Analyzing two art work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyzing two art work - Essay Example These include 91 steps from each side besides the top whereby in total comprise the 365 days of a full year, hence its structure was more symbolic than mere external depictions. In addition, people deemed this pyramid was a physical depiction of the link, which they had with Kukulkan (feathered snake) (Bilsen 594). The community held that Chichen Itza Pyramid acted as their source of economic power owing to its central purpose, which encompassed making sacrifices meant to appease their gods. The entire building besides having a pyramid shape, it comprised of 91 steps on its four sides and one at the top. These make up 365 steps, which is a symbol of Mayan calendar, which they used to predict various seasons. Besides, there are also stairways on the sides running from top to bottom characterized by feathered snake engravings. The expression of culture is evident from the pyramid’s various structures besides its symbolism of the Mayan calendar (Lopata 28). For illustration, inside chambers that acted as places for offering sacrifices when appeasing to their gods for rain or other favors. Hence, the entire community held an immense veneration for its spiritual beings, which the community deemed possessed unsurpassed power meant to manipulate their environment. Besides, various chambers inside the structure depict both the social and political array of the Mayan community (Lopata 28). Both the Djenne Mosque and Chichen Itza Pyramid acted as centers meant for worship by their respective communities, though the latter utilized human sacrifices (Gardner & Kleiner 400). Besides, the two structure’s builders did not utilize the same materials for their constructions. Mosque’s dominant material was mud bricks, whereas Chichen Itza Pyramid carved stones besides occupying large area (Gardner & Kleiner 400). The structure was a temple

Financial Statement Review Essay Example for Free

Financial Statement Review Essay What is the net income for the current fiscal year? Is it up or down from the prior year? Why would this information be important to investors? The total consolidated net income for Fiscal Year 2015 is $17,099 million dollars. This is amount is up from the previous Fiscal Year (2014) which had a consolidated net income of $16,695 million dollars. This information can be found on page 38 of the Walmart 2015 Annual Report. This information would be of importance to investors because it indicates whether the company is prospering financially and generating revenue. What is the ending balance in stockholders’ equity? Why would a labor union potentially be interested in this information? The ending balance in stockholders’ equity is $323 million dollars. This information can be found on page 40 of the Annual Report. This information would be of potential interest to a labor union because it provides information that could be used in determining labor rates, work salaries, and employee benefits. What is the total value of assets? Why would this information be important to a potential creditor? The total values of assets is $101,381 million dollars which can be found on page 60 of the Annual Report. This information would be of importance to a potential creditor because it provides an indication of whether the company would be able to repay any accumulated debt. It also provides a picture of how liquid those assets might be. What is the total cash flow from operation? The total cash flow from operations is $17,099 million dollars which can be found on page 41 of the Annual Report. What financial statement user would find this information most important?

Albert Camus :: Biography

Albert Camus   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born on November 7, 1913 in Mandoui, Algeria, Albert Camus earned a worldwide reputation as a novelist and essayist and won the Nobel Prize for literature in 1957. Though his writings, and in some measure against his will, he became the leading moral voice of his generation during the 1950's. Camus died at the height of his fame, in an automobile accident near Sens, France on January 4, 1960.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Camus's deepest philosophical interests were in Western philosophy, among them Socrates, Pascal, Spinoza, and Nietsche. His interest in philosophy was almost exclusively moral in character. Camus came to the conclusion that none of the speculative systems of the past could provide and positive guidance for human life or any guarantee of the validity of human value. Camus also concluded that suicide is the only serious philosophical problem. He asks whether it makes any sense to go on living once the meaninglessness of human life is fully understood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Camus referred to this meaninglessness as the â€Å"absurdity† of life. He believed that this â€Å"absurdity† is the â€Å"failure of the world to satisfy the human demand that it provide a basis for human values-for our personal ideals and for our judgments of right and wrong.† He maintained that suicide cannot be regarded as an adequate response to the â€Å"experience of absurdity.† He says that suicide is an admission of incapacity, and such an admission is inconsistent with that human pride to which Camus openly appeals. Camus states, â€Å"there is nothing equal to the spectacle of human pride.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Furthermore, Camus also dealt with the topic of revolution in his essay The Rebel. Camus rejected what he calls â€Å"metaphysical revolt,† which he sees as

Views of Slavery and Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreaus Work

Views of Slavery and Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau's Works Two men, similar in their transcendentalist beliefs and yet so different in their methods of expressing their beliefs on handling the issues of society, were major voices in the anti-slavery movement. While their focuses are more on the subjects of morality and individual choice, they still reflect on how slavery should be addressed by the American people, American referring to the free whites who actually make the decisions. Ralph Waldo Emerson is highly regarded for his views on Transcendentalism during what some of deemed the â€Å"American Renaissance.† Emerson establishes his place in history by expressing his liberal agenda through his beliefs that truth is based on intuition and law should be based on individual reflection. He believes that the only way one could truly learn about life is by ignoring knowledge from outside sources and relying on one’s internal voice; he incorporates this belief into the convincing rhetoric of â€Å"Last of the Anti-Slavery L ectures.† While Emerson asserts his views on self reliance, he is really trying to sway the views of his audience. This makes us ask the question: Is he really right, or is he only convincing us that he is right? Henry David Thoreau, however, serves as both a complement and a foil for Emerson; while he also expresses his transcendental beliefs, he converges on a split between these beliefs and reason. He articulates his ideas in â€Å"Slavery in Massachusetts,† a piece that illustrates how Thoreau separates himself from his own state because of his â€Å"contempt for her courts† (1991). While some would argue that Thoreau is somewhat of a better writer than Emerson, it cannot be denied that one cannot reach... ...ety. He strengthens his views with his inclusion of images of nature and his comparative analysis of the beauty of nature with the good of society. Both men support transcendental views that complement each other’s beliefs. While their paths to the solution differ, the resolution that slavery is an unscrupulous product of an immoral society unites their views. Works Cited Cadava, Eduardo. Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism 98 (2001): 38-54. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Last of the Anti-Slavery Lectures." Ed. Baym, Nina. The Norton Anthology American Literature 6th ed., Vol A. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2003. 1207-1216 Eulau, Heinz. Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism 21 (1989): 329-332. Hyman, Stanley Edgar. Nineteenth-Century Literature Criticism 7 (1984): 384-388. Thoreau, Henry David. â€Å"Slavery in Massachusetts.† Baym 1982-1992.

Comparing and Contrasting Detective Stories Essay

The Blue Carbuncle written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in pre 1914 and Indemnity Only from the V I Warshawski series written by Sara Paretsky in 1987 are good examples of the evolution of detective stories. The character, setting, genre and language have changed completely over this large period of time. But each story was very interesting to the people of that time so obviously something would be different. The detective genre has been going for ages now since crime started and it has changed over time because of what a detective does and what crimes are committed. The Blue Carbuncle is one of the short stories for the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and as you already know is was written very long ago but Indemnity Only was only written a few years ago and is still well known. In the olden days detective stories would involve a person who would leave different clues to make a puzzle but nowadays we just find the clues and catch the criminal so there is less suspense involved in the plot. The characters in The Blue Carbuncle are very different to the characters in Indemnity Only because in pre 1914 most people involved in a detective story were aristocrats and were very posh. But nowadays people in a detective story tend to have more casual people. In the Blue Carbuncle the main character is Sherlock Holmes who is known for being quite posh. He is very secretive and serious about things while the main character in Indemnity Only is V I Warshawski is very open and can be sarcastic during a case. Holmes seems to be a very wise detective but V I Warshawski seems to be just a normal gather the clues and crack the case detective. But I think the reason for that is because nowadays there is more technology to help solve the crime than there was in pre 1914. In Indemnity Only the setting is in Chicago in United States of America so it is quite a known area. The Blue Carbuncle is set in the countryside but does not state where. Sometimes the reader finds it helpful to know where the setting is. Chicago is well known for its industries and pizzas but sometimes for crime while the countryside is known for peace and beautiful scenery so a crime story is quite difficult to build in the countryside. Also technology was not as advance. Often crimes involve hi tech gadgets and top of the range cars while the equivalent in the olden days would have been a musket and a horse carriage. Language has changed quite a lot. Nowadays there seems to be more comedy in the story than n pre 1914. In Indemnity Only V I Warshawski seems very funny and sarcastic while Sherlock Holmes would rarely put a feeble joke. But both stories build up suspense. In Indemnity Only it build up suspense by repetition and short sentences while in The Blue Carbuncle it builds up suspense by Sherlock Holmes interviewing each suspect and each of them giving him something interesting. Also in Indemnity Only it uses sensational language. This is language that appeals to the five senses.  In my conclusion it is obvious that there has been a lot of change during many years to detective stories and these mainly because of the evolution of Earth over that period of time. But some detective stories now are like the ones in pre 1914 because the author is old or was brought up during the olden days.

List of the Atlantic Oceans Ten Marginal Seas

List of the Atlantic Oceans Ten Marginal Seas The Atlantic Ocean is one of the worlds five oceans. It is the second-largest behind the Pacific Ocean with a total area of 41,100,000 square miles (106,400,000 sq km). It covers about 23% of the Earths surface and located mainly between the American continents and Europe and Africa. It also stretches north to south from Earths Arctic region to the Southern Ocean. The average depth of the Atlantic Ocean is 12,880 feet (3,926 m) but the deepest point in the ocean is the Puerto Rico Trench at -28,231 feet (-8,605 m).The Atlantic Ocean is also similar to other oceans in that it shares borders with both continents and marginal seas. The definition of a marginal sea is an area of water that is a partially enclosed sea adjacent to or widely open to the open ocean (Wikipedia.org). The Atlantic Ocean shares borders with ten marginal seas. The following is a list of those seas arranged by area. All figures were obtained from Wikipedia.org unless otherwise noted.1) Caribbean SeaArea: 1,063,000 square miles (2,753,157 sq km)2) Mediterranean SeaArea: 970,000 square miles (2,512,288 sq km)3) Hudson BayArea: 819,000 square miles (2,121,200 sq km)Note: Figure obtained from the Encyclopedia Britannica4) Norwegian SeaArea: 534,000 square miles (1,383,053 sq km)5) Greenland SeaArea: 465,300 square miles (1,205,121 sq km)6) Scotia SeaArea: 350,000 square miles (906,496 sq km)7) North SeaArea: 290,000 square miles (751,096 sq km)8) Baltic SeaArea: 146,000 square miles (378,138 sq km)9) Irish SeaArea: 40,000 square miles (103,599 sq km)Note: Figure obtained from the Encyclopedia Britannica10) English ChannelArea: 29,000 square miles (75,109 sq km)ReferenceWikipedia.org. (15 August 2011). Atlantic Ocean - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_OceanWikipedia.org. (28 June 2011). Marginal Sea - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marginal_seas

Banking and Financial Industry Vocabulary

Banking and Financial Industry Vocabulary This core vocabulary reference sheet provides keywords and phrases in the banking and financial industries. This vocabulary can be used in English for specific purposes classes as a starting point for including vocabulary study  relating to the banking and financial industries. Teachers are often not equipped with the exact English ​terminology required in very specific trade sectors. For this reason, core vocabulary sheets go a long way in helping teachers provide adequate materials for students with English for Specific Purposes needs. Students should also familiarize themselves with common banking abbreviations. to accept a billaccountaccount overdraftactual yieldafter-hours tradingat 30 days after sightat 60 days after dateat a discountat a premium - above parat bestat closingat parat sight - on demandbackdate - to antedateto bank - to depositbankbank accountbank balancebank branchbank clearancebank counterbank creditbank depositbank guaranteebank lending ratesbank loanbank mergerbank rate risebank sectorbank suretyship - bank guaranteebank transferbank transfer orderbankers draft - bank draftbankingbanking secrecyexchange-rate fluctuationsexchange controlsexchange rateexercise an optionto expireexpiry date - due datefinancial marketfixed exchange ratefixed term salefloat due to collectionfloating-rate loanforeign bankforeign currencyforeign exchange marketforward market - futures marketfuture transaction - forward transactionfutures - forward contractsto grant a loanto gross yieldto honour a billhostile takeoverin the redinterestinterest accrualinterest rateinvestorirrevocableirrevocable l etter of creditissue priceissuing bankissuing housejunk bondlegal interestletter of creditto loan banking systembanknote (GB) - bill (US)to bearbear marketbearer billbearer bondbearer chequebearer sharebill for collectionblank chequeblank endorsementbond - debenturebond certificatebond holder - debenture holderbond issuebonus share - free shareborrowing ratebounced cheque - uncovered chequebull marketto buy backcall option - callto cash a chequecash against documentscash market - spot marketcash overdraftcashier - tellerto charge an accountcheque (GB) - check (US)cheque bookcollectioncollection chargescommodity exchangeconfirmed irrevocable creditconfirmed letter of creditcontract notemerchant bankmoney launderingmoney marketnegotiablenegotiable billnet yieldofficial discount rateofficial Stock Exchange liston deposit - on consignmentto open an accountordinary share (GB) - common stock (US)out-of-town chequeto overdrawparity - at parpayable at sightpayable to bearerpayment orderpost datepreference share (GB) - preferred stock (US)premium dealprivate bankpromissory note - note of handto protest a billto protest chargesraterecipient - beneficiaryregistered shareto renew the billrepayment date - refund daterevocablerevocable creditrevocable letter of creditright of veto safety deposit boxsavings bankconvertibilityconvertibleconvertible bondcorrespondent bankcrash on the Stock Exchangecreditcredit cardcredit openingcrossed chequecurrency exposurecurrent account (GB) - checking account (US)current account depositdate of issuedebit balancedefault interests - interests on arrearsdepositdeposit bookdeposit certificate - deposit warrantdepositordiscount ratedividenddividend warrantdomiciled billDow Jones indexdraw a chequedrawers signaturedrawerend of month (EOM)to endorse - to backto endorse a chequeendorsementendorsement for collectionendorserexchangeexchange broker - stockbrokersavings depositto sell forwardto settle a debt - to pay off a debtsettlement of a billshar e - stockshare certificateshare indexshare issueshort-term billshort-term debtsight bill - bill on demandspeculative bubblespot exchangestock dividendStock ExchangeStock Exchange capitalisationStock Exchange indexstock marketstock optionstockbroker - stockjobberto stop a chequeto stop an accountsubject to collectionsurchargesuretyship - guaranteetake-over bid (TOB)to take out a loantown chequetransferableunacceptanceunpaid - unsettledvalue at market pricevoting shareto write out a chequeyield

Disablitly and Programs essays

Disablitly and Programs essays Communism was established in China in the year of 1949. This is when Mao took control of mainland China, and acquired the title of the former Chairman of the People's Republic. During this time, Mao tried to establish such things as the Great Leap Foward and the Cultural Revolution. During his leadership, he lied to many people on many occasions. When he said that it was not possible for 20,000,000 million people to die in the famine, it has been proved that there has been that and many more. Anyways, most of Communist China followed with blind devotion, like it was their only solace to their pitiful lives. Now everything was owned by the government in communism. Now China is the most powerful communist country in the world. They still are considered a country, controlled by rich wealthy business men, who are controlling poor, hungry, blinded citizens. China heavily relies on such countries in Asia. China keeps the people happy, because the people do not know any better than to hav e capitalism. The government has corrupted them into thinking that communism is the only way, and that the US's capitalism, is simply the bad way out. Relations between the US and China have their ups and downs. Mao was the man that established communism in the country, and many leaders afterward have simply followed his footsteps. During the time that he was leader, he had poor leadership, but again, the people had such a blind devotion for him that they followed his command. Friends turned against friends, people started to divide. Currently, China is in poor economic state. They have too many people to support everyone of them. But communism makes it so that they are all happy. The Great Leap Forward took two forms: a mass steel campaign, and the formation of the people's communes. On the one hand, all the people in the country were organized to help produce the amount of steel that was needed to attain the goal of surpassing England. Life was mil...

How effective are Abstinence Programs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

How effective are Abstinence Programs - Essay Example Teenagers received 336 of those tests. Increases of 273 additional tests were given to teens 14-17 in 2003 than the previous year. This paper will serve to investigate if it is plausible that a countywide holistic abstinence education program, which collaborates with other agencies in the county to offer alternative activities as well as abstinence education, would have helped to reduce the pregnancy rate among teenaged girls in the county during that period. The purpose of this study is to determine if the lack of an abstinence program in Douglas County Georgia, accounted for the increase in pregnancy rate among teenaged girls between 14-17 years of age during 2002 and 2003. The safe sex approach, which advocates contraceptive use, has led teenagers to believe that using contraceptives makes engaging in sexual intercourse a safe behavior ("Sexual Health Update," 2000). Medical evidence indicates that abstinence is the only reliable choice for avoiding pregnancy. In an article that compared the effectiveness of school-based health clinics that distributed birth control and schools that have abstinence programs, evidence showed that abstinence programs were the most effective technique for preventing adolescent sexual activity and pregnancies (Khouzem, 2003). Khouzem cited one study, in particular, that was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and conducted by the Institute for Research and Evaluation. The study included almost 7,000 teenagers in grades 7 through 10 who were taught a values-based curriculum. Three Title XX programs were implemented in three school districts and later evaluated. These three curricula, Teen-Aid, Sex Re spect, and Values and Choices, were written to follow the legislative parameters of abstinence as the preventative measure for teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Pre- and posttest data were collected. Participants in each of the programs were administered two scales: the Affirmation of Abstinence and the Rejection of Permissiveness scales. On the Affirmation of Abstinence scale for both junior and senior high students, each of these programs produced a change that was statistically significant at the .000 level for Sex Respect and Teen-Aid and at the .002 level for Values and Choices. Researchers found significant differences for the Values and Choices curriculum and for the Sex Respect and Teen-Aid curricula in positively affecting students' choices regarding abstinence (Khouzem, 2003; DeGaston, Olsen, Prigmore, & Weed, 2001). The Teen-Aid abstinence education curriculum has been used in Edinburg, Washington, for 5 years. Each year, a report is published concerning the effectiveness of this curriculum in reducing "risky behavior and attitudes." This program had a statistically significant impact (p = .000) on the likelihood that participants would not have sexual intercourse before marriage and that the non-virgin teenage participants would cease their sexual activity (p = .001). There was also a statistically significant change (p = .019) in the teenagers' views that waiting until marriage to engage in sexual intercourse

Adaptation of the body to hot and cold Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Adaptation of the body to hot and cold - Essay Example Since ancient times, human beings have been surviving in hot and humid weather of Sahara and extreme cold weather of Antarctica. Much of the earth’s hot and cold places are inhabited by human beings. The important fact is that the body of the person is permitted to live in any harsh weather conditions. However, the body needs a supply of water, shade and limited physical activity in order for the human being to survive. According to Wenger (2009), â€Å"Problems due to heat stress may occur whenever the rate of heat production or heat gain from the environment is sufficiently large in relation to the body’s ability to dissipate heat.† In a human body, problems such as numbness and snow bite can occur in extreme cold weather. However, sudden adaptation to an extreme weather is not likely for the physiology of a human being. There is an extent to which people can survive in a harsh climatic condition. The adaptation to hot or cold weather for the human body is poss ible only through the conditioned genetic make of the body. Unfortunately, it is a fact that with the continuous exposure to hot or cold weather, the tissues of the human body get injured. The body has different mechanisms by which it can adapt to cold and hot weather conditions. However, if a person is exposed to extreme hot or cold directly, then he can famish in a short period of time. Body’s adaptability to heat The human body is designed to sustain at an average temperature level and the body also maintains an average temperature level of 37 degree centigrade. However, when we attempt to sustain in a temperature above that, then the body brings out its adaptation mechanisms. When our body gets hot, it starts a biological process called sweating in order to cool off the body. But when the heat of the environment gets hotter than that, the tissue of the body is injured. The heat can affect the protein’s biological processing and this can lead to complication in the health of the human being exposed to extreme heat. The change in the protein configuration of the cell is called â€Å"denaturation.† High temperature can alter the nature of protein or kill the cells. If a living cell is exposed to heat above 45 degrees, then burning of the skin occurs. The damage of the skin depends on the duration and intensity of the heat applied to the human body. We, human beings, like any other mammal, are â€Å"homeotherms†; in other words, warm blooded animals. The human body has the ability to maintain its temperature by different biological processing. The human body does not react negatively to any minor changes in temperature, whether it is hot or cold. The main method by which the body defends against the heat in the environment is by perspiration. By perspiration the body injects fluid into the surface of the skin to make it moist and cool. As per Dugdale (2012), â€Å"Sweating is the release of a salty liquid from the body's sweat glan ds. This process is also called perspiration.† The phenomenon of sweating The phenomenon of sweating is the only way in which the body reacts to the extreme hot weather conditions. In this biological process, body injects salty liquid on to the surface of skin with the aid of sweat glands. There are millions of sweat glands in a human body and this process of sweating, in other words, is called â€Å"perspiration.† Sweating is an extremely important activity of the body to stay cool in harsh environmental conditions. Sweat is mainly obvious on the palms of the hand, under the arm or under the feet. The quantity a person sweats depends on the amount of sweat glands a person possesses. The sweat glands of an individual are functional as one attains their puberty period. Although, women possess more sweat glands, men

John Stuart Mill and Aristotle's Viewpoints in Their Epistemological Essay - 6

John Stuart Mill and Aristotle's Viewpoints in Their Epistemological and Metaphysical Attitudes - Essay Example The researcher states that Mill and Aristotle have different viewpoints over what constitutes satisfaction in life. In his writings on Utilitarianism, John Stuart Mill upholds utility as the ultimate happiness principle. In this sense, an individual should strive towards maximizing one’s pleasure and works towards minimizing pain. Mill, therefore, holds that pleasure and the absence of pain are the ultimate ends in a person’s life. On the other hand, in Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle describes the ultimate end of life as leaving in virtue and reason. Aristotle argues that happiness is a subjective concept that differs in every person. He refutes honor as concerned with seeking legitimacy among other people. In this sense, honor is not necessarily the legitimacy that it represents. Aristotle argues that a satisfied person must master the intellectual virtue and the moral virtue. Besides, satisfaction demands that a person possesses the ability to use one’s facultie s of reasoning in the appropriate sense. John Stuart Mill and Aristotle disagree over what makes up correct knowledge. Aristotle, in the Organon, developed a method of logic that comprised a system of principles for establishing syllogisms. In this sense, individuals could utilize their intuition to develop logic. Such forms of arguments start with a core premise that precedes a conclusion. On the other hand, Mill, an empiricist, believed that knowledge could only form out of senses. Forming logic depends on observing a system of related instances that bear a premise true. In his System of Logic, Mill created hegemony between deductive thinking and inductive thinking. In deductive thinking, a conclusion leads towards the development of principles that support it. On the other hand, inductive thinking involves drawing a conclusion from clearly stated premises.

Reflective Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reflective - Research Paper Example There are different authors that list different ways to analyze a movie. The first thing of importance is to be sure to go into the movie with an open mind and not to have formulated an opinion ahead of time. The viewer must be open and receptive to all parts of the movie (Boggs & Petrie, 2008). Whatever is driving you to analyze this movie, whether it is for self interest or otherwise, there are some very organized methods to follow. The theme of the movie should be found but in order to do that you have to see the film so lets start a little earlier than that. Analyze the title and the credits. You have done this before but just do not realize it. Pay close attention and see what is picked up from these. Why was the movie titled the way it was? Is that important to this movie? You will not know unless you have paid attention as the movie opens. A great movie gets your attention and conveys emotion to the audience. You will begin to think about the theme as soon as the movie opens. The theme may be very difficult to understand or it may be very easy. Either way, it may or may not have significance in telling the story(steps to analyze). Characters are extremely important and as the analyst should try to understand the main characters and how the other characters relate to them. The characters will also relate back to the theme of the movie. Boggs & Petrie (2008), tell the reader that the analyst should begin to understand the characters within thirty minutes and be able to have enough understanding of the theme to begin to decide what kind of film he is watching and relate it to the classics. As one analyzes the film, take detailed notice and try to catch as much as possible in each scene including such things as camera lighting and costumes. What does the dialogue make you think of? Is it natural and believable or not? The characters dialogue should not be trying to describe the theme

Nuclear Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Nuclear - Assignment Example : One, it is more economical as it uses less fuel and produces more energy; two, nuclear energy lasts longer unlike fossil fuels which can be depleted; and three, well-maintained nuclear power plants do not emit substances that could harm the environment while coal and oil pollute the air when burned. (Nuclear Energy retrieved from library.thinkquest.org/3471/nuclear_energy.html) Though nuclear energy has its advantages, its disadvantages far outweigh them. Let us take the case of the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant which, in 1986, had a meltdown (Nuclear Energy retrieved from library.thinkquest.org/3471/nuclear_energy.html) meaning the fission reaction went out of control resulting to an explosion in the nuclear plant instantly killing 2 workers of the plant and contaminating hundreds or perhaps thousands more in its surroundings. Within a few months, 26 more died because of radiation contamination. It was found out later that the cause of the accident was a flaw in the design of the nuclear plant and an undertrained operator. In short, human error is to be blamed. As for the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster last March 11, 2011, it was not caused by human error but by natural calamities. The tsunami that followed the strong earthquake on that day damaged the generators and coolants resulting to a meltdown in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Though no deaths f rom contamination were reported, thousands were evacuated from their homes to escape radiation contamination. There was radiation leak into the sea and radiation contamination was noted in the land, the air and even the food of the people. Too much amount of radiation in the body, as we all know, causes sickness and even death to the one contaminated. Both the Chernobyl nuclear plant meltdown and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster showed mankind how disastrous and damaging the use of nuclear energy can be. With just a small error and the wrath of Mother Nature, lives are destroyed, structures and

Reflective Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reflective - Research Paper Example There are different authors that list different ways to analyze a movie. The first thing of importance is to be sure to go into the movie with an open mind and not to have formulated an opinion ahead of time. The viewer must be open and receptive to all parts of the movie (Boggs & Petrie, 2008). Whatever is driving you to analyze this movie, whether it is for self interest or otherwise, there are some very organized methods to follow. The theme of the movie should be found but in order to do that you have to see the film so lets start a little earlier than that. Analyze the title and the credits. You have done this before but just do not realize it. Pay close attention and see what is picked up from these. Why was the movie titled the way it was? Is that important to this movie? You will not know unless you have paid attention as the movie opens. A great movie gets your attention and conveys emotion to the audience. You will begin to think about the theme as soon as the movie opens. The theme may be very difficult to understand or it may be very easy. Either way, it may or may not have significance in telling the story(steps to analyze). Characters are extremely important and as the analyst should try to understand the main characters and how the other characters relate to them. The characters will also relate back to the theme of the movie. Boggs & Petrie (2008), tell the reader that the analyst should begin to understand the characters within thirty minutes and be able to have enough understanding of the theme to begin to decide what kind of film he is watching and relate it to the classics. As one analyzes the film, take detailed notice and try to catch as much as possible in each scene including such things as camera lighting and costumes. What does the dialogue make you think of? Is it natural and believable or not? The characters dialogue should not be trying to describe the theme

Did the government bail outs actually work Term Paper

Did the government bail outs actually work - Term Paper Example Though counter to his conservative ideology, Bush relented and worked with Congress to pass TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program, a move applauded by then presidential candidate Barack Obama. TARP and the auto bailout were and remain controversial topics. These were big gambles that, with all the associated drawbacks, paid big dividends. The bailouts saved a major American industry, the world from the Great Depression, the sequel and millions of people from living in â€Å"Bushvilles.† TARP, otherwise known as the â€Å"bank bailout,† was hurriedly implemented in 2008 as the world appeared on the threshold of a catastrophic financial meltdown. To stabilize financial markets, Congress authorized the Treasury Department to spend $700 billion, a move that caused widespread public outcry against the program. Most economists, however, understood that the move played a central role in rescuing the global economy. The Treasury didn’t use the entire amount though. It spent $470 billion on hundreds of banks, the auto industry and trying to help prevent home foreclosures. Treasury calculated that the total lifetime cost for taxpayers to be $17 billion in losses from the investments in the auto industry and auto finance companies plus a $46 billion loss from mortgage modification programs. â€Å"By any measure, TARP’s final tally will be far less than expected amid the crisis. But the program remains a big loser politically.† (â€Å"Credit,† 2010). According to a Treasury Department official Timothy Massad, Read Mthe federal government successfully stopped the 2008 financial crisis by â€Å"acting with overwhelming force and speed.† â€Å"The actions we took to stabilize the crisis worked. We really did arrest the panic,† said Massad. In addition, the financial regulatory reforms implemented the past three years have afforded economic policymakers enhanced tools to scrutinize systemic risk and better manage future crises. The U.S. government’s rapid and robust actions are in contrast with how European Union countries handled their banking crisis. â€Å"We’ve seen Europe struggle with its problems for two years. They haven’t been able to act as forcefully with their problems.† (Mowbray, 2011) To gain a little perspective, TARP and other government actions taken due to the financial crisis will cost taxpayers less than the savings and loan debacle during the 1980s, as a percentage of GDP (gross domestic product). Following the initial payout, President Obama continued the attempt to revive the financial system by implementing a scheme to help banks raise private money so that they can pay the government back. The Obama administration forced the 19 biggest banks to submit to a â€Å"stress test† to give potential investors confidence that those banks were solvent and reporting accurate financial records. Consequently, â€Å"banks have been able to raise enoug h private capital that today banks totaling only about 8 percent of bank holding companies by assets still have TARP money, down from 75 percent at the dawn of the crisis.† (Mowbray, 2011) Another element of the Obama administration’s reaction to the financial

Critical Literacy Essay Example for Free

Critical Literacy Essay â€Å"Read the word to read the world. † (Freire) Being critically literate is not just about being able to understand words. It is about reading, listening, or hearing texts and coming up with your own thoughts on them. Being able to discuss your thoughts between many different people using your life and knowledge as a baseline. Critically literate citizens challenge thoughts by advocating as well as being active in their government. An activist uses literacy to critically understand and challenge social and political power. Activists enjoy collaborating with other groups to change attitudes, policies, and laws. They use and interpret language to challenge and shape themselves and institutions. Illegal immigrant supporters are a good example of critical literacy. How you perceive what you read will enforce if you are on the pro- or anti- side of the debate. Asking a simple question about The United States jobs you will receive many different answers based on the knowledge and understanding of the particular person you are asking. Some activists believe that illegal immigrants help the economy by working for low costs. Others believe they take U. S jobs that citizens could benefit from regardless of wage. Using the knowledge they have obtained from news casters, articles, and other people they dissect the information to come up with their stance. Activists then are able to knowledgeably speak out about the changes they want to achieve. The Communists Manifesto, by Karl Marx, is a critically literate book that brings to light what Marx believes as class struggles and problems of capitalism. The book gives readers an understanding of Marxs theories about society and politics. Bell Hooks, a feminist, feels that literacy is essential to the future of the feminist movement because the lack of reading, writing, and critical skills serves to exclude many women and men from feminist consciousness. Not only that, it excludes many from the political process and the labour market. (infed. org) Thomas Jefferson felt that â€Å"Information is the currency of democracy. † Cutting apart the information will give you a better sense of the government and your rights. Jefferson believed there was a correlation between literacy, citizenship and successful self-government. (Sparagana) When you are well-informed then you could be trusted with your own government. Using media outlets and websites people have the opportunity to critique news articles, get people to notice their problems, and ask government officials the questions they have. Do a search for a news outlets website and article after article will have a spot to post your opinion as well as question the writers point of view and the opinions of others who have posted. Having the internet easily accessible makes it even easier to keep tabs on the government. Having open options to ask or write your president or any other elected official questions from the information you have obtained will make it easier to have a discussion and either change their minds or have your own changed. Being able to critically look at the texts you are able to challenge government in a way to make your own voice heard. Critical literacy is important knowledge to have. Without it you would not be able to form your own opinions and not be able to understand the opinions of others. Having freedom of speech is a precious thing that we all should take advantage of. We are given a voice to to speak what we feel regarding every aspect of our lives. A critically literate citizen is necessary for a meaningful participation in society. Whether it is to have an in-depth discussion with your friends, writing and reading books, or watching a movie critical literacy brings meaning to your life.

The relevance of various management theory schools of thought

The relevance of various management theory schools of thought This essay will identify the predominant and diverse schools of thought encapsulated within management theory and their relevance or lack thereof, or appropriateness of application within todays organisations. Four separate methodologies shall be addressed, the classical school, the school of human relations, and both systems and contingency theory. The Classical theory of management was born of the scientific age (Wren, 1995, p5). Taking account of this theory in the present age, a classical approach can offer structured management with purpose, drive and clear, understandable hierarchy (Cole, 2004, p4). Scientific management, with exponents such as Owen, Babbage and later Taylor and Gantt (Pindur et al, 1995, pp61-62) were concerned with observation and experience to seek greater efficiency for expanding industry; viewing workers as cogs in a machine and as another resource to be organised (Morgan, 1997, p38). General administrative managements focus was on the running of the whole organisation (Pindur et al, 1995, p62). Fayol looked in more detail at the role of manager and purported five functions: planning, organising, commanding, coordinating and controlling (Fells, 2000, p346). Bureaucracy, with the main advocate Weber, took a theoretical view seeking to understand power and authority (Mullins, 1996, p46; Pugh and Hickson, 2007, p5). Weber sought clear hierarchy advocating recruitment and promotion due to merit. [With] standardization across the organisation; no matter who was in post (HÃ ¶pfl, 2006, pp10-11). Although still relevant today as a tool to offer clear direction, (Lamond, 2005, p1279) classical theory has been heavily criticized for being too prescriptive, limiting individual thought, creativity and flexibility of the organisation (Morgan, 1997, pp30-33; Mullins, 1996, pp41-46). It was thought not to look beyond the individual organisation to its wider context. (Mullins, 1996, p52). Contrastingly, the human relations (HR) theory of management sometimes referred to as human behaviour school, leadership or behavioural sciences approach, considers and prioritises people as part of the management role. The exponents of this school lean heavily towards psychology and social studies believing people should understand people (Koontz, 1961, p178). In the 1920s an awareness of the impact of social factors within the workplace grew and behaviour and performance of employees became a focus for study (Mullins, 1996). Mary Parker Follett wrote about individual and group behaviour within organisations (Wolfgang et al, 1995). She contentiously believed that authority was rooted in a position and not with a person, causing much dispute and debate (Clegg et al, 2005; Mandeville, 1960). Arguably HR theory originated with the Hawthorne Studies conducted from 1920s and 1930s (Grey, 2005). Ironically the origins of the studies can be linked to the scientific approach however they became inextricably linked with Elton Mayo and showed productivity increased often when not expected. Mayo identified ,when people felt valued production could rise (Clegg et al, 2005). Whilst methods used and accuracy of data is disputed the results opened minds and encouraged debate on topics such as leadership, motivation and informal groups within organisations and so the neo-human relations approach developed with Maslow and his understanding of peoples needs entering the arena of theories (Mullins, 1996). The HR approach can help provide solutions to problems such as absenteeism, staff turnover and production quality brought about by strict scientific approaches. However some may view the approach as an unwelcome intrusion; leaving no demarcation between private and work life (Grey, 2005). People are the key ingredient to the HR theory but we should not set aside that, structure and rules are undoubtedly required in the mix. Accepting that Systems theory attempts to reconcile the classical and human relations approaches, this may then potentially provide the ideal management theory. But does such an ideal really exist? Exploring further, Systems theory focuses on the elements of organization, in terms of their interaction with external environment. Attention is focused on the total work organisation and the interrelationships of structure and behaviour, and the range of variables within the organisation (Mullins, 2000). The belief is that all employees work harmoniously through sharing common goals. The Systems approach to management began in 19th century, and Ludwig von Bertalanffy made great contributions in developing it. There are two basic types of systems; closed and open; and one of the key concepts of von Bertalanffys theory mentioned that open systems responded to their environments through exchanged information, energy or material (Kast and Rosenweig, 1972). The open systems model contains human relations as well as organisation development (Pindur et al, 1995). Closed systems [on the other hand] are self-contained and do not interact with their environment (Cole, 2004). Some classical theories, like Taylors scientific management, Webers bureaucratic theory and Gulicks administrative management can be classified to the closed system model (Pindur et al, 1995). Limitations within the Systems theory did exist though, and whilst the approach fostered both technical and social variables viewing organisations as a whole; alterations to one aspect directly affected the other part. The changing nature of the work environment, the increasing demands for flexibility and concerns with the contextual factors influencing structure have drawn attention to the contingency approach to organisational design (Mullins, 2000, p564). Diversity is no longer just the right thing to do; it has become a business imperative and perhaps the single most important factor of the twenty-first century for organization performance (Wheeler, 2005, s1-s7; Daft, 2008, p420). Observed as a development of the Systems approach, the contingency theory goes a stage further in relating the environment, and other variables, to specific structures of organisation. [It] takes the view that there is no one best, universal structure (Mullins, 2000, p564), [or] universal principles that can be used for every situation, but instead [it] seeks to explain how one attribute or characteristic depends upon another (Vecchio, 2000,p338). The contingency approach can be seen as a form of if-then matrix relationship (Luthans, 1985); [it] draws attention to the situational factors; emphasis[ing] the need for flexibility (Mullins, 2000, p564). There is a multitude of possibilities and the best or preferred choice will be contingent on the situation being analysed (Hunt, 1992, p170). Criticisms or doubts about the contingency approach and its practical value to management have been voiced. According to Robey (1982, p59), modern contingency theory provides an increasing amount of empirical research; defin[ing] variables ignored in earlier work. However, the contingency approach runs the risk of concluding that it all depends on everything. Indeed, Vecchio (2000, pp.11-12) simply summarises the contingency approach in two words. It depends. Whatever the criticisms and limitations of contingency models, the application of modern contingency theory can help contribute to more effective performance(Mullins, 2002, p578) so can we deduce that whilst possibly overly flexible in its make-up, the contingency approach is however within practice, a suitably acceptable management theory? Conclusion In conclusion it would appear that it is not only management theory that is disparate; the multiplicity of variables affecting the everyday running of organisations, also provides immense organisational diversity. Management theory and practice in implementation are inextricably linked which ensures that no holistic theory of management can be developed. Many paradigms have been created within an historical context where necessity for change has been encountered. Theoretical management and its functions are therefore viewed as evolutionary. Classical theory, whilst used today appears limited in application. Human Relations theory is still useful when applied in terms of an organisations social dimension. A unitarist Systems theory whilst initially popular was overtaken by a more necessary flexible approach to management, gleaned from Contingency theory. This perspective took a pluralist view of organisations. Organisations vary in terms of groups of individuals, industry type, structure, culture and objectives, making management differ within each entity. The trajectory of management theory, as time has progressed has added to the management debate and provided structure in which there is near agreement within groupings of schools who disagree vehemently as to the thinking of their adversaries. Because of managements diversity we are of the thinking that there is no one solution that will remedy or enhance all situations. (Word Count: 1319 words)

Life of Robert Hooke Essay -- Biography

A cell is the smallest unit of life that is classified as a living thing. The discovery of cells eventually led to the discovery of microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, the invention of antibiotics to help fight disease, and ultimately founded the basis for what people know as medicine (â€Å"Hierarchy,† 2011). Robert Hooke, the man who suffered from smallpox at a young age and was not expected to live more than a few years, later grew up to attend the prestigious University of Oxford where he studied alongside famous scientists. Hooke made several important discoveries in the fields of science and medicine, including the invention of the microscope and the discovery of cells. As a result of Hooke’s discoveries, doctors today can understand how the body works on the smallest scale in order to treat diseases more efficiently. Ever since he was a child, Hooke always found a way to exceed everyone’s expectations. Hooke was born on July 18, 1635, on the western end of Isle of Wright in England. In the article â€Å"Robert Hooke Biography,† Hooke was described as â€Å"a sickly child who was stricken with smallpox at an early age and was not expected to survive more than a few years† (2011). Due to his poor health, Hooke was allowed to spend his free time studying things that interested him like science and mechanics. Since he was forced to stay indoors for most of his childhood due to illness, Hooke found a source of enjoyment in disassembling and reassembling mechanical devices. Hooke possessed the ability to recreate mechanical toys on his own like working clocks and toy ships with fully functioning miniature guns (Farrell, 2006). Hooke not only had an interest in mechanics but also had a great amount of talent in that area as well. His... ...pot, the universal joint which is still used in cars today, and the balance spring which is a main component in the watches we wear (2009). Most of Hooke’s major inventions are still around and used in every day life. By 1665 Hooke was appointed professor of geometry at Gresham College. The standard policy at Gresham was to never marry, so Hooke remained single and lived in his Gresham apartment for the rest of his life. Hooke’s mental and physical health began to decline rapidly with the death of his niece, Grace, whom he lived with and was very fond of. After Grace passed, Hooke began to isolate himself and began writing bitterly (Farrell, 2006). Hooke finally passed away on March 3, 1703. Hooke’s invention of the microscope and the discovery of cells ultimately laid down the basic building blocks for further discoveries in medicine and the study of disease.

Economic History of Europe from Early 100s to Medieval :: essays papers

Economic History of Europe from Early 100s to Medieval In the tenth century, Europe was coming out of a torment of invasion, plunder, and rapine, by enemies’ form all sides. They were from Scandinavia, the Norsemen or Vikings that pillaged and harassed everyone almost to Constantinople. They were also plagued by the Saracens from across the Mediterranean and from the Magyars from the east overland. But no one will submit to this kind of abuse forever. Europeans began to retaliate and counter the thrusts of their attackers, raising the price of aggression. Over the years the northern tribes and Hungarian invaders gave up, settled down and domesticated. This end form danger launched Europe on the path for development and growth. Western Aristocracy, however, did not foster the idea of a successful, efficient economy. The Aristocratic empires squeezed al they could out of what they had instead of looking for new ways to make more. They pressed and oppressed harder. These societies had no initiative and could not operate in terms of productivity. The medieval period that followed was considered a transitional society. These nomadic communities kept in constant motion mad nothing so special or valuable as to cause issues of ownership or other ambitions to power. In the centuries that followed authority began to weaken. The tradition of election passed on to hereditary rule, but the old customs and appearances also faded away and the ruler, even when designated at birth was formally elected. His power was weakening and some seeked to restore the empire that had once been. At this point the basis of economy in Europe was private property what could be held, defended, and conquered. As communication and transportation came into people’s lives the contest for power in European societies gave rise to semi-autonomous city, or an organized commune. But nothing like the commune appeared outside Western Europe. The commune had a primary economic function to be a government of the merchants, by the merchants, and for the merchants. Also it functioned in its ability to grant social status and political rights on its residents, rights that are crucial to the conduct of business and to freedom from outside interference. These cities became gateways to freedom. Migration to cities improved the income and status of the migrants. Self emancipation in Western Europe was directly linked to the franchised villages and urban communes. Economic History of Europe from Early 100s to Medieval :: essays papers Economic History of Europe from Early 100s to Medieval In the tenth century, Europe was coming out of a torment of invasion, plunder, and rapine, by enemies’ form all sides. They were from Scandinavia, the Norsemen or Vikings that pillaged and harassed everyone almost to Constantinople. They were also plagued by the Saracens from across the Mediterranean and from the Magyars from the east overland. But no one will submit to this kind of abuse forever. Europeans began to retaliate and counter the thrusts of their attackers, raising the price of aggression. Over the years the northern tribes and Hungarian invaders gave up, settled down and domesticated. This end form danger launched Europe on the path for development and growth. Western Aristocracy, however, did not foster the idea of a successful, efficient economy. The Aristocratic empires squeezed al they could out of what they had instead of looking for new ways to make more. They pressed and oppressed harder. These societies had no initiative and could not operate in terms of productivity. The medieval period that followed was considered a transitional society. These nomadic communities kept in constant motion mad nothing so special or valuable as to cause issues of ownership or other ambitions to power. In the centuries that followed authority began to weaken. The tradition of election passed on to hereditary rule, but the old customs and appearances also faded away and the ruler, even when designated at birth was formally elected. His power was weakening and some seeked to restore the empire that had once been. At this point the basis of economy in Europe was private property what could be held, defended, and conquered. As communication and transportation came into people’s lives the contest for power in European societies gave rise to semi-autonomous city, or an organized commune. But nothing like the commune appeared outside Western Europe. The commune had a primary economic function to be a government of the merchants, by the merchants, and for the merchants. Also it functioned in its ability to grant social status and political rights on its residents, rights that are crucial to the conduct of business and to freedom from outside interference. These cities became gateways to freedom. Migration to cities improved the income and status of the migrants. Self emancipation in Western Europe was directly linked to the franchised villages and urban communes.

Usa and it policies

Ukraine, which was until 2008 Bucharest summit extended its support ND participation towards NATO forces, has now turned indifferent and cold to US under the presidency of Victor Hancock. It's necessary to recall the actions of the United States in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Libya, where they acted either without and sanction from United Nations Security Council or distorted the contents of the resolution, as it happened in Libya. US is often accused of having different yardsticks on the issue of military intervention.The current crisis is not only about Ukraine. However, the outcome of the East-West standoff in Ukraine may be crucial for deciding the success or failure of Russian's new policy of defiance. Crimea was Putting trump card and he played it well. Despite the load threats of sanctions and other punitive actions by the west, President Vladimir Putting went along with the wishes of the people of the Crimean peninsula and on march 21 duly signed a treaty incorporating the regio n into the Russian Federation.And Russia seem to receive an unprecedented support from many developing counties Including BRICKS nations which declared to have no appetite for the sanction regime that the west wants to impose on Russia and regretted the use of sanctions as a weapon against Russia. While on the contrary the 67 leaders meeting at The Hogue In the last week of March decided unanimously to suspend Russia from the 68.The GO leaders Issued a statement condemning what they termed as â€Å"Russian's Illegal attempts to annex Crimea In contravention to International law'. The 67 leaders warned that they would â€Å"Intensify actions† that could have a escalating Impact on the Russian economy! Though Putting gave an assurance that there would be no further moves to â€Å"split Ukraine† despite the growing glamour among the Russian speaking parts of eastern Ukraine for breaking away!Well, there still a lot more to this undying wave of rattling animosity. The wor ld Is transforming, change Is Inevitable and India for now advised to remain clang to Its â€Å"Non alignment policy' and refrain Itself from stepping Into the chaos! USA and it policies By reestablishment unprecedented support from many developing counties including BRICKS nations While on the contrary the 67 leaders meeting at The Hogue in the last week of March decided unanimously to suspend Russia from the 68.The 67 leaders issued a statement condemning what they termed as â€Å"Russian's illegal attempts to annex Crimea in contravention to international law'. The 67 leaders warned that they would â€Å"intensify actions† that could have a significant impact on the Russian economy!

Erikson Lifespan Theory Essay

Developmental psychology studies multidimensional aspects, such as physical, cognitive, social and emotional patterns of change and stability both in the evolutionary history of humans within the life span development theory. This field of study has historically evolved from two competing worldviews. Overton (1984) defines a worldview (a paradigm/disciplinary matrix/scientific research program/research tradition) as a general and abstract framework used by scientists to define their research plans. Like focal questions, methods, instruments and basic theoretical propositions. There has been much confusion around the integration of psychology and the Christian faith has led to conflicting attitudes toward this important design. A Reformed Evangelical approach to bringing developmental psychology under the authority of the Bible is proposed through the validation, modification, and reconstruction of elements in the mechanistic and organismic world views. Christian psychology scholars are encouraged to test their research agenda against the biblical canon in order to determine whether their theoretical formulations, focal questions, methodological approach and interpretation or application of data are working. Carter and Narramore’s work (1979) raises some questions at exactly what these authors seek to integrate. It seems that both the title of their book and the majority of their argument focus on the disciplines of psychology and theology, their text frequently shifts to the integration of psychology either with Christianity (with scripture from the bible or biblical revelation) as though all of these could be interchangeable. They do say that the Christian Scripture is not to be combined with theological interpretation. However, their integration approach remains the same whether the biblical text or theology is the focus of discussion in relation to psychology and as either as a science or as a profession. They argue for â€Å"a continuing dialogue between psychology and theology† (Carter & Narramore, 1979 p. 16). Whether one opposes or supports integration depends both on what is being integrated and on the stated goal of integration. Christian scholars in the field of psychology are called â€Å"to study reality in the light of biblical revelation† (Greidanus, 1982, p. 47, cited in Jones and Butman, 1991). The Bible is the lamp we all need in order to walk straight; it is the light we all need as we think of God’s creation after God’s won thoughts (Psalm 119:9-11, 105). To be sure, the interaction between theology and psychology can yield valuable insights (Carter, 1996), and a focus on the role of generic faith in life satisfaction can challenge a long dated stereotyp e against religion as pathogenic (Myers, 2000). From a Reformed Evangelical standpoint, not only theology and psychology, but also faith, spirituality and all dominations of life must ultimately be brought under the knowledge of the Bible. As Hurley and Berry (1997) indicated, it is in the Bible that: God speaks directly and without corruption (2 Tim. 3:16, 17, provides a trustworthy source of information (John 17:17), equips us adequately to live out our Christian lives (2 Tim. 3:16, 17), and provides special information needed to understand both the fallen earth and God’s plan of salvation (John 20:30, 31). General revelations (creation) are not in verbal form and are distorted by the fall, while special revelation (Scripture) is direct, verbal, and not distorted. Therefore, we need the Scripture to interpret creation properly†¦ (p. 326). Religious or scientific it is clear that spirituality and human development have crossed paths with psychology and more consideration is needed for better treatment plans for prospective patients and clients. More study and discussion has been on how counseling professionals have become increasingly aware of the ethical responsibilities of developing competencies in the area of spirituality. Many counseling and counselor education programs incorporate spirituality into curriculum areas to help prepare counselors to address spirituality issues in practice settings. Cashwell & Young (2005) believed that enhancement to counseling students and professional’s competence in addressing spirituality ethically and skillfully. The editors use the competencies developed by the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling for integrating spirituality into counseling as a framework. Tools and techniques should be incorporated to enhance their own spirituality into the context of the therapeutic process. These suggestions are not for the pastor or minister, but for psychologists. The ideal is that these teachings can be shown to even support human development theories and enhance counseling methods.

Retirement Planning Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Retirement Planning - Assignment Example My plan is to work in the private industry for 40 years to then retire. Retirement is very important because it represents the golden years of a person’s life. People expect to enjoy retirement with their love ones. In order to truly enjoy retirement it is important to be financially independent. I will graduate at 25 years of age. The average salary I expect to earn during my career will be approximately $50,000. A retirement calculator on the CNN Money website was used to estimate my retirement goal. My retirement goal is to save $500,000. My expected retirement age is 65 years of age. I estimated my life expectance at 78 years since that is the average life expectancy in the United States (CultureGrams, 2012). My expected pension income and social security income are $1000 each. Based on these variables the retirement calculator gave the following output. Your Results You will need a total of $1.7 million ($496,418 in today's dollars) to retire at 65 years old (Cnn, 2012). The second tool available at the CNN website was an asset allocation display. I stated that I needed the money in 20+ years. I selected that I was willing to take a reasonable amount of risk. I stated I could not afford to miss my target and during market sell-offs I see an opportunity to buy more stock. The result of the calculator is illustrated below: Suggested allocation: (Cnn, 2012). The suggested allocation provided by the CNN calculator provides a list of potential allocation of assets. My plan to save $500,000 by retirement age can be achieved if I implement a proactive saving strategy that uses a wide arrangement of investment and retirement tools. Three retirement instruments that I plan of use as part of my diversified portfolio are IRA, Roth IRA, and 401k plans. An IRA is a retirement savings account that allows taxpayer to save money without paying taxes for the income placed in the IRA account. Money placed in an IRA account accumulates interests every year. The money cannot be taken out of the IRA account until retirement age reaches. Bottom of Form A Roth IRA is, â€Å"An individual retirement plan that bears many similarities to the traditional IRA, but  contributions are not tax deductible and qualified distributions are tax free† (Investopedia, 2012). A 401k plan is a company sponsored retirement plan that allows individuals to set aside tax-deferred income towards retirement. There are other financial instruments that can be used to save money towards retirement. One of the most popular forms of investments is common stocks. Common stocks give investors ownership in a publicly traded company. The investors that keep stocks for a long time earn dividends from common stock as well as a capital gain once the investment is sold. The safest type of stock that an investor can choose is blue chip stocks. A blue chip stock is a stock issued by a well known company with an established record of making money and paying dividends (Teweles, Br adley, Teweles, 1992). An example of a blue chip stock is Microsoft. Due to the risk associated with penny stocks and foreign stocks I will stay away from these two types of stocks in order to minimize the risk of the portfolio. Another good investment instrument that is often chosen by investors is corporate bonds. Corporate bonds pay the investor the coupon rate on a yearly or biannual basis. The principal of the bond is paid at maturity age. Most bonds are of $1000 denominations. A portion of my retirement

'Memory is all about claims about the past.' Discuss using appropriate Essay

'Memory is all about claims about the past.' Discuss using appropriate ethnography - Essay Example However, some focus on the narratives of experiences of people, which constitute one memory of a certain shared experience that can shed some light on how people see a certain phenomenon. In this paper, I shall argue on the role of memory as an indicator of the following: (1) as a narrative of a social practice, (2) as a projection of ideal view of the self and (3) as an embodiment of a certain feeling about an experience. In accordance to the premises mentioned, there is a need to point the issues that come with each of the premises in terms of ethnography as a practice and as experience. At the same time, there is a critical interrogation of how memories are situated across time and how narratives of it become a valuable source of knowledge. These inquiries shall be able to project a view on culture that is engaging, new, and unbiased. Also, this will become an attempt to challenge biases about memories and generalizations attributed to its culture of origin. Memory as a Narrative of Social Practice â€Å"No real and complete memory every appears in our dreams as it appears in our waking state. Our dreams are composed of fragments of memory too mutilated and mixed up with other to allow us to recognize them† (Halbwachs 1992, p. 41). ... In case of cultural and social experiences, the discourse about dreams can be considered stagnant because â€Å"the dream is based only upon itself, whereas our recollections depend on those of all our fellows, and on the great frameworks of the memory of society† (Halbwachs 1992, p. 42). This would then be a validation that memory also works on the social level, even if the experiences of the phenomenon for each individual are varied. However, experiences become objects of the past, which have a huge impact on how things turn out or happen in the present. Connerton (1989, p. 2) projects that â€Å"experiences of the present very largely depends on our knowledge of the past.† In connection to social memory, the â€Å"images of the past commonly legitimate a present social order† (Connerton 1989, p. 2). Following such a condition, one can take into account that memories of the past become stories or narratives that are passed on from generations to generations, wh ich could impart lessons and predicaments for the contemporary society. This assertion can be considered true since â€Å"different sets of memories, frequently in the shape of implicit background narratives, will encounter each other, so that, although physically present to one another in a particular setting, the different generations may remain mentally and emotionally insulated, the memories of one generation locked irretrievably, as it were, in the brains and bodies of that generation† (Connerton 1989, p. 3). Thus, there is an intergenerational paradigm working whenever social memories and social experiences are dealt with. This kind of phenomenon can be considered present

Movie Analysis of Ender's Game (2013) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Movie Analysis of Ender's Game (2013) - Essay Example The novel is fashioned on purely speculative future invasion of the earth by an alien insectoid race referred to as ‘buggers’ (Card, 2002).The Enders Game (2013) film adaptation has combined the futuristic speculation with the current action, in which Ender Wiggins, the protagonist kid in this film ends up actually fighting and wining against the alien Formics, while he still believes that he is in the process of training. Thus, the film Enders Game (2013) is an epic science fiction film that rarely demonstrates anything of the realistic world, but rather focuses purely on scientific inventions, technologies and speculated future events that are not based on any realistic worldly happening either at present or in the past. The film, Enders Game (2013), is science fiction film, owing to the fact that the film presents a futuristic theme of war between the planet earth and aliens from another planet, based on no realistic prediction or occurrence that would trigger such a war. One of the fundamental elements that qualify a film as a science fiction genre is the fashioning of the film based on a futuristic setting (Morse, 2006). In this respect, the film Enders Game (2013) presents the preparation of genius kids for a battle between the earth and another planet, which happens many years into the future. The alien Formic had invaded the earth previously and caused the death of millions of people, and therefore the most gifted and talented of all kids have been recruited into the battle school to be trained in readiness of fighting the next evasion that is anticipated. The film Enders Game (2013) becomes an epic science fiction, owing to the fact that the course of training the kids and winning the war over the Formic aliens takes the form of training on unrealistic settings such as the zero gravity ‘battle room’ (Hood, 2013). Ender Wiggin is

Should the fast food industry be regulated in a similar manner to the Research Paper

Should the fast food industry be regulated in a similar manner to the tobacco industry Explain the factors behind your reasoning - Research Paper Example More than three hundred people die every year out of obesity-linked diseases. There have been few sober trials to regulate the food industry just like tobacco. One is left wondering if fast food industry should be regulated in the same way as the tobacco industry. Industries being threatened by the government regulation, have always undertaken to do self-regulatory actions. The food industry has been making promises to curb food marketing for children, trade less unhealthy goods in schools and put labels in foods responsibly. In industries like the tobacco, self-regulation failed. However, in some industries like the forestry and marine, it has been effective. Acting in response to the public outcry and the call for government regulation, the key food industry players have taken action as other businesses have done before. The industry has opted to adopt a self-regulatory initiative. The self-regulatory promises by the food industry are new and may be as the industry claims be, to the advantage of the public health or they may be deceptive and self-serving. Today, food industry self-regulation comprises of four key initiatives. One is that which deals with food and beverages in schools and pertains to marketing to children and addresses menu and labeling. On the beverages in schools, the industry in conjunction with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation released guidelines on school beverages. These guidelines comprise pledges to restrict portion sizes of drinks and set standards for the nutritional and caloric content of drinks to be traded in schools. The pledge was to implement the guidelines before 2009 to 2010 school year. After two years of implementation, the guidelines have reduced beverage calories taken to schools by more than 50 percent. The potential advantage of the guidelines provided and taking part of key players could be considered. The drinks industry has

Sexual harassment in the workplace Research Paper - 1

Sexual harassment in the workplace - Research Paper Example Today, sexual harassment cases filed under the law, thanks to several well-publicized court actions, have become a â€Å"hot ticket† legal item, with thousands of alleged cases heard each year and as many victims saved from the indignity of work-related sexual advances. Sexual harassment as defined legally by the website Equal Rights Advocates as â€Å"unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe or pervasive and affects working conditions or creates a hostile work environment† (par. 1). This said â€Å"hostile environment† is one of the primary benchmarks for alleged sex discrimination and perhaps the most damaging in its affect on the individual’s civil rights. As one might imagine, to be fired, refused a promotion, demoted or helpless to avoid a poor performance evaluation must be the worst consequence of this deliberate act. Even if the conduct does not result in such actions, constant sexual harassment interferes wit h work performance, in itself creating the said â€Å"hostile environment.† As example, repeated sexual comments unreported can make an individual so uncomfortable as to affect performance and subsequently lead to negative work assessments. No doubt, before Title VII, many a worker was dismissed without the full disclosure of what was going on, or even if it was, out of the control of the offended person. One can only imagine this situation. Sexual harassment is also legally defined as an overt and obvious form of sex discrimination, which means men are allowed--although in the nineties, statistically not as likely as women to do so -- file charges. Today, however, changes have occurred and more men are filing complaints. In 2006 the number of complaints by men sat somewhere around 1870; by 2009 it was up to 2,094. â€Å"The spike in male sexual harassment claims coincides with a recession that has hit men harder than women† (Mystal par 2-3). Statistics show that from 2008 to 2010 the number of men who lost their jobs was nearly double that of women. Using the state of Michigan as an example, where unemployment is high, the percentage of claims by men increased nearly 10 percent from 2007 to 2009. (Mystral par. 3). Whether men or women are filing, the conclusion is clear. Since the early nineties things have certainly changed in terms of attitudes toward what was once thought quite acceptable â€Å"normal† male/female, or female/male behavior in the workplace. There is a heightened consciousness in society concerning sexual harassment, and a relentless, much-needed, and well-overdue push toward "zero tolerance" of sexual harassment in workplaces, including the military. Those old enough can remember the well-publicized Tailhook scandal regarding sexual abuse and harassment against female military recruits, as well as suits brought against major corporations by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), including Mitsubishi Motor C orporation for a consistent pattern of acceptance of harassment. Conclusions were clear: No one desiring a secure career in the private or public sector today can afford the attitude that may have once prevailed that sexual harassmen

Military rape Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Military rape - Essay Example However, today female soldiers working in the US military are also extremely vulnerable to sexual molestations mostly by their male counterparts (Whitten, 1999). As a result of the increasing rate of the military rape, today young people, particularly female candidates are reluctant to join the army (Nantais & Lee, 1999). This paper will specifically discuss the intensity of military rape in the US with particular reference given to various elements of sexual behavior. This will also discuss four different theories like the feminist theory, the cultural pathology theory, the strategic rape theory, and the biosocial theory in order to identify the root causes of military rape. Background Rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment that occur during military service are generally termed as Military Sexual Trauma (MST) by the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). The term ‘wartime rape’ indicates mass wartime rape rather than isolated examples of rape by individual soldiers . Admittedly, there are no reliable statistical data on wartime rape due to pressures from superior officers and the reluctance of victims to come forward. Reports indicates that increases in the frequency of wartime rape might range from an estimated 300% to 400% by the end of the World War II (Gottschall, 2004). While analyzing the available statistics relating to the number of cases reported, it seems that military rape has been becoming a mounting challenge to the US army. According to some estimates, more than half a million people have been raped while serving the US army; and nearly 100,000 cases of military rape have been occurred within the past seven years (Koss, 2004). Although both men and women in the military are exposed to sexual harassments, women are the major victims of unwanted sexual behaviors. To illustrate, a 1996 Department of Defense survey conducted on 90,000 active duty members (including men and women) revealed that 55 percent women reported unwanted uninv ited sexual attention or behaviors whereas the same was reported by only 14 percent men; and the survey also indicated that 78 percent women and 38 percent men experienced one or another form of sexual harassment or sexual assault (Koss, 2004). Unfortunately, many of these cases go unreported due to various reasons, and a significant percent of the reported cases fail to go to full trial or investigations. A recently published report indicates that â€Å"only 3 to 4 percent of cases reported to the Army Criminal Investigation Division proceed all the way through the system to court martial† (Koss, 2004). Evidently, this situation points to the sexual behaviors of military personnel which can increase the rate of military rape. A Detailed Study As discussed already, the incidence of military rape has been significantly increasing over the last decade. Many of the female soldiers who took part in the Iraq war reported that they were raped by their male counterparts. Some studie s point out the possibility that one out of every four women that serve the military will have to face some form of sexual assault within the time span of their careers (Kitfield, 2012). (Details of this citation not found in the proposal you sent. So not included in the reference list). According to Pentagon reports, over 19,000 sexual assaults occur in the US military annually and this data include the cases of both the genders.

Responsible Borrowing Worksheet Essay Example for Free

Responsible Borrowing Worksheet Essay Many students borrow federal student loans to pay for college. The goal of this assignment is to help you learn how to borrow responsibly, which may mean that you do not borrow at all or that you borrow only what you truly need. To borrow responsibly, you must understand your options and establish a financial plan for your entire program. With that plan in place, you can then focus on your classes and making connections with instructors and other students. There are two steps listed below for this assignment. Respond to the questions for each step in this worksheet only and submit your completed document to the Assignment Files tab. Step 1 Watch the â€Å"Responsible Borrowing (Financial Aid)† video on the orientation website located here: http://www.phoenix.edu/student-orientation.html. Respond to the following three questions in the spaces provided below: What is financial aid? Financial aid is an invaluable resource that will help a student and their families pay for college expenses. The expenses that may be covered includes college tuition, living expenses, books, laptop, necessary supplies and even transportation costs. Financial aid options available are grants, scholarships, loans and also work study programs. How do grants differ from loans? Grants are money that does not have to be paid back. They are free money for college. Grants are usually based on a student’s financial needs. Loans are  money that is borrowed and must be paid back, usually with interest costs. The major grants available for students are federal Pell Grants and Cal Grants. There are smaller federal grants that are also available. What effect does class attendance have on funding availability? The effects that class attendance has on a student’s funding availability are a student will lose their government student aid funding if the minimum attendance requirements are not met. If a student withdraws or quits or has been withdrawn or failed because of class attendance the student is required to repay any of the federal aid that was used during their time of enrollment for the course(s). Step 2 Access the Financial Plan at www.phoenix.edu/financialplan. Enter your program and respond to the questions. Explore the information about options for payment, reducing cost, and military students (if applicable). If you have already completed the plan as part of the enrollment process, you can use those results for this step. Respond to the following two questions in the spaces provided below: Based on this plan, what is your estimated monthly payment when you enter repayment? As a result of completing the plan, what changes can you make to reduce the amount you may borrow? Why?

Perceptions of Reproductive Health in Muslim Undergrads

Perceptions of Reproductive Health in Muslim Undergrads A MULTIDIMENSIONAL CONSTRUCT OF PERCEPTIONS ON SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AMONG MUSLIM UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS Abstract This study examines factors influencing undergraduate students who are all Muslims from one of the public universities in Malaysia. Data were obtained from a survey conducted among the undergraduate students (n=255). Principle Components Analysis (PCA) revealed four latent factors: the electronic and printed media, knowledge of circumcision, the Islamic values on sexuality and their prior knowledge of sexual act. Based on the views of the respondents on the roles played by curriculum, religion and media in disseminating knowledge on sex-related matters, recommendations are drawn to assist the relevant parties in coming up with comprehensive sexuality education for Muslim adolescents. Key words: sex/sexuality education, reproductive health, undergraduate student, Muslim, perceptions, Principle Component Analysis (PCA) Introduction Studies which have been carried out in Muslim societies on sexual and reproductive health are limited. Many young Muslims are emitted from the learning process to cater the cultural and religious restrictions (Cok, 2000; DeJong et al., 2007; Halstead, 1997; Nurazzura, 2007; Underwood, 2000). Very little is, therefore, known about the factors that influence the Muslim youths on sexual and reproductive health. Several studies in some Muslim countries reported that Muslim youth are not well prepared and educated in sexual and reproductive health due to some contributing factors. (Burazeri et al., 2003; GÃâ€"kengin et al., 2003; Mohammad Reza et al.,2006; Nik Suryani et al., 2007; Paruk et al., 2006). Cok (2000) described sex education in Turkey, as similar as many other Muslim countries in the world, as â€Å"there are no sexuality classes, no mention of sexuality in health courses or no sexuality textbook material in Turkish school. Other issues take priority and sexuality education is pushed aside as unimportant and irrelevant† (p.5). Moreover, he stated that Turkish Muslim adolescents are highly influenced by media especially form Europe and North America. In addition, the study on 2,227 first-and fourth -years students at Ege Univesity, GÃâ€"kengin et al. (2003) revealed that knowledge about sexual health and sexuality transmitted diseases is insufficient among their samples. In Albania, Burazeri et al. (2003) reported the mean age at first sexual intercourse 720 undergraduate students in Tirana was 17.9 for men and 18.8 years for woman. They also found positive associations of parental education and income level with sexual activity and consistent use of condoms among Albanian undergraduate students. Mohammad Reza et al. (2006) described the sex education in Iran that cultural sensitivities which may be a factor in young peoples poor knowledge about reproductive health. Furthermore, few programs provide sexuality education to adolescents or enable youth to ask questions and correct misconceptions about reproductive health. Indeed, large numbers of young Iranians lack information about safe sex and about the skills necessary to negotiate and adopt safe sex practices. In their study of 1,385 males aged 15-18 in Tehran about their beliefs and knowledge regarding reproductive health and their engaging in sexual activity, they found that there was a relatively high prevalence of sexual activity and the lack of knowledge regarding STIs and contraceptives pose a significant threat to the sexual and reproductive health of Iranian adolescent males. Hence, they requested programs to provide adolescents with the accurate information and skills to make safe sexual decisions. A study conducted by Nik Suryani et al. (2007) with undergraduate students (n=300) in Malaysia , discovered that, in general, students held a positive view toward sex and sex-related matters; however, their knowledge on sexuality education, sexual and reproductive health matters calls for attention from the relevant authorities. Findings on their sources of information on sexuality education also revealed that more could be done to help them obtain an accurate picture of sex-related matters particularly with the roles played by parents, school, religion and media in disseminating knowledge on sex-related matters. Paruk et al. (2006) presented finding on the influence of religiosity on attitude toward people with HIV/AIDS using 90 South African Muslim university students. They found that higher religiosity was significantly correlated with a more positive attitude to people with HIV. Ojo Bidemi (2008) conducted a study with 520 adolescent of Nigerian students on contemporary clothing habits and sexual behavior of adolescents in the South Western Nigeria. They found that there is no significant difference in the factors influencing adolescents dressing habits and also the fact that there is relationship between clothing habits and their sexual behavior. In Pakistan, Qidwai (2000) surveyed perception among 188 Pakistani young men, who presented to family physicians, at the outpatient department of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, about enjoyment of sexual experiences in women. He found a high prevalence of misconceptions about female sexuality among Pakistani young men. Furthermore, Hennink, Rana, Iqbal (2005) studied on knowledge of personal and sexual development amongst young people in Pakistan. They found that young women typically gain information from a limited number of sources while young men accessed a wide variety of information sources outside the home. From studies done in various Muslim countries, however, there is not enough information on factors influencing the basic sexual and reproductive health among Muslim undergraduate student as well as in other developing countries (Singh, Bankole Woog, 2005). Intervention studies are largely absent. There is a need therefore to determine factors associated with Muslims sexual perception to develop a clear understanding in student variables, the results of which may contribute to help students on their knowledge and behavior regarding to sexual and reproductive health and it will help determine best bets for programs for sex education for Muslim youths. The purpose of this study was to survey Muslim undergraduate students perceptions in sexual and reproductive health, and in doing so, to clarify the meaning of the construct itself. Thus, the study addressed the following research questions: What are the factors influencing Muslim undergraduate students perceptions towards sexual and reproductive health? This study is based on the crossed different populations and geographic regions influencing factor adolescent on sexual and reproductive health studied by Manlove et al. (2001). They pointed out that there are multiple domains in an adolescents life associated with reproductive health outcomes. By grounded on the ecological approach, individual factor, family factor, peers, partners, school context, neighborhood, community, and social policy characteristics are all associated with sexual behaviors, adolescent pregnancy, and STI. However, this study only looked at certain dimensions which comprised (1) individual factor (religiosity, knowledge of reproductive health and attitudes and belief about sex); (2) school context (curriculum); and, (3) media. The authors, therefore, hypothesized that there are four influencing factors of undergraduate Muslim students perception on sexual and reproductive health: (1) school and tertiary curriculum support, (2) Islamic values on sexuality, (3) electronic and printed media, and (4) students prior knowledge on sexual and reproduction health. Significance of Study Results of this study are pictured to provide empirical data on factors influencing perception on sexual and reproductive health among Muslim undergraduate students that have not been fully studied. Thus, the results of this study are expected to help in the understanding of students perception towards sexual and reproductive health and sex education which is promoted by several factors. The findings are beneficial to understand and determine the success or failure of factors influence and the implementation of sex education in Islamic higher learning institute as perceived by students. Such information can help to improve the strategy in order to accomplish the sex education particularly for Muslim youths. Method Research design In this study, the survey method was employed. A questionnaire was selected from Nik Suryani et al. (2007) measured these relationships. It consisted of two parts. The questionnaires were distributed randomly to a sample of undergraduate in the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). Population and sample The population is the undergraduate students in IIUM, Gombak campus, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. All were Malaysians. A random sampling was used to select participants. The principle component analysis (PCA) was conducted where the number of sample depends on the items of the questionnaire. Since the number of the item is 40, the minimum sample size is 40 x 5 = 200 participants. In this study, the participants were 255 which were more than the minimum requirement (Hair et al., 2006). Data Collection To distribute the questionnaires, researchers sought help from three students which researchers have known. The questionnaire has an attached covering letter that assures the confidentially of data collected and describes the major components of questionnaires to be completed. Students were given one week to complete the questionnaires and had to return them to the assigned persons within the time allocated. The usable returned response rate was 72.9 % (n=255) out of 350 students. The data collected was operated on January 2008. Validity and Reliability To establish the face and construct validity of the instrument, the opinions of two experts in education were sought on the design and items used for the various dimension. The instrument was pilot tested on 30 students that was not on the list of the selected students. Based on the pilot test, 50 items from Nik Suryani et al. (2007) was tested and a few items were omitted in order to refine the instrument further. Finally, 40 items were confirmed with a reliability of Alpha Cronbach = .72. Instrumentation The survey instrument was adopted from a core questionnaire developed by Nik Suryani et al. (2007). The questionnaire comprised 40 questions divided into two sections: social and demographic variables and students views and knowledge on a wide range of topics on sex and attitudes towards sex. It sought to find out students perceptions on: (1) school and tertiary curriculum (5 items; no.1-5); (2) Islamic values on sexuality (6 items; no.6-11); (3) electronic and printed media (4 items; no.12-15): (4) sexual novel (4 items; no.16-19): (5) their prior knowledge of sexual and reproductive health 5.1 protected sex (6items; no.20-25): 5.2 sexual act (9 items; no.26-34): 5.3 circumcisions (9 items; no.35-40). The response to each item is in the form of a five-point Likert scale of â€Å"strongly disagree, â€Å"disagree†, â€Å"undecided†, â€Å"agree†, and â€Å"strongly agree†. The demographic characteristic of the first section of the questionnaire contains questions with regard to the respondents background information (gender, age, country of origin, former school and location, faculty, year of study, CGPA, and marital status). Data analysis For the demographic data, frequency and percentage were employed. To answer the research question on factors influencing students perceptions of sexual and reproductive health, principle component analysis was utilized. An explanatory factor analysis was conducted to construct-validate the factor influencing students perception. To find out the number of factors the following rules were used: (1) the Kaisers rule of 1.0 as the minimum eigenvalues, (2) the scree test and (3) the interpretability of the solutions. The degree of intercorrelation among items justified the application of the factor analysis as well as the Batletts test of sphericity recorded a Chi square value. Results Table 1 shows out of 255 students, 152 (59.6%) were females and 101 (39.6%) were males. A majority of the students (91.4%) were between 20 and 25 years of age, the remaining being distributed between the age group of younger than 20 (7.4%) and older than 25 (1.2%). Approximately, 239 (93.7%) of the respondents were Malaysians while 16 (6.3%) were international students. Most of students (37.2%) graduated from urban day school, followed by religious school (27.1%), boarding school (16.5%), rural day school (9.0%), private school (5.9%), and others (1.9%). The respondents were represented from different faculty with nearly half (42.4%) being law students (AIKOL). The other half was distributed between Human Sciences (24.3%), KENMS (11.8%), ENGINEERING (7.1%), KAED (5.5%), INSTED (3.9%), KICT (2.7%), and IRK (2.4%) respectively. Majority of students were second year student (32.5%), the remaining being almost distributed between the final year (29.8%), the first year (21.2%), and the third year (16.5%). In general, almost more than half of the students (49.4%) had CGPA more than 3.0, while the rest (28.7%) had less than 3.0. Almost 95.7% students were single which 131 (53.7%) were not attached to someone and 110 (45.1%) were having attached to someone, only 11 (4.3%) students were married. Table 1 Respondents Demographic Background Variables N Percent 1. Gender: Male 101 39.6 Female 152 59.6 Missing Value 2 0.8 2.Age 19 7.4 20-25 233 91.4 >25 3 1.2 3.Country of Origin Malaysian (local student) 239 93.7 Non-Malaysian (international student) 16 6.3 4. Former School and Location Urban Day School 95 37.2 Rural Day School 23 9.0 Boarding School 42 16.5 Religious School 69 27.1 Private School 15 5.9 Others 6 2.4 Missing values 5 1.9 5. Faculty Information and Communication Technology (KICT) 7 2.7 Engineering 18 7.1 Laws (AIKOL) 108 42.4 Human Sciences (HS) 62 24.3 Islamic Revealed Knowledge (IRK) 6 2.3 Institute of Education (INSTEAD) 10 3.9 Economics and Management Sciences (KENMS) 30 11.8 Architecture and Environmental Design ( KAED) 14 5.5 6. Year of study 1st year 54 21.2 2nd year 83 32.5 3rd year 42 16.5 4th year 76 29.8 5. CGPA 1 0.4 2.00-2.49 11 4.4 2.50-2.99 61 23.9 3.00-3.49 102 40 >3.50 24 9.4 Missing Value 56 21.9 6. Marital status Single 244 95.7 Single and have attached to someone 110 45.1 Single and have not attached to someone 131 53.7 Missing Value 3 1.2 Married 11 4.3 n = 255 Perceptions toward Sexual and Reproductive Health Table 2 summarizes the results of the descriptive analysis of the students perceptions on sexual and reproductive health. The data showed that the mean scores ranged between 1.83 (items PRO23) and 4.57 (items REL10); the standard deviations ranged from .66 (items SEX34) to 1.18 (items PRO23). The mean scores were located within the expected range (none of the items are included a mean score of zero, at 95 % level of confidence, with a reliability of Alpha Cronbach = .72). The data showed that the dispersion of the scores for each item sufficiently discriminated the students perceptions. In addition, the degree of bivariate correlation among most of the 40 items matric variables ranged from low to high. However six of them (items EDU1, EDU2, PRO24, SEX28, SEX31, and CIR39) were found to link weakly and negatively with the rest of the items. Table 2 Mean (Standard Deviation) and Item-Total Correlations of Students Perceptions on Sexual and Reproductive Health Items Code M SD r 1. The content of information on sexual related matters taught at school is sufficient. EDU1 2.95 1.157 .081 2. Courses like Family Management and Parenting at undergraduate level should openly discuss sexual and reproductive health matters. EDU2 4.11 .876 .023 3. Sexual education should be taught as subject of its own at secondary schools. EDU3 3.28 1.176 .227 4. Sexual education should be taught as a separate subject at the tertiary level. EDU4 3.60 1.043 .195 5. Sexual education should be taught in pre-marital courses. EDU5 4.38 .686 .176 6. Quran provides me with information on sexuality in a decent manner. REL6 4.38 .789 .239 7. My religious knowledge provides basis for me to develop the conscience not to engage in premarital sex REL7 4.52 .728 .192 8. Religion helps me suppress my sexual desire. REL8 4.26 .847 .237 9. Fasting is one of the best ways to keep my sexual desire under control. REL9 4.31 .910 .327 10. Watching pornography is forbidden in Islam. REL10 4.57 .767 .303 11. The only way to eliminate illicit sex is by implementing the Syariah Law. REL11 4.19 .922 .389 12. Electronic media portrays negative perception of sexuality. MED12 3.70 1.079 .339 13. Printed media portrays negative perception of sexuality. MED13 3.65 1.075 .372 14. Electronic media leads young people to embark on pre-marital sexual relationship. MED14 4.10 .927 .357 15. Printed media leads young people to embark on pre-marital sexual relationship. MED15 3.94 .987 .412 16. Reading sexy novels leads people to having pre-marital sex. NOV16 3.42 1.036 .354 17. Novels are most descriptive about sexual intercourses than other sources. NOV17 2.98 1.072 .350 18. Novels with sexual descriptions increase my desire to masturbate. NOV18 2.69 1.107 .324 19. Novels with sexual descriptions increase my sexual fantasies. NOV19 2.95 1.093 .268 20. There is fertility problem if pregnancy does not occur in the first year of marriage. PRO20 2.52 .972 .218 21. Unprotected sexual intercourse will guarantee pregnancy. PRO21 3.32 1.175 .339 22. Protected intercourse guarantee pregnancy wont occur. PRO22 2.70 1.085 .235 23. Kissing and touching can lead to pregnancy. PRO23 1.83 1.177 .153 24. The use of contraceptives or protected sex ensures safety from sexually related diseases. PRO24 3.41 .996 .069 25. Islam forbids the use of contraceptives. PRO25 2.87 1.010 .169 26. Preservation of virginity is most important for both men and women before getting married. SEX26 4.53 .781 .125 27. Sex is painful for first timers. SEX27 3.44 .933 .100 28. Sex is painful for women. SEX28 3.22 .886 .069 29. Sex is pleasurable to both men and women. SEX29 4.04 .853 .162 30. Only matured people enjoy sexual relationship. SEX30 2.88 1.088 .100 31. Sexual relationship is for young people only. SEX31 1.91 .909 -.057 32. Good Communication between spouses ensures satisfying sexual relationship. SEX32 4.32 .839 .100 33. Knowledge about sex is a pre requisite for enjoying sex. SEX33 4.05 .876 .246 34. Understanding between each others needs help improve sexual satisfaction. SEX34 4.39 .660 .168 35. Circumcision is mainly for health reasons. CIR35 3.93 1.090 .192 36. Circumcision is for cultural reasons. CIR36 2.43 1.033 .189 37. Circumcision for women reduces sexual satisfaction. CIR37 2.89 .935 .116 38. Circumcision for women represses their sexual desires. CIR38 2.96 .856 .235 39. Circumcision for men reduces sexual satisfaction. CIR39 2.59 .977 .076 40. Circumcision for men represses their sexual desires. CIR40 2.92 .969 .105 The Underlying Dimensions of Students Perceptions To identify the factors that influence undergraduate Muslim students response toward sexual and reproductive health, the data collected from the sample of 255 respondents were subjected to principal component analysis. Nevertheless, the present analysis used only the responses on the 34 of the 40 items (Table 3). Based on the results of item analysis as described in the preceding section, 6 of the items (items EDU1, EDU2, PRO24, SEX28, SEX31, and CIR39) were excluded because they were behaving poorly in the item-total correlation. Table 3 summarizes the correlations among the 34 items supported the use of principal component analysis. Specifically, the Bartlett Sphericity Test yielded statistically significant intercorrelation c2 (561) = 2525.854, p = .001 with an overall MSA of .65, which exceeded the value of .60. Thus, the data matrix has sufficient correlation to justify the use of the exploratory factor analysis. The principal component analysis yielded a seven -factor dimension structure, accounting for 60.69% of the variance. This indicates that four underlying dimensions explain more than 60% of the variance among the 34 variables. The eigenvalues, ranging from 1.616 to 3.0622 (which is greater than 1 as required), satisfied the standards of important factors as prescribed by Hair, Jr. et al. (2006). Table 3 Correlation Matrix and Descriptive Statistic EDU3 EDU4 EDU5 REL6 REL7 REL8 REL9 REL10 REL11 MED12 MED13 MED14 MED15 NOV16 NOV17 NOV18 NOV19 PRO20 PRO21 PRO22 PRO23 PRO25 SEX26 SEX27 SEX29 SEX30 SEX32 SEX33 SEX34 CIR35 CIR36 CIR37 CIR38 CIR40 EDU3 .548 EDU4 -.284 .557 EDU5 -.134 -.128 .747 REL6 .051 -.046 -.085 .769 REL7 -.021 .017 -.107 -.385 .735 REL8 .061 -.006 .027 -.125 -.233 .724 REL9 -.052 .028 -.011 -.130 -.104 -.210 .771 REL10 .015 -.084 -.110 -.084 -.023 -.234 -.002 .742 REL11 .007 .040 -.099 .027 -.140 .031 -.194 -.153 .782 MED12 .062 .071 .045 -.034 .068 .107 -.062 -.183 -.005 .669 MED13 -.162 -.074 .029 -.025 -.014 -.082 .046 .100 -.202 -.784 .666 MED14 .046 .052 -.088 .045 -.021 .080 .110 -.118 .071 .005 -.172 .664 MED15 -.032 -.025 .017 .003 .001 -.124 -.044 .120 -.113 -.074 .052 -.763 .688 NOV16 .162 -.022 .047 -.145 .047 .001 -.010 -.069 -.191 .020 .072 -.138 -.034 .757 NOV17 -.020 -.056 .094 .046 .028 .017 -.174 .000 .125 .028 -.029 .045 -.141 -.328 .713 NOV18 -.034 .113 -.078 -.017 -.081 .124 -.030 -.024 .209 -.019 -.076 .141 -.089 -.188 -.191 .591 NOV19 .085 -.105 -.101 .183 -.018 -.168 .126 .040 -.053 -.004 -.012 -.011 .013 -.001 -.047 -.663 .588 PRO20 -.106 .172 .097 -.095 .194 -.099 .024 -.007 -.015 -.018 -.118 -.040 .033 -.075 .118 .036 -.051 .630 PRO21 .032 -.077 -.059 .056 -.056 .056 -.098 .072 -.002 .006 -.031 .051 -.044 -.124 .065 -.090 .049 -.093 .610 PRO22 -.055 -.041 .006 -.023 -.001 .022 -.140 .004 -.097 -.053 .109 .067 -.031 .108 -.111 -.081 .059 -.147 -.290 .485 PRO23 -.120 .028 .054 -.017 .112 -.070 .003 .149 -.198 -.060 .040 -.141 .111 .042 -.050 -.087 .012 .010 -.045 -.196 .619 PRO25 .088 -.126 .092 -.052 .056 .126 -.134 -.206 .005 .114 -.030 -.028 -.017 -.015 .002 .025 -.096 -.120 -.169 .099 -.126 .490 SEX26 .004 -.041 .071 -.092 -.141 .034 -.010 -.063 -.056 -.031 .023 -.049 .067 .080 -.175 .047 .036 -.006 -.204 .086 .101 .057 .671 SEX27 .079 .083 -.093 .080 -.078 -.056 .098 .135 -.107 .051 -.024 -.100 .015 .098 .074 -.135 .085 .026 .196 -.244 .092 -.128 -.197 .319 SEX29 -.085 -.058 -.089 -.088 .013 -.091 .011 -.055 .033 -.086 .153 .029 -.007 .048 -.105 .135 -.199 -.211 -.196 .120 .069 .111 .114 -.195 .572 SEX30 -.023 .064 -.009 -.090 .118 .029 -.161 -.055 .048 -.006 .000 -.110 .075 -.117 -.027 .114 -.097 -.009 .011 -.001 .036 .092 .101 -.143 .147 .536 SEX32 -.243 .095 .094 -.039 .066 -.068 -.006 .074 -.018 -.148 .127 -.028 .018 .047 -.001 -.043 -.004 .231 -.038 .114 .041 -.106 -.040 -.103 -.054 .089 .640 SEX33 -.023 .060 .014 .163 -.195 .084 -.110 -.149 .058 .090 -.043 .062 -.055 -.124 -.088 .088 -.092 -.192 .057 .133 -.119 .097 -.036 -.040 .056 -.046 -.193 .570 SEX34 .127 -.132 -.039 -.139 .173 -.044 .020 .067 -.049 .105 -.085 -.076 .025 .064 .193 -.167 .075 .158 .006 -.155 .072 .032 -.058 .123 -.256 -.054 -.333 -.463 .555 CIR35 -.103 .093 .052 -.006 .018 .025 -.115 -.101 -.075 -.026 .058 -.053 .056 .011 -.026 -.020 -.012 .065 -.052 .054 .038 -.065 -.104 -.074 .019 .018 .053 .128 -.237 .600 CIR36 .003 -.139 .060 -.085 .159 -.147 .181 .069 -.084 .015 .045 -.014 .021 .025 -.197 -.173 .174 -.052 -.137 .084 .010 -.068 .108 -.114 .020 -.026 .032 -.170 .133 -.113 .613 CIR37 -.145 .013 .021 .044 -.011 .168 -.081 .037 .072 -.034 .015 -.086 .068 -.157 .067 .104 -.121 .003 .126