the Hopi continually celebrate with their doings a more genuine status of things.